cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A decade of modeling Alzheimer's disease in transgenic mice

It has been over a decade since the first Alzheimer's disease (AD) transgenic mouse models were reported. These models have enabled dramatic advances in our understanding of the pathogenic mechanism in AD and of potential therapeutic approaches to tackling the inexorable clinical progression of the disease. In this article, we discuss the current status of AD mouse models and focus on recent work that has examined the development of the neuropathological lesions observed in AD (plaques and tangles). The relationship between these lesions, neurodegeneration and development of the clinical syndrome will be explored.
Can You Repeat That Please?: Using Monte Carlo Simulation in Graduate Quantitative Research Methods Classes.

Graduate students in political science come to the discipline interested in exploring important political questions, such as “What causes war?” or “What policies promote economic growth?” However, they typically do not arrive prepared to address those questions using quantitative methods. Graduate methods instructors must provide the quantitative tools and statistical knowledge for answering these questions through data analysis. Often this is done with a heavy emphasis on lecture and textbook training, which comes with an array of Greek letters, formulae, and formal proofs, or by walking students through point-and-click statistical software without ever seriously engaging the underlying mathematical concepts. Neither approach is ideal because they both leave students lacking real understanding of core concepts. In this article, we discuss a useful alternative: Monte Carlo simulation. Simulations allow students to experience and visualize the meaning of core statistical concepts and to make comparisons be...
Algorithms for enhancing public health utility of national causes-of-death data

Coverage and quality of cause-of-death (CoD) data varies across countries and time. Valid, reliable, and comparable assessments of trends in causes of death from even the best systems are limited by three problems: a) changes in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) over time; b) the use of tabulation lists where substantial detail on causes of death is lost; and c) many deaths assigned to causes that cannot or should not be considered underlying causes of death, often called garbage codes (GCs). The Global Burden of Disease Study and the World Health Organization have developed various methods to enhance comparability of CoD data. In this study, we attempt to build on these approaches to enhance the utility of national cause-of-death data for public health analysis. Based on careful consideration of 4,434 country-years of CoD data from 145 countries from 1901 to 2008, encompassing 743 million deaths in ICD versions 1 to 10 as well as country-specific cause lists, we have developed a public health-oriented cause-of-death list. These 56 causes are organized hierarchically and encompass all deaths. Each cause has been mapped from ICD-6 to ICD-10 and, where possible, they have also been mapped to the International List of Causes of Death 1-5. We developed a typology of different classes of GCs. In each ICD revision, GCs have been identified. Target causes to which these GCs should be redistributed have been identified based on certification practice and/or pathophysiology. Proportionate redistribution, statistical models, and expert algorithms have been developed to redistribute GCs to target codes for each age-sex group. The fraction of all deaths assigned to GCs varies tremendously across countries and revisions of the ICD. In general, across all country-years of data available, GCs have declined from more than 43% in ICD-7 to 24% in ICD-10. In some regions, such as Australasia, GCs in 2005 are as low as 11%, while in some developing countries, such as Thailand, they are greater than 50%. Across different age groups, the composition of GCs varies tremendously - three classes of GCs steadily increase with age, but ambiguous codes within a particular disease chapter are also common for injuries at younger ages. The impact of redistribution is to change the number of deaths assigned to particular causes for a given age-sex group. These changes alter ranks across countries for any given year by a number of different causes, change time trends, and alter the rank order of causes within a country. By mapping CoD through different ICD versions and redistributing GCs, we believe the public health utility of CoD data can be substantially enhanced, leading to an increased demand for higher quality CoD data from health sector decision-makers.
Are women with urogenital atrophy symptomatic

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of correlation between physical signs of genital atrophy and symptoms that are suggestive of atrophic vaginitis. Study design: Female volunteers (n = 135; mean age, 69 years) rated the presence and severity (rating, 0-3) of vaginal atrophy symptoms. The presence and severity of vaginal mucosal changes, which included vaginal pH (0-3), were recorded during a pelvic examination. A vaginal cytologic maturation value was performed. Symptoms, signs, pH, and maturation value were correlated by the Spearman rank test. Results: Symptom scores were low (mean, 0.41; range, 0-2.6). Symptoms were only weakly correlated with physical findings ( r = 0.14) and not with maturation value ( r = 0.06) or age ( r = −0.004). There was a moderate correlation between physical examination score and maturation value ( r = −0.48). In women ≥65 years old, symptom score and physical examination score were correlated weakly ( r = 0.25). Low pH correlated well with high maturation value ( r = −0.52). Women who were undergoing estrogen therapy had higher symptoms scores ( P = .0007) and maturation values ( P = .0002) than women who were not undergoing therapy. Conclusion: Although urogenital atrophy occurs universally after menopause, most elderly women are minimally symptomatic. Those women on estrogen replacement therapy may be more symptomatic. Symptoms alone should not be used as a guide for the initiation of estrogen therapy. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;188:382-8.)
Response of Hamster Cheek Pouch Microcirculation to Endothelin and Endothelin Receptor Antagonists

