cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diode Pumped Alkali Lasers: History, current state and perspectives

Historically, an optically pumped alkali (potassium) vapor laser was the first laser proposed by A.L. Schawlow and C.H. Townes in 1958 [1], but was not experimentally demonstrated at that time. In the next 45 years, many experiments with alkali vapors were performed that demonstrated stimulated emission, gain and amplified spontaneous emission. However, the real interest to alkali vapor lasers appeared after the first demonstration in 2003 [2] of a really efficient lasing in Rb vapor optically pumped by Ti:Sapphire laser. This interest was stimulated by a possibility of using efficient diode lasers for pumping of alkali vapors that promised a very high total wall plug efficiency Diode Pumped Alkali Laser (DPAL). In addition, these lasers have a number of positive features as compared to other high power lasers (chemical, solid state, fiber lasers) and do not have many problems existing in other high power laser systems.
Estimating the fractal dimension and the predictability of the atmosphere

Abstract The fractal dimension, Lyapunov-exponent spectrum, Kolmogorov entropy, and predictability are analyzed for chaotic attractors in the atmosphere by analyzing the time series of daily surface temperature and pressure over several regions of the United States and the North Atlantic Ocean with different climatic signal-to-noise ratios. Though the total number of data points (from about 13 800 to about 36 500) is larger than those used in previous studies, it is still too small to obtain a reliable estimate of the Grassberger–Procaccia correlation dimension because of the limitations discussed by Ruelle. However, it can be shown that this dimension is greater than 8. Also, it is pointed out that most, if not all, of the previous estimates of low fractal dimensions in the atmosphere are spurious. These results lead us to claim that there probably exist no low-dimensional strange attractors in the atmosphere. Because the fractal dimension has not yet been saturated, the Kolmogorov entropy and the error-...
Laboratory and field tests to demonstrate the efficacy of KPEG reagent for detoxification of hazardous wastes containing polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and dibenzofurans (PCDF) and soils contaminated with such chemical wastes

Abstract A chemical reagent (KPEG) produced by reacting solid potassium hydroxide with a polyethylene glycol formulation has been shown, in both laboratory and field tests, to be effective for dechlorinating polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and dibenzofurans (PCDF) present in two different hazardous wastes and in soils contaminated with these.
Interviews with Trappist Monks as a Contribution to Research Methodology in the Investigation of Compassionate Love

In-depth interviews of a group of Trappist monks demonstrate a method of refining and improving self-report measures of motivation and discernment. By selecting a group who have been trained over many years to examine motives for altruistic, other-centered actions and attitudes, and to give these high priority in their lives, there emerged some very interesting details about the nature of compassionate love and its process of expression, obstacles to its expression, and ways to encourage it. These results provide useful methodological insights for refining self-reports of motive, and also yield data that are important for understanding the nature of compassionate love, providing hypotheses for future research, and suggestions for possible action.
TRADE, TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, AND HYPER-DUTCH DISEASE IN OPEC: THEORY AND EVIDENCE

The oil price increases in the 1970s caused a transfer of wealth from importers to exporters and resulted in three major consequences. It led to a series of shocks in the economies of the industrial countries. It reduced further the slow pace of growth in the non-OPEC LDCs, and it distorted the sectoral growth in OPEC itself. Such unwarranted results have attracted the attention of both scholars and decision makers.
Excited state dynamics of thulium ions in yttrium aluminum garnets

