cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of amphetamine on working memory and locomotor activity in adult rats administered risperidone early in life.

Abstract Antipsychotic drugs are used to manage symptoms of pediatric psychiatric disorders despite the relative absence of research regarding the long-term effects of these drugs on brain development. Using rats as a model, research has demonstrated that administration of the antipsychotic drug, risperidone, during early postnatal development elevates locomotor activity and sensitivity to the locomotor effects of amphetamine during adulthood. Because risperidone targets neurotransmitter receptors and forebrain regions associated with working memory, the present study determined whether early-life risperidone altered working memory during adulthood and its sensitivity to amphetamine-induced impairment. Female and male rats received subcutaneous (sc) injections of risperidone daily on postnatal days 14-42. Early-life risperidone increased spontaneous locomotor activity and amphetamine-induced hyperactivity during adulthood, although the effects were significantly greater in females. Working memory was tested in an operant-based, delayed non-matching-to-sample task. Early-life risperidone did not affect the percentage of correct choices observed during sessions with 0–8 second delays but impaired performance during sessions with 0–24 second delays. In a subsequent set of tests using 0–24 second delays, amphetamine (0.75 and 1.25 mg/kg, sc) significantly reduced the percentage of correct choices at most delays, but risperidone did not exacerbate this effect. These data suggest that early-life risperidone leads to modest deficits in working memory during adulthood, but does not alter the perturbation of working memory by amphetamine.
Computational Fluid Dynamics for Evaluating Hemodynamics

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a numerical simulation approach for describing the motion of the constituents of fluid within the constraints of a prescribed bounding geometry and inlet and outlet flow conditions. CFD is of great interest to the medical community because of the expected ability to provide biomarkers that are predictive of the risk of poor clinical outcomes for individuals with vascular disease. CFD has become increasingly compelling as reports are presented that show simulations that are based on patient-specific in vivo imaging and therefore include the relevant details of the presenting anatomy and physiology. CFD is expected to take an increasingly important role in the staging of vascular treatment as better information is gathered on the relationship between observed hemodynamic descriptors and clinical outcomes.
The Integration of Psychoanalytic Therapy and Behavior Therapy

In setting out to edit this book, Arkowitz and I sought contributions from creative scholars and clinicians (and scholar-clinicians) who we knew could write substantive and stimulating essays on the prospects for therapeutic integration. Rather than assigning them specific topics, we allowed the authors maximum latitude to define the issues as they viewed them. The extent of our predetermined framework was to choose contributors—both psychologists and psychiatrists—who stood on different points along the ideological spectrum stretching from psychoanalysis to behavior therapy, yet who were not situated on the conceptual equivalent of the ultraviolet or infrared extremes.
Clinical predictors and timing of cessation of viral RNA shedding in patients with COVID-19.

Abstract Background Molecular detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is key in the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and has been widely used for followup of cases as a proxy for contagiousness. The persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding in the context of clinical features and comorbidities is understudied. Methods We retrospectively reviewed laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 adult symptomatic cases at Mayo Clinic, eventually achieving cessation of viral RNA shedding (CVS), defined as two consecutive negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR results on nasopharyngeal swabs collected at least 24 h apart. Results A total of 251 patients were included, median age was 53 years and 59 % female. The most common symptoms at diagnosis were cough, myalgia, dyspnea, fever and chills. Myalgia, cough, anosmia, ageusia and sore throat were common at CVS, but fever and dyspnea were not observed. The median time from symptom onset to CVS was 23 days, and did not differ by symptoms. The weekly cumulative CVS rate was 2, 14, 44, 73, 91 and 95 % at 1–6 weeks from symptom onset, respectively. Cough and fever were associated with a positive PCR test if tested within 2 weeks of symptoms (P Conclusions The cumulative CVS rate at 3 weeks from symptom-onset is 44 % in our entire cohort. The findings of our study highlight the low yield of repeating a SARS-CoV-2 NP PCR test within 21 days of a laboratoryconfirmed COVID-19 diagnosis.
Rhetorical Coercion and Heroic Commitment: Beowulf’s Reception at Heorot

The closer analysis of an ambiguous passage shows Unferth’s motivation for his verbal attack on Beowulf to be the cause of honour in general, not his own honour. He is not envious but disappointed ...
Cross-modal transfer of talker-identity learning

A speech signal carries information about meaning and about the talker conveying that meaning. It is now known that these two dimensions are related. There is evidence that gaining experience with a particular talker in one modality not only facilitates better phonetic perception in that modality, but also transfers across modalities to allow better phonetic perception in the other. This finding suggests that experience with a talker provides familiarity with some amodal properties of their articulation such that the experience can be shared across modalities. The present study investigates if experience with talker-specific articulatory information can also support cross-modal talker learning. In Experiment 1 we show that participants can learn to identify ten novel talkers from point-light and sinewave speech, expanding on prior work. Point-light and sinewave speech also supported similar talker identification accuracies, and similar patterns of talker confusions were found across stimulus types. Experiment 2 showed these stimuli could also support cross-modal talker matching, further expanding on prior work. Finally, in Experiment 3 we show that learning to identify talkers in one modality (visual-only point-light speech) facilitates learning of those same talkers in another modality (auditory-only sinewave speech). These results suggest that some of the information for talker identity takes a modality-independent form.
Percolation and the pandemic

