cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A 4.5 μm PIN diamond diode for detecting slow neutrons

Abstract The response of a PIN diamond diode with a 4.5 μ m thick i-layer to α -particles from a 210Po radioactive source has been measured and compared to the response from a 300 μ m thick single crystal type IIa diamond. The results show that this PIN diamond diode with thin i-layer can be employed to detect slow neutrons following absorption on a converter boron layer. Such a detector will operate at low voltages and be rather insensitive to gamma background and neutron radiation damage.
Flood Basalt Volcanism in the Northwestern United States

Flood basalt volcanism in the northwestern U.S. is but one manifestation of the magmatically active western boundary of the North American Plate. This activity relates directly to the convergence between the North American Plate and various oceanic plates to the west. Prior to the Oligocene-early Miocene, convergence was manifest by characteristically calc-alkaline volcanism and plutonism in western North America associated with subduction zone magma genesis (e.g. Lipman et al., 1972). Roughly 30 My ago, collision between the North American plate and the East Pacific Rise began to convert this consumptive plate boundary to the strike-slip motion now evident as the San Andreas fault system (Atwater, 1970). Accompanying the transition from the compressional, subduction related tectonics to the extensional regime now characteristic of the Basin and Range province, the character of the volcanic products in the western U.S. shifted from predominantly calc-alkaline to bimodal basalt-rhyolite (e.g. Lipman et al., 1972; Christiansen and Lipman, 1972; Christiansen and McKee, 1978).
Monocyte inflammation augments acrolein-induced Muc5ac expression in mouse lung

Acrolein, an unsaturated aldehyde found in smog and tobacco smoke, can induce airway hyperreactivity, inflammation, and mucus hypersecretion. To determine whether changes in steady-state mucin gene expression (Muc2 andMuc5ac) are associated with inflammatory cell accumulation and neutrophil elastase activity, FVB/N mice were exposed to acrolein (3.0 parts/million; 6 h/day, 5 days/wk for 3 wk). The levels of Muc2 and Muc5ac mRNA were determined by RT-PCR, and the presence of Muc5ac protein was detected by immunohistochemistry. Total and differential cell counts were determined from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, and neutrophil elastase activity was measured in the BAL fluid supernatant. Lung Muc5ac mRNA was increased on days 12and 19, and Muc5ac protein was detected in mucous granules and on the surface of the epithelium onday 19. Lung Muc2 mRNA was not detected at measurable levels in either control or exposed mice. Acrolein exposure caused a significant and persistent increase in macrophages and a r...
Effect Of Thrombin On The Production Of Plasminogen Activator By Endothelial Cells

Cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (ECs) were employed to determine whether agents associated with the forming thrombus alter the fibrinolytic activity of the endothelium. The addition of thrombin to the cultures caused a rapid decrease in intracellular plasminogen activator activity (PAi) as measured by the plasminogen-dependent hydrolysis of radiolabeled fibrin. The cells were extremely sensitive to thrombin with as little as 3 ng/ml causing a 50% decrease in PAi within 30 min. This decrease 1) occurred in cells pretreated with actinomycin D, cycloheximide or colchicine, 2) was relatively specific since no decrease was initiated with trypsin, pronase, collagenase, or chymotrypsin, and 3) did not appear to result either from secretion or by direct inactivation of PA by thrombin. Thrombin inactivated with diisopropylfluorophosphate did not elicit the response. PAi returned to control levels within 6 hr after the addition of the thrombin inhibitor, hirudin. This reversal by hirudin was blocked by cycloheximide but not by actinomycin D. The decrease in PAi correlated with the disappearance of a form of PA of Mr 48,000. Other forms produced by the cells (i.e., 100,000, 74,000 and 53,000) were unaffected as revealed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of SDS. We have begun to characterize the effect of thrombin on other metabolic activities of ECs. It was not mitogenic for growing or confluent cultures, did not alter the rate of RNA or protein synthesis, did not effect the release of 51 chromium from the cells, and apparently did not alter the spectrum of proteins synthesized by the cells. These results indicate that suppression of PAi activity by thrombin is dramatic, rapid, reversible and highly specific, and may be effected at the level of the actual synthesis of the molecule. The generation of thrombin at sites of vascular injury may thus protect the growing thrombus against premature, EC-mediated dissolution.
Pharmaceutical payments to physicians may increase prescribing for opioids.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Given the recent complete suspension of opioid-related promotional activities aimed at physicians, interest has renewed in understanding the role of promotion in the US opioid crisis. The present analysis aimed to measure associations between such interactions and opioid prescribing. DESIGN Data on all promotions by pharmaceutical companies directly to physicians were linked to physician-level data on opioid prescriptions filled in a federal insurance program and analyzed using multivariate regression. SETTING United States. PARTICIPANTS A total of 865 347 US physicians, with prescriptions filled in Medicare Part D, that might receive payments from pharmaceutical promotional activities from 2014 to 2016. MEASUREMENTS The outcome variable was days' supply dispensed by each prescriber, by year, for all opioids (collectively) and separately for the following opioid classes: hydrocodone, oxycodone, fentanyl, tapentadol, morphine and a catch-all 'other opioids'. The independent variables were receipt of any payments and dollar amounts of payments received by each prescriber by year for all opioids and separately for opioid categories. FINDINGS Prescribers who received opioid-specific payments prescribed 8784 opioid daily doses per year more than their peers who did not receive any such payments (P < 0.001). Recipient of hydrocodone-related payments was associated with 5161 additional daily doses of hydrocodone (P < 0.001). Recipient of oxycodone-related payments was associated with 3624 additional daily doses of oxycodone (P < 0.001). Prescribers receiving any fentanyl-specific payments prescribed 1124 daily doses per year more than their peers (P < 0.001). Among recipients of opioid-specific payments (63 062 physicians), a 1% increase in amount of payments was associated with 50 daily doses of opioid prescription (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS In the United States, physicians who receive direct payments from providers for opioid prescribing tend to prescribe substantially larger quantities, particularly for hydrocodone and oxycodone.
Dual-Antiprisms and Partitions of Powers of 2 into Powers of 2

