cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perioperative outcomes, complications, and costs associated with lumbar spinal fusion in older patients with spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis.

Object The purpose of this study was to quantify the perioperative outcomes, complications, and costs associated with posterolateral spinal fusion (PSF) among Medicare enrollees with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and/or spondylolisthesis by using a national Medicare claims database. Methods A 5% systematic sample of Medicare claims data (2005–2009) was used to identify outcomes in patients who had undergone PSF for a diagnosis of LSS and/or spondylolisthesis. Patients eligible for study inclusion also required a minimum of 2 years of follow-up and a claim history of at least 12 months prior to surgery. Results A final cohort of 1672 patients was eligible for analysis. Approximately half (50.7%) had LSS only, 10.2% had spondylolisthesis only, and 39.1% had both LSS and spondylolisthesis. The average age was 71.4 years, and the average length of stay was 4.6 days. At 3 months and 1 and 2 years postoperatively, the incidence of spine reoperation was 10.9%, 13.3%, and 16.9%, respectively, whereas readmissions ...
Why we need open simulation to train surgeons in an era of work-hour restrictions

Surgical training in the USA and Europe has undergone radical changes with respect to working patterns, culture and limitation on working hours in recent years. Many surgeons who trained prior to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) duty-hour restrictions have expressed concern that surgeons currently exiting from training may not have had the same operative experience as in the pre-ACGME era. These concerns are particularly relevant in vascular surgery with the prevalence of endovascular therapies reducing the exposure of trainees to more traditional open vascular operations. Simulation has been used in many non-medical fields for technical skill acquisition prior to real-life performance and in recent years has been identified as a useful tool in surgical training. This article highlights the growing need for open vascular simulation as exposure to complex open vascular operations diminishes. The culture of, 'see one, do one, teach one' is fast becoming replaced by 'do many on a simulator, attain competency then perform under supervision in the operating room'. This will only be successfully achieved by the widespread incorporation of open vascular simulation into current vascular training programs if work hours remain limited and endovascular modalities continue to replace traditional open operations.
Determination of heavy metals in the Rock River (Illinois) through the analysis of sediments

Neutron activation analysis has been used to analyze sediment cores from the Rock River and two branches of Kent Creek, one of its tributaries, to determine the concentrations of thirteen heavy metals (Ti, Cu, V, Mn, As, Sb, Se, Cr, Ni, Sc, Fe, Zn, and Co) and two rare earths (Sm and La). The downstream sites of both the Rock River and the two branches of Kent Creek have elevated concentrations of several heavy metals including arsenic, antimony, and zinc. In addition, hundreds of parts per million of copper have been found in samples from the downstream site of the North Fork of Kent Creek. Toxicity tests of the sediment also indicate that the downstream sites are detrimental to lifeforms. Analysis of the data from the two branches of Kent Creek clearly indicate that heavy metal concentrations increase as the distance from the center of industrial activity (Rockford) decreases.
Comparison of four beat-to-beat cardiotachometer designs.

Beat-to-beat cardiotachometers calculate the heart rate in beats per minute from two adjacent R wave pulses. These differ from cardiotachometers, which simply count the number of R wave pulses in a minute. The paper describes four beat-to-beat cardiotachometer systems using (a) divide-by-n counter; (b) calculator chip; (c) 1/t clock; (d) dual analogue voltage ramp. For each type a detailed description of operating principles based on a block diagram is presented. This is followed by a discussion of the performance of each system, the compromises that are required and the fundamental limitations of each system. One practical design of each system has been built and used successfully in a medical or biomedical situation. These are also described and compared.
Anemia after kidney transplantation--is the incidence increasing?

Prior to the availability of recombinant erythropoietin, virtually all kidney transplant recipients exhibited some degree of anemia in the early post-transplant period, primarily as the consequence of operative blood loss and postoperative phlebotomies superimposed on a preexisting state of hypoerthyropoiesis characteristic of renal failure. Restoration of endogenous erythropoietin secretion by the renal allograft, now known to occur within hours to days after transplantation (1), generally led to correction of anemia within a period of 3–8 months (2), at least in patients with well-functioning grafts. Interestingly, widespread use of recombinant erythropoietin in patients awaiting kidney transplantation has not entirely eliminated the problem of early post-transplant anemia (less than 6 months after transplantation). Recent longitudinal studies in adults (3) and children (4) indicate that the prevalence of anemia at the time of renal transplantation ranges between 41% and 67%, respectively. In addition to perioperative blood losses, other factors contributing to early post-transplant anemia include iron deficiency, the persistent effort of uremic toxins, and the negative effects of immunosuppression on erythropoiesis.
A new spectral memory of filled rubbers