Our goal was to examine the effects of endothelin-1 and endothelin-3 on hamster cheek pouch arterioles in vivo in the absence and presence of endothelin receptor antagonists. Endothelin-1 (0.1, 1.0 an
Evaluation of the performance of combined cooling, heating, and power systems with dual power generation units

The benefits of using a combined cooling, heating, and power system with dual power generation units (D-CCHP) is examined in nine different U.S. locations. One power generation unit (PGU) is operated at base load while the other is operated following the electric load. The waste heat from both PGUs is used for heating and for cooling via an absorption chiller. The D-CCHP configuration is studied for a restaurant benchmark building, and its performance is quantified in terms of operational cost, primary energy consumption (PEC), and carbon dioxide emissions (CDE). Cost spark spread, PEC spark spread, and CDE spark spread are examined as performance indicators for the D-CCHP system. D-CCHP system performance correlates well with spark spreads, with higher spark spreads signifying greater savings through implementation of a D-CCHP system. A new parameter, thermal difference, is introduced to investigate the relative performance of a D-CCHP system compared to a dual PGU combined heat and power system (D-CHP). Thermal difference, together with spark spread, can explain the variation in savings of a D-CCHP system over a D-CHP system for each location. The effect of carbon credits on operational cost savings with respect to the reference case is shown for selected locations.
Models for school psychology: Dimensions, barriers, and implications

Abstract This article argues that the development of school psychology may be seriously retarded unless a program is developed to overcome several hurdles. It is proposed that the several models of school psychology offer the potential but no guarantee that the profession will develop in an appropriate fashion.
Environmental regulation of nitrogenase and nitrate reductase as systems of nitrogen assimilation in the Azolla mexicana-Anabaena azollae symbiosis

Abstract The effect of various environmental factors on the activities of nitrate reductase and nitrogenase of the Azolla mexicana-Anabaena azollae symbiosis were determined. Nitrate reductase activity was maximally induced by 5 mM nitrate nitrogen and unaffected by either short-term influences of ammonium-nitrogen (10 mM), oxygen (100%), or varying pH (4–8). Temperature optimum for activity was 30°C. Its activity was also inhibited 50% by −10 bars of osmotic stress (polyethylene glycol - 6000). Nitrogen fixation, found only in the phycobiont, was also unaffected by pH (4–8). The nitrogen fixation activity was optimal between 20 and 30°C; osmotic stress reduced the activity 50% at −2.6 bars, nitrate-nitrogen at levels less than 10 mM reduced it 50%, while ammonium-nitrogen (10mM) reduced it only 32%. Oxygen at levels above natural concentration (21%) reduced nitrogen fixation activity. Below 21% O2, fixation in the symbiosis was unaltered while it increased in the isolated alga with decreasing pO2.
Clinical pharmacology of the anticancer polypeptide neocarzinostatin

The clinical pharmacology of the anticancer polypeptide neocarzinostatin was studied in 16 patients with disseminated neoplasia using a radioimmunoassay technique. Patients who received 2,400–3,600 U of the drug per square meter BSA by rapid IV infusion had triphasic plasma decay curves. For eight patients with normal hepatic and renal function, neocarzinostatin mean plasma half-lives were 0.14, 0.50, and 7.7h. The mean plasma drug clearance was 32.4 ml/min/m2 and the apparent volume of distribution 19.3l/m2. Two patients with liver dysfunction had shorter terminal plasma half-lives and greater drug clearances, while two with renal disease exhibited prolonged plasma half-lives and reduced drug clearances. The mean cumulative urinary excretion of neocarzinostatin was 69.1% of the administered dose at 72 h in three patients with normal hepatic and renal function. One patient with liver disease excreted 90.4%, while a patient with renal disease excreted only 58.1% of the dose in 24 h. In one patient with marked liver disease, biliary excretion accounted for 0.1% of the administered dose in 72 h. Cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of neocarzinostatin studied in two patients showed a CSF penetration of about 16% the plasma concentration at 1–5 h; concentrations persisted for 19 h in one patient with an Omayha reservoir. Neocarzinostatin was rapidly cleared from the plasma and eliminated in the urine. Dosage reductions of 50% are recommended for patients with impaired renal function, while no reduction or escalated doses could be tolerated by patients with liver disease. The pharmacologic data suggest a continuous IV infusion may be a more toxic but perhaps more effective schedule of administration.
Diffraction structure in back angle p-/sup 4/He elastic scattering

A Dirac equation optical model calculation with a relativistic Majorana exchange potential is used to represent the large angle diffraction structure observed in the 788 MeV p-/sup 4/He cross section data.
Hypertension: Do calcium-channel blockers increase breast cancer risk?

