cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sensitization to social anxiolytic effects of ethanol in adolescent and adult Sprague–Dawley rats after repeated ethanol exposure

Ontogenetic studies using a social interaction paradigm have shown that adolescent rats are less sensitive to anxiolytic properties of acute ethanol than their adult counterparts. It is not known, however, whether adaptations to these anxiolytic effects upon repeated experiences with ethanol would be similar in adolescents and adults. The present study investigated sensitivity to the anxiolytic effects of ethanol in adolescent and adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats following 7 days of exposure [postnatal day (P) 27–33 for adolescents and P62–68 for adults] to 1 g/kg ethanol or saline (i.p.), as well as in animals left non-manipulated during this time. Anxiolytic effects of ethanol (0, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, and 1.5 g/kg for adolescents and 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, and 1.25 g/kg for adults in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively) were examined 48 hours after the last exposure using a modified social interaction test under unfamiliar test circumstances. At both ages, repeated ethanol exposure resulted in the development of apparent sensitization to anxiolytic effects of ethanol indexed via enhancement of social investigation and transformation of social avoidance into social indifference or preference, as well as expression of tolerance to the socially inhibiting effects induced by higher ethanol doses. Evidence for the emergence of sensitization in adults and tolerance at both ages was seen not only following chronic ethanol, but also after chronic saline exposure, suggesting that chronic manipulation per se may be sufficient to alter the sensitivity of both adolescents and adults to socially-relevant effects of ethanol.
A MIXED INTEGER KNAPSACK MODEL FOR ALLOCATING FUNDS TO HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS

This paper presents a methodology for allocating funds to highway safety improvements. Besides the commonly used binary variables that represent discrete interventions at specific points of a highway, continuous variables are introduced to represent the lengths of a highway over which continuous improvements, such as pavement resurfacing or lighting, are implemented. The problem is formulated as a mixed integer knapsack model with linear multiple choice constraints. Some insight into its solution properties is provided and an efficient branch and bound algorithm is proposed for its solution. A case study that illustrates the application of the model is also presented.
Nutritional requirements for reproduction of a temperature sensitive nematode, reared in axenic culture.

Summary1. Temperature-sensitivity in C. clegans Bergerac is a complex system, composed of a combination of factors, i.e., a) the production of an inhibitory factor in response to higher temperatures, and b) nutritional requirements consisting of proper mineral balance and certain vitamins. 2. Temperature-sensitivity can be overcome by growing the worms at 17°C in 50% heated liver extract + 30% partially defined (peptone) medium and heat-treating them at 27°C for 27 hours in distilled water or in cold blooded Ringers solution. Worms grown in 50% liver extract + water and heat-shocked in distilled water do not reproduce. Deletion and addition of groups of nutrients to the medium indicates that both vitamins and salts are required for protection against heat-shock in distilled water. 3. The need for extra vitamins is eliminated when the worms are grown at 17°C in 50% liver extract + water and heat-shocked in Ringers solution. Comparison of the salts in the peptone medium and Ringers solution suggests that ei...
Fractal behavior of ozone, wind and temperature in the lower stratosphere

We apply a measure from fractal geometry to time series of airborne observations of ozone and meteorological quantities in the lower stratosphere. The Hurst exponent measure demonstrates that the lower stratospheric ozone, wind and temperature obey single exponent power law scaling to a high degree of fidelity. As a result, we suggest that ozone and horizontal windspeed behave as random, self-affine fractals, that vertical wind speed behaves antipersistently and that horizontal wind direction and temperature behave persistently. The persistent variables are candidates for multifractality.
Extent and Direction of Arterial Remodeling in Stable Versus Unstable Coronary Syndromes An Intravascular Ultrasound Study

Background—The morphological characteristics of coronary plaques in patients with stable versus unstable coronary syndromes have been described in vivo with intravascular ultrasound, but the relationship between arterial remodeling and clinical presentation is not well known. Methods and Results—We studied 85 patients with unstable and 46 patients with stable coronary syndromes using intravascular ultrasound before coronary intervention. The lesion site and a proximal reference site were analyzed. The remodeling ratio (RR) was defined as the ratio of the external elastic membrane (EEM) area at the lesion to that at the proximal reference site. Positive remodeling was defined as an RR >1.05 and negative remodeling as an RR <0.95. Plaque area (13.9±5.5 versus 11.1±4.8 mm2; P=0.005), EEM area (16.1±6.2 versus 13.0±4.8 mm2; P=0.004), and the RR (1.06±0.2 versus 0.94±0.2; P=0.008) were significantly greater at target lesions in patients with unstable syndromes than in patients with stable syndromes. Positive r...
Application of the Transtheoretical Model to Cervical Cancer Screening in Latina Women