Abstract This paper is dedicated to the memory of Dietrich Stauffer, who was a pioneer in percolation theory and applications of it to problems of society, such as epidemiology. An epidemic is a percolation process gone out of control, that is, going beyond the critical transition threshold p c . Here we discuss how the threshold is related to the basic infectivity of neighbors R 0 , for trees (Bethe lattice), trees with triangular cliques, and in non-planar lattice percolation with extended-range connectivity. It is shown how having a smaller range of contacts increases the critical value of R 0 above the value R 0 , c = 1 appropriate for a tree, an infinite-range system, or a large completely connected graph.
Impact of Humidity and Temperature on the Stability of the Optical Properties and Structure of MAPbI3, MA0.7FA0.3PbI3 and (FAPbI3)0.95(MAPbBr3)0.05 Perovskite Thin Films

In situ real-time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE) measurements have been conducted on MAPbI3, MA0.7FA0.3PbI3, and (FAPbI3)0.95(MAPbBr3)0.05 perovskite thin films when exposed to different levels of relative humidity at given temperatures over time. Analysis of RTSE measurements track changes in the complex dielectric function spectra and structure, which indicate variations in stability influenced by the underlying material, preparation method, and perovskite composition. MAPbI3 and MA0.7FA0.3PbI3 films deposited on commercial fluorine-doped tin oxide coated glass are more stable than corresponding films deposited on soda lime glass directly. (FAPbI3)0.95(MAPbBr3)0.05 films on soda lime glass showed improved stability over the other compositions regardless of the substrate, and this is attributed to the preparation method as well as the final composition.
Astrocyte activation and fibrous gliosis: glial fibrillary acidic protein immunostaining of astrocytes following intraspinal cord grafting of fetal CNS tissue.

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights some basic facts pertaining to glial intermediate filaments with emphasis on the chemistry and metabolism of their major constituent protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Gliosis is usually characterized by extensive astroglial proliferation and hypertrophy. In addition, reactive astrocytes undergo numerous cytological and histochemical features, including increases in nuclear diameter, elevated DNA levels, an accumulation of intermediate filaments, heightened oxidoreductive enzyme activity, and increased synthesis of GFAP, vimentin, glutamine synthetase, and glycogen. In principle, fibrous gliosis can be considered as a part of an important healing response to a central nervous system (CNS) injury because astrocytes are thought to actively monitor and control the contents of the extracellular space of the CNS, including the amounts of ions, transmitters, trophic factors, nutrients, and waste materials. They also play a role in the removal of myelin and neuronal debris and encapsulate the regions of the CNS that are exposed to non-CNS tissue environments following trauma. The most prominent characteristic of fibrous gliosis is an extensive synthesis of intermediate filaments.
On the fine-structure constant in a plasma model of the fluctuating vacuum substratum

The existence of an intimate connection between the quivering motion of electrons and positrons (Zitterbewegung), predicted by the Dirac equation, and the zero-point fluctuations of the vacuum is suggested. The nature of the proposed connection is discussed quantitatively, and an approximate self-consistency relation is derived, supplying a purely mathematical expression that relates the dimensionless coupling strengths (fine-structure constants) alpha sub e and alpha sub g of electromagnetism and gravity. These considerations provide a tentative explanation for the heretofore puzzling number 1/alpha sub e of about 137.036 and suggest that attempts to unify gravity with the electroweak and strong interactions will ultimately prove successful.
The effect of heat-killed streptococci on the survival of heart grafts in inbred strains of mice.

Studies with inbred strains of mice revealed that exposure to type 12, Group A, β-hemolytic streptococci affects the host response to heart grafts implanted in the ear. Intraperitoneal injection of streptococci 10 days before grafting led to curtailed survival of syngrafts without altering the normal rejection time of allografts. Similar sensitization, combined with local injection of streptococci into the graft site at the time of grafting, was followed by rapid rejection of both syngrafts and allografts. The time interval between exposure and grafting was critical. Injection with streptococci 5 days before grafting led to a prolonged survival of allografts and no demonstrable effect on syngrafts. In contrast, injection of streptococci 15 days before grafting did not alter survival of either type of graft. The data indicate heart grafts implanted in the ear may serve as a useful model for the study of the host responses to streptococcal antigens.
Hybrid approach for free energy calculations with high-level methods: Application to the SN2 reaction of CHCl3 and OH− in water

We present an approach to calculate the free energy profile along a condensed-phase reaction path based on high-level electronic structure methods for the reactive region. The bulk of statistical averaging is shifted toward less expensive descriptions by using a hierarchy of representations that includes molecular mechanics, density functional theory, and coupled cluster theories. As an application of this approach we study the reaction of CHCl3 with OH− in aqueous solution.
Variational Bound States of Screened Potentials

