cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Donor-acceptor biradicals as ground state analogues of photoinduced charge separated states.

A Valence Bond Configuration Interaction (VBCI) model is used to relate the intraligand magnetic exchange interaction (J) to the electronic coupling matrix element (HAB) in TpCum,MeZn(SQNN), a compound that possesses a Donor−Acceptor (D−A) SemiQuinone-NitronylNitroxide (SQNN) biradical ligand. Within this framework, an SQ → NN charge transfer state mixes with the ground state and stabilizes the spin triplet (S = 1). This charge-transfer transition is observed spectroscopically and probed using resonance Raman spectroscopy. In addition, the temperature-dependent electronic absorption spectrum of the Ni(II) complex, TpCum,MeNi(SQNN), has been studied. Exchange coupling between the S = 1 Ni(II) ion and S = 1 SQNN provides a mechanism for observing the formally spin-forbidden, ligand-based 3GC → 1CTC transition. This provides a means of determining U, the mean GC → CTC energy, and a one-center exchange integral, K0. The experimental determination of J, U, and K0 permits facile calculation of HAB, and we show ...
Magnetohydrodynamics of sunspots

Current theories are reviewed concerning the pressure equilibrium and thermal balance of sunspots, their hydromagnetic stability, energy transport mechanisms, and propagation of waves.
The affective responses of women prisoners to two discrepant penal systems

This article contrasts a retributive penal system (Irish) with a rehabilitative system (Swedish) vis-a-vis the affective responses of women prisoners to incarceration. Previous studies typically have focused on narrow aspects of affect (e.g., interpersonal relationships) in prison. In contrast, the present study takes a more comprehensive approach in order to measure and compare affect over various aspects of prison life. In the more material aspects of life in prison, significant differences were found between the affective responses of Swedish and Irish women prisoners. Surprisingly, this difference did not extend to the less material aspects of prison life (e.g., interpersonal relationships and emotions). The most surprising finding was that the women from the rehabilitative Swedish system were more fearful of not having a “normal” life after release than were those from the retributive Irish system.
Developing and interpreting models to improve diagnostics in developing countries

Developing a strategy for investment in diagnostic technologies requires an understanding of the need for, and the health impact of, potential new tools, as well as the necessary performance characteristics and user requirements. In this paper, we outline an approach for modelling the health benefits of new diagnostic tools.
Making Sense of My Own Ideas The Problems of Authorship in a Beginning Writing Classroom1

The purpose of this study is to trace the emergence of authorship in a beginning college writing classroom through two case examples. Three primary questions motivate this study of authorship: (a) What were students' interpretations of writing an essay based on sources? (b) How did these students organize their essays? and (c) What strategies did they use to advance their own ideas? An additional question focused on the instructional context of the course. In particular, how did the instructor represent the task of writing an essay based on different sources of information and the process of writing in the classroom? To answer these questions, each class was audiotaped during a 15-week semester and field notes were taken. Retrospective protocols and cued questions were used in order to understand students' evolving interpretations of the task they were given. The results show that although the instructor tried to foster a sense of engagement and commitment through reading, writing, and talking, the techni...
A Convergence Theorem for the Fuzzy ISODATA Clustering Algorithms

In this paper the convergence of a class of clustering procedures, popularly known as the fuzzy ISODATA algorithms, is established. The theory of Zangwill is used to prove that arbitrary sequences generated by these (Picard iteration) procedures always terminates at a local minimum, or at worst, always contains a subsequence which converges to a local minimum of the generalized least squares objective functional which defines the problem.
Exhaled nitric oxide and pulmonary complications after paediatric stem cell transplantation

Pulmonary complications are major causes of morbidity and mortality after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We hypothesise that elevated exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels early after HSCT in children are predictive for pulmonary complications. The present prospective study included 30 children (age, 4–18 years) before HSCT. FeNO levels were evaluated 10 days before transplant, at day 0, day +28 and day +60 after HSCT. During the follow-up period until day +100, pulmonary complications and lung function were assessed. Before HSCT, the mean FeNO levels were comparable in children with or without post-transplant pulmonary complications. However, they differed at day 0 and day +28 with a mean of 7 (±1.95) and 13 (±3.44) ppb at day 0 and a mean of 13 (±3.44) and 14 (±3.57) ppb at day +28, respectively. Conclusion: Children with pulmonary complications after day +28 have higher mean FeNO levels 28 days after HSCT than children without later pulmonary complications. Therefore, FeNO could be an important diagnostic tool for hyperinflammatory response in bronchial epithelium after paediatric HSCT.
Poster: clock synchronization for distributed wireless protocols at the physical layer

