cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multisensory Feedback in Support of Pilot-Automation Coordination: The Case of Uncommanded Mode Transitions:

The introduction of advanced automation technology to the modern cockpit has created new attentional and monitoring demands for pilots whose primary role has shifted towards supervisory control. Observed breakdowns in pilots' mode awareness, i.e., in their knowledge and understanding of the current and future system configuration, suggest that these demands are not adequately supported by existing automation feedback. In particular, current feedback fails to highlight unexpected changes in system status and behavior due, in part, to designers' tendency to increasingly rely on focal visual attention instead of exploiting the wide range of sensory modalities available to human operators. In this study, we examined the feasibility and effectiveness of multisensory feedback for providing attentional guidance to pilots in case of unexpected mode transitions. Tactile or peripheral visual cues were presented in the context of a simulated flight scenario involving varying levels of competing visual demands. The r...
The use of genetic complementation in the study of eukaryotic macromolecular evolution: rate of spontaneous gene duplication at two loci of Drosophila melanogaster.

Gene duplications must play an important role in the evolutionary development of living organisms. Presented here is a general scheme that uses complementary alleles to isolate gene duplications in diploid organisms. The technique was used inDrosophila melanogaster to assess the rate of spontaneous gene duplication at two loci, maroon-like and rosy. The results indicate (1) that the rate of duplication of the maroon-like locus is on the order of 2.7×10−6; (2) that the rate of duplication of the rosy locus is approximately 1.7×10−4; and (3) that duplication occurs in males, suggesting that there may actually be two modes of gene duplication inDrosophila melanogaster.
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Measurements of Strain Induced Ozone Cracking in Rubber

Atomic bond rupture rate in rubber subjected to uniaxial tensile strain in ozone environment monitored by electron paramagnetic resonance measurements
Numerical Solution of Stiff Multibody Dynamic Systems Based on Kinematic Derivatives

The Hermite–Obreshkov–Pade (HOP) method of numerical integration is applicable to stiff systems of differential equations, where the linearization has large range of eigenvalues. A practical implementation of HOP requires the ability to determine high-order time derivatives of the system variables. In the case of a constrained multibody dynamical system, the power series solution for the kinematic differential equation is the foundation for an algorithmic differentiation (AD) procedure determining those derivatives. The AD procedure is extended in this paper to determine rates of change in the time derivatives with respect to variation in the position and velocity state variables of the multibody system. The coefficients of this variation form the Jacobian matrix required for Newton–Raphson iteration. That procedure solves the implicit relations for the state variables at the end of each integration time step. The resulting numerical method is applied to the rotation of a dynamically unbalanced constant-velocity (CV) shaft coupling, where the deflection angle of the output shaft is constrained to low levels by springs of high rate and damping.
Derivation and efficient implementation of a recursion formula to calculate harmonic Franck–Condon factors for polyatomic molecules

We present a simple derivation of a recursion formula for calculating harmonic Franck–Condon (FC) overlap integrals for polyatomic molecules. We also provide an efficient algorithm for computer implementation of the recursion formula. The algorithm resolves the problems associated with earlier implementations and has the following features: (1) It allows obtaining convergence of the series of FC overlap integrals to the degree desired (the measure of convergence is the sum of the FC factors, which is unity for the converged series); (2) the maximal number of quanta in the normal modes does not have to be specified a priori; (3) there is no computer memory bottleneck to do large FC calculations with many normal modes; (4) the algorithm uses binary trees to store data, thus making data retrieval fast and the algorithm highly efficient. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2003
Specimen material reversal in pin-on-disc tribotesting

Abstract Results from pin-on-disc wear tests in which specimen and counterface materials were interchanged are presented in this paper. In one set of tests, pins of material A were slid against discs of material B; then, in another set of tests, pins of material B were slid against discs of material A. There are many factors to consider in such experiments, including the fact that the pin experiences a greater sliding distance and presumaly higher near-surface temperatures. However, test results from such specimen material reversals are useful in studying the roles of thermal, mechanical and chemical processes in sliding wear and also in assessing the validity of tribotesting against a “standard” counterface material. The results reported include data on volume change (obtained from weight change measurements), on wear track profiles, on subsurface zone morphology and composition and on debris composition. As expected, these data indicate that significantly different results will be obtained for a given pin-on-disc test for pin material A against disc material B compared with pin B against disc A.
A Novel Low Cost Robot for Skill Training in Minimally Invasive Surgery

In this paper, a novel simple robotic system is developed for surgical training in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). The robot automatically measures motion data of instruments in real time using internal encoders, without additional sensing mechanisms. Kinematics equations are integrated in the control software to map motor motion to the instrument tip motion. These recorded motion data then can be analyzed in the computer system for objective evaluation using well established criteria. A neural network algorithm is employed in real time as the observer of weight and inertia effects which are compensated through motor control. Experiment results show that this compact robot provides good stability and smooth motion while guiding instruments using surgeon input. The tracking resolution is sufficient for objective evaluation purposes. The robot combines the realistic feel of MIS instruments with the capability of the computer to tabulate objective measures of performance and skill. Its flexibility as a training instrument can be of great benefit in both providing surgeons with much-needed practice and assessing the outcomes of that practice.© 2012 ASME
Integrated cardiac workstation for image and signal processing