Anumber of years ago, a calculational scheme was introduced by Stubbins [Phys. Rev. A48, 220 (1993)] to compute the energies of both the Hulthen and Yukawa potentials. The method introduces a particular ansatz for solving the Schrodinger equation with screened Coulomb type potentials. In this work, we wish to review the method of Stubbins and to show that it is, in fact, equivalent and a subset of a more systematic (and hence more useful) variational scheme [Zhou et al. Phys. Rev. A51, 3337 (1995)]. This variational approach involves the construction of a basis by taking derivatives of the variational parameters of the system. The eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian matrix are then minimized with respect to these parameters yielding a “best guess” upper bound on the energies.
Electronic Excitation Spectrum of s-Tetrazine: An Extended-STEOM-CCSD Study

The theoretical vertical electronic excitation spectrum of 1,2,4,5-tetrazine is obtained using the extended similarity transformed equation-of-motion coupled cluster method and is compared to previous CASPT2 and MRCI results. In extended-STEOM-CCSD, all types of excitations that occur in s-tetrazine, notably n → π*, π → π*, Rydberg transitions and doubly excited states are obtained from a single calculation, and in a balanced way. All features in the experimental vacuum UV spectrum up to about 11 eV are assigned to calculated dipole-allowed transitions. Additional features found in the electron energy loss spectrum are assigned to dipole-forbidden singlet and triplet transitions of ungerade symmetry. An interesting convoluted feature in the experimental vacuum-UV spectrum that extends between about 8.15 and 8.6 eV is assigned to a pair of states of B2u symmetry, calculated at 8.28 and 8.54 eV, that are essentially the plus and minus combination of a singly excited π → π* and a doubly excited n,n → π*,π* c...
The role of mathematics in systems science

The use of mathematics in systems science has been criticized by several recent authors. Mathematics has been and will continue to be a set of useful tools for scientists in any field, including systems science. However, mathematics should not be glorified to the point of becoming the end result of scientific research. A dynamic balance between qualitative and quantitative descriptions must be achieved in any evolving, scientific discipline.
Pituitary apoplexy associated with anterior communicating artery aneurysm and aberrant blood supply

Pituitary apoplexy is an uncommon condition typically caused by acute, hemorrhagic expansion of the pituitary gland in patients with an adenoma that undergoes infarction. Although various risk factors have been described, the vascular events leading to apoplexy are not well understood. Disruption of microvascular blood flow is a well-known cause of morbidity from hemorrhage of an intracranial aneurysm, but pituitary apoplexy is rarely associated with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. We report here a 46-year-old woman with pituitary apoplexy who developed subarachnoid hemorrhage from rupture of an anterior communicating artery aneurysm. Intraoperatively, she was found to have an unusual, large recurrent artery originating at the junction of the aneurysm and the A2 segment of the anterior cerebral artery that traveled to the suprasellar cistern and along the pituitary stalk. This recurrent hypophyseal artery established a direct vascular relationship between an intracerebral aneurysm and the pituitary gland.
Blood pressure response to melatonin in type 1 diabetes

: Hypothesis: Diminished decline of blood pressure at night has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Exogenous melatonin given to healthy normotensive adults reduces blood pressure. We hypothesized that melatonin increases the decline of blood pressure during sleep in normotensive adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Patients and methods: Eleven normotensive normoalbuminuric patients with type 1 diabetes of 7.0 ± 3.5 yr duration and 10 healthy controls aged 14–18 yr participated in a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind crossover study of 5 mg melatonin for 1 wk, with a 1-wk washout. Blood pressure was measured every 20 min for 24 h by an ambulatory device on the day before and on the last day of each treatment. Sleep measures were recorded by a diary and a wrist activity meter. Blood pressure measures were grouped by 24 h, sleep, and wake periods. Statistical analysis used sleep duration, number of awakenings, and treatment sequence as covariates for the blood pressure comparisons by treatment. Results: In the patients with type 1 diabetes, the decline in diastolic blood pressure during sleep was significantly greater on melatonin (17.8 ± 4.4 mmHg) than on placebo (16.0 ± 3.0 mmHg, p < 0.01). No significant drug effect was present in the controls. No significant side effects were noted. Conclusion: Melatonin amplifies the nocturnal decline in diastolic blood pressure in patients with type 1 diabetes. We propose that dose–response studies of short- and long-acting preparations of melatonin be conducted and that melatonin be considered in trials of prevention of hypertension in type 1 diabetes.
Micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography-electrochemical detection for analysis of biogenic amines in Drosophila melanogaster

