cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phase separation, vitrification, and the manifestation of macrovoids in polymeric asymmetric membranes

Nonsolvent-induced precipitation processes may generate an asymmetric morphology from an initially single-phase homogeneous polymer solution. In these processes, mass transfer induces phase separation and subsequent vitrification eliminates further reorganization of a polymer-rich phase. Kinetics is responsible for trapping specific morphologies and can be influenced by local composition, temperature, applied stress, and preexisting nuclei. Focusing only on the influence of composition changes, the growth of a preformed hypothetical nucleus in a metastable region is considered during rapid phase separation induced by an advancing front that is rich in nonsolvent for the dissolved polymer. Expansion of the preformed nucleus can be promoted by osmotically-generated forces arising from a net volumetric accumulation of fluid in the nucleus. Growth of the nucleus is opposed by the vitrification of the polymer-rich matrix surrounding the nucleus. The process described produces structures, typically referred to as macrovoids, which are undesirable features and tend to reduce the mechanical strength of the membrane. Thus, the balance between the local volumetric rate of solvent-nonsolvent exchange compared to the vitrification rate are key factors in the growth or suppression of macrovoids. This process may be controlled by altering the initial dope composition, the nature of the various additives, and the rates of mass transfer (specifically across the nucleus wall), by imposing temperature gradients or by altering the external quench bath composition.
Solubilization of Nicardipine Hydrochloride via Complexation and Salt Formation

The solubility behavior of nicardipine (1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-4-(3-nitrophenyl)-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylic+ ++ acid methyl 2-[methyl(phenyl-methyl)amino]ethyl diester), a calcium channel blocker, used in the treatment of chronic stable angina and mild essential hypertension was investigated. Two techniques that are known to improve solubility, complexation and salt formation, were examined. Concentrations were determined with a specific reversed-phase HPLC assay. The solubility of nicardipine hydrochloride was enhanced exponentially via complexation with aliphatic carboxylic acid buffer systems in a pH dependent fashion. The solubility increased from 5 to 68.6 and 270 mg/mL as the acetate or propionate buffer concentrations, respectively, increased from 0.001 to 5 M, showing a positive deviation from linearity. The conversion of nicardipine hydrochloride to the phosphate salt resulted in a approximately 10-fold solubility improvement. The surface tension of the nicardipine phosphate in water as a function of concentration indicated a critical micelle concentration of 5-6 mg/mL. The critical micelle concentration was greater than the equilibrium solubility of the hydrochloride salt in water, suggesting that a self-association phenomena is responsible for the enhanced solubility of the phosphate salt. Both routes provided potential alternatives for the solubilization of nicardipine.
Cloud Top Entrainment Instability

Abstract The criterion for instability of dry air mixing into a cloud top is determined both graphically and mathematically. It is found to be identical to the buoyancy-flux instability criterion of Randall (1976) based on stratocumulus mixed-layer jump-model equations which yield a cloud top jump in θe, for marginal stability of order Δθe=−1 to −3 K (θe), is equivalent potential temperature). Numerical calculations from a three-dimensional boundary-layer turbulence model with stratocumulus are examined from the viewpoint of cloud top entrainment instability. The entrainment rate is found to increase decisively when Δθe, drops below the critical value. The resulting rapid entrainment is found to dry out the cloud from the bottom up, leaving the cloud-base height intact; in conjunction with the negative Δθe value, this causes ∂θe/∂z in the cloud layer to become negative. This in turn sets the stage for the final phase of stratocumulus breakup, whereby conditional instability of the first kind begins to ope...
Shunt reintervention and time-related events after Norwood operation: impact of shunt strategy.

Background The use of right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery shunt (RV-PA) is thought to improve postoperative hemodynamics in hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Proximal shunt obstruction often prompts early reintervention. Description of our technique and analysis of outcomes after Norwood operation using RV-PA shunt (NRVPA) was undertaken. Methods Between January 2005 and June 2009, 100 consecutive neonates with HLHS underwent stage-1 palliation (S1P). Sixty-five had NRVPA. From 56 survivors, 52 (86. 2%) reached pre-Glenn cardiac catheterization. The RV-PA shunt was constructed using nonringed polytetrafluoroethylene with reversed beveling and hood augmentation of its anterior wall. The PA size, Nakata index, pulmonary to systemic blood flow ratio, and any pre-Glenn intervention were studied. The RV function and NRVPA diastolic reversal flow were assessed. Results Mean age and weight at S1P were 6. 6 ± 3. 5 days and 3. 21 ± 0. 57 kg, respectively. No shunt reversal flow to RV was noted the first 48 hours after S1P by echocardiogram. No patient had shunt revision after hospital discharge from S1P. Mean age and weight at stage-2 palliation were 14. 9 ± 5. 1weeks and 5. 4 ± 2. 1 kg, respectively. No patient had proximal shunt stenosis. Six patients with distal shunt stenosis and associated central PA hypoplasia (32% ± 17% PA diameter reduction), 3 with left PA and 2 with right PA) stenoses had balloon angioplasty. The pulmonary to systemic blood flow ratio between patients requiring pre–stage-2 palliation intervention and patients without intervention was 1. 05 ± 0. 3 versus 1. 13 ± 0. 37 ( p = 0. 09). Right PA and left PA growth was balanced (right PA/left PA 0. 99 ± 0. 3; right PA 26. 8 ± 11. 5 mm 2 versus left PA 27. 2 ± 12. 3 mm 2 ; p = 0. 1). Freedom from significant RV dysfunction for S1P survivors at 3, 6, 12, 36, and 48 months was 94.4% ± 3.1%, 88.7% ± 4.4%, 86.7% ± 4.7%, 83.9% ± 5.3%, and 79.7 ± 6.7%, respectively. Conclusions Norwood RV-PA promotes balanced branch PA growth. The RV-to-PA shunt with proximal valvelike hood modification significantly reduces proximal anastomotic stenosis and need for early shunt revision. Limited early shunt diastolic reversal flow into the RV and subsequent early unloading of RV during BDG might preserve ventricular performance.
Drop-on-demand for aqueous solutions of sodium alginate