We have developed a workstation for the cardiac catheterization laboratory. This system features: (1) an easy to learn and operate user-interface completely customized for the cathlab procedures, (2) local area network compatibility, (3) built-in database capabilities for patient data management, (4) real-time acquisition, display, and processing of physiological signals and (5) simultaneous displays of live-video images from an X-ray machine. The programs has been written in a very modular manner and can be easily upgraded or extended.
Retinopathy of prematurity.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disease that occurs in premature infants and affects the blood vessels of the developing retina. It results in the development of vascular shunts, neovascularization, and, in its more severe forms, traction retinal detachment. The development of retinal vascular shunts and neovascularization in ROP is believed to be related to local ischemia, which is a predominant feature of other proliferative retinopathies such as sickle cell and diabetic retinopathy. The unique feature of ROP relates to its occurrence only in premature infants with immature and incompletely vascularized retina. ROP is mild and undergoes spontaneous regression with no visual sequelae in the majority of affected infants. However, progression to advanced ROP does occur in a significant number of infants and can lead to severe visual impairment and even complete unilateral or bilateral blindness in some cases. Recent technological advances in neonatology have increased the survival rate of very low birth weight infants, which has led to a correspondingly increased incidence of ROP. This, in turn, has provided a major challenge to all physicians treating the premature infant and has created renewed interest in the pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of ROP.
Cognitive Behavioral Theories Used to Explain Injection Risk Behavior Among Injection Drug Users: A Review and Suggestions for the Integration of Cognitive and Environmental Models

Injection drug users (IDUs) are at risk for HIV and viral hepatitis, and risky injection behavior persists despite decades of intervention. Cognitive behavioral theories (CBTs) are commonly used to help understand risky injection behavior. The authors review findings from CBT-based studies of injection risk behavior among IDUs. An extensive literature search was conducted in spring 2007. In total, 33 studies were reviewed— 26 epidemiological and 7 intervention studies. Findings suggest that some theoretical constructs have received fairly consistent support (e.g., self-efficacy, social norms), whereas others have yielded inconsistent or null results (e.g., perceived susceptibility, knowledge, behavioral intentions, perceived barriers, perceived benefits, response efficacy, perceived severity). The authors offer some possible explanations for these inconsistent findings, including differences in theoretical constructs and measures across studies and a need to examine the environmental structures that influ...
Low-threshold CW 1.55-/spl mu/m GaAs-based lasers

We demonstrate the first low-threshold continuous-wave (CW) 1.55-/spl mu/m GaAs-based lasers. Using a single GaInNAsSb quantum well as the active region, edge-emitting lasers yielded CW thresholds as low as 579 A/cm/sup 2/ (550 A/cm/sup 2/ pulsed) and output powers > 100 mW.
Biological monitoring of diazinon exposure using saliva in an animal model.

Alternative biological monitoring methods are currently being pursued to better quantify pesticide exposures. In this study, the feasibility of using saliva as a tool for measuring diazinon exposure was determined in an animal model. Male Spraque-Dawley rats were dosed with 1 or 10 mg/kg diazinon by bolus intravenous injection. Time-matched saliva and arterial blood samples were collected from 10 to 250 min post administration. Diazinon was distributed and eliminated rapidly in rats following intravenous (iv) bolus injection, according to a two-compartmental pharmacokinetic analysis. Salivary concentration of diazinon showed a strong correlation with plasma concentration of diazinon. The saliva/plasma (S/P) concentration ratio of diazinon was not affected by administered dose, sampling time, or salivary flow rate, suggesting that salivary excretion of diazinon in rats is fairly constant. Diazinon concentrations in saliva were consistently lower than those in arterial plasma. The mean S/P concentration rat...
Detection of Lyman-β and Helium Resonance Radiation in the Night Sky

A rocket-borne photometer has detected far ultraviolet night glow radiations that are identified as Lyman-beta (HI 1026 angstroms), and the helium lines at 304 or 584 angstroms, or at both. At an altitude of 227 kilometers the measured intensity for Lyman-beta was about 10 rayleighs. The discrimination characteristics of the broad-band helium radiation filter give helium line intensities, at 227 kilometers, of 4.8 and 12 rayleighs, respectively, pending identification of the wavelength of the radiation as 304 or 584 angstroms. These ultraviolet radiations appear sufficient to maintain the night E and F(1) regions of the ionosphere.
LARGE-SCALE NETWORK DISTRIBUTION OF POOLED EMPTY FREIGHT CARS OVER TIME, WITH LIMITED SUBSTITUTION AND EQUITABLE BENEFITS