Abstract The processes that take place in the excited states of a trivalent Thulium (Tm) ion in an Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) crystal, being relevant to the use of this system for laser applications, have been the object of several studies. We have reexamined this system, focusing our attention on the dynamics of Tm following its excitation in the 3H4 level. Under these conditions the system relaxes through a cross-relaxation process, 3H4→3F4, 3H6→3F4, whose rate depends upon both the concentration of the Tm ion and the temperature of the crystal. The excitation spectrum obtained by monitoring the 1.8 μm emission of Tm (due to the 3F4→3H6 transition) indicates an increase in the contribution to this emission from the 3H4 level relative to the 3H5 level as the Tm concentration increases; this shows the increased role played by the 3H4 level in pumping the infrared emission. Correspondingly the duration of the luminescence originating in the 3H4 level is shortened as the concentration of Tm increases. The concentration quenching of this lifetime can be fit to a model which assumes that the cross-relaxation is due to a dipole-dipole interaction; from this fit the intrinsic Tm lifetime in absence of cross relaxation can be derived. We have used this lifetime to calculate the rate of the cross-relaxation process. We have evaluated this rate as function of temperature and found it to be fastest at 77 K. We have also calculated the microscopic interaction parameters for the cross-relaxation process by using two independent experimental features: (i) the time evolution of the emission from the 3H4 level, and (ii) the spectral overlap between the 3H4→3F4 emission and the 3H6→3F4 absorption. We have also considered the migration of excitation among the Tm ions in the 3F4 level and calculated the relevant microparameter by the use of the relevant spectral overlap. The data are consistent with the model in which the Tm ions, once excited into the 3H4 level decay by cross relaxation to the 3F4 level, and then transfer rapidly their energy to other Tm ions.
Wood gnawing preferences in rats

Abstract Wood gnawing by rats has been used as a behavioral measure, particularly under brain stimulation. There appears to be a general lack of information about which wood rats prefer to gnaw. The results of this study indicate that mahogany was the most preferred of the woods tested. Its use is therefore suggested in future studies using wood gnawing as a behavioral measure.
Yersinia enterocolitica: in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility

Using 21 antimicrobial agents, agar dilution susceptibility tests were carried out against 190 strains of Yersinia enterocolitica. Isolates from human, environmental, and animal sources had essentially equal susceptibility patterns.
The Myeloid Leukemia-associated Protein SET Is a Potent Inhibitor of Protein Phosphatase 2A

Two potent heat-stable protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) inhibitor proteins designated I1PP2A and I2PP2A have been purified to apparent homogeneity from extracts of bovine kidney (Li, M., Guo, H., and Damuni, Z.(1995) Biochemistry 34, 1988-1996). N-terminal and internal amino acid sequencing indicated that I2PP2A was a truncated form of SET, a largely nuclear protein that is fused to nucleoporin Nup214 in acute non-lymphocytic myeloid leukemia. Experiments using purified preparations of recombinant human SET confirmed that this protein inhibited PP2A. Half-maximal inhibition of the phosphatase occurred at about 2 nM SET. By contrast, SET (up to 20 nM) did not affect the activities of purified preparations of protein phosphatases 1, 2B, and 2C. The results indicate that SET is a potent and specific inhibitor of PP2A and suggest that impaired regulation of PP2A may contribute to acute myeloid leukemogenesis.
A single injection of 17β-estradiol at the time of pup presentation promotes the onset of maternal behavior in pregnancy-terminated rats

Abstract Female rats that are hysterectomized and ovariectomized on day 15 of pregnancy (15HO) and presented with pups 48 h later show maternal behavior after 2 or 3 days of pup exposure. In contrast, if 15HO females are administered (sc) 20 μg/kg of estradiol benzoate (EB) on day 15 of pregnancy after HO, they show near immediate maternal behavior when pups are presented 48 h later. EB has typically been administered on day 15 because of the underlying assumption that EB exerts genomic effects which require a long duration before being expressed in changes in neuronal phenotype. In light of the more recent evidence that estradiol can generate rapid changes in cellular function, we examined whether injection of a water-soluble form of 17β-estradiol (E2) can facilitate maternal behavior in pregnancy-terminated females when it is administered at the time of pup presentation rather than at the time of HO. Female rats treated with 100 μg/kg of E2 showed a robust facilitation of maternal behavior, requiring a median of 1 day of pup exposure before showing maternal behavior, compared with 3 days in vehicle-treated rats.
Molecular analysis of membrane γ2b heavy chain expression

