cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single rope tree swing injuries among children.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the scope and severity of injuries sustained from falls from single rope tree swings among children. METHODS: Twenty-six children formed the basis of this retrospective study. Patients were divided into three groups based on the estimated distance of their fall (one, two, or three stories). Data were analyzed with respect to mechanism of injury, age, gender, length of hospital stay, injury severity score, number and type of injuries, and mortality. RESULTS: Eighteen patients fell from ropes, and 8 from vines (all onto packed dirt). Fourteen falls occurred from one story or less, 8 from two stories, and 4 from three stories. One death occurred from intracranial injury following a two-story fall. No difference in age, gender, injury severity score, or length of hospital stay with respect to the height of the fall was observed. Falls from lower heights resulted in equally severe injuries as falls from higher heights. Overall, head trauma was the most common injury (58%) followed by long bone fractures (42%), axial skeletal fractures (23%), and intra-abdominal visceral injuries (8%). CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that recreational single rope tree swing injuries among children resulted in significant morbidity regardless of the height of the fall. This activity carries a substantial risk for serious injury. The mechanism of injury, clinical data, and the importance of medical awareness and patient education are emphasized. Language: en
GASTROENTEROLOGY AND ENZYMOLOGY: Growth of the small intestine in IUGR and normal rat pups

Small intestinal growth was compared in intra-uterine growth-retarded (IUGR) pups, obtained from rats fed a diet containing 6% protein during pregnancy and normal (N) control pups. All pups were delivered by C-section at term and nursed with normal foster mothers (7–9 pups/litter). At birth mean body weight in IUGR (27 pups) was 4.3g and in normals (28 pups) 6.3g. Mean small intestinal weight (mg) in IUGR pups was less than in normals (IUGR = 105, N = 140, p < 0.01). The intestinal length (cm) was also shorter in the IUGR pups (IUGR = 19.7, N = 21.1, p < 0.01). The intestinal hypotrophy (relative low weight/cm) in IUGR pups was more marked in its distal one-third than in the more promixal segments. By age 8 days body weight (16g) and intestinal weight (470mg) were similar in the two groups. However, in the IUGR group hypotrophy was still noted in the distal one-third of the intestine. At this age intestinal length was greater in IUGR pups than in normals (IUGR = 36.4, N = 34.1, p < 0.05). Intestinal tissue water and protein contents were similar in IUGR pups and normals. However, protein content (% wet wt.) in the middle one third of the intestine was higher at 8 days than at birth (IUGR, N: 0 days = 14.5, 14.6, 8 days = 16.8, 16.2; p < 0.01).
Different collagen types show distinct rates of increase from early to late stages of hepatitis C-related liver fibrosis.

Summary During progression from normal liver to cirrhosis, total collagen increases nearly 10-fold with an abnormal increase in fibril-forming collagen and other extracellular matrix molecules. However, little is known regarding the changes each collagen type undergoes during fibrogenesis. We assessed the different collagen types by immunohistochemistry at various stages of hepatitis C–related liver fibrosis in core biopsies and compared changes in each with trichrome stain to better understand fibrogenesis. The possible utility in staging fibrosis was investigated. We found collagens III, IV, V, VI, vitronectin, and trichrome all showed statistically significant increases from early to late stages of fibrosis, but with temporal and quantitative differences. During the transition from early to late fibrosis, trichrome (stains primarily collagen I) and collagen IV showed the steepest increase and appear to be the most useful discriminators between early and late stages of fibrosis. Collagens V and VI have strong reactivity even in stage 1, which may be helpful in identifying early fibrosis when trichrome is weak or negative. Collagen III and vitronectin showed the most gradual increase. Interestingly, collagen V also showed increased staining in areas around inflammation/edema, which may overestimate established fibrosis as compared with trichrome.
Aggression, Copulation, and Differential Reproduction of Deer Mice (Peromyscus Maniculatus) in a Semi-Natural Enclosure

This study was designed to analyze the interactions of priority of residence, strain, dominance, male capacity, and sperm competition in relation to aggression, copulation, and differential reproduction in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). Males were wild-type or blonde mutants; females were of the recessive blonde phenotype. There were 20 replicates of a procedure entailing 7-day runs. One male was introduced into a seminatural enclosure on Day 1 and the second male on Day 3. Their interactions were sampled on Days 3-7. In addition, two estrous females were introduced for tests on Day 5 and 6. In the absence of females, levels of male-male aggression were lower than in their presence. Priority of residence led to increased levels of chasing by males. Limitations on male capacity were revealed as decreased numbers of ejaculations and chases in the second of the two tests with females. Dominance was established in 13 of the 20 runs; copulation occurred in 28 of the 41 tests. Dominant males achieved more ejaculations than subordinates. Males copulated with both females on 20 of 41 occasions, with most partner changes (but smaller percentage per opportunity) occurring within ejaculatory series. Females copulated on 44 of the 82 occasions and delivered a total of 30 litters. Determinants of differential reproduction were diffuse.
It's not my fault: Understanding nursing students' causal attributions in Pathophysiology