Abstract A set of models and procedures is described for finding the optimal distribution of empty freight cars owned by the railroads participating in a pooling agreement. A distinction is drawn between a system focus, in which the emphasis is on minimizing total cost, and a company focus, in which the benefits of the agreement to the individual railroads are emphasized. Limited car substitution is accounted for by combining interchange costs with distribution costs, and incorporating interchange possibilities and prohibitions into the network structure. Temporal variations in car supply and demand levels are also taken into account. A large-scale network algorithm is used in conjunction with decomposition to obtain solutions which show for a given time horizon how much equity can be achieved in the balance of savings among the railroads involved and at what cost. Results using actual operating data are reported.
Dissociation of the synthesis of sulphated mucopolysaccharides and the synthesis of collagen in embryonic cartilage

Abstract The possibility of an interrelationship between synthesis of collagen and the synthesis of sulphated mucopolysaccharides in embryonic cartilage was examined by selectivity inhibiting these synthetic pathways. When the synthesis of collagen was inhibited with α,α′-dipyridyl, the incorporation of d -[ i - 14 C]glucosamine and [ 35 S]-sulphate into non-dialyzable fractions continued. Inhibition of mucopolysaccharide synthesis with 6-diazo-5-oxonorleucine, an analogue of gluthamine, did not affect the biosynthesis of collagen. Autoradiographic studies showed that the synthesis of sulphated mucopolysaccharides could be inhibited without affecting the extrusion of collgen into the extracellular matrix, suggesting that the formation of a complex between collagen and mucopolysaccharides is not a necessary step for the incorporation of collagen into extracellular matrix. Observations reported here indicate that the synthetic processes leading to the formation of collagen and mucopolysaccharides may be dissociated, and they suggest that there is no essential interrelationship between the two pathways.
A surgeon’s perspective regarding the regulatory, compliance, and legal issues involved with physician-modified devices

Physician-modified endovascular devices are becoming commonplace in a modern climate where innovation outpaces regulated technological advancement. Off-label use of medical devices occurs on a daily basis throughout many institutions across the United States and when performed by physicians, is both legal and unregulated. The purpose of this invited commentary is to review the regulatory, compliance, and legal issues regarding the practice of medical device modification.
Equation for the rate constant for dissociation of diatomic molecules in gases

Abstract For energy level spacings small compared to kT, a partial differential form of the master equation is derived to describe the relaxation of a general oscillator with transitions between neighboring energy levels. A steady state model of dissociation is used to develop a closed-form equation for the rate constant of the chemical reaction. The rate constant is evaluated for various forms of the transition probability and is shown to be in satisfactory agreement with the corresponding model for discrete energy levels.
When does environmental regulation facilitate entry-deterring practices

Abstract This paper evaluates the welfare benefits of introducing environmental regulation in a market that is subject to the threat of entry. We consider complete and incomplete information settings, where potential entrants use the regulator's tax policy and the incumbent's output decisions in order to infer the incumbent's cost structure. When the regulator is absent, we show that firms' entry-deterring practices increase pollution relative to complete information. Hence, under certain conditions, environmental regulation becomes more beneficial in incomplete than in complete information contexts. Our results, therefore, identify under which cases an under- or over-estimation of the welfare benefits of environmental regulation arises from ignoring the information setting in which firms interact. We also examine how this estimation error increases as firms become more symmetric in their production costs.
Human platelet thermostable phenol sulfotransferase: assay of frozen samples and correlation between frozen and fresh activities.

Sulfate conjugation catalyzed by phenol sulfotransferase (PST, EC 2.8.2.1) is an important metabolic pathway for catecholamines, endogenous phenolic compounds and catechol drugs [l--4]. Thermolabile (TL) and thermostable (TS) forms of PST are present in human tissues [S-6]. The platelet is an easily obtained tissue that is useful for the study of human PST regulation [3-4,7-lo]. Only TS PST in fresh platelets prepared and assayed immediately differs between American blacks and whites in levels of activity and thermal stability [ll-121. The ability to collect, prepare and freeze multiple samples prior to assay would simplify family studies of platelet PST from American blacks. We had three objectives in this project. First, we modified the method of platelet preparation to allow frozen storage of samples and we investigated biochemical properties of the frozen enzyme. Second, we compared levels of TS PST activities and thermal stabilities from frozen and fresh samples. Third, we used the modified assay to measure TS PST activity and thermal stability in platelet samples from randomly selected subjects. The biochemical properties and activities of TS PST measured with p-nitrophenol by the modified assay compared well with the results obtained with fresh samples. The levels of TS PST activity and distributions of thermal stabilities detected with the frozen samples were essentially identical to results we reported with fresh samples [12].
Variation in the primary structure of carbonic anhydrase B in man, great apes, and old world monkeys.