Inkjet printing is a rapidly growing commercial process for applications that depend on precisely patterning micro-scale droplets. These applications increasingly require complex fluids, introducing viscoelastic properties which play an important role in droplet formation. The objective of this study is to determine how to obtain single, uniform and spherical (“successful”) droplets from aqueous solutions of sodium alginate with a piezoelectric drop-on-demand printing method. In order to control the volume and velocities of droplets, the effect on the droplet formation of the characteristics of the waveform such as voltage amplitude and dwell time is studied. The results depend also on the fluid rheology. The viscosity of the chosen fluid is a function of the concentration, as the viscoelastic properties increase at higher concentration. In this paper, the droplet formation process is characterized in terms of both the waveform and the rheological properties of the solution. The characterization of the fluids and waveform will be pursued first and the droplet formation and its control will be studied. Finally, the results will be presented with a map in ranges of the Ohnesorge, Deborah and Weber numbers.
Validation of Analytic Methods for Combining Evidence Sources in Biosurveillance

To manage an increasingly complex data environment, a fusion module based on Bayesian networks (BN) was developed for the Dept. of Defense (DoD) Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-Based Epidemics (ESSENCE). Subsequent efforts have produced a full fusion-enabled version of ESSENCE for beta testing and further upgrades. The current presentation describes advances to formalize the network training, calibrate the component alerting algorithms and decision nodes together, and implement a validation strategy. A cross-validation strategy produced consistent threshold combinations yielding 88% sensitivity from reported events, a 10-15% improvement over the original demonstration module.
High-performance liquid chromatographic method for quantitating plasma levels of amiloride and its analogues.

An assay for amiloride was devised for efficient use with the wide variety of analogues available. Amiloride was extracted from 1-ml plasma samples by elution from a C8 preparative column with 6% acetonitrile—45% methanol—5.4% acetic acid, adjusted to pH 4.0 with trimethylamine. Samples were lyophilized, resuspended in 50% methanol, filtered through 0.22-μm Spin-X cartridges, applied to a reversed-phase C18 column, and eluted in a 0–50% acetonitrile gradient in 0.4% acetic acid, pH 4.5 (1.2 ml/min). Detection by ultraviolet absorbance at 360 nm was linear from 1 to 1000 ng. Versatility of the method was demonstrated with the analogues benzamil, 6-hydro-, 6-iodo-, 5-hexamethylene-, and 5-chlorobenzyl-2',4'-dimethylbenzylamiloride.
Substance Abuse Prevention Programming and Research: A Partnership in Need of Improvement.

Drawing upon relevant literature and personal experience conducting surveys of substance use among young people, this paper focuses on the mutual need effective prevention programming and drug research have of one another. Important relationships and experiences that need to be taken into account in improving the ties between drug prevention programming and research are addressed. In the context of this discussion, a brief natural history of a South Bronx, New York City junior high school survey completed in 1976 is presented, and some of its findings relating to the development of prevention efforts in the school and community are reviewed.
Folding, cycles and chaos in planar systems

A typical planar system of difference equations can be folded or transformed into a scalar difference equation of order two plus a passive (non-dynamic) equation. We discuss this method and its application to identify and prove the existence or nonexistence of cycles and chaos in systems of rational difference equations with variable coefficients. These include some systems that converge to autonomous systems and some that do not, e.g. systems with periodic coefficients.
Trypsin inhibitors in equine serum