Implementing distributed wireless protocols at the physical layer today is challenging because different nodes have different clocks, each of which has slightly different frequencies. This causes the nodes to have frequency offset relative to each other. As a result, transmitted signals from these nodes do not combine in a predictable manner over time. Past work tackles this challenge and builds distributed PHY layer systems by attempting to address the effects of the frequency offset and compensating for it in the transmitted signals. In this extended abstract, we address this challenge by addressing the root cause - the different clocks with different frequencies on the different nodes. We present AirClock, a new wireless coordination primitive that enables multiple nodes to act as if they are driven by a single clock that they receive wirelessly over the air. AirClock presents a synchronized abstraction to the physical layer, and hence enables direct implementation of diverse kinds of distributed PHY protocols. We illustrate AirClock's versatility by using it to build two different systems: (1) distributed MIMO, and (2) distributed rate adaptation for wireless sensors, and show that they can provide significant performance benefits over today's systems.
Endocrine adaptation to osmotic requirements of the environment: endocrine factors in osmoregulation by lungfishes and amphibians.

Abstract Arginine vasotocin (AVT) occurs in the neurohypophyses of lungfishes and amphibians. Injected AVT is diuretic in lungfishes and antidiuretic in anuran amphibians. A new radioimmunoassay for AVT has been used in an effort to define whether AVT has endocrine functions related to osmoregulation and to attempt to demonstrate the factors that influence its release. Preliminary experiments on bullfrogs suggest that decreased blood volume or pressure is a more important stimulus for the release of AVT than plasma hyperosmolality. Factors other than AVT appear important in controlling water excretion by bullfrogs.
A comparison of logistic regression and analysis of variance differential item functioning detection methods

Differential item functioning (DIF) detection rates were compared between logistic regression and analysis of variance for dichotomously scored items. These two DIF methods were compared using simulated binary item response data sets of varying test length (20, 40, and 60 items), sample size (200, 400, and 600 examinees), discrimination type (fixed and varying), and relative underlying ability (equal and unequal) between groups under conditions of uniform DIF, nonuniform DIF, combination DIF, and false positive errors. These test conditions were replicated 100 times. For both DIF detection methods, a test length of 20 items was sufficient for satisfactory DIF detection with detection rate increasing as sample size increased. With the exception of uniform DIF, the logistic regression method had higher mean detection rates than the analysis of variance method. Because the type of DIF present in real data is rarely known, the logistic regression method is recommended for most practical applications.
Transregulation of Leukemia Inhibitor Factor Receptor Expression and Function by Growth Factors in Neuroblastoma Cells

The cytokines that signal through the leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) receptor are members of the neuropoietic cytokine family and have varied and numerous roles in the nervous system. In this report, we have determined the effects of growth factor stimulation on LIF receptor (LIFR) expression and signal transduction in the human neuroblastoma cell line NBFL. We show here that stimulation of NBFL cells with either epidermal growth factor or fibroblast growth factor decreases the level of LIFR in an extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk)1/2-dependent manner and that this down-regulation is due to an increase in the apparent rate of lysosomal LIFR degradation. Growth factor-induced decreases in LIFR level inhibit both LIF-stimulated phosphorylation of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 and LIFR-mediated gene induction. We also show that Ser1044 of LIFR, which we have previously shown to be phosphorylated by Erk1/2, is required for the inhibitory effects of growth factors. Neurons are exposed to varying combinations and concentrations of growth factors and cytokines that influence their growth, development, differentiation, and repair in vivo. These findings demonstrate that LIFR expression and signaling in neuroblastoma cells can be regulated by growth factors that are potent activators of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, and thus illustrate a fundamental mechanism that underlies crosstalk between receptor tyrosine kinase and neuropoietic cytokine signaling pathways.
The emergency room diagnosis of gastrointestinal tract perforation: the role of CT

Computed tomography (CT) plays an important role in the evaluation of patients presenting to the emergency department with a suspected spontaneous gastrointestinal tract (GIT) perforation. Prospective identification of the site of perforation helps the emergency department physician plan the appropriate treatment in a potentially unstable patient. The purpose of this pictorial essay is to review the CT approach a radiologist should take when evaluating the patient with suspected perforation in the emergent setting. A series of patients presenting to the emergency department with surgically proven GIT perforations were retrospectively reviewed, and key images were obtained. For the purposes of this review, the anatomy of the abdominal cavity in relation to sites of GIT perforation will be discussed. CT findings of perforation will be described, including free intraperitoneal/extraperitoneal air, bowel wall discontinuity, and localized inflammatory changes. The use of a bone window setting to increase the free air conspicuity will be emphasized. The mimics of pneumoperitoneum will be demonstrated, including pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, and venous air. Using a systematic approach, CT can precisely determine the presence and site of a gastrointestinal perforation in a majority of patients. This greatly assists the surgeon in planning the correct surgical approach.
Phenomenological gravitational constraints on strings and higher-dimensional theories.