Abstract The amino acid compositions and sequences of 15 homologous tryptic peptides of carbonic anhydrase B from man and 7 Old World primates were compared. Of the 133 residues examined, differences were noted at 8 presumably homologous sites. Chimpanzee and man differed at only one site, whereas orangutan and man differed at four sites. The four monkey species differed from man by four to 6 residues. The fixation rates for mutations of these carbonic anhydrases appear to be similar to those found for the hemoglobin chains of the same species.
An indirect test of correlation

Measurements are frequently made of two unpaired dependent variables, Y and Z, at levels of a common independent variable, x. However, the relationship of primary interest may not be between Y and x or Z and x, but between Y and Z. Since Y and Z are not paired it is not possible to directly regress Y on Z or Z on Y, calculate a partial correlation coefficient or perform a covariance analysis with x as a covariate. A method based on normal theory has been developed to indirectly test for correlation from regression analysis of two or more dependent variables when they share a common independent variable. Examples of application of the technique are taken from field studies of the toxic effects of the emissions of a lead smelter on a variety of biological systems.
Acute effects of smoking marijuana on hormones, subjective effects and performance in male human subjects

Four healthy male subjects smoked two marijuana cigarettes or one marijuana cigarette and one placebo cigarette, or two placebo cigarettes on separate days in a random order crossover design. Each marijuana cigarette contained 2.8% delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Plasma hormones and THC were measured before and after each smoking session. Plasma LH was significantly depressed and cortisol was significantly elevated after smoking marijuana. Nonsignificant depressions of prolactin, FSH, testosterone and free testosterone and elevation of GH also occurred. Concurrent measures of subjective effects via subscales of the Addiction Research Center Inventory, Single Dose Questionnaire and a Visual Analog Scale were generally elevated. Significant impairment on a psychomotor performance task paralleled elevations in subjective effects, hormone effects and peak THC determinations. Although all the hormone effects were within normal basal ranges, interactions between these systems, and their effects on behavior cannot be discounted.
Effect of siRNA nuclease stability on the in vitro and in vivo kinetics of siRNA‐mediated gene silencing

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules achieve sequence-specific gene silencing through the RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism. Here, live-cell and live-animal bioluminescent imaging (BLI) is used to directly compare luciferase knockdown by unmodified and nuclease-stabilized siRNAs in rapidly (HeLa) and slowly (CCD-1074Sk) dividing cells to reveal the impact of cell division and siRNA nuclease stability on the kinetics of siRNA-mediated gene silencing. Luciferase knockdown using unmodified siRNAs lasts approximately 1 week in HeLa cells and up to 1 month in CCD-1074Sk cells. There is a slight increase in the duration of luciferase knockdown by nuclease-stabilized siRNAs relative to unmodified siRNAs after cationic lipid transfection, but this difference is not observed after electroporation. In BALB/cJ mice, a fourfold increase in maximum luciferase knockdown is observed after hydrodynamic injection (HDI) of nuclease-stabilized siRNAs relative to unmodified siRNAs, yet the overall kinetics of the recovery after knockdown are nearly identical. By using a mathematical model of siRNA-mediated gene silencing, the trends observed in the experimental data can be duplicated by changing model parameters that affect the stability of the siRNAs before they reach the cytosolic compartment. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that the stabilization advantages of nuclease-stabilized siRNAs originate primarily from effects prior to and during internalization before the siRNAs can interact with the intracellular RNAi machinery.
Resolution Threshold for Closely Spaced Noncircular Emitters

This paper addresses the resolution of the standard and non-circular MUSIC algorithms for arbitrary distribution and non-circularity of two closely spaced transmitters. Using an analysis based on perturbations of the noise projector instead of those of the eigenvectors, interpretable closed-form expressions of the threshold array signal to noise ratios (ASNR) at which these two algorithms are able to resolve the transmitters along the Cox and the Sharman and Durrani criteria are given. We prove in particular that the threshold ASNRs given by the noncircular MUSIC algorithm are sensitive to the non-circularity phase separation of the sources and are comfortably smaller that those given by the standard MUSIC algorithm. Numerical examples illustrate these results.
TF2 binds to the regulatory promoter of alkaline phosphatase in Dicytostelium.

Abstract Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity becomes restricted to PstO cells at the prestalk–prespore boundary during the later stages of development, suggesting a novel function in the regulation of prestalk cell differentiation. To identify regulatory control sequences within the alp promoter, a series of 5′ and internal deletions were generated and fused to the LacZ reporter gene. In vitro assays of reporter activity from Dicytostelium transformants containing the deleted promoter–LacZ fusion constructs showed that the − 683 to − 468 bp sequence is required for proper activation of the reporter in developing slugs. To identify DNA–protein interactions involved in the regulation of alp , EMSAs were preformed using a series of short overlapping PCR probes that span the regulatory promoter sequence. A sequence-specific DNA-binding protein was identified that interacts with the − 665 to − 635 bp sequence. This DNA-binding protein was sequentially purified using DEAE-Sephacel, heparin-Sepharose, DNA Affinity, and gel filtration chromatography. A polypeptide with a molecular weight of 28 kDa was identified on an SDS-PAGE. The purified protein was identified as TF2 by mass spectrometry. TF2 may, therefore, bind to the regulatory promoter of alp and function in the developmental control of PstO differentiation in Dicytostelium .
Federal Role in Establishing National Income Security for Children

