cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Atlantic water circulation over the Mendeleev Ridge and Chukchi Borderland from thermohaline intrusions and water mass properties

[1] Hydrographic and tracer data from 2002 illustrate Atlantic water pathways and variability in the Mendeleev Ridge and Chukchi Borderland (CBLMR) region of the Arctic Ocean. Thermohaline double diffusive intrusions (zigzags) dominate both the Fram Strait (FSBW) and Barents Sea Branch Waters (BSBW) in the region. We show that details of the zigzags' temperature-salinity structure partially describe the water masses forming the intrusions. Furthermore, as confirmed by chemical tracers, the zigzags' peaks contain the least altered water, allowing assessment of the temporal history of the Atlantic waters. Whilst the FSBW shows the 1990s warming and then a slight cooling, the BSBW has continuously cooled and freshened over a similar time period. The newest boundary current waters are found west of the Mendeleev Ridge in 2002. Additionally, we show the zigzag structures can fingerprint various water masses, including the boundary current. Using this, tracer data and the advection of the 1990s warming, we conclude the strongly topographically steered boundary current, order 50 km wide and found between the 1500 m and 2500 m isobaths, crosses the Mendeleev Ridge north of 80°N, loops south around the Chukchi Abyssal Plain and north around the Chukchi Rise, with the 1990s warming having reached the northern (but not the southern) Northwind Ridge by 2002. Pacific waters influence the Atlantic layers near the shelf and over the Chukchi Rise. The Northwind Abyssal Plain is comparatively stagnant, being ventilated only slowly from the north. There is no evidence of significant boundary current flow through the Chukchi Gap.
Sex differences in cocaine- and nicotine-induced antinociception in the rat.

Abstract Several recent reports describe sex differences in opioid antinociception. The present study examined sex differences in stimulant-induced antinociception. On the 50°C hotplate test, cocaine (0.1–1.0 μg i.c.v.) produced dose- and time-dependent increases in response latency in male but not female Sprague–Dawley rats. In contrast, nicotine (3–30 μg i.c.v.) produced increases in hotplate latency in both sexes, but produced greater effects in females; nicotine also decreased spontaneous locomotor activity significantly more in females than in males. These sex differences probably are not due to differential pharmacokinetics, and underscore the importance of including female subjects in experimental drug research.
Controlled electrophoretic deposition of uniquely nanostructured star polymer films.

The controlled electrophoretic deposition of polystyrene/divinylbenzene (PS/DVB) star polymer films from a colloidal suspension is reported. Liquid suspensions, containing the PS/DVB star polymer, were prepared by injecting a dichloromethane (DCM) solution of the star polymer into a stratified liquid combination of hexane and DCM. A variety of hexane/DCM volume ratios were examined to identify the optimal solution conditions for electrophoretic deposition; thin films were produced from both unmixed and well-mixed hexane/DCM suspensions. Unmixed suspensions yielded spatially separated thin films, deposited in a controlled fashion, that were dependent on the polarity of the corresponding electrode. Films on the positive electrode differed in thickness, microstructure, and appearance from those formed on the negative electrode. In contrast, films produced from well-mixed hexane/DCM suspensions deposited uniformly across only the negative electrode. Atomic force microscopy studies revealed nanostructured surf...
Stretch-induced calcium sensitization of rat lymphatic smooth muscle

The relationships between smooth muscle calcium and isometric tension generation to spontaneous lymphatic pump activity and its modulation by stretch equivalent from 0 to ∼6 cmH2O were investigated...
Application of an Infrared Gas-Filter Correlation Spectrometer for Measurement of Methanol Concentrations in Automobile Exhausts

Spectroscopic methods provide an attractive alternative to wet chemical methods due to their fast responses. An instrument using the principle of gas-filter correlation was built in a laboratory and tested to measure methanol concentrations in exhausts from a methanolfueled vehicle. The instrument utilized the infrared spectrum between 8 pm and 11 pm. The sensitivity and discrimination against other interfering gases were adequate enough to obtain a detection limit of 0.5 ppm. The precision of the instrument varied from 5.5% to 1.2% for methanol concentrations ranging 7 ppm to 113 ppm. The study demonstrated a good agreement with the gas chromatograph analyses. The instrument has a strong potential for real-time monitoring of automobile emissions. A small drift in the zero setting was primarily due to the unstable temperature of optical components, especially the liquid-nitrogen cooled detector. An improvement in stability can be achieved by thermally insulating the analyzer to maintain a constant temperature.© (1986) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Pedagogical Content Knowledge and the 2003 Science Teacher Preparation Standards for NCATE Accreditation or State Approval

