cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Parent-Child Acculturation Gap, Parental Monitoring, and Substance Use in Mexican Heritage Adolescents in Mexican Neighborhoods of the Southwest U.S.

A sample of 206 Mexican-heritage 7th-grade adolescents attending predominantly Mexican-heritage schools in Arizona was assessed on their linguistic acculturation, perceived parental monitoring, and substance use. One of their parents also reported on their own parental level of acculturation. While greater parental acculturation predicted greater marijuana use, the acculturation gap (child's level of acculturation over and above that of the parent) was not predictive of substance use. There was a significant acculturation gap by parental monitoring interaction for marijuana use, where the negative correlation between parental monitoring and marijuana use was attenuated for parent–youth dyads that exhibited the largest acculturation gap. This suggests that a greater parent–youth cultural distance (the acculturation gap) attenuates that protective effect of parental monitoring on youth marijuana use. Results are discussed in terms of how the acculturation gap increases the risk for problem behaviors in Mexican American adolescents through its effect on family processes.
Age-related changes in Ca2+ channel antagonist receptors in rabbit lower urinary tract.

(+)-[3H]PN 200-110 and [3H]nitrendipine binding sites were studied in 1 day, 6 week, 6 month and 4.5–5 year rabbit urethra, bladder base and bladder dome. In all age groups, the density of these Ca2+ channel antagonist binding sites was significantly greater in the urethra than in the bladder base or bladder dome, except that the density of [3H]nitrendipine binding sites in the 1 day rabbit was similar in all three regions. In the urethra the maximum number of binding sites for (+)-[3H]PN 200-110 was twice that for [3H]nitrendipine. In the bladder dome both Ca2+ channel antagonists labelled a similar number of binding sites. For both ligands, the Bmax values for the Ca2+ channel antagonists in the urethra increased from 1 day to 6 weeks and then decreased. In the bladder base and dome, however, the receptor density decreased gradually or was unchanged with aging. The pharmacological profiles of these binding sites in 1 day and 6 month urethra and bladder dome showed K1 values with the following rank order: nitrendipine < niguldipine < BAY K 8644. These data demonstrate the presence of regional- and age-dependent changes in the density of Ca2+ channel antagonist binding sites in the lower urinary tract of the rabbit.
Stacked low-power field-programmable antifuse memories for RFID on plastic

We demonstrate a stacked antifuse-based field-programmable memory utilizing organic materials on plastic to enable applications such as the encoding of low-cost RFID tags. We demonstrate 2 stacked levels with 100 bits/level, delivering excellent read margins and disturb immunity. These devices show high-speed programming capability (25ns) and ultra-low programming energy requirements of <1nW/bit. This technology is therefore extremely promising for plastic electronics applications.
New Parameters for Calculating Mass Average Sterilizing Value to Estimate Nutrients in Thermally Conductive Food

Summary A formula was obtained for calculating the mass average sterilizing value (F s .) by using all nonnegligible terms in formula for heat conduction in canned food during heat processing. From the derived formula, tables of numerical values for a dimensionless group containing F s were prepared by using a digital computer. The nutrients in the products can be estimated more easily and accurately by using the prepared table than by the existing procedures.
A model for search and detection of small targets

Computational models predicting the distribution of the time to detection of small targets on a display are being developed to improve workstation designs. Search models usually contain bottom-up processes, such as a saliency map, and top-down processes, such as a priori distributions over the possible locations to be searched. A situation that needs neither of these features is the search for a very small target near the horizon when the sky and the ocean are clear. Our models for this situation have incorporated a saccade-distance penalty and inhibition-of-return with a temporal decay. For very small, but high contrast targets, using the simple detection model that the target is detected if it is foveated is sufficient. For low contrast signals, a standard observer detection model with masking by the horizon edge is required. Accurate models of the the search and detection process without significant expectations or stimulus attractors should make it easier to estimate the way in which the expectations and attractors are combined when they are included.
Retrieval of slant water path, liquid water and rain events using the cloudy sky ratio from K-band brightness temperature measurements

The Dynamics of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (DYNAMO) field campaign was conducted to improve understanding and modeling of the Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO). Observations during DYNAMO focused on atmospheric parameters important for understanding MJO initiation, including vertical moisture profiles, cloud structure, precipitation processes and the planetary boundary layer. These observations were performed using a variety of in-situ and remote sensing instruments, including the S-PolKa radar deployed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the collocated University of Miami (UM) microwave radiometer operating at 23.8 and 30.0 GHz. These instruments sampled approximately the same volumes of the atmosphere. A second microwave radiometer was deployed by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program approximately 8.5 km from the UM radiometer. These observations provided an opportunity to retrieve slant water path (SWP) and slant liquid water (SLW) from ground-based microwave radiometer measurements over a range of azimuth and elevation angles during both clear sky and cloudy conditions. The retrieved SWP and SLW will be compared to those from S-PolKa radar measurements. The goal of this study is to develop an algorithm to retrieve water vapor and liquid water from ground-based radiometer measurements.
Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of aminoalkylindole derivatives as cannabinoid receptor ligands with potential for treatment of alcohol abuse.