We investigate measurable gravitational and cosmological effects in four dimensions that can arise from the compactification of higher-dimensional theories incorporating gravity. We identify the nature of effects due to massless scalar components of the compactified higher-dimensional metric and due to modifications of cosmological dynamics. Current experimental data impose constraints on the viability of many higher-dimensional theories, including Kaluza-Klein, supergravity, and string theories. The phenomenological problems can be avoided if the components of the metric in the higher dimensions acquire an effective mass. We survey some possible mechanisms for mass generation.
Thermal evaluation of zone-melting recrystallization of thin-film structures over a wide range of melting points

Zone-melting recrystallization (ZMR) is a lateral epitaxy technique used to recrystallize polycrystalline thin films on substrates. Large-area multilayer structures of thin films processed with ZMR are usable in microelectronics applications. During the processing, slight variations in thermal gradients can lead to different crystalline qualities. Thus, processing uniformity over the wafer is strongly affected by the sensitivity of both the melt width and the solid/liquid interface to changes in the thermal environment. Processing control must either be set initially in a stable operating range or adjusted dynamically to variations in processing. Numerical simulations of the ZMR process were conducted to evaluate the sensitivity of the process over a wide range of temperatures and materials. Results indicate that material with melting points below 900 °C are very sensitive to temperature disturbances. This is due to the increased influence of conductive heating and decreased influence of radiative heating. The increased reflectivity during phase change curbs the amount of absorbed radiation. As the absorbed radiation becomes less influential, the sensitivity of the slush width decreases. Conductive effects should be considered when processing materials with melting points at or below 900 °C.
The relativistic Hartree-Fock and random phase approximations for many-electron atoms

Abstract A recent treatment by us of energy eigenvalues and radiative transition matrix elements for non-relativistic atomic systems is extended to the relativistic case. The starting point is QED, from which approximate models are generated by restricting the electron-electron interaction to the instantaneous limit of 1-photon exchange kernels. As in the non-relativistic case, the equation for the 1-electron propagator with such a kernel leads to the relativistic Hartree-Fock (RHF) approximation. The equation for the electron/electron-hole propagator leads to the relativistic Bethe-Salpeter or random phase approximation (RRPA). Gaugeinvariant (GI) 1-photon transition amplitudes are obtained in both approximations in a manner quite analogous to the non-relativistic case. The essential changes from the non-relativistic case are in the definitions of the current density (and, thus, the charge operator), and the corresponding consistent definition of the equal-time limit of the 1-electron propagator. There is a need for renormalization in the relativistic formalism, unlike in the non-relativistic case. After it is carried out, and a consistent approximation of neglecting the residual (higher order) finite radiative corrections is made, the results for RHF and RRPA become formally analogous to the non-relativistic (Hartree-Fock (HF), and random phase (RPA)) results.
Laser Spectroscopy of Cerium Monofluoride: Ligand Field Assignments of Some 4f5d6p← 4f5d6sTransitions

Abstract The techniques of selectively detected fluorescence excitation, dispersed fluorescence, and magnetic rotation spectroscopy have been applied to the CeF molecule and used to characterize one [17.6]4.5 electronic state in the ∼2 eV region and three electronic states with T 0 −1 : X (1)3.5 and (2)3.5 with Ω = 3.5 and (1)4.5 with Ω = 4.5. Two of these states, the [17.6]4.5 and X (1)3.5 states, had been observed previously [R. M. Clements and R. F. Barrow, J. Mol. Spectrosc. 107, 119 (1984); Y. Azuma, W. J. Childs, and K. L. Menningen, J. Mol. Spectrosc. 145, 413 (1991)]. Based on the pattern of Ω-values and the value of Δ G 1/2 ≈ 550 cm −1 , the three low-lying states are assigned to the Ce + (4 f 5 d ( 3 H)6 s )F − superconfiguration. The upper state is assigned to the Ce + (4 f 5 d ( 3 H)6 p )F − superconfiguration on the basis of computed ligand field monopole B 0 0 ( nl , nl ) orbital destabilization energies and one-electron transition propensity rules.
Stress Intervention and Disease in African American Lupus Patients: The Balancing Lupus Experiences with Stress Strategies (BLESS) Study.

Very little is known about the impact of psychosocial stress on underlying biological mechanisms in African American lupus patients, although African American women display the highest rates of lupus. Due to the exposure of African Americans to a unique trajectory of stressors throughout the life course, it may be critical to understand the relationship between psychosocial stress and underlying biological mechanisms that influence disease activity and pathology in this high risk group. To begin to fill this research void, an evidence-based self-management program was piloted among a cohort of African American lupus patients participating in a SLE database project at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). To assess disease activity, during each clinic visit, a history is obtained, and physical examination, phlebotomy, and urine collection are performed. SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) Damage Index (SDI) scores are assessed at each visit. Disease data corresponding with data collection timeframes for each participant were extracted from the MUSC SLE Database to assess the effectiveness of the program. Several differences were observed between the intervention and control groups on symptoms pertaining to lupus activity, and many of these differences had large effect sizes. Our findings can be rapidly translated into improved delivery of health care and targeted trials/interventions with relevance to health disparities, and if widely implemented, morbidities and mortality related to lupus could be drastically reduced in African-Americans.
Speech Plot Display for the Deaf-mute based on Combined Characters Encoding of Speech Signal