This study examined the relationship between the intention to receive Pap tests for cervical cancer screening, as related to the transtheoretical model of behavior change, and self-efficacy, and perceived barriers and benefits among Latina women. A sample of 121 Latina women recruited from a University campus completed validated questionnaires. Over half the participants (62 %) reported engaging in regular cervical screening. The greatest self-efficacy scores were observed among women in the action/maintenance phase, and the least self-efficacy was observed among women in the no-intention phases of behavior change. There was also a gradient in perceived barriers and the stages of change, women in precontemplative/relapse perceived significantly higher barriers than those in contemplation/preparation and action/maintenance. This study identifies a high-risk group of Latina women and demonstrates a need for culturally targeted Pap screening interventions using validated and theoretically driven behavior change interventions focusing on perceived barriers and benefits, and self-efficacy.
Genetic Dissection of the Functions of the Melanocortin-3 Receptor, a Seven-transmembrane G-protein-coupled Receptor, Suggests Roles for Central and Peripheral Receptors in Energy Homeostasis

The melanocortin-3 receptor (MC3R) gene is pleiotropic, influencing body composition, natriuresis, immune function, and entrainment of circadian rhythms to nutrient intake. MC3Rs are expressed in hypothalamic and limbic regions of the brain and in peripheral tissues. To investigate the roles of central MC3Rs, we inserted a “lox-stop-lox” (LoxTB) 5′ of the translation initiation codon of the mouse Mc3r gene and reactivated transcription using neuron-specific Cre transgenic mice. As predicted based on earlier observations of Mc3r knock-out mice, Mc3rTB/TB mice displayed reduced lean mass, increased fat mass, and accelerated diet-induced obesity. Surprisingly, rescuing Mc3r expression in the nervous system using the Nestin-Cre transgene only partially rescued obesity in chow-fed conditions and had no impact on the accelerated diet-induced obesity phenotype. The ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), a critical node in the neural networks regulating feeding-related behaviors and metabolic homeostasis, exhibits dense Mc3r expression relative to other brain regions. To target VMH MC3R expression, we used the steroidogenic factor-1 Cre transgenic mouse. Although restoring VMH MC3R signaling also had a modest impact on obesity, marked improvements in metabolic homeostasis were observed. VMH MC3R signaling was not sufficient to rescue the lean mass phenotype or the regulation of behaviors anticipating food anticipation. These results suggest that actions of MC3Rs impacting on energy homeostasis involve both central and peripheral sites of action. The impact of central MC3Rs on behavior and metabolism involves divergent pathways; VMH MC3R signaling improves metabolic homeostasis but does not significantly impact on the expression of behaviors anticipating nutrient availability.
Stochastic Boundary Values and Boundary Singularities for Solutions of the EquationLu=uα

Abstract We investigate positive solutions of a nonlinear equationLu=uαwhereLis a second order elliptic differential operator in a Riemannian manifoldEand 1 2. We establish a 1-1 correspondence between the set U of positive solutions and a class Z of functionals ofXwhich we call linear boundary functionals (they depend only on the behavior ofXnear the Martin boundaryE′). The class Z is a closed convex cone andu∈ U is a subadditive function ofZ∈ Z . Special roles belong to moderate solutions corresponding toZwith finite mathematical expectations and to a family of solutions determined by the range ofX. A new formula is deduced connectingu,ZandL-diffusions conditioned to hit the boundaryE′ at a given pointy. A concept of a singular boundary point foruis introduced in terms of the conditioned diffusion.
DNA from two Orgyia pseudotsugata baculoviruses: molecular weight determination by means of electron microscopy and restriction endonuclease analysis.

Abstract Both aqueous and urea-formamide procedures for spreading nucleic acid were employed for electron microscopic studies on the DNAs from the nucleopolyhedrosis bundle virus (NPBV) and the nucleopolyhedrosis single-rod virus (NPSV) both of which are pathogenic for Orgyia pseudotsugata . The molecular weight estimates via electron microscopy were derived by comparison of the mean length values for the double-stranded relaxed circular DNAs with that of SV40 DNA. The aqueous and urea-formamide spreading methods yielded NPSV DNA molecular weight values of 103 × 10 6 and 104 × 10 6 daltons, respectively, and molecular weight values of 87 × 10 6 and 85 × 10 6 daltons for NPBV DNA. These molecular weights were compared with molecular weight estimates from restriction endonuclease analysis, sedimentation analysis, and renaturation kinetic analysis. DNA located within the NPBV polyhedra but external to virions was characterized by restriction endonuclease analysis and examined by electron microscopy. It was determined to be composed of fragments of random size and to be viral origin.
Correlation properties of the token leaky bucket departure process

In this paper we focus on the behavior of the leaky bucket mechanism with respect to second-order statistics of the departure process under various correlated cell arrival and deterministic token arrival distributions. We derive expressions for the lag-k auto-correlation of the inter-departure times for the leaky bucket cell departure stream and we produce numerical examples for the lag-k auto-correlation of the leaky bucket inter-departure times for several different cell arrival distributions exhibiting both positive and negative auto-correlations.
A Microphysiometer for Simultaneous Measurement of Changes in Extracellular Glucose, Lactate, Oxygen, and Acidification Rate