Attenuation of increased endocannabinoid signaling with a CB1R neutral antagonist might offer a new therapeutic direction for treatment of alcohol abuse. We have recently reported that a monohydroxylated metabolite of the synthetic aminoalkylindole cannabinoid JHW-073 (3) exhibits neutral antagonist activity at CB1Rs and thus may serve as a promising lead for the development of novel alcohol abuse therapies. In the current study, we show that systematic modification of an aminoalkylindole scaffold identified two new compounds with dual CB1R antagonist/CB2R agonist activity. Similar to the CB1R antagonist/inverse agonist rimonabant, analogues 27 and 30 decrease oral alcohol self-administration without affecting total fluid intake and block the development of alcohol-conditioned place preference. Collectively, these initial findings suggest that design and systematic modification of aminoalkylindoles such as 3 may lead to development of novel cannabinoid ligands with dual CB1R antagonist/CB2R agonist activi...
'Collective fictions': similarities in reasons for accepting maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein screening among women of diverse ethnic and social class backgrounds.

We analyzed the decisions of an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse group of women to accept or refuse a prenatal diagnostic test. We found that how women were informed about the test and the kind of information they were given determined their decisions more than their ethnic or social class background. To explain this, we argue that the women and their health care providers created a ‘collective fiction’ which situated the testing within the domain of routine prenatal care and denied its central connection to selective abortion and its eugenic implications.
TOP-PASS: a processing algorithm to reduce 2D PASS acquisition time.

Abstract A slow speed MAS spectrum contains a pattern of spinning sideband resonances separated by integer multiples of the rotor frequency and centered about an isotropic frequency. The 2D signal acquired in a two-dimensional Phase Adjusted Spinning Sideband (PASS) experiment correlates this slow speed MAS spectrum, obtained in the direct dimension, to an indirect dimension spectrum containing the same pattern of spinning sideband resonances centered about a frequency of zero. An affine transformation is used to convert the acquired 2D PASS signal into a 2D signal that correlates a spectrum of pure isotropic frequencies to a spectrum of spinning sideband resonances with no isotropic frequency contributions. The conventional affine transform applied to 2D PASS consists of an active shear of the signal parallel to the indirect time domain coordinate followed by a passive scaling of the indirect time domain coordinate. Here we show that an alternative affine transform, previously employed in the Two-dimensional One Pulse (TOP) experiment, can be employed to create the same 2D signal correlation with an enhanced spectral width in the anisotropic (spinning sideband) dimension. This enhancement can provide a significant reduction in the minimum experiment time required for a 2D PASS experiment, particularly for spectra where the individual spinning sideband patterns are dispersed over a wider spectral range than the isotropic resonance frequencies. The TOP processing consists of an active shear of the signal parallel to the direct time domain, followed by an active shear of the signal parallel to the new indirect time domain coordinate followed by a passive scaling of the new direct time domain coordinate. A theoretical description of the affine transformation in the context of 2D PASS is given along with illustrative examples of 29 Si in Clinoenstatite and 13 C in l -Histidine.
Increasing Cancer Screening for Latinas: Examining the Impact of Health Messages and Navigation in a Cluster-Randomized Study

Interventions are needed to reduce disparities in breast and cervical cancer (BCC) for Latinas in the USA. This study compares screening adherence between two educational outreach messages followed by navigation support to increase BCC screening for Latinas. A cluster-randomized study (by group) of 1,333 diverse Latinas in Arkansas, Buffalo, and New York City (2007–2009) attending group educational programs on cancer or diabetes screening was conducted. Screening adherence by each program type was analyzed at 2 months followed by analysis of navigation support for non-adherent women at 8 months. Participation in educational programs alone significantly increased mammography (O.R. = 2.16), clinical breast exams (O.R. = 2.14), and Pap tests (O.R. = 2.14) from baseline to 2 months with no significant differences by message type. Screening further increased with the addition of navigation. Specific health messaging may not be as critical to increasing BCC screening behaviors as cultural- and language-specific outreach into the community disseminating resources about accessing services. Moreover, the addition of navigation services and, potentially, the time lapse between follow-up intervals, significantly increased screening regardless of country of birth, documentation status, insurance status, or geographic location.
Partial-volume model for determining white matter and gray matter cerebral blood volume for analysis of gliomas.