This paper describes a novel speech plot display approach that extracts combined time-frequency-energy feature as a new feature vector to present speech signal. The combined feature is displayed on CRT by plot patterns and the deaf-mute can make use of their own brain to identify speech for training their oral ability effectively. Firstly, speech signal undergoes a series of preprocessing course. Secondly, we make use of a filter group to process spectrum analysis for speech signal. The output of each band-pass filter generates a time-frequency-energy value. Thirdly, we calculate that the feature value through band-pass filter lies in which place in full array and obtain the combined feature value. Finally, we generate speech plot through coordinates partition, area computation and coordinates calculation of combined feature value.
From Pavlov to PTSD: the extinction of conditioned fear in rodents, humans, and anxiety disorders.

Abstract Nearly 100 years ago, Ivan Pavlov demonstrated that dogs could learn to use a neutral cue to predict a biologically relevant event: after repeated predictive pairings, Pavlov’s dogs were conditioned to anticipate food at the sound of a bell, which caused them to salivate. Like sustenance, danger is biologically relevant, and neutral cues can take on great salience when they predict a threat to survival. In anxiety disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this type of conditioned fear fails to extinguish, and reminders of traumatic events can cause pathological conditioned fear responses for decades after danger has passed. In this review, we use fear conditioning and extinction studies to draw a direct line from Pavlov to PTSD and other anxiety disorders. We explain how rodent studies have informed neuroimaging studies of healthy humans and humans with PTSD. We describe several genes that have been linked to both PTSD and fear conditioning and extinction and explain how abnormalities in fear conditioning or extinction may reflect a general biomarker of anxiety disorders. Finally, we explore drug and neuromodulation treatments that may enhance therapeutic extinction in anxiety disorders.
The study of basal dislocations in sapphire

Abstract An analysis of the Burgers vectors of dislocations in sapphire, revealed by x-ray transmission topography, confirmed the existence of the Burgers vectors parallel to the directions. Experimental evidence for the magnitude of the Burgers vectors is given. Numerous dislocation reactions of the type are verified.
Microstructural characterization of Ag-sheathed Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O and Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconducting tapes by analytical electron microscopy

The microstructures of Tl(1223) and Pb-doped Bi(2223) silver tapes produced by the powder-in-tube (PIT) method have been examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The Tl tapes annealed below the melting point exhibited fine grains and a high density of pores while tapes subjected to partial melting prior to solid state annealing were fully dense with large grains. However, these tapes also showed an increase in the size and density of impurity particles, particularly CaO and a Ba-Cu rich phase. Silver powders added to the precursors tended to promote the growth of Tl(1223) at lower temperatures but also interfered with the development of texture by providing nucleation sites of random orientations. In contrast, the Bi(2223) tape exhibited a high degree of texture and alignment. The incorporation of silver within the superconducting phase was found to be negligible for both the Tl(1223) and Bi(2223) tapes. >
Transmission aspects of an electronic switchboard employing time-division multiplexing

The an/ttc-12 switchboard is a newly designed electronic switchboard for military application employing solid-state switching techniques. This paper describes the transmission characteristics and performance of the system with respect to the multiplex methods employed. The systems logic and design philosophy of the switchboard are thoroughly described in reference 1.
Gravitational perturbations of equatorial orbits

Asymptotic solutions are developed for the motion of a geocentric satellite in the equatorial plane due to gravitational perturbations such as nonsphericity (especially oblateness) of the primary body. Axisymmetric potentials are considered. A class of transformations is developed and the equations of motion are solved by the method of generalized multiple scales. Further it is shown that the equations of motion can be transformed into the required form to within any specified degree of accuracy. The transformations form an Abelian group of infinite order which leaves the differential equations of motion invariant. Solutions are developed in terms of elementary functions instead of elliptic or other higher transcendental functions and are shown to agree with known results.
Ltbp1L is focally induced in embryonic mammary mesenchyme, demarcates the ductal luminal lineage and is upregulated during involution

Latent TGFβ binding proteins (LTBPs) govern TGFβ presentation and activation and are important for elastogenesis. Although TGFβ is well-known as a tumor suppressor and metastasis promoter, and LTBP1 is elevated in two distinct breast cancer metastasis signatures, LTBPs have not been studied in the normal mammary gland. To address this we have examined Ltbp1 promoter activity throughout mammary development using an Ltbp1L-LacZ reporter as well as expression of both Ltbp1L and 1S mRNA and protein by qRT-PCR, immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Our data show that Ltbp1L is transcribed coincident with lumen formation, providing a rare marker distinguishing ductal from alveolar luminal lineages. Ltbp1L and Ltbp1S are silent during lactation but robustly induced during involution, peaking at the stage when the remodeling process becomes irreversible. Ltbp1L is also induced within the embryonic mammary mesenchyme and maintained within nipple smooth muscle cells and myofibroblasts. Ltbp1 protein exclusively ensheaths ducts and side branches. These data show Ltbp1 is transcriptionally regulated in a dynamic manner that is likely to impose significant spatial restriction on TGFβ bioavailability during mammary development. We hypothesize that Ltbp1 functions in a mechanosensory capacity to establish and maintain ductal luminal cell fate, support and detect ductal distension, trigger irreversible involution, and facilitate nipple sphincter function.
Deformation and fracture in irradiated austenitic stainless steels