A microphysiometer capable of measuring changes in extracellular glucose, lactate, oxygen, and acidification rate has been developed by incorporating modified electrodes into a standard Cytosensor Microphysiometer plunger. Glucose and lactate are measured indirectly at platinum electrodes by amperometric oxidation of hydrogen peroxide, which is produced from catalysis of glucose and lactate at films containing their respective entrapped oxidase. Oxygen is measured amperometrically at a platinum electrode coated with a Nafion film, while the acidification rate is measured potentiometrically by a Cytosensor Microphysiometer. Analytical information is obtained during the Cytosensor stop-flow cycles, where the electrodes measure changes in the extracellular medium corresponding to the consumption or production of the analyte by the cells. Modification of the Cytosensor plunger for multianalyte determination is described, and the operation of the technique is illustrated by the simultaneous measurement of all four analytes during the addition of fluoride and DNP to Chinese hamster ovary cells and fluoride and antimycin A to mouse fibroblast cells. Cell metabolic recovery and dynamics after exposure to agents can also be observed in specific cases.
Moment analysis of ion exchange kinetics: Particle diffusion control

Abstract The rate that ion B will diffuse into an ion exchange particle and replace ion A depends upon the concentration, valance state and self diffusion coefficient of the two species. The self-diffusion coefficients, D A and D B , are usually determined by measuring isotopic exchange or from a complicated curve-fitting scheme which requires both forward and reverse exchange rate data. In this work, a moment analysis scheme is developed for the straightforward calculation of D A and D B when the ion exchange rate is controlled by particle diffusion. This moment analysis method requires a single uptake curve, and hence, avoids problems related to the assumption that D A and D B are the same for both forward and reverse exchange.
Healing Responses Following Cryothermic and Hyperthermic Tissue Ablation

Minimally invasive, thermally ablative, interventional technologies have been changing the practice of medicine since before the turn of the 20th century. More recently, cryothermic and hyperthermic therapies have expanded in terms of their spectrum of thermal generators, modes for controlling and monitoring the treatment zone and both benign and malignant medical applications. The final tissue, and hence clinical outcome, of a thermal ablation is determined by the summation of direct primary (thermal) and secondary (apoptosis, ischemia, free radical, inflammation, wound healing, etc.) injury followed by possible cellular regeneration and scar formation. The initial thermal lesion can be broadly divided into two major zones of cellular death: 1) the complete ablation zone closer to the thermal source and 2) the peripheral transition zone with a decreasing gradient of cell death. While not applicable to cryotherapy, hyperthermic complete ablation zones are subdivided into two zones: 1) thermal or heat fixation and 2) coagulative necrosis. It is important to clearly differentiate these tissue zones because of their substantially different healing responses. Therefore, the development of clinically successful thermal therapies requires an understanding of tissue healing responses. The healing responses can be affected by a number of additional factors such as the tissue's anatomy, organ specific healing differences, blood supply, protein vs. lipid content, and other factors. Thus, effective biomedical instrument development requires both an understanding of thermal cell injury/death and the body's subsequent healing responses. This paper provides a general overview of the healing pathways that follow thermal tissue treatment.
Widening access and the use of ICT in legal education

(2005). Widening access and the use of ICT in legal education. The Law Teacher: Vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 93-105.
The Comparative Politics Game Show: Using Games to Teach Comparative Politics Theories

Undergraduates often struggle with theoretical perspectives in political science. Often students can get a better handle on theories if they are able to relate them to something tangible in their experience. Lichbach and Zuckerman lay out cultural, rational actor, and structural perspectives as a way to think more systematically about comparative politics but often students struggle with these meta-theories and the different ways they encourage us to think theoretically about comparative politics. In this paper, we discuss a set of exercises that enable students to get a better handle on cultural, rational actor, and structural perspectives on comparative politics by making them “lab rats in their own experiments.” We group these exercises together and treat them as a Comparative Politics Game Show . In this paper, we describe the different exercises and how they were used and our view of the utility of this approach for teaching comparative politics theory.
Catalysis of the reduction of dioxygen to water at graphite electrodes coated with two transition metal catalysts acting in series

Abstract A Ru(III)-histamyl complex, covalently attached to an acrylate copolymer that forms stable coatings on graphite electrodes, was used to catalyze the electroreduction of dioxygen to water. The catalyzed reaction proceeds at a rate that is limited by the reduction of dioxygen to hydrogen peroxide because the reduction of hydrogen peroxide occurs much more rapidly at catalyst-coated electrodes. Combining the Ru(III)-polymer complex with a second catalyst, bis -( ortho -phenanthroline)Cu(II)-perchlorate in the electrode coating produces a dual catalyst that catalyzes the reduction of dioxygen to water at a greatly enhanced rate.
On the spin-up of a stably stratified, electrically conducting fluid. Part 1: Spin-up controlled by the hartmann layer