We recently discovered that shearing particle-reinforced rubbers in oscillation at a frequency fa at a small strain γa (e.g., ∼1% strain) for time ta can often produce a spectrum hole or drop in the strain-dependent dissipation spectra of the materials. The location of the hole (or localized perturbation in the loss modulus or loss tangent) depends on the aging strain amplitude γa. The depth of this hole is influenced by both the oscillatory aging frequency fa and the aging duration ta, and follows a simple power relationship of the product of fa and ta. The exponent for the power relationship is a function of filler concentration. These attributes of the spectral hole in filled rubbers are not sensitive to the frequency used to postanalyze the hole. This new memory effect occurs at very small strains and involves material stiffening during the strain aging, and both of those features are quite different from the Mullins effect in filled elastomers. We interpret this newly discovered memory character of filled rubbers from a much broader concept of structure pinning in a condensed frustrated system and consider that the agglomeration of filler particles in rubber matrix shares common physics with granular materials and glass-forming materials. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 859–869, 2010
Executive functioning can mediate age-related changes in oculomotor attentional disengagement

Also, if attentional disengagement depends on higher-level cognitive processes (e.g., executive working memory), occupying this resource with a secondary task load should slow attentional disengagement during visual search, effectively mirroring an affect of aging on the oculomotor system (Experiment 2). Executive functioning can mediate age-related changes in oculomotor attentional disengagement Benjamin D. Lester1, Shaun P. Vecera2, & Matthew Rizzo3 Departments of Neurology1 & Psychology2, University of Iowa – Iowa City, IA Department of Neurology3, University of Nebraska Medical Center – Omaha, NE
Heat map visualization of complex environmental and biomarker measurements

Over the past decade, the assessment of human systems interactions with the environment has permeated all phases of environmental and public health research. We are invoking lessons learned from the broad discipline of Systems Biology research that focuses primarily on molecular and cellular networks and adapting these concepts to Systems Exposure Science which focuses on interpreting the linkage from environmental measurements and biomonitoring to the expression of biological parameters. A primary tool of systems biology is the visualization of complex genomic and proteomic data using “heat maps” which are rectangular color coded arrays indicating the intensity (or amount) of the dependent variable. Heat maps are flexible in that both the x-axis and y-axis can be arranged to explore a particular hypothesis and allow a fast overview of data with a third quantitative dimension captured as different colors. We are now adapting these tools for interpreting cumulative and aggregate environmental exposure measurements as well as the results from human biomonitoring of biological media including blood, breath and urine. This article uses existing EPA measurements of environmental and biomarker concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to demonstrate the value of the heat map approach for hypothesis development and to link back to stochastic and mixed effects models that were originally used to assess study results.
'Putting the squeeze' on the tight junction: understanding cytoskeletal regulation.

The apical perijunctional actomyosin ring of epithelia is structurally associated with the tight junction. The functional association between the tight junction and the perijunctional actomyosin ring was initially described in studies using pharmacological agents that disrupt microfilaments. More recently, this interaction has been studied in physiological, pathophysiological, and molecular models of tight junction regulation. These studies have demonstrated the central role of actomyosin contraction in tight junction regulation. With the identification of novel tight junction proteins and characterization of their protein:protein interactions comes the promise of detailed understanding of the molecular interactions that mediate tight junction regulation.
Concurrent radiation therapy and chemotherapy in the treatment of primary squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva

Background. Interest in combined modality treatment and in quality of life issues may affect the choice of radical vulvectomy as the treatment of choice in many vulvar carcinomas. To evaluate the potential role of combined radiation and chemotherapy with or without local excision as primary treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva, the outcomes of 19 patients with this disease treated with combination therapy were reviewed. Methods. Nineteen patients were treated between September 1987 and October 1992. Fifteen patients had American Joint Committee on Cancer Stage III disease ; 4 had Stage II. All had clinically negative inguinal lymph nodes with the exception of two patients who had positive ipsilateral inguinal nodes that were removed before treatment. The patients received 45-50 Gy to the pelvis and inguinal nodes with concurrent chemotherapy that consisted of 5-fluorouracil given as a 96-hour continuous infusion (1000 mg/m 2 /d) during weeks 1 and 5 of radiation. A single dose of mitomycin-C (10 mg/m 2 ) during the first day of chemotherapy has been used since November 1991. Ten patients were boosted with implants or electrons and 6 others underwent local excision. Results. The median follow-up was 34 months. Responses were determined clinically 1 month after completion of the radiation and chemotherapy. Clinically, complete responses were obtained in 10 patients (53%), partial responses in 7 (37%), and no response in 1 ; 1 patient progressed during treatment. The combined modality therapy (radiation/chemotherapy/with or without wide local excision) resulted in a local control rate of 74% (14/19). All five treatment failures occurred within 6 months of treatment. Four of these patients were rendered disease free by radical vulvectomy and/or exenteration, for an overall local control rate of 95% (18/19). Conclusion. Concurrent radiation therapy and chemotherapy with local excision performed as needed, appears to be a reasonable alternative to radical vulvectomy in patients with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. Radical surgery remains a viable option for patients in whom primary therapy has failed. Cancer 1995 ;75 :2289-94.
The projections of the ventral tegmental area and adjacent regions: A combined fluorescent retrograde tracer and immunofluorescence study in the rat