A case–control study of five classes of antihypertensive medication used among 2,851 women shows that taking calcium-channel blockers for ≥10 years is associated with increased risk of invasive ductal and lobular breast carcinoma. These results are intriguing, but warrant additional investigation given the study limitations and inconsistent findings in the literature.
Improving productivity with financial incentives

Abstract Motivating people at work and the influence that financial rewards have an overall productivity has been the topic of much research and controversy. This paper reviews several motivational theories and the most widely used productivity/gain sharing plans. The advantages and disadvantages of financial incentives are presented. Recommendations are made concerning the installation of financial reward plans and the factors that influence their success or failure.
From Deliberative to Routine Behaviors: A Cognitively Inspired Action-Selection Mechanism for Routine Behavior Capture

Long-term human≬robot interaction, especially in the case of humanoid robots, requires an adaptable and varied behavior base. In this paper, we present a method for capturing, or learning, sequential tasks by transferring serial behavior execution from deliberative to routine control. The incorporation of this approach leads to the natural development of complex and varied behaviors, with lower demands for planning, coordination and resources. We demonstrate how this process can be performed autonomously as part of the normal function of the robot, without the need for an explicit learning stage or user guidance. The complete implementation of this algorithm on the Sony QRIO humanoid robot is described.
Electrical Conductivity Measurements of Leachates For The Rapid Assessment of Waste Form Corrosion Resistance

Measurements of the electrical conductivity of leachate solutions as a function of time can be used as an efficient, informative means of evaluation and comparison in the development of nuclear waste forms and in the preliminary analysis of their corrosion resistance in distilled water. Three separate applications of this technique are described in this work. These are: (1) its use in the optimization of the corrosion resistance of a crystalline wasteform (monazite); (2) a study of the protective ability of the surface layer (''gel layer'') which forms on the nuclear waste glass Frit 21 + 20 wt % SRW in distilled water, and (3) making comparisons of the overall corrosion resistance of three different nuclear wasteforms (i.e., monazite, SYNROC, and borosilicate glass). A complete solution analysis of the borosilicate glass leachate and a straightforward analysis of the conductivity results agree to within +/-20%. In the absence of a complete, time consuming solution analysis, conductivity measurements can be used to estimate reliably the total ionic concentration in the leachate to within a factor of 2.
Assessing susceptibility to landslides: Using models to understand observed changes in slopes

Abstract A map of landslide susceptibility is a necessary tool for proper planning and selection of sites for agriculture, infrastructure and other human developments. The Paonia–McClure Pass area of Colorado, USA, is well known for active mass movements. Large losses of property and risks to people highlight the need to accurately map susceptibility to shallow landslides and to identify safe locations for infrastructure and residential development. We mapped 735 active mass movements and 17 factors about each one. The weights of evidence, frequency ratio of landslides, and fuzzy-logic method were used to create an optimum map of landslide susceptibility. Weights of the evidence were used to categorize continuous factor data, frequency ratios of shallow landslides were used to assign the membership values for the categories of the factors, and the fuzzy-logic method was used to integrate the membership values. Four models from the fuzzy-inference network of mapping susceptibility to shallow landslides were developed based on the combination of factors using five types of fuzzy operators. The first inference network model was comprised of the combination of factors, which are independent of each other. The second, third and the fourth inference network models were developed such that factors are not necessarily independent of each other. These models combine all dependent and independent factors, based on the expert's knowledge. Intermediate steps in the second, third and fourth models were developed by combining the fuzzy factors in the first step by fuzzy-OR, fuzzy-AND, and fuzzy-OR plus fuzzy-AND operations, respectively. All models predicted similar percentages of observed shallow landslides with the fuzzy-gamma operation. Although the prediction capabilities of all the models are not significantly different, the fourth model is the best because it is the only model that accommodates the under-sampled and missed landslide data and the effect of increasing and decreasing gamma values. The first and third models create a problem if a category of a factor has a 0 membership value because of the absence or under-sampling of shallow landslides. The second model incurs the highest increasing effect of gamma values, and the third model incurs the highest decreasing effect of gamma values. The approaches described in this paper reduce the uncertainties associated with the categorization of continuous data, determination of fuzzy-membership values, and the combination of factors that causes shallow landslides.
Transgenic Wnt/TCF pathway reporters: all you need is Lef?