Abstract The linear spin-up of a stably stratified, electrically conducting fluid within an electrically insulating cylindrical container in the presence of an applied axial magnetic field is analyzed for those cases in which electric currents generated within the steady Hartmann boundary layer control the fluid interior. It is shown how to obtain the known spin-up times for a homogeneous, nonconducting fluid (τ = E -½), a stably stratified, nonconducting fluid (τ = (σS/E, E −1) and a homogeneous conducting fluid (τ = α−1 E -½) from the present formulation where τ = v/ωt, E = v/ωL 2, σS = vN2/κω2 and 2α2 = σB2/pω. The problem is solved in the parameter range E≪α2≪1, α2/E≪σS using the Laplace transform and two new spin-up times are obtained. Combined into one expression, they are τ = (1 + δ)α−1E-½ where δ = σμv. The spin-up mechanism is investigated and it is found that, in contrast to the homogeneous, conducting case, torsional Alfven waves may be instrumental in the spin-up of a stratified conducting flu...
Cost-effectiveness analysis of alternative factor VIII products in treatment of haemophilia A

Manufactured factor VIII (FVIII) concentrates of varying purity are available for managing patients with haemophilia A. This study is a cost-effectiveness analysis of ultra-high purity and recombinant (UHP/R) FVIII products relative to intermediate and very-high purity (IP/VHP) preparations. Because the societal (including research and development) costs of FVIII products are unknown and product prices vary with market conditions, we conducted the analysis with treatment cost as a variable quantity. We estimated the largest price premium that could be paid for a UHP/R concentrate relative to an IP/VHP concentrate such that the UHP/R product is the more cost-effective preparation. In the analysis haemophilic patients were assumed to be seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus, seropositive for hepatitis C (HCV), or at risk for seroconversion of hepatitis A (HAV) or hepatitis B (HBV). The results showed that the maximum cost-effective UHP/R price premium is essentially zero if the patient is only at risk of HAV or HBV infection, positive but small for the base-case HCV+ patient, and positive and large for the base-case HIV+ patient having a short life expectancy. Thus UHP/R preparations are not uniformly more cost-effective than IP/VHP products across the spectrum of haemophilic patients' health problems, and the relative cost-effectiveness of the two classes of prepared FVIII products is sensitive to product prices. The methodology employed here can be used in other circumstances where multiple treatments exist for illnesses for which there are significant multiple comorbidities or health risks.
Doped transition metal oxides: networks of local distortions correlated by elastic fields

Abstract We review a perspective of doped transition metal oxides as correlated electron materials governed by functional multiscale complexity. We emphasize several themes: the prevalence of intrinsic complexity realized in the coexistence or competition among broken-symmetry ground states; the origin of landscapes of spatio-temporal patterns in coupled spin, charge and lattice (orbital) degrees-of-freedom; the relevance of co-existing short- and long-range forces; and the importance of multiscale complexity for key materials properties, including multifunctional ‘electro-elastic’ materials.
Modeling cyclic ratcheting based fatigue life of HSLA steels using crystal plasticity FEM simulations and experiments

This paper develops a plastic ratcheting based fatigue failure model for HSLA steels from a combination of results from experiments and finite element simulations using crystal plasticity constitutive relations. It predicts the nucleation of major cracks in the microstructure in ratcheting. Subsequently, the total life is limited by the growth of ductile fracture in the microstructure, which is factored in by comparing the simulated results with experiments. A crystal plasticity based FEM (CPFEM) model is used in this paper to predict the local plastic strain in the microstructure which plays a role in the ratcheting life. Orientation imaging based microstructural information (orientation and misorientation distributions) is incorporated in CPFEM. The model proposed has the ability to represent a range of behavior from low and high cycle behavior in the life models. The predictions from it are found to be in excellent agreement with experimental data.
Essential Norms of Composition Operators

We obtain simple estimates for the essential norm of a composition operator acting from the Hardy space Hp to Hq, p > q, in one or several variables. When p = ∞ and q = 2 our results give an exact formula for the essential norm.
Sphingosine Kinase Type 2 Activation by ERK-mediated Phosphorylation

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a potent lipid mediator, is a ligand for a family of five G protein-coupled receptors (S1P1–5) that have been shown to regulate a variety of biological responses important for cancer progression. The cellular level of S1P is low and tightly regulated in a spatio-temporal manner through its synthesis catalyzed by two sphingosine kinases, denoted SphK1 and SphK2. Many stimuli activate and translocate SphK1 to the plasma membrane by mechanisms that are dependent on its phosphorylation. Much less is known about activation of SphK2. Here we demonstrate that epidermal growth factor (EGF) as well as the protein kinase C activator, phorbol ester, induce rapid phosphorylation of hSphK2 which was markedly reduced by inhibition of MEK1/ERK pathway. Down-regulation of ERK1 blocked EGF-induced phosphorylation of SphK2. Recombinant ERK1 phosphorylated hSphK2 in vitro and increased its enzymatic activity. ERK1 also was found to be in a complex with hSphK2 in vivo. Site-directed mutagenesis indicated that hSphK2 is phosphorylated on Ser-351 and Thr-578 by ERK1 and that phosphorylation of these residues is important for EGF-stimulated migration of MDA-MB-453 cells. These studies provide the first clues to the mechanism of agonist-mediated SphK2 activation and enhance understanding of the regulation of SphK2 activity by phosphorylation and its role in movement of human breast cancer cells toward EGF.
Alertness and Clear Thinking as Characteristics of High Naturally Occurring Autonomic Nervous System Arousal

