cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pioneer Venus plasma observations of the solar wind-Venus interaction

Collection of data from the Ames plasma analyzer on the Pioneer Venus orbiter has permitted long-term measurements of the interaction of the solar wind with Venus. The paper presents a mapping of the ionosheath flow field, plasma measurements in the distant ionosheath and near the distant plasma cavity, and a summary of observations of jumps in the solar wind proton parameters across Venus' bow shock. Also, the apparent detection of ionospheric O(+) accelerated up to solar wind speeds downstream in Venus' ionosheath is discussed.
Preservation of cerebrovascular tone and reactivity by sodium channel inhibition in experimental prolonged asphyxia in piglets.

Sodium channels using cAMP as a second messenger play a role in the regulation of cerebral circulation and metabolism. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cAMP levels have been shown to correlate with the degree and duration of hypoxic injury and outcome and to be an indicator of cerebral vascular reactivity. We hypothesize that sodium channel inhibition either before or at termination of experimental asphyxia will attenuate cerebrovascular alterations and maintain CSF cAMP levels. Three groups of piglets with closed cranial windows were studied: asphyxia or group 1 (n = 5) and two treatment groups. Pigs were treated with 50 mg/kg of sodium channel blocker before asphyxia (group 2, n = 6) and after the termination of asphyxia and start of reventilation (group 3, n = 6). Asphyxia was sustained over 60 min by ventilating piglets with 10% O2 gas mixture and decreasing minute ventilation followed by 60 min of reventilation with room air. Every 10 min, pial arterial diameters were measured, and CSF samples were collected for cAMP determination. Vascular reactivity to topically applied isoproterenol (10−4 M) was evaluated 60 min after recovery. During asphyxia, cAMP levels in group 2 peaked and declined at a later time with mean values remaining significantly higher than those of groups 1 and 3. During reventilation, CSF cAMP concentrations were highest in group 3 and lowest in group 1. Pial arteriolar dilation occurred during asphyxia in all three groups but to a lesser degree in the pretreated group compared with groups 1 and 3. Pial arteriolar reactivity to isoproterenol postasphyxia was preserved in both groups 2 and 3. In summary, in newborn pigs, pretreatment with sodium channel blocker resulted in higher CSF cAMP levels and a lesser degree of pial arteriolar dilation during prolonged asphyxia. Pretreatment or treatment at reventilation restored vascular tone and reactivity.
A Root-Finding Algorithm for Cubics

Newton’s method applied to a quadratic polynomial converges rapidly to a root for almost all starting points and almost all coefficients. This can be understood in terms of an associative binary operation arising from 2× 2 matrices. Here we develop an analogous theory based on 3× 3 matrices which yields a two-variable generally convergent algorithm for cubics.
Extracorporeal photopheresis for the treatment of autoimmune diseases

The immune system is tasked with the unique challenge of recognizing foreign pathogens and damaged cells while at the same time preserving and protecting the integrity of "self". When this process fails, severe consequences including cancer and autoimmunity are the end result. Current therapies aimed at treating autoimmune disorders result in generalized immunosuppression and place the patient at increased risk for infection and malignancy. ECP is a potential therapeutic intervention that recapitulates natural physiologic processes of tolerance induction to restore immune homeostasis. Several clinical trials suggest that ECP may be used to treat a broad spectrum of autoimmune diseases.
Compressible, conductive, steady MHD flow in a gravitational field

The magnetohydrodynamics of a compressible fluid with finite electrical conductivity in a gravitational field is treated analytically. For the case of one ignorable coordinate in cylindrical and Cartesian coordinates the problem is reduced to a scalar partial differential equation. The ideal gas equation of state is considered. For simplicity, the new equation is derived for a two-component motion. The application of this result to mass flow in sunspots is discussed.
The sleep-deprived hippocampus: a loss in translation

it is taken for granted by the scientific and lay communities alike that sleep is a profoundly important physiological process. Yet, because sleep encompasses a constellation of physiological and biochemical changes, ascertaining the function(s) of sleep is a challenge that has vexed inquiring minds
Ensuring a fair and equitable selection of students to serve society's health care needs

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate a selection and programmatic intervention designated ‘Conditional Admissions’ (CA), which is intended to expand access to medical education for individuals from under-represented ethnic, racial and rural groups. Further aims were to establish principles of practice designed to increase access for under-represented groups based on an empirical comparison of programmatic changes made to CA in 2005, and to quantify the costs associated with its implementation. Methods Data for all students admitted between 1999 and 2009 (n = 3227) were compiled; these included demographic data, undergraduate college performance grades, medical school performance indicators, and information on honours, residency placement and md degree completion. To examine the outcomes of the CA intervention, students were divided into two cohorts of those admitted through the CA initiative during 1999–2004 and 2005–2009, respectively, and analysed for differences. Costs associated with CA were also calculated. Results There were 274 students admitted through CA (8.5% of all admittances) during 1999–2009; of these, 81.4% were from under-represented ethnic or racial backgrounds and 18.6% were from rural backgrounds. These students had more hours of science coursework, lower science and cumulative grade point averages (GPAs), and lower mean Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores than non-CA students. However, first-time pass rates and mean scores on the US Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge increased significantly in the CA cohort during 2005–2009. Additional costs incurred per student ranged between US$849 and US$3801. Conclusions Interventions such as CA can significantly increase diversity in the physician workforce. Interventions must be based on careful assessment of academic preparedness, as well as on non-academic factors that contribute to ability to successfully manage the rigors of medical education. Furthermore, the selection and subsequent professional development of students must nurture commitment to addressing the health care needs of diverse communities. Equity must be viewed as a means of increasing fairness for both prospective medical students and the residents of communities that may benefit from the eventual service.
The Effect of Exposure to Various Gaseous Environments on the Subsequent Performance of High Purity Germanium Gamma Ray Detectors