Abstract As the United States attempts to minimize public spending on social welfare programs and to shift the authority over many programs to the states, the federal government needs to establish a program of income security for children that is not tied to welfare. Such a program is in the national interest because the country will need a strong, competent workforce to deal with stiffer global economic competition and a greater financial obligation to support the elderly. This article discusses why income security for children cannot be provided by the current system of income transfers and advocates the establishment of a $1,000 refundable tax credit for all children and an expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Examination of Industry Payments to Radiation Oncologists in 2014 Using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments Database

Purpose To use the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments database to characterize payments made to radiation oncologists and compare their payment profile with that of medical and surgical oncologists. Methods and Materials The June 2015 release of the Open Payments database was accessed, containing all payments made to physicians in 2014. The general payments dataset was used for analysis. Data on payments made to medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists was obtained and compared. Within radiation oncology, data regarding payment category, sponsorship, and geographic distribution were identified. Basic statistics including mean, median, range, and sum were calculated by provider and by transaction. Results Among the 3 oncologic specialties, radiation oncology had the smallest proportion (58%) of compensated physicians and the lowest mean ($1620) and median ($112) payment per provider. Surgical oncology had the highest proportion (84%) of compensated physicians, whereas medical oncology had the highest mean ($6371) and median ($448) payment per physician. Within radiation oncology, nonconsulting services accounted for the most money to physicians ($1,042,556), whereas the majority of the sponsors were medical device companies (52%). Radiation oncologists in the West accepted the most money ($2,041,603) of any US Census region. Conclusions Radiation oncologists in 2014 received a large number of payments from industry, although less than their medical or surgical counterparts. As the Open Payments database continues to be improved, it remains to be seen whether this information will be used by patients to inform choice of providers or by lawmakers to enact policy regulating physician–industry relationships.
Cellular electrophysiology of amlodipine: probing the cardiac L-type calcium channel.

Abstract The electrophysiologic properties of amlodipine in single guinea-pig ventricular cells were investigated. The degree of ionization of the drug molecule was found to affect both the development of and the recovery from block of L-type calcium channels. Under alkaline conditions, when most of the drug is in a neutral form, the actions of amlodipine resemble previously described neutral dihydropyridine (DHP) compounds. Under these conditions, calcium channel block by andodipine is reversibly, regulated by cell membrane potential, i.e., block is more pronounced at voltages positive to −50 mV and completely relieved at voltages negative to −80 mV. When the drug molecule is ionized, block develops very slowly at positive membrane potentials and is very difficult to relieve on returning the membrane potential to more negative voltages. it is concluded that the degree of ionization of the drug molecule limits access to the DHP receptor and that the drug-bound receptor can be titrated by extracellula hydrogen ions. These results place limitations on the location of the DHP receptor within the cardiac sarcolemmal membrane.
Servomatic: a modular system for robust positioning using stereo visual servoing

We introduce Servomatic, a modular system for robot motion control based on calibration-insensitive visual servoing. A small number of generic motion control operations referred to as primitive skills use stereo visual feedback to enforce a specific task-space kinematic constraint between a robot end-effector and a set of target features. Primitive skills are able to position with an accuracy that is independent of errors in hand-eye calibration and are easily combined to form more complex kinematic constraints as required by different applications. The system has been applied to a number of example problems, showing that modular, high precision, vision-based motion control is easily achieved with off-the-shelf hardware. Our continuing goal is to develop a system where low-level robot control ceases to be a concern to higher-level robotics researchers.
Multi-user detection in alpha stable noise

We study several existing and new techniques for robust multiuser detection in the presence of alpha stable ambient noise. These methods are based on minimizing a certain cost function (e.g., the Huber penalty function) over a discrete set of candidate user bit vectors. The candidate vectors are either obtained by quantizing the continuous minimizers or based on the slowest-descent approach. Simulation results show that the new techniques offer substantial performance and convergence rate improvement over the recently proposed robust multiuser detectors, with little attendant increase in computational complexity. Furthermore, performance sensitivity on the parameter alpha of the noise distribution is low.
Population interactions between parietal and primary motor cortices during reach

Neural interactions between parietal area 2/5 and primary motor cortex (M1) were examined to determine the timing and behavioral correlates of cortico-cortical interactions. Neural activity in area...
Medial prefrontal cortex predicts intertemporal choice

People often make shortsighted decisions to receive small benefits in the present rather than large benefits in the future, that is, to favor their current selves over their future selves. In two studies using fMRI, we demonstrated that people make such decisions in part because they fail to engage in the same degree of self-referential processing when thinking about their future selves. When participants predicted how much they would enjoy an event in the future, they showed less activity in brain regions associated with introspective self-reference-such as the ventromedial pFC (vMPFC)-than when they predicted how much they would enjoy events in the present. Moreover, the magnitude of vMPFC reduction predicted the extent to which participants made shortsighted monetary decisions several weeks later. In light of recent findings that the vMPFC contributes to the ability to simulate future events from a first-person perspective, these data suggest that shortsighted decisions result in part from a failure to fully imagine the subjective experience of one's future self.
Bovine dwarfism: clinical, biochemical, radiological and pathological aspects.