The organization of projection neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and in adjacent parts of the raphe nuclei medial to it (the central and rostral linear, and interfascicular nuclei), the mammillary body (the supramammillary region and the tuberomammillary nucleus), and the substantia nigra have been examined in the rat with Kuypers' retrograde double labeling method, and with a combined retrograde labeling (with true blue)-immunohistochemical method for the demonstration of dopaminergic neurons. First, the distribution, within the VTA and adjacent regions, of dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic cells that project to terminal fields in the telencephalon (nucleus accumbens, lateral septum, pre- and supragenual fields of the anterior limbic cortex, amygdala, dorsal hippocampus, and entorhinal area), in the diencephalon (lateral habenula), and in the brainstem (locus coeruleus, and parabrachial nucleus) was determined. Then, 15 different combinations of injections of the tracers bisbenzimide and true blue into different terminal fields were made to determine whether individual cells in the region of the VTA send collaterals to more than one site. Taken together, the results indicate that essentially separate groups of cells in the VTA and adjacent regions of the raphe project to each terminal field. In addition, each group can be further divided into dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic components, although the proportion of dopaminergic cells in each group can vary from over 80% (e.g., to the nucleus accumbens) to less than 1% (to the lateral habenula and to the locus coeruleus). In addition, it was found that the supramammillary region, which contains a dense extension of the A10 cell group in its medial part, and the tuberomammillary nucleus, project to, or through, most of the regions injected with retrograde tracers. Virtually all of the projections from the VTA and adjacent regions are partially crossed, the percentage of cells on the uninjected side ranging from over 40% (e.g., for locus coeruleus injections) to only about 2% (e.g., for amygdalar injections). Most of the groups of projection neurons in the region of the VTA are considerably intermixed with the exception of those that project to the lateral septum, to the lateral habenula, and to the hippocampal formation, which are concentrated in ventral and medial parts of the VTA, and in the raphe nuclei medial to the VTA. It was concluded that in the ventral part of the midbrain, essentially separate groups of aminergic and non-aminergic neurons in both the reticular formation (VTA) and in the adjacent nuclei of the raphe project bilaterally to a variety of similar terminal fields in the telencephalon, diencephalon, and brainstem. Further work at the single cell level is needed to determine whether these cell groups are differentially innervated by known inputs to the VTA and adjacent regions, most of which appear to descend through the medial forebrain bundle from sites in the limbic system and hypothalamus.
Perineural antinociceptive effect of opioids in a rat model.

Background: The research on conductive analgesia induced by perineural opioids generated a large body of conflicting data. In this study we reassessed the antinociceptive response to perineural administration of morphine, fentanyl or meperidine in a rat model. Methods: Analgesia was assessed using the hind paw withdrawal latency (HPWL) response to radiant heat. The opioid dose producing 20% of maximal possible effect (20%MPE) for systemic analgesia was calculated for each drug. Then sciatic blockade was performed with the dose corresponding to 20%MPE. The injected hind paw was used to measure direct perineural effect and the contralateral hind paw was used as an indicator of systemic effect. Results: The response latency produced by morphine or fentanyl was not significantly different for ipsilateral (perineural effect) or contralateral (systemic effect) paw (27±11 vs 28±16 and 3l±16 vs 23±16 s, respectively). However, the meperidine group showed significantly higher %MPE for the ipsilateral paw (79±32 s) than for the contralateral paw (27±22 s). Conclusions: The results indicate that perineural fentanyl or morphine do not produce analgesia. Perineural block produced by meperidine was attributed to local anesthetic-like effect, rather than to drug interaction with opioid receptor.
The geography of American environmentalism

Abstract Environmental laws such as the Clean Air Act are administered largely at the state level, with more or less enthusiasm, depending on the state. Here we examine the spatial distributions of four indicators of environmentalism: organizational membership, public opinion, Congressional representation and state-level environmental policy. Public support for environmental protection is strongest in the nation's northeast quadrant and the West Coast. The Dakotas, the intermountain West and the Deep South have the least concern. Level of environmentalism is largely explained by state levels of electricity consumption and education and inversely by political conservatism. Cultural traditions also apparently explain some of the variation across regions.
Dietary vanadium and the oxidative state of hepatic and renal pyridine nucleotides.

