cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of Noninvasive NMR Spectroscopy and Imaging for Assessing Produced Water Effects on Mussel Reproduction

Perturbation of reproductive performance such as gametogenesis, can be a key factor in the decline of a species in a polluted environment since reproductive success is directly related to effects at the population level. The effects of contaminants on reproduction in indigenous marine invertebrates have been documented both in the laboratory (Kluytmans et al., 1988; Hawkins et ah, 1989; Langston et al., 1989) and in the field (Lowe, 1988; Moore, 1988; Auffret, 1988). In the Santa Barbara Channel, CA, the discharge of aqueous petroleum waste, primarily the produced water (PW), has been correlated with changes in growth and gonadal-somatic indices (GSI) of mussels outplanted at the discharge site (Osenberg et al., 1992). However, because other complicating environmental factors can exist in field studies, it is difficult to assign a cause-and-effect relationship between the pollution source and reproductive perturbations observed. In fact, this situation was reported for Mytilus californianus in an oil seep site study in the Santa Barbara Channel (Straughan, 1976). It has been suggested that the most effective approach would be to relate molecular and cellular alterations to individual-level physiological changes that lead to reproductive perturbations (Spies, 1987).
A New Slant on the Tower Experiment

The “Tower” experiment (hereafter “TXP”) is the centerpiece of Galileo’s refutation of the Aristotelians, a point rightly stressed by Paul K. Feyerabend in Against Method. New information recently discovered by Prof. F. Avantissimi of the Extension Division of the University of Pisa and myself significantly heightens our knowledge of the TXP and its interpretation by Galileo, and tends moreover to reinforce the methodological principles so eloquently defended by Feyerabend. In this brief note, I wish to communicate this new information.
Concurrent Flooding Probabilities

Concurrent flooding the flooding at a location due to two or more causative factors, has not been adequately addressed in the literature. The estimation of stage probabilities is important to hydrologic engineers and becomes complex where a location can be inundated due to flooding of two or more rivers. A probability concept of concurrent flooding is developed to determine flooding probabilities on a tributary river where the stage-flow relationship on the tributary is affected by backwater due to a flooding event on a nearby main river. A systematic approach for determining concurrent flooding probabilities call the”critical combination” method was developed and applied to the Mearmec River near its confluence with the Mississippi River in Missorui. A “critical combination” is a tributary river flow and main river stage pair that could combine to cause a yearly peak stage at a point on the tributary. The stage resulting from each critical combination,computed using a backwater program, produces an annual stage series to which a probability distribution can be fitted. This procedure was used in the Meramec-Mississippi case and shown to be a valid approach.
Phonon Coupling to Radiative, Nonradiative, and Energy-Transfer Transitions

The model of phonon coupling to transitions based on Condon’s quantum-mechanical treatment of the Franck-Condon principle and Manneback’s recursion formulas for overlap integrals is reviewed. The model is valid for arbitrary Franck-Condon offset and temperature. For equal force constants, the results are expressible in Huang-Rhys-Pekar Wp functions. The model is illustrated by Yb+3 in Y2O2S. The Yb+3 4f states (2F7/2,5/2) are simultaneously common to small- and large-offset transitions. Radiative, nonradiative, and energy-transfer transitions from the charge-transfer state are comparable in strength and compete where quantum-mechanical formulas are needed.
PLA Based Application Mapping in MBC

This chapter presents a unique implementation of MBC framework which realizes function not by LUTs but rather by programmable logic arrays (PLA). While LUTs sizes tend to be exponentially large with large number of inputs, PLA sizes increase at a much lower rate, thereby making them attractive for representing functions with large number of inputs. From the implementation perspective, the benefit is exponentially smaller memory size compared to a LUT based approach. This leads to considerable improvement in performance and energy for the MBC framework. The challenge is however, conventional random access memories cannot be used to store and retrieve the PLA representation. Content-addressable memories (CAM) are ideal candidates for storing the PLA representation. This chapter describes the CAM based MBC architecture and the corresponding software flow.
Locke, Pyrard, and Coconuts: Travel Literature, Evidence, and Natural History

John Locke had a lifelong love of travel literature. He was also a proponent of the construction of natural histories. Many commentators have noted that there is a close link between these two interests. They suggest that data gleaned from travel literature was used in the construction of natural histories. This paper uses Locke’s reading of Francois Pyrard’s Voyage to argue that the relationship between the two genres was closer than has been realized. Specifically, it is argued that Pyrard’s discussion of the coconut displays characteristic features of a natural history. It pays careful attention to first-hand experience. It emphasizes empirical observation and eschews theory and speculation. It focuses on the practical utility of the coconut. And it records a number of specific measurements. These features allowed Locke to read this portion of a piece of travel literature as natural historical evidence. This allows us to recognize that the genres of natural history and travel literature were not distinct for early modern thinkers. They overlapped in significant ways.
Contact charge transfer between inorganic dielectric solids of different surface roughness

Abstract We measured contact charge transfer between chemically identical, dielectric solids with different surface roughness. Glass of four different roughness levels had its own charge transfer series with the rougher glass negative with respect to the smoother in all combinations. Unpolished N-type silicon wafers became negative to polished N-type wafers; P-type wafers showed the opposite behavior. Rougher glass was more negative than smoother glass after contact with chemically non-identical samples. The results are consistent with modeling studies that show that the concentration of excited electrons is lower in solids in which there is greater access to surface de-excitation.
Unraveling the genetic architecture for carbon and nitrogen related traits and leaf hydraulic conductance in soybean using genome-wide association analyses.