Prior exposure to certain gases appears to largely determine the subsequent performance at LN2 temperatures of high purity germanium detectors with exposure temperature being a critical factor. These gases are hydrogen, water vapor and possibly oxygen. An optimum concentration of water vapor in the environment to which the detectors are exposed prior to cool down appears to be essential to achieving good performance and stable operating characteristics.
In Pursuit of the Molybdenum(III) Tris(thiolate) Fragment: Unusual Structure of a Dimolybdenum μ-Nitrido Complex

The new molybdenum nitrido-thiolate complex N triple bond Mo(SAd)3 (Ad = 1-adamantyl) was prepared by a ligand exchange route involving reaction of Ti(SAd)(OiPr)3 with Chisholm's nitrido-butoxide complex N triple bond Mo(OtBu)3. In an effort to abstract the nitrido nitrogen from N triple bond Mo(SAd)3, the compound was treated with Mo(N[tBu]Ph)3, a three-coordinate molybdenum(III) complex. This resulted in formation of the unusual and thermally unstable (mu-nitrido)dimolybdenum complex (AdS)3Mo(mu-N)Mo(N[tBu]Ph)3, which was isolated and characterized. An X-ray study revealed (AdS)3Mo(mu-N)Mo(N[tBu]Ph)3 to possess an unsymmetrical Mo-(mu-N)-Mo linkage, the Mo-thiolate fragment exhibiting a substantially longer bond to the bridging nitrogen atom. The structure of (AdS)3Mo-(mu-N)Mo(N[tBu]Ph)3 is noteworthy, displaying trigonal monopyramidal coordination at the (mu-N)-Mo-thiolate Mo center. Since N triple bond Mo(N[tBu]Ph)3 is a good leaving group, (AdS)3Mo(mu-N)Mo(N[tBu]Ph)3 should be a source of the reactive Mo(SAd)3 fragment. In all the studied reactions of the (mu-nitrido)dimolybdenum complex one of the observed products was N triple bond Mo(N[tBu]Ph)3. Two products containing the Mo(SAd)3 fragment were observed: (AdS)3Mo triple bond Mo(SAd)3 and [(ON)Mo(mu-SAd)(SAd)2]2. Upon treatment with pyridine, the tris(thio-1-adamantyl)-(nitrosyl)molybdenum dimer forms the pyridine adduct (AdS)3Mo(NO)(py), which is a monomer.
A minimal model for the self-nonself discrimination: a return to the basics.

An immune system is required in any host that evolves slowly relative to the pathogens that attack it. This immune system must somatically generate and regulate new specificities. We propose a mechanism that results in a self-nonself discrimination that is a one-time regulatory event, which occurs early in development when maternal protection ensures an environment that is free of nonself. Our proposed mechanism considers all T and B cells to arise in an i-state which is incapable of effector reactions. Uniquely in iTh (helpers) a prolonged absence of antigen permits their differentiation to eTh (only nonself antigens are absent). In all i-state cells antigen induces an anticipatory a-state which, in the presence of eTh and via associative recognition of antigen results in the e-state, and which in the absence of eTh results in cell death.
Modeling of a Thermal-Electrical-Mechanical Coupled Field Contact

This paper presents a finite element approach for modeling a thermal-electrical-mechanical coupled-field contact comprised of an elastic hemisphere pressed against an elastic half-space. The goal of this investigation is to develop a fundamental understanding of the behavior of this multiphysics contact, with a particular interest on the contact area through which current flows. The results from the model illustrate a distinct difference in contact behavior between force control and displacement control in the presence of an applied electrical potential/current. It is shown that, while Hertz contact theory can be used to accurately predict the behavior of the contact under force control, a new relationship is established to accurately predict the behavior of the contact under displacement control.
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate inhibits B cell proliferation and reduces the abundance of IgM-secreting cells in cultured immune tissues of the rainbow trout

Plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and its active metabolite MEHP have important immunotoxic effects in mammalian species, including inhibition of cell proliferation, inflammation inhibition, lowering of the antibody response, and apoptosis. Virtually nothing is known about the potential detrimental effects of DEHP/MEHP on the teleost immune system, although phthalates are a likely threat to fish health. Here we investigated whether short-term in vitro DEHP exposure would affect B lineage cells in the rainbow trout, using cultured immune tissues. Cell culture conditions, evidence of cellular incorporation of DEHP, and possible effects of DEHP on immune genes were first established using the mouse pre-B cell line PD31 and data confirmed a dose-dependent cellular uptake of DEHP using liquid chromatography-coupled ion trap mass spectrometry. Effects of in vitro DEHP exposure on trout B cell proliferation were tested by flow cytometry. Significant, dose-dependent inhibition was evident in both anterior and posterior kidney cultures after 24 h exposure to ≥4 μM DEHP. DEHP-induced cell death was not significant for the range of DEHP tested. Further, the abundance of IgM-secreting plasmablasts and plasma cells was significantly reduced after in vitro exposure of ≥16 μM DEHP for 2 or 7 days. Finally, in vitro DEHP exposure significantly lowered the levels of secreted HCmu transcripts in a dose-dependent manner. B lineage cells from posterior kidney were more sensitive to effects of in vitro DEHP exposure than those from anterior kidney. Together, the data support a model where DEHP modifies the normal B cell activation pathways in rainbow trout, promoting B cell differentiation while suppressing plasmablast expansion, resulting in fewer IgM-secreting plasma cells. Insufficient production of protective antibody make fish more susceptible to infection, and increases their risk for disease and mortality in polluted waters.
CHILDREN'S ATTITUDES TOWARD THE MENTALLY ILL: AN EIGHT-YEAR LONGITUDINAL FOLLOW-UP

In 1986, Weiss reported the measurement of the attitudes of 577 children of elementary school age toward mental illness and mentally ill persons relative to other stigmatized groups on a projective measure of social distance. It was concluded that attitudes toward deviant groups were evidenced by Kindergarten and did not change appreciably with increasing age or grade. Eight years later, 35 of the previously examined 65 Kindergarten students were still enrolled in the district. Parental permission to repeat the evaluation was received for 34 of those students. The results of this longitudinal research were remarkably similar to the results in the original cross-sectional research, again leading to the conclusion that attitudes toward the mentally ill become quite stable and enduring by the time a child enters Kindergarten. Only one stigmatized group, mentally retarded persons, significantly changed in terms of social distance and interpersonal attraction toward being more acceptable.
Ectopic Brain Tissue in a Limbal Dermoid Associated by a Scleral Staphyloma

A white 4-month-old female infant had a whit­ ish mass on the left eye, which had been present without change since birth. The child was the term product of a normal pregnancy and delivery and had no other apparent congenital abnormality. On examination the patient had good ocular motility and was able to follow a light with either eye. The pupils were normally reactive and there was a good red reflex bilaterally. A whitish-yellow mass with surface hair was noted from 6:30 to 8:30 o'clock at the limbus of the left eye. There was a slight full­ ness of the left lower eyelid nasally. We made a diagnosis of a limbal dermoid, and the child was scheduled for an examination under anesthesia, but she was not brought back until four months later. The lesion was unchanged. The child was again seen at IS months (Fig. 1) . The mother asked that the dermoid be removed for cosmetic reasons. At operation the senior staff surgeon remarked that he had once encountered a large scierai staphy­ loma while dissecting a limbal dermoid, and he rec­ ommended a cautious approach. A round whitishyellow mass, 6 mm in diameter with surface hair, was dissected free of the underlying sciera. This lesion extended 2 mm onto the cornea. Just poste­ rior to the dermoid, we found a large, multilobulated staphyloma, about IS mm in diameter (Fig. 2 ) . It began 4 mm posterior to the limbus at the posterior border of the dermoid and extended for approximately 12 mm. The staphyloma was rein­ forced with a large scierai patch graft. Indirect ophthalmoscopy then revealed an infolding of the retina near the ora in the area of the staphyloma. There was some vitreous reaction overlying the ret­ ina but no hemorrhage. Figure 3 shows the area six months after surgery. A discrete retinal detachment with evidence of vitreous traction developed in the area of the scierai
Endomorphin-2 inhibits GABAergic inputs to cardiac parasympathetic neurons in the nucleus ambiguus

Abstract The nucleus ambiguus is an area containing cardiac vagal neurons, from which originates most of the parasympathetic control regulating heart rate and cardiac function. GABAergic pathways to these neurons have recently been described, yet modulation of this GABAergic input and its impact upon cardiac vagal neurons is unknown. The nucleus ambiguus has been shown to contain μ-opioid receptors and endomorphin-1 and endomorphin-2, the endogenous peptide ligands for the μ-receptor, whilst microinjections of opioids in the ambiguus area evoke bradycardia. The present study therefore examined the effects of endomorphin-1, endomorphin-2 and DAMGO (a synthetic, μ-selective agonist) on spontaneous GABAergic IPSCs in cardiac parasympathetic neurons. Only endomorphin-2 (100 μM) produced a significant inhibition, of both the frequency (−22.8%) and the amplitude (−30.5%) of the spontaneous IPSCs in cardiac vagal neurons. The inhibitory effects of endomorphin-2 were blocked by naloxonazine (10 μM), a selective μ 1 receptor antagonist. Naloxonazine alone (10 μM) had a potentiating effect on the frequency of the GABAergic IPSCs (+161.43%) but not on the amplitude, indicating that GABA release to cardiac vagal neurons may be under tonic control of opioids acting at the μ 1 receptor. Endomorphin-2 did not reduce the responses evoked by exogenous application of GABA. These results indicate that endomorphin-2 acts on μ 1 receptors located on precedent neurons to decrease GABAergic input to cardiac vagal neurons located in the nucleus ambiguus. The subsequent increase in parasympathetic outflow to the heart may be one mechanism by which μ-selective opioids act to induce bradycardia.
From green to sustainability: Information Technology and an integrated sustainability framework