Abstract 1. 1. Equine serum has a mean trypsin inhibiting activity of 1.03 ± 0.28 mg trypsin inhibited by 1 ml of serum. 2. 2. By preparative electrophoresis, column chromatography and density gradient centrifugation three inhibitors were identified. 3. 3. One inhibitor was identified in the electrophoretic α 1 -region with a sedimentation coefficient of 3.5 S, a second inhibitor with a sedimentation coefficient of 19.6 S and electrophoretic α 2 mobility similar to human α 2 -macroglobulin, and a third component with a sedimentation coefficient of 4.6 S also in the electrophoretic α 2 -region. 4. 4. Most of the trypsin inhibiting activity is due to the component with α 1 electrophoretic mobility; this protein appears to be similar to α 1 -antitrypsin in human serum.
Effects of Temperature on Cochliomyia macellaria (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Development

Growth curves were studied for the egg, larva, and pupa of the secondary screwworm, Cochliomyia macellaria (F), under mean cyclic temperatures of 15.6, 21.1, 26.7, 32.2, and a constant 25.0 degrees C. Development from egg to adult under all regimes ranged from 170 to 588 h. A constant temperature regime of 25 degrees C produced a range of pupation times from 92 to 142 h, with adult emergence ranging from 196 to 261 h. The maximal preferential temperature of 39 degrees C was determined for maggots by using a gradient system. The minimal variation in the range of larval lengths and development time makes this species suitable for establishing relatively narrow confidence intervals when constructing a postmortem interval estimate for use in legal investigations.
Analysis of implicit second-order upwind-biased stencils

Truncation error and stability properties of several implicit upwind schemes for the two-dimensional Euler equations are examined. The schemes use linear data reconstruction methods to achieve second-order flux integrations where the implicit Jacobian operators are first order. The stability properties of the schemes are examined by a Von Neumann analysis of the linearized, constant-coefficient Euler equations. The choice of the data reconstruction method used to evaluate the flux integral has a dramatic effect on the convergence properties of the implicit solution method. In particular, the typical one-dimensional data reconstruction methods used with structured grids exhibit poor convergence properties compared to the unstructured grid method considered. Of the schemes examined, the one with the superior convergence properties is well-suited for both unstructured and structured grids, which has important implications for the design of implicit methods.
Impact of Prescribing Guidelines for Inpatient Anticoagulation

BACKGROUNDAnticoagulants are widely used and represent a class of drugs that are problem-prone and have a high potential for adverse patient outcomes. As such, these drugs may be amenable to the use of prescribing guidelines. However, relatively little has been published on the effect of such guidelines on clinical outcomes or costs of care.OBJECTIVETo assess whether guidelines improve the appropriateness of prescribing, clinical outcomes, and costs associated with use of anticoagulants in a sample of community hospitals in the US.METHODSA retrospective analysis was performed of data voluntarily collected by 15 hospitals before (July—September 2001) and after (March—May 2002) implementation of anticoagulant prescribing guidelines. Statistical analyses of both patient- and hospital-level variables were conducted.RESULTSImplementation of the guidelines resulted in a significant increase in the proportion of anticoagulants that were prescribed appropriately (59.8% vs 86.9%; p < 0.001). The guidelines also re...
CONSERVATION OF CHANGING LANDSCAPES: VEGETATION AND LAND-USE HISTORY OF CAPE COD NATIONAL SEASHORE

The pervasive impact of historical land use is often underappreciated in the management and restoration of conservation areas and natural resources. We used historical and ecological approaches to determine the relative influences of past land use, fire, and site conditions on woodland vegetation patterns in Cape Cod National Seashore (CACO), the largest protected coastal landscape and area of sand-plain vegetation in New England. Coastal sand plains are the focus of intense conservation activity because they support uncommon plant and animal assemblages that are dynamic as a result of past disturbance and ongoing human impacts. CACO was predominantly wooded prior to extensive land clearance for historical ag- riculture. Historical maps and modern soil profiles indicate that by the mid-19th century, -44% of the area supporting sand-plain woodlands in CACO was plowed for crops or pasture, 42% was logged repeatedly but never cleared, and 14% was open and subjected to diverse uses. Relationships between modern vegetation and 19th-century land use are striking and largely independent of site conditions. Continuously wooded areas support pine-oak woodlands with abundant ericaceous shrubs, whereas previously plowed sites have less canopy oak, more pine, few ericaceous shrubs, and a distinct understory including the grass Deschampsia flexuosa and the shade-intolerant shrub Arctostaphylos uva-ursi. Current composition and historical sources suggest that past agriculture generated extensive heathland and grassland habitats, much of which has subsequently reforested. In contrast to many interpretations and management guidelines, the persistent influence of fire is prin- cipally on the canopy composition and structure of former woodlots. The results highlight a need (1) to integrate an understanding of past land use into ecological models underlying the management of biological reserves; and (2) to consider the use of management ap- proaches that mimic past agricultural practices in order to maintain and restore important sand-plain habitats.
cis-Diammine(pyridine)chloroplatinum(II), a monofunctional platinum(II) antitumor agent: Uptake, structure, function, and prospects