Studies of the effect of induced mood on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) suggested that naturally occurring mood might also covary with the ANS. Ss were 13 men and women aged 20 to 70. Fatigue, confusion, and depression were measured on the Profile of Mood States, while barometric pressure and the ANS indices of heart rate and body temperature were also recorded. Fatigue and confusion each showed negative relationships to both heart rate and body temperature. Barometric pressure showed a suggestively positive relationship to the mood of depression. Hypothalamic serotonin concentration was suggested as a central factor producing the covariations between the mood indices (alertness and clear thinking) and the ANS measures.
Design of photonic metamaterial multi-junction solar cells using rigorous coupled wave analysis

We have developed a method to design multi-junction horizontally-oriented solar cells using single-layer photonic metamaterials. These metamaterial light harvesting templates are capable of separating white light into discrete wavelength ranges and trapping it efficiently into different, separately wired cavities. Any number of different wavelength-tailored charge separation complexes can be fixed to the walls of these tuned cavities. To design the metamaterials we have developed a coupled wave analysis of 2D periodic metamaterials. Past results with 1D gratings have shown that this is a very effective method for designing periodic structures and we have generalized the approach to 2D periodic cavities.
The Institute of Medicine's Future of Nursing Report: What are the implications for associate degree nursing education?

Abstract The Institute of Medicine's (IOM's) Future of Nursing Report lays a blueprint for the next 20 to 50 years in nursing. There is a strong role in the future of nursing for community college-based, associate degree (AD)-level programs. This article presents implications for AD-level programs for each IOM recommendation.
Value acceptance in adolescent socialization: A test of a cognitive‐functional theory of television effects

Our analysis of Anglo American, Native American, and Hispanic adolescents confirms several predictions derived from a cognitive‐functional theory of television's socialization effects. The major predictions that learning and functionality evaluations of observed values lead to acceptance were supported for each of the three ethnic groups. As the theory predicts, adolescents accepted values observed in television when they recognized them (a measure of learning) and when they evaluated the values to be important in “being successful” in the United States (a measure of functionality). Perceived realism of television and total television exposure did not predict value acceptance.
60 P - Preclinical pharmacology and drug synergism studies of peg-asparaginase (PEG-ASNase) and cytarabine (ara-C) in leukemia cell lines

We have performed combination studies with these drugs in the leukemia cell lines, CEM/0 and CEM/ara-C/7A, a 50% resistant to ara-C line. The IC 50 values of ara-C were 0.032 μ M and 0.11 μ M in these lines, respectively. The IC 50 values of PEG-ASNase alone were 0.002 IU/ml and 1.52 IU/ml, respectively. The CEM/ara-C-7A is also 681-fold cross-resistant to PEG-ASNase as compared to CEM/0. The concurrent drug administration for 48 hours resulted in IC 50 values of 0.56 nM for ara-C and 0.56 mIU/ml for PEG-ASNase in CEM/0 or a 57.4-fold synergism compared to ara-C alone, as estimated by the Median Effect Principle theory. In the CEM/ara-C-7A cell line, the co-incubation for 48 hours resulted in IC 50 values of 15 nM for ara-C and 15 mIU/ml for PEG-ASNase or a 7.25-fold synergism as compared to ara-C and 101.1-fold synergism in comparison with PEG-ASNase alone. The combination of ara-C and PEG-ASNase in this cell line produced significant collateral sensitivity to PEG-ASNase. We determined that these drugs are highly synergistic against leukemia cell lines sensitive or partially resistant to ara-C. Hence, we conclude that the use of PEG-ASNase in combination with nucleoside anabolites may benefit leukemia patients with early relapse.
Thermodynamics in finite time. I. The step-Carnot cycle

The object of this paper is the beginning of a formulation of a method to find bounds to process functions, such as work and heat, for processes occurring in finite time. A general variational statement of the problem is given. Then model problems are solved, all but one of which are based on the "step-Carnot" cycle. This is similar to the reversible Carnot cycle but with the external pressure varying in finite steps. Such a system only needs to go through a finite number of equilibrium states during its cycle. The problems are the maximization of effectiveness of the step-Carnot cycle, the maximization of efficiency of the same cycle, the determination of optimal period for a step-Carnot cycle whose contact with the external reservoirs has finite heat conductance, and the determination of the maximum power and the rate at which maximum power is obtained, for a continuous Carnot cycle with finite heat conductance between system and thermostats.
A study of piezoelectric and mechanical anisotropies of the human cornea.

