cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of LY274614, a competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, on the micturition reflex in the urethane-anaesthetized rat

1. The effects of 3 competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, LY274614, LY233536 and LY235723, on the micturition reflex and external urethral sphincter EMG activity, were examined either under isovolumetric conditions or during continuous filling cystometry in urethane-anaesthetized (1.2 g kg-1, s.c.) rats. 2. Intravenous administration of LY274614 (3-30 mg kg-1) inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion both bladder and sphincter activity in the intact rats. In addition, the volume threshold for inducing micturition was increased and voided volume was decreased. 3. Intrathecal administration of LY274614 (0.06-30 micrograms) similarly inhibited bladder and sphincter activity during cystometry in intact rats. 4. In chronic spinal cord (T6-T8) transected rats LY274614 (0.1-30 mg kg-1, i.v.) did not alter bladder activity under isovolumetric conditions but decreased the amplitude of micturition contractions and sphincter EMG activity during cystometry at a dose of 10-30 mg kg-1. 5. The inhibitory effects of i.v. administration of LY274614, on bladder and sphincter activity induced by infusion of chemical irritant (0.1% acetic acid) or saline, were similar; except that a slightly larger dose was needed to inhibit sphincter activity during acetic acid infusion. 6. Peak amplitude of micturition contractions recovered to 50% of control 3 h following i.v. (30 mg kg-1) or i.t. (6 micrograms) administration of LY274614. 7. Two other chemically related NMDA antagonists, LY233536 and LY235723 produced similar but less potent effects than LY274614 when given i.v. 8. These data indicate that glutamatergic transmitter mechanisms at the level of the spinal cord are important in modulating bladder activity in the intact animal, but that these mechanisms do not contribute to bladder reflexes in the chronic spinal rat. These mechanisms may, however, contribute to sphincter activity in both intact or chronic spinal rats.
Langevin equation for hot-electron problems

In this paper, we build a Langevin equation for the macrovariables of an electronic system in contact with a lattice, when the entire system is in the hot-electron regime. A bridge is established between this equation and earlier ones which give the thermodynamic motion of these microvariables. Finally, by focusing on the Langevin equation for the electronic momentum of the system, we examine the causes of the failure of the first fluctuation-dissipation theorem in its usual form in the stationary (far-from-equilibrium) situation.
Design, modeling, and optimization of compliant tensegrity fabrics for the reduction of turbulent skin friction

In this project, we have designed a new type of flexible surface, which we call a tensegrity fabric, and simulated the interaction of this flexible surface with a near-wall turbulent flow. The fabric is constructed by weaving together both members in tension (tendons) and members in compression (bars) to form a plate-class tensegrity structure, then covering this discrete flexible structure with a continuous flexible membrane. We have modeled the flow/structure interaction by coupling a spectral Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) code resolving the (continuous) turbulent flow system and an efficient structural dynamics code which simulates direclty the motion of the (discrete) extensive, small-scale, and interconnected tensegrity structure. The structural dynamics code used was developed by Prof. Robert Skelton's lab at UC San Diego. An immersed boundary method is used to capture the effect of the moving boundary in the DNS, and a simple tessellation strategy is used to lump the distributed fluid forces (skin friction and pressure) acting on the membrane onto the nearby nodes of the tensegrity structure. Our ultimate goal is to use this new simulation tool to optimize the design of the tensegrity structure (specifically, the orientation, stiffness, mass, and damping of each of the individual tendons and bars in the unit cell upon which the tensegrity structure is based). Our objective in this optimization is to tune the compliance properties of the fabric in such a way as to reduce the skin-friction drag induced at teh flow/structure interface by weakening the vortices near the wall in the overlying turbulent flow.
Inhibition of DOPA decarboxylase by the hydrazino analog of alpha-methylDOPA.

Abstract dl -σ-Methyl-α-hydrazino-3,4-dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid (HMD) is a potent inhibitor of DOPA decarboxylase in vitro. In vivo, the hydrazino acid inhibited the accumulation of serotonin in the kidneys of mice given 5-hydroxytryptophan (5HTP); it inhibited the urinary excretion of serotonin by 5-HTP-dosed rats; it decreased the rate of expiration of radioactive CO2 by rats which were dosed with l -1-14C-tyrosine, phenylalanine or α-methyldopa. However, it did not affect the rate of expiration of 14C-O2 by rats which were dosed with dl -l-14C-glutamic acid. HMD was concentrated by the kidneys in rats, but did not enter the brain to a measurable extent, and did not affect concentrations of endogenous serotonin in brain. It was itself decarboxylated in the rat to a greater extent after oral than after intraperitoneal administration. HMD apparently did not inhibit monoamine oxidase in vivo.
Situation-bound utterances as pragmatic acts