The Wnt signaling pathway controls a large and diverse set of cell fate decisions in embryonic development, adult organ maintenance and disease. At the transcriptional level, Wnt/β-catenin signaling is primarily mediated by the T-cell factor (TCF)/Lef-1 family of transcription factors, referred to here as TCFs. In order to track Wnt pathway activity during animal development, several laboratories have built transgenic reporter constructs containing multimerized TCF binding sites. Most of these reporters are active at multiple known sites of Wnt signaling, and several act as faithful reporters of pathway activity in specific contexts. However, multimerized TCF reporters should not be assumed to give a complete or definitive readout of Wnt signaling in vivo. Direct comparisons reveal discrepancies among reporters; in addition, there is good reason to expect that some important types of pathway activity, including target gene de-repression and TCF-independent Wnt or β-catenin signaling, will not be accurately reported by such constructs. This review will discuss various transgenic Wnt/β-catenin/TCF reporters, address the fidelity and completeness of their Wnt responsiveness, and contrast their in vivo transcriptional responses with those of natural Wnt target genes. Finally, three caveats to the interpretation of multimerized TCF reporter expression patterns will be proposed.
π-σ-Phosphonic acid organic monolayer–amorphous sol–gel hafnium oxide hybrid dielectric for low-voltage organic transistors on plastic

A vacuum-free solution processed hybrid dielectric composed of an anthryl-alkyl-phosphonic acid (π-σ-PA) self-assembled monolayer on an amorphous sol–gel processed hafnium oxide (HfOx) is demonstrated for low-voltage organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) on plastic substrates. The π-σ-PA/HfOx hybrid dielectric provides high capacitance (0.54 µF cm−2) and low leakage current (2 × 10−8 A cm−2), and has a chemically and electrically compatible dielectric interface for evaporated and solution processed acene semiconductors. The utility of this dielectric is demonstrated by fabricating pentacene and 6,13-bis(triisopropyl-silylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS-PEN) based OTFTs with operating voltages under 2 V, subthreshold slopes as low as 100 mV dec−1, and average mobilities of 0.32 cm2 V−1 s−1 and 0.38 cm2 V−1 s−1, for pentacene and TIPS-PEN, respectively.
Facies Patterns and Depositional Models of Permian Sabkha Complex--Red Cave Formation, Texas Panhandle: ABSTRACT

The Red Cave Formation (Permian, Leonard Series) in the Texas Panhandle consists of cyclic, red-bed clastic and carbonate-evaporite members that were deposited in an extensive coastal sabkha, desert wadi plain, and a carbonate inner shelf which bordered the northern Midland basin. Evaporite members were deposited in carbonate-evaporite crustal sabkhas and clastic members were deposited in mud-rich coastal to continental sabkhas. North to south, red-bed wadi-plain facies pass into coastal sabkha facies and inner-shelf dolomite facies. In a Randall County core, vertical sequences commonly include slightly fossiliferous, faintly laminated to burrowed dolomitic mudstone and pellet wackestone overlain by cross-laminated oolitic or pellet packstone to grainstone, followed by algal-laminated dolomitic mudstone and nodular anhydrite in dolomite matrix. A progradational carbonate shoreline is inferred, with supratidal or sabkha evaporite to intertidal algal-mat and sand-flat environments passing seaward into a shallow, muddy subtidal inner shelf. Mud-rich sabkha sequences culminate with red to green mudstone and anhydrite above shoreline carbonates. Carbonate and evaporite facies pinch out generally toward the northwe t and northeast into wadi-plain red beds. These facies include ripple-drift cross-laminated siltstone and sandstone deposited in braided fluvial channels, adhesion-rippled siltstone, and red to green mudstone deposited in mud-flat and interchannel environments. Desiccation features, intraclasts, root zones, and paleosol horizons attest to subaerial exposure and probable nonmarine conditions. Large-scale cyclicity of red-bed clastic and carbonate-evaporite members probably was controlled by the relative supply or fluctuating input of clastics to sabkhas by way of fluvial systems rather than by absolute sea-level changes. Partial modern analogs to Red Cave sabkha depositional models are the coastal mud flats and alluvial fans in the northwestern Gulf of California, tidal flats and an ephemeral stream delta (Wooramel delta) in Gladstone Embayment, Shark Bay, Australia, and the Trucial Coast sabkhas in the Persian Gulf. Each setting has certain facets that are remarkably similar to intepreted paleoenvironments and lithofacies of the Red Cave Formation. End_of_Article - Last_Page 761------------
An empirical study of ordinal condom use measures.

Accurate condom use assessment is critical in sexually transmitted infection‐prevention research. Ordinal condom use frequency measures may be problematic due to subjective interpretation by respondents. To assess this potential bias, we examined the ordinal condom use labels (e.g., “never,” “rarely,” etc.) assigned by college students to 17 scenarios that described how frequently a hypothetical couple used condoms. Scenarios varied by condom use frequency (0% to 100%) and by whether frequency was described by stating the number of protected acts out of 20 total acts of intercourse, out of 100 total acts, or as a proportion of acts that were protected. There was substantial interpersonal variability in the labels assigned by participants in all 17 scenarios and inconsistent use of the “never” and “always” labels to characterize 0% and 100% condom use, respectively. The assigned labels varied as a function of the number of total acts (20 vs. 100) and whether condom use was expressed as a count or a percent...
Open Source software in US higher education: Reality or illusion?