The piezoelectric and dynamic mechanical properties of human cornea have been investigated as a function of drying time. As expected, the piezoelectric coefficient, d31, and the Young's modulus, Y, were found to be extremely sensitive to water content. d31 decreased with dehydration of the corneal tissue and Y increased with dehydration. While these results are significant, the discovery of the unprecedented mechanical and electromechanical anisotropy exhibited by the cornea are the major findings of this study and indicate that the collagen fibrils comprising the cornea are highly oriented. The piezoelectric responses of corneas observed in this study are: diagonally cut samples starting at an average piezoelectric coefficient value of 2250 pC/N, followed by the vertically cut samples, with an average starting value of about 600 pC/N and finally the horizontally cut samples with an average starting value of about 200 pC/N.
Meaning as an Intervening Variable

In this paper, the author emphasizes the practical importance for the internist of determining the underlying content of the patient's fantasies about his illness and its treatment. These fantasies are often the cause of the anxiety and depression that accompanies physical illness and may be quite divorced from the reality of the situation. When the particular fantasies are elicited, the physician will be in a position often to directly reassure the patient about unrealistic concerns. By communicating his understanding, the physician increases the power of the patient's bond to him and is in a position to substantially alleviate emotional distress that stems from physical illness.
Microstimulation of precentral cortex with chronically implanted microelectrodes

Abstract Chronically implanted microelectrodes were used for intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) of the precentral gyrus of monkeys. Both excitation and inhibition of electromyographic (EMG) activity were observed in proximal as well as distal musculature. The activation pattern from a given electrode usually remained constant for many days. Changes in the activation pattern, when they did occur, were probably due to movements of the electrode. Individual proximal muscles were activated from a larger region of cortex than were individual distal muscles. The latency for contraction of a proximal muscle varied with intracortical stimulus site, indicating different projection strengths from the different sites or different synaptic pathways. Sensory-evoked neural activity, recorded with the stimulating electrode, usually was from the same region as the muscle activated by ICMS. Operant conditioning of neuronal firing patterns, recorded from the stimulating electrode, resulted in the monkey activating the same muscle as was activated by ICMS. These results indicate a topographically related input-output organization of the precentral gyrus.
Delineation and characterization of Michigan, USA, caddisfly (Insecta: Trichoptera) biodiversity and comparison with Minnesota

Based on canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) ordination of the relative caddisfly abundance of 79 streams (5–15 m in width), the state of Michigan appears to be composed of three distinct regions of caddisfly biological diversity corresponding to the Upper Peninsula, northern Lower Peninsula, and southern Lower Peninsula. The analysis further determined latitude, watershed gradient, and anthropogenic disturbance as important variables influencing distributional patterns. Overall species richness was higher and trophic functional group composition was as predicted by the river continuum concept in the predominately forested Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula regions. The northern Lower Peninsula region in particular was dominated by shredders. Overall species richness was lower in the agricultural southern Lower Peninsula region, and streams were dominated (>75% of specimens) by filtering collectors. Similar patterns of biological diversity and important environmental variables were determine...
Partial purification by vacuum distillation of a factor that increases the junctional acetylcholinesterase of organ cultured rat diaphragm

Abstract Organ cultured rat diaphragm segments were used to assay a factor which increases endplate-specific acetylcholinesterase. This factor can be substantially purified by vacuum distilling it at 37°C into a dry-ice-acetone cold trap. Sources from which the factor can be distilled include eel electric organ homogenate, rat diaphragm homogenate, and medium conditioned with neurally stimulated muscle.
Integrated satellite interferometry in Southern California

Geodetic studies of crustal deformation and earthquakes in California, which began with the analysis of repeated triangulation measurements after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, have been revolutionized by new satellite interferometric techniques in space geodesy and remote sensing. Today, space geodetic monitoring of crustal deformation at regional scales relies on a combination of continuous Global Positioning System regional arrays (CGPS), such as the Southern California Integrated GPS Network (SCIGN), and less frequent field GPS surveys. A global continuous GPS array, the International GPS Service for Geodynamics (IGS), provides precise satellite ephemerides and a well-defined terrestrial reference frame. Data from CGPS arrays can also be used to map tropospheric water vapor and ionospheric disturbances.
Prognostic value of electrocardiographic exercise testing and noninvasive assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction soon after acute myocardial infarction.

Abstract To determine the relative value of clinical findings, results of low-level treadmill electrocardiographic (ECG) exercise testing and left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) for predicting cardiac events in the year after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 72 patients who had had an uncomplicated AMI were studied with either radionuclide angiography or 2-dimensional echocardiography to assess LVEF and a low-level treadmill exercise test before hospital discharge. All patients were followed for 1 year. Nineteen patients (26%) had at least 1 cardiac event: coronary artery bypass grafting (11 patients), recurrent AMI (6 patients) or cardiac death (6 patients). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that total cardiac events were predicted by exercise ECG ST-segment depression or angina, prior AMI, ventricular ectopic activity during exercise and digoxin therapy (cumulative r = 0.58, p
Extending the START framework: Computation of optimal capability development portfolios using a decision theory approach