A somewhat fundamental sequence of antiprisms is defined, the d-th antiprism having dimension d, each being a base of the next. The f-vectors of these polytopes are determined. In particular, it is shown that the number of faces of the d-th antiprism is the number of partitions of $$2^{d+1}$$ into powers of 2. In order to better understand the structure of the face lattices of these polytopes and their interrelationship, it is convenient also to introduce a countably infinite lattice, the elements of which correspond to the partitions of powers of 2 into powers of 2. This lattice has the property that it is isomorphic to its lattice of intervals, and it is the smallest such lattice.
Helping Students Keep the Promise: Exploring how Kalamazoo Promise Scholars’ Basic Needs, Motivation, and Engagement Correlate to Performance and Persistence in a 4-Year Institution

Few studies consider how non-cognitive factors shape outcomes for students served by Promise programs, which are programs that guarantee tuition-free college attendance within a specified geographic area. This single-institution study examined differences between enrolled and stopped-out Kalamazoo Promise scholars’ (N = 142) basic needs, motivation, and engagement. Compared to enrolled Promise scholars, a higher percentage of stopped-out students reported experiencing homelessness. Stopped-out students reported higher amotivation, lower extrinsic motivation, and lower engagement than did enrolled students. The findings revealed that amotivation, faculty engagement, and being male negatively influenced GPA, while staff interaction positively influenced GPA. Stop-out was affected by GPA, amotivation, and staff interactions. Pell eligibility did not directly influence GPA or stopping out.
The Significance of Overvaluation of Shape or Weight in Binge-Eating Disorder: Results from a National Sample of U.S. Adults.

Objective This study aimed to examine the prevalence of overvaluation of shape or weight in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults with binge-eating disorder (BED) and to compare functioning correlates using a group of adults with bulimia nervosa (BN). Methods Participants included 207 respondents from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) diagnoses of BED (n = 163) or BN (n = 44). Sociodemographic characteristics and functioning were compared in BED with overvaluation (BED+OV), BED without overvaluation (BED), and BN. Results Approximately 50% of BED respondents reported overvaluation. Mean age was lower in BN than BED. Mean BMI was lower in BED+OV than BED and higher than BN. A greater proportion of BED+OV reported functional impairment than BED. BN was more likely to report "serious problems doing daily tasks" than BED and less likely to report "impairment in normal activities" than BED+OV. BN reported significantly lower mental functioning than BED. Conclusions Findings based on this nationally representative sample are that overvaluation was associated with greater functional impairment within BED, and BED+OV reported greater impairment than BN in interference with normal activities but less impairment related to mental health. The increased impairment associated with BED+OV provides support for overvaluation as a diagnostic specifier for BED.
Artificial intelligence in radiology: the ecosystem essential to improving patient care.

Abstract The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) has led to its widespread use in multiple industries, including healthcare. AI has the potential to be a transformative technology that will significantly impact patient care. Particularly, AI has a promising role in radiology, in which computers are indispensable and new technological advances are often sought out and adopted early in clinical practice. We present an overview of the basic definitions of common terms, the development of an AI ecosystem in imaging and its value in mitigating the challenges of implementation in clinical practice.
Numerical observer study of lesion detectability for a long axial field-of-view whole-body PET imager using the PennPET Explorer.