The 2003 National Science Teachers Association Standards for Science Teacher Preparation (NSTA-SSTP) were developed to provide guidelines and expectations for science teacher preparation programs. This article is the fourth in a special JSTE series on accreditation written to assist science teacher educators in meeting the NSTA-SSTP. In this article, the authors discuss pedagogical content knowledge and how this is expressed in the NSTA-SSTP. Included are competencies and examples needed for a science teacher preparation program to document developing pedagogical content knowledge in preservice science teachers.
Multiresolution Estimation of Motion using the Wavelet Transform

Many applications in research, in manufacturing and in every day life require measurement of velocity. Generally the velocity is estimated from a sequence of images. There are many methods reported in the literature using heuristics and transform techniques. In general these methods are tailored to specific applications. We propose a wavelet transform based technique to estimate velocity. We assume that the scene can be piecewise modeled by a multi variable polynomial. We have derived wavelet functions that can be used to estimate velocity from components of the wavelet transform. The technique has been demonstrated for 1D analytical functions and the error is less than 0.5% for polynomials of finite degree, and less than 5% for sinusoids. For 2D sequence of images, the image space is represented by a spatio temporal cube, and partitioned into subcubes of different dimensions. Wavelet transform techniques can then be applied to these variable size segments at multiple resolution. To estimate the two velocity components Vx and Vy in this spatio temporal cube requires the solution of a system of 8 non linear equations. We are in the process of solving these non linear equations.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Diffuse optical monitoring of repeated cerebral ischemia in mice

Occlusions of bilateral common carotid arteries (bi-CCA) in mice are popular models for the investigation of transient forebrain ischemia. Currently available technologies for assessing cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxygenation in ischemic mice have limitations. This study tests a novel near-infrared diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) flow-oximeter for monitoring both CBF and cerebral oxygenation in mice undergoing repeated transient forebrain ischemia. Concurrent flow measurements in a mouse brain were first conducted for validation purposes; DCS measurement was found highly correlated with laser Doppler measurement (R2 = 0.94) and less susceptible to motion artifacts. With unique designs in experimental protocols and fiber-optic probes, we have demonstrated high sensitivities of DCS flow-oximeter in detecting the regional heterogeneity of CBF responses in different hemispheres and global changes of both CBF and cerebral oxygenation across two hemispheres in mice undergoing repeated 2-minute bi-CCA occlusions over 5 days. More than 75% CBF reductions were found during bi-CCA occlusions in mice, which may be considered as a threshold to determine a successful bi-CCA occlusion. With the progress of repeated 2-minute bi-CCA occlusions over days, a longitudinal decline in the magnitudes of CBF reduction was observed, indicating the brain adaptation to cerebral ischemia through the repeated preconditioning.
Genetics and Genomics Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice

Genetics and genomics nursing is a new and expanding specialty practice. The International Society of Nurses in Genetics (ISONG) is the leader in defining genetics nursing and establishing scope and standards of practice for genetics nurses. Through ISONGs efforts, in 1997 The American Nurses Association (ANA) established genetics nursing as an official nursing specialty. This was followed by publication of The Scope And Standards Of Clinical Genetics Nursing Practice by ISONG and ANA in 1998. The roles of nurses in genetics and genomics have evolved and expanded since publication of this landmark document. A committee within ISONG representing genetics nurses in diverse specialties and practice settings has drafted a new scope and standards document in collaboration with ANA entitled Genetics Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, which is expected to be published by American Nurses Publishing in 2006. The purpose of the new scope and standards document is to define the parameters of genetics and genomics nursing practice at the basic and advanced practice level, include-non-clinical roles such as education, research, and administration, address the broader focus of genomics, and be applicable to genetics nurses within and outside of the United States since ISONG as an international organization.
Quantitative changes in the elasticity and adhesive properties of Escherichia coli ZK1056 prey cells during predation by bdellovibrio bacteriovorus 109J.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to explore the changes that occur in Escherichia coli ZK1056 prey cells while they are being consumed by the bacterial predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus 109J. Invaded prey cells, called bdelloplasts, undergo substantial chemical and physical changes that can be directly probed by AFM. In this work, we probe the elasticity and adhesive properties of uninvaded prey cells and bdelloplasts in a completely native state in dilute aqueous buffer without chemical fixation. Under these conditions, the rounded bdelloplasts were shown to be shorter than uninvaded prey cells. More interestingly, the extension portions of force curves taken on both kinds of cells clearly demonstrate that bdelloplasts are softer than uninvaded prey cells, reflecting a decrease in bdelloplast elasticity after invasion by Bdellovibrio predators. On average, the spring constant of uninvaded E. coli cells (0.23 ± 0.02 N/m) was 3 times stiffer than that of the bdelloplast (0.064 ± 0.001 N/m) when mea...
Abnormal growth hormone dynamics in chronic liver disease do not depend on severe parenchymal disease.