Micellar electrokinetic chromatography coupled to amperometric electrochemical detection was used to investigate the chemical environment of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Preliminary studies focused on the employment and optimization of the system to separate electroactive amine-containing molecules present in the head and body of male and female flies. Ultimately, biogenic amines significant to the fly including L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, dopamine, tyramine, and serotonin were identified and their relative abundance quantified. Transgenic Drosophila with functionally ablated dopamine and serotonin neurons were analyzed to demonstrate the sensitivity of the technique. The separation method developed in this study should offer an advantage in elucidating the critical role that electroactive biogenic amines play in complex physiological processes correlated with Drosophila behavior.
The distribution of RNA and ribosomes in reticulocytes

The absolute and relative amounts of soluble and ribosomal RNA in rabbit reticulocytes have been determined. The proportion of total reticulocyte RNA which is membrane bound, including transfer RNA and ribosomal RNA, is approx. 22 %. In blood with a high reticulocytosis about 75 % of total reticulocyte RNA is ribosomal RNA. The total number of ribosomes in an average reticulocyte is estimated to be 3.2·104. About 18 % of reticulocyte ribosomes are bound to the cell membrane. The number of transfer RNA molecules is estimated to be 9.1·106. The relative proportions of ribosomal and transfer RNA are related to the age of the reticulocyte. As the reticulocyte matures the rate of disappearance of ribosomal RNA exceeds that of transfer RNA, suggesting that degradation of soluble RNA and ribosome fractions are independently regulated.
STRATEGIC PLAY AMONG FAMILY MEMBERS WHEN MAKING LONG-TERM CARE DECISIONS

This paper describes a strategic model of bargaining within a family to determine how to care for an elderly parent. We estimate the parameters of the model using data from the National Long-term Care Survey. We find that the parameter estimates generally make sense and that the model is consistent with the data. The results have strong implications for using less structural empirical models for policy analysis.
Two truck travelling salesman simulation

There are many algorithms currently available to approximate solutions to the ‘travelling salesman’ problem of finding the shortest route connecting n points in a complete tour. Conley (1988) presents a multi–stage simulation on a rank ordered distance array to solve a one vehicle problem for n = 20. A modification of that approach is presented here to deal with sending out two delivery trucks (or one truck making two trips) to touch all n points and return. An example for n = 33 is developed. The multi–stage simulation approach is then compared with other techniques.
Gas Permeation and Diffusion in Cross-Linked Poly(ethylene glycol diacrylate)

The permeability of cross-linked poly(ethylene glycol diacrylate) (XLPEGDA) to He, H2, O2, N2, CO2, CH4, C2H4, C2H6, C3H6, and C3H8 was determined at temperatures ranging from −20 to +45 °C and at fugacities up to approximately 15 atm for some gases. Diffusion coefficients of CO2 and hydrocarbons were calculated as a function of temperature and local penetrant concentration. The effect of temperature and fugacity on permeability and diffusivity is satisfactorily described using either an activated diffusion model or a free volume-based model.
ANALYTIC SCORING OF TOEFL® CBT ESSAYS: SCORES FROM HUMANS AND E‐RATER®

The main purpose of the study was to investigate the distinctness and reliability of analytic (or multitrait) rating dimensions and their relationships to holistic scores and e-rater® essay feature variables in the context of the TOEFL® computer-based test (CBT) writing assessment. Data analyzed in the study were analytic and holistic essay scores provided by human raters and essay feature variable scores computed by e-rater (version 2.0) for two TOEFL CBT writing prompts. It was found that (a) all of the six analytic scores were not only correlated among themselves but also correlated with the holistic scores, (b) high correlations obtained among holistic and analytic scores were largely attributable to the impact of essay length on both analytic and holistic scoring, (c) there may be some potential for profile scoring based on analytic scores, and (d) some strong associations were confirmed between several e-rater variables and analytic ratings. Implications are discussed for improving the analytic scoring of essays, validating automated scores, and refining e-rater essay feature variables.
Background on Bruno

I should like to raise two points about Giordano Bruno's martyrdom (Random Samples, “Burned by history,” 10 Mar., p. 1743). In 1600, Bruno, a Dominican friar, was declared a heretic by the Inquisition and burned at the stake, an event the Catholic Church has now said was a “sad episode.”
Presymptomatic studies in ALS: Rationale, challenges, and approach

ALS= : amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; DTI= : diffusion tensor imaging; fALS= : familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; FTD= : frontotemporal dementia; LMN= : lower motor neuron; MN= : motor neuron; MRS= : magnetic resonance spectroscopy; MUNE= : motor unit number estimation; Pre-fALS= : Pre-symptomatic Familial ALS study; UMN= : upper motor neuron The last 15 years have witnessed a significant shift in our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases. We increasingly recognize that the degenerative process in disorders such as Alzheimer disease,1 Huntington disease,2 and Parkinson disease3,–,5 begins years, if not decades, prior to the appearance of typical clinical manifestations. Whether ALS is also characterized by a prolonged presymptomatic period is unclear, but definitively answering this question is likely to have profound implications for understanding disease biology, uncovering environmental risk factors, developing effective therapies, and even disease prevention. To effectively study presymptomatic ALS, one must first identify people who are at risk for developing disease. Although advancing age is a risk factor for ALS, the broad range of age at symptom onset limits its utility in identifying at-risk individuals. Absent any known environmental risk factor, it is currently only possible to study individuals genetically predisposed to developing ALS—namely, presymptomatic gene mutation carriers. We begin this review with …
Modeling Transport in Porous Media With Phase Change: Applications to Food Processing