Drought stress is a major limiting factor of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production around the world. Soybean plants can ameliorate this stress with improved water-saving, sustained N2 fixation during water deficits, and/or limited leaf hydraulic conductance. In this study, carbon isotope composition (δ13C), which can relate to variation in water-saving capability, was measured. Additionally, nitrogen isotope composition (δ15N) and nitrogen concentration that relate to nitrogen fixation were evaluated. Decrease in transpiration rate (DTR) of de-rooted soybean shoots in a silver nitrate (AgNO3) solution compared to deionized water under high vapor pressure deficit (VPD) conditions was used as a surrogate measurement for limited leaf hydraulic conductance. A panel of over 200 genetically diverse soybean accessions genotyped with the SoySNP50K iSelect BeadChips was evaluated for the carbon and nitrogen related traits in two field environments (Athens, GA in 2015 and 2016) and for transpiration response to AgNO3 in a growth chamber. A multiple loci linear mixed model was implemented in FarmCPU to perform genome-wide association analyses for these traits. Thirty two, 23, 26, and nine loci for δ13C, δ15N, nitrogen concentration, and transpiration response to AgNO3, respectively, were significantly associated with these traits. Candidate genes that relate to drought stress tolerance enhancement or response were identified near certain loci that could be targets for improving and understanding these traits. Soybean accessions with favorable breeding values were also identified. Low correlations were observed between many of the traits and the genetic loci associated with each trait were largely unique, indicating that these drought tolerance related traits are governed by different genetic loci. The genomic regions and germplasm identified in this study can be used by breeders to understand the genetic architecture for these traits and to improve soybean drought tolerance. Phenotyping resources needed, trait heritability, and relationship to the target environment should be considered before deciding which of these traits to ultimately employ in a specific breeding program. Potential marker-assisted selection efforts could focus on loci which explain the greatest amount of phenotypic variation for each trait, but may be challenging due to the quantitative nature of these traits.
Elastic α Angular Distributions in the Sharp Cutoff Model

An analysis is made in terms of a semiclassical strong absorption model of all published angular distributions of intermediate energy alpha particles elastically scattered from heavy or medium weight nuclei as well as some examples of elastic proton and deuteron scattering. Moderately good agreement is found for radii obtained from different sets of data and also from analysis of fixed angle, variable energy experiments; there is some indication that the sharp cutoff radius increases as the bombarding energy is lowered to the Coulomb barrier. The connection between these results and optical model parameters is discussed. The best-fit critical angular momenta, ${l}^{\ensuremath{'}}$, are found to be essentially equivalent to the largest angular momenta, ${l}_{m}$, such that the ${l}_{m}\mathrm{th}$ potential barrier is classically surmounted by the bombarding particle when the most recent optical model parameters are used to represent the nuclear potential. It is suggested that, when the penetration depth is small, the most important "effective" parameter is ${l}_{m}$.
Identification of Erectile Dysfunction Drugs in Dietary Supplements by Liquid Chromatography Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry.

With the rise in consumption of dietary supplements for various ailments such as erectile dysfunction (ED), there is concern that these supplements may contain illegally added phosphodiesterase typ...
Lacrimal Gland Hamartoma (Formerly Termed Dacryoadenoma).

Purpose Since the original description of “dacryadenoma” by Jakobiec and associates, the data on this unusual epibulbar lacrimal gland lesion remain sparse. The aim of this study was to characterize clinically, morphologically, and immunohistochemically this isolated epibulbar lacrimal gland lesion. Design Retrospective observational case series. Methods Institutional pathology records between 2000 and 2019 were searched for all cases of isolated epibulbar lacrimal gland lesions. Tissue from 3 normal lacrimal glands and 1 complex choristoma were included for comparative analysis. Clinical, histopathologic, and immunohistochemical findings were recorded. Results Four patients with isolated epibulbar lacrimal gland lesions, 2 male and 2 female, with a median age of 18 years (range, 12-57) were identified. All patients presented with recent onset of unilateral pink-to-orange, well-circumscribed subepithelial juxtaforniceal (3/4, 75%), or nasal (1/4, 25%) bulbar conjunctival nodules, which were asymptomatic (3/4, 75%) or associated with foreign body sensation (1/4, 25%). When compared with the normal lacrimal gland and complex choristoma, all isolated epibulbar lacrimal gland lesions were composed predominantly of variably dilated, branching tubular structures with pseudo-apocrine snouts, and either totally absent (2/2, 50%) or rare (2/2, 50%) ducts and rare acinar zymogen granules (3/4, 75%). Conclusion Our study confirms that a subset of isolated epibulbar lacrimal gland lesions differs morphologically and immunohistochemically from normal lacrimal gland tissue and the lacrimal gland in a complex choristoma. These differences range from subtle to overt, suggesting that isolated epibulbar lacrimal gland lesions may have originated from precursor cellular elements indigenous to the conjunctiva (hamartia) and grew into disorganized lacrimal gland tissue.
Co-impairment of autonomic and glucagon responses to insulin-induced hypoglycemia in dogs with naturally occurring insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