Abnormal basal serum levels of growth hormone (GH) and abnormal GH dynamics have been observed in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis (AC). To further characterize these abnormalities, patients with AC or schistosomal hepatic fibrosis (SHF) were evaluated. The former patients have parenchymal liver disease, portal hypertension, and portosystemic shunting. SHF, in contrast, is characterized by periportal fibrosis with minimal or no parenchymal cell disease, portal hypertension, and portosystemic shunting. We studied 20 patients with SHF and normal stature and 15 patients with AC. In these two groups of patients, basal serum GH was higher than normal (P less than .01). A paradoxical increase in GH was observed during the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in 55% of SHF and in 40% of AC patients. Significant GH elevation followed thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) administration in 80% of SHF and 66% of AC patients, but not in normals. Serum nonsuppressible insulin-like activity (NSILA) and serum somatomedin C (Sm-C) levels were reduced significantly in both groups. In SHF patients, the paradoxical increase in GH during OGTT correlated inversely with Sm-C (r = -.6, P less than .05). We conclude that (1) abnormal GH secretion occurs in both SHF and AC, (2) serum Sm-C and NSILA are diminished in both forms of liver disease, and (3) portosystemic shunting of blood appears to be the important pathology shared by both forms of liver disease.
Thromboembolic complications related to indwelling central venous catheters in children.

Purpose of reviewThrombosis is one of the most frequent complications of indwelling central venous catheters. During the past year, new information has emerged regarding the incidence and predisposing factors of thromboembolic complications of indwelling central venous catheters. Because indwelling
Pilot process variable study of coolside desulfurization

The Coolside desulfurization process is a dry sorbent injection technology developed for retrofit SO/sub 2/ control in coal-fired utility power stations. The process is low in capital and space requirements since, in its ideal configuration, the existing ductwork and particulate collector are used as the SO/sub 2/-sorbent reaction spaces. It has been developed through laboratory and 1 MW-scale field tests using hydrated lime as the primary process sorbent by Conoco Coal Research Division, the research branch of Consolidation Coal Company. The field work showed promising results with observed SO/sub 2/ removal ranging up to 80%. In order to optimize the process performance through improved understanding of the process fundamentals, Conoco constructed and is operating a 0.15 MW pilot test unit. This paper describes the results of a process variable test program, a first series of tests made in the pilot unit, and the unit operability observed during the test work.
Fine structure of thiouracil-induced transplantable thyroid tumors in non-inbred intact rats.

Electron microscopic examination of thiouracil-induced transplanted thyroid tumors reveals numerous histological patterns: 1) Tumor follicles which are characterized by normal-appearing follicular cells but differ from the host’s normal thyroid gland in their having an increased number of light cells. The light cell of the thyroid tumor contains a cytoplasmic matrix that is filled with dense, secretory-like granules. 2) Tumor follicles with grossly reduced luminal spaces. Their follicular cells have much less granular endoplasmic reticulum and a more extensive Golgi apparatus than the host’s normal thyroid cells. 3) Tumor cells which have lost the typical follicular arrangement. These cells are characterized by further alterations in their cytoplasmic elements and, in addition, possess an abundance ofmultivesicular bodies, vacuolated dense myelin-like bodies and whorls of cytoplasmic membranes. It is suggested that the alterations in the granular endoplasmic reticulum may account for the decreased product...
The enthalpies of protonation of propenyllithiums, phenyllithium, and ethyllithium

Abstract The enthalpies of protonation of allyllithium (I), trans -1-propenyllithium (II), 2-propenyllithium (III), phenyllithium (IV), and ethyllithium (V) in diethyl ether have been determined calorimetrically. The aggregations of I, II, III, and V have been determined by vapor pressure measurements. The significance of the data is discussed.
Incidence rates of liver cirrhosis and related diseases in Baltimore and selected areas of the United States

Abstract Incident hospitalized cases of Laennec's cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, and fatty liver were ascertained by abstracting hospital records from all nonfederal short-term general hospitals in the Baltimore Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA) and in 15 other defined geographic areas located in all nine census divisions of the U.S. All cases were classified as definite or highly probable; probable; possible; or not supported by the evidence obtained. Census data were used for population estimates. Annual age-adjusted Baltimore City first hospitalization rates, considered as incidence rates, for total cases (definite or highly probable, probable and possible) in males/100,000 population were as follows: Laennec's cirrhosis, whites, 44.9, non whites, 50.1; alcoholic hepatitis, whites, 11.6, nonwhites, 33.2; fatty liver, whites, 11.6, nonwhites, 12.0. Annual age-adjusted incidence rates in males for the aggregate of the 15 other defined geographic areas were as follows: Laennec's cirrhosis, whites, 36.0, nonwhites, 32.9; alcoholic hepatitis, whites, 24.8, nonwhites, 76.0; fatty liver, whites, 8.0, nonwhites, 10.6. Incidence rates for females were considerably lower both in Baltimore City and the 15 other areas. The most dramatic finding was the great difference in incidence rates of alcoholic hepatitis between white males and nonwhite males. In Baltimore City, the male nonwhite white ratio was 2.86; in the 15 other areas it was 3.06. In Baltimore City, the peak incidence rate of alcoholic hepatitis in nonwhite males occurred at ages 30–39, which is about 10 yr earlier than the corresponding peak in white males. The peak incidence rate of Laennec's cirrhosis in nonwhite males occurred at ages 40–49, about 20 yr earlier than the corresponding peak in white males. The uses of these findings for further epidemiologtcal studies are discussed.
Study of Low-Energy Doping Processes Using Continuous Anodic Oxidation Technique/Differential Hall Effect Measurements