Purpose To model the partial voluming of gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) in perfusion imaging, and to use this model to estimate the cerebral blood volume (CBV) of pure WM and GM, which could then be used to normalize data across patients in preparation for analyzing tumor perfusion. Materials and Methods Dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) perfusion imaging was performed on 20 glioma patients. The perfusion data were registered to the T1 image using rigid-body and non-rigid algorithms. The rCBV for each voxel was computed by gamma-variate fitting and then fit as a linear function of the estimated fractional WM content. The estimated CBV of pure WM was used to normalize across patients, and the resulting tumor CBV values were compared with expectations. Results Rigid registration improved the correlation between the fractional WM content and CBV for all patients, with non-rigid registration yielding further improvements for all but two patients. The mean GM-to-WM CBV ratio was estimated at 2.15 ± 0.33 (mean ± SD). Voxels that exhibited both T1-Gd contrast enhancement and an abnormal proton spectrum were found to have a CBV 2.53 ± 0.89 times higher than that in the WM. Conclusion A partial-volume model is demonstrated for estimating pure WM and GM CBV. It is also shown that the relationship between the tumor CBV as estimated with this model is generally consistent with expectations based on spectroscopy and imaging. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Polymerization and reaction rate studies on substituted phenylmethylbis(dimethylamino)silanes

The synthesis of seven para- or meta-substituted phenylmethylbis(dimethylamino)-silane monomers has been carried out. These silanes were polymerized with 1,4-bis(hydroxydimethylsilyl)benzene in tetrahydrofuran at 30°C, and the polymerization kinetics were followed by monitoring dimethylamine evolution for 200 min. The polymers were quenched by precipitation in methanol and molecular weight data were obtained. The polymerizations followed second-order kinetics in every case as evidenced by the linear plots of 1/(a − x) versus time. The molecular weight data generally correlated with the specific reaction rate constant k2 to show an increasing polymer molecular weight with increasing polymerization rate, although the range of k2 values obtained for the substituted aminosilanes was relatively small (2.50 × 10−5–6.67 × 10−5 l./mole-sec). The value of k2 increased in the following order: p-OCH3, p-F, m-CH3, H, m-OCH3, p-CF3, 3,5-di(CF3). The logarithms of the rate constants correlated with the σ constants for the substituents, with a reaction constant, ρ of 0.391. The displacement at silicon in these reactions is discussed in terms of bimolecular mechanisms in which a four-center transition state may participate.
Sympathetic preganglionic neurons in frog spinal cord

Abstract Sympathetic preganglionic neurons innervating the first sympathetic ganglion were identified in a frog ( Rana pipiens ). After wheat germ agglutinin conjugated horseradish peroxidase was implanted into this ganglion a homogeneous population of labeled sympathetic preganglionic neurones were identified ipsilaterally within the lateral field of the spinal gray at the level of the third spinal nerve. The total population of labeled cells ( n = 324 ± 62) extended in a rostrocaudal field for about 1800 μm as two distinct columns consisting of about equal numbers of cells. One group, at the lateral border of the intermediate zone, corresponds to the intermediolateral column, as also found in mammals, while the second group extends within the intercalated region, as the intercalated nucleus, lateral and slightly dorsal to the central canal. Transection of spinal nerves reveals that 65% of preganglionic axons leave the cord from the third spinal nerve with the remainder coursing through the first and second spinal nerves.
BUBBLY-TO-SLUG TRANSITION IN VERTICAL FLOWS

Alternative mechanisms for the bubble-to-slug transition in vertical flows are discussed. Linking the transition to void wave formation has tended to replace earlier hypotheses of bubble coalescence but neither is consistent with all the observations. Thus, several fundamental questions remain.
Is ligand topology an influence on the redox potentials of copper complexes

Abstract The known redox potentials of selected Cu 2+ /Cu + couples complexed with N-, S- and O-donor ligands are empirically correlated with various characteristics of the ligands. Closed (macrocyclic) ligand topology has little significant effect on the E 1/2 values, but certain branched (tripodal) ligands show a marked influence on the complexes’ redox potentials, generally raising E 1/2 by a few hundred millivolts. Comparison of the empirically computed E 1/2 for the [Cu- (1,4,7-trithiacyclononane)] 2+/+ couple with an observed value (+0.465 V versus SCE) suggests that the effect of tripod ligands on E 1/2 is related to the three- fold pseudosymmetry of the donor atoms’ dispositions.
Turbulent convection and surface patterning in solid dissolution

Abstract We describe experiments in which single crystals of NaCl, KBr, and KCl are dissolved from below by aqueous solutions containing variable concentrations of the salts. The saturated solution near the solid-liquid interface is gravitationally unstable to turbulent hydrodynamic motion similar to thermal convection. The coupling of the fluid flow with the solid dissolution produces patterns at the solid-liquid interface with a distribution of horizontal and vertical length scales. The rate of mass transfer and the pattern length scales are compared with a turbulent boundary layer model.
Stabilization of continuum generation from normally dispersive nonlinear optical fibers for a tunable broad bandwidth source for optical coherence tomography

Continuum generation from normally dispersive ultrahigh-numerical-aperture fibers deteriorates in relatively short times, limiting its application as a practical optical source for high-resolution optical coherence tomography. We find that reversible light-induced structural modification of fiber optic materials, rather than permanent optical damage, is responsible for this deterioration. By examining how the optical properties of corresponding light-induced waveguides depend on pumping wavelength, we isolate a waveguide that is beneficial for stable continuum generation. The performance deterioration due to the formation of other waveguides can be reversed by overwriting them with this particular waveguide.
Canada's Foreign Exchange Market: A Quarterly Model