Fundamental, physics-based modeling of complex food processes is still in the developmental stages. This lack of development can be attributed to complexities in both the material and transport processes. Society has a critical need for automating food processes (both in industry and at home) while improving quality and making food safe. Product, process, and equipment designs in food manufacturing require a more detailed understanding of food processes that is possible only through physics-based modeling. The objectives of this paper are (1) to develop a general multicomponent and multiphase modeling framework that can be used for different thermal food processes and can be implemented in commercially available software (for wider use) and (2) to apply the model to the simulation of deep-fat frying and hamburger cooking processes and validate the results. Treating food material as a porous medium, heat and mass transfer inside such material during its thermal processing is described using equations for mass and energy conservation that include binary diffusion, capillary and convective modes of transport, and physicochemical changes in the solid matrix that include phase changes such as melting of fat and water and evaporation/condensation of water. Evaporation/ condensation is considered to be distributed throughout the domain and is described by a novel nonequilibrium formulation whose parameters have been discussed in detail. Two complex food processes, deep-fat frying and contact heating of a hamburger patty, representing a large group of common food thermal processes with similar physics have been implemented using the modeling framework. The predictions are validated with experimental results from the literature. As the food (a porous hygroscopic material) is heated from the surface, a zone of evaporation moves from the surface to the interior. Mass transfer due to the pressure gradient (from evaporation) is significant. As temperature rises, the properties of the solid matrix change and the phases of frozen water and fat become transportable, thus affecting the transport processes significantly. Because the modeling framework is general and formulated in a manner that makes it implementable in commercial software, it can be very useful in computer-aided food manufacturing. Beyond its immediate applicability in food processing, such a comprehensive model can be useful in medicine (for thermal therapies such as laser surgery), soil remediation, nuclear waste treatment, and other fields where heat and mass transfer takes place in porous media with significant evaporation and other phase changes.
Modeling circuits with spins and magnets for all-spin logic

This talk will summarize our work in the last three years exploring the possibility of spin-magnet circuits that utilize two key recent advances, namely (1) spin valve (SV) devices demonstrating spin injection into metals and semiconductors from magnetic contacts and (2) spin transfer torque (STT) devices demonstrating the switching of magnets by the injected spins. Utilizing an experimentally benchmarked model describing these phenomena we have shown the possibility of Boolean all-spin logic (ASL) circuits with intrinsic directionality or with directionality enforced through STT based Bennett clocking. We also discuss probabilistic ASL circuits and summarize the modeling framework that we have developed for the analysis of generic spin-magnet circuits.
Performing as a moral act: 1 Ethical dimensions of the ethnography of performance

(1985). Performing as a moral act: Ethical dimensions of the ethnography of performance. Literature in Performance: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 1-13.
Attraction ofCarpoglyphus lactis (Acarina: Acaridae) to selected organic compounds

Various chemicals commonly found in food (twelve monosaccharides, nine sugar alcohols, twenty triglycerides, eleven unsaturated fatty acids and nine saturated fatty acids) were tested in different concentrations for their ability to attract and sustain feeding by the dried-fruit mite,Carpoglyphus lactis (L.). Oleic acid, α-d-glucose and some triglycerides act as phagoincitants and phagostimulants, whiled-fucose and trilaurin are phagodeterrents.
Alternative Learning: A Self-Paced Microcomputer Application Course.

In the Spring of 1996, a microcomputer applications course was offered using the self-paced method of instruction. It was implemented to allow more students to enroll in the course and to reduce the number of faculty necessary to teach the course. Of the 204 students enrolled at the beginning of the semester, 128 finished the assignments, 40 withdrew, 35 did not finish, and 1 audited. Fifty-two received a letter grade A and fifty-three received a letter grade B. Eighty-seven of the 204 students completed usable paired questionnaires before and after completion of the course. These findings of the students' self-reported perceived level of expertise in word processing and worksheet/spreadsheet skills before and after completing the self-paced course suggested that students' perceived levels of expertise in the twenty-five skills had increased. The researchers also analyzed the relationship between age, gender, race, and grades.
Flavanones from Miconia prasina

A glycosidic flavanone miconioside C (1) has been isolated from the methanolic extract of the stems of Miconia prasina, together with 7-O-β-D-apiofuranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosylmatteucinol (2), miconioside B (3), matteucinol (4), farrerol (5) and desmethoxymatteucinol (6). Their structures were mainly established by extensive NMR studies (1H NMR, 13C NMR, DEPT, 1H-1H COSY, HSQC, HMBC) and mass spectrometry. The compounds 1- 3 were evaluated for in vitro binding assays using cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2).
Teaching Cardiac Auscultation: Effectiveness of a Patient-Centered Teaching Conference on Improving Cardiac Auscultatory Skills