We have identified unique chemical and biological properties of a cationic monofunctional platinum(II) complex, cis-diammine(pyridine)chloroplatinum(II), cis-[Pt(NH(3))(2)(py)Cl](+) or cDPCP, a coordination compound previously identified to have significant anticancer activity in a mouse tumor model. This compound is an excellent substrate for organic cation transporters 1 and 2, also designated SLC22A1 and SLC22A2, respectively. These transporters are abundantly expressed in human colorectal cancers, where they mediate uptake of oxaliplatin, cis-[Pt(DACH)(oxalate)] (DACH = trans-R,R-1,2-diaminocyclohexane), an FDA-approved first-line therapy for colorectal cancer. Unlike oxaliplatin, however, cDPCP binds DNA monofunctionally, as revealed by an x-ray crystal structure of cis-{Pt(NH(3))(2)(py)}(2+) bound to the N7 atom of a single guanosine residue in a DNA dodecamer duplex. Although the quaternary structure resembles that of B-form DNA, there is a base-pair step to the 5' side of the Pt adduct with abnormally large shift and slide values, features characteristic of cisplatin intrastrand cross-links. cDPCP effectively blocks transcription from DNA templates carrying adducts of the complex, unlike DNA lesions of other monofunctional platinum(II) compounds like {Pt(dien)}(2+). cDPCP-DNA adducts are removed by the nucleotide excision repair apparatus, albeit much less efficiently than bifunctional platinum-DNA intrastrand cross-links. These exceptional characteristics indicate that cDPCP and related complexes merit consideration as therapeutic options for treating colorectal and other cancers bearing appropriate cation transporters.
Proactive Recruitment of Health Plan Smokers into Telephone Counseling

We tested whether a 3-month beneficial effect of telephone counseling as an adjunct to the use of medications for smoking cessation was maintained through 12 months. Health plan members filling a prescription for cessation medications were randomized either to a no-contact control group or to proactive recruitment into telephone counseling. An increased point-prevalence quit rate at 3 months (33.1% vs. 27.4%, p<.05) among smokers randomized to proactive recruitment for telephone counseling was not maintained. Although at 12 months smokers in the proactive recruitment arm were more likely to report a 24-hr quit attempt, compared with control group smokers (86.7% vs. 80.8%, p = .027), we found no differences between the groups in repeated (3-month and 12-month) 7-day point-prevalence quit rates. In an analysis of predictors of quitting, age, marital status, making a lifestyle change, and the presence of household smokers were associated with repeated 3-month and 12-month point-prevalence abstinence. Offering telephone counseling to insured smokers who have filled prescriptions for cessation medications did not increase long-term quit rates. Although other variations of this approach might be tested, we suspect that it might be more useful to test innovative ways to influence the factors we identified as being most strongly predictive of lack of successful quitting.
Development of novel ultra-high dielectric constant polymer based composite

Embedded capacitor technology can increase silicon packing efficiency, improve electrical performance, and reduce electronic assembly cost compared with traditional discrete capacitor technology. Developing a suitable material that satisfies electrical, reliability and processing requirements is one of the major challenges of incorporating capacitors into a printed wiring board (PWB) substrate for demanding wireless, RF portable telecommunication products. A novel epoxy-based composite with very ultra high dielectric constant (/spl epsiv//sub r//spl sim/1000) has been developed in this work. The previous record of /spl epsiv//sub r/=150 was only recently reported. To our best knowledge, this is the highest K value of the polymer based composite ever reported. High dielectric constant is obtained by increasing the concentration of conductive filler close to but not exceed the percolation threshold within the polymer matrix. This novel ultra high K material also has low dielectric loss (<0.02), good adhesion and perfect multi-chip-module laminate (MCM-L) process compatibility. An embedded capacitor prototype with capacitance density of 100 nF/cm/sup 2/ has been manufactured using this composite and spin coating technology. This novel composite is the perfect material candidate for the integral embedded capacitor applications for next generation electronic products.
Stimulation of human fibroblast protein, ribonucleic acid, and deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis by bovine growth hormone fragments.

Bovine GH and two fragments which were obtained by dissociation of a limited tryptic digest of the hormone stimulated protein, RNA, and DNA synthesis of contact-inhibited human fibroblasts. The stimulation of protein, RNA, and DNA synthesis was similar for the test substances. Maximal stimulation was noted at 10 nM. At that concentration, protein, RNA, and DNA synthesis were respectively increased 1.80, 1.42, and 1.37 times by GH; 1.93, 1.27, and 1.46 times by A-I (the larger fragment); and 1.99, 1.26, and 1.33 times by A-II (the smaller fragment). The action of GH, A-I, and A-II was similar to that of fetal calf serum, but was distinguished by the time course of stimulation and by the magnitude of the response. For example, GH, A-I, and A-II produced their earliest detectable effect at 10 h for protein synthesis, 22 h for RNA synthesis, and 26 h for DNA synthesis. On the other hand, serum stimulated protein, RNA, and DNA synthesis at 6, 10, and 16 h, respectively. These data show that human fibroblasts r...
Fecal incontinence in US adults: epidemiology and risk factors.