This study aimed to investigate the contributions of two factors potentially impairing glucagon response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia (IIH) in insulin-deficient diabetes: 1) loss of paracrine disinhibition by intra-islet insulin and 2) defects in the activation of the autonomic inputs to the islet. Plasma glucagon responses during hyperinsulinemic-hypoglycemic clamps ([Formula: see text]40 mg/dL) were assessed in dogs with spontaneous diabetes (n = 13) and in healthy nondiabetic dogs (n = 6). Plasma C-peptide responses to intravenous glucagon were measured to assess endogenous insulin secretion. Plasma pancreatic polypeptide, epinephrine, and norepinephrine were measured as indices of parasympathetic and sympathoadrenal autonomic responses to IIH. In 8 of the 13 diabetic dogs, glucagon did not increase during IIH (diabetic nonresponder [DMN]; ∆ = -6 ± 12 pg/mL). In five other diabetic dogs (diabetic responder [DMR]), glucagon responses (∆ = +26 ± 12) were within the range of nondiabetic control dogs (∆ = +27 ± 16 pg/mL). C-peptide responses to intravenous glucagon were absent in diabetic dogs. Activation of all three autonomic responses were impaired in DMN dogs but remained intact in DMR dogs. Each of the three autonomic responses to IIH was positively correlated with glucagon responses across the three groups. The study conclusions are as follows: 1) Impairment of glucagon responses in DMN dogs is not due to generalized impairment of α-cell function. 2) Loss of tonic inhibition of glucagon secretion by insulin is not sufficient to produce loss of the glucagon response; impairment of autonomic activation is also required. 3) In dogs with major β-cell function loss, activation of the autonomic inputs is sufficient to mediate an intact glucagon response to IIH.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In dogs with naturally occurring, insulin-dependent (C-peptide negative) diabetes mellitus, impairment of glucagon responses is not due to generalized impairment of α-cell function. Loss of tonic inhibition of glucagon secretion by insulin is not sufficient, by itself, to produce loss of the glucagon response. Rather, impaired activation of the parasympathetic and sympathoadrenal autonomic inputs to the pancreas is also required. Activation of the autonomic inputs to the pancreas is sufficient to mediate an intact glucagon response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia in dogs with naturally occurring diabetes mellitus. These results have important implications that include leading to a greater understanding and insight into the pathophysiology, prevention, and treatment of hypoglycemia during insulin treatment of diabetes in companion dogs and in human patients.
Qualitative Study of African-American Women’s Intergenerational Dialogue for HIV Prevention:

Despite the many established strategies designed to prevent Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) transmission in the United States, African-American (AA) women are disproportionately affected by the virus. This descriptive qualitative study explored AA women's experiences of Intergenerational Dialogues (IGD) about HIV prevention. Study participants included 30 AA women representing four generational cohorts (the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials). Recruitment occurred in Scott County, Mississippi. Data were collected through in-person, in-depth interviews. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim for analysis. Four themes emerged from using conventional content analysis: Acknowledging the Importance of Community Connections; Helping Others by Sharing; Using Self-Knowledge as a Preventive Strategy; and Encouraging Others to Manage Intimate Relationships. Findings suggest that intergenerational dialogues may be an effective strategy to help AA women manage intimate relationships and potentially contribute to preventing HIV transmission.
Learning from Ground Zero: The Presence of Absence at Two Sites of Destruction

The destroyed Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan and the destroyed World Trade Center in New York City prompted almost immediate discussion and controversy over whether to reconstruct these structures and thereby fill the void on their respective landscapes. Despite the difference in their contexts, the two sites of destruction implicate a number of similar issues, including: respect for or mitigation of the void; pre and post destruction narratives about the sites; the concept of loss; inscription and erasure of memory on a lived, monumental landscape; the concept of heritage applied to the site; perceptions of value; the politics and ethics of decision-making concerning the impacted terrain; assertions, contestations, and goals of stakeholdership; the aesthetics of reconstruction; the symbolism of reconstruction; the emotional and affective dimensions of reconstruction; economic development after destruction and its intended beneficiaries; what is considered recovery and by whom; the future that reconstruction is anticipated to generate; and formal interpretive scripts about the destruction and the physical form these scripts take. This paper considers the difficulty of achieving a built solution for these voids, focusing on the people living close to the sites who were most directly affected by the destruction.
Jitter-Power Trade-Offs in PLLs