Abstract 1. 1. NAD, NADH, NADP and NADPH were measured in the livers and kidneys of chicks receiving 50 mg vanadium/kg diet. 2. 2. There was no effect of dietary vanadium on the oxidative states of the nucleotides, although the growth rate was decreased. 3. 3. The lack of effect of vanadium on the oxidative status of the nucleotides was ascribed to the low tissue concentration of vanadium.
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE OF MAST CELL HISTAMINE SECRETION

A diverse set of direct experimental observations and theoretical considerations supports the existence of fluidity in cell membranes (1) . Several membrane-dependent functions of Escherichia coli have been shown to exhibit biphasic Arrhenius plots with transition temperatures that are determined by the degree and configuration of the unsaturation of fatty acids incorporated into the membrane phospholipids (2, 3) . Biphasic plots and even discontinuities in the plots have been demonstrated for several mitochondrial enzymes in their membrane-bound states (4, 5) . It has been proposed that the transitions in activation energy for these reactions are related to a phase change in the organization of the membrane phospholipids (2-5) . In mammalian cells the mixing of surface antigens in newly formed heterokaryons (6) and the capping of surface antigens in the presence of specific antibodies (7) have been interpreted as evidence for lateral movement of proteins in a more or less fluid membrane . Both these phenomena have a temperature dependence that is consistent with a transition in membrane structure occurring in the vicinity of 15°C, but the available data do not permit distinction between phase transitions and high activation energies for lateral diffusion of membrane proteins (7) . Secretion by exocytosis would be expected to be dependent on the state of the cell membrane and thus substantially affected by any temperaturedependent phase change in the membrane. This reasoning led to study of the effect of temperature on the secretion of histamine by mast cells .
Computer-assisted model building

Developments in computer graphics and distance geometry have provided important tools for comparative model building of protein structures.
Procedures for the isolation of two distinct lipopigments from human brain: lipofuscin and ceroid.

Abstract Pure lipofuscin has been isolated from normal human brain by a new technique based on flotations and density-gradient centrifugations procedures coupled with dextran sulfate precipitation of interfering subcellular components. This lipofuscin preparation has been shown to be made up of a number of species which may be various stages in the development of the residual body or secondary lysosome from the initiating lysosome body. A second autofluorescent pigment, ceroid, with a markedly different density, was isolated from two human cases of neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis and a canine brain affected with a similar disorder. This pigment was isolated by an enzymatic procedure followed by density-gradient centrifugation. Three morphologically different forms of ceroid were found for each of the three individuals affected with neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis.
Progress in the study of mercury methylation and demethylation in aquatic environments

Mercury (Hg) and its compounds are a class of highly toxic and pervasive pollutants. During the biogeochemical cycling of Hg, methylmercury (MeHg), a potent neurotoxin, can be produced and subsequently bioaccumulated along the food chain in aquatic ecosystems. MeHg is among the most widespread contaminants that pose severe health risks to humans and wildlife. Methylation of inorganic mercury to MeHg and demethylation of MeHg are the two most important processes in the cycling of MeHg, determining the levels of MeHg in aquatic ecosystems. This paper reviews recent progress on the study of Hg methylation and demethylation in aquatic environments, focusing on the following three areas: (1) sites and pathways of Hg methylation and demethylation, (2) bioavailability of Hg species for methylation and demethylation, and (3) application of isotope addition techniques in quantitatively estimating the net production of MeHg.
Self-reported postwar injuries among Gulf War veterans.

OBJECTIVE: From September 1995 to May 1996, the authors conducted a telephone survey of Iowa military personnel who had served in the regular military or activated National Guard or Reserve during the Gulf War period. To assess the association between military service in a combat zone and subsequent traumatic injury requiring medical consultation, the authors analyzed veterans' interview responses. METHODS: Using data from the larger survey, the authors compared rates of self-reported postwar injuries requiring medical consultation in a sample of Iowa Gulf War veterans to the rates in a sample of Iowa military personnel who served at the same time, but not in the Persian Gulf. RESULTS: Of 3,695 veterans, 605 (16%) reported a traumatic injury in the previous three months requiring medical consultation. Self-reported injuries were associated with service in the Persian Gulf (odds ratio 1.26; 95% confidence interval 1.02, 1.55). CONCLUSION: This finding is consistent with the results of earlier studies of traumatic injury mortality rates among war veterans.
Consumption and Community: The Subcultural Contexts of Disparate Marijuana Practices in Jam Band and Hip-Hop Scenes

The use of marijuana has become a normative illicit practice within many youth subcultures. As such it remains important to identify how subcultures shape the nuances of their respective participants' marijuana consumption practices and how these practices shape social interaction patterns. This research highlights how different subcultural contexts influence interaction rituals surrounding marijuana consumption. Findings are based on twelve months of ethnographic fieldwork within the hip-hop and jam band scenes. We assess how the symbolic systems framing subcultural norms and values influence marijuana consumption practices and how these in turn reinforce the subcultural system. We examine the implications these practices have for producing varied levels of consumption and providing different experiences of community.
Early schools of marketing thought and marketplace evolution

Purpose – The marketplace evolution associated with the development of the electronic marketplace provides the marketing discipline with a unique opportunity to examine the value of its early literature in the context of a changing market environment. The purpose of this paper is to use the early marketing literature to develop theoretical propositions related to the internet marketplace.Design/methodology/approach – Seminal marketing thought is reviewed and used to provide a conceptual understanding of various aspects of electronic commerce.Findings – Perspectives from the commodity, functional, regional, institutional, and functionalist schools of marketing are used to explain the evolution of the electronic marketplace as well as to provide propositions to guide future research.Originality/value – The application of historical marketing thought to a contemporary business situation serves to validate the robustness of the early literature and demonstrates its ongoing value and usefulness to the discipline.
The effect of aspartate on citrate metabolism in the cytosolic fraction of brain under conditions of normoxia, hypoxia and anaesthesia.