Abstract The goal of the paper is to discuss how situation-bound utterances ( Kecskes, 1997 , Kecskes, 2000 , Kecskes, 2003 ) relate to pragmemes ( Mey, 2001 ) that refer to generalized pragmatic acts. In pragmatic interpretation the cognitive- philosophical line of research appears to put more emphasis on the proposition expressed (e.g. Horn, 2005 , Levinson, 2000 ) while the socio-cultural interactional line (e.g. Verschueren, 1999 , Mey, 2001 ) underscores the importance of allowing socio-cultural context into linguistic analysis. Following the socio-cultural interactional line Mey claimed that the explanatory movement in a theory of pragmatic acts is from the outside in: “the focus is on the environment in which both speaker and hearer find their affordances, such that the entire situation is brought to bear on what can be said in the situation, as well as on what is actually being said ( Mey, 2001 :221).” In the paper I will argue that from the perspective of SBUs the explanatory movement should go in both directions: from the outside in and from the inside out. This is because SBUs not only fit into and bound to certain situations but they also create and help to maintain those situations.
LONELINESS AND SEXUAL RISK BEHAVIOR IN GAY MEN

This study examined loneliness in a sample of gay men and its association with unprotected anal intercourse, social support, instability of self-esteem, intimacy, and coping. A sample of 470 urban gay men completed a self-administered questionnaire. Participants scored high on Loneliness in comparison to other samples. Measures of Intimacy, Social Support, Instability of Self-esteem, monogamous relationship status, and use of Avoidance Coping predicted 58.5% of the variance in Loneliness scores. Both social and psychological variables appear to be important for understanding loneliness in this population. Men who had unprotected anal intercourse with nonprimary partners during the previous six months scored higher on Loneliness than other participants, but those who did so with primary partners scored the lowest. Episodes of unprotected anal intercourse with nonprimary partners might have been Avoidance strategies to help participants cope with loneliness or or other negative affect.
A Symposium on Macromolecular Evolution: A Systematic Perspective

The symposium, Evolving Genes and Proteins, held at the Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers University, September 17-18, 1964, provided an excellent program in the form of a series of half-hour presentations by a distiinguished group of speakers. The program was devoted to: 1) the evolution of metabolic pathways; 2) the evolution of proteins; and 3) the evolution of genes. The symposium was, in effect, devoted to considerations of how a mo-
Failure analysis of a multi-degree-of-freedom spatial microstage

Spatial microstages are microfabricated controlled platforms that can be popped-out of the fabrication plane and are free to move in three-dimensional (3D) space. Spatial microstages have shown promise for use in MOEMS for adaptive optics, automatic focusing systems, fiber optic alignment/precision positioning, real time optical alignment, interconnects, and a host of other applications. These devices were designed and fabricated to position a controllable stage in 3D space from microassembly and microfabrication [1]. Microstages can be designed and fabricated to move in plane (x, y) and out of plane (z). Advanced microstages are designed to move in plane, out-of-plane, rotate, and tilt about x, y, and z. Design and fabrication of the rotational and tilt components are critical in performing the three-dimensional pop-up and tilting action needed for precise micropositioning. The device used for analysis contains linear racks driven by electrostatic actuators. The actuators are attached to a microstage through a hinge component with revolving, rotating, and tilting joints. The actuators allow x, y, and z positioning while the hinge allows rotational motion along the stage. Failure analysis of the Sandia fabricated microstage was performed on released and as-fabricated microstages. Failure analysis of these devices revealed design and fabrication irregularities along the revolving components of the hinge. This paper will discuss the design and functionality of the microstage, failure analysis activities and failure mechanisms found in polysilicon fabricated microstages, corrective actions and design improvements.
Attribution of blame in rape cases: The impact of norm violation, gender, and sex-role attitude

The present study compares the importance of the characteristics of the rape victims to the characteristics of observers in the attribution of blame in rape cases. Both blame of the victim and blame of the rapist are considered, along with seriousness of the crime, perceived norm violation, respectability, behavioral intentions toward the victim, and behavioral intentions toward the rapist. A factorial design is applied to data collected from 389 college students. Rape is found to be rated serious independently of any factors. Gender relates only to behavioral intentions, while sex-role attitude relates to respectability of the victim, blame of the victim, and blame of the rapist. No substantial statistical interaction effects are found. The findings of the research suggest the need to consider observer characteristics in order to understand the attribution of blame and social perceptions in rape cases.
Connexin 26 mutation in keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness (KID) syndrome in mother and daughter with combined conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

Background Keratitis–ichthyosis–deafness (KID) syndrome most commonly results from a mutation in the gap-junctional protein connexin 26 (Cx26) gene, GJB2. Most cases are sporadic and are associated with sensorineural hearing loss. Methods We encountered a mother and daughter with KID syndrome, and pursued genetic analysis and an extensive hearing loss evaluation. Results The analysis of genomic DNA of both affected patients revealed the mutation 148G A in GJB2 (D50N). No mutation was found in an unaffected son. Auditory phenotype analysis showed a combined conductive and sensorineural hearing loss in both affected patients. Conclusions This is the second vertical transmission of the D50N mutation. These are the first two cases with combined sensorineural and conductive hearing loss without any significant history of middle ear disease. This points to the possibility that the Cx26 D50N mutation can cause conductive hearing loss.
FEEDING REQUIREMENTS AND ARTIFICIAL DIETS FOR THE ALFALFA WEEVIL