OBJECTIVES To assess the cardiac auscultatory skills of health care professionals before and after an actual (not simulated) patient-centered cardiac auscultation conference and to determine the effectiveness of this clinical teaching method on improving diagnostic proficiency. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Seventy-eight participants at a conference on cardiac auscultation completed preconference and postconference examinations on their ability to diagnose a wide variety of heart sounds and murmurs. Among those tested, 46 (59%) were physicians: 17 (22%) were cardiologists, 19 (24%) were medical interns or residents, 7 (9%) were cardiology fellows, 2 (3%) were general practitioners, and 1 (1%) was a pediatrician. Thirty-two (41%) of this group of respondents were nonphysicians: 14 (18%) were nurse practitioners, 9 (12%) were nurses, 6 (8%) were physician assistants, 2 (3%) were medical students, and 1 (1%) was a nonmedical professional. All participants were tested on 14 clinically important cardiac auscultatory events directly recorded from actual (not simulated) patients and transmitted via wireless infrared stethophones. The auscultatory events tested were wide physiologic splitting of S 2 in right bundle branch block, fixed S 2 splitting and systolic murmur in atrial septal defect, midsystolic click and late systolic murmur of mitral valve prolapse, S 4 gallop, S 3 gallop, opening snap of mitral stenosis, innocent systolic murmur, systolic murmur of mitral regurgitation, systolic murmur of tricuspid regurgitation, systolic murmur of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, continuous murmur of patent ductus arteriosus, pericardial friction rub, prosthetic valve sounds, and alternation of heart sounds, heart murmurs, and the S 3 gallop in congestive heart failure. RESULTS On the basis of the analysis of the 78 participants who completed preconference and postconference evaluations of the 14 selected cardiac auscultatory events, a preconference identification score of 26.3% and a postconference score of 44.7% were observed. This represents a statistically significant overall improvement in diagnostic proficiency ( P >.001). CONCLUSIONS Cardiac auscultatory skills among today's health care professionals are extremely poor, regardless of the level and/or type of training of the professional. An actual (not simulated) patient-centered teaching conference is an effective clinical method of improving cardiac auscultatory skills and diagnostic proficiency of health care professionals.
On the development of stage IV hardening using a model based on the mechanical threshold

A two state variable hardening law is developed that is capable of simulating stage IV hardening. It is based on a physically motivated dislocation density evolution equation originally intended for use in a detailed FEM analysis, where individual grains are modeled with numerous finite elements. The evolution equation contains a contribution from geometrically necessary dislocations (net/excess dislocations), which can be associated with the slip plane lattice incompatibility. FEM analyses show that slip plane lattice incompatibility evolves linearly with accumulated slip. This observation forms the basis for the evolution equation of the second state variable. Compression and tension of copper are simulated with a rate and temperature dependent viscoplastic polycrystal model, in which the developed hardening law is embedded. The model is capable of predicting the experimentally observed enhanced hardening of small grain sized materials. The material parameter estimates and the state variable initial conditions are obtained by solving an identification problem.
Investigation into the Mechanical Cause of Failure of Neutron Guide NG-2 at the NIST Research Reactor

This study investigates the fractures that occurred in a glass structure used to carry neutrons from a cold source in the NIST reactor into an experimental hall that contains neutron-scattering instrumentation used to perform experiments in chemistry, materials science, physics, and biology. These guides are typically made of rectangular borosilicate glass tubes, coated on the inside with a neutron-reflecting coating. The guide tubes used at the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) have internal cross sections of dimensions 150 × 60 mm, with lengths extending over as great as 60 m, with gaps for insertion of the instruments used to evaluate materials. On August 23, 2011, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in Mineral, Virginia, which resulted in significant ground motion over 150 km away at the NCNR. An initial inspection and vacuum test revealed no significant damage to the seven neutron beam lines. After a few weeks, neutron guide 2 (NG-2) that was located in the Guide Hall near the reactor building wall cracked and broke while being evacuated. The cause of fracture was identified by observation of the glass fragments and analysis of the stress distributions in the guide. The delayed fracture was caused by damage introduced during the earthquake.
Self-Assembly of Yttrium-Containing Lacunary Polyoxotungstate Macroanions in Solution with Controllable Supramolecular Structure Size by pH or Solvent Content

The self-assembly and the formation of “Blackberry” type supramolecular structures for a type of Yttrium-containing polyoxometalate (K15Na6(H3O)9[(PY2W10O38)4(W3O14)]·9H2O, or {P4Y8W43}) macroanion...
A short parameter-fitting routine for compartmental models.