CANADA adopted a fluctuating exchange rate system in September 1950.1 Since then, the foreign exchange value of the Canadian dollar has been determined by the interplay of market forces, except for some official intervention in the exchange market reported as intended to prevent excessive short-term fluctuations. Since 1952, this official intervention has been exercised on only a moderate scale, and official sales or purchases of exchange by the Canadian Exchange Fund Account have not been the dominating influence in determining exchange rate fluctuations from one quarter to another. The combined current and long-term capital account has shown substantial quarterly net balances. These balances have varied between plus $200 million and minus $200 million, and have exceeded $100 million, or about 10 per cent of Canada's quarterly export receipts, in nearly half of the quarters. In view of these relatively large swings in the current and long-term capital account and of the moderate extent of official intervention in the exchange market, the stability of the Canadian dollar during the last eight years is remarkable. Since 1952, the exchange rate has remained within the range of US$1.00 to US$1.06, and the change from one quarter to another has never exceeded 2 per cent. It will be argued below that this high degree of stability was chiefly the result of the responsiveness of equilibrating short-term capital movements to changes in the exchange rate.
Controls on plume heat flux and plume excess temperature

[1] Plume heat flux and plume excess temperature in the upper mantle inferred from surface observations may pose important constraints on the heat flux from the core and mantle internal heating rate. This study examined the relationship between plume heat flux Qp, core-mantle boundary (CMB) heat flux Qcmb and plume excess temperature ΔTplume in thermal convection using both numerical modeling and theoretical analysis. 3-D regional spherical models of mantle convection were computed with high resolution and for different Rayleigh number, internal heat generation rate, viscosity structures and dissipation number. An analytic model was developed for variations in Qp and ΔTplume with depth. The results can be summarized as following. (1) Mantle plumes immediately above the CMB carry nearly 80%–90% of the CMB heat flux. (2) Qp and ΔTplume decrease by approximately a factor of two for plumes to ascend from near the CMB to the upper mantle depth. (3) Our analytic model indicates that the decrease in Qp and ΔTplume is mainly controlled by the steeper adiabatic gradient of plumes compared with the ambient mantle and the reduction ratios for Qp and ΔTplume due to this effect depend upon the dissipation number and the distance over which plumes ascend. (4) The subadiabatic temperature also contributes to the reduction of Qp and ΔTplume, but its contribution is only 20% to 30%. Subadiabatic temperature from our models with >50% internal heating rate ranges from 35 K to 170 K for CMB temperature of 3400°C. (5) Our results confirms that ∼70% internal heating rate for the mantle or Qcmb of ∼11 TW is required to reproduce the plume-related observations.
Analysis of gamma-ray spectra from an aircraft-mounted array of high-resolution sensors

Gamma-ray spectra have been collected using the Environmental Radionuclide Sensor System.2. Twenty aircraft-mounted, high-purity germanium sensors are utilized to collect high-resolution environmental spectra. Since time-over-target is limited for aerial surveys, one must often attempt to glean the maximum quantity of information from low-count spectra. The spectral data are collected in a time-stamped-list-mode, which time tags every gamma-ray. This allows a gamma-ray spectrum to be built without dilution for only the time-over-target. The analysis package utilizes photopeaks from natural background isotopes to autocalibrate and gain shift the individual spectra into a composite spectrum. The analysis software utilizes several unique techniques to robustly analyze low-count spectra. It carefully determines the spectral baseline, finds all the peaks which differ from the baseline by more than 4-standard deviations, uses a binary-search technique to fit Gaussian peaks, and utilizes a large library to identify peaks (including minor and escape peaks). Although in an aerial survey, the source geometry is often unknown or difficult to model, the software attempts to assign consistent source strengths to radionuclides. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A00E1009 00008
Uniform solution of boundary layer problems exhibiting resonance

A uniformly valid asymptotic solution for boundary value problems exhibiting resonance in the sense of Ackerberg and O’Malley [Stud. Appl. Math., 49 (1970), pp. 277–295] is derived. In this solution the location of the right endpoint is one of the variables. Thus it is possible to see how the solution suddenly shifts from one with a boundary layer on the left to one with a boundary layer on the right when a certain integral changes sign. During such a transition there are boundary layers at both ends.
Threshold of Intelligibility/Comprehensibility of Rapid Connected Speech: Method and Instrumentation

A threshold method has been developed for determination of the maximum rate of connected speech understood by an individual. The method is similar to the Bekesy method for the determination of pure-tone thresholds but differs from it in that rate of speech is varied rather than intensity of a tone. Instrumentation that varies speech rate with or without pitch changes was developed and is described in some detail.
Power, negotiations, and the anticipation of intergroup encounters