Summary Pathophysiology is a difficult subject matter for many nursing students. This course is also critical for safe clinical practice. However, little research has explored what variables may influence nursing students' success in this course. This study is the first in a forthcoming series that seeks to better understand how to facilitate student success in Pathophysiology. In this study, students' causal attributions for successes and failures were explored as these attributions greatly influence future academic motivation and behavior. Students were asked to respond to two open-ended questions in order to better understand what causal attributions students were making for their successes and failures in Pathophysiology. Seventy-five Bachelor of Science in Nursing students who were enrolled in Pathophysiology returned their responses (92.6% response rate). Content analysis was utilized to determine whether students were making internal or external causal attributions for their successes and failures. Additionally, responses were evaluated in order to identify common themes shared by respondents. The majority of respondents (84%) attributed their academic successes in Pathophysiology in part to internal causes, and the majority of respondents (68%) attributed their academic failures, in part, to external causes. In this study the majority of students attributed their successes to controllable, unstable causes—primarily effort. Research indicates that attributing success to effort may reflect that students' confidence in their abilities is suffering, and that attributing failures to external causes, such as task difficulty, are also detrimental to performance and learning ( Siegle et al., 2009 ). The results of this study are further presented and discussed.
Three Rules for HIV Latency: Location, Location, and Location

HIV latency is a major barrier to viral eradication from infected individuals. Lusic et al. (2013) show that HIV latency is established by spatially positioning the proviral chromatin in close proximity to promyelocytic leukemia (PML) nuclear bodies, a reversible process that recruits the methyltransferase enzyme G9a to the latent viral promoter.
Crack emanating from an open notch

This paper is concerned with the plane elastostatic problem of a crack emanating from an open notch where it is assumed that the crack is directed parallel to one side of the notch. The problem is reduced to two simultaneous Fredholm integral equations which are then solved numerically for three loading conditions of the crack faces. In particular, it is shown that the crack tip intensity factors are almost independent of crack length if the singular stress field associated with the uncracked notch is used as the loading of the crack faces.
Quantum dots monitor TrkA receptor dynamics in the interior of neural PC12 cells

Can quantum dots (QDs) serve as physiologically relevant receptor probes in the interior of cells? We directly visualize endocytosis, redistribution, and shuttling of QD bound-TrkA receptors to PC12 neural processes and far-reaching growth cone tips. Internalized QDs are contained in microtubule-associated vesicles and possess transport properties that reflect TrkA receptor dynamics. This opens up new possibilities for the development of QD platforms as molecular tools to image biochemical signaling and transport cargo in the cell interior.
Clay minerals affect the stability of surfactant-facilitated carbon nanotube suspensions.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), because of their wide application, will inevitably enter aquatic systems, but the fate and transport of their suspensions in the environment are largely unknown. Clay minerals are expected to interact with CNT suspensions, affecting their fate and bioavailability. This study investigated the influence of clay minerals (kaolinite and montmorillonite) on the stability of surfactant (SDBS, CTAB, and TX100) facilitated multiwalled CNT (MWCNT) suspensions. Adsorption of the surfactants by MWCNTs and clay minerals was also examined. This is a first study on the interaction between clay minerals and surfactant-CNT suspensions. Sorption of SDBS by clay minerals and MWCNTs followed the order MWCNTs ≫ montmorillonite ≈ kaolinite; but sorption of CTAB and TX100 followed the order montmorillonite > MWCNTs > kaolinite. For SDBS suspended MWCNTs, introduction of montmorillonite and kaolinite could not change their stability; for CTAB suspended MWCNTs, both montmorillonite and kaolinite greatly ...
Methodologic Aspects of Clinical Studies of Perioperative Antibiotic Prophylaxis

Many issues affect the design, conduct, and analysis of clinical evaluations of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis. The most important of these are the selection of appropriate procedures for evaluation, the choice of meaningful outcomes, the comparison of outcomes among groups of patients who are really comparable to one another, the unbiased assessment of outcomes, the assessment of a number of patients sufficient to provide adequate statistical power for the detection of meaningful differences, and the generalizing of results. In evaluating perioperative prophylaxis, investigators often strive to identify small absolute differences among the risks of infections with different prophylactic regimens. For many specific procedures and drug regimens, such evaluations are limited by the difficulty of studying a sufficient number of individuals. Although randomized clinical trials are the standard for clinical evaluation, observational data may also prove useful under some circumstances.
A paired comparison of pair comparisons