Comparing with conventional spreading resistance profiling and differential Hall effect (DHE) methods, the continuous anodic oxidation technique/DHE (CAOT/DHE) technique may achieve more reasonable profiles of carrier concentration nh(x), mobility muh(x), and resistivity rho(x) and more reasonable carrier dose and xj in Si substrate. It has been successfully used to study ultralow energy doping techniques including B beam-line implant and B2H6 plasma doping (PLAD). CAOT/DHE data support the fact that the devices fabricated by PLAD achieve improvement to those fabricated by beam-line implant because PLAD offered higher surface carrier concentration and carrier dose. CAOT/DHE data quantitatively verify the so-called solid solubility limit activation theory - the carrier profiles and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) B impurity profiles under BSS are very well consistent on both beam-line and PLAD implants. As a cheaper and standard metrology, the SIMS/ARXPS method with the solid solubility limit activation theory may be used to quantitatively or semiquantitatively study the doping and activation processes.
Cancer-promoting and Inhibiting Effects of Dietary Compounds: Role of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR)

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic aromatic amines and dioxin-like compounds are environmental carcinogens shown to initiate cancer in a number of tissue types including prostate and breast. These environmental carcinogens elicit their effects through interacting with the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand activated transcription factor. Naturally occurring compounds found in fruits and vegetables shown to have anti-carcinogenic effects also interact with the AhR. This review explores dietary and environmental exposure to chemical carcinogens and beneficial natural compounds whose effects are elicited by the AhR.
Predicting Sexual Decline and Dissatisfaction Among Older Adults: The Role of Partnered and Individual Physical and Mental Health Factors

Objectives. T o target improvement in older adult sexuality by understanding how a myriad of partnered and individual physical and mental health factors, often associated with aging, affect sexual unwellness. Method. Data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study were used to conduct a case–control study on the risk factors for sexual unwellness (i.e., lack of sexual satisfaction, inability to maintain the sexual relationship) in older adults aged 63–67. Results. Higher risk for lack of se xual satisfaction was associated with poor spousal health, a history of diabetes, and fatigue symptoms. In addition, being of male gender, being satisfied with marital support, and having better spousal health reduced the risk of being unsatisfied sexually. Also, higher risk for being unable to maintain the sexual relationship was independently associated with a higher education level, poorer self-rated health, better spousal health, a history of diabetes, prostate cancer, fatigue, sexual pain, and a history of depression. Discussion. Results sho w the impact of several physical and mental health risk factors on the development of sexual unwellness in older adults. A gendered pattern also emerged, suggesting that women tend to be less sexually satisfied, as compared to their male peers, who tend to report sexual unwellness that is associated with individual health.
Production of non-methane organic compounds during refuse decomposition in a laboratory-scale landfill

The presence of non-methane organic compounds (NMOCs) in landfill gas is well documented. However, there is little understanding of the degree to which the production of NMOCs should be attributed ...
Stimulated Raman spectroscopy using chirped pulses

We present a detailed theoretical and experimental characterization of a new methodology for stimulated Raman spectroscopy using two duplicates of a chirped, broadband laser pulse. Because of the linear variation of laser frequency with time (‘chirp’), when the pulses are delayed relative to one another, there exists a narrow bandwidth, instantaneous frequency difference between them, which, when resonant with a Raman-active vibration in the sample, generates stimulated Raman gain in one pulse and inverse Raman loss in the other. This method has previously been used for coherent Raman imaging and termed ‘spectral focusing’. Here, gain and loss signals are spectrally resolved, and the spectrally integrated signals are used to determine the spectral resolution of the measured Raman spectrum. Material dispersion is used to generate a range of pulse durations, and it is shown that there is only a small change in the magnitude of the signal and the spectral resolution as the pulse is stretched from 800 to 1800 fs in duration. A quantitative theory of the technique is developed, which reproduces both the magnitude and linewidth of the experimental signals when third-order dispersion and phase-matching efficiency are included. The theoretical calculations show that both spectral resolution and signal magnitude are severely hampered by the third-order dispersion in the laser pulse, and hence, a minimal amount of chirp produces the most signal with only a slight loss of spectral resolution. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Immigrant Paradox in Sexual Risk Behavior Among Latino Adolescents: Impact of Immigrant Generation and Gender