This review places intergroup encounters in a broad framework which considers the context in which such encounters take place, and in particular, the power dynamics at play. We address different forms of encounters, spanning from interpersonal interactions (not focused on intergroup aspects) to political negotiations between the groups’ representatives, and argue for a deeper consideration of power asymmetries in examining such encounters. We argue that because high- and low-power group members have different motivations for change in the status quo, they differ in their expectations from intergroup encounters and in the types of encounters they prefer. We describe relevant research while considering moderating factors such as the legitimacy and stability of the power dynamics. We also identify remaining gaps and topics requiring further research. This work has both conceptual and practical implications for the prospects of promoting both positive attitudinal change as well as changes to the hierarchical ...
Comparing the axiomatic and ecological approaches to rationality: fundamental agreement theorems in SCOP

There are two prominent viewpoints regarding the nature of rationality and how it should be evaluated in situations of interest: the traditional axiomatic approach and the newer ecological rationality. An obstacle to comparing and evaluating these seemingly opposite approaches is that they employ different language and formalisms, ask different questions, and are at different stages of development. I adapt a formal framework known as SCOP to address this problem by providing a comprehensive common framework in which both approaches may be defined and compared. The main result is that the axiomatic and ecological approaches are in far greater agreement on fundamental issues than has been appreciated; this is supported by a pair of theorems to the effect that they will make accordant rationality judgements when forced to evaluate the same situation. I conclude that ecological rationality has some subtle advantages, but that we should move past the issues currently dominating the discussion of rationality.
Laboratory experiments on the paleo-jamming of the Bering Strait

On the basis of scour marks and ice-rafted debris found on the Northwind Ridge, northwestern Alaskan coast and Chukchi Shelf (and Cap and Borderland), and on the basis of the earlier ideas presented by De Boer and Nof (2004, DN hereafter), it has been hypothesized that icebergs created a temporary dam at the mouth of the Bering Strait (BST). This article describes an examination of this concept in the laboratory. At the beginning of the Holocene, approximately 11,000 years before present (11 kyr BP), both oceanic and atmospheric paleo-temperatures increased abruptly. DN suggested that, with an open BST and no-convection in the North Atlantic, the global wind field would force water to flow from the Arctic to the Pacific (contrary to modern day configuration). We propose here and in a companion paper that the opening of the BST and the initiation of this negative flow are responsible for the abrupt increase in temperature. Further, we propose that the abruptness with which this event occurred, was due to the breakup of a temporary iceberg dam at the mouth of the BST 11 kyr BP. (The dam was already 15 m above the BST sill at that time.) This breakup allowed the freshwater anomalies, capping the convection area in the North Atlantic, to be flushed (out of the Atlantic) through the Arctic and BS into the North Pacific.
The stability of pipe flow. Part 1. Asymptotic analysis for small wave-numbers

The instability of Poiseuille flow in a pipe is considered for small disturbances. An asymptotic analysis is used which is similar to that found successful in plane Poiseuille flow. The disturbance is taken to travel in a spiral fashion, and comparison of the radial velocity component with the transverse component in the plane case shows a high degree of similarity, particularly near the critical point where the disturbance and primary flow travel with the same speed. Instability is found for azimuthal wave-numbers of 2 or greater, although the corresponding minimum Reynolds numbers are too small to compare favourably with either experiments or the initial restrictions on the magnitude of the wave-number.
Pressure-induced changes in the thermal and electrical properties of clay—water systems

Abstract Na-saturated clays were prepared from Wyoming bentonite by three different methods which allowed progressively greater contamination with hydrous aluminum oxide. These clays are referred to as Na-clay, Na/Al-clay and Na/Al∗-clay, respectively. Water or dilute NaCl was added to them to form clay-water mixtures having different clay contents. The heat of compression of each mixture was determined at several pressures in a Calvet microcalorimeter. The emf between reversible electrodes in and the electrical resistance of each mixture were also determined at several pressures. When plots were made of the heat of compression, change in emf and change in electrical resistance against pressure, breaks were observed in the curves for the Na/Al-clay at concentrations greater than ∼ 3.0% by volume in the pressure range 20–30 psi. Similar breaks were not detected in the curves for the other clays. It was concluded that the water in the Na/Al-clay mixtures underwent a pressure-induced phase transition in the specified pressure range. However, sensitive differential thermal analyses revealed that a phase transition was not induced in this water by raising its temperature to 70°C.
Effect of subsurface drains on runoff losses of metolachlor and trifluralin from Mississippi River alluvial soil.