Abstract The theory of choice developed by Luce and the paired comparison theory due to Thurstone are restated so as to permit direct comparison. It is shown that the theories differ in general, but coincide for certain sets of stimuli. The class of stimuli on which they coincide is described, and it is proved that they can coincide on no stimuli outside of the class. The problem of finding a class of stimuli which gives maximal discrepancy between the theories can be posed in a number of ways. For one statement of the problem, solutions are found. Unfortunately, the nature of the solutions makes it very difficult to design an experiment for deciding between the theories. The general problem of an experimental decision is discussed briefly, and some pair comparison data are analyzed. The sets of data conform somewhat more closely to the Thurstone than to the Luce model, but superiority is by no means definitive.
Distribution of motor impairment influences quality of life in Parkinson's disease

We evaluated the relationship between upper extremity (UE) and lower extremity (LE) motor impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD) to overall disability and quality of life (QoL) measures. A total of 639 patients who were diagnosed with idiopathic PD were administered the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), QoL, activities of daily living (ADL), and behavioral scales. Composite UE and LE scores from the motor section of the UPDRS were correlated with ADL, QoL, and behavioral measurement scores while controlling for disease duration. Patients with greater UE and LE motor impairments had lower QoL scores. However, LE impairments had a greater influence than UE impairments across all QoL measures.
Intercellular movement of the putative transcription factor SHR in root patterning

Positional information is pivotal for establishing developmental patterning in plants, but little is known about the underlying signalling mechanisms. The Arabidopsis root radial pattern is generated through stereotyped division of initial cells and the subsequent acquisition of cell fate. short-root (shr) mutants do not undergo the longitudinal cell division of the cortex/endodermis initial daughter cell, resulting in a single cell layer with only cortex attributes. Thus, SHR is necessary for both cell division and endodermis specification. SHR messenger RNA is found exclusively in the stele cells internal to the endodermis and cortex, indicating that it has a non-cell-autonomous mode of action. Here we show that the SHR protein, a putative transcription factor, moves from the stele to a single layer of adjacent cells, where it enters the nucleus. Ectopic expression of SHR driven by the promoter of the downstream gene SCARECROW (SCR) results in autocatalytic reinforcement of SHR signalling, producing altered cell fates and multiplication of cell layers. These results support a model in which SHR protein acts both as a signal from the stele and as an activator of endodermal cell fate and SCR-mediated cell division.
Postpartum moods in men and women.

Abstract Twenty-one married couples, recruited from childbirth classes (mean age 29.6 years), were administered questionnaires measuring 20 different moods during the third trimester of pregnancy (prepartum period), during the postpartum period, and at 6 months after birth (follow-up period). In each questionnaire period individual questionnaires were filled out daily by both the mother and father for 10 consecutive days. The results indicated that the postpartum period, compared with the prepartum and follow-up periods, is an emotionally unique time but not a period marked by depression. The moods that were rated as being experienced more strongly by men and women during the postpartum period were associated with anxiety and concern for one's ability to cope such as “nervousness,” “worried,” “helpless,” and “anxious” or positive emotions such as “enthusiastic” and “happy.” It is concluded that men and women in this sample tend to experience the postpartum period in an emotionally similar way.
Multiple cohesive crack growth in brittle materials by the extended Voronoi cell finite element model

This paper is aimed at modeling the propagation of multiple cohesive cracks by the extended Voronoi cell finite element model or X-VCFEM. In addition to polynomial terms, the stress functions in X-VCFEM include branch functions in conjunction with level set methods and multi-resolution wavelet functions in the vicinity of crack tips. The wavelet basis functions are adaptively enriched to accurately capture crack-tip stress concentrations. Cracks are modeled by an extrinsic cohesive zone model in this paper. The incremental crack propagation direction and length are adaptively determined by a cohesive fracture energy based criterion. Numerical examples are solved and compared with existing solutions in the literature to validate the effectiveness of X-VCFEM. The effect of cohesive zone parameters on crack propagation is studied. Additionally, the effects of morphological distributions such as length, orientation and dispersion on crack propagation are studied.
On the accuracy of different Fourier transforms of VLSI designs

We evaluate the accuracy of the simulated aerial image computed using different types of Fourier transform: the Continuous Fourier transform (CFT), continuous Fourier series (CFS) and discrete Fourier transform (DFT), the transform currently used in practise. Lithography simulation necessitates efficient algorithms to accurately estimate the Fourier transform. The rectilinear mask structure can be used to compute the CFS efficiently, in most cases much faster than the DFT. We present a rigorous analysis and comparison of FFT-simulated aerial image and CFS-simulated aerial image. We also present the conditions under which the most accurate simulated aerial image for each type of Fourier transform can be obtained. We show that there are two main sources of inaccuracy in the computation of aerial image using the DFT. First, we establish that aliasing from the inherent discontinuity of rectilinear polygons is the main source of inaccuracy. We show the conditions under which this results in an over-estimate or underestimate of the Critical Dimension (CD). We thus describe how to perform aliasing-minimizing sampling. This adapts the sampling to the polygon pattern of the mask, by ensuring each discontinuity is exactly at the middle of two consecutive samples. Second, we show that sampling at twice the Nyquist rate of the filtered signal can in practise circumvent the inaccuracy due to the approximation of the integral by a discrete sum.
Unique Challenges in Teaching Undergraduate Statistics