—The utilization of citrate by the cytoplasmic fraction of rat brain is inhibited in hypoxia and remains unaltered in anaesthesia. The addition of exogenous aspartate to the cytosolic fraction isolated from brains of hypoxic animals increases the rate of citrate removal. The level of cytosolic aspartate gradually decreases when the exposure period to low oxygen tension is increased and reaches a minimum after 30 min. The levels of mitochondrial aspartate and of cytoplasmic carbamyl aspartate remain constant. The low level of cytosolic aspartate is accompanied by an increase in the concentration of cytosolic urea and increase in the aspartate level in blood serum. It is suggested that the oxidation of citrate by the cytoplasmic fraction of brain is inhibited in hypoxia owing to the decrease in endogenous aspartate. The decrease in the level of cytoplasmic aspartate is caused by the diversion of this substrate toward urea synthesis and by the increased leakage across the cell/blood barrier to the blood stream. Anaesthesia prevents the changes induced by hypoxia.
Decreased afferent excitability contributes to synaptic depression during high-frequency stimulation in hippocampal area CA1

Long-term potentiation (LTP) is often induced experimentally by continuous high-frequency afferent stimulation (HFS), typically at 100 Hz for 1 s. Induction of LTP requires postsynaptic depolarization and voltage-dependent calcium influx. Induction is more effective if the same number of stimuli are given as a series of short bursts rather than as continuous HFS, in part because excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) become strongly depressed during HFS, reducing postsynaptic depolarization. In this study, we examined mechanisms of EPSP depression during HFS in area CA1 of rat hippocampal brain slices. We tested for presynaptic terminal vesicle depletion by examining minimal stimulation-evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) during 100-Hz HFS. While transmission failures increased, consistent with vesicle depletion, EPSC latencies also increased during HFS, suggesting a decrease in afferent excitability. Extracellular recordings of Schaffer collateral fiber volleys confirmed a decrease in afferent excitability, with decreased fiber volley amplitudes and increased latencies during HFS. To determine the mechanism responsible for fiber volley changes, we recorded antidromic action potentials in single CA3 pyramidal neurons evoked by stimulating Schaffer collateral axons. During HFS, individual action potentials decreased in amplitude and increased in latency, and these changes were accompanied by a large increase in the probability of action potential failure. Time derivative and phase-plane analyses indicated decreases in both axon initial segment and somato-dendritic components of CA3 neuron action potentials. Our results indicate that decreased presynaptic axon excitability contributes to depression of excitatory synaptic transmission during HFS at synapses between Schaffer collaterals and CA1 pyramidal neurons.
The Biology and Pharmacology of Calcium Channel α2-δ Proteins Pfizer satellite symposium to the 2003 Society for Neuroscience Meeting Sheraton New Orleans Hotel New Orleans, LA November 10, 2003

Approximately 250 persons participated in a satellite symposium of the Society for Neurosciences Annual Meeting entitled “The Biology and Pharmacology of Calcium Channel a2-a Proteins” held at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel on November 10, 2003. The goal of this meeting was to review the biology of a2-a proteins and to clarify the pharmacological actions of drugs related to the novel analgesic and anticonvulsant compounds, pregabalin and gabapentin that bind to a2-a proteins. The meeting began with an introduction to voltage-gated ion channel structure and function by William A. Catterall (Dept Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA). Voltage-gated channels selective for either potassium, sodium or calcium (Ca) ions share common structural and functional properties. These include positively charged regions that move across the membrane in response to depolarization, briefly opening the channel mouth, allowing the selected type of cations to pass across the cell membrane. Sodium and Ca channels also have auxiliary subunits coded by different genes that co-purify when channels are solubilized by detergents. The Ca channel was first
Shifts in covert visual attention in schizophrenic patients and normal controls

Attentional deficits have been consistently demonstrated in schizophrenic patients (Nuecherlein and Dawson 1984). Recently, Posner et al (1988) identified a specific visual attention deficit involving an increased difficulty in shifting covert visual attention, independent of eye movements, when visual attention was invalidly summoned to the left visual field and a target appeared in the right visual field. These investigators also found that the advantage of valid cuing as compared to invalid cuing was less for left visual field targets in schizophrenic patients. However, as the cue served to both alert and spatially orient the subject, their findings may have been due to nonspecific arousal deficits rather than an impaired ability to shift attention. Furthermore, the differences in reaction times in the different cuing conditions may have been due to differences in the perceived brightness or size of the target, as cue and target occurred in close proximity during the valid cuing condition but not in the invalid or uncued condition. Tc examine these alternative possibilities, three modifications were made in the Posner task. First, a 0 msec interval was included as a control
Fourier domain pump-probe optical coherence tomography: hemoglobin imaging at 830 nm