This article contributes new evidence on the associations among immigrant generation, gender, and sexual risk behavior among Latino adolescents in the United States. Longitudinal data from 3,272 Latino adolescents (grades 7–12) who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) were examined for evidence of the immigrant paradox in sex risk behaviors. Compared to more acculturated counterparts, first generation adolescents demonstrated the lowest levels of sexual risk behavior at each time point across adolescence and early adulthood. Gender significantly predicted change in sexual risk behavior over time with Latina females displaying a significantly greater increase in sexual risk behavior than males. Results indicate that third generation Latino adolescents and Latina females, in particular, may benefit from targeted sexual risk interventions to prevent increases in sex risk behavior during adolescence.
Assessing Dog Hunter Identity in Coastal North Carolina

As wildlife managers grapple with restrictions or bans on pursuing white-tailed deer and black bear with dogs (i.e., dog hunting), it is crucial that researchers and managers understand how dog hunting contributes to identity in rural communities. We addressed this need with a case study in coastal North Carolina. We conducted 78 informant-directed, open-ended interviews and analyzed data using the theory of narrated identity. Dog hunting defined relationships with family, friends, and nature, was used to integrate others into the community, to cope with major life events, and to distinguish between the dog hunting community and others. Our results indicate dog hunting helps define identity for some rural communities. The vulnerability expressed within dog hunter identity suggests an opportunity to regulate dog hunting in ways that promote broad-based social legitimacy for the activity.
Administrators as Advocates for Teacher Collaboration.

This column contends that administrators are responsible for constructing a culture of collaboration in their schools and that ultimately, the facilitation of collaboration affects students’ academ...
Localization of effective pinning control in complex networks of dynamical systems

This paper concerns pinning control in complex networks of dynamical systems, where an external forcing signal is applied to the network in order to align the state of all the systems to the forcing signal. By considering the control signal as the state of a virtual dynamical system, this problem can be studied in a synchronization framework. Prior studies have determined that a single controller can pin an entire network under certain conditions. This paper aims to further this study by looking at sufficient and necessary conditions for the possible locations where pinning control can be applied. We also study how the ease of control is influenced by the topology and in particular the algebraic connectivity of the network. In particular, we show that for systems with locally connected coupling it is harder to achieve pinning control than for systems with random or fully connected coupling. We also show that when pinning control is applied to a single system and the underlying topology of the network is a vertex-balanced graph, then the amount of control needed to effect pinning control grows at least as fast as the number of vertices. Furthermore, in order to achieve pinning control in systems coupled via locally connected graphs, as the number of systems grows, both the pinning control and the coupling among all systems need to increase.
A Comparative Study of Learning Styles between Online and Traditional Students

This comparative study was designed to investigate how online and traditional face-to-face (FtF) students used different learning styles in a graduate educational course. A nonequivalent control gr...
Influence of Benthic Features and Fishing Pressure on Size and Distribution of Three Exploited Reef Fishes from the Southeastern United States

Abstract Distribution, habitat preference, and size structure were examined for three commonly targeted bottom fishes (black sea bass Centropristis striata, gag Mycteroperca microlepis, and scamp M. phenax) in the southeastern United States. Fish communities and bottom characteristics of limestone ledges within Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (located centrally along the southeastern continental shelf) were surveyed. Black sea bass occurred at 98% of the ledges and were evenly distributed throughout the sanctuary in much-higher numbers than either gags or scamps, which were concentrated at only 11% of the ledges. Gag or scamp presence was most strongly related to height of ledge undercut, whereas abundance of black sea bass was best explained by percent cover of sessile biota. In addition, lower abundance of black sea bass occurred in the presence of either gags or scamps, which are generally larger than black sea bass. In all three species, an abrupt decline in abundance was observed for size-class...
Habituation of facial muscle responses to repeated food stimuli.

We have shown in a series of studies that the human salivary response habituates to repeated presentation of gustatory cues. Parallel animal research has shown that mouthing and food acceptance also habituate. Facial expressions represent a complex response pattern in animals and humans that may provide an objective measurement of motivation to eat. The current study assessed whether facial muscles (orbicularis oris region, risorius region, and zygomaticus region) that regulate mouthing habituate to repeated presentations of a small amount (3 kcal) of a pleasant tasting food stimulus. Participants were randomly assigned to groups that received ten presentations of the same or changing taste stimuli. Following these trials all subjects were presented a novel dishabituating stimulus followed by the habituating stimulus. Integrated facial electromyography EMG responses over each region were measured for a 50 second period following the taste stimulus. Results showed differential habituation rates across the two groups, with participants in the repeated taste group showing decreases in contrast to the changing taste group who did not decrease. The participants in the repeated taste group showed dishabituation of these responses. These results systematically replicate basic animal research, and extend the number of responses related to eating in humans that habituate to repeated food presentations.
Should manipulation of myocardial substrate utilization patterns be a component of the congestive heart failure therapeutic paradigm