The statistics instructor faces 4 major challenges unique to this course: motivating students to study material they think is uninteresting, handling math anxiety, dealing with performance extremes, and making the learning memorable. We discuss each challenge along with solutions offered in the literature.
Climatic implications of D/H ratios of meteoric water over North America (9500–22,000 B.P.) as inferred from ancient wood cellulose CH hydrogen

δD and δ^(13)C values have been measured for the unexchangeable hydrogen and the total carbon of cellulose extracted from 40 North American ^(14)C-dated trees that range in age from 9500 to 22,000 years B.P. Meteoric waters which precipitated over ice-free regions of North America in the interval 14,000–22,000 B.P. had more positive δD values than corresponding modern waters by an average of 19‰. Lower ocean temperatures and smaller temperature gradients than exist at present between ocean and ice-free North America are indicated for the late Wisconsin glacial maximum. This is compatible with warmer winters and cooler summers for this glacial period. The δD value of the North American ice sheet during the Late Wisconsin maximum was approximately −100‰ as determined from the inferred δD values of the waters of proglacial lakes Agassiz and Whittlesey. From this figure the increase in δ^(18)O of the oceans during the glacial maximum can be calculated to have been +0.8‰. At the point where they began to move over the ice, air masses supplying moisture to the North American ice sheet contained a little more than 50% of their original moisture content, which is a much greater percentage than exists in air masses supplying the modern Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. This relatively vapor-rich air coupled with lower summer temperatures, which reduced ablation, probably contributed to the maintenance and growth of the ice sheet. The transition from glacial to interglacial conditions on North America was rapid and occurred within a 2000–3000-year interval. However, the transition may not have been synchronous over North America. A 40-year δD record in a spruce branch from the Two Creeks (Wisconsin) forest (∼11,800 B.P.) shows large variations which suggest an unusual hydrologic environment in the area of the tree. Cellulose δ^(13)C values range between −20.8 and −25.9‰, but do not correlate with δD variations for the samples analyzed in this work. Thus, climatic significance of δ^(13)C variations cannot be resolved from these data.
Perfusion of small animals using a mini-peristaltic pump.

Abstract A mini-peristaltic pump was used to perfuse animals ranging in size from 10 gram neonate rats to 5000 gram monkeys. Brain histology was performed by light microscopy following Formalin fixation, and electron microscopy following glutaradehyde fixation. Use of the pump for perfusion was considered to be an improvement over other procedures.
Isolating visual units in the perception of words and nonwords

In three experiments, reaction times for same-different judgments were obtained for pairs of words, pronounceable nonwords (pseudowords), and unpronounceable nonwords. The stimulus strings were printed either in a single letter case or in one of several mixtures of upper- and lowercase letters. In Experiment 1, the stimuli were common one- and two-syllable words; in Experiment 2, the stimuli included both words and pseudowords; and in Experiment 3, words, pseudowords, and nonwords were used. The functional visual units for each string type were inferred from the effects that the number and placement of letter case transitions had onsame reaction time judgments. The evidence indicated a preference to encode strings in terms of multiletter perceptual units if they are present in the string. The data .also suggested that whole words can be used as functional visual units, although the extent of their use depends on contextual parameters such as knowledge that a word will be presented.
Fiber-Optic point measurement of high pressures in thermal explosions

A multilayer dielectric coating deposited on the endface of a single-mode fiber is used as an optical sensor for high pressures. The reflectance of the coating decreases by 10% for a pressure of 710 MPa.
Studies with a uterine antispasmodic, ambucetamide.

Ambucetamide, 2-(di- n -butylamino)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-acetamide, has been found to have antispasmodic action on the uterus. Direct comparison of ambucetamide and papaverine on the same isolated, rat-uterine preparation indicated that they possessed activity of the same magnitude. On intact rat-uterine preparations, ambucetamide caused a decrease in the amplitude and frequency of contractions with an elevation in tone in about half the animals while the other half showed no effect. In the majority of the dogs studied, ambucetamide reduced the tone of the uterus and increased the amplitude of contractions. Uterine tone was also decreased following oral administration. The tone of the dog ileum was decreased following an intravenous dose of 5.0 mg./Kg. and type III contractions frequently appeared. A moderate decrease in blood pressure persisting for about one-half hour was also observed at this dose. Chronic toxicity studies were carried out in both rats and dogs. None of these animals developed any functional abnormalities nor did they show any gross or microscopic pathology at autopsy.
Parallel Patterns of Morphological and Behavioral Variation Among Host-Associated Populations of Two Gall Wasp Species