The detailed 3-D mapping of tissue microcirculation, including blood oxygen saturation and flow, would provide important biometrics needed to understand the cause and progression of numerous diseases. To that end we have started developing a two-color Fourier domain Pump-Probe Optical Coherence Tomography (PPOCT) system designed specifically to image hemoglobin with the eventual goal of measuring blood oxygen saturation. This system utilizes a two-color pump-probe scheme chosen to maximize the potential imaging depth by probing in the near IR where the tissue scattering properties are most favorable and pumping in the visible where the hemoglobin light absorption is most efficient. A sample consisting of pure hemoglobin placed between two coverslips has been used for the initial demonstration and to begin the process of optimizing the system.
The Lens Redshift and Galaxy Environment for HE 0435−1223

The redshift of the galaxy lensing HE 0435-1223 is 0.4546 ± 0.0002, based on observations obtained with the Low Dispersion Survey Spectrograph 2 on the Magellan Consortium's 6.5 m Clay Telescope. Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys observations of the system also reveal a spiral-rich group of 10 galaxies within 40'' of the elliptical lensing galaxy. The redshifts for two of these galaxies were measured to be in the foreground (at z = 0.419) with respect to the lens; thus, at least some of the nearby galaxies are not part of the same physical group as the lens. Mass models of the system (assuming same-plane deflectors) that take the local galaxy environment into account do better at explaining the observed emission-line flux ratios (which are presumably unaffected by microlensing) than single-halo models, but the match is still not perfect. In particular, component A (a minimum of the light travel time) is observed to be 0.20 mag brighter than predicted, and component C (also a minimum image) is observed to be 0.16 mag fainter than predicted. The A - D time delay is predicted to be either 15.8 or 17.6 days (H0 = 72 km s-1 Mpc-1), depending on the details of the local galaxy environment.
User-aware energy efficient streaming strategy for smartphone based video playback applications

We propose a methodology to design user-aware streaming strategies for energy efficient smartphone video playback applications (e.g. YouTube). Our goal is to manage the streaming process to minimize the sleep and wake penalty of cellular module and at the same time avoid the energy waste from excessive downloading. The problem is modeled as a stochastic inventory system, where the real length of video playback requested by the smartphone user is considered as demand that follows a stochastic process. Through user behavior analysis, a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) is constructed to predict the user demand in video playback, and then an energy efficient video downloading strategy will be determined progressively during the playback process. Experimental results show that compared to a static downloading strategy that is optimized by exhaustive trail, our method can reduce the wasted energy by 10 percent in average.
Physiology and pathology of calcium signaling in the brain.

Calcium (Ca2+) plays fundamental and diversified roles in neuronal plasticity. As second messenger of many signaling pathways, Ca2+ as been shown to regulate neuronal gene expression, energy production, membrane excitability, synaptogenesis, synaptic transmission, and other processes underlying learning and memory and cell survival. The flexibility of Ca2+ signaling is achieved by modifying cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations via regulated opening of plasmamembrane and subcellular Ca2+ sensitive channels. The spatiotemporal patterns of intracellular Ca2+ signals, and the ultimate cellular biological outcome, are also dependent upon termination mechanism, such as Ca2+ buffering, extracellular extrusion, and intra-organelle sequestration. Because of the central role played by Ca2+ in neuronal physiology, it is not surprising that even modest impairments of Ca2+ homeostasis result in profound functional alterations. Despite their heterogeneous etiology neurodegenerative disorders, as well as the healthy aging process, are all characterized by disruption of Ca2+ homeostasis and signaling. In this review we provide an overview of the main types of neuronal Ca2+ channels and their role in neuronal plasticity. We will also discuss the participation of Ca2+ signaling in neuronal aging and degeneration.
Field measurements of transient effects in photovoltaic panels and its importance in the design of maximum power point trackers

This paper describes the implementation of an experimental setup to capture the dynamic behavior of photovoltaic (PV) modules at significantly higher sample rates than what has previously been done. The data helps guide the design of maximum power point tracker (MPPT) algorithms, particularly as it pertains to tracking speed and accuracy. We present data that illustrates the dynamic behavior of PV modules for various cloud coverage and weather situations. In addition, we perform analysis on the collected data to illustrate the frequency of rapid transient changes in PV output power due to fast moving clouds and other sources of shading, all of which are essential for evaluating the speed/accuracy trade-off in any MPPT converter.
Teletherapy alignment: A simplified method of quality control