Abstract We have developed a program of 298 FORTRAN statements which obtains the inter-pool exchange rates and other parameters of a compartmental system, working directly from the time course of tracer activity after a bolus injection. The fitting problem — data and model — is specified by the user in a natural syntactic style. The program calculates least-squares estimates, confidence limits and intercorrelation estimates for the fitted parameters. Its small size and conceptual simplicity make the program a powerful practical tool for analyzing tracer studies.
By-dependent prompt penetrating electric fields at the magnetic equator

[1] We propose a new type of prompt penetrating electric field effect which seems to be related to the y-component of the interplanetary magnetic field and the NBZ current system. We report an equatorial electric field pattern which is not consistent with present understanding of prompt penetrating electric fields. The associated unbalanced excess NBZ current in one hemisphere partially flows across the nighttime equatorial zone. We find that a current system closes perpendicular to the ecliptic plane in the solar wind with a direction opposite to the interplanetary electric field. This is required for an MHD generator located in the solar wind.
Context Clues: Should We Teach Children to Use a Classification System in Reading?

AbstractThe classification scheme of context clues tested in this study is from the preliminary edition of the Comprehension element of the Wisconsin Design for Reading Skill Development, which includes criterion-referenced context clues tests. One hundred thirty-three subjects in grades 3,4, and 5 in two Bemidji, Minnesota schools were pre- and posttested with Forms I and II. During the two-week interval between tests, subjects in the experimental school received instruction in two types of context clues. Six weeks later both groups were again administered Form I. Using an analysis of covariance, significant differences were Tound favoring the experimental school. Through an analysis of variance on the experimental school only, significant differences were found between grade levels and across all three grade levels from the pre- to posttest. Delayed posttest results were similar to immediate posttest results. Teaching a classification system seems to be effective at all grade levels, even at the beginni...
Use of drugs known to cause fetal harm among women delivering infants in Haiti.

Abstract Objective To estimate the prevalence of use of fetal-harm drugs among women who received postpartum care in hospitals in Haiti and to identify groups of women at higher risk for potentially harmful medication exposures. Methods Women who received postpartum care in 2 large hospitals in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from August 18 to December 1, 2008, were surveyed in Creole about their use of medications in pregnancy, including fetal-harm drugs. Results We surveyed 482 women who had a median age of 26 years. Approximately 75% reported using at least 1 medicine in pregnancy, with the most common being amoxicillin (n = 127), acetaminophen (n = 109), metronidazole (n = 79), and misoprostol (n = 38). More than 13% used fetal-harm drugs, including misoprostol and tetracycline. Unmarried women (adjusted relative risk [RR] 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0–4.7) and separated women (adjusted RR 4.6; CI, 1.8–11.9) were more likely than married women to report use of fetal-harm drugs. In addition, women with 4 or more children were more likely to report use of medications known to cause fetal harm (adjusted RR 4.3; CI, 1.9–9.9). Conclusion Women who delivered infants in Haiti commonly report use of fetal-harm drugs. The public health implications of these findings are broad and relate to complex issues such as pregnancy planning and regulation of medications to prevent potentially harmful exposures.
Redistributions of 15N highlight turnover and replenishment of mineral soil organic N as a long-term control on forest C balance

Abstract A large-scale 15 N tracer study was initiated at the Harvard Forest in 1991 in two forest types (red pine and mixed hardwoods) as a means to test hypotheses concerning long-term dynamics in ecosystem-level N cycling and carbon–nitrogen interactions. Here we describe the application of a biogeochemical process model TRACE, with the ability to simulate 15 N tracer redistributions, to help interpret the field study and explore its ramifications. We had three main goals: (1) to compare field results of 8-year time series in 15 NH 4 and 15 NO 3 redistributions against previous model predictions; (2) to gain insight into ecosystem C/N interactions through an iterative set of model changes and direct model-data comparisons; and finally (3) to forecast temporal dynamics in the future effects of elevated N inputs on altered C storage in the regionally representative hardwood forest. Model interpretations of field-observed 15 N redistributions indicated that mineral soil organic matter contains a fraction that retains illuviated 15 N rapidly (within 1 year), then releases some of this 15 N for plant uptake through the following 5–8-year period. Our simulations also suggested that the mineral soil supplied a long-term source of N for the aggrading pools of N in vegetation and the O horizon over the course of stand development. The model structure that best fits the decadal-scale field data for pools and fluxes of C, N, and 15 N forecasted an elevated C storage relative to elevated N inputs that is much lower than published estimates based on ecosystem stoichiometry. TRACE forecasted a maximum differential C storage in N-amended plots of 725 g C m−2, occurring largely in living and dead wood, peaking 30 years after the start of N amendment treatments of +5 g N m−2 per year (a cumulative +150 g N m−2). This amounts to a ratio of elevated C storage to cumulative, elevated N inputs of less than 5:1 over the 30-year period. These results imply that mineral soil supplies much of the N needed for forest aggradation, partially regulating changes in ecosystem C storage, and that elevated N deposition may cause relatively small amounts of elevated C storage after a time lag of decades.
The influence of maturity of potato varieties upon their susceptibility to late blight