A powerful approach to address the general factors contributing to ecological speciation is to compare distantly related taxa that inhabit the same selective environments. In this design, similarities among taxa can elucidate general mechanisms of the process whereas differences may uncover specific factors important to the process for individual taxa. Herein, we present evidence of parallel patterns of morphological and behavioral variation among host-associated populations of two species of cynipid gall wasps, Belonocnema treatae and Disholcaspis quercusvirens, that each exhibit a life cycle intimately tied to the same two host plant environments, Quercus geminata and Q. virginiana. Across both gall-former species we find consistent differences in body size and gall morphology associated with host plant use, as well as strong differences in host plant preference, a measure of habitat isolation among populations. These consistent differences among taxa highlight the important role of host plant use in promoting reproductive isolation and morphological variation among herbivorous insect populations–a prerequisite for ecological speciation.
Charge Storage In Doped Poly(Thiophene): In-Situ Opto-Electrochemical Spectroscopy

Abstract An in situ study of the absorption spectrum during the electrochemical doping process has been carried out. In the dilute regime, the results are in detailed agreement with charge storage via bipolarons; weakly confined soliton pairs with confinement parameter γ = 0.1-0.2. At the highest doping levels, the data are characteristic of the free carrier absorption expected for a metal.
ETRAP (efficient trapping and purification) of target protein polyclonal antibodies from GST-protein immune sera

Recombinant GST (glutathione transferase) proteins are widely used as immunogens to generate polyclonal antibodies. Advantages of using GST proteins include: commercially available cloning vectors, vast literature for protein expression in Escherichia coli, the ease of protein purification, immunogen can be used as an ELISA standard and GST can be removed in some systems. However, there are disadvantages: GST oligomerization, inclusion body formation and target protein insolubility after GST removal. Perhaps the most detrimental is the significant generation of anti-GST antibodies by the host animal. A two-column procedure using a glutathione-GST column and a glutathione-(GST-protein) column can yield affinity-purified anti-(GST-protein) polyclonal antibody. Several passes over the first column are often required, though, to completely extract the anti-GST antibodies from the immune sera. We reasoned that knowledge of the target protein linear epitope(s) would allow construction of a peptide affinity resin for a single-pass 'one and done' purification termed ETRAP (efficient trapping and purification). In the present paper, we describe our efforts and present data on rabbits and sheep immunized with GST proteins having target protein molecular masses of ~8, 21 and 33 kDa. The titre and purity of the target antibodies using the ETRAP protocol were comparable to the more laborious multi-column purifications but with a considerable saving in time.
Photoconductive copolymers containing N-vinylcarbazole

The synthesis of N-vinylcarbazole (VCbz) copolymers in which electron-accepting groups are incorporated into the polymer chain is reported. The acceptors were introduced by appropriate reactions of VCbz–vinyl acetate or VCbz–acryloyl chloride copolymers and consisted of 3,5-dinitrobenzoyl, 2,4-dinitrophenyl acrylate, β-2,4-dinitrophenoxy propionate, and trichlorobenzoquinone units. The copolymer containing the 3,5-dinitrobenzoyl units required no chloranil as a dopant to be photoconductive, and in fact showed a slightly improved photoresponse relative to conventional poly VCbz doped with external chloranil.
Ontogeny of lift and drag production in ground birds

SUMMARY The juvenile period is often a crucial interval for selective pressure on locomotor ability. Although flight is central to avian biology, little is known about factors that limit flight performance during development. To improve understanding of flight ontogeny, we used a propeller (revolving wing) model to test how wing shape and feather structure influence aerodynamic performance during development in the precocial chukar partridge ( Alectoris chukar , 4 to >100 days post hatching). We spun wings in mid-downstroke posture and measured lift ( L ) and drag ( D ) using a force plate upon which the propeller assembly was mounted. Our findings demonstrate a clear relationship between feather morphology and aerodynamic performance. Independent of size and velocity, older wings with stiffer and more asymmetrical feathers, high numbers of barbicels and a high degree of overlap between barbules generate greater L and L : D ratios than younger wings with flexible, relatively symmetrical and less cohesive feathers. The gradual transition from immature feathers and drag-based performance to more mature feathers and lift-based performance appears to coincide with ontogenetic transitions in locomotor capacity. Younger birds engage in behaviors that require little aerodynamic force and that allow D to contribute to weight support, whereas older birds may expand their behavioral repertoire by flapping with higher tip velocities and generating greater L . Incipient wings are, therefore, uniquely but immediately functional and provide flight-incapable juveniles with access to three-dimensional environments and refugia. Such access may have conferred selective advantages to theropods with protowings during the evolution of avian flight.
Asymptotic and Spectral Analysis of the Spatially Nonhomogeneous Timoshenko Beam Model

We develop spectral and asymptotic analysis for a class of nonselfadjoint operators which are the dynamics generators for the systems governed by the equations of the spatially nonhomogeneous Timoshenko beam model with a 2–parameter family of dissipative boundary conditions. Our results split into two groups. We prove asymptotic formulas for the spectra of the aforementioned operators (the spectrum of each operator consists of two branches of discrete complex eigenvalues and each branch has only two points of accumulation: +∞ and —∞), and for their generalized eigenvectors. Our second main result is the fact that these operators are Riesz spectral. To obtain this result, we prove that the systems of generalized eigenvectors form Riesz bases in the corresponding energy spaces. We also obtain the asymptotics of the spectra and the eigenfunctions for the nonselfadjoint polynomial operator pencils associated with these operators. The pencil asymptotics are essential for the proofs of the spectral results for the aforementioned dynamics generators.
A comparison of the effects of a high carbohydrate vs. a higher protein milk supplement following simulated mountain skirmishes.