Irradiation of austenitic stainless steels to about 10 dpa at about 300°C results in yield stress levels of up to 1000 MPa and severe reductions in uniform engineering strains to below 1%. Toughness is also degraded as the fracture mechanism evolves from microvoid coalescence in the unirradiated condition to highly localized deformation in a decohesion zone in the severely irradiation embrittled state. Current toughness models are inadequate and better understanding of the micromechanics and macromechanics of deformation and fracture is needed to reliably predict failure criteria for fusion structures. While irradiated welds appear to have the least favorable combination of strength and ductility, cold-worked steels appear to show less mechanical degradation than solution annealed alloys.
Wool Processing on the Cotton System: A Comparison Between Cut-Top Wool and Six-Month Shorn Wool in a Blend With Polyester1

Fiber blends composed of cut-top wool/polyester and short-shorn wool/polyester in the ratio of 60:40 were processed on the short-staple system of spinning into 49.2 mg/m (12/1 No) and 98.4 mg/m (6/1 No) yarns. Subsequently, apparel and home-furnishing fabrics were woven and their physical properties were measured. Generally, fabrics containing cut-top wool exhibited higher grab strengths than their short-shorn wool counterparts. Conversely, resistance to flex abrasion tended to be better in the case of the fabrics composed of short-shorn wool/polyester. Other fabric properties including tear strength, shrinkage due to home launderings, and appearance after home launderings were very similar.
Overlapping-divergence-free skeleton expansion in non-Abelian gauge theories

We derive a skeleton expansion in Yang-Mills theory, which is completely free of overlapping divergences. This skeleton expansion provides a generalization of the Schwinger-Dyson equations of quantum electrodynamics to non-Abelian gauge theories. It yields a simple procedure for calculating renormalized perturbation theory integrals without using regulators and could serve as a starting point for nonperturbative approximations. In carrying out this analysis, we show that the Yang-Mills vector self-energy function and the Yang-Mills vector three-point function are uniquely determined by the Ward-Takahashi identity in terms of the other three basic vertex functions.
Host Defense Pathways: Role of Redundancy and Compensation in Infectious Disease Phenotypes

Innate host defense pathways consist of microbial sensors, their signaling pathways, and the antimicrobial effector mechanisms. Several classes of host defense pathways are currently known, each comprising several pattern-recognition receptors that detect different types of pathogens. These pathways interact with one another in a variety of ways that can be categorized into cooperation, complementation, and compensation. Understanding the principles of these interactions is important for better understanding of host defense mechanisms, as well as for correct interpretation of immunodeficient phenotypes.
Congress tackles human-induced climate change

A stream of new bills related to climate change is rising during the first days of the 101st Congress, following a summer of drought that focused national attention on the possible consequences of human-induced global warming. The bills share the broad goal of cutting emissions of gases that add to the greenhouse effect, but they reflect very different views both of the role the federal government should have in creating the reductions, and of the gases themselves—are they the necessary waste products of an industrialized society or just pollutants?
Infections transmitted through musculoskeletal-tissue allografts.

The 2003 Institute of Medicine report Microbial Threats to Health: Emergence, Detection, and Response lists “advances in medical technologies, such as blood transfusions and organ transplants,” as ...
Transoral approach and extended modifications for lesions of the ventral foramen magnum and craniovertebral junction.

Objectives: To describe our method of performing the transoral approach and the extended approaches to the ventral foramen magnum and craniovertebral junction and review the technical aspects and operative nuances. Design: Review. Results: The transoral approach provides direct midline exposure to access extradural disease located at the craniovertebral junction and ventral foramen magnum. The corridor of exposure is generally limited by the extent to which the patient can open his or her mouth. The location of the hard palate relative to the craniovertebral junction limits superior exposure, whereas the mandible and base of the tongue limit the inferior exposure. In most cases, exposure can be obtained from the inferior clivus to the middle to lower C2 vertebral body. Extended transoral approaches can be performed to increase exposure if necessary. These approaches include transmaxillary (Le Fort I maxillotomy), transmaxillary with a midline palatal split (extended “open-door” maxillotomy), transpalatal, and median labiomandibular glossotomy (transmandibular split). Conclusions: The transoral approach effectively provides direct access to extradural midline lesions of the craniovertebral junction. A specialized retractor system can expose the inferior clivus to the C2 body. Extended approaches as described can access lesions that extend beyond these limits.
Portrait of the Scholar: Notes on Irwin Deutscher's What We Say/What We Do