In order to study T cell regulation of B cell isotype differentiation we have developed a model system consisting of clonal populations of T and B cells. Using this system we have shown that the murine B cell lymphoma, 70Z/3, can be induced to express membrane IgG2b by exposure to a T cell hybridoma derived from the Peyer's patch (termed HAJ-3). The membrane bound IgG2b (mIgG2b) expression is associated with induction of gamma 2b-mRNA, but switch region rearrangement and C mu deletion does not occur. While LPS-stimulated 70Z/3 B cells also express considerable amounts of gamma 2b-mRNA they do not express detectable mIgG2b, indicating that T cell influence is necessary for the production of translatable gamma 2b-specific mRNA. Both the LPS and T cell induced gamma 2b mRNA transcripts lack VH sequences, implying that the surface IgG2b detected lacks a variable region. These findings lend support to a two step model of B cell isotype switching and provide evidence that T cells can regulate early events involved in B cell isotype differentiation.
Understanding variation in resident needs and services in homes for adults.

Abstract Long term care in the U.S. has been influenced greatly by the emergence and growth of alternatives to traditional nursing homes. Adult homes provide personal care and assistance to an increasing number of elderly and represent a growth sector of long term care services. However, adult homes have not been discussed widely in the healthcare literature. This paper summarizes findings from a study of adult homes and profiles their operating characteristics, services, and resident needs. Findings indicate differences between licensed and unlicensed homes for adults in terms of the needs of their residents, use of external resources and referral to other sources of care. Implications for coordination of care for the elderly are addressed.
Peripheral neurostimulation for treatment of intractable occipital neuralgia.

OBJECTIVE: Medically intractable pain caused by occipital neuralgia (ON) can be very difficult to control with traditional pain management. Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) may serve as a good alternative to destructive surgical manipulations used currently for the treatment of severe ON. METHODS: We analyzed records of 14 consecutive patients (9 women and 5 men; mean age, 43.3 yr) with intractable ON treated with PNS during the period from April 2002 to November 2004. Five patients had unilateral and nine had bilateral PNS electrodes inserted for trial, which was considered successful if patient reported at least 50% decrease of pain on the visual analogue scale. Ten patients proceeded with system internalization, and their long-term results were analyzed. RESULTS: At the time of the last follow-up examination (5-32 mo, mean 22 mo), seven patients (70%) with implanted PNS systems continue to experience beneficial effects of stimulation, including adequate pain control, continuous employment, and decrease in oral pain medications intake. Two patients had their systems explanted because of loss of stimulation effect or significant improvement of pain, and one patient had part of his hardware removed because of infection. CONCLUSION: Overall, the beneficial effect from chronic stimulation in our series persisted in more than half of the patients for whom procedure was considered and in 80% of those who significantly improved during the trial and proceeded with internalization. Thus, chronic PNS may be a safe and relatively effective method for long-term treatment of chronic pain syndrome in patients with medically intractable ON.
Persistent pain after endodontic therapy.

A middle-aged woman visited a clinician with the chief complaint that her tooth hurt despite having been treated several times by an endodontist to whom she had been referred. Over the previous year, the endodontist had performed nonsurgical endodontic therapy on her maxillary right first molar and six months later performed surgical endodontic therapy (that is, an apicoectomy and a retrograde root canal filling) in an attempt to resolve her pain. However, this treatment was unsuccessful. The patient then sought a second opinion from another dentist, who advised her to have the tooth extracted and an implant placed; however, she chose not to pursue these treatment options. The patient reported that her pain intensity had not changed since she underwent the original endodontic treatment. Analgesics such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen had little or no effect on her pain. The clinical examination did not reveal any dental pathology. A periapical radiograph of the tooth and a cone-beam computed tomographic scan of the quadrant failed to identify any pathological lesion that could have contributed to her pain. What are the most likely explanations for this situation?
EFFECTS OF PREEXAMINATION DISCLOSURE OF ESSAY PROMPTS FOR THE GRE ANALYTICAL WRITING ASSESSMENT

This study examined how the practice of prepublishing prompts used on the writing section of the Graduate Record Examinations® (GRE®) General Test impacts test-preparation behavior, test performance, test validity, and examinee perceptions of the value of prompt prepublication. Researchers imposed modest experimental control over how participants used the prompts to prepare for an upcoming test. The strategy test-takers reported using most frequently was simply to “think generally about the potential topics.” Slightly fewer than half of study participants wrote sample essays to prepare for the test, and very few (4%) admitted to memorizing essays that could be recalled during testing. Results provided no indication that participants benefited from encountering a prompt for which they had prepared. The vast majority of study participants, however, thought that making the GRE essay prompts available ahead of time is a good testing policy.
Balancing family and work