Background & Aims The study aims were to estimate the prevalence of different types and frequencies of fecal incontinence (FI), describe demographic factors, and identify risk factors. Methods The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) assesses health status in the civilian noninstitutionalized US population. The validated Fecal Incontinence Severity Index was added to NHANES in 2005–2006. Participants were 2229 women and 2079 men aged 20 years or older. FI was defined as accidental leakage of solid, liquid, or mucus at least once in the preceding month. Sampling weights were used to obtain prevalence estimates for the national population. Multivariate logistic regression identified independent risk factors. Results The estimated prevalence of FI in noninstitutionalized US adults is 8.3% (95% confidence interval, 7.1–9.5) and consists of liquid stool in 6.2%, solid stool in 1.6%, and mucus in 3.1%. It occurs at least weekly in 2.7%. Prevalence is similar in women (8.9%) and men (7.7%) and increases with age from 2.6% in 20 to 29 year olds up to 15.3% in participants aged 70 years and older. FI is not significantly associated with race/ethnicity, education, income, or marital status after adjusting for age. Independent risk factors in women are advancing age, loose or watery stools, more than 21 stools per week, multiple chronic illnesses, and urinary incontinence. Independent risk factors in men are age, loose or watery stools, poor self-rated health, and urinary incontinence. Conclusions FI is a prevalent age-related disorder. Chronic diarrhea is a strong modifiable risk factor that may form the basis for prevention and treatment.
Mortality and reproductive effects of ingested spinosad on adult bollworms.

BACKGROUND: Upon emergence from their pupal cells, bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), adults actively seek and feed on plant exudates before they disperse and reproduce on suitable host plants. This nocturnal behavior of the bollworm may be exploited as a pest management strategy for suppression of the insect by using an attractant/stimulant mixed with an insecticide to induce feeding to cause adult mortality or reproductive reduction/inhibition. This study aimed to determine in the laboratory whether or not spinosad when mixed with sucrose solution as a feeding stimulant and ingested by bollworm could influence mortality and reproduction of the insect. RESULTS: Sublethal concentrations of spinosad fed to laboratory-reared females confined with males significantly reduced percentage hatch of eggs at 0.1 mg L−1, and it was reduced to near zero at 2.5 mg L−1 when compared with females fed 2.5 M sucrose solutions only. The lethal concentration (LC99) for males captured from the field in sex-pheromone-baited traps was 73 mg L−1 for 24 h response. Proboscis extension response was not inhibited significantly even at 10 g L−1. In spite of a 137-fold increase in lethal dose concentration, spinosad did not inhibit feeding. CONCLUSION: A detailed study of laboratory-reared and field-collected bollworm adults relative to mortality and reproduction after ingestion of spinosad indicates that spinosad would be useful in an attract-and-kill strategy to control the insect when mixed with a feeding attractant/stimulant. Field validation of the data is warranted. Published 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tracking and quantifying objects and non‐cohesive substances

The present study tested infants’ ability to assess and compare quantities of a food substance. Contrary to previous findings, the results suggest that by 10 months of age infants can quantify non-cohesive substances, and that this ability is different in important ways from their ability to quantify discrete objects: (1) In contrast to even much younger infants’ ability to discriminate discrete quantities that differ by a 1:2 ratio, infants here required a 1:4 ratio in order to reliably select the larger of two substance quantities. And (2), unlike with objects, infants required multiple cues in order to determine which of two quantities of substance was larger. Moreover, (3) although 14.5-month-olds were able to compare amounts of substance in memory, 10- to 12-month-olds were limited to comparing visible amounts of substance. These findings are discussed in light of the mechanisms that may underlie infants’ quantification of objects and substances.
Polyploidy and ecological adaptation in wild yarrow

Chromosome evolution in flowering plants is often punctuated by polyploidy, genome duplication events that fundamentally alter DNA content, chromosome number, and gene dosage. Polyploidy confers postzygotic reproductive isolation and is thought to drive ecological divergence and range expansion. The adaptive value of polyploidy, however, remains uncertain; ecologists have traditionally relied on observational methods that cannot distinguish effects of polyploidy per se from genic differences that accumulate after genome duplication. Here I use an experimental approach to test how polyploidy mediates ecological divergence in Achillea borealis (Asteraceae), a widespread tetraploid plant with localized hexaploid populations. In coastal California, tetraploids and hexaploids occupy mesic grassland and xeric dune habitats, respectively. Using field transplant experiments with wild-collected plants, I show that hexaploids have a fivefold fitness advantage over tetraploids in dune habitats. Parallel experiments with neohexaploids—first-generation mutants screened from a tetraploid genetic background—reveal that a 70% fitness advantage is achieved via genome duplication per se. These results suggest that genome duplication transforms features of A. borealis in a manner that confers adaptation to a novel environment.
Rethinking the role of motor simulation in perceptual decisions.