Sustainability has increasingly become important to business research and practice over the past decades as a result of rapid depletion of natural resources and concerns over wealth disparity and corporate social responsibility. Within this realm, the so-called triple bottom line seeks to evaluate business performance on its impacts on the environment and interested stakeholders besides profitability concerns. So far, Management Information Systems research on sustainability has been somewhat constrained in the realm of green IT, which focuses mostly on the reduction of energy consumption of corporate IT systems. Using the resource-based view as the theoretical foundation, the manuscript develops an integrated sustainability framework, illustrating the integration of human, supply chain, and IT resources to enable firms develop sustainability capabilities, which help firms deliver sustainable values to relevant stakeholders and gain sustained competitive advantage. Particularly, the role of automate, informate, transform, and infrastructure IT resources are examined in the development of sustainability capabilities. The work calls for a bold new role of IT in sustainability beyond energy consumption reduction. Implications for future research and management practice on IT and sustainability are also discussed.
Tail regeneration in the plethodontid salamander, Plethodon cinereus: Induced autotomy versus surgical amputation†

Regeneration of the tail in the plethodontid salamander, Plethodon cinereus, occurs following either surgical amputation or induced autotomy. Autotomy may occur along any one of the caudal myosepta which form natural cleavage planes. The distally attached myofibers break away from the myoseptum which then becomes part of the stump surface remaining intact during subsequent regeneration of the distal segments. Under these conditions, therefore, muscle fibers do not normally participate in tail regeneration. If, however, the myofibers of a caudal myotome are interrupted as in mid-segment amputation, the damaged fibers undergo hyaline degeneration and are largely replaced by connective tissue often as far proximally as the next myoseptum. Other tissues at the amputation surface are concurrently engaged in the epimorphic regeneration of the tail, including myogenesis, though at a slower initial rate than that following autotomy. Muscle cells, therefore, appear not to participate in epimorphic tail regeneration in Plethodon cinereus following either surgical amputation or induced autotomy.
PREDICTING HYPNOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY VIA A PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH

The hypnotic susceptibility of 300 nursing students was predicted via an instrument called the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory. The students experienced the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility and subsequently completed the self-report inventory with reference to their experience of hypnosis. Regression analyses generated a multiple R of .67 between subjects' susceptibility, as measured by the Harvard scale, and their predicted susceptibility, based on the (sub)dimensions of the inventory. Additional analyses gave a validity coefficient of .61 between the Harvard scale scores of the subjects in the present study and their predicted scores, using regression coefficients obtained in an earlier study. The results replicated previous research and suggest that the inventory may be a useful instrument in predicting hypnotic susceptibility in a less obtrusive fashion than the Harvard scale.
Synthesis of an adaptive CPR filter for identification of vehicle make & type

A methodology for recognition of vehicle make and type by identifying logo images is proposed in this paper. Angular displacements in the target images, add complexity to the identification process in real time scenario. Slight deviations in the input scene render the output invariably meaningless. The correlation pattern recognition based CPR filters, if amicably trained for the images containing requisite trend of angular distortions, can produce remarkable identification results invariant to the speculated angular rotations. Maximum Average Correlation Height MACH Filter being a major development in CPR field, duly trained with images of various classes in parallel, carries adequate statistical information and intelligence to ensure correct classification results. A supervised learning process of the proposed filter enables us to have an adaptive design to cater for misclassifications tagged as false positives in the first instance of training. Synthesis of a flexible, constantly evolving and an adaptive classifier can conveniently manage correct detection of target images irrespective of acute angular shifts in the input scenes.
Foreign medical graduates (FMGs): determining their role in the U.S. health care system.