Therapeutic strategies for management of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) are now based on reduction of afterload and preload and the attenuation of neurohormonal activation. Recently, it has been suggested that excess myocardial dependence on lipid oxidation may have adverse effects in failing myocardium. Panchal et al. (1) have addressed this issue and report that, in dogs with coronary microembolism-induced CHF, metoprolol treatment for 12 weeks reduces left ventricular carnitine palmitoyl transferase I (CPT-I) activity in comparison to levels present in normal or untreated infarct animals. Metoprolol treatment did not affect the activities of citrate synthase and medium-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase, which are other members of the group of mitochondrial enzymes involved in the oxidative metabolism of fatty acids, but it attenuated the progressive adverse changes in left ventricular mechanical performance and diastolic chamber size observed in the untreated animals with an infarct. Based on these observations and the higher myocardial triglyceride levels present in the metoprolol-treated group, these investigators postulated that partial suppression of myocardial fatty acid oxidation may be one mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of beta-adrenergic blocking agents on failing or remodeled hearts. If the excess fatty acid utilization hypothesis is correct, then primary efforts to suppress myocardial fatty acid metabolism may be an effective adjunct to optimal therapeutic regimens, which currently include the use of angiotonsin converting enzyme inhibitors, diuretic
Cruising the Alternatives: Homoeroticism and the Contemporary Vampire1

Retracant quelques exemples du personnage de Dracula dans la litterature populaire anglo-saxonne (essentiellement nord-americaine) et dans quelques films sur Nosferatu, l'A. examine la figure contemporaine du vampire dans la culture populaire et les redefinitions du vampire comme figure culturelle et lieu d'articulation et d'expression des desirs et de l'alterite sexuelle. Il montre notamment comment le vampire exprime les alternatives et l'erotisme homosexuels. La figure du vampire en meme temps affirme et remet en cause les discours dominants, historiques et culturels, hetero-normatifs, sur la sexualite. Elle fonctionne comme site de mise en scene de roles sociaux et sexuels prohibes, et comme espace de restructuration du desir et de l'identite sexuelle.
Probabilistic analysis of resistance degradation of reinforced concrete bridge beams under corrosion

Bridges subjected to environmental attack can experience changes in resistance which are time-variant. In this study, flexural strength loss in concrete bridge beams due to corrosion of steel reinforcement is considered. The sensitivity of the corrosion initiation time of steel reinforcement to changes in the main descriptors of diffusion related random variables is illustrated. Both the mean and standard deviation of the corrosion initiation time increase with an increase in the coefficient of variation of each of the diffusion related random variables for the range of values considered in this study. An example problem is given which illustrates the effect of various variables including corrosion rate and corrosion initiation time on the time-variant area of steel reinforcement and flexural strength of an existing reinforced concrete bridge beam. For the range of parameters and the damage scenarios considered, the mean value of the resistance loss function appears to increase about linearly with time. The results can be used to develop optimal lifetime reliability-based maintenance strategies for reinforced concrete bridges under environmental attack.
Socioeconomic Factors Influencing the Failure to Measure the Blood Pressure of Children During Clinical Examinations

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2011;13:767–773. ©2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The authors measured the percentage of children aged 6 through 17 whose blood pressure (BP) was not measured during recent nonemergency clinical examination and assessed the relative importance of health, ability-to-pay, language, and race-ethnic factors in determining whether BP was measured. Using a pooled dataset from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) for 2006 and 2007, the authors calculated the percentage of children whose BP was not measured using a sample of children aged 6 through 17 and constructed a logistic regression model to estimate the relative importance of health, economic, and social factors in the examiner’s decision to measure BP. A total of 28.9% of children did not have their BP measured. Within this unmeasured group, 31% had a family history of hypertension, 9% had a family history of diabetes, and 5% had a body mass index ≥32 kg/m2. The logistic regression model of examiners’ decisions indicates that social and economic factors strongly compete with health factors in determining which children not to measure. While examiners place many children at risk for hypertension in the measured pool, they also place many at-risk children in the unmeasured pool for economic and social reasons.
Recurrent fascicular ventricular tachycardia in myotonic dystrophy.