This work uses lesion detectability to characterize the performance of long axial field of view (AFOV) PET scanners which have increased sensitivity compared to clinical scanners. Studies were performed using the PennPET Explorer, a 70-cm long AFOV scanner built at the University of Pennsylvania, for small lesions distributed in a uniform water-filled cylinder (simulations and measurements), an anthropomorphic torso phantom (measurement), and a human subject (measurement). The lesion localization and detection task was quantified numerically using a generalized scan statistics methodology. Detectability was studied as a function of background activity distribution, scan duration for a single bed position, and axial location of the lesions. For the cylindrical phantom, the areas under the localization receiver operating curve (ALROCs) of lesions placed at various axial locations in the scanner were greater than 0.8 – a value considered to be clinically acceptable (i.e., 80% probability of detecting lesion) – for scan times of 60 s or longer for standard-of-care (SoC) clinical dose levels. 10-mm diameter lesions placed in the anthropomorphic phantom and human subject resulted in ALROCs of 0.8 or greater for scan times longer than 30 s in the lung region and 60 s in the liver region, also for SoC doses. ALROC results from all three activity distributions show similar trends as a function of counts detected per axial location. These results will be used to guide decisions on imaging parameters, such as scan time and patient dose, when imaging patients in a single bed position on long AFOV systems and can also be applied to clinical scanners with consideration of the sensitivity differences.
The coevolution of Euphydryas chalcedona butterflies and their larval host plants : III. Oviposition behavior and host plant quality.

Oviposition host preference of the checkerspot butterfly, Euphydryas chalcedona, was examined in relation to the nutritional qualities of two regularly-used larval host plants. In many coastal-California colonies, E. chalcedona larvae feed primarily on a common drought-deciduous shrub, Diplacus aurantiacus, but also use an herbaceous perennial, Scrophularia californica. Diplacus has been shown to be nutritionally inferior to Scrophularia, however, Diplacus may be a more persistant resource in ecological and evolutionary time. In both greenhouse and field trials, butterflies strongly preferred to oviposit on Scrophularia, but would oviposit on Diplacus if Scrophularia was not available. Host preference of adults was not related to their larval feeding experience. In trials testing the effects of sun and shade on oviposition behavior, E. chalcedona preferred to oviposit on hosts in sun. Scrophularia often occurs in shadier habitats than Diplacus and Scrophularia plants placed in shade were accepted more often than Diplacus plants placed in the shade. Host use by E. chalcedona butterflies appears to reflect a trade-off between nutritional quality and resource relability.
Molecular Statics Analyses of Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Hydrogen Cottrell Atmosphere Formation Around Edge Dislocations in Aluminum

Aluminum alloys are being explored as lightweight structural materials for use in hydrogen-containing environments. To understand hydrogen effects on deformation, we perform molecular statics studies of the hydrogen Cottrell atmosphere around edge dislocations in aluminum. First, we calculate the hydrogen binding energies at all interstitial sites in a periodic aluminum crystal containing an edge dislocation dipole. This allows us to use the Boltzmann equation to quantify the hydrogen Cottrell atmosphere. Based on these binding energies, we then construct a continuum model to study the kinetics of the hydrogen Cottrell atmosphere formation. Finally, we compare our results with existing theories and discuss the effects of hydrogen on deformation of aluminum-based alloys.
Assessment of Anxiety in Persons with Dual Diagnosis

Recently there has been increasing recognition that mental health disorders, including anxiety disorders, occur at high rates among persons with intellectual disabilities. In order to accurately diagnose comorbid anxiety, clinicians working with individuals with intellectual disabilities should be aware of the different assessment methods available. Furthermore, it is important to select the most appropriate methods given an individual’s level of functioning. This chapter aims to provide an overview of anxiety symptom expression in this population and considerations when assessing individuals with varying levels of intellectual disability. Several assessment methods are explored including behavioral interviews, both broadband and anxiety-specific rating scales, and direct observational behavior methods. The reliability and validity of these measures is also discussed.
Gelation kinetics of alginate chains through covalent bonds

Abstract Gelation kinetics of polymer chains through covalent bonds depends on many variables and affects many applications. Here we study the gelation kinetics of alginate chains through crosslinkers adipic acid dihydrazide (AAD), with coupling reagents 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). We use the rate equation of the reaction to calculate the extent of reaction, and use the Flory–Stockmayer theory to calculate the gelation time. The model predicts the gelation time as a function of the concentration of alginate, crosslinkers, and coupling reagents, as well as the functionality of an alginate chain and the rate constant of the reaction. Given an aqueous solution, we conduct rheological tests to measure the storage and loss moduli as functions of time, and determine the gelation time by the time when the storage modulus equals the loss modulus. The gelation times so determined for solutions of various compositions agree well with those predicted by the model. This combination of the model and experiments provide a practical approach to the design of gelation kinetics for applications.
Time-Frequency Analysis, Denoising, Compression, Segmentation, and Classification of PCG Signals