For decades, motor simulation has been invoked as a mechanism that utilizes covert output of the motor system to solve cognitive problems, including perceptual decisions. Evidence for motor simulation is based on indirect behavioral attributes including biomechanically constrained reaction times, the influence of the physical position of the participant’s limbs on performance, and a subjective sense of motion. Here, we propose that a large set of perceptual judgment experiments, where images of hands are used as stimuli and that have these behavioral attributes, are not based on motor simulation. We propose a fundamentally different mechanism for the effects observed in hand judgment: the multisensory binding of a mismatched seen hand with an unseen felt hand. Both hands are interpreted as belonging to the participant and obligatory coregistration of their positions into a single internal representation of body state causes the response delay, irrespective of the perceptual discrimination of hand laterality. Support for this alternative view is based on novel variations of the laterality task that manipulate local perceptual features to control binding. Multisensory integration is automatic, orientation dependent, and biomechanically constrained. The multisensory model eliminates conceptual inconsistencies that arise when motor simulation is invoked in this task. Finally, the multisensory binding model predicts the observed reaction time delays during hand judgments in a broad range of patients who have a distorted body schema. The new model questions the role, if any, of motor simulation in perceptual decision making and emphasizes the need for stronger experimental evidence to establish that motor simulation is occurring.
Continuous nicotinamide administration improves behavioral recovery and reduces lesion size following bilateral frontal controlled cortical impact injury

Previous research has demonstrated considerable preclinical efficacy of nicotinamide (NAM; vitamin B(3)) in animal models of TBI with systemic dosing at 50 and 500 mg/kg yielding improvements on sensory, motor, cognitive and histological measures. The current study aimed to utilize a more specific dosing paradigm in a clinically relevant delivery mechanism: continuously secreting subcutaneous pumps. A bilateral frontal controlled cortical impact (CCI) or sham surgery was performed and rats were treated with NAM (150 mg/kg day) or saline (1 ml/kg) pumps 30 min after CCI, continuing until seven days post-CCI. Rats were given a loading dose of NAM (50mg/kg) or saline (1 ml/kg) following pump implant. Rats received behavioral testing (bilateral tactile adhesive removal, locomotor placing task and Morris water maze) starting on day two post-CCI and were sacrificed at 31 days post-CCI and brains were stained to examine lesion size. NAM-treated rats had reductions in sensory, motor and cognitive behavioral deficits compared to vehicle-treated rats. Specifically, NAM-treated rats significantly improved on the bilateral tactile adhesive removal task, locomotor placing task and the reference memory paradigm of the Morris water maze. Lesion size was also significantly reduced in the NAM-treated group. The results from this study indicate that at the current dose, NAM produces beneficial effects on recovery from a bilateral frontal brain injury and that it may be a relevant compound to be explored in human studies.
Mutual gaze in Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal and semantic dementia couples

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and semantic dementia (SD) are neurodegenerative diseases that differ in their socioemotional presentations. Mutual gaze (i.e. when two individuals make eye contact) is a building block of social behavior that may be differentially affected by these diseases. We studied 13 AD patients, 11 FTD patients, 9 SD patients and 22 normal controls as they engaged in conversations with partners about relationship conflicts. Physiological reactivity was monitored during the conversations and trained raters coded mutual gaze from videotaped recordings. Results indicated that mutual gaze was preserved in AD couples. Mutual gaze was diminished in FTD couples while SD couples showed evidence of greater mutual gaze. SD couples also showed lower physiological reactivity compared to controls. Across patient groups, reduced mutual gaze was associated with greater behavioral disturbance as measured by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, especially on the disinhibition and apathy subscales. These results point to subtle differences between the three types of dementia in the social realm that help to illuminate the nature of the disease process and could aid in differential diagnosis.
Throughput enhancement by multi-hop relaying in cellular radio networks with non-uniform traffic distribution

In this paper, we study the effects of multi-hop relaying on the throughput of the downstream channel in cellular systems. In particular, we compare the throughput of the multi-hop system with that of the conventional cellular system, demonstrating the achievable throughput improvement by the multi-hop relaying. We also propose a hybrid control strategy for the multi-hop relaying, in which we advocate the use of both, the direct transmission and the multi-hop relaying. Our study shows that most of the throughput gain can be obtained with the use of two- and three-hop relaying scheme. The multi-hop cellular network architecture can also be utilized as a self-configuring network mechanism that efficiently accommodates spatial and temporal variability of traffic patterns. We have studied the throughput improvement for the uniform, as well as for the non-uniform traffic distribution, and we conclude that the use of multi-hop relaying in cellular networks would be relatively robust to changes in the traffic distribution. The importance of this conclusion lies in the fact that it allows less stringent design and planning of such multi-hop cellular systems, as well as to improve the performance of the existing systems that are subject to temporal traffic changes.
Transcriptional Activation of the Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase 2 Gene by Sterol Regulatory Element-binding Protein/Adipocyte Determination and Differentiation Factor 1*