Subsurface drains reduced runoff losses of metolachlor and trifluralin from plots on Mississippi River alluvial soil planted with soybean. The drains reduced metolachlor runoff losses by 90% and trifluralin losses by 57%. Concomitantly, runoff volume was reduced 24% and soil erosional losses by 75%. The large reduction of metolachlor losses in runoff was due to a first event from the nondrained plot that was characterized by high chemical concentration, a characteristic that was not duplicated in the corresponding events from the drained plots. Due to low sediment concentrations in runoff and to low water solubility, trifluralin loss in runoff, even from the nondrained treatment, was less than 0.2% of the application.
Response to Letter by Hefzy and Mitsias

Response: We are grateful to Drs Hefzy and Mitsias for their letter. Although we concur that hemorrhagic transformation after successful reperfusion is a potential contributor to the disjunction between recanalization rates and rates of better outcomes on binary measures in trials of intra-arterial fibrinolysis, we think it unlikely to be a major factor. As the 2 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke tissue plasminogen activator trials and the Diffusion and Perfusion Imaging Evaluation For Understanding …
Direct endovascular recanalization of chronic carotid occlusion: should we do it? Case report.

Background and importance Patients with chronic carotid artery occlusion face a significant risk of stroke. It is believed that treatment is indicated if medical therapy fails or even as prophylaxis in high-risk patients. Direct surgical repair with carotid endarterectomy has a considerable failure rate and significant associated risks. Indirect repair with an extracranial-to-intracranial bypass has become the mainstay of surgical treatment. In this case study, the authors assess the feasibility of direct endovascular recanalization in the setting of chronic carotid occlusion, and discuss technical nuances and indications in comparison with the world literature and alternative options. Clinical presentation Two patients presented with symptomatic, chronic, complete occlusion of the proximal carotid artery. The duration of documented occlusion exceeded 3 years in one patient and 6 months in the other. Methods Endovascular recanalization was attempted using extracranial and intracranial stenting with proximal protection (flow arrest/reversal). Both patients had an excellent radiographic result, improving from Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (TICI) grade 0 (no perfusion) to grade 3 (complete perfusion). The first patient's clinical symptoms resolved. The second patient remained unchanged with a mild facial droop. Conclusion These preliminary results show potential for the endovascular management of this complicated disease. Long-term results and more data will determine the ultimate place of endovascular recanalization for symptomatic chronic carotid occlusion among other therapies.
Analysis of seizures induced by a catechol-derivative.

A drug, H13/04, with the structure of a catechol-amide, was found to evoke sound-induced seizures when injected into mice normally resistant to audiogenic seizures. The seizures produced appear to be age-related with maximal seizures elicited at 21–28 days postnatal age. This age pattern corresponds to the age-response pattern present in genetically seizure-sensitive strains of mice. The H13/04-evoked seizures can be prevented by pretreating the mice with l-dihydroxyphenylalanine or 5-hydroxytryptophan. Also clonidine, considered a noradrenaline receptor-stimulating agent, was protective against the drug-induced seizures. The pharmacological studies suggested the importance of noradrenaline in the protection against sound-induced seizures. Biochemical determinations of noradrenaline, dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine in the brain suggest an interaction between noradrenaline and serotonin which may be related to the age-dependent aspects of seizures. H13/04 was not effective in reverting genetically-sensitive strains of mice to a high incidence of sound-induced seizures at an age when they normally develop resistance. This observation indicates that H13/04 is specific for induction of sound-induced seizures and does not act just as a general convulsive agent. In young animals at 21 days of age, H13/04 also elicits spontaneous seizures and this form of seizure can be prevented by pretreating the mice with sodium phenobarbital at a dose of 7 mg/kg. Such pretreatment does not, however, prevent the sound-induced seizure. Hence the drug H13/04 will be extremely useful in delineating mechanisms underlying seizure activity, particularily those related to age-dependent seizure activity.
Double-balloon enteroscopy application in biliary tract disease-its therapeutic and diagnostic functions.

Background On occasion, it is impossible to perform ERCP with a traditional duodenoscope in patients who have had a Billroth II gastrectomy or hepatojejunostomy, and who now have biliary tract problems. Repeat surgery is not a suitable course of action in these patients. Therefore, finding alternative modalities to resolve these obstructions is of great importance. Objective To report successful endoscopic examination and treatment of difficult biliary obstructions by using double-balloon enteroscopy. Patients Five patients. Design Cases series. Intervention Double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) for biliary tract examination and treatment. Results We report on 5 patients who underwent Billroth II gastrectomy or biliary tract Roux-en-Y surgery and who later had biliary tract obstruction from various causes. We were unable to perform ERCP with traditional duodenoscopy but successfully completed ERCP with DBE. DBE was originally designed to examine the small intestine. The successful biliary tract cannulation rate when using DBE is lower than with duodenoscope. We performed ERCP by using DBE a total of 5 times, with a successful biliary cannulation rate of 60%. We performed a special-method papillotomy in 2 patients. This method entailed inserting an electric sphincterotome through the percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography and drainage (PTCD) route after performing DBE intubation to the ampulla of Vater. We then successfully completed a papillotomy with an electric sphincterotome under DBE guidance. Conclusions DBE appears to be a promising alternative in the examination and treatment of biliary tract disease in patients after GI operations such as Billroth II gastrectomy and choledochojejunostomy.
SSRI use in late pregnancy was associated with increased persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns

Source Citation Kieler H, Artama M, Engeland A, et al. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during pregnancy and risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension in the newborn: population based cohort...
The effect of hypothalamic lesions on the secretion of luteotrophin.