Book Reviews are in this Articles. What We Say/What We Do: Sentiments and Acts. By Irwin Deutscher.
Is it too soon for mesenchymal stem cell trials in people with ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting primarily the motor neurons. Stem cell therapy is under development as a possible treatment approach. A pilot study of intraspinal injections of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) was conducted in 9 participants. We review this paper, the rationale, preclinical data and study design.
Initial experimental verification: characterizing tool illumination and PSM performance with phase shifting masks

Experimental verification of three phase shifting mask patterns designed to characterize projection printing tool illumination and phase shifting mask performance is presented. Both patterns printed in photoresist and AIMS aerial images of a four-phase reticle appear to validate scientific principles. Experimental results are compared to simulation for all three monitors, initial analysis is offered, and ideas for future work are discussed. It is concluded that impressive mask making suggests the usefulness of the phase shifting mask as a precision instrument for characterizing optical lithography. The linear phase grating (LPG), a four-phase chromeless pattern designed to monitor the illumination in a particular quadrant of the pupil, behaves as expected when the smallest features are roughly larger than a wavelength. The linear phase ring (LPR), designed to monitor light in a particular circular region within the pupil, agrees well with simulation although signal strength is low. Future redesigns promise a maximum signal of 22% of the clear field intensity for monitoring quadrupoles. The third pattern, the interferometric probe monitor for phase shifting mask performance (IPM-PSM), measures the phase and transmission imbalance between shifted regions of an alternating phase shifting mask. Although potentially limited by low signal strength, the IPM-PSM behaves generally as expected.
The effects of melanocortin peptides and corticosterone on habituation in the great plains toad, Bufo cognatus.

Abstract We investigated the ability of various melanocortin peptides and corticosterone to influence habituation of prey-catching behavior in the toad,Bufo cognatus.Male toads were injected with various melanocortin peptide fragments or corticosterone 30 min prior to acquisition. Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH[1-39]), ACTH[4-10], andN-acetyl ACTH[1-13] amide (α-MSH) significantly decreased the number of turning reactions during acqui- sition in relation to controls. The effects of the noncorticotropic ACTH fragments were rapid and transient, occurring within the first 20 min of acquisition. Corticosterone caused a slight but significant decrease in the number of turning reactions. Neither des-acetyl α-MSH nor (Nle4, D-Phe7) α-MSH had any effect on acquisition. ACTH[1-39] was the only peptide that delayed extinction. The ability of α-MSH to facilitate acquisition was not observed in the presence of the α-MSH antagonist U-76188E. These data suggest that the effects of ACTH on habituation are, in part, independent of effects on glucocorticoid secretion. Apparently, similar structural requirements are necessary for the behavioral effects of melanocortins in amphibians and mammals.
Effects of Nonuniform Vessel Wall Properties in Fluid-Structure Interaction Simulations

Aneurysms are a disease that plagues mankind. Clinicians are in a difficult position when trying to gauge what action, if any, needs to be taken after a patient is found to have an aneurysm. Increasingly, doctors rely on computer simulations to determine the transient 3-D hemodynamics within the aneurysm sac. Specifically, ongoing research is being conducted to characterize aneurysms in order to develop criteria which predict high-risk factors leading to aneurysm rupture, using patient-specific geometries [1–4].Copyright © 2009 by ASME
A fuel economy optimization system with applications in vehicles with human drivers and autonomous vehicles

Abstract Motor vehicle powered by regular gasoline is one of major sources of pollutants for local and global environment. The current study developed and validated a new fuel-economy optimization system (FEOS), which receives input from vehicle variables and environment variables (e.g., headway spacing) as input, mathematically computes the optimal acceleration/deceleration value with Lagrange multipliers method, and sends the optimal values to drivers via a human-machine interface (HMI) or automatic control systems of autonomous vehicles. FEOS can be used in both free-flow and car-following traffic conditions. An experimental study was conducted to evaluate FEOS. It was found that without sacrificing driver safety, drivers with the aid of FEOS consumed significant less fuel than those without FEOS in all acceleration conditions (22–31% overall gas saving) and the majority of deceleration conditions (12–26% overall gas saving). Compared to relative expensive vehicle engineering system design and improvement, FEOS provides a feasible way to minimize fuel consumptions considering human factors. Applications of the optimal model in the design of both HMI for vehicles with human drivers and autonomous vehicles were discussed.
Maternal depressive symptoms, relationship satisfaction, and verbal behavior: A social-cognitive analysis

Two studies applied a social-cognitive interpersonal process model to investigate mechanisms underlying the association of maternal depressive symptoms with maternal relationship satisfaction and maternal verbal behavior. Study 1 participants were 86 mothers of 6-12-year-old children with a history of ADHD. Study 2 participants were 81 mother-child dyads recruited from a children’s inpatient unit and the surrounding community. Negative trait perceptions and negative affective reactions mediated the effect of maternal depressive symptoms on both maternal relationship satisfaction and maternal verbal behavior. The link between maternal depression level and negative maternal reactions remained after controlling for the child’s psychological problems. Results support the value of applying social-cognitive constructs to clinical problems that are embedded in distressed interpersonal relationships.
Serrated and adenomatous polyp detection increases with longer withdrawal time: results from the New Hampshire Colonoscopy Registry.