ABSTRACTThis study compared the effects of a higher protein supplement manufactured from milk vs. a commercially available higher carbohydrate supplement on serum markers of muscle damage, anaerobic exercise, choice reaction time, and body composition during 2 weekends of vigorous hikes with simulated mountain skirmishes. Thirty-five university students, including Reserve Officers Training Corps cadets and athletes, carried 25% of their body weight (up to 26.4 kg) on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday hikes. Supplementation and Wingate tests followed each hike, and choice reaction testing preceded and followed each hike. Blood samples were obtained and body compositions were measured pre- and postweekend. Increased cortisol, highly sensitive C-reactive protein, creatine phosphokinase, and aldolase suggested the exercise regimen induced muscle damage and inflammation, which was attenuated during the second weekend of hikes. Absolute anaerobic capacity was somewhat greater following consumption of the milk supple...
Long-term follow-up results after balloon dilatation of pulmonic stenosis, aortic stenosis, and coarctation of the aorta: A review

Abstract Although immediate and intermediate-term results after balloon dilatation of congenital stenotic lesions of the heart in children are well studied, long-term results have not been documented. Therefore, we reviewed our experience along with the limited published data to address this issue. Late follow-up after balloon pulmonary and aortic valvuloplasty shows low-residual gradients, reintervention-free rates in the mid-80s for pulmonic and in the mid-50s for aortic stenosis, and an increase in degree and prevalence of similunar valve insufficiency. Balloon angioplasty of aortic coarctation results in low-residual gradients, residual hypertension in a minority of patients, low prevalence of aneurysms, and high rates of recurrence in the neonate and young infant. Overall, balloon dilatation is a useful technique in relieving congenital obstructive lesions of the heart in the pediatric patient, but continued study of (1) late pulmonary and aortic insufficiency after valvuloplasty, (2) recurrence and aneurysms after balloon angioplasty of coarctations and, (3) femoral artery compromise in lesions requiring transfemoral artery approach is warranted. Copyright © 1999 by W.B. Saunders Company Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases , Vol. 42, No. 1 (July/August), 1999: pp 59-74
Dynamics of the CD8+ T cell response during acute LCMV infection.

CD8+ T cells are normally less numerous than CD4+ T cells in uninfected individuals. Virus infections can result in an especially intense activation of CD8+ T cells1–5 and there are large increases in the number of circulating CD8+ T cells in humans infected with cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr Virus, or Varicella-Zoster Virus.1,3,4 In mice infected with LCMV there is an approximately 5-fold increase in the number of CD8+ T cells.6 As the total number of CD8+ cells expands, limiting dilution analysis (LDA) reveals that the number of virus specific CTL also increases.5–8 However, LDA indicates that the number of virus-specific CD8+ T cells is small, 1/4000-1/50 depending upon the virus.5–8 The specificities of the rest of the expanding CD8+ T cells has not been determined, though it has been shown that during LCMV infection there is an increase in non-LCMV reactive CTL that are alloreactive and antigen crossreactive CTL.9,10 Furthermore, there are not only more CD8+ T cells during the immune response to LCMV, but most of them appear to have been activated as they are enlarged, have elevated surface expression of CD11a, CD11b, CD44, CD49d, IL-2R and reduced expression of CD62L.11–13
Mycotic aneurysm of the thoracoabdominal aorta in a child with end-stage renal disease

A 5-year-old child with nephrotic syndrome developed a mycotic saccular thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) involving the visceral segment within a 4-month period following pneumococcal bacteremia and presumed spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). Due to continued aneurysm growth and progression to end-stage renal disease, TAAA repair was performed, followed by cadaveric kidney transplantation. This is the first known instance of mycotic aortic aneurysm formation as a consequence of SPB and the first report of TAAA repair in preparation for kidney transplantation in a child.
Karl Rahner and the extra-terrestrial intelligence question

The prospect of extra-terrestrial intelligence has become a central topic of scientific investigation and popular speculation. This has generated questions of ethical and theological significance that now receive growing coverage. Throughout his writings, Karl Rahner remained open to the prospect that the process of cosmic evolution had yielded sentient life form in other galaxies. He argued against any theological veto on this notion, while also distinguishing the existential significance of such life forms from that of angels. Furthermore, the possibility of multiple incarnations is raised though not affirmed. With its christological intensity, his theology seems to militate against any repetition of the incarnation. This essay examines some of the arguments for and against the possibility of multiple incarnations, before assessing the current state of the extra-terrestrial intelligence debate. In the light of inconclusive scientific findings, the cautionary position of Rahner is re-affirmed.
Efficacy of premixed versus sequential administration of clonidine as an adjuvant to hyperbaric bupivacaine intrathecally in cesarean section