Summary A total of 27 clinically diagnosed bovine dwarfs were submitted as part of a continuous investigation into the frequency, nature, and cause of congenital defects in cattle. The dwarfs varied in age, sex, breed, and phenotypic appearance. Haematological, enzymological and karyotype findings were not significantly different from normal calves. Macroscopic findings were variable. Four calves had small or cystic pituitary glands and were suspected to be pituitary-type dwarfs. One had chronic renal disease and elevated plasma somatomedin-C levels and was considered a renal-type dwarf. Two calves had thymic lymphosarcoma, which could account for thymic-associated dwarfism. Four calves had chronic debilitating diseases (one mesothelioma, two pleuropneumonia, and one omental bursitis) which could explain the abnormal growth. Reasons for dwarfism in the other 14 calves were not determined. Histological, biochemical, and radiological evidence, and the possible inheritance pattern in two “bulldog” type Holstein dwarfs indicated a similarity to human achondrogenesis type II dwarfism and so this condition might be a good model for human chondrodystrophy. Zusammenfassung Boviner Zwergwuchs: Klinische, biochemische, radiologische und pathologische Aspekte: Insgesamt wurden 27 klinisch diagnostizierte Falle von Zwergwuchs im Rahmen einer fortlaufenden Studie uber Frequenz, Art und Ursache von kongenitalen Defekten beim Rind untersucht. Die Zwerge unterschieden sich bezuglich Alter, Geschlecht, Rasse und Phenotyp. Die hamatologischen, enzymologischen und Karyotyp-Befunde unterschieden sich nicht von denjenigen normaler Kalber. Die makroskopischen Befunde waren variabel. Vier Kalber hatten kleine oder cystisch entartete Hypophysen und reprasentierten vermutlich hypophysare Zwerge. Ein Kalb hatte einen chronischen Nierenschaden und erhohte Plasma-Somatomedin C-Spiegel und wurde als Zwerg von renalem Typ angesehen. Zwei Kalber wiesen Lymphosarkome des Thymus auf und reprasentierten daher wahrscheinlich einen Thymus-assoziierten Zwergwuchs. Vier Kalber hatten schwere chronische Erkrankungen (ein Mesotheliom, zweimal Bronchopneumonie und eine omentale Bursitis), die als Erklarung fur das abnormale Wachstum in Betracht kommen. Die Ursachen fur den Zwergwuchs in weiteren 14 Fallen wurden nicht ermittelt. Histologische, biochemische und radiologische Hinweise sowie das mogliche Vererbungsmuster bei zwei Holstein-Zwergen vom Bulldoggen-Typ deuten auf eine Ahnlichkeit zum menschlichen Zwergwuchs “Achondrogenese Typ II” hin. Damit konnte dieser Typ des bovinen Zwergwuchses ein gutes Modell fur die menschliche Chondrodystrophie sein.
Review of “Open Access: What You Need to Know Now,” by Walt Crawford

Chicago: American Library Association, 2011, 76 pp., ISBN: 978-0-8389-1106-8, paperback, $45.00. Open access is one of the most important issues for librarians to understand in the 21st century. Op...
Convicted Women Who Have Killed Children A Self-Psychology Perspective

Because the innocence and vulnerability of children typically arouse feelings of nurturance and protectiveness, how do we understand homicides involving women who have killed children? As part of a NIDA-funded study that examined the role of drugs in homicides committed by women, life history interviews with 42 women convicted of killing children were conducted. Repeated experiences of damage to the self, including physical and sexual victimization, suicide attempts, and substance abuse, were evident throughout the lives of these women. The extent that these self-damage indicators interfered with the women's ability to parent children is discussed. Links between these self-damage experiences and the homicide are explored.
Wavelets and fractals: overview of their similarities based on different application areas

Wavelets and fractals can be used as analysis tools in many areas of sciences and engineering. Some of the application areas, established or potential, are common for both wavelets and fractals. Application areas analyzed include modeling and seismic studies, construction and reconstruction of images, graphics, and storage and transmission of information. It is concluded that application similarities really exist between wavelets and fractals. >
Supernatural Environments in Shakespeare's England: Spaces of Demonism, Divinity, and Drama