To identify genes that are transcriptionally activated by sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs), we utilized mRNA differential display and mutant cells that express either high or low levels of transcriptionally active SREBP. This approach identified stearoyl-CoA desaturase 2 (SCD2) as a new SREBP-regulated gene. Cells were transiently transfected with reporter genes under the control of different fragments of the mouse SCD2 promoter. Constructs containing >199 base pairs of the SCD2 proximal promoter were activated following incubation of cells in sterol-depleted medium or as a result of co-expression of SREBP-1a, SREBP-2, or rat adipocyte determination and differentiation factor 1 (ADD1). Electromobility shift assays and DNase I footprint analysis demonstrated that recombinant SREBP-1a bound to a novel cis element (5′-AGCAGATTGTG-3′) in the proximal promoter of the SCD2 gene. The finding that the endogenous SCD2 mRNA levels were induced when wild-type Chinese hamster ovary fibroblasts were incubated in sterol-deficient medium is consistent with a role for SREBP in regulating transcription of the gene. These studies identify SCD2 as a new member of the family of genes that are transcriptionally regulated in response to changing levels of nuclear SREBP/ADD1. In addition, the sterol regulatory element in the SCD2 promoter is distinct from all previously characterized motifs that confer SREBP- and ADD1-dependent transcriptional activation.
Sleep Disturbance in Euthymic Bipolar Patients

Sleep disturbance is a common feature during mood episodes in bipolar disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of such symptoms among euthymic bipolar patients, and their association with risk for mood episode recurrence. A cohort of bipolar I and II subjects participating in the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder who were euthymic for at least 8 weeks were included in this analysis. Survival analysis was used to examine the association between sleep disturbance on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and recurrence risk. A total of 73/483 bipolar I and II subjects reported at least mild sleep disturbance (MADRS sleep item ≥2) for the week prior to study entry. The presence of sleep problems was associated with a history of psychosis, number of previous suicide attempts, and anticonvulsant use. Sleep disturbance at study entry was significantly associated with risk for mood episode recurrence. Sleep disturbance is not uncommon between episodes for individuals with bipolar disorder and may be associated with a more severe course of illness. This suggests that sleep disturbance is an important prodromal symptom of bipolar disorder and should be considered a target for pharmacologic or psychosocial maintenance treatment.
Neural networks for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease

Coronary stenoses produce sounds due to the turbulent blood flow in partially occluded arteries. If these sounds are reliably detected, they provide a simple, noninvasive way to detect coronary artery disease. The authors examine the utility of neural networks for extracting useful information from the diastolic heart sounds associated with coronary stenoses and the clinical examination variables. Fifty-five recordings (35 abnormal, 20 normal) were studied. Ten of the patients in the database were selected for use as training cases for the neural network. The network correctly identified 25 or 30 patients with coronary artery disease and 13 of 15 patients with no apparent occlusions. These results compare favorably with other noninvasive methods for detecting coronary artery disease. >
Paleoclimatic significance of Phanerozoic reefs

A database of pre-Quaternary Phanerozoic reefs is used to test the significance of ancient reefs as paleoclimatic tracers. The compilation of reef paleolatitudes through time and comparison with published paleoclimate curves shows that neither the width of the tropical reef zone nor the total latitudinal range of reefs is correlated with published estimates of paleotemperature. However, reefs trace paleoclimate indirectly: Algal reefs tend to prevail during icehouse climatic intervals, and distinct high-latitude reefs are only developed in cold intervals, whereas during greenhouse episodes, the reef zone usually ended abruptly at a particular latitudinal boundary in the subtropics. Additionally, different biotic reef types tended to be concentrated in different latitudes. The lowest latitudes have usually been occupied by coralline sponge or microbial reefs, coral reefs tended to grow in intermediate latitudes, and bryozoan reefs constantly occupied the highest latitudinal position.
An Autoradiographic Time Study of Protein Bound Iodine in the Human Thyroid Gland

Thirty-eight human thyroid glands were studied by radioautography at varying intervals between administration of a tracer dose of radioactive iodine and biopsy or thyroidectomy. The intervals ranged from 3 hours to 16 days. In all cases, the greater part of all of the radioactivity was localized to the colloid; although it was not possible to be certain whether or not small amounts were present in the cells. In many cases with short intervals between administration of the radioactive iodine and excision of thyroid tissue, the radioactivity was localized chiefly to the colloid in the follicular periphery rather than being distributed homogeneously. The observations indicate that the principal site, if not only site, of organification of iodine in the human thyroid is in the intrafollicular colloid at or near the epithelium-colloid interface, and that the viscosity of the colloid hinders diffusion of the organically bound iodine from the periphery to the center of the follicle.
Trends in Opioid Agonist Therapy in the Veterans Health Administration: Is Supply Keeping up with Demand?