An artificial diet consisting of common nutritive substances was formulated for rearing the alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal). The palatability of this diet was enhanced by the addition of feeding stimulants identified during previous studies of this insect. The basal diet allowed 72% of newly hatched larvae to reach the adult stage. The addition of alfalfa leaf powders into the basal diet improved feeding and growth. The diet with 10% of acetone-extracted leaf powder was most suitable, since the rate of development, pupal weight, and per cent adult yield of alfalfa weevils reared on this diet were almost identical to those reared on alfalfa leaves. The problem of developing an artificial diet for this oligophagous insect and the advantages of using artificial diets for laboratory rearing of the alfalfa weevil are discussed. Resume BESOINS ALIMENTAIRES ET ALIMENTS ARTIFICIELS POUR LE CHARANCON DE LA LUZERNE (HYPERA POSTICA) Un milieu artificiel constitue de substances nutritives communes est propose pour elever Hypera postica (Gyllenhal), ou «alfalfa weevil». La valeur gustative pour l'insecte de cet aliment artificiel a eTE renforcee par l'addition de phago-stimulants reconnus au cours d'etudes anTErieures. Ce milieu alimentaire de base permet le developpement jusqu'au stade adulte de 74% des populations de larves nouveau-nees. L'adjonction de poudre de luzerne ameliore l'alimentation et la croissance. Le milieu ayant recu 10% d'un extrait acetonique de poudre de feuilles de luzerne s'est revele le plus favorable, puisque le developpement, le poids des nymphes, et le pourcentage des adultes produits sont presque les memes que ceux d'un elevage sur luzerne. Les problemes relatifs a la mise au point de milieux d'elevage artificiels pour les insectes oligophages sont discuTEs, ainsi que les avantages de cette methode, dans le cas du charancon de la luzerne.
Benevolent Sexism and Cosmetic Use: A Replication With Three College Samples and One Adult Sample

(2006). Benevolent Sexism and Cosmetic Use: A Replication With Three College Samples and One Adult Sample. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 146, No. 5, pp. 635-640.
Geometric, Kinematic and Radiometric Aspects of Image-Based Measurements

This paper discusses theoretical foundations of quantitative image-based measurements for extracting and reconstructing geometric, kinematic and dynamic properties of observed objects. New results are obtained by using a combination of methods in perspective geometry, differential geometry, radiometry, kinematics and dynamics. Specific topics include perspective projection transformation, perspective developable conical surface, perspective projection under surface constraint, perspective invariants, the point correspondence problem, motion fields of curves and surfaces, and motion equations of image intensity. The methods given in this paper are useful for determining morphology and motion fields of deformable bodies such as elastic bodies, viscoelastic mediums and fluids.
Teaching Liberal Arts Undergraduates about Hinduism amid Theoretical and Political Contestation Today

. As the number of people of South Asian heritage in America has greatly increased over recent decades, the study and teaching of Hinduism has come under ever greater scrutiny. During this time, the number of students of Indian background has vastly increased in some schools in some parts of the United States. This increased presence and scrutiny has had some salutary effects, including greater attention to and accountability in our field, but has also led to some unwelcome conflict and feelings of misrepresentation by both academics and adherents. Some of us are in the perplexing position of being keenly aware of and in conversation about tensions elsewhere, yet still having few (or no) Hindu students in our own classrooms. This essay will discuss two matters given this background: first, I will describe how I present Hindu religious traditions in my local context, and then I will offer some more general reflections on teaching and researching Hinduism in the United States today.
Changing Attitudes About Being a Bystander to Violence: Translating an In-Person Sexual Violence Prevention Program to a New Campus

Bystander approaches to reducing sexual violence train community members in prosocial roles to interrupt situations with risk of sexual violence and be supportive community allies after an assault. This study employs a true experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of Bringing in the Bystander™ through 1-year post-implementation with first-year students from two universities (one rural, primarily residential; one urban, heavily commuter). We found significant change in bystander attitudes for male and female student program participants compared with the control group on both campuses, although the pattern of change depended on the combination of gender and campus.
Conditioning program for competitive figure skating

To test the feasibility that traditional interval training methods could be adapted to the needs of competitive figure skaters, an interval skating program was conducted during a 3-month period for a group of skaters at diverse levels of proficiency. The program required only a small portion of the total ice time utilized by the skaters on a daily basis, i.e., ½ hr, three times a week. On alternate days, the skaters used the same amount of time in a strength training program. A flexibility-stretching facet was to be done by the skaters on a daily basis. Progress was evaluated by treadmill oxygen consumption determinations and ability to perform a ½-mile skate effort. Over the course of the 3-month period, the skaters in the program showed an average increase in oxygen consumption of 9% from 44.73 cc per kg per min to 55.51 cc per kg per min. This was accompanied by an average 10-sec reduction in the timed effort at the ½ mile skate. Subjectively, the skaters were less fatigued during their freestyle skati...
Investigating Molecular Interactions in Biosensors Based on Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer

We describe here molecular sensors based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between sulforhodamine 101 (donor) and polydiacetylene (PDA, acceptor) for selective detection of biomolecules (streptavidin) in solution. These novel FRET-based systems primarily utilize changes in J values (the spectral overlap between the emission of the donor and absorption of the acceptor) for the modulation of FRET efficiency between donors and acceptors. The biotin−streptavidin interactions were used as a sensing model system to test our sensor response. In this paper, four different biotin-tagged lipids were used as receptors to investigate the effect of interactions between ligand−receptors on the FRET efficiency. The biotin was covalently linked to the liposome surface when using biotin-tagged diacetylene; whereas the biotin-tagged lipids with hydrophobic chains but without diacetylene functionalities provided noncovalently inserted lipids in liposomes. The polymerized liposomes, consisting of sulforhodamin...
Evolutionary Change in a Receiver Bias: A Comparison of Female Preference Functions

Female poeciliid fishes of the sister genera Xiphophorus and Priapella share a preference for males with swords, despite phylogenetic information suggesting that swords arose in Xiphophorus after the divergence of the two genera. This study examines the strength of sword and body–size preferences in a representative of both genera. A comparison of the preference functions reveals that the strength of the preference favouring a sword in P. olmecae is significantly stronger than that in X. helleri . This result demonstrates that the pre–existing bias is not evolutionarily fixed, and that there has been change in the bias favouring the sword, in either the Priapella lineage, or the Xiphophorus lineage, or in both. Although females in both species prefer conspecific males with swords, only X. helleri females also demonstrate a body–size preference. The preference functions for body size and sword length for X. helleri are not significantly different, whereas in P. olmecae the preference function for sword length is significantly stronger than for body size. These combined results indicate that an ancestral bias for body size cannot alone explain the pre–existing bias favouring a sword in P. olmecae .
Invasion of epithelial cells by Trichinella spiralis: in vitro observations

It has been known for many years that Trichinella spiralis initiates infection by penetrating the columnar epithelium of the small intestine, however, the mechanisms used by the parasite in the establishment of its intramulticellular niche in the intestine are unknown. The recent demonstration that invasion also occurs in vitro when infective larvae of T. spiralis are inoculated onto cultures of epithelial cells provides a model that allows the direct observation of the process by which the parasite recognizes, invades and migrates within the epithelium. The finding that penetration of the cell membrane or induction of plasma membrane wounds by larvae do not always result in invasion argue in favor of some kind of host-parasite communication in successful invasion. In this sense, the in vitro model of invasion provides a readily manipulated and controlled system to investigate both parasite, and host cell requirements for invasion.
Three-dimensional laminar flow and heat transfer in a parallel array of microchannels etched on a substrate

Abstract Heat transfer and laminar fluid flow in an array of parallel microchannels etched on a silicon substrate with water as the circulating fluid was studied numerically. The fluid region consisted of a microchannel with a hydraulic diameter of 85.6 μm and aspect ratios ranging from 0.10 to 1.0. A constant heat flux of 90 W/cm2 was applied to the y = H face of the computational domain, which simulates thermal energy generation from an integrated circuit. Generalized transport equations were discretized and solved in three dimensions for velocities, pressure, and temperature. The SIMPLE algorithm [S.V. Patankar, Numerical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow, Hemisphere, New York, 1980] was used to link pressure and velocity fields, and a thermally repeated boundary condition was applied in the lateral direction to model the repeating nature of the geometry. The numerical results for apparent friction coefficient and convective thermal resistance at the channel inlet and exit closely matched the experimental data in the literature for the case of 0.32 aspect ratio. Apparent friction coefficients were found to increase linearly with Reynolds number. Inlet and outlet thermal resistance values monotonically decreased with increasing Reynolds number and increased with aspect ratio.
Phase gate with a four-level inverted-Y system

The four-level atomic system in an inverted-Y configuration is investigated for large Kerr nonlinearities. The cross-Kerr nonlinearity generated in such a system can produce a phase shift of order $\ensuremath{\pi}$ and can be used for realizing polarization quantum phase gates.
Technologized tae kwon do millennialism: Robot Taekwon V and the assertion of a triumphant South Korean national identity

AbstractRobot Taekwon V gave birth to a desirable future vision of the South Korean nation as a saviour of the world based on technologized tae kwon do millennialism. This concept promises a utopian future that takes advantage of the nation's economic transformation with President Park Chung-hee's three Five-Year Plans and martial transformation with General Choi Hong-hi's invention of tae kwon do. Director Kim Cheong-gi crystallized this national transformation and created a fictional hero to exorcise the major historical traumas that befell the Korean peninsula, thereby creating a reinvigorated new image of South Korea as it asserted its new-found national identity.
Task management support in information seeking: a case for search histories