Abstract Precision radiation therapy requires accurate and reproducible treatment geometry in order to direct the radiation field to the area of interest within the patient. Modern therapy machines and simulators are equipped with field lights, Optical Distance Indicators (ODI), side lights, and mechanical or digital indicators for field size, gantry angle, collimator angle, etc. When they are properly aligned and calibrated, these will provide necessary geometric parameters for treatment. However, these devices may become misaligned easily and must be checked routinely to insure their accuracy. The use of a carefully constructed alignment template provides a quick and accurate check and facilitates adjustments where necessary. The construction of the template is described, and the alignment verification procedure is outlined. Since this is a simple and fast method for alignment verification, it may be incorporated in the daily operational check of the machine.
Safe Self-Scheduling: A Parallel Loop Scheduling Scheme for Shared-Memory Multiprocessors

In this paper we present Save Self-Scheduling (SSS), a new scheduling scheme that schedules parallel loops with variable length iteration execution times not known at compile time. The scheme assumes a shared memory space. SSS combines static scheduling with dynamic scheduling and draws favorable advantages from each. First, it reduces the dynamic scheduling overhead by statically scheduling a major portion of loop iterations. Second, the workload is balanced with a simple and efficient self scheduling scheme by applying a new measure, the smallest critical chore size. Experimental results comparing SSS with other scheduling schemes indicate that SSS surpasses other scheduling schemes. In the experiment on Gauss-Jordan, an application that is suitable for static scheduling schemes SSS is the only self-scheduling scheme that outperforms the static scheduling scheme. This indicates that SSS achieves a balanced workload with a very small amount of overhead.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-associated gastropathy: Incidence and risk factor models

Abstract purpose: The most prevalent serious drug toxicity in the United States is increasingly recognized as gastrointestinal (GI) pathology associated with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The incidence of serious GI events (hospitalization or death) associated with NSAID use was therefore prospectively analyzed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and patients with osteoarthritis. patients, methods, and results: The study consisted of 2,747 patients with RA and 1,091 patients with osteoarthritis. The yearly hospitalization incidence during NSAID treatment was 1.58% in RA patients and was similar in all five populations studied. The hazard ratio of patients taking NSAIDs to those not taking NSAIDs was 5.2. The incidence in osteoarthritis may be less. The risk of GI-related death in RA patients was 0.19% per year with NSAIDs. Multivariate analyses assessing risk factors for serious GI events were performed in the 1,694 (98 with an event) RA patients taking NSAIDs at the predictive visit. The main risk factors were higher age, use of prednisone, previous NSAID GI side effects, prior GI hospitalization, level of disability, and NSAID dose. A rule is presented that allows estimation of the risk for the individual patient with RA. conclusion: Knowledge of the risk factors for NSAID-associated gastropathy and their interrelationships provides a tool for identification of the patient at high risk and for initiation of appropriate therapeutic action.
X-shaped phononic crystals for side lobe reduction in ultra high frequency slanted finger inter-digitated aluminum nitride lamb wave transducers

This paper reports, for the first time, an approach to suppress the side lobe magnitude of aluminum nitride (AlN) Lamb wave slanted finger interdigital transducer (SFIT) delay lines by engineering and integrating an X-shaped phononic crystal (X-PnC) in the structure. The X-PnC generates two frequency bandgaps that sandwich the delay line pass-band around 780 MHz. The acoustic isolation provided by these two frequency bandgaps for longitudinal modes results in a side lobe reduction of 10 dB. The combined result of the X-PnC and the delay line displays an unaltered bandwidth similar to the standalone delay line with a minimum 23 dB of insertion loss and a smooth (almost flat) out-of-band response. These preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of integrating PnCs with radio frequency electroacoustic devices, and especially show a practical utilization of micromachined PnCs.
Particle-Inhibited Grain Growth in Al2O3-SiC: II, Equilibrium and Kinetic Analyses

The grain-growth data presented in a companion paper for the Al 2 O 3 -SiC system are analyzed. Central to the analysis is the experimentally observed relationship between the fraction of particles on grain boundaries, Φ, and the average grain size, G. This relationship is included in both the equilibrium-grain-size expression originally formulated by Zener and classical grain-growth rate equations. The modified expression for equilibrium grain size, G L , as a function of volume fraction of pinning particles,f, contains a power-law dependence for G L on f that has been developed using the relationship between Φ and G during microstructure evolution. The expressions for the grain-growth kinetics are similarly developed. The equilibrium and kinetic relationships are used to describe the experimental data from the companion paper and predict grain-growth behavior. A new type of map is constructed to predict the time required to approach equilibrium as a function of volume fraction and annealing temperature. This map reveals that extreme experimental conditions (very long times and high annealing temperatures) are necessary for the system to reach equilibrium, especially for smaller volume fractions, and that the attainment of equilibrium is experimentally quite difficult.
What is Innateness