Background: Opioid agonist therapy (OAT) through addiction specialty clinic settings (clinic-based OAT) using methadone or buprenorphine or office-based settings using buprenorphine (office-based O...
Electret formation and charge storage in single crystal zirconia

Fully stabilized zirconia ZrO/sub 2/-Y/sub 2/O/sub 3/, 9.8 molar YO, exhibits behavior characteristic of electrets in most respects. Samples are characterized with attention to quasipermanent charge retention. A theory has been developed for the formation and decay of thermoelectrets to explain quantitatively different materials under different conditions as well as to explain semiquantitatively their decay and thermally stimulated discharge process. >
Enhancing a new design for subject access to online catalogs

Search trees are a set of paths with branches or choices that enable a system to carry out the most sensible search approach at each stage of a search. A new design for subject access to online catalogs enlists search trees to identify the characteristics of end‐user queries for subjects, control system responses, and determine appropriate subject‐searching approaches in response to the subject queries users entered. The purpose of this article is to identify characteristics of the most difficult user queries and recommend enhancements to the new subject‐searching design to enable it to produce useful retrievals in response to the wide variety of queries users pose to online catalogs. Online catalogs governed by search trees are more effective than the users themselves in selecting subject‐searching approaches that would produce useful information for the subjects users seek. The enhanced search trees presented and tested in this article enlist subject‐searching approaches that are not typical of the functionality of operational online catalogs. Design and development is required to upgrade existing online catalogs with search trees and new subject‐searching functionality to be successful in responding with useful retrievals to the most difficult user queries.
FoxM1, a critical regulator of oxidative stress during oncogenesis

The transcription factor FoxM1 is over-expressed in most human malignancies. Although it is evident that FoxM1 has critical functions in tumour development and progression, the mechanisms by which FoxM1 participates in those processes are not understood. Here, we describe an essential role of FoxM1 in the regulation of oxidative stress that contributes to malignant transformation and tumour cell survival. We identify a negative feedback loop involving FoxM1 that regulates reactive oxygen species (ROS) in proliferating cells. We show that induction of FoxM1 by oncogenic Ras requires ROS. Elevated FoxM1, in turn, downregulates ROS levels by stimulating expression of ROS scavenger genes, such as MnSOD, catalase and PRDX3. FoxM1 depletion sensitizes cells to oxidative stress and increases oncogene-induced premature senescence. Moreover, tumour cells expressing activated AKT1 are 'addicted' to FoxM1, as they require continuous presence of FoxM1 for survival. Together, our results identify FoxM1 as a key regulator of ROS in dividing cells, and provide insights into the mechanism how tumour cells use FoxM1 to control oxidative stress to escape premature senescence and apoptosis.
Pursuit: A Foraging Simulation Tool for Research and Teaching

This article describes a software tool called “Pursuit” that is intended to be used for both research and teaching on the topic of optimal foraging theory. The tool provides a dynamic graphical and auditory interface in which users encounter different prey animals and then must decide whether to pursue or ignore the encountered prey. Based on the characteristics of the prey in the foraging environment and the decisions of the player, each user harvests a set of prey per round and achieves a corresponding foraging return rate. Administrators of Pursuit specify the environmental parameters that determine what prey users will encounter. All environmental parameters and user decisions are tracked and logged for analysis. We created this tool for laboratory experiments, but we believe Pursuit could also be an engaging and effective teaching tool, whereby students adopt the role of forager, and through such play, experience a simulated foraging context and learn about foraging theory. Pursuit is freely availabl...
Age-Related Changes in Whole-Bone Structure and Strength

We review data on age-related changes in bone geometry of relevance to whole-bone strength, as well as the limited data on changes in strength. Consistently across many sites, women have bones that are smaller (by 15–30 %) than age-matched men, and thus are weaker. In both women and men, modest periosteal expansion of the diaphysis occurs throughout life, but this is accompanied by a faster rate of medullary expansion, especially in women. The net result is an age-related decrease in cortical bone at most sites in women, but negligible changes in men. At metaphyseal sites there is also modest periosteal expansion as well as endosteal expansion and net cortical bone loss. But the dominant change with aging is decreased trabecular bone density, with most studies showing greater rates of decline in women than men. These effects are especially pronounced at the proximal femur and vertebra. Changes in whole-bone strength with aging are less well documented. Available data (from mechanical tests and computer models) suggest modest declines in diaphyseal strength in women but not men, and much greater declines in strength of the proximal femur and vertebra. Women and men appear to lose proximal femur strength at similar rates, although the decline starts earlier in women. Also, both women and men lose vertebral strength with aging, with some data indicating a faster decline in women but other indicating equivalent rates of decline. In conclusion, there are important age-related changes in bone structure and density that affect whole-bone strength. Additional studies measuring whole-bone strength with aging are needed.