Abstract This paper reports the results of an extensive user study that examined information seekers' use of their memory and externally recorded search histories in searching for and using information in the legal domain. The ultimate goal of the research is to design search-history-based user interface tools to support information seeking. The results reported here focus on the management of complex information-seeking tasks. Computers can automatically record human–computer interaction events, allow the user to manipulate this information, and provide it back to the searcher through the user interface. In order to understand how this information can best support information seekers, the role of users' internal and external memory processes was examined using qualitative research methods (observations, interviews, and participatory user interface design sessions). The data collected were analyzed to identify potential task areas where search histories can support information seeking and use. The results show that many information-seeking tasks can take advantage of automatically and manually recorded history information. One of these areas is described in this paper: the management of complex tasks. Results of the study from the legal user group presented evidence of the utility of search histories and history-based interface tools.
Antibiotic and other lock treatments for tunneled central venous catheter related infections in children with cancer: a systematic Cochrane review

INTRODUCTION The risk of developing a tunneled central venous catheter (CVC)-related infection ranges between 0.1 and 2.3 per 1000 catheter days for pediatric oncology patients. These infections are diffi cult to treat with systemic antibiotics (salvage rate 24-66%). Lock treatments can achieve 100-1000 times higher concentrations locally. Our objective was to investigate the effi cacy of antibiotic and other lock treatments in the treatment of CVCrelated infections in pediatric oncology patients.
Saccadic eye movements, even in darkness, generate event-related potentials recorded in medial septum and medial temporal cortex

Saccadic eye movements (saccades) in primates organize the visual information about the environment into a pulsatile course. Recent studies from our laboratory have found substantial single unit activity, of extra-retinal origin, in medial temporal and inferotemporal cortex with each saccade (even in the dark). In the current experiment we studied event-related potentials to spontaneous saccades from electrodes in medial temporal cortex as well as medial septum. Significant event-related potentials were recorded in both regions (again even in the dark). These data suggest that higher-level processing itself may synchronize with saccades.
Suppression of surface reflection in subsurface imaging applications

A family of spectral estimation techniques, termed the PDFT algorithm, is applied to subsurface imaging. We compare various schemes to suppress the surface reflection in subsurface detection. For each scheme we investigate methods of incorporating information about the target and the background medium. The PDFT algorithm is used to extrapolate the target spectrum and provide sufficient resolution to identify buried objects. From experimental data we illustrate the performance of the PDFT algorithm as a superresolution imaging method, and assess its usefulness for subsurface imaging applications.
Maternal cholestasis does not affect the ontogenic pattern of expression of the Na+/Taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (ntcp) in the fetal and neonatal rat liver

To assess the effects of cholestasis during pregnancy on fetal and neonatal mRNA expression, protein mass, and function of the Na+/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (Ntcp), common bile duct ligation (BDL) was performed in pregnant rats on day 14 of pregnancy (maternal cholestasis [MC] group), and livers were harvested at days 20 and 21 of fetal life, as well as at days 4, 7, 14, 21, and 28 after birth. Sham-operated rats and their litters were used as controls. Ntcp steady-state mRNA levels, protein mass, and function were determined by Northern blotting, immunoblotting, and taurocholate (TC) transport studies in isolated short-term cultured hepatocytes, respectively. In addition, protein mass and function of the organic anion transporting polypeptide (Oatp1), another sinusoidal bile acid transporter, were studied at 4 weeks of age. The majority of pregnant cholestatic rats (94%) were able to carry pregnancy to term. Body and liver weights of the offspring from the MC group were lower than those from sham-operated animals at all postnatal time points. Ntcp steady-state mRNA levels, protein mass, and function were unaffected by MC. The ontogenic pattern of expression was identical in offspring from MC and controls with detection of the Ntcp mRNA at day 21 of fetal life. There was a significant increase in mRNA postnatally, reaching adult levels by 7 days of age. Protein mass and function of Ntcp as well as of Oatp1 were similar in offspring from MC and control groups at 4 weeks of age. In conclusion, maternal obstructive cholestasis during the last third of pregnancy does not affect the fetal/neonatal expression of the basolateral bile acid transporters, Ntcp and Oatp1. This suggests that the impaired bile acid excretion described in this experimental model is not related to altered uptake of bile acids in the affected neonate.
A multidimensional perspective of the mental health of preclinical medical students