As new applications impose jitter values in the range of a few tens of femtoseconds, the design of phase-locked loops faces daunting challenges. This paper derives basic relations between the tolerable jitter and the power consumption, predicting severe issues as jitters below 10 fs are sought. The results are also applied to the sampling clocks in analog-to-digital converters and suggest that clock generation may consume a greater power than the converter itself.
Multiobjective particle swarm optimization of geothermal power plants

Abstract This chapter focuses on the energy and exergy optimization of a geothermal powered cogeneration system that can provide electrical energy and process heating. Geothermal is a form of renewable energy generated in the subsurface of the Earth due to the radioactive decay of matter. The thermodynamic state of geothermal fluid varies with location, and therefore, affects the overall production and efficiency in the cogeneration system. Parametric studies are carried out to observe the effects of variations of properties of the geothermal well on the energy and exergy outputs of the system. Multiobjective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) is proposed as an optimization approach to optimize the energy and exergy parameters.
Evaluating atypical language in autism using automated language measures.

Measurement of language atypicalities in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is cumbersome and costly. Better language outcome measures are needed. Using language transcripts, we generated Automated Language Measures (ALMs) and tested their validity. 169 participants (96 ASD, 28 TD, 45 ADHD) ages 7 to 17 were evaluated with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Transcripts of one task were analyzed to generate seven ALMs: mean length of utterance in morphemes, number of different word roots (NDWR), um proportion, content maze proportion, unintelligible proportion, c-units per minute, and repetition proportion. With the exception of repetition proportion (p $$= .07$$ ), nonparametric ANOVAs showed significant group differences (p $$< 0.01$$ ). The TD and ADHD groups did not differ from each other in post-hoc analyses. With the exception of NDWR, the ASD group showed significantly (p $$< 0.01$$ ) lower scores than both comparison groups. The ALMs were correlated with standardized clinical and language evaluations of ASD. In age- and IQ-adjusted logistic regression analyses, four ALMs significantly predicted ASD status with satisfactory accuracy (67.9–75.5%). When ALMs were combined together, accuracy improved to 82.4%. These ALMs offer a promising approach for generating novel outcome measures.
Implementation of a Weight-Based High-Flow Nasal Cannula Protocol for Children With Bronchiolitis.

OBJECTIVES To determine if the implementation of a weight-based high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) protocol for infants with bronchiolitis was associated with improved outcomes, including decreased ICU use. METHODS We implemented a weight-based HFNC protocol across a tertiary care children's hospital and 2 community hospitals that admit pediatric patients on HFNC. We included all patients who were <2 years old and had a discharge diagnosis of bronchiolitis or viral pneumonia during the preimplementation (November 2013 to April 2018) and postimplementation (November 2018 to April 2020) respiratory seasons. Data were analyzed by using an interrupted time series approach. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of patients treated in the ICU. Patients with a complex chronic condition were excluded. RESULTS Implementation of the weight-based HFNC protocol was associated with an immediate absolute decrease in ICU use of 4.0%. We also observed a 6.2% per year decrease in the slope of ICU admissions pre- versus postintervention. This was associated with an immediate reduction in median cost per bronchiolitis encounter of $661, a 2.3% immediate absolute reduction in the proportion of patients who received noninvasive ventilation, and a 3.4% immediate absolute reduction in the proportion of patients who received HFNC. CONCLUSIONS A multicenter, weight-based HFNC protocol was associated with decreased ICU use and noninvasive ventilation use. In hospitals where HFNC is used in non-ICU units, weight-based approaches may lead to improved resource use.
Twin studies to GWAS: there and back again

The field of human behavioral genetics has come full circle. It began by using twin/family studies to estimate the relative importance of genetic and environmental influences. As large-scale genotyping became cost-effective, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) yielded insights about the nature of genetic influences and new methods that use GWAS data to estimate heritability and genetic correlations invigorated the field. Yet these newer GWAS methods have not replaced twin/family studies. In this review, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the two approaches with respect to characterizing genetic and environmental influences, measurement of behavioral phenotypes, and evaluation of causal models, with a particular focus on cognitive neuroscience. This discussion highlights how twin/family studies and GWAS complement and mutually reinforce one another.
Verticalization for Refractory Intracranial Hypertension: A Case Series