Phonocardigraphy (PCG) is the graphical representation of heart sounds. The PCG signal contains useful information about the functionality and the condition of the heart. It also provides an early indication of potential cardiac abnormalities. Extracting cardiac information from heart sounds and detecting abnormal heart sounds to diagnose heart diseases using the PCG signal can play a vital role in remote patient monitoring. In this paper, we have combined different signal processing techniques and a deep learning method to denoise, compress, segment, and classify PCG signals effectively and accurately. First, the PCG signal is denoised and compressed by using a multi-resolution analysis based on the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT). Then, a segmentation algorithm, based on the Shannon energy envelope and zero-crossing, is applied to segment the PCG signal into four major parts: the first heart sound (S1), the systole interval, the second heart sound (S2), and the diastole interval. Finally, Mel-scaled power spectrogram and Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) are employed to extract informative features from the PCG signal, which are then fed into a classifier to classify each PCG signal into a normal or an abnormal signal by using a deep learning approach. For the classification, a 5-layer feed-forward Deep Neural Network (DNN) model is used, and overall testing accuracy of around 97.10% is achieved. Besides providing valuable information regarding heart condition, this signal processing approach can help cardiologists take appropriate and reliable steps toward diagnosis if any cardiovascular disorder is found in the initial stage.
The Effects of Health Consideration on Exergaming Behavior in College Students: A Structural Equation Perspective.

Purpose: Exergaming play is associated with positive health benefits and increased engagement in physical activity outcomes in players. Research also indicates that factors such as enjoyment and en...
Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice for Pediatric Intern Resuscitation Skills

Introduction For pediatric interns, it takes deliberate practice to translate the knowledge of what to do in emergencies into the procedural and communication skills required of a team member or te...
Trauma of the Kidney, Ureter, and Bladder: Techniques

Trauma to the kidney, ureter, or bladder can produce difficult injuries for trauma surgeons to manage. Diagnosis of genitourinary (GU) trauma uses multiple modalities, including computerized tomography (CT), retrograde pyelogram, and cystogram. Operative exposures and repair techniques in GU trauma are not commonly employed by trauma surgeons in modern practice and merit specific discussion. Use of an appropriate diagnostic workup to identify GU injuries early and the need for surgical intervention when necessary will produce the most optimal outcomes.
NO INCREASE IN RELATIVE MORTALITY RATES FOR THOSE WITHOUT A COLLEGE DEGREE DURING COVID-19: AN ANOMALY

American mortality rates have diverged in recent years between those with and without a four-year college degree, and there are many reasons to expect the education-mortality gradient to have steepened during the pandemic. Those without a BA are more likely to work in frontline occupations, to rely on public transportation, and to live in crowded quarters, all of which are associated with an increase in infection risk, a risk that was zero prior to the pandemic. We use publicly available data from the National Center for Health Statistics on deaths by age, sex, education and race/ethnicity to assess the protective effect of a BA in 2020 compared to 2019. While the BA was strongly protective during 2020, the ratio of mortality rates between those with and without a degree was little changed relative to pre-pandemic years. Among 60 groups (gender by race/ethnicity by age) that are available in the data, the relative risk reduction associated with a BA fell for more than half the groups between 2019 and 2020, and increased by more than 5 percentage points for only five groups. Our main finding is not that the BA was protective against death in 2020, which has long been the case, but that the protective effect was little different than in 2019 and earlier years, in spite of the change in the pattern of risk by occupation and income. The virus maintained the mortality-education gradient that existed pre-pandemic, at least through the end of 2020. Our results suggest that changes in the risk of infection were less important in structuring mortality than changes in the risk of death conditional on infection.
Modal mineralogy of CI and CI-like chondrites by X-ray diffraction

The CI chondrites are some of the most hydrated meteorites available to study, making them ideal samples with which to investigate aqueous processes in the early Solar System. Here, we have used position-sensitive-detector X-ray diffraction (PSD-XRD) to quantify the abundance of minerals in bulk samples of the CI chondrite falls Alais, Orgueil and Ivuna, and the Antarctic CI-like chondrites Y-82162 and Y-980115. We find that Alais, Orgueil and Ivuna are dominated by a mixed serpentine/saponite phyllosilicate (81–84 vol%), plus minor magnetite (6–10%), sulphides (4–7%) and carbonates (<3%). This reflects an extended period of aqueous alteration and the near-complete transformation of anhydrous phases into a secondary mineral assemblage. The similarity in total abundance of phyllosilicate suggests that the CI chondrites all experienced the same degree of aqueous alteration on the parent body. In contrast, Y-82162 contains a highly disordered serpentine/saponite phyllosilicate (68 vol%), sulphide (19%), olivine (11%) and magnetite (2%). This mineralogy is distinct from that of the CI chondrites, attesting to both a different starting mineralogy and alteration history. The structure and relatively low abundance of the phyllosilicate, and the high abundance of olivine, are consistent with previous observations that Y-82162 represents CI-like material that following aqueous alteration suffered thermal metamorphism at temperatures >500 °C. Similarly, Y-980115 contains disordered serpentine/saponite (71 vol%), sulphide (19%), olivine (8%) and magnetite (2%), confirming that it too is a thermally metamorphosed CI-like chondrite. We suggest that the CI-like chondrites are derived from a different parent body than the CI chondrites, which underwent short-lived thermal metamorphism due to impacts and/or solar radiation.
International families in cross-cultural perspective : A family strengths approach