Previous research on medical students' mental health has focused almost exclusively on students' emotional well-being and/or their personal psychological functioning, neglecting the more public side of medical training - the students' social health. A total of 237 preclinical students completed surveys at the beginning and the end of their academic year assessing their emotional, psychological, and social well-being, respectively, as well as the overall negative impact medical school stressors had on their lives. Although first and second year students were found to significantly decrease in emotional well-being, first year students were found to increase in social well-being, with further analysis showing an increase among first year students specifically in the feelings of social integration and social acceptance. The overall negative impact from the stressors was found to predict the change in emotional well-being, but not other dimensions of well-being. However, the negative impact from stressors was also found to indirectly impact students' emotional well-being through negatively affecting their psychological and social well-being. The authors present the value in measuring medical students' well-being from a multidimensional perspective as well as highlight the potential "condensing" of students' social world as early as their first year of training. Recommendations are made that researchers continue to focus on the promotion and protection of students' positive mental health in the preliminary stages of medical education, as well as endorse programs that cultivate the benefits of solidarity and integration experienced by first year students.
Patient-Specific Mitral Valve Closure Prediction Using 3D Echocardiography

This article presents an approach to modeling the closure of the mitral valve using patient-specific anatomical information derived from 3D transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Our approach uses physics-based modeling to solve for the stationary configuration of the closed valve structure from the patient-specific open valve structure, which is recovered using a user-in-the-loop, thin-tissue detector segmentation. The method uses a tensile shape-finding approach based on energy minimization. This method is employed to predict the aptitude of the mitral valve leaflets to coapt. We tested the method using 10 intraoperative 3D TEE sequences by comparing the closed valve configuration predicted from the segmented open valve with the segmented closed valve, taken as ground truth. Experiments show promising results, with prediction errors on par with 3D TEE resolution and with good potential for applications in pre-operative planning.
Perfect correlations of three-particle entangled states in cavity QED.

Compared to two-particle states, entangled states of three or four particles can lead to a much stronger test of local realism than is possible with Bell inequalities. It is the purpose of this paper to mention an exactly soluble quantum model in which entanglement of atomic states with cavity photon states leads to a perfectly correlated three-particle state. We demonstrate how to realize this model atom-field system and to create and observe such states, in the context of cavity quantum electrodynamics.
Some remarks on the nature and origin of noctilucent cloud particles

Abstract Continuous spectra of the light from noctilucent clouds, recently obtained by N.I. Grishin near Moscow, U.S.S.R., are analysed after accounting for the selective attenuation of the lower atmosphere and the spectrum of sunlight. It is found that the spectra may be explained in terms of primary scattering of direct sunlight by dielectric spheres with a maximum radius of 0·.4 μ, and certain night sky emissions. The apparent absence of any nocturnal ozone layers above 35 km is also noted. The possibility of an ice composition of the clouds formed by condensation of terrestrial water vapor is examined and found unjustified on physical grounds. Rather a silicaceous or similar composition and an interplanetary origin for the cloud particles is favoured and a close relation with the Martian “blue haze” is suggested.
Effects on growth, hemoglobin metabolism and paralogous gene expression resulting from disruption of genes encoding the digestive vacuole plasmepsins of Plasmodium falciparum

Abstract Four of the plasmepsins of Plasmodium falciparum are localised in the digestive vacuole (DV) of the asexual blood stage parasite (PfPM1, PfPM2, PfPM4 and PfHAP), and each of these aspartic proteinases has been successfully targeted by gene disruption. This study describes further characterisation of the single-plasmepsin knockout mutants, and the creation and characterisation of double-plasmepsin knockout mutants lacking complete copies of pfpm 2 and pfpm 1 or pfhap and pfpm 2. Double-plasmepsin knockout mutants were created by transfecting pre-existing knockout mutants with a second plasmid knockout construct. PCR and Southern blot analysis demonstrate the integration of a large concatamer of each plasmid construct into the targeted gene. All mutants have been characterised to assess the involvement of the DV plasmepsins in sustaining growth during the asexual blood stage. Analyses reaffirmed that knockout mutants Δ pfpm 1 and Δ pfpm 4 had lower replication rates in the asexual erythrocytic stage than the parental line (Dd2), but double-plasmepsin knockout mutants lacking intact copies of either pfpm 2 and pfpm 1, or pfpm2 and pfhap , had normal growth rates compared with Dd2. The amount of crystalline hemozoin produced per parasite during the asexual cycle was measured in each single-plasmepsin knockout to estimate the effect of each DV plasmepsin on hemoglobin digestion. Only Δ pfpm 4 had a statistically significant reduction in hemozoin accumulation, indicating that hemoglobin digestion was impaired in this mutant. In the single-plasmepsin knockouts, no statistically significant differences were found in the steady state levels of mRNA from the remaining intact DV plasmepsin genes. Disruption of a DV plasmepsin gene does not affect the accumulation of mRNA encoding the remaining paralogous plasmepsins, and Western blot analysis confirmed that the accumulation of the paralogous plasmepsins in each knockout mutant was similar among all clones examined.
Newborn attention: differential response decrement to visual stimuli.