Severe intracranial hypertension is strongly associated with mortality. Guidelines recommend medical management involving sedation, hyperosmotic agents, barbiturates, hypothermia, and surgical intervention. When these interventions are maximized or are contraindicated, refractory intracranial hypertension poses risk for herniation and death. We describe a novel intervention of verticalization for treating intracranial hypertension refractory to aggressive medical treatment. This study was a single-center retrospective review of six cases of refractory intracranial hypertension in a tertiary care center. All patients were treated with a standard-of-care algorithm for lowering intracranial pressure (ICP) yet maintained an ICP greater than 20 mmHg. They were then treated with verticalization for at least 24 h. We compared the median ICP, the number of ICP spikes greater than 20 mmHg, and the percentage of ICP values greater than 20 mmHg in the 24 h before verticalization vs. after verticalization. We assessed the use of hyperosmotic therapies and any changes in the mean arterial pressure and cerebral perfusion pressure related with the intervention. Five patients were admitted with subarachnoid hemorrhage and one with intracerebral hemorrhage. All patients had ICP monitoring by external ventricular drain. The median opening pressure was 30 mmHg (25th–75th interquartile range 22.5–30 mmHg). All patients demonstrated a reduction in ICP after verticalization, with a significant decrease in the median ICP (12 vs. 8 mmHg; p < 0.001), the number of ICP spikes (12 vs. 2; p < 0.01), and the percentage of ICP values greater than 20 mmHg (50% vs. 8.3%; p < 0.01). There was a decrease in total medical interventions after verticalization (79 vs. 41; p = 0.05) and a lower total therapy intensity level score after verticalization. The most common adverse effects included asymptomatic bradycardia (n = 3) and pressure wounds (n = 4). Verticalization is an effective noninvasive intervention for lowering ICP in intracranial hypertension that is refractory to aggressive standard management and warrants further study.
Influence of psychostimulants and opioids on epigenetic modification of class III histone deacetylase (HDAC)-sirtuins in glial cells.

Substance abuse affects the central nervous system (CNS) and remains a global health problem. Psychostimulants, such as cocaine and methamphetamine (METH), and opioids affect neuronal function and lead to behavioral impairments via epigenetic modification. Epigenetic changes occur via classical pathways, especially the class III histone deacetylase (HDAC)-sirtuin (SIRT) family, that act as cellular sensors to regulate energy homeostasis and coordinate cellular responses to maintain genome integrity. However, SIRT family (1–7)-associated neurodegeneration has not been elucidated in the context of energy metabolism. The present study examined the effects of psychostimulants, such as cocaine and METH, and opioids, such as morphine, on SIRT family (1–7) [class I, II, III and IV] expression and cellular translocation-mediated dysfunction in astrocytes and microglial cells. The “nootropic” drug piracetam played a preventative role against psychostimulant- and opioid-induced SIRT (1–7) expression in astrocytes. These results indicate that cocaine, METH, and morphine affected deacetylation and cellular function, and these changes were prevented by piracetam in astrocytes.
The molecular Zeeman effect in CH3Cl, CH3Br and CH3I

A microwave rotational Zeeman study is performed on various halogen isotopes of CH3Cl, CH3Br and CH3I. The rotational spectra of these molecules is complicated by nuclear quadrupolar interactions. A method of data analysis is outlined which avoids the complication of performing a complete matrix diagonalization and allows one to extract information about the molecular g values, the anisotropy in the magnetic susceptibility, as well as chemical shift anisotropies using first-order perturbation theory. This method utilizes data from transitions defined by F = I + J → F′ = I + J + 1 and |MF | = F → |MF′| = F′. These transitions were heavily relied upon in the data analysis and the following information was obtained: for CH3 127I, and For CH3 79Br, and For CH3 35Cl, and (1 - σ)gI is the shielded nuclear g value, g ⊥, and g ∥ are the molecular g values perpendicular and parallel to the molecular symmetry axis; x ⊥, x ∥, σ⊥ and σ∥ are similarly defined elements of the magnetic susceptibility and the chemical sh...
Clearance Mechanisms in the Respiratory Tract

The sections in this article are: 1 Conducting Airways 1.1 Ciliated Cells 1.2 Goblet Cells and Mucus 1.3 Serous Cells and Water 1.4 Transport and Clearance Dynamics 2 Fluid Absorption and Mucociliary Clearance 2.2 Other Physical Mechanisms 2.3 Leukocyte Recruitment and Endocytosis in Conducting Airways 3 Alveolar Ducts and Alveoli 3.1 Physical Removal 3.2 Solubility and Permeability 3.3 Digestion 3.4 Retention 4 Implications for Environmental Diseases 4.1 Pulmonary 4.2 Systemic Disorders
Safe exploration: Addressing various uncertainty levels in human robot interactions

To address the safety issues in human robot interactions (HRI), a safe set algorithm (SSA) was developed previously. However, during HRI, the uncertainty levels are changing in different phases of the interaction, which is not captured by SSA. A safe exploration algorithm (SEA) is proposed in this paper to address the uncertainty levels in the robot control. To estimate the uncertainty levels online, a learning method in the belief space is developed. A comparative study between SSA and SEA is conducted. The simulation results confirm that SEA can capture the uncertainty reduction behavior which is observed in human-human interactions.
Right-Sided Bacterial Endocarditis: New Concepts in the Treatment of the Uncontrollable Infection