In behavioral ecology some authors regard the innateness concept as irretrievably confused whilst others take it to refer to adaptations. In cognitive psychology, however, whether traits are 'innate' is regarded as a significant question and is often the subject of heated debate. Several philosophers have tried to define innateness with the intention of making sense of its use in cognitive psychology. In contrast, I argue that the concept is irretrievably confused. The vernacular innateness concept represents a key aspect of 'folkbiology', namely, the explanatory strategy that psychologists and cognitive anthropologists have labeled 'folk essentialism'. Folk essentialism is inimical to Darwinism, and both Darwin and the founders of the modern synthesis struggled to overcome this way of thinking about living systems. Because the vernacular concept of innateness is part of folkbiology, attempts to define it more adequately are unlikely to succeed, making it preferable to introduce new, neutral terms for the various, related notions that are needed to understand cognitive development.
Formation of helicity in an armchair single-walled carbon nanotube during tensile loading

Abstract In previous molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of deformation behavior of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), displacement rates ranging from 5.0 × 10−3 to 8.0 × 10−4 nm/step were used. In this work, a slower displacement rate (1.4 × 10−5 nm/step) was used to investigate deformation behavior of CNTs under tensile loading. Interesting findings were obtained. For the armchair CNT, during loading shear deformation occurred to the lattices before rupture, causing bond-breaking and re-bonding to the original carbon rings, and leading to the formation of a helix to the armchair, which is equivalent to introducing a screw dislocation into the CNT with a Burgers vector equal to the spacing between the carbon rings. The helix spiraled and propagated along the CNT. For the zigzag CNT, observable necking was formed locally before rupture, but no helix was formed. The necking in the zigzag was found to be recoverable after the external strain was released.
Comparative disposition of 2,3‐epoxy‐1‐propanol (glycidol) in rats following oral and intravenous administration

Glycidol (2,3‐epoxy‐1 ‐propanol), an industrial chemical, has been shown to be a repro‐ductive toxicant in short‐term studies and a carcinogen in rats and mice in oncogenicity studies. The reproductive toxicity of glycidol was believed to result from its conversion to α‐chlorohydrin by the action of HCI in the stomach. The comparative disposition of glycidol was investigated in rats following oral (po) or intravenous (iv) administration at doses of 37.5 and 75 mglkg. These were the doses used in the National Toxicology Program (NTP) oncogenicity study with glycidol. Approximately 87–92% of the dose was absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract of the rat. [14C]GIycidol equivalents were eliminated in urine (40–48% of dose in 72 h), feces (5–12%), and exhaled as CO2 (26–32%). At both doses, 9–12% and 7–8% (estimated) of the dose remained in tissues at 24 and 72 h following dosing, respectively. In general, the concentrations of glycidol equivalents in tissues were proportional to the dose. The highest concen...
River dissolved oxygen model with zebra mussel oxygen demand (ZOD)

The development, calibration, and application of a dynamic two-dimensional mass balance model for dissolved oxygen (DO) for rivers are documented for the first time accommodating the oxygen demand associated with zebra mussels. The test system is a short (2.3 km) phytoplankton-rich section of the Seneca River, N.Y., which is believed to represent an upper bound of the impact of this exotic invader on oxygen resources because of the unusually high population densities and limited turbulent mixing that prevail. Model calibration is supported by comprehensive measurements of DO, which resolve diurnal and seasonal patterns, and various forcing conditions over a four-month period. Wide temporal variations in the areal consumption rate of DO by zebra mussels [zebra mussel oxygen demand (ZOD), g⋅m−2⋅day−1] were determined through model calibration. These determinations are supported by closure with earlier estimates based on simple DO budget calculations, and with laboratory biomass-specific oxygen consumption r...
Reexamination of anomalous I-Xe ages: Orgueil and Murchison magnetites and Allegan feldspar

Abstract The extremely old I-Xe ages of Orgueil and Murchison magnetites, difficult to integrate into conventional meteorite evolutionary models, are not confirmed. New measurements indicate that Orgueil magnetite is 3 Ma younger than the Shallowater reference sample rather than 7 Ma older as previously reported by Lewis and Anders (1975) . If these differences are due to difficulties with the irradiation monitors in the earlier studies, there are wider implications because the same KI monitor was used to establish the I-Xe age of Murchison magnetite, which is used, in turn, as a reference sample in many subsequent I-Xe studies. Confirmation of these new results and a careful review of existing I-Xe age data are therefore in order. The old I-Xe age of Allegan feldspar, reported by Brazzle et al. (1999) may also be an artifact of shock disturbance.
Radiation Dose Optimization and Thoracic Computed Tomography

In the past 3 decades, radiation dose from computed tomography (CT) has contributed to an increase in overall radiation exposure to the population. This increase has caused concerns over harmful effects of radiation dose associated with CT in scientific publications as well as in the lay press. To address these concerns, and reduce radiation dose, several strategies to optimize radiation dose have been developed and assessed, including manual or automatic adjustment of scan parameters. This article describes conventional and contemporary techniques to reduce radiation dose associated with chest CT.