Forty newborn human Ss were exposed to one of two visual stimuli: a 2 × 2 or a 12 × 12 black and white checkerboard target, in an experiment employing a 2 × 2 × 8 factorial design (Sex × Target × Trials) with repeated measures on one factor (Trials). Using visual fixation as the dependent variable, the results indicate an overall response decrement effect with repeated presentation of the visual stimuli (p<.005) and an interaction between number of elements (or redundancy) in the visual stimulus, sex of the infant, and trials (p<.005). The triple interaction was based on a tendency for the males to show more decrement to the less-redundant (2 × 2) target, and for females to show more decrement to the moreredundant (12 × 12) target.
General interior Hermite collocation methods for second-order elliptic partial differential equations

Abstract The method of collocation based on C 1 piecewise polynomials has been shown (by Houstis et al. (1985)) to be an efficient approach to solving general elliptic partial differential equations (PDEs). The iterative solution of the discrete collocation equations is a very challenging problem and only recently it has been fully resolved by the authors (1992) in the case of rectangular domains. For the case of general PDE domains, the iterative solution of the corresponding discrete equations is still an open problem. In this paper we generalize the method of interior collocation for PDEs defined on rectilinear regions, study the structure of these equations under different ordering schemes, and apply AOR and CG-type iterative solvers to the discrete equations. One of the ordering schemes introduced here has been successfully applied to iterative solvers for the general discrete collocation equations. A number of numerical experiments are reported that indicate the applicability and effectiveness of the AOR and CG iterative schemes. Moreover, we have identified experimentally the appropriate range of the semi-optimal acceleration parameters and some effective preconditioning matrices. These preliminary results indicate that iterative approaches are efficient in solving the general Hermite collocation equations on general domains.
Perceived stressors and coping responses in persons with recurrent genital herpes

This descriptive study was designed to examine the disease experience of persons who have genital herpes by identifying the nature and frequency of disease-related stressors and coping responses associated with these stressors. Participants were 34 women and 26 men who were on average 5.3 years postdiagnosis, and experienced a mean of 6.4 recurrences per year. Respondents reported a wide range of disease-related stressors (M = 7). The category of stressors identified most often was related to disease consequences (73.9%), and included difficulty with intimate relationships, difficulty with relationships involving family and friends, fear of transmission through both sexual activity and casual contact, and concern about negative effect on health. Respondents tended to use active coping, planning, and acceptance more often than passive strategies such as denial. Implications for clinical assessment and intervention are discussed.
Lessons from 50 years of SOS DNA-damage-induced mutagenesis

SOS mutagenesis is the 'mutation-prone' cellular replication mechanism that is responsible for UV-induced mutations. More than 50 years of SOS mutagenesis research has exposed the underlying mechanisms of DNA-damage-induced mutagenesis that combine the overlapping functions of replication, repair and recombination. This historical perspective integrates 50 years of research on SOS mutagenesis in Escherichia coli with the proverbial '3R' functions—replication, repair and recombination—that feature DNA polymerase V. Genetic and biochemical data are assimilated to arrive at a current picture of UV-damage-induced mutagenesis. An unprecedented DNA polymerase V transactivation mechanism, which involves the RecA protein, sheds new light on unresolved issues that have persisted over time, prompting us to reflect on evolving molecular concepts regarding DNA structures and polymerase-switching mechanisms.
Heat-escape behavior in the rat following intrahypothalamic injection of acetylcholine☆

Abstract The effects of preoptic/anterior hypothalamic injections of acetylcholine on heat-excape behavior and hypothalamic temperature were investigated in unrestrained rats implanted with bilateral cannulae. Two types of responses were observed, either a fall in hypothalamic temperature coupled with an increase in behavioral responses to escape heat or a rise in hypothalamic temperature associated with little or no change in behavioral heat-escape responses. The fall in hypothalamic temperature observed in one group of rats was significant and was associated with a dose-dependent increase in heat-escape responding. The rise in hypothalamic temperature noted in the other group of rats was nonsignificant, and the associated behavioral responses were variable. Distinct anatomical differences in cannulae loci between the 2 groups were not apparent. It is concluded that acetylcholine activates the heat-dissipating control system of the rat hypothalamus and that the hyperthermic effects of acetylcholine are nonspecific.
Tuning the Binding Energy of Surfactant to CdSe Nanocrystal: A Theoretical Study

The effect of substituent group on the binding energy of phosphonic and carboxylic acids to the Cd6Se6 cluster was studied within density functional theory. The binding energies of 12 para-substitu...
An improved method for collection of shed mediastinal blood for autotransfusion.

Abstract A standard method for collection of shed mediastinal blood has been modified to incorporate underwater-seal drainage and manometer-controlled suction through the chest catheter. This method is useful for autotransfusion of shed mediastinal or thoracic blood following cardiac surgical procedures.
Production of acute pancreatitis with ethionine and its prevention by methionine.