Conduction system disease and ventricular tachycardia (VT) are known to occur in myotonic dystrophy (MD) patients. The most commonly reported VT is bundle branch reentry;1 however, there are reports of other types including fascicular VT.2–5 This is a case report of recurrent fascicular VT, originating from two separate sites within the posterior fascicle in an adult patient diagnosed with MD. A 32-year-old male diagnosed with MD presented with sustained palpitations associated with shortness of breath and dizziness. In the emergency room, he was found to have sustained wide complex tachycardia rate >220 bpm ( Figure 1 ), which was treated with procainamide …
Home Away from Home: Meanings of the American Truck Stop

This paper explores the place attachments of long-haul truck drivers to the truck stop. The feelings and ideas truckers have about truck stops are based upon the function these businesses play in the truckers' mobile lifestyle and the social interactions that are performed within those spaces. Drivers' relationships to these stops also illustrate that modernity and the prevalence of homogenized places do not result in placelessness because feelings and perceptions about these places are based upon the role these businesses play in the everyday tasks of long-haul drivers.
Development of a Heavy-Duty Engine Test Cycle Representative of On-Highway Not-To-Exceed Operation

AbstractThis paper describes the development of an engine test cycle that is representative of the real-world heavy-duty engine activity in the not-to-exceed (NTE) zone of operation. The test cycle is intended to provide an in-laboratory verification capability to determine if an engine exceeds the in-use emissions standards. By simulating the real-world driving pattern of the vehicle the test cycles provide the most realistic estimation of emission levels in the NTE zone of operation. It is well recognized that traditional laboratory test cycles do not provide an accurate representation of a vehicle's operation on the road under present-day driving conditions. This cycle was developed by collecting and analysing engine activity data and statistical information on heavy-duty vehicle use for different applications under real-world conditions. A test vehicle instrumented with the West Virginia University mobile emissions measurement system (MEMS), a portable on-board tailpipe exhaust emissions measurement s...
Use of split-liver allografts does not impair pediatric recipient growth

The use of split-liver (SL) allografts continues to be an excellent option for many pediatric recipients. Patient and graft survival with this graft type are comparable to patient and graft survival with whole organ grafts. Quality-of-life issues, specifically growth, for SL recipients have not been compared to those of recipients of more conventional whole-organ recipients. Pediatric recipients of SL and whole allografts at 2 institutions were identified. Height, z score, and delta z score were calculated for all recipients for each year after transplant. Between 1995 and 2004, 201 pediatric liver transplants were analyzed. Data were collected on 39 split-graft recipients and 36 whole-size recipients. Only subjects 3 years or younger were included in the study. Growth retardation was present in all recipients at transplant. Height z score post split and whole-size transplant were not statistically different at 1- (P = 0.65), 2- (P = 0.13), and 3-year (P = 0.32) anniversaries, respectively. Catch-up growth was present only in recipients of split grafts. In conclusion, the use of split grafts as opposed to whole-size grafts revealed no significant differences in terms of linear growth. Our report indicates that split-liver transplantation does not impair recipient growth.
A Score of Change: Twenty Years of Critical Musicology and Victorian Literature

Over the last 20 years, the impact of critical musicology (or new musicology) has given rise to fresh areas of exploration (e.g., performance practices, reception histories, affect, listening) and new methods and sites of investigation, including Victorian novels and poems. Influenced by cultural criticism, critical musicologists study musical practices as interactive with a wide range of human activities and beliefs. Simultaneously, literary scholars and historians have played a prominent early role in promoting the study of music in 19th-century Britain and in establishing its aims and methods. To these researchers and to contextually minded musicologists, it was obvious that music embodied and expressed ideological and political meanings, and that fictional, non-fictional, and verse works elucidated and helped to construct these perceptions. Music and Victorian literature is thus a truly interdisciplinary field because it speaks to individuals whose home training is in either literature or music, while also influencing scholars in a range of other disciplines including social and cultural history, art history, women’s studies, gender studies, and queer studies. Introducing the field of music and Victorian literature to a literary audience therefore means first tracing developments in the discipline of music and then highlighting a major disciplinary difference (composer intentionality versus the death of the author). Outlining the latter will, I hope, suggest opportunities for critical musicologists as well as for people interested specifically in word–music connections. In particular, the issue of subjectivity is ripe for further development as can be seen by work on 19th-century poetry and music that is a part of new lyric studies. The final sections of the article outline the latter, indicate the interdisciplinary beginnings of the study of music in 19th-century Britain, provide a list of resources, and map out other recent trends and possible future directions in scholarship on music and Victorian literature.
Fluorinated Electrolytes for Li-S Battery: Suppressing the Self-Discharge with an Electrolyte Containing Fluoroether Solvent

The fluorinated electrolyte containing a fluoroether 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl-2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl ether (TTE) was investigated as a new electrolyte for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. The low solubility of lithium polysulfides (LiPS) in the fluorinated electrolyte reduced the parasitic reactions with Li anode and mitigated the self-discharge by limiting their diffusion from the cathode to the anode. The use of fluorinated ether as a co-solvent and LiNO3 as an additive in the electrolyte shows synergetic effect in suppressing the self-discharge of Li-S battery due to the formation of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on both sulfur cathode and the lithium anode. The Li-S cell with the fluorinated electrolyte showed prolonged shelf life at fully charged state. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by ECS. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse of the work in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. [DOI: 10.1149/2.0431501jes] All rights reserved.
Biocompatibility and Osteogenic Potential of New Generation Endodontic Materials Established by Using Primary Osteoblasts