This article presents an overview and suggested guidelines to propose, develop, and teach a course on international families from a family strengths perspective. The course objectives, ground rules, content, readings, requirements, supplemental tools, assessment techniques, and students' evaluation and comments about the course are outlined. Family strengths and key concepts utilized in teaching such a course are examined. Family life among African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and Mexican-Americans is discussed. Also, historical, cultural, social, and political factors influencing mate selection, marriage, parenting, and family life cycle stages in the Hindu and Muslim family are examined. A list of selected audio-visual tools and a sample quiz are also included.
Teaching assembly language without using (as much) assembly language

According to the MIT Jargon Dictionary, "C is often described, with a mixture of fondness and disdain varying according to the speaker, as 'a language that combines all the elegance and power of assembly language with all the readability and maintainability of assembly language. "' [E] This suggests that one should be able to use C, or something like it, to teach many (if not most) of the concepts covered in an assembly language course. This paper describes one such approach, using a limited version of Java. It describes how using such a language can ease the introduction of assembly language concepts due to the language being both more forgiving of, and more familiar to, the students. Assembly language concepts amenable to this approach are detailed, as are those that are not.
Increased cell survival by inhibition of BRCA1 using an antisense approach in an estrogen responsive ovarian carcinoma cell line.

We tested the hypothesis that BRCA1 may play a role in the regulation of ovarian tumor cell death as well as the inhibition of ovarian cell proliferation. Introduction of BRCA1 antisense retroviral constructs into BG-1 estrogen-dependent ovarian adenocarcinoma cells resulted in reduced BRCA1 expression. BRCA1 antisense pooled populations and derived subclones were able to proliferate in monolayer culture without estrogen, whereas control cells began to die after 10 days of estrogen deprivation. In addition, both populations and subclones of BRCA1 antisense infected cells demonstrated a growth advantage in monolayer culture in the presence of estrogen and were able to proliferate in monolayer culture without estrogen, while control cells did not. Furthermore, clonal studies demonstrated that reduced levels of BRCA1 protein correlated with growth in soft agar and greater tumor formation in nude mice in the absence of estrogen. These data suggest that reduction of BRCA1 protein in BG-1 ovarian adenocarcinoma cells may have an effect on cell survival during estrogen deprivation both in vitro and in vivo.
Correlation Between Growth Inhibition and the Binding of Various Penicillins and Cephalosporins to Staphylococcus aureus

The concentration of penicillin (or cephalosporin) required to achieve a given rate of binding to Staphylococcus aureus H correlates well with that required for inhibition of growth. This result suggests that the irreversible binding of penicillins and cephalosporins to cells is responsible for their biological activity.
Pushing the Limit of Global Governance: Trading Rights, Censorship, and WTO Jurisprudence – A Commentary on China-Audiovisual Services

For decades, China has maintained state import monopoly in cultural products. The opaque state-trading operations ensure a maximum level of flexibility and efficacy in the censorship of imports desired by the Communist Party. The recent WTO decision in China–Audiovisual Services held that this practice is inconsistent with China’s trading rights commitments under its Accession Protocol and cannot be justified by the public morals exception of the GATT. To comply with the WTO ruling, China must restructure its censorship regime, which may well result in stricter restrictions on cultural imports than the current system. By requiring China to restructure its censorship regime so as to ensure private trading rights, the WTO judiciary has pushed global governance to a new level. This decision is the latest indication that the world trading system has moved beyond its traditional governance model solely concerned with economic protectionism, towards a new model that mandates convergence in domestic governance norms. In rendering this decision, the Appellate Body broke new ground in WTO jurisprudence. But its jurisprudence is ultimately problematic because it failed to interpret the trading rights provisions in their systemic context and in the light of their object and purpose. As a result, the Appellate Body committed serious errors in its legal analysis and was unable to provide any policy rationale in support of this far-reaching decision.
Analysing decision variables that influence preliminary feasibility studies using data mining techniques

The development of infrastructure contributes to the social and economic improvement of a country, and generally requires huge and immediate investments. To decide on appropriate infrastructure projects, many countries use preliminary feasibility studies (PFS). However, a preliminary feasibility study takes a relatively long time to complete. During this time, decision‐making parameters such as the estimated project cost as well as the project environment may change. To identify the decision parameters that affect the feasibility analysis, data mining techniques are applied to analyse the Go/No Go decision‐making process in infrastructure projects. The data mining analysis uses PFS data obtained from large‐scale infrastructure projects in Korea. Classification models found 57 hidden rules in the PFS. Prediction models were also developed for Go/No Go decision making using an artificial neural network (ANN) and logistic regression analysis. In order to validate the results, the study evaluated the accuraci...
Electro-optic effects in smectic C liquid crystals