As institutions of Higher Education try to balance limited resources with the rising costs of technology, some institutions are turning to Open Source software for campus-wide applications such as course management systems and portals. The assumption is that Open Source will provide the flexibility to build pedagogically sound learning environments while increasing technology efficiencies. This paper outlines the current state of Open Source software deployment in US Higher Education based on a survey of 772 Chief Academic Officers and Chief Information Officers conducted in 2006. The results indicate that Carnegie classification is a critical differentiator of awareness, adoption, and perceptions of Open Source software applications, with perceived cost of ownership being the key driver of Open Source adoption. Moreover, the study shows that institutions have made little progress in the development of polices and procedures for Open Source regulatory compliance and security. The study serves as a baseline for future research into the conditions for successful use of Open Source for supporting integrated learning environments that deliver campus-wide efficiencies.
Directionality theory and the evolution of body size

Directionality theory, a dynamic theory of evolution that integrates population genetics with demography, is based on the concept of evolutionary entropy, a measure of the variability in the age of reproducing individuals in a population. The main tenets of the theory are three principles relating the response to the ecological constraints a population experiences, with trends in entropy as the population evolves under mutation and natural selection. (i) Stationary size or fluctuations around a stationary size (bounded growth): a unidirectional increase in entropy; (ii) prolonged episodes of exponential growth (unbounded growth), large population size: a unidirectional decrease in entropy; and (iii) prolonged episodes of exponential growth (unbounded growth), small population size: random, non-directional change in entropy. We invoke these principles, together with an allometric relationship between entropy, and the morphometric variable body size, to provide evolutionary explanations of three empirical patterns pertaining to trends in body size, namely (i) Cope's rule, the tendency towards size increase within phyletic lineages; (ii) the island rule, which pertains to changes in body size that occur as species migrate from mainland populations to colonize island habitats; and (iii) Bergmann's rule, the tendency towards size increase with increasing latitude. The observation that these ecotypic patterns can be explained in terms of the directionality principles for entropy underscores the significance of evolutionary entropy as a unifying concept in forging a link between micro-evolution, the dynamics of gene frequency change, and macro-evolution, dynamic changes in morphometric variables.
Effect of Nicarbazin and Narasin-Nicarbazin Combinations on Broiler Pigmentation

An experiment was conducted with young battery-reared chickens to evaluate the effects of graded levels of nicarbazin (0, 40, 80, 120, and 160 ppm) on plasma pigmentation in the presence and absence of coccidial infection. A second experiment was also performed to determine whether nicarbazin (50 ppm) and the narasin nicarbazin combination anticoccidial (50 ppm each) affected pigmentation values in coccidia-infected and healthy chicks. Pigmentation values were expressed as micrograms beta-carotenoid equivalents per milliliter of plasma (beta-CE). Results of these studies indicated that nicarbazin improved beta-CE in both parasitized and coccidia-free chicks, but the magnitude of improvement was greater in coccidia-infected animals. Linear responses to nicarbazin additions were observed in both groups. The second experiment revealed that the effects produced in healthy chicks receiving the narasin nicarbazin combination were equivalent to those which received nicarbazin alone, indicating that the nicarbazin response in beta-CE is manifested with the combination anticoccidial as well.
Inhibition of receptor-mediated uptake of a lysosomal enzyme into fibroblasts by chloroquine, procaine and ammonia.

Abstract Cultured human skin fibroblasts take up α- l -iduronidase by receptor-mediated pinocytosis. Certain lysosomotropic amines such as chloroquine, ammonia and procaine inhibit this process, without affecting the fluid endocytosis of dextran. In contrast to the competitive inhibition by mannose 6-phosphate, the inhibition by amines is non-competitive and is therefore presumed not to affect binding of the enzyme to receptors. The dose response curves are very steep, and equations that best fit the data use a power of inhibitor concentration ( i 2 for procaine, i 4 for chloroquine), indicating interaction of several amine molecules at the inhibitory site(s). The inhibition is reversed by removal of the amine from the medium and does not result from accelerated efflux of endocytosed enzyme. We suggest that the amines interfere with delivery of receptor-bound enzyme to lysosomes.
Model Problems for the Multigrid Optimization of Systems Governed by Differential Equations

We discuss a multigrid approach to the optimization of systems governed by differential equations. Such optimization problems appear in many applications and are of a different nature than systems of equations. Our approach uses an optimization-based multigrid algorithm in which the multigrid algorithm relies explicitly on nonlinear optimization models as subproblems on coarser grids. Our goal is not to argue for a particular optimization-based multigrid algorithm, but instead to demonstrate how multigrid can be used to accelerate nonlinear programming algorithms. Furthermore, using several model problems we give evidence (both theoretical and numerical) that the optimization setting is well suited to multigrid algorithms. Some of the model problems show that the optimization problem may be more amenable to multigrid than the governing differential equation. In addition, we relate the multigrid approach to more traditional optimization methods as further justification for the use of an optimization-based multigrid algorithm.
Impact of drift time variation on the Compton image from large-volume CdZnTe crystals