Artificially induced maturity of five varieties of potatoes did not increase susceptibility toPhytophthora infestans. The only significant change observed was decreased susceptibility of mature Smooth Rural plants.
Kinetic and in situ FTIR studies of the catalytic oxidation of 1,2-dichlorobenzene over V2O5/Al2O3 catalysts

Abstract A systematic investigation of the catalytic oxidation of 1,2-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB) was conducted over a series of supported vanadia/alumina catalysts. The reaction was found to be first-order in o-DCB and zero-order in O2 under excess oxygen conditions. Deactivation studies conducted with a 5.6% V2O5/Al2O3 catalyst at 773 K indicated a 15% loss in activity after 75 h on-stream. In situ FTIR studies suggest that the benzene ring remains intact during the adsorption of o-DCB, while no surface species containing C–Cl bonds were detected. Thus, it is suggested that chlorine abstraction is the first step in the reaction. Several partial oxidation products, namely phenolates, maleates and carboxylates were observed on the catalyst surface under reaction conditions. All of these species with the exception of the maleates can react with gas phase oxygen.
The simulation and selection of shapes for the unfolding of grain size distributions

The determination of a grain size distribution from one planar section requires a representative shape that allows the distribution in particle size to be estimated from the size distribution of the particle sections. In this work a simulation has been developed to randomly generate convex polyhedra and calculate the distributions in section properties needed to unfold the particle size distribution into three dimensions. Furthermore a new shape selection process based on a common shape factor is described. The relatively high symmetry polyhedra commonly used to unfold grain size distributions underestimate the grain size compared with the randomly generated polyhedra of the simulation. The latter are thought to be more representative of real grain shapes in that they do not commonly possess pairs of parallel faces.
Semantic-based Estimation of Term Informativeness

The idea that some words carry more semantic content than others, has led to the notion of term specificity, or informativeness. Computational estimation of this quantity is important for various applications such as information retrieval. We propose a new method of computing term specificity, based on modeling the rate of learning of word meaning in Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA). We analyze the performance of this method both qualitatively and quantitatively and demonstrate that it shows excellent performance compared to existing methods on a broad range of tests. We also demonstrate how it can be used to improve existing applications in information retrieval and summarization.
Combined effects of temperature and cadmium exposure on haemocyte apoptosis and cadmium accumulation in the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin)

Abstract Combined effects of acclimation temperature (12, 20 and 28 °C) and exposure to a toxic metal cadmium (Cd, 50 μg L −1 ) on haemolymph parameters related to immune defense and metal transport were studied in a model marine bivalve, Crassostrea virginica . Acclimation to elevated temperatures resulted in higher plasma protein concentrations and increased Cd levels in oyster haemolymph plasma and haemocytes. Cd accumulation in haemocytes was linear over the 45 days of Cd exposure and accumulation rates were 0.10, 0.53 and 0.56 μg Cd g −1 dry mass at 12, 20 and 28 °C, respectively. Percentage of blood Cd burden associated with haemocytes increased with increasing temperatures from 13–20% at 12 °C to 26–47% at 20 and 28 °C suggesting a higher role for cellular Cd transport at elevated temperatures. Cd levels in gills and hepatopancreas were positively correlated with Cd concentration in haemocytes, but accumulation rates were considerably faster, so that after 45 days of exposure Cd levels in gills and hepatopancreas were >10–20 times higher than in haemocytes. As a result of slow Cd accumulation possibly reflecting fast haemocyte turnover rates and/or exocytosis of Cd-containing granules, haemocytes in Cd-exposed oysters did not reach threshold Cd burdens required to trigger apoptosis. This suggests that haemocyte viability is not likely to contribute to immunosuppression in the environmentally relevant Cd range. In contrast, elevated temperature (28 °C) resulted in a significant increase in the percentage of apoptotic haemocytes compared to 12 or 20 °C supporting the notion that 28 °C is physiologically stressful for C. virginica . Overall, our study demonstrates strong effects of environmental temperature on haemocyte viability and other important blood parameters such as plasma protein content and metal transport capability which may mask potential Cd effects at environmentally relevant exposure levels.
Acceleration of gluconeogenesis following inhibition of protein synthesis in Tetrahymena pyriformis.

Abstract Cycloheximide was found to be a very potent inhibitor of protein synthesis in Tetrahymena pyriformis. Within 1 h following addition of the antibiotic to log phase cultures the decrease in protein synthesis was accompanied by a sharp increase in the incorporation of [2-14C]acetate and [14C]algeal protein hydrolysate into glycogen. Of a number of protein inhibitors tested only emetine clearly reproduced the effects of cycloheximide. Other antibiotics tested were less effective in inhibiting protein synthesis and did not influence gluconeogenesis. The polysome profiles and decreased protein synthesis accompanied by increased gluconeogenesis were similar in cycloheximide treated cultures to those entering the stationary growth phase. The results suggest a causal relationship between inhibition of protein synthesis and initiation of gluconeogenesis.