Hypothalamic lesions in the median eminence of rats induced persistent diestrus. If lesions were made when the rats were in proestrus or estrus, deciduomata developed in response to uterine trauma with great regularity, whereas deciduomata failed to develop if lesions were made on the last day of diestrus. About 50% of the rats showed eventual recovery of some sort of estrous cycle, whereas all eventually showed a loss of the deciduoma response. Lobuloalveolar development of the mammary glands occurred in about 50% of rats with lesions. If estrogen was administered concurrently, almost all rats exhibited lobuloalveolar development. Median eminence lesions also resulted in a retardation of mammary involution following removal of litters from lactating dams. It is concluded that median eminence lesions lead to persistent luteotrophic hormone secretion, and it is suggested that the lvypothalamus exerts an inhibitory influence on the secretion of luteotrophin.
Changes in Socioeconomic Status of the Chinese Male Population in the United States from 1960 to 1970.

Since their arrival to the United States in the 1850s, the Chinese have undergone three main periods of wide-scale occupational adjustments. When they arrived as new immigrants, the Chinese worked in large numbers in the mines and on the railroads. Later, they turned to the agricultural sector as their main source of occupation. During a second period characterized by overt discrimination, they were pressured to insulate themselves in Chinatowns and had to build up occupations geared toward serving their own ethnic community or specialize in those occupations rejected by or noncompetitive with the whites. Finally, beginning with the war economy of World War II, the opportunity to participate in the job market of the larger society began to open up. More recently, the Chinese have been referred to by some sociologists and policy makers as one of the most "successful minorities" of America?a minority that has "made it". The purpose of this paper is to examine the changes in the socioeconomic status of the Chinese male population in the United States from 1960 to 1970 to see if this image is true. Between the years 1940 to 1970, the socioeconomic status of the Chinese in America has undergone significant improvement. During this
The Irrelevance of the Broccoli Argument against the Insurance Mandate

Those who have legally challenged the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate to obtain health insurance argue that Congress cannot regulate “inactivity.” But Congress does in fact have the power to force purchases.
On the use of forbidden lines as density diagnostics in stratified media

The influence of density and ionization gradients on the observed density-sensitive forbidden-line ratios from a spatially unresolved source is investigated by means of a simple model. In order to assess the role played by the source geometry, both spherical and cylindrical systems where all spatial dependences are given by power laws are considered. It is shown that the present ratios can be used to estimate the spatial dependence of density and ionization as well as the source geometry.
Evaluation of environmental impact assessment report preparation and public participation in landfill projects in Nepal

This study examined the effectiveness of environmental impact assessment (EIA) in landfill development projects for Kathmandu Valley municipalities in Nepal using a survey, focus group interviews, expert interviews, and observations. The study found that EIA reports are often prepared by incompetent contractors that are not accredited and the reports are poor in quality, too technical, mostly published in the English language, cluttered with irrelevant materials, too long, and frequently contain information copied from other documents. The survey results showed that 66% of the respondents were unaware of any public meetings conducted for EIA in the current landfill location, 69% of them were uninformed of any alternate landfill locations, 91% were unsatisfied with the governmental services provided, and only 14% were happy with the public participation conducted. Findings from other proposed landfill locations and an old landfill site corroborated that the government fell short in conducting EIA or upholding Nepal's environmental law, thus undercutting public support in such projects. In some cases, retroactive EIA was being conducted to create the appearance that the required procedures were followed, which clearly violated the spirit and elemental principle of the apparatus. In other cases, political parties endorsed EIA in place of public hearings. To rectify flaws in EIA and maintain quality and accepted rigor of EIA in solid waste management (SWM), it is suggested that Nepal devise EIA guidelines for the SWM sector that are more appropriate for local conditions, build institutional capacity, accredit EIA drafters, use alternate methods to notify people about proposed activities, and seek public participation and ownership in the project from the beginning.
Description and Validation of an Automated Objective Technique for Identification and Characterization of the Integrated Water Vapor Signature of Atmospheric Rivers

An automated, objective tool for identifying and characterizing the integrated water vapor (IWV) signature of atmospheric rivers (ARs) based on satellite-observed or modelderived IWV fields has been developed, demonstrated, and validated. ARs are narrow plumes of intense water vapor transport that have been found to be an important contributor to major flooding events in the western U.S. and to seasonal water supply. Previous results demonstrated that the associated IWV signature is an effective proxy for the ARs themselves and that signature is used in this work to characterize the features. The technique employs basic objective criteria for the length (> 2000 km), width ( 2 cm) of the plumes and standard image processing techniques including thresholding and skeletonization to identify the ARs. Extracted characteristics for the identified plumes include their position, width, core IWV content, orientation, lifetime, and propagation speed. The performance of the AR detection tool (ARDT) was validated over five cool seasons by comparing the AR IWV signature identified by the tool with visually identified events from an existing landfalling AR climatology. The ARDT performed extremely well with a critical success index of 92.4% and a 98.5% probability of detection. Differences were largely the result of subjective decisions in visual classification and tradeoffs in the tool sensitivity between missing actual ARs and inclusion of non-AR features. Future improvements include refined computations of the length and width of AR features and extension of the technique to apply directly to measurements of the water vapor transport. Overall, the ARDT appears well suited for the development of extended AR climatologies and the comparison and verification of forecasts of ARs.
Online Monitoring of the Evolution of Polyelectrolyte Characteristics during Postpolymerization Modification Processes