Abstract In pixelated CdZnTe detectors, multiple interaction gamma-ray events are critical because they permit Compton imaging. However, in large-volume CdZnTe crystals, the depth of multiple interaction events is often poorly reconstructed due to significant nonuniformity of electron drift velocity while the depth of single interaction events can be accurately reconstructed using signal ratios. The nonuniformity of the drift velocity is likely due to nonuniformity in the electric field within the detector. This causes variation in the drift time even amongst events that occur at the same depth of interaction in the same pixel. The degradation in the depth reconstruction results in poorer imaging performance. The electron drift velocity at each depth is measured using 241Am alpha particles incident on the entire cathode surface of each detector. Cathode waveforms are recorded for events collected by each element in the 11×11 array of anode pixels. To illustrate the impact of electron drift time variation, two CdZnTe crystals fabricated by Redlen Technologies with similar spectral performance, but significantly different Compton imaging performance are selected. The detector with poorer imaging performance demonstrated significant nonuniformity of the electron drift velocity. This work clearly shows that even CdZnTe crystals with 1% FWHM energy resolution at 662 keV can have a nonuniform electron drift velocity, on the sub-pixel scale, which seriously degrades the Compton imaging performance of pixelated detectors.
Ionic components of secretory cell surfaces in relation to secretory function.

Rat pancreas was examined by ultrastructural cytochemical methods for localizing cations and anions, as well as polyanions and, more specifically, sulphated mucosubstance. Exceptionally abundant antimonate-precipitable cation was demonstrated between pancreatic acinar cells and at the base of the centro-acinar and other duct epithelial cells. Precipitates of nuclear heterochromatin appeared lighter whereas those of mitochondria and cytoplasm were coarser and more conspicuous in acinar that duct cells. Stimulation with synthetic secretin at a low level diminished antimonate reactivity of nuclei as well as the precipitation at the basement membrane of centro-acinar cells. At a higher dose, secretin selectively eliminated precipitation between and below centro-acinar and other duct cells while inducing increased antimonate-reactive cation in centro-acinar cells and the acinar lumens. Pancreozymin stimulation elimated antimonate-precipitable cations between acinar cells and, to a much lesser extent, those between duct cells and increased cytoplasmic precipitates on granular reticulum of acinar cells. Silver-precipitable anions were localized on the luminal surface of the apical plasma lemma and the outer surface of the latero-basal plasmalemma of centro-acinar cells but not on acinar cell surfaces. Silver precipitates also occurred on junctional complexes of acinar and duct epithelial cells and at tight junctions of acinar cells and on the inner face of the lateral plasmalemma of acinar cells. Dialysed iron staining demonstrated the most number of sites of acid mucosubstance on the luminal surface of the plasmalemma of acinar cells. Lateral and basal plasmalemmas of centro-acinar and more distal duct cells stained lightly with dialysed iron but those of acinar cells did not. Dialysed iron visualized acid mucosubstance in the lamina lucida of the basement membrane of duct but not of acinar cells. Dialysed iron staining of the plasma membranes succumbed to prior sialidase treatment whereas that of basement membrane resisted digestion. High iron diamine staining demonstrated sulphated mucosubstance in the lamina lucida of the duct basement membrane exclusively. The cytochemical results implicate centro-acinar cells as primarily responsible for contributing fluid and electrolytes to pancreatic secretion.
Hereditary colorectal cancer: screening and management.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) affects approximately 6% of the US population, with equal distribution between men and women. It is hereditary in a high proportion of cases and is one of the most preventable cancers. Detection and removal of its precursor lesions, the adenomatous polyps, is the foundation of preventive strategies. However, once CRC is diagnosed, surgical resection is the only cure. The likelihood of cure is higher when CRC is diagnosed at an early stage. Dietary and lifestyle modifications have little, if any, impact on CRC. Endoscopy with polypectomy prevents cancer deaths. The most important issues are screening and surveillance by any of the recommended modalities. Remaining concerns include the choice of screening tests, optimal testing intervals, and cost effectiveness. Patients may be stratified by personal and family risk and by the specific strategies used. Newer developments in genetic testing and imaging, including virtual colonoscopy, hold promise for future prevention. Chemoprevention with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may have a role in highrisk populations. Colonoscopy is the most effective method of CRC prevention.
Are you a surgical role model