Abstract Electro-optic effects are observed in the smectic C states of 4-n-heptyloxybenzoic acid, 4-n-octyloxybenzoic acid. 4,4′-bis-n-heptyloxyazoxybenzene, and 4-n-decyloxy cinnamic acid under the application of an external ac electric field. The stripe domain pattern is observed for all the compounds studied above the first threshold. In the smectic C state there exists a second threshold at which the direction of the domain lines changes.
Distinct facial processing in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders

Although schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders have both similar and differing clinical features, it is not well understood whether similar or differing pathophysiological processes mediate patients' cognitive functions. Using psychophysical methods, this study compared the performances of schizophrenia (SZ) patients, patients with schizoaffective disorder (SA), and a healthy control group in two face-related cognitive tasks: emotion discrimination, which tested perception of facial affect, and identity discrimination, which tested perception of non-affective facial features. Compared to healthy controls, SZ patients, but not SA patients, exhibited deficient performance in both fear and happiness discrimination, as well as identity discrimination. SZ patients, but not SA patients, also showed impaired performance in a theory-of-mind task for which emotional expressions are identified based upon the eye regions of face images. This pattern of results suggests distinct processing of face information in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders.
The mutL repair gene of Escherichia coli K‐12 forms a superoperon with a gene encoding a new cell‐wall amidase

We report a molecular genetic analysis of the region immediately upstream from the Escherichia coli mutL DNA repair gene at 94.8 min. An open reading frame ending 9 bp upstream from the start of mutL corresponds to a 48 kDa polypeptide detected previously in minicells. The predicted amino acid sequence of this 48 kDa polypeptide shows homology to the major N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase autolysin of Bacillus subtilis, a known amidase of Bacillus licheniformis, and the product of a Salmonella typhimurium gene that maps near 50 min. Insertions in this upstream gene, which we named amiB, or in mutL did not affect cell shape or viability; however, overexpression of the AmiB polypeptide caused cell lysis, hypersensitivity to osmotic shock and treatment with water, and temporary autolysis by low levels of antibiotics, which are all consistent with AmiB acting as a cell-wall hydrolase. Analysis of chromosomal transcription demonstrated that amiB forms a complex operon with mutL and two additional upstream genes. mutL transcripts also originated from an internal promoter, designated PmutL, located in amiB 312 bp upstream from the translational start of mutL. Together, these results suggest that E. coli contains a second amidase possibly involved in cell-wall hydrolysis, septation, or recycling, and that transcription of this amidase is directly linked to a gene central for DNA repair.
Laparoscopic ablation of peripelvic renal cysts

ABSTRACTPurpose: We describe and define the operative techniques, findings and results of laparoscopic ablation of peripelvic renal cysts.Materials and Methods: One male and three female patients, ranging in age from 35 to 59 years, underwent laparoscopic ablation of symptomatic peripelvic cysts. All patients had symptoms of ipsilateral flank pain and obstruction. One patient had an episode of pyelonephritis before detection of the cyst, and 2 patients had concomitant stones within the obstructed system. Cysts ranged in size from 4 to 6 cm. Dissection was uniformly complex because of the depth to which the cyst extended into the renal parenchyma and the overlying renal vessels and collecting system.Results: Operative times ranged from 315 to 390 minutes (mean 338 minutes). The average length of hospital stay was 2.75 days (range 2 to 4 days). Three of 4 patients (75%) had resolution of their symptoms and collecting system obstruction. One patient, the only case of a retroperitoneal approach, had recurrenc...
Aquatic Chemistry, Third Edition

Most water scientists and environmental engineers will recognize this classic environmental chemistry text as “Stumm and Morgan” rather than Aquatic Chemistry. Publication of the first edition in 1970 established a standard for books dealing with environmental chemistry in terms of depth and breadth of coverage. Scientists and engineers concerned with issues of water quality are well advised to have Aquatic Chemistry as part of their personal libraries, or at least in their office libraries.
Plasma membrane integrity of cryopreserved human sperm: an investigation of the results of the hypoosmotic swelling test, the water test, and eosin-y staining

Abstract Objective: [1] To examine the relationship between sperm membrane integrity and motion parameters before and after cryopreservation; [2] to determine the capacity of the membrane integrity tests to predict the outcome of cryopreservation in fertile and infertile men; and [3] to examine the degree of agreement between tail and head membrane integrity of testicular and ejaculated immotile sperm cryopreserved for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Academic tertiary care institution. Patient(s): Fertile donors and normozoospermic oligozoospermic, and asthenozoospermic subfertile men. Intervention(s): Semen samples were cryopreserved and thawed for analysis. Main Outcome Measure(s): Sperm membrane integrity and computer-assisted motion parameters. Result(s): The hypoosmotic swelling test and water test had a significant and positive correlation in the fresh and cryopreserved ejaculates of all groups. The results of the hypoosmotic swelling test correlated positively with the percent motility in the fresh ejaculates of fertile and subfertile men. None of the membrane integrity tests correlated with the cryosurvival rate in any group. In the ejaculated and testicular samples with no postcryopreservation motility, the simultaneous assessment of hypoosmotic swelling test and eosin showed that of 33% sperm exhibiting coiling with the hypoosmotic swelling test, only 9% were eosin negative, whereas 24% were eosin positive. Conclusion(s): [1] The water test may be a simpler replacement for the hypoosmotic swelling test; [2] none of the membrane integrity tests predicted sperm motility after cryopreservation; and [3] there was a high degree of disagreement between the hypoosmotic swelling test and eosin in the samples with no postcryopreservation motility.
Disdrometer Measurements during an Intense Rainfall Event in Central Illinois: Implications for Differential Reflectivity Radar Observations