Physics Department, Tulane UniVersity, New Orleans,Louisiana 70118, and Faculty of Sciences & Letters,Istanbul Technical UniVersity, 34469 Maslak, Istanbul,TurkeyReceiVed February 2, 2007ReVised Manuscript ReceiVed May 14, 2007Introduction. Postpolymerization modification is an impor-tant approach to generating advanced materials from knownpolymerization methods and is widespread in research andindustrial production. Improvements in the efficiencies andselectivities of postpolymerization reactions have resulted in theability to prepare materials with tailored degrees of functionalitybeing attached to the polymer backbone after the startingpolymer has been produced.Many postpolymerization chemical transformations are used,such as grafting, hydrolysis of pendant esters, activated esters,nitrile and amides, quaternization of pendant amines, sulfonationof aromatic units, and the growing use of the Huisgen “click”reaction,
Methodology for gas chromatographic–mass spectral analysis of volatile organic compounds emerging from a low-pressure, flow-through reaction cell

Abstract A methodology has been developed for the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emerging from a plasma discharge cell operating at a constant flow-rate under subatmospheric pressure (0.266 to 2.66 kPa). The analytical system consisted of a gas reservoir for trapping a portion of the VOC–rare gas mixture, a sampling loop for cryogenically concentrating the VOC products, and either gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) or gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (GC–FID). The methodology was evaluated for the analysis of methylene chloride, benzene and tetrachloroethylene, using n-octane as the internal standard. Calibration curves were constructed by plotting the pressure ratios of the gas standard relative to the internal standard versus the corresponding peak area ratios. Over a pressure range of 1.133 to 5.32 kPa, the linearity of the calibration curve for each gas standard was determined with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.96 to 0.98. The relative standard deviation for a minimum of triplicate analyses varied from 1.1 to 18.3% for most VOCs. The calibration curves were used to measure the concentration of premixed VOC–rare gas mixtures as a function of energy input of the plasma reactor.
Electrochemical studies of trivalent californium and selected trivalent lanthanides in aqueous solution

Abstract D.c. polarographic and cyclic voltammetric studies have been carried out on aqueous solutions (10−4−10−3 M) of 249Cf, Sm and Gd. From the present data and the established electrochemical behavior of Sm and Gd, it can be inferred that Cf(III) is reduced in two steps at the mercury-drop electrode, first to Cf(II), followed by the Cf(II) being reduced to Cf(Hg). The potentials for the two electrochemical steps are −1.47 and −1.68V vs NHE, respectively.
The effects of a new aldose reductase inhibitor (tolrestat) in galactosemic and diabetic rats.

Abstract Tolrestat(N-[[5-(trifluoromethyl)-6-methoxy-1-naphthalenyl]thioxomethyl]-N-methylglycine; AY-27,773; Alredase®) is a potent, structurally novel inhibitor of aldose reductase (AR). In vitro, tolrestat inhibited in dose-dependent fashion the AR from bovine lenses (IC50, 3.5 × 10−8mol/L) and the formation of sorbitol in human RBC incubated with glucose (IC50, 3 × 10−8mol/L). Upon administration with the diet to rats made galactosemic or diabetic, tolrestat decreased, in a dose-related fashion, the accumulation of galactitol or sorbitol in the sciatic nerve and lens. The effectiveness of tolrestat depended upon the experimental conditions and tended to be higher in less severe galactosemia and after suitable pretreatment, particularly in galactosemic rats, resulting in ID50 of 5 mg/kg/d in the sciatic nerve and 12–15 mg/kg/d in the lens. Tolrestat also decreased, in dose-related manner, the RBC sorbitol levels in normal and in streptozotocin diabetic rats; in the latter, at
Potential induced degradation (PID) study on accelerated stress tested PV modules

High system voltage could increase the leakage current from the active cells/circuit to the grounded module frame. The leakage current could then lead to performance degradation, called potential induced degradation (PID). This study presents the PID results obtained on the fresh modules as well as the modules which were previously subjected to accelerated damp heat test (85°C/85%rh; 1000 hours) and thermal cycling test (−40°C to 85°C; 200 cycles). The PID test was conducted in an environmental chamber by stressing the modules at 85°C, for up to 35 hours at +600V or −600V. Electrical performance and electroluminescence studies were also carried out on the pre- and post-PID tested modules.