Abstract Our experience with 25 patients with right-sided bacterial endocarditis is described; 23 were heroin addicts. The clinical manifestations of right-sided endocarditis are primarily related to septic pulmonary embolism. When the infection was due to gram-positive cocci, antibiotics always cured the patient. However, if the infection was due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to therapy, excision of the infected tricuspid or tricuspid and pulmonary valves without prosthetic replacement effected a cure. Nine out of 10 long-term survivors treated in this manner have had no significant hemodynamic difficulties. Antibiotic therapy must be limited to six weeks or less, because if the infection persists beyond this period it may also spread to the left side of the heart, where valve excision without replacement is impossible.
Filtration Method for Bacteriophage Detection

A filtration method has been developed which can be used to detect and enumerate phage in low concentrations directly from solution without the need for prior concentration. In this method, a known volume of the phage solution is mixed with a suitable host solution. Samples are filtered through membrane filters; the filter is removed and incubated, and after 24 hr the resultant plaques are counted and the titer is calculated. Escherichia coli B and the coliphage T2 were used in these studies. Host cultures less than 12 hr old produced the best results. Approximately 10(10) host organisms must be present in the sample taken for filtration. To avoid phage reproduction, all steps prior to filtration must be done in less than 45 min. The method was compared with the soft-agar technique and was shown to be less precise but able to measure phage in lower concentrations.
Tolerability of Topical Retinoids: Are There Clinically Meaningful Differences Among Topical Retinoids?

Background:Topical retinoids are first-line treatment options for acne vulgaris. These drugs, however, produce varying degree of cutaneous irritation within the first few weeks of treatment.Objective:Our purpose was to examine differences in tolerability of topical retinoids and assess whether these differences would be clinically meaningful.Methods:A PubMed search was performed for sources on topical retinoids in acne vulgaris treatment. Thirty-four clinical studies were analyzed.Results:Thirteen studies had statistically significant results on tolerability of retinoid based on retinoid, vehicle, concentration, or skin type. All studies classified most of skin reactions as mild-moderate. Large differences in the number of dropouts due to irritation were not identified.Conclusion:Irritation studies did not show a high frequency of clinically significant irritation with topical retinoids. We anticipate that the large variation in patient use of topical retinoids would likely account for more variation in r...
Synthesis of Hydrogen‐Bond Surrogate α‐Helices as Inhibitors of Protein‐Protein Interactions

The α-helix is a prevalent secondary structure in proteins and is critical in mediating protein-protein interactions (PPIs). Peptide mimetics that adopt stable helices have become powerful tools for the modulation of PPIs in vitro and in vivo. Hydrogen-bond surrogate (HBS) α-helices utilize a covalent bond in place of an N-terminal i to i+4 hydrogen bond and have been used to target and disrupt PPIs that become dysregulated in disease states. These compounds have improved conformational stability and cellular uptake as compared to their linear peptide counterparts. The protocol presented here describes current methodology for the synthesis of HBS α-helical mimetics. The solid-phase synthesis of HBS helices involves solid-phase peptide synthesis with three key steps involving incorporation of N-allyl functionality within the backbone of the peptide, coupling of a secondary amine, and a ring-closing metathesis step. Curr. Protoc. Chem. Biol. 6:101-116 © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: α-helix mimetics; hydrogen-bond surrogate; protein-protein interactions
Three-dimensional elasticity problems for the prismatic bar

A general solution is given to the three-dimensional linear elastic problem of a prismatic bar subjected to arbitrary tractions on its lateral surfaces, subject only to the restriction that they can be expanded as finite power series in the axial coordinate z. The solution is obtained by repeated differentiation of the tractions with respect to z, establishing a set of sub-problems Pj. A recursive procedure is then developed for generating the solution to PjC1 from that for Pj. This procedure involves three steps: integration of the stress and displacement fields Pj with respect to z, using an appropriate Papkovich–Neuber (P–N) representation; solution of two-dimensional in-plane and antiplane corrective problems for the tractions in PjC1 that are independent of z; and expression of these corrective solutions in P–N form. The method is illustrated by an example.
Seebeck coefficient of poly and single crystals of La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO4

Abstract Seebeck coefficient (S) of La(2−x)Sr(x)CuO4 was measured in the range x = 0 to x = 0.3. Data for single crystals show an increase in anisotropy with increase in x. The data for polycrystalline samples show good agreement with Heikes formula [1–3] and the values for x = 0.05 and x = 0.15 (underdoped), fits the expected values, obtained from ( 2 3 S ab + 1 3 S c ), where Sab is the in-plane and Sc is the c-axis Seebeck coefficient. For x = 0.2 and x = 0.25 (overdoped), the values for the polycrystals coincide with those of Sab. The effect of oxygen vacancies, at ambient pressure, was detected only for x = 0.3 sample, for which S changed sign from positive, for oxygen deficient sample, to negative, for oxygen annealed sample.
The reproductive cycle of the western whiptail lizard (Cnemidophorus tigris) in Southern Arizona.