Abstract Empirical relationships for estimating rainfall rate, liquid water content and median volume diameter from radar measurements of reflectivity factor and differential reflectivity are derived from a disdrometer record of a highly variable, heavy rainfall event in central Illinois. Comparisons with relationships representing exponential and gamma model drop-size distributions are made. Simulations, employing these and Z-R relationships for rainfall estimation, are performed. Statistical measures are tabulated for comparing results. These show an excellent agreement between the disdrometer- and radar-derived rainfall parameters when the latter are obtained from the empirical relationships.
An introduction to the geology of Mars

Abstract The Martian physiography consists of dark and light areas, canals and oases. If Mars is more similar to the Earth than to the Moon, these features could be the Martian counterpart of terrestrial continents, ocean basins and tectonic environments. If a similarity with the Moon is correct, the features could be equivalent to the lunar maria, terrae and rays. Cratering is the most common process on Mars as on the Moon. Meteoritic impact is probably the cause, but partial or complete vulcanism cannot be excluded. The Martian surface is covered by a regolith, which is probably affected by weathering, sorted by the wind and, perhaps, subjected to the action of a biosphere. Weathering is likely to be similar to a terrestrial desert varnish and chemically consists of limonitisation and/or carbonisation. The wind often lifts the dusty component of the regolith but is unlikely to cause considerable aeolian erosion. Life processes are highly conjectural but possible. A discrepancy exists between the physical shape of the planet and the shape of the geoid. An explanation is difficult, especially because all evidence points toward the absence of differentiation in the interior of the planet.
Detection of laser optic defects using gradient direction matching

That National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) will be the world's largest and most energetic laser. It has thousands of optics and depends heavily on the quality and performance of these optics. Over the past several years, we have developed the NIF Optics Inspection Analysis System that automatically finds defects in a specific optic by analyzing images taken of that optic. This paper describes a new and complementary approach for the automatic detection of defects based on detecting the diffraction ring patterns in downstream optic images caused by defects in upstream optics. Our approach applies a robust pattern matching algorithm for images called Gradient Direction Matching (GDM). GDM compares the gradient directions (the direction of flow from dark to light) of pixels in a test image to those of a specified model and identifies regions in the test image whose gradient directions are most in line with those of the specified model. For finding rings, we use luminance disk models whose pixels have gradient directions all pointing toward the center of the disk. After GDM identifies potential rings locations, we rank these rings by how well they fit the theoretical diffraction ring pattern equation. We perform false alarm mitigation by throwing out rings of low fit. A byproduct of this fitting procedure is an estimate of the size of the defect and its distance from the image plane. We demonstrate the potential effectiveness of this approach by showing examples of rings detected in real images of NIF optics.
Metabolism of monoterpenes in mint (mentha) species.

Commercial mint (Mentha) species produce either C3-oxygenated or C6-oxygenated p-menthane monoterpene as the major essential oil components. The biosynthetic origin of both of these monoterpene families from the common precursor (-)-limonene is described. The metabolic turnover of monoterpenes occurs during late stages of plant development, and the pathway for the transport and catabolism of (-)-menthone in peppermint is reviewed as a model for this general process. The developmental regulation of monoterpene metabolism is briefly outlined
The salvage of heparinized blood with acid-citrate-dextrose.

Heparinized blood not used at operation may be salvaged by transfer to Acid-Citrate-Dextrose (ACD) within 24 hours after collection. Collection and transfer must be done in a closed system and adequate refrigeration maintained from collection to transfusion. In five experiments, post-transfusion survival studies have shown the percentage of viable cells to fall to 70 per cent in about 12 days. Plasma pH, hemoglobin, and potassium levels were within the same range as those of ACD bloods stored for similar periods. Of 180 heparinized bloods not used because of changes in operative schedules, 158 were salvaged and transfused, within this limit, in other cases.
Sources of Emotional Support for Adolescents With Cancer