Abstract Purpose Multiple papers have examined the recent decline in the number of surgical residency applicants. Many have concluded that a lack of role models in surgery is at least partially responsible for this decline. However, to date, the definition of a surgical role model does not exist. This paper defines a surgical role model based on criteria determined by surgery residents. Methods Fourth- and fifth-year surgical residents from 1 residency program were asked to collaboratively define 9 characteristics that make a surgical role model. The 9 criteria as defined by the residents were didactic teaching, teaching rounds, attendance at didactic activities, demonstrates skills and decision making in the operating room with confidence and virtuosity, allows [resident] to do procedures according to ability, allows autonomy to make independent decisions, provides feedback, stimulates critical thinking with use of literature, and assists [resident] to find and complete research for publication. Each resident in the program was then given a questionnaire and asked to evaluate each of the 49 teaching attendings on each of the 9 criteria, on a 3-point scale. Finally, residents evaluated each attending based on professionalism and mutual respect on a scale of I Don't Want To Emulate Him/Her, OK, or Role Model. These categories were also assigned a number (1, 2, and 3, respectively). Pearson correlation and stepwise multiple regression were used to determine the relationship between “Role Model” and the 9 criteria. The unit of analysis was the mean rating given each attending on each of the 10 scales. Results A total of 847 questionnaires were analyzed. Each of the 9 criteria correlated significantly with the Role Model rating (all p Table 1 . The stepwise regression indicates that 3 of the 9 criteria are uniquely associated with the Role Model variable. These 3 criteria are stimulates critical thinking with use of literature, allows autonomy to make independent decisions, and attendance at didactic activities. Conclusions All of the 9 criteria are important factors in residents' perception of the Role Model characteristics of attending faculty. A parsimonious, operational definition of the surgical attending role model is one who stimulates the resident to think, gives the resident the opportunity to think and act independently, and is available to the resident.
Experimental and numerical investigation on thermal and electrical performance of a building integrated photovoltaic–thermal collector system

Abstract An experimentally validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of a novel building integrated photovoltaic–thermal (BIPV/T) collector is studied to determine the effect of active heat recovery on cell efficiency and to determine the effectiveness of the device as a solar hot water heater. Parametric analysis indicates that cell efficiency can be raised by 5.3% and that water temperatures suitable for domestic hot water use are possible. Thermal and combined (thermal plus electrical) efficiencies reach 19% and 34.9%, respectively. A new correlation is developed relating electrical efficiency to collector inlet water temperature, ambient air temperature and insolation that allows cell efficiency to be calculated directly.
Cytoskeletons of central and peripheral neurons

All eukaryotic cells have a cytoskeleton, consisting of microtubules, intermediate filaments and microfilaments. The cytoskeletal structure of cells and cell processes in the central nervous system is diverse. The generation of animal models in which specific mutations result in underexpression of overexpression of particular intermediate filament and microtubular proteins allows assessment of the possible role of cytoskeletal abnormalities in the neurodegenerative disorders. It is suggested that overexpression of filaments is likely to be the more significant process, but that neurofibrillary change, as recognized by the neuropathologist represents the final result of failure of any of a large number of molecular processes involved in cytoskeletal protein turnover.
Revisiting the variable memory model of visual search

How much memory does visual search have? A number of recent papers have explored this question from various points of view. In this paper, I propose a formal framework for comparing answers across different experimental paradigms. This framework is based on the “variable memory model” (Arani, Karwan, & Drury, 1984). This model has three parameters: Encoding probability (θ), recall probability (φ), and target identification probability (p′). The model can be used to generate cumulative distribution functions for reaction time (RT) or saccades. I compare the model to a dataset of RTs collected on a standard inefficient search for block 2s among block 5s. Assuming perfect identification (p′=1), I found that mean encoding probability was .33, and mean recall probability .71. The variable memory model provides a common metric for characterizing the behaviour of observers in different laboratories, in terms that are easy to relate to the memory literature.
A Compressible, Transversely Isotropic, Hyperelastic Constitutive Model of the Guinea Pig Spinal Cord White Matter

Slow compression spinal cord injuries occur when the spinal canal narrows, the consequence of degenerative, infective, or oncologic legion growth, and exerts pressure throughout the spinal cord. Transverse tissue compression results in an amalgamation of mechanical insults at the cellular level [1]. However, the mechanism of cellular injury has yet to be elucidated. We have recently developed a hyperelastic, isotropic plane strain finite element model (FEM) of the guinea pig spinal cord white matter response to transverse compression based on force-deformation curves measured in vitro. The strongest correlation with in vitro axonal injury density was the combination of the in-plane shear stress with the in- and out-of-plane normal stresses quantified using the FEM [2]. However, we hypothesize that the guinea pig spinal cord white matter is a transversely isotropic material. Material anisotropy must be incorporated into the FEM to achieve enhanced model accuracy, specifically, the prediction of axial stresses within the spinal cord parenchyma during transverse tissue compression. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to propose a compressible, transversely isotropic, hyperelastic constitutive model of the guinea pig spinal cord white matter.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Feasibility and Initial Efficacy Evaluation of a Community-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Lifestyle Intervention to Prevent Excessive Weight Gain During Pregnancy in Latina Women