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to review the existing literature on Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in the United States in order to assess the needs and uses of FMGs in the United States and consider the various monitoring strategies that have been suggested to control the influx while meeting institutional demands which have implications for population needs. The review indicates that there are historical and situational factors which account for the fact that FMGs are represented at the lowest levels of the physician hierarchy, and perhaps have been unjustly blamed for problems that are a result of the inefficient management by the US health system in general. The authors conclude that there is a need for an objective assessment of the role of FMGs in the US health care system based on actual personnel shortage, population needs and competency of the FMGs.
MR Angiographic guidance for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedures

The authors used magnetic resonance (MR) angiography to guide catheter placement in transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedures in nine of 18 patients and compared the results with those of the nine patients for whom prior planning based on MR angiography was not done. Two-dimensional time-of-flight MR venography was performed during breath hold, and projection venograms were formatted in sagittal, coronal, and axial planes. MR angiography defined venous anatomy sufficiently to shorten the procedure and help minimize invasiveness. With MR angiographic guidance, intrahepatic needle punctures were significantly fewer (without MR guidance: mean, 12.1; with MR guidance: mean, 3.6; P < .001) and associated complications were absent (without MR guidance: failed placement, n = 1; bleeding requiring blood transfusions, n = 1; death due to intraperitoneal hemorrhage with hemobilia, n = 1; and death due to hepatic capsular perforation, n = 1). The average time for the procedure was 2.9 hours without MR angiographic guidance and 1.8 hours with MR angiographic guidance (P < .001). The authors conclude that MR angiography is a useful technique for defining portal and hepatic venous anatomy before the TIPS procedure and that planning based on MR angiography may decrease the difficulty and length of the procedure.
Morphometric analysis of the growth of the normal fetal guinea pig lung.

The structural development of the fetal guinea pig lung is described and quantified morphometrically in this report. At 35 days gestation the lung is in the pseudoglandular phase of growth, by 40 days it is in the canalicular phase, and at 50 days the saccular growth phase has begun. At term (67 days), the fetal guinea pig lung appears mature. From the beginning of the canalicular to the end of the saccular phases, the correlation coefficient between lung volume and gestational age is +.98, between internal surface area and gestational age is +.94 and between total number of saccules and gestational age is +.97. Internal surface area (ISA) correlates closely with lung volume (r = +.99) and the correlation coefficient between total number of saccules and lung volume is +.98. At term, lung volume is 4.22 ml. ISA is 0.5 M2, and total number of saccules is 253 million. Parenchymal growth is achieved by increases in both number and size of airspaces in the canalicular phase, primarily by increases in number during the early saccular phase and largely by increases in airspace size near term. The total length of parenchymal elastic tissue increases from 223 M at 45 days gestation to 5,253 M at term. Elastic tissue fibers first appear in the parenchyma of the fetal guinea pig lung during the canalicular phase, when the rate of saccule formation is high. The quantitative increase in elastic tissue correlates closely with the increase in the total number of saccules from day 45 to day 60 of gestation (r = +.99). The rate of elastic tissue growth increases sharply in the late saccular phase, coinciding with the period of greatest saccular expansion. These data suggest an interdependent relationship between saccular growth, i.e., proliferation and expansion, and the development of lung parenchymal elastic tissue.
Pyrolytic conversion of cellulose to fuels: levoglucosan deoxygenation via elimination and cyclization within molten biomass

Fast pyrolysis of biomass thermally cracks solid biopolymers to generate a transportable liquid (bio-oil) which can be upgraded and integrated with the existing petroleum infrastructure. Understanding how the components of biomass, such as cellulose, break down to form bio-oil constituents is critical to developing successful biofuels technologies. In this work, we use a novel co-pyrolysis technique and isotopically labeled starting materials to show that levoglucosan, the most abundant product of cellulose pyrolysis (60% of total), is deoxygenated within molten biomass to form products with higher energy content (pyrans and light oxygenates). The yield of these products can be increased by a factor of six under certain reaction conditions, e.g., using long condensed-phase residence times encountered in powder pyrolysis. Finally, co-pyrolysis experiments with deuterated glucose reveal that hydrogen exchange is a critical component of levoglucosan deoxygenation.
Characterization of solid maltose microneedles and their use for transdermal delivery.

To characterize solid maltose microneedles and assess their ability to increase transdermal drug delivery. Microneedles and microchannels were characterized using methylene blue staining and scanning electron microscopy. Diffusion pattern of calcein was observed using confocal scanning laser microscopy. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) measurements were made to study the skin barrier recovery after treatment. Uniformity in calcein uptake by the pores was characterized and percutaneous penetration of nicardipine hydrochloride (NH) was studied in vitro and in vivo across hairless rat skin. Microneedles were measured to be 508.46 ± 9.32 μm long with a radius of curvature of 3 μm at the tip. They penetrated the skin while creating microchannels measuring about 55.42 ± 8.66 μm in diameter. Microchannels were visualized by methylene blue staining. Pretreatment with microneedles resulted in the migration of calcein into the microchannels. TEWL increased after pretreatment and uptake of calcein by the pores was uniform as measured by the pore permeability index values. NH in vitro transport across skin increased significantly after pretreatment (flux 7.05 μg/cm2/h) as compared to the untreated skin (flux 1.72 μg/cm2/h) and the enhanced delivery was also demonstrated in vivo in hairless rats. Maltose microneedles were characterized and shown to create microchannels in the skin, which were also characterized and shown to improve the transdermal delivery of NH.
Correlates of active body temperatures and microhabitat occupation in nine species of central Australian agamid lizards