Serrated and Adenomatous Polyp Detection Increases With Longer Withdrawal Time: Results From the New Hampshire Colonoscopy Registry
Reduced risk of cardiac fibrillation with use of a conductive catheter.

A catheter with a conductive wall should enhance patient protection against electrically induced ventricular fibrillation by leaking away externally applied current before it reaches the catheter tip. The hypothesis was tested in five dogs (81 attempts), applying up to 130 V, 60 Hz proximally, using conductive and nonconductive catheters of identical configuration. Fibrillation could not be induced with saline-filled conductive catheters, but the nonconductive catheters usually caused fibrillation. As anticipated, use of a conductive guidewire resulted in fibrillation with both catheter types. A mathematical analysis of catheter behavior is presented which agrees with bench data. Practical implications of the theory include logarithmic attenuation of tip current with increasing immersed length, and a simple means of verifying catheter characteristics. The present instrumentation leakage current limit for invasive measurements is not completely satisfactory, since it increases instrumentation costs without assurance that threshold values will not be exceeded due to other uncontrolled sources. The conductive catheter appears to offer a better alternative by altering the common current pathway, so that a larger, more reliably achievable external leakage current limit could be safely specified.
Effects of central administation of probenecid on fevers produced by leukocytic pyrogen and PGE2 in the rabbit.

1. Single intracerebroventricular (I.C.V.) injections of probenecid (PBCD, 0.125--0.5 mg) enhanced and prolonged fever caused by I.V. administration of leukocytic pyrogen (LP) in rabbits resting in neutral (23 degrees C), cold (10 degrees C) and hot (30 degrees C) environments. Similar effects were produced by single I.C.V. injections of PBCD given before PGE2 (0.5 microgram) was injected I.C.V. in the three ambient temperatures. 2. Fever produced by IV. LP was also prolonged by infusion and by multiple injections of PBCD. 3. PBCD given I.P. (100 mg/kg) enhanced and prolonged fever caused by I.V. injection of Salmonella typhosa endotoxin. 4. Hyperthermia produced by I.C.V. PGE2 was not augmented by subsequent PBCD infusion. However, pre-treatment with PBCD followed by PGE2 injection and PBCD infusion caused hyperthermia that was very high and prolonged, and, in some cases, lethal. 5. Acetaminophen (2 mg, I.C.V.) and indomethacin (10 mg/kg, I.V.) lowered body temperature when given during fever induced by LP and prolonged by PBCD infusion. 6. The concentration of PGE in cerebrospinal fluid (c.s.f.) samples taken from the third or lateral ventricles rose or stabilized during PBCD infusions made during LP fever. However, similar changes in PGE concentration also occurred during control infusions when body temperature was low. 7. We conclude that termination of the actions of both central endogenous pyrogen and centrally administered PGE2, and the subsequent reduction of fevers produced by them, require a PBCD-sensitive facilitated transport system. The reduction of PBCD-prolonged PL fevers by antipyretics which block PGE synthesis suggests that prolongation by PBCD of LP fever is not due to blockade of PGE transport in a subsequent step in fever mediation per se, but is due to inhibition of transport of LP itself, or of other mediators associated with it.
A multicenter clinical trial investigating the use of a fluoroscopically controlled cutting balloon catheter for the management of ureteral and ureteropelvic junction obstruction

AbstractPurpose: We assessed the efficacy of a fluoroscopically controlled cutting balloon catheter for the treatment of ureteropelvic junction and ureteral strictures.Materials and Methods: A multicenter trial was performed that included66 endopyelotomies and 49 endoureterotomies. To our knowledge this study represents the largest number of patients with ureteropelvic junction obstruction and ureteral strictures tested with this device to date.Results: With a mean followup of 7.8 months (range 1 to 17.9) the patency rate was 77% for endopyelotomy, with 72% of the primary and 100% of the secondary ureteropelvic junction obstructions remaining patent. The endoureterotomy patients were followed for an average of 8.7 months (range 1.2 to 17.0), with a patency rate of 55%.Conclusions: A cutting balloon endoscopic incision is effective in the majority of cases, with patency rates for endopyelotomies and endoureterotomies that mirror current endourological reports using other, albeit more time intensive and mor...
Some Observations on Nerve Regeneration in the Udder

Summary The mammary tissue of a calf was transplanted so as to sever all of the original nerve and vascular supply between the body and mammary glands. Normal development of the udder occurred during pregnancy with the exception of the right half of the udder which had no sensory nerve supply. A simple experiment on the nerve-free gland has helped to confirm the theory of Ely and Petersen in regard to the functioning of a nerve-endocrine mechanism in the “letting down” of the milk.
Soft X‐ray spectroscopy from image sequences with sub‐100 nm spatial resolution

Summary A method is described whereby a sequence of X-ray images at closely spaced photon energies is acquired using a scanning transmission X-ray microscope, and aligned. Near-edge absorption spectra can then be obtained both from large, irregular regions, and from regions as small as the spatial resolution of the microscope (about 40 nm in the examples shown here). The use of the technique is illustrated in examination of a layered polymer film, a micrometeorite section, and an interplanetary dust particle section.
Mothers and others. African-American women's preparation for motherhood.