About 48 % of US women gain more weight during pregnancy than recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Excessive gestational weight gain is a major risk factor for obesity in both women and offspring over their lifetimes, and should be avoided. This study was designed to test the feasibility and initial efficacy of a prenatal behavioral intervention in a sample of low-income, predominantly Latina women. The intervention was delivered in groups of 8–10 women in a community recreation center, and structured to reduce the proportion of women who gained weight in excess of IOM guidelines. Recruitment targets were met in 3 months: 135 pregnant women (>10 and <28 weeks) were randomly assigned to receive a 12-week intervention (n = 68) or usual care (n = 67). Retention rate was 81 %. On average, women attended 4 of 12 group sessions, and each session had 4 of the 8–10 assigned participants in attendance. Initial efficacy analyses were based on 87 women. Compared to usual care, fewer normal-weight women in the intervention exceeded IOM recommendations (47.1 % usual care vs. 6.7 % intervention; absolute difference 40.4 %; p = .036). Recommendations for recruitment, retention, and delivery are discussed. A community-based cognitive-behavioral lifestyle intervention during pregnancy was feasible in a hard-to-reach, high-risk population of low-income Latina women, and showed efficacy in preventing excessive gestational weight gain. Due to frequently changing work schedules, strategies are needed to either increase attendance at group sessions (e.g., within a group prenatal care format) or to build core skills necessary for behavior change through other modalities. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10995-015-1698-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Topographically Generated Cloud Plumes

Abstract Two topographically generated cirrus plume events have been examined through satellite observations and real-data simulations. On 30 October 2002, an approximately 70-km-wide cirrus plume, revealed by a high-resolution Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image and a series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) images, originated from the Sierra Nevada ridge and extended northeastward for more than 400 km. On 5 December 2000, an approximately 400-km-wide cloud plume originated from the Southern Rocky Mountain massif and extended eastward for more than 500 km, the development of which was captured by a series of GOES images. The real-data simulations of the two cirrus plume events successfully capture the presence of these plumes and show reasonable agreement with the MODIS and GOES images in terms of the timing, location, orientation, length, and altitude of these cloud plumes. The synoptic and mesoscale aspects of the plume events, and the dynamics and micr...
Thermodynamic properties of an electron gas in a magnetic field

Abstract The internal energy of an electron gas interacting with the Coulomb potential is evaluated for low temperatures and small magnetic fields. The diamagnetic and paramagnetic susceptibilities are also determined for low but finite temperatures.
Encephalomyocarditis virus infection of cultured murine pancreatic beta-cells.

Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMC) possesses many of the biological and pathogenetic features of the human Group B coxsackieviruses which have been implicated in the aetiology of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus1,2. The M variant of EMC produces a diabetes-like disease when inoculated into some strains of mice. In these animals, cytolysis of β-cells is prominent, and there is an accompanying mononuclear inflammatory cell response (insulitis). Hyperglycaemia is observed during the acute stages of infection followed by varying degrees of carbohydrate intolerance3–5. In other mouse strains, β-cell lesions are less prominent and insulitis fails to occur, even though the animals develop a systemic infection. In these animals diabetes is observed either infrequently or not at all. Although the susceptibility of mice to the diabetogenic effect of the virus is believed to be influenced by one or more recessive genes, the pathogenetic basis for differences between the strains has not been defined6,7. The basis for the unique tropism of the M variant for β-cells also is uncertain because other serotypically similar strains of this virus cause pancreatic acinar cell necrosis, but lack a diabetogenic effect3,5. We have studied mouse pancreatic β-cells in tissue culture to determine whether or not these cells are uniquely susceptible to the M variant of EMC. Additionally, we examined the viral susceptibility of cultured β-cells derived from mouse strains that varied in their resistance to the diabetogenic effects of the M variant. The results show that cultured mouse β-cells can be infected by a variety of EMC viruses, and β-cells from different strains of mice are susceptible to infection by the M variant of EMC.
Methodology for a project examining cognitive categories for library information in young children

This article presents an overview of some of the methodology used in a project that examined children's understanding of library information and how those perspectives change in the first 5 years of formal schooling. Because our understanding of information is reflected in the manner in which we classify, or typify, that information in order to view the library collection from a child's perspective children were invited to shelve (i.e., classify) terms representative of library books and then to label those categories. The resulting shelf categories help us to see library information from a child's perspective. Data collection using group dialog, visual imagery, narrative, cooperative learning techniques, and hands-on manipulatives is described for one session of a project in which children used induction to form concepts related to knowledge organization in a hypothetical library. Analysis for this session included use of hierarchical clustering and multidimensional scaling to examine and compare children's constructions for qualitative differences on several grade levels. Following the description of data collection methods and analysis, a discussion focuses on the reasons for using these particular methods of data collection with a child population.