Prologue: setting - and unsettling - the stage Introduction: the space of the supernatural 1. The devil's in the archive: Ovidian physics and Doctor Faustus 2. Scene at the deathbed: Ars Moriendi, Othello, and envisioning the supernatural 3. When hell freezes over: the fabulous Mount Hecla and Hamlet's infernal geography 4. Metamorphic cosmologies: the world according to Calvin, Hooker, and Macbeth 5. Divine geometry in a geodetic age: surveying, God, and The Tempest Epilogue: re-enchanting geography.
Merger of binary white dwarf–neutron stars: Simulations in full general relativity

We perform fully general relativistic simulations to address the inspiral and merger of binary white dwarf--neutron stars. The initial binary is in a circular orbit at the Roche critical separation. The goal is to determine the ultimate fate of such systems. We focus on binaries whose total mass exceeds the maximum mass (${M}_{\mathrm{max}﻿}$) a cold, degenerate equation of state can support against gravitational collapse. The time and length scales span many orders of magnitude, making fully general relativistic hydrodynamic simulations computationally prohibitive. For this reason, we model the white dwarf as a ``pseudo---white dwarf'' as in our binary white dwarf--neutron star (WDNS) head-on collisions study [V. Paschalidis, Z. Etienne, Y. T. Liu, and S. L. Shapiro, Phys. Rev. D 83, 064002 (2011)]. Our general relativistic hydrodynamic simulations of a pseudo-WDNS (pWDNS) system with a $0.98{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ white dwarf and a $1.4{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ neutron star show that the merger remnant is a spinning Thorne-Zytkow-like object (TZlO) surrounded by a massive disk. The final total rest mass exceeds ${M}_{\mathrm{max}﻿}$, but the remnant does not collapse promptly. To assess whether the object will ultimately collapse after cooling, we introduce radiative thermal cooling. We first apply our cooling algorithm to TZlOs formed in pWDNS head-on collisions, and show that these objects collapse and form black holes on the cooling time scale, as expected. However, when we cool the spinning TZlO formed in the merger of a circular-orbit pWDNS binary, the remnant does not collapse, demonstrating that differential rotational support is sufficient to prevent collapse. Given that the final total mass exceeds ${M}_{\mathrm{max}﻿}$ for our cold equation of state, magnetic fields and/or viscosity may redistribute angular momentum, ultimately leading to delayed collapse to a black hole. We infer that the merger of realistic massive WDNS binaries likely will lead to the formation of spinning TZlOs that undergo delayed collapse.
Altered mental status and complete heart block: an unusual presentation of aspirin toxicity

Aspirin is one of the most commonly used medications. We report a patient who presented with severe weakness, altered mental status and complete heart block requiring temporary pacing. Despite the patient's family denying that the patient used aspirin, an arterial blood gas that revealed a respiratory alkalosis and metabolic acidosis suggested the diagnosis of salicylate toxicity. The salicylate level was extremely elevated and the patient was successfully treated with haemodialysis. Our case illustrates that salicylate toxicity should be considered in a patient with a combined metabolic acidosis and respiratory alkalosis. A prompt salicylate level should be obtained. This is also the first case of salicylate toxicity causing complete heart block in an adult. The heart block resolved with treatment of the salicylate toxicity.
The Evolutionary Origins of Glia

The evolutionary origins of glia are lost in time, as soft tissues rarely leave behind fossil footprints, and any molecular footprints they might have been left we have yet to decipher. Nevertheless, because of the growing realization of the importance glia plays in the development and functioning of the nervous system, lessons we can draw about commonalities among different taxa (including vertebrates) brought about either from a common origin, or from common adaptational pressures, shed light on the roles glia play in all nervous systems. The Acoelomorpha, primitive interstitial flatworms with very simple cellular organization and currently at the base of the bilaterian phylogeny, possess glia-like cells. If they indeed represent the ancestors of all other Bilateria, then it is possible that all glias derive from a common ancestor. However, basal taxa lacking convincing glia are found in most major phyletic lines: urochordates, hemichordates, bryozoans, rotifers, and basal platyhelminths. With deep phylogenies currently in flux, it is equally possible that glia in several lines had different origins. If developmental patterns are any indication, glia evolved from ectodermal cells, possibly from a mobile lineage, and even possibly independently in different regions of the body. As to what functions might have brought about the evolution of glia, by-product removal, structural support, phagocytic needs, developmental programming, and circuit modulation may be the more likely. Explaining possible cases of glial loss is more difficult, as once evolved, glia appears to keep inventing new functions, giving it continued value even after the original generative need becomes obsolete. Among all the uncertainties regarding the origin of glia, one thing is certain: that our ideas about those origins will change with every rearrangement in deep phylogeny and with continued advances in invertebrate molecular and developmental areas.
Crafting resonance: Empathy and belonging in ancient Rajasthan:

In this article I introduce the concept of resonance to interrogate how things and meanings are relevant beyond the cultural context within which they begin. The notion of resonance is theorized as...
Implementing Welfare-to-Work Services: A Study of Staff Decision-Making