SummaryThe procedures described above utilize a previously undescribed property of plasminogen, solubility in dilute mineral acid, to extract it from placental and plasma fractions. Purification of over 250-fold has been obtained by successive extractions with 0.2N H2SO4 and precipitations at pH 5.2. The total yield has ranged from a minimum of about 10% to almost complete recovery of the enzyme present in the starting material, with an average recovery of about 30%.
Pigmented calcareous skeletons of some corals

Abstract 1. 1. Some members of the coelenterate phylum are able to bond within their calcareous skeletal structures certain organic compounds, including fatty acids and acidogenic carotenoids such as astaxanthin. 2. 2. One species (Stylaster elegans) bonds neutral xanthophyll as well. 3. 3. Certain other species of the phylum store instead skeletal pigmentary organic substance which are still unidentified.
Library luncheon and update: Teaching faculty about new technology

Abstract The history of instruction in library use for over 25 years supports the conclusion that to be successful it must be programmatic, continuous, and adaptive to changing needs and different disciplinary emphases. But above all it must engage the teaching faculty. This last requirement is at times deceptively easy to fulfill, since the faculty who appreciate the value on integrating library instruction into their classes will always seek this help. They see the work of the librarian as a natural extension of what they are doing in the classroom and vital to the learning processes of students which go on outside the classroom, and they know frequently they will learn something new in the process. At the same time, it is often difficult to engage faculty who are not in that hard core of true believers . In Kent Library at Southeast Missouri State University, the librarians have exploited the natural curiosity of faculty to learn about networked electronic resources as an opportunity to expand the faculty audience and to turn on its head the old adage that “there is no free lunch.” —CBL, Carnegie Mellon University.
Work In Progress: Machine Learning In Robotics

This work investigates combining reinforcement learning and radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) learning to improve the performance of a robot that learns to perform its task. A simple task is given, and the simulator uses reinforcement learning to generate a q-learning table, which is then used to generate a neural network. Analysis is then done to determine if the combination improves the robots performance of its task
The Application of Binomial Probability Theory to Paired Comparison Judgments

The paired comparison technique can be potentially useful as a means to enhance the prescriptive fitting of hearing aids. Unfortunately, there are no guidelines to suggest how this technique can be...
Acute management of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter in the critical care unit: should it be ibutilide?

Background: Ibutilide is currently indicated for the rapid conversion of atrial fibrillation (Afb) or atrial flutter (Afl) of recent onset but limited to patients who are hemodynamically stable and without symptomatic cardiovascular conditions. Hypothesis: The study was undertaken to assess the efficacy and safety of ibutilide in patients with Afb or Afl associated with acute cardiovascular-medical disorders and in patients receiving prior selective antiarrhythmic drug therapy. Methods: The study included 34 patients, mean age 75 ± 16.3 years, with Afb (n = 25) or Afl (n = 9) having a variety of disorders, for example, congestive heart failure, unstable angina, borderline hypotension, respiratory failure, and chronic renal failure. Prior antiarrhythmic drugs consisted of propafenone (n = 5) or amiodarone (n = 3). Eligibility for cardioversion was established with appropriate anticoagulation or transesophageal echocardiography findings. Ibutilide was given as up to two 10 min infusions of 1 mg separated by 10 min. Results: The overall conversion rate after ibutilide was 79.4% (27/34 patients): 80% for Afb and 78% for Afl. More than 90% converted within 1 h of treatment. A high conversion rate of 92% resulted in those with an arrhythmia duration of ≤ 1 week. All eight patients with prior antiarrhythmic therapy converted to sinus rhythm. The average baseline QTc interval for all patients increased 17.1% (397 ± 63.3 to 465 ± 60.2 ms) at 30 min. For eight patients (including four who received prior antiarrhythmic drugs), QTc interval prolongation ≥ 500 ms was associated with nearly half the entire incidence of arrhythmic events. Proarrhythmia, the exclusive adverse effect, consisted of ventricular extrasystoles (n = 10) and nonsustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) (n = 2) managed with intravenous MgSO4, and sustained polymorphic VT (n = 1) requiring electrical cardioversion. Conclusion: Ibutilide is an effective and well tolerated drug for the rapid termination of Afb or Afl of recent onset associated with symptomatic and/or hemodynamically unstable disorders, and it is most efficacious (≥ 90%) when the atrial arrhythmia is ≤ 1 week in duration. Proarrhythmic events are readily manageable in a monitored unit with access to appropriate treatment.
Kernel energy method illustrated with peptides

We describe a kernel energy method (KEM) for applying quantum crystallography to large molecules, with an emphasis on the calculation of the molecular energy of peptides. The computational difficulty of representing the system increases only modestly with the number of atoms. The calculations are carried out on modern parallel supercomputers. By adopting the approximation that a full biological molecule can be represented by smaller “kernels” of atoms, the calculations are greatly simplified. Moreover, collections of kernels are, from a computational point of view, well suited for parallel computation. The result is a modest increase in computational time as the number of atoms increases, while retaining the ab initio character of the calculations. We describe a test of our method, and establish its accuracy using 15 different peptides of biological interest. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2005