Abstract Introduction Generex A and Generex B (calcium silicate based), Capasio (calcium-phospho-alumino silicate based) along with Ceramicrete-D (magnesium phosphate based) are being introduced as a new generation of endodontic materials with the potential to facilitate bone healing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biocompatibility and osteogenic potential of these new materials by using primary osteoblasts. Methods Primary osteoblasts were prepared from rat calvaria and exposed to mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), Generex A, Generex B, Capasio, and Ceramicrete-D prepared to standardized size and shape (n = 5). Trypan blue staining was used to evaluate cell viability from 1–6 days. Mineralization potential was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy for the presence of mineralized nodules. Data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results Only Generex A and MTA allowed cell growth and proliferation throughout the experiment. There were statistically significant differences between groups throughout the experiment beginning on day 1. The greatest amount of cell growth was consistently observed with Generex A and MTA. There was no difference in mineralized nodule formation between any test materials. Conclusions Generex A was the only new generation endodontic material that supported primary osteoblast growth; no material besides MTA facilitated nodule formation.
Pulmonary and renal pressure-flow relationships: what should be taught?

This article is from a symposium presented at the annual meeting of the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS) on June 11, 2000. The presentation was funded under the auspices of a National Sc...
A Design Framework for Enhancing Engagement in Student-Centered Learning: Own It, Learn It, and Share It.

Student-centered learning (SCL) identifies students as the owners of their learning. While SCL is increasingly discussed in K-12 and higher education, researchers and practitioners lack current and comprehensive framework to design, develop, and implement SCL. We examine the implications of theory and research-based evidence to inform those who seek clear guidelines to support students’ engagement and autonomous learning. SCL is rooted in constructivist and constructionist as well as self-determination theories. Constructs of these theories have been studied respectively; however, the intersections among the three theories require further exploration. First, we identify autonomy, scaffolding, and audience as key constructs of SCL engagement. Then, we propose a design framework that encompasses motivational, cognitive, social, and affective aspects of learning: Own it, Learn it, and Share it. It is recommended that students: (a) develop ownership over the process and achieve personally meaningful learning goals; (b) learn autonomously through metacognitive, procedural, conceptual, and strategic scaffolding; and (c) generate artifacts aimed at authentic audiences beyond the classroom assessment. Furthermore, we suggest ten design guidelines under the framework and conclude with questions for future research.
Gender Identity Disorders: Evaluation and Treatment

This review article deals with the spectrum of gender identity disorders, the most extreme of which is known as transsexualism. Although described in the early medical literature, these gender dysphoria syndromes have only recently gained acceptance into the formal psychiatric diagnostic nomenclature (the American Psychiatric Association's 1980 and 1987 editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—DSM-III and DSM-III-R). The author briefly describes the early literature on this topic, as a prelude to what he refers to as the modern gender identity movement. The well-known Christine Jorgenson case of 1952 launched the modern era of gender identity research and clinical assessment and treatment of gender identity disorders. These disorders, as defined in DSM-III-R, are described. The following aspects of gender identity disorders are discussed in some detail: body image, clinical evaluation, standards of care, and the trial of cross-gender living. Treatment and outcome data on the r...
Water Quality Models for Watershed Management

Several water quality models are available for use in assessing the effects of agricultural management on the environment. Since these models are being used to solve a variety of water quality problems, they vary considerably in structure and complexity. For example, simple screening models may be adequate and appropriate for identifying potential pollutant sources. However, more comprehensive models are needed in comparing agricultural management effects on chemical transport by runoff and sediment. Model requirements may also vary depending upon temporal and spatial scales, cost, and risk associated with proposed projects.
Transmitter-receiver energy efficiency: A trade-off in MIMO wireless sensor networks

Power and energy consumption are the most important factors in extending the lifetime of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). Many energy efficiency techniques, that consider both the transmission and circuit power consumption have been proposed for the case of Single-Input Single-Output (SISO) WSNs. However, the power consumption of the receiver should also be considered in order to maximize the network lifetime. In this paper, we introduce a novel communication protocol for Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) WSNs. In this protocol, the number of antennas to be used at both the transmitter and receiver are selected according to the energy consumption of the scheme, the remaining energy at the nodes, the distance between the nodes, and the target bit error rate. Starting from a policy that selects the optimal number of antennas, we then propose 3 low complexity heuristics with different information requirements. Numerical results show that our proposed communication protocols dramatically outperform the performance of a traditional fixed MIMO system in terms of energy consumption and system lifetime.