Reproduction in Cnemidophorus tigris at Tucson, Arizona follows a seasonal cycle in which gonadal size is minimal in September-October. Male reproductive organs gradually recrudesce during the winter months spent underground. After the lizards emerge from hibernation in March-April the testis, seminiferous epithelial height and tubule diameter gradually increase in size through April and May, reaching maximum size in June-July followed by rapid regression in August. Mating is first observed in the field in May. The ovaries undergo a period of heavy yolk deposition from early April to May, and remain functional until August. A thick circumtesticular subtunic layer of equivalent interstitial material (Leydig cells) is reported and described for the testis of Cnemidophorus.
Gravity, God and ghosts? Parents’ beliefs in science, religion, and the paranormal and the encouragement of beliefs in their children

Using a questionnaire, the present study examined parents’ beliefs regarding the development of children’s beliefs about science, religion, and the paranormal. The study also investigated parental ...
The Course of Experimental Cerebral Infarction--The Development of Increased Intracranial Pressure

In cats being subjected to surgical occlusion of the middle cerebral artery, regional oxygen availability (O2a) was monitored continuously from four open-tip platinum electrodes in the ischemic hemisphere and one in the control hemisphere. Extradural pressure over the convexity of the ischemic hemisphere was measured hourly. The animals were killed 24 hours after occlusion. Ten animals developing substantial increases in extradural pressure as a consequence of cerebral infarction were compared with ten which did not. The two groups did not differ in severity of the initial ischemic insult resulting from the arterial ligation, in blood pressure following occlusion, or in hematocrit, PCOCO2, or oxygen saturation. The most important difference between the two groups was in the course of regional O2a in the ischemic hemispheres following occlusion. In the animals which ultimately developed increased intracranial pressure the recovery of regional O2a was slower and less complete. After the ninth hour postocclusion O2a declined progressively, clearly related to rising intracranial pressure. In the animals which developed increased extradural pressure, it rose progressively to a mean of 40 mm Hg by 24 hours postocclusion. The intracranial pressure changes during the first few hours seemed insufficient to account for the early failure of recovery of regional O2a, unless they are viewed as averages which obscure important regional intracerebral pressure changes.
Listening to Reactive Intermediates: Application of Photoacoustic Calorimetry to Vitamin B12 Compounds

The modern technique of photoacoustic calorimetry (PAC) has been critically evaluated for its utility and reliability in biophysical chemistry by applying it to reactive intermediates in the vitamin B12 family of compounds. Measurement of the photoacoustic signals at 337 nm in 0.01 M phosphate buffer at pH 7.0, for methylcobalamin and methylcobinamide versus reference compounds from −2 to +40 °C, combined with measurement of the quantum yields for photodissociation (0.27 and 0.17, respectively), yields the bond dissociation energies of the corresponding cobalt−carbon bonds as BDE{Me−Cbl} = 36 and BDE{Me−Cbi} = 37 kcal mol-1. Simultaneously, the reaction volumes for homolytic bond cleavage were determined to be 16 and 14 cm3 mol-1, respectively. These accurate measurements provide new paradigms for understanding the mechanisms by which the novel rearrangements catalyzed by coenzyme B12 are achieved as well as establishing the validity of the PAC technique and data treatment. The further extension of PAC to...
General three-particle scattering theory

Abstract A unified treatment of three-particle scattering theory with a three-body force in addition to the usual pair interactions is developed. The relationship of the generalized AGS and Faddeev formalisms to each other as well as distinct versions of each corresponding to the two most natural techniques for handling the three-body potential are established. It is found, just as in the case without the three-particle force, that the AGS formalism appears to be more practical for considering elastic and rearrangement scattering in two-body channels. On the other hand, for scattering amplitudes with at least one three-body channel (breakup and the 3-to-3) the Faddeev version of the theory is preferable. Other advantages of each formalism depending upon the treatment of the three-body interaction are noted.
Selection on Mesh Connected Computers with Fixed and Reconfigurable Buses

Mesh connected computers have become attractive models of computing because of their varied special features. In this paper we consider two variations of the mesh model: (1) a mesh with fixed buses and (2) a mesh with reconfigurable buses. Both these models have been the subject of extensive previous research. The problem of our interest is selection. Selection is a critical comparison problem with numerous applications. Our algorithms have considerably better time bounds than the best known algorithms for selection.
Portable Electronic Keyboard for Computer Input by Telephone

This device, which may be acoustically-coupled to any conventional telephone handset, generates coded tone sequences representing alphanumeric characters. The full ASCII character set, coded with parity, is used, and all 128 symbols available for selection are displayed on the device in a small electronic ``keyboard.'' The transmitted tone sequences correspond to those generated by most Teletype-Dataphone terminals in typical time-sharing systems. In operation, the user dials the remote machine and then inputs messages, character-by-character, by pointing at the selected symbols on the keyboard with a hand-held selection ``pen,'' in a hunt- and-peck fashion. It is assumed that this device would be used to communicate with a machine which has voice answer-back capabilities.
Pelvic floor electromyography in men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome: a case-control study.