Body temperatures of active lizards and their correspondence with microhabitat occupation were studied for nine species of agamid lizards in the central Australian arid zone. Thermoregulatory behaviour was also documented using several measures, such as the use of shade and perch height. The effects of thermal environ- ment on lizard habitat occupation were hypothesized to be significant, because desert regions experience daily and seasonal extremes of temperature that are well in excess of a lizard's preferred temperature range. All species, except Ctenophorus isolepis and Diporiphora winneckei, were found to have body temperatures that corresponded closely to ground and surface temperatures. Thermoregulatory behaviour was also found to be important through- out a lizard's daily activity; all study species, other than Ctenophorus isolepis, were found to increase their perch height in the middle of the day. Ctenophorus isolepis was shown to be a strictly terrestrial species that uses the shade of spinifex in its thermoregulatory behaviour. Species exhibited a non-random selection of microhabitats and a preference for a particular set of thermal and structural factors. In this study, it was shown that structural factors were particularly important in microhabitat occupation. Thermal factors accounted for a smaller proportion of variance in microhabitat occupation, but still played a considerable role in the microhabitat use in central Australian agamids.
Base-X Notation and Tri-Value Logic

This paper introduces the base-X notation and discusses the conversion between numbers of different bases. It also introduces the tri-value logic that is associated with the base-3 system.
A food web analysis of the juvenile blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, using stable isotopes in whole animals and individual amino acids

The stable isotope compositions (C and N) of plants and animals of a marsh dominated by Spartina alterniflora in the Delaware Estuary were determined. The study focused on the juvenile stage of the Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, and the importance of marsh-derived diets in supporting growth during this stage. Laboratory growth experiments and field data indicated that early juvenile blue crabs living in the Delaware Bay habitat fed primarily on zooplankton, while marsh-dwelling crabs, which were enriched in 13C relative to bay juveniles, utilized marsh-derived carbon for growth. In laboratory experiments, the degree to which juvenile blue crabs isotopically fractionated dietary nitrogen, as well as the growth rate, depended on the protein quality of the diet. The range of δ13C of amino acids in laboratory-reared crabs and their diets was almost 20‰, similar to the isotopic range of amino acids of other organisms. In laboratory studies, the δ13C of nonessential and essential amino acids in the diet were compared to those in juvenile crabs. Isotopic fractionation at the molecular level depended on diet quality and the crabs' physiological requirements. Comparison of whole-animal isotope data with individual amino acid C isotope measurements of wild juvenile blue crabs from the bay and marsh suggested a different source of total dietary carbon, yet a shared protein component, such as zooplankton.
Preeclampsia complicated by cerebral hemorrhage and brain abscess

A 34-year-old, preeclamptic woman developed a right basal ganglia hematoma during a vaginal delivery. Her course was later complicated by an infected episiotomy. As a consequence of bacterial seeding most likely from the infected episiotomy, the intracerebral hematoma became infected, developing into a brain abscess. Because of her existing neurological deficits, the developing brain abscess was not recognized until signs and symptoms of increased intracranial pressure developed. This patient illustrates another potentially life-threatening neurological infection that may occur in the peripartum period.
Interaction between retinal and visual cortical fibers in several subcortical visual centers of the rat

Szentagothai (ed.), Modern Trends in Ne~romorphology, Symposia Biol. Hung., Budapest, Akad. Kiado (1965), pp. 251-276. Szentagothai, J., Arkh. Anat., No. 2, 3-21 (1971). Vvedenskii, N. E., Excitation, Inhibition, and Narcosis [in Russian], SPb (1903). Woolsey, T., "Organization of the temporal cortex," in: Theory of the Connections of Sensory Systems [Russian translation], Moscow (1964). Zhukova, G. I., "Neural composition of the motor cortex of mammals," Candidate's Dissertation, Moscow (1950).
Renin-angiotensin system blockade in older adults with chronic kidney disease: a review of the literature.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW We have reviewed the literature examining the benefits and harms of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockade in older adults, using studies which included patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) as well as those which included a broader patient population. RECENT FINDINGS We review the results of key trials which evaluate the impact of RAS blockade on renal outcomes, and those which address the impact of RAS blockade on more global outcomes (cardiovascular events and mortality). Many trials examining renal outcomes of RAS blockade excluded older patients or did not present age-stratified results, whereas trials which examined global outcomes often excluded patients with CKD. Most older patients with CKD have nonproteinuric nondiabetic CKD, thus differing from participants in trials which examined renal outcomes, which often included only patients with diabetes or proteinuria. Most studies did not address alternate outcomes which may carry greatest import for older patients, such as worsening comorbid illness or changes in functional status. SUMMARY The role of RAS inhibition for older patients with CKD remains unclear. Information on age-specific effects of RAS blockade on a range of different outcomes among older patients with CKD would improve our ability to assess the benefits and harms of RAS inhibition in this population.
Manipulation and assembly methods for graphene based nano devices