Abstract The significance of emotional social support in the lives of children and adolescents with cancer is now being recognized as a significant determinant in their psychosocial response to the experience of cancer and treatment outcomes. The purpose of this study was to identify whom adolescents perceived as providing emotional support and how helpful these individuals were in helping them cope through the experience of cancer. Forty-five adolescents with cancer responded to the following open-ended questions regarding their perceived emotional social support: “Who or what are your primary sources of emotional support?” “How helpful are these resources to you in dealing with your experiences with cancer?” Descriptive analyses of participants' responses indicated that the adolescents' mothers and their friends were the two most often cited sources of emotional support. In addition, while responses varied among adolescents, they described their identified sources of emotional support to be very helpful to them as they lived through the experience of cancer. These findings support past research that has determined that adolescents' social support systems extend beyond the family, but that mothers continue to have a significant, meaningful role in the lives of adolescents with cancer.
Increasing vulnerability of astrocytes to oxidative injury with age despite constant antioxidant defenses

This paper investigates the vulnerability of astrocytes to oxidative injury as a function of age in culture in mice. Primary murine cortical astrocyte cultures of different ages were exposed to H2O2, combined oxygen-glucose deprivation or glucose deprivation. Astrocytes became more vulnerable to damage from each injury paradigm with age, showing transitions between 15 and 22 days. Both the antioxidant glutathione and superoxide dismutase activity increased after 30 days in culture, while catalase activity did not change up to 34 days. When the decrease in glutathione with injury was measured, young cells showed no change with H2O2 and decreases of 50% of their glutathione with the same insults. Since iron can be a catalyst for hydroxyl radical formation, we stained cultures and found both iron staining and ferritin immunoreactivity increased with age. Increased iron correlated with protection by deferoxamine against H2O2 injury. The three injury paradigms each had a unique pattern of protection by antioxidants. Dimethylthiourea, a hydrophilic antioxidant, protected from all three insults. Trolox, a lipophilic antioxidant, protected older astrocytes from oxygen-glucose deprivation and glucose deprivation. Deferoxamine provided near complete protection from H2O2, partial protection from oxygen-glucose deprivation and no protection from glucose deprivation. As evidence of increasing oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation resulting from oxygen-glucose deprivation increased with age, assessed with cis-parinaric acid. The increasing sensitivity of ageing astrocytes to oxidative injury occurs while antioxidant defenses are maintained. Increased sensitivity to H2O2 or oxygen-glucose deprivation correlates with iron accumulation.
Investigation of the Equilibrium N2O4 ⇌ 2NO2 by Electron Diffraction: Molecular Structures and Effective Temperature and Pressure of the Expanding Gas with Implications for Studies of Other Dimer−Monomer Equilibria

Gas-phase electron-diffraction patterns are obtained from jets that are expanded into a vacuum. Knowledge of the effective temperature of the sample in the diffraction zone is essential for reliable analyses of any equilibria that may exist between different species and for an understanding of the vibrational properties of the molecules. Knowledge of the effective pressure is also essential for analyses of equilibria in which the number of molecules changes during reaction. The temperature and pressure dependence of the equilibrium N2O4 ⇌ 2NO2 was studied to investigate these matters. The diffraction experiments fall into two sets: (1) those with nozzle temperatures of 104, 25, 2, −12, −25, and −35 °C with the sample bath temperature constant at −43 °C and (2) those with the nozzle temperature constant at −12 °C and bath temperatures of −26, −36, and −43 °C. The amount of N2O4 was found to range from 76.3 (29)% with the bulk sample at −43 °C and the nozzle tip at −35 °C to zero with the nozzle tip at 104...
Congenital coronary artery fistula suggesting a "steal phenomenon" in a neonate.

The case of a neonate reported herein demonstrates a congenital fistula between the left circumflex coronary artery and the right ventricle. Intraoperative stress to the patient's heart suggested a coronary “steal phenomenon.”
Amplification of ssb-1 mutant single-stranded DNA-binding protein in Escherichia coli.

The ssb-1 gene encoding a mutant Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA-binding protein has been cloned into plasmid pACYC184. The amount of overproduction of the cloned ssb-1 gene is dependent upon its orientation in the plasmid. In the less efficient orientation, 25-fold more mutant protein is produced than in strains carrying only one (chromosomal) copy of the gene: the other orientation results in more than 60-fold overproduction of this protein. Analysis of the effects of overproduction of the ssb-1 encoded protein has shown that most of the deficiencies associated with the ssb-1 mutation when present in single gene copy, including temperature-sensitive conditional lethality and deficiencies in amplified synthesis of RecA protein and ultraviolet light-promoted induction of prophage λ+, are reversed by increased production of ssb-1 mutant protein. These results provide evidence in vivo that SSB protein plays an active role in recA-dependent processes. Homogenotization of a nearby genetic locus (uvrA) was identified in the cloning of the ssb-1 mutant gene. This observation has implications in the analysis of uvrA− mutant strains and will provide a means of transferring ssb− mutations from plasmids to the chromosome. On a broader scale, the observation may provide the basis of a general strategy to transfer mutations between plasmids and chromosomes.