Space program managers and decision-makers must make strategic investment decisions regarding RD (2) modeling dependencies between capabilities and/or between capabilities and programmatic goals; (3) modeling the impact of partial versus complete funding; (4) compute temporally optimal portfolios for staging funding over time; and (5) provide a robustness assessment of the analysis results. We also assess the results, and present sensitivity analysis procedures for validating the START results. We present two case studies; a study conducted for NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD), and an analysis for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD). We conclude with the next steps in the evolution of the START methodology. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.a Syst Eng 9:331–357, 2006
How fast do radial basis function interpolants of analytic functions converge

The question in the title is answered using tools of potential theory. Convergence and divergence rates of interpolants of analytic functions on the unit interval are analyzed. The starting point is a complex variable contour integral formula for the remainder in RBF interpolation. We study a generalized Runge phenomenon and explore how the location of centers and affects convergence. Special attention is given to Gaussian and inverse quadratic radial functions, but some of the results can be extended to other smooth basis functions. Among other things, we prove that, under mild conditions, inverse quadratic RBF interpolants of functions that are analytic inside the strip $|Im(z)| < (1/2\epsilon)$, where $\epsilon$ is the shape parameter, converge exponentially.
Testimonial knowledge through unsafe testimony

Frank is a writer with a strange habit. Every morning, at precisely 7:30 a.m., he wakes up and dumps out whatever is left of the pint of milk he purchased the day before, but places the empty carton back in the fridge until noon. Then, throughout the interval from 7:30 to noon, he always remains in the kitchen, as that is where he writes every morning like clockwork. Finally, at exactly noon, he takes the now-empty milk carton out of the fridge and throws it away an act which to him symbolizes the end of his day's writing. Now Mary is unaware of Frank's milkdumping practice. One morning, having spent the prior evening at Frank's house with Frank and her son Sonny, she awakens at 7:40 and goes to the kitchen with Sonny. Upon entering (Frank is already there) she immediately goes to the fridge for a glass of OJ, and as she reaches for the OJ she casually observes a small carton of milk. She goes on to tell Sonny (who always has cereal with milk for breakfast) that there is milk in the fridge. As luck would have it, there is indeed milk in the carton on this day (Frank failed to remember that he had bought milk yesterday). When Frank observes Mary's testimony, he realizes that he forgot to dump the milk; when Sonny observes her testimony, he forms the belief that there is milk in the fridge. In what follows I want to argue that the following two claims hold:
Observation of stochastic resonance in a ring laser.

We report the first observation of stochastic resonance in an optical device, the bidirectional ring laser. The experiment exploits a new technique to modulate periodically the asymmetry between the two counter-rotating lasing modes. The measurements verify that the addition of injected noise can lead to an improved signal-to-noise ratio (relative to that observed with no externally injected noise).
Impact of progress feedback on task completion: first impressions matter

Designers routinely provide feedback about task progress in order to persuade users not to abort the task (break off). However little is known about the effectiveness of such "progress indicators." Two experiments are presented that evaluate progress indicators in web surveys. In the first, progress is displayed at different speeds. When the early feedback is slow, break-off rates are higher and users' subjective experience more negative than when early feedback is fast. In the second experiment, intermittent presentation seems to minimize the costs while preserving the benefits of feedback. Overall, progress indicators can increase completion rates. However, not using them should be as deliberate a decision as using them.
Stabilisation of large-scale nonlinear systems by modifying the interconnection network

In this article, we develop a new strategy for the robust stabilisation of large-scale singular systems. The models that we will be concerned with consist of a large number of nonlinear subsystems, which are linked through a linear interconnection network. This approach does not require the availability of control inputs, and focuses instead on variable parameters in the interconnection network. It is shown that the determination of appropriate parameter values reduces to a constrained static output feedback problem, which can be solved using linear matrix inequalities. The proposed method is designed to minimise the number of optimisation variables, and is therefore suitable for large-scale applications. It can also incorporate information structure constraints and uncertainties in the system model.
NEDD4L on human chromosome 18q21 has multiple forms of transcripts and is a homologue of the mouse Nedd4-2 gene.

The validation of full-length cDNA represents a crucial step in gene identification and subsequent functional analysis. In searching for candidate genes for bipolar disorder on chromosome 18q21, a novel gene homologous to NEDD4 (Neural precursor cells expressed developmentally down-regulated) was identified using exon trapping and cDNA cloning. This novel gene is termed NEDD4L (Human Gene Nomenclature Committee symbol). Typical NEDD4 orthologues that contain a C2 (Ca2+/lipid-binding) and a HECT (Homologous to the E6-AP Carboxyl Terminus) ubiquitin-protein ligase domain, and multiple WW domains have been shown to regulate the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC). In mice, Nedd4 has two distinct isoforms termed Nedd4-1 that belongs to the typical NEDD4 class, and Nedd4-2 that is homologous to Nedd4-1 but lacks the C2 domain. NEDD4L contains the WW and HECT domains seen in the NEDD4 gene family, but lacks the C2 domain in the N-terminus. BLAST database search showed that the deduced polypeptide of NEDD4L has 97 and 62% sequence identity to mouse Nedd4-2 and human NEDD4, respectively. Multiple forms of transcripts of NEDD4L have been isolated, which differ in transcription start and termination sites together with the presence or absence of an alternative spliced exon. Northern blot analysis showed a 3.4 kb mRNA species was specifically expressed in heart and skeletal muscle, while a 3.2 kb band and/or an additional 3.6 kb band is seen in other tissues tested. Striking homology of NEDD4L to mouse Nedd4-2 suggests it is the human homologue of mouse Nedd4-2. Its position in a region of linkage for autosomal dominant orthostatic hypotensive disorder and its potential role in regulating ENaC make NEDD4L a candidate gene for this disorder.
Stereoconfiguration of antiallergic and immunologic drugs.