Recently, global scientists have drawn attentions of study of graphene. Graphene has a lot of potential applications in nanoelectronics and nanophotonics. We have demonstrated to use an electric-field-assisted method to manipulate graphene flakes between metal micro electrodes successfully. The size of the graphene flake can be as large as 15 µm × 15 µm. I–V characteristics of the graphene flakes were obtained and the results indicate that the graphene is a zero band gap material which is consistent with many other studies. Different thicknesses of graphene flakes were measured by using an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). The measurements also confirmed with Raman spectra and showed that the graphene flakes were few-layer-graphene (FLG) and multi-layer-graphene (MLG). The results demonstrate high potential applications of the electric-field-assisted technique and AFM for the investigation and nanomanipulation of graphene at the nanoscale.
Remodeling after directional coronary atherectomy (with and without adjunct percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty): a serial angiographic and intravascular ultrasound analysis from the optimal atherectomy restenosis study

Abstract Objectives. The intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) substudy of OARS (Optimal Atherectomy Restenosis Study) was designed to assess the mechanisms of restenosis after directional coronary atherectomy (DCA). Background. Recent serial IVUS studies have indicated that late lumen loss after interventional procedures was determined primarily by the direction and magnitude of arterial remodeling, not by cellular proliferation. Methods. Complete quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and IVUS were obtained in 104 patients before and after intervention and during follow-up. All studies were performed after administration of 200 μg of intracoronary nitroglycerin. Angiographic measurements included minimum lumen diameter (MLD), interpolated reference diameter and diameter stenosis (DS). Intravascular ultrasound measurements included lesion and reference external elastic membrane (EEM), lumen and plaque+media cross-sectional area (CSA). The axial location of the lesion site was at the smallest follow-up lumen CSA; the reference segment was the most normal-looking cross section within 10 mm proximal to the lesion but distal to any major side branch. Results are reported as mean ± one standard deviation. Results. The QCA reference decreased from 3.51 ± 0.46 mm to 3.22 ± 0.44 mm; the MLD decreased from 3.22 ± 0.47 mm to 2.03 ± 0.72 mm; and the DS increased from 8 ± 10% to 38 ± 20%. On IVUS, the decrease in lumen CSA (from 8.8 ± 2.5 mm 2 to 5.5 ± 4.0 mm 2 ) was associated with a significant decrease in EEM (from 19.7 ± 5.6 mm 2 to 16.9 ± 6.2 mm 2 ); there was no significant increase in P+M (from 10.9 ± 4.2 mm 2 to 11.3 ± 3.9 mm 2 ). A change in lumen correlated with a change in EEM (r = 0.790, p 2 to 17.6 ± 8.0 mm 2 ) also correlated with a decrease in lesion EEM (r = 0.665, p Conclusion. Restenosis after optimal DCA is caused primarily by a decrease in EEM CSA that extends into contiguous reference segments.
Hydrocarbon production cost functions in the Gulf of Mexico

Hydrocarbon production is the process of extracting oil and gas reserves from the earth, and then treating, processing, and transporting the oil and gas to market. Production costs are those costs required to operate and maintain wells and related equipment and facilities. Production costs are generally not available in commercial databases, however, and must be derived from survey instruments or extracted from company records. An alternative approach is to infer production cost based on an assessment of the economic limit of structures removed from service. The purpose of this paper is to derive generalized production cost functions of offshore structures in the Gulf of Mexico using the economic limit model. A statistical description of over 1700 offshore structures removed in the Gulf of Mexico over the past two decades is provided, followed by generalized regression models that infer production cost from gross revenue statistics at the time of abandonment. A description of the factors involved in the analysis and a summary of the results are presented.
Random vibrations of laminated plates modeled within the first order shear deformation theory

This paper deals with the dynamic response of anisotropic laminated composite plates to stationary random excitation. The theory of laminated plates used here includes shear deformation and rotary inertia effects in the same manner as Mindlin's theory for isotropic homogeneous plates. Two cases of random pressure fields are considered in this analysis. In the first case, it is modeled as a uniformly distributed load, random in time with an exponential decaying correlation function, while in the second one as a jet noise, fully correlated in one direction and homogeneous in the perpendicular one. The analysis presented herein, as well as the obtained response characteristics, expressed in terms of mean-squares and angle-dependent mean-squares, may be useful in the design of composite plates subjected to random pressure fields and in the evaluation of their reliability.
The Pernicious Blend of Rumination and Fearlessness in Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

Recent theory suggests that people may engage in dysregulated behaviors, such as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), as a way to distract from rumination and emotional cascades (Selby et al. 2008); similarly, another theory suggests that people may not engage in self-injurious behavior without habituation to fear through repeated exposure to painful events (Joiner 2005). We hypothesized that both high rumination and habituation to the fear of pain may strongly influence NSSI because those who lack a fear of pain and ruminate intensely will not be afraid to inflict physical pain as a way to distract from negative affect. Participants were undergraduate students (N = 94), a large portion of whom reported engaging in NSSI. These participants were given measures of past painful experiences, rumination, and frequency of recent self-injury. Using hierarchical linear regression, evidence was found to support the interaction effect of rumination and painful/provocative experiences on the frequency of NSSI, even after controlling for important variables such as age, gender, and sensation seeking. Although the interaction significantly predicted NSSI, it did not predict dysregulated eating behaviors or drinking to cope.
Peer and Cross-Age Tutoring in Math: Outcomes and Their Design Implications