Background: Density of the drugs injected intrathecally is an important factor that influences spread in the cerebrospinal fluid. Mixing adjuvants with local anesthetics (LA) alters their density and hence their spread compared to when given sequentially in seperate syringes. Aims : To evaluate the efficacy of intrathecal administration of hyperbaric bupivacaine (HB) and clonidine as a mixture and sequentially in terms of block characteristics, hemodynamics, neonatal outcome, and postoperative pain. Setting and Design : Prospective randomized single blind study at a tertiary center from 2010 to 2012. Materials and Methods: Ninety full-term parturient scheduled for elective cesarean sections were divided into three groups on the basis of technique of intrathecal drug administration. Group M received mixture of 75 μg clonidine and 10 mg HB 0.5%. Group A received 75 μg clonidine after administration of 10 mg HB 0.5% through separate syringe. Group B received 75 μg clonidine before HB 0.5% (10 mg) through separate syringe. Statistical analysis used: Observational descriptive statistics, analysis of variance with Bonferroni multiple comparison post hoc test, and Chi-square test. Results: Time to achieve complete sensory and motor block was less in group A and B in which drugs were given sequentially. Duration of analgesia lasted longer in group B (474.3 ± 20.79 min) and group A (472.50 ± 22.11 min) than in group M (337 ± 18.22 min) with clinically insignificant influence on hemodynamic parameters and sedation. Conclusion : Sequential technique reduces time to achieve complete sensory and motor block, delays block regression, and significantly prolongs the duration of analgesia. However, it did not matter much whether clonidine was administered before or after HB.
Action of thallium in experimental animals.

ConclusionWhite rats given large or small quantities of thallium over periods up to 9 weeks in length showed no abnormality of the estrual cycle or of the reproductive organs. The basal metabolic rate of guinea pigs did not change during administration of small or large doses of thallium, except for a rapid decrease shortly preceding deatn. These findings fail to support previous claims that thallium intoxication is characterized by alteration of endocrine function.
Intimacy, Violence, and the Police

Past research on domestic violence has concentrated on violence between married couples and concluded that "the marriage license is a hitting license." The present study questions this link and demonstrates that violence reported to the police is not restricted to married couples but is also prevalent among unmarried or dating couples as well as divorced ones. A link between intimacy and violence is suggested. Violence among couples with ongoing relationships is similar in its intensity, time, and place of occurrence compared with violence patterns among divorcees. Divorcees tend to resort to the police to settle less serious incidents. The legal definitions of the violent incidents reflect different degrees of liberty that intimates with different marital status may take with each other. The proportion of arrest are similar for all categories of intimates.
Engineered photon-pair generation through dual-pump spontaneous four-wave mixing

We show one can engineer the spectral correlations of photon-pairs produced in optical fibers by employing the temporal walk-off between two distinct pumps in spontaneous four-wave mixing to create completely factorable states without spectral filtering.
Seed dormancy: an update on terminology, physiological genetics, and quantitative trait loci regulating germinability

Dormancy is a form of developmental arrest and is an adaptive trait that promotes the survival of many organisms. In flowering plants, dormancy occurs in seeds and vegetative propagules (Lang 1996). Seed dormancy increases the distribution of germination over time, thus enhancing the survival of plants in an ever-changing environment. Seed dormancy is of intrinsic interest to weed scientists because it is one of 12 adaptive characteristics associated with weeds (Baker 1974). The sporadic emergence of seedlings derived from populations of dormant and nondormant weed seeds in the soil (Benech-Arnold et al. 2000; Forcella et al. 2000) is a key factor that dictates the need to apply weed control measures repeatedly within, between, and across growing seasons. My objective in writing this paper is to provide weed scientists, advanced students, and others with limited background information, some recent findings concerning the physiological genetics of dormancy, and steps toward identifying genes that directly regulate seed dormancy and germination. Molecular aspects of dormancy and germination will not be covered here because they have been reviewed recently (Bewley 1997; Li and Foley 1997). Readers can obtain additional and more extensive information on the biology and ecology of seed dormancy and germination from several recent books and reviews (Baskin and Baskin 1998; Benech-Arnold et al. 2000; Bewley and Black 1994; Casal and Sanchez 1998; Cohn 1996, 1998; Fennell 1999; Forcella et al. 2000; Hilhorst 1995, 1998; Hilhorst and Toorop 1997; Kelley et al. 1992; Kigel and Galili 1995; Simpson 1990; Vleeshouwers et al. 1995).
Qualitative Assessment of a Multi-Scale, Compartmental PBM-DEM Model of a Continuous Twin-Screw Wet Granulation Process