In the post-welfare reform era, increased discretion has been given to frontline staff for day-today welfare policy implementation. To determine how frontline staff address the complex needs of welfare program participants in this new policy environment, the decision-making processes of welfare staff (N = 52) in 11 San Francisco Bay Area county social service agencies were assessed through a case vignette using a Web-based survey design. We examined staff decision making in four areas: problem recognition, goal formulation, information search processes, and evaluation. The results suggest that the high level of staff discretion apparent in the day-to-day implementation of welfare policy may have important implications for participants. Several recommendations for policy, practice, and future research are presented.
Role of Tissue Factor and Factor VIa in the Coagulant and Inflammatory Response to LD100 Escherichia coliin the Baboon

Anti-tissue factor antibody and active site-inhibited factor VIla inhibit both the disseminated intravascular coagulant response to LD100 Escherichia coli and its lethal i
Redefining syndromic surveillance

With growing concerns about international spread of disease and expanding use of early disease detection surveillance methods, the field of syndromic surveillance has received increased attention over the last decade. The purpose of this article is to clarify the various meanings that have been assigned to the term syndromic surveillance and to propose a refined categorization of the characteristics of these systems. Existing literature and conference proceedings were examined on syndromic surveillance from 1998 to 2010, focusing on low- and middle-income settings. Based on the 36 unique definitions of syndromic surveillance found in the literature, five commonly accepted principles of syndromic surveillance systems were identified, as well as two fundamental categories: specific and non-specific disease detection. Ultimately, the proposed categorization of syndromic surveillance distinguishes between systems that focus on detecting defined syndromes or outcomes of interest and those that aim to uncover non-specific trends that suggest an outbreak may be occurring. By providing an accurate and comprehensive picture of this field's capabilities, and differentiating among system types, a unified understanding of the syndromic surveillance field can be developed, encouraging the adoption, investment in, and implementation of these systems in settings that need bolstered surveillance capacity, particularly low- and middle-income countries.
La vida al otro lado de la frontera: estudio fenomenológico del proceso de aculturación de las mujeres hispanas en los Estados Unidos

Los obstaculos encontrados en el camino hacia los Estados Unidos y la adaptacion a las normas y costumbres norteamericanas representan un enorme desafio para las inmigrantes hispanas. El objetivo de este estudio cualitativo fue investigar desde un enfoque fenomenologico el significado de las experiencias de vida de ocho mujeres de origen hispano quienes residen en el Metroplex de Dallas, Texas. Para lograr dicho cometido, se diseno un protocolo de entrevista semi estructurado cuya finalidad fue explorar los motivos que las llevaron a dejar sus paises de origen y describir las principales experiencias que han vivido en su propio proceso de aculturacion. En la narrativa de las participantes se identificaron factores fuertemente relacionados con este proceso entre los que destacaron: la busqueda de mejores condiciones economicas en los Estados Unidos, los sentimientos de nostalgia y tristeza, el miedo a ser deportadas, la adaptacion a la cultura norteamericana, el hecho de que sus hijos son bilingues, el continuo apoyo de su familia y amigos, la posibilidad de trabajar en la fuerza laboral, la barrera del idioma ingles y el contacto con otros latinos. Como quedo constatado en este estudio, la presencia de estos factores es un elemento clave para entender las vicisitudes que conlleva la vida de las inmigrantes de origen hispano una vez que logran cruzar la frontera.
Continuous mucociliary transport by primary human airway epithelial cells in vitro

Mucociliary clearance (MCC) is an important innate defense mechanism that continuously removes inhaled pathogens and particulates from the airways. Normal MCC is essential for maintaining a healthy respiratory system, and impaired MCC is a feature of many airway diseases, including both genetic (cystic fibrosis, primary ciliary dyskinesia) and acquired (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis) disorders. Research into the fundamental processes controlling MCC, therefore, has direct clinical application, but has been limited in part due to the difficulty of studying this complex multicomponent system in vitro. In this study, we have characterized a novel method that allows human airway epithelial cells to differentiate into a mucociliary epithelium that transports mucus in a continuous circular track. The mucociliary transport device allows the measurement and manipulation of all features of mucociliary transport in a controlled in vitro system. In this initial study, the effect of ciliary beat frequency and mucus concentration on the speed of mucociliary transport was investigated.
Lateral Hypothalamic Circuits for Feeding and Reward

In experiments conducted over 60 years ago, the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) was identified as a critical neuroanatomical substrate for motivated behavior. Electrical stimulation of the LHA induces voracious feeding even in well-fed animals. In the absence of food, animals will work tirelessly, often lever-pressing thousands of times per hour, for electrical stimulation at the same site that provokes feeding, drinking and other species-typical motivated behaviors. Here we review the classic findings from electrical stimulation studies and integrate them with more recent work that has used contemporary circuit-based approaches to study the LHA. We identify specific anatomically and molecularly defined LHA elements that integrate diverse information arising from cortical, extended amygdala and basal forebrain networks to ultimately generate a highly specified and invigorated behavioral state conveyed via LHA projections to downstream reward and feeding-specific circuits.