This review of the literature on peer and cross-age tutoring emphasizes programs in mathematics and suggests that such programs have positive academic outcomes for African American and otherminority students as well as for White students who participate as tutors, as tutees, or both. Such programs also appear to have a positive impact on a variety of attitudinal and socioemotional outcomes, such as students' attitudes towards school, their self-concepts, and their sense of academic efficacy. This review also explores whether specific features of the tutoring programs (e.g., tutor training and amount of tutoring) or characteristics of the students (e.g., academic level prior to tutoring and gender composition of tutor-tutee pairs) affect various outcomes. Role theory is used as a theoretical framework to explain some intriguing and surprising findings (e.g., why tutors show academic gains even when they do not receive additional subject matter instruction, whylonger and/or more substantial tutoring programs may not foster greater immediate academic gains than shorter programs, and why mixed-sex pairs do not consistently reap benefits equal to those of same-sex pairs). Finally, implications of the review for the development of peer and cross-age tutoring programs are discussed.
Duplicated subclavian vein.

F p 75-year-old woman was admitted to the Neurosurgical ntensive Care Unit for a severe intracranial hemorrhage fter stabilization in the Emergency Department. During outine central venous catheter placement of the left ubclavian vein, moderate resistance was encountered hile passing the guide wire. The remainder of the rocedure was uneventful. A routine chest X-ray taken in he intensive care unit to confirm placement was suggesive of intra-arterial placement (Figure 1).
Exploring Seniors’ Casino Gaming Intention:

To better understand seniors’ intentions in visiting casinos, this study proposed an extension of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with casino gaming motivation. The results of this study sugge...
Chern-Simons theory and the quark-gluon plasma

The generating functional for hard thermal loops in quantum chromodynamics is important in setting up a resummed thermal perturbation theory, so that all terms of a given order in the coupling constant can be consistently taken into account. It is also the functional which leads to a gauge-invariant description of Debye screening and plasma waves in the quark-gluon plasma. We have recently shown that this functional is closely related to the eikonal for a Chern-Simons gauge theory. In this paper, this relationship is explored and explained in more detail along with some generalizations.
Hepatitis C Virus/Human Immunodeficiency Virus Coinfection: Clinical Management Issues

The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has extended the healthy lifespan of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); deaths among people with AIDS declined for the first time in 1996, after the institution of this therapeutic approach. As the life expectancy of HIV-infected patients increases, greater attention will need to be focused on the recognition and management of potentially severe concurrent illnesses that may increase their mid- to long-range morbidity and mortality. The incidence of infection by hepatitis C virus (HCV) is increased among patients with HIV disease, reflecting shared epidemiological risks. HCV not only may have an impact on the health status of HIV-infected patients but also may decrease their quality of life and increase their health care costs. Although clinicians have been reluctant to treat viral hepatitis C in the HIV-infected population, this therapeutic nihilism is unwarranted. The majority of studies have concluded that treatment of hepatitis C in HIV-infected patients results in an initial efficacy and long-term response similar to those in the HIV-seronegative population. Furthermore, treatment of HCV infection in HCV/HIV-coinfected patients may improve tolerance for antiretroviral medications. Physicians caring for patients with HIV infection require up-to-date information to make rational decisions regarding HCV coinfection to ensure that morbidity and mortality are minimized and that quality of life and medical care costs are optimized.
Story Composition by Learning Disabled, Reading Disabled, and Normal Children:

Investigations into children's ability to comprehend and compose stories have been increasing steadily during the past 10 years. As a result, a body of information exists that has important implica...
FunSecKB: the Fungal Secretome KnowledgeBase

The Fungal Secretome KnowledgeBase (FunSecKB) provides a resource of secreted fungal proteins, i.e. secretomes, identified from all available fungal protein data in the NCBI RefSeq database. The secreted proteins were identified using a well evaluated computational protocol which includes SignalP, WolfPsort and Phobius for signal peptide or subcellular location prediction, TMHMM for identifying membrane proteins, and PS-Scan for identifying endoplasmic reticulum (ER) target proteins. The entries were mapped to the UniProt database and any annotations of subcellular locations that were either manually curated or computationally predicted were included in FunSecKB. Using a web-based user interface, the database is searchable, browsable and downloadable by using NCBI’s RefSeq accession or gi number, UniProt accession number, keyword or by species. A BLAST utility was integrated to allow users to query the database by sequence similarity. A user submission tool was implemented to support community annotation of subcellular locations of fungal proteins. With the complete fungal data from RefSeq and associated web-based tools, FunSecKB will be a valuable resource for exploring the potential applications of fungal secreted proteins. Database URL: http://proteomics.ysu.edu/secretomes/fungi.php