Wet granulation processes play a crucial role in solid oral dosage manufacturing processes. However, they are often designed empirically with poor efficiency. To implement quality-by-design, a more scientific understanding is desired to predict the effects of process and equipment design and material properties on the rate mechanisms governing wet granulation processes. In this study, a multi-dimensional compartmental population balance model of a twin screw granulation process is coupled with discrete element method simulations to evaluate mechanistic rate expressions describing aggregation, breakage, consolidation, and particle flow. Steady-state results are presented for various configurations of the screw elements. The effects of screw element configuration on product size distribution, porosity, and liquid distribution are presented and compared with experimental trends described in literature. Simulated results are consistent with experimental findings, demonstrating the model’s qualitative ability to predict the effects of screw element design and configuration on the particle-scale phenomena and process outcomes.
State of Wisconsin Investment Board

SUBJECT AREAS: Derivatives, risk management, pension funds, swaps. CASE SETTING: 1994-1995, state-operated investment fund, U.S. REQUESTS FOR COPIES: You may order a copy of this case by contacting: South-Western College Publishing, CaseNet, at www.thomson.com/casenet (downloadable at www.thomson.com/casenet/abstracts/swib.html), or by email at Erin.Powers@swcollege.com In early 1995, the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, which manages the retirement fund and other funds for Wisconsin state and local governments, lost $95 million from twelve derivatives transactions in its $6.7 billion portfolio of short-term, interest-bearing securities. The complex and speculative nature of the transactions raised a number of issues. Were the transactions appropriate for the fund? Was the fund manager aware of leverage imbedded in the payoff formula? Were the transactions consistent with the fund's stated objectives? Was the fund manager misled by the derivatives dealer? Were the fund's personnel sufficiently informed about the uses and risks of derivatives? Did the fund have an adequate risk management system?
Food, splanchnic blood flow, and bioavailability of drugs subject to first-pass metabolism

There has been considerable interest in the past fifteen years in determining the influence of food and diet on gastrointestinal drug absorption. Welling21 has recently presented a comprehensive and critical review of these efforts. In general, food reduces the absorption rate of drugs from the gastrointestinal tract but in most instances has little influence on the extent of absorption. Such an effect is clinically significant for sedative-hypnotics and for other drugs where a prompt response is desired but is probably of little concern in most other cases. On the other hand, food has been found to substantially reduce the extent of absorption of certain drugs, including many antibiotics. This type of food effect often occurs with drugs with poor permeability characteristics that are incompletely absorbed even by fasting patients. Continual administration of such drugs with meals would result in lower steady-state drug concentrations in plasma than would be found were the drug to be given under fasting conditions.
Ultrasonic thickness gage

An ultrasonic method was developed for making approximate measurements of the thickness of a web moving between parallel guides. Since practical considerations ruled out mechanical contact, a phasesensitive detection scheme for measuring the thickness of the air spaces between the fixed guides and the web was chosen so that: (1) the apparatus was insensitive to variations in surface properties of the web, and (2) a linear response was closely approximated.
High-Resolution X-Ray Diffraction Measurements of SiGe/Si Structures

High-resolution x-ray diffraction is an excellent probe of strain relaxation in complex SiGe structures. The high flux provided by synchrotron sources enables us to make extensive reciprocal space map measurements and evaluate many samples. The diffraction peak positions of each layer in a step-graded structure, measured for two different reflections, yield quantitative values for the relaxation and alloy composition in the layer. Grazing-incidence diffraction allows us to determine the in-plane structure of very thin layers, which have thickness-broadened peaks at conventional diffraction geometries. We demonstrate the power of these techniques with two examples.
Error analysis of an HDG method for a distributed optimal control problem

In this paper, we present a priori error analysis of a hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) method for a distributed optimal control problem governed by diffusion equations. The error estimates are established based on the projection-based approach recently used to analyze these methods for the diffusion equation. We proved that for approximations of degree k on conforming meshes, the orders of convergence of the approximation to fluxes and scalar variables are k + 1 when the local stabilization parameter is suitably chosen.
Sampling and sample preparation for detection and quantitation of natural toxicants in food and feed.

The primary goal of a sampling plan for natural toxins, i.e., mycotoxins and seafood toxins, is to obtain a sample that accurately represents the concentrations of individual components of a given lot. Factors affecting the ability of the sampling plan to accomplish this goal include: (1) nature of the analyte of interest; (2) distribution of the analyte throughout the lot, (3) physical characteristics of the product, (4) accessibility of the product to random representative sampling, (5) sampling procedure, and (6) size of sample. Sampling plans are composed of 3 distinct components: (a) sampling, (b) sample preparation, and (c) analysis. Normally, sampling contributes the largest relative error while analysis comprises the least. Automatic, continuous stream samplers provide the most representative samples for commodities such as nuts, cottonseed, and cereal grains. Good sample preparation equipment is currently available for these commodities; the use of this equipment to obtain a representative test sample is discussed.