AbstractPurpose:To describe motherhood, maternal role requirements, and family life as perceived by poor, urban, African-American women.Design:Ethnographic qualitative research.Method:Using ethnographic methodology, 15 new mothers between the ages of 14 and 44, along with their families and signific
The Association Between Self-Efficacy and Hypertension Self-Care Activities Among African American Adults

Chronic disease management requires the individual to perform varying forms of self-care behaviors. Self-efficacy, a widely used psychosocial concept, is associated with the ability to manage chronic disease. In this study, we examine the association between self-efficacy to manage hypertension and six clinically prescribed hypertension self-care behaviors. We interviewed 190 African Americans with hypertension who resided in the greater metropolitan Charlotte area about their self-efficacy and their hypertension self-care activities. Logistic regression for correlated observations was used to model the relationship between self-efficacy and adherence to hypertension self-care behaviors. Since the hypertension self-care behavior outcomes were not rare occurrences, an odds ratio correction method was used to provide a more reliable measure of the prevalence ratio (PR). Over half (59%) of participants reported having good self-efficacy to manage their hypertension. Good self-efficacy was statistically significantly associated with increased prevalence of adherence to medication (PR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.32), eating a low-salt diet (PR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.07–2.20), engaging in physical activity (PR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.08–1.39), not smoking (PR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01–1.15), and practicing weight management techniques (PR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.30–1.87). Hypertension self-efficacy is strongly associated with adherence to five of six prescribed self-care activities among African Americans with hypertension. Ensuring that African Americans feel confident that hypertension is a manageable condition and that they are knowledgeable about appropriate self-care behaviors are important factors in improving hypertension self-care and blood pressure control. Health practitioners should assess individuals’ self-care activities and direct them toward practical techniques to help boost their confidence in managing their blood pressure.
Brain tissue oxygen tension is more indicative of oxygen diffusion than oxygen delivery and metabolism in patients with traumatic brain injury.

Objectives:Despite the growing clinical use of brain tissue oxygen monitoring, the specific determinants of low brain tissue oxygen tension (Pbto2) following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) remain poorly defined. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether Pbto2 more closely reflects var
Green meanings: What might ‘sustainable agriculture’ sustain?

(1991). Green meanings: What might ‘sustainable agriculture’ sustain? Science as Culture: Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 507-537.
Cytomegalovirus in human breast milk: risk to the premature infant.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can be transmitted through breast milk to neonates. Although healthy full-term infants rarely develop symptoms of CMV infection; premature or low-birth-weight infants can experience symptomatic infection that is occasionally severe. There is limited information on the long-term effects of postnatal CMV infection in premature infants, suggesting that these infants do not develop cognitive function delays or hearing loss, although those with intrapartum infection do. Readily available methods of treating breast milk to inactivate the CMV either diminish the immunologic and nutritive benefits of breast milk or incompletely inactivate the virus. This review considers the data on measuring CMV in breast milk, the recent clinical studies on CMV transmission via breast milk, reported methods of inactivation of CMV in breast milk, and immunologic factors that may play a role in transmission. CMV-IVIG treatment needs further evaluation but appears promising. Recommendations are made to...
Acid Enhancement of Zinc and Lead Atomic Absorption Signals

We have been measuring atmospheric particulate Pb and Zn concentrations by atomic absorption. Samples are collected on membrane filters and dissolved in HNO3-HClO4 prior to comparison with aqueous standards, using an Instrumentation Laboratories model 153 dual beam dual channel atomic absorption spectrophotometer equipped with background correction, operating with a stoichiometric air-acetylene flame. The absorption lines are 217.0 nm for Pb and 213.9 nm for Zn.
Polyribosomal organization in intact intrafusal muscle fibers.

In a study of the ultrastructure of the frog muscle spindle, polyribosomes arranged in different ways were found in the equatorial region of intrafusal muscle fibers. Linear configurations of loosely packed ribosomes exceeding a distance of 8000 A were detected. More complex but straight and rod-shaped (up to 6000 A long) arrangements (including about 35 ribosomes) were observed. Thin strands (15–20 A in diameter) were found to connect some of the ribosomes. Filaments, 50 A thick, as well as myofilaments, appeared in close contact with ribosome aggregates.