Objective To review the concept of chirality and its current role in the pharmacology of antiallergic, antiasthmatic, and immunologic agents. Data Sources Ovid MEDLINE and PubMed databases from 1950 to the present time were searched. Study Selection Articles that described the pharmacology of chiral antiallergic, antiasthmatic, and immunologic medications were used for this review. Results Stereoselectivity affects the pharmacologic profiles of medications in different ways from class to class and within the classes. This summary illustrates that enantiomers differ not only in potency in receptor binding and physiologic effects but also in pharmacokinetic parameters such as volume of distribution, plasma protein binding, metabolism, and clearance. Different enantiomers may produce unrelated pharmacologic effects as well. This review summarizes the variety of possible effects that different stereoisomers may produce and further underlines the importance of the purification and in-depth analysis of chiral compounds. Conclusion Chirality plays an important role in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of various pharmaceutical agents. The importance of stereoisomeric purity in the pharmacologic industry has increased during the past decade as demonstrated by the increased number of studies that examined the in vivo and in vitro effects produced by changes in stereoconfiguration of pharmaceutical agents. This review highlights such effects in certain frequently used medications used in the treatment of asthma and various allergic and immunologic disorders.
Effect of severe aortic banding above the renal arteries on nitric oxide synthase isotype expression

Effect of severe aortic banding above the renal arteries on nitric oxide synthase isotype expression. Background Severe aortic stenosis above the renal arteries leads to a reduction in renal perfusion, increased renin secretion, and elevation of arterial blood pressure above the stenotic site. Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in regulation of renal and systemic vascular resistance, renal blood flow, and Na + handling. Abdominal aortic banding provides an excellent model for simultaneous testing of the effects of increased and decreased pressure, flow, and shear stress in the same animal. Methods We studied protein expressions of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), inducible NOS (iNOS), and neuroneal NOS (nNOS) isotypes in the renal cortex, renal medulla, heart, brain, and aorta segments above and below the stenosis site three weeks after abdominal aortic banding above the renal arteries. The results were compared with those obtained in the sham-operated controls. NOS isotype proteins were measured by Western blot. Results Compared with the control group, the banded group showed significant up-regulations of eNOS, iNOS, and nNOS in renal cortex and medulla. Likewise, heart eNOS, brain nNOS, and thoracic aorta eNOS proteins were significantly increased in the banded group. However, eNOS and iNOS expressions were unchanged in the aorta segment below the stenotic site. Likewise, iNOS expression in the heart and thoracic aorta remained unchanged in the banded animals. No significant difference was found in creatinine clearance or urinary protein excretion between the two groups. Conclusions These findings clearly demonstrate the up-regulatory action of increased pressure on eNOS expression in the thoracic aorta and heart and of nNOS expression in the brain. These data further show up-regulation of all NOS isotypes in the kidney, which must have helped to mitigate the associated hypoperfusion.
The Level 0 trigger for the DO detector

The DO detector has completed its first data taking run at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory's p~-p Tevatron collider. The Level 0 trigger system is the DO experiment's first trigger level used to identify colliding beam crossings containing interactions. It consists of two hodoscopes of scintillation tiles located just outside the DO central tracking region. The Level 0 trigger provides a fast measurement of the interaction position along the beam axis for use in early trigger decisions. A slower, more accurate position of the interaction and an indication of the occurrence of multiple interactions are available for subsequent trigger decisions. In addition, the Level 0 trigger is used as a luminosity monitor for DO. Results on the performance of the Level 0 trigger are presented. >
Disorder-driven transition in a chain with power-law hopping

We study a one-dimensional (1D) system with a power-law quasiparticle dispersion ${\ensuremath{\propto}|k|}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}sgnk$ in the presence of a short-range-correlated random potential, and demonstrate that for $\ensuremath{\alpha}l1/2$ it exhibits a disorder-driven quantum phase transition with critical properties similar to those of the localization transition near the edge of the band of a semiconductor in high dimensions, as studied recently [Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 166601 (2015); Phys. Rev. B 91, 035133 (2015)]. Despite the absence of localization in the considered 1D system, the disorder-driven transition manifests itself, for example, in a critical form of the disorder-averaged density of states. We confirm the existence of the transition by numerical simulations and find the critical exponents and the critical disorder strength as a function of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$. The proposed system thus presents a convenient platform for numerical studies of the recently predicted unconventional high-dimensional localization effects and has the potential for experimental realizations in chains of ultracold atoms in optical traps.