Aims The objectives of this study were (1) to identify differences between men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS), compared with pain-free men, in surface electromyography/biofeedback (sEMG/BFB) readings of pelvic floor muscles and (2) to determine which pelvic floor muscle sEMG readings may have differential diagnostic and treatment selection value by accurately predicting group membership, CPPS versus normal. Methods Twenty-one men with CPPS and 21 healthy men without pelvic pain underwent a standardized sEMG examination by a licensed physical therapist. Results On group difference measures men with CPPS showed significantly greater sEMG instability in preliminary resting baseline. Three sEMG measures reliably categorized CPPS versus normals with CPPS showing greater preliminary resting baseline hypertonicity and instability with lowered voluntary endurance contraction amplitude. Conclusions CPPS patients manifest pelvic floor muscle instability compared to normals. Prebaseline resting hypertonicity and instability along with endurance contraction weakness reliably predicts subject membership in the CPPS vs. normal group. Pelvic floor muscle sEMG may be a valuable screening tool to identify patients with CPPS who may benefit from therapies aimed at correcting pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. Neurourol. Urdynam. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Why read if you can skim: towards enabling faster screen reading

Skimming broadly refers to different speed-reading methods that aim to enhance the rate of reading without unduly compromising on comprehension and retention of information. Skimming of content could be particularly useful for people with vision impairments, who frequently experience information overload when listening to reams of digital content online. Support for usable and useful skimming in modern screen readers remains very poor. This paper explores the user requirements for a usable non-visual skimming interface, informed by a large-scale human-subject experiment with blind individuals. Specifically, the study has: (1) helped identify the type of skimming that can be useful in screen reading main content in web pages; (2) led to the development of a usable interface for accessible online skimming; (3) demonstrated the utility of the accessible skimming interface in two realistic use scenarios; (4) identified automatic summarization techniques that could "closely" approximate skimming methods used by sighted people.
Signals and susceptibility to programmed death in B cells

Programmed death in B cells is a highly regulated process. During the past year it has become increasingly apparent that specific receptor signals influence B cell apoptosis in distinct ways as a function of developmental stage and/or apoptotic trigger. Studies making use of opposing signals for programmed death have begun to reveal molecular correlates of sensitivity and resistance to apoptosis.
Observation of transverse negative magnetoresistance in heteroepitaxial films of InSb on GaAs

Abstract The transverse magnetoresistance of InSb layers deposited epitaxially on (100)GaAs is reported. The magnetoresistance shows two components, a positive one for sufficiently thick layers, and a negative component that is revealed when the thickness of the layer is reduced. The negative magnetoresistance appears to arise from weak localisation of charge carriers at defects near the InSb/GaAs interface, since regions of low defect density show no negative component, while regions of high defect density show a predominantly negative component. The magnetoresistance can be accounted for using the model proposed by Shmartsev et al., in which the negative magnetoresistance arises from scattering of conduction electrons from localised impurity magnetic moments. The electron g-factor deduced from the model agrees closely with the predicted value for bulk InSb having similar levels of impurities.
Unfinished Imagined Communities: States, Social Movements, and Nationalism in Latin America

This article addresses two shortcomings in the literature on nationalism: the need to theorize transformations of nationalism, and the relative absence of comparative works on Latin America. We propose a state-focused theoretical framework, centered on conflicts between states elites and social movements, for explaining transformations of nationalism. Different configurations of four key factors — the mobilization of excluded elites and subordinate actors, state elites’ political control, the ideological capacities of states, and polarization around ethnoracial cleavages — shape how contrasting trajectories of nationalism unfold over time. A comparative analysis of early– and mid–twentieth century Mexico, Argentina, and Peru illustrates the explanatory power of our theoretical framework.
A cross-lagged panel analysis of quality of school life and achievement responsibility

AbstractA quasi-experimental design appropriate for use in field settings such as schools, cross-lagged panel correlation analysis, is illustrated. A sample of 51 fourth graders’ perceptions of the quality of their school life, including satisfaction with school, commitment to their classwork, and attitudes toward teachers, was assessed at the beginning and end of the school year, as were beliefs concerning responsibility for successful, unsuccessful, and overall academic achievements. Results of the Fisher combined test of the consistency of the effects of these exploratory analyses provide tentative support for the view that perceptions of these aspects of quality of school life temporally preceded perceptions of academic responsibility. It is suggested that the more favorably these classroom factors are perceived, the more likely students are to accept responsibility for their school successes and failures.
Toward a performance of possibilities: resisting gendered (in)justice

In the twenty-first century the United States incarcerates more of its citizens than any other country. While the numbers of incarcerated males far outnumber incarcerated women, there are still great concerns about the growing female prison population. This fixation with incarceration and building prisons has trickled down to America’s children as well. Among those who have been strategically extracted from childhood and adolescence and catapulted into the category of “adults” are teen girls and more specifically girls of color. This postcard from the resistance seeks to examine the ways in which playwriting and performance serve as mediating tools for formerly incarcerated black girls seeking reentry to their schools, communities, and families. More specifically this postcard extends the notion of performance ethnography and formerly incarcerated girls’ “performance of possibilities” that serve as a bridge between incarcerated and liberated lives.