[1] More than 45% of women scientists at top universities in the United States have indicated that their careers have kept them from having as many children as they want, according to an 8 August study, “Scientists want more children,” which appears in the journal PLoS ONE. The study, by sociologists Elaine Howard Ecklund of Rice University and Anne Lincoln of Southern Methodist University, indicates that 24.5% of male scientists surveyed indicated the same concerns. The study also found that among junior scientists, 29% of women indicated concern that a science career would prevent them from having a family; 7% of men indicated the same concern.
Who is performing percutaneous tracheotomies? Practice patterns of surgeons in the USA

Tracheotomy is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the ICU setting. Traditionally tracheotomy has been performed by otolaryngologists as well as general surgeons. While percutaneous tracheotomy (PT) has been available for some time, it has only recently gained widespread acceptance with the advent of convenient and safe kits. Over the past decade, there has been increased utilization of this technique. However, there is a relative reluctance of certain surgical specialties to perform and train residents in PT; a previous study identified that only 29% of otolaryngology head and neck surgery (OTO-HNS) departments in the USA perform PT. In this study we aim to investigate the trends of PT usage in general surgery training programs and compare them to those previously described in otolaryngology programs. The study design is multi-institution physician survey and the study method was a survey of 250 general surgery program directors. This survey was identical to a published survey of OTO-HNS and a head-to-head comparison of results was performed. The response rate was 53% (133 programs). 89% of general surgery programs performed open tracheotomy on a regular basis. 75% performed percutaneous tracheotomy on a regular basis. 79% use the Ciaglia Blue Rhino method. Simultaneous video bronchoscopy was used by 67%. 83% of general surgery residency programs train their residents in PT. 61% felt that PT was either safer than or equal to open tracheotomy. PT is performed in a majority of general surgery residency programs and taught to their trainees. This is in contrast to otolaryngology residency programs, which have been shown to prefer open tracheotomies in both practice and teaching. This trend may severely impact the skills of the next generation of otolaryngologists.
Developing the Information Industry in Taiwan: Entrepreneurial State, Guerrilla Capitalists, and Accommodative Technologists

HE RAPID GROWTH of the East Asian newly industrialized countries l(NICs) South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore during the 1960s and 1970s drew considerable academic interest and lively policy debates. By adopting export-led industrialization (ELI) development strategies, these NICs greatly benefitted from the remarkable expansion of world trade during the heyday of the Bretton Woods system, and rose to become major exporters of labor-intensive manufactured products (e.g., textiles and electronics). However, starting from the early 1980s, these NICs gradually (and perhaps irreversibly) lost their traditional competitive advantage in laborintensive products, and thus had to discover new sources of growth.2 Key economic decision-makers reached the conclusion that to regain competitiveness in the world economy, the export-oriented economic structures of these NICs must be upgraded that is, to become more technologyand skill-intensive. These NICs thus began to develop the so-called high-tech industries. In particular, information technology (IT) has been entrusted to play a central role in this new strategy.
Phoneme categorization relying solely on high-frequency energy

Speech perception studies generally focus on the acoustic information present in the frequency regions below 6 kHz. Recent evidence suggests that there is perceptually relevant information in the higher frequencies, including information affecting speech intelligibility. This experiment examined whether listeners are able to accurately identify a subset of vowels and consonants in CV-context when only high-frequency (above 5 kHz) acoustic information is available (through high-pass filtering and masking of lower frequency energy). The findings reveal that listeners are capable of extracting information from these higher frequency regions to accurately identify certain consonants and vowels.
The role of defects in ferroelectric phase transitions

Abstract A comparison of specific heat, ultrasonic attenuation, and soft-mode linewidth divergences is presented for several ferrodistortive and antiferro-distortive phase transitions, including BaMnF4, TGS, KDP, SrTiO3 and KMnF3. In the cases of BaMnF4, KDP and TGS the specific heat divergences exhibit power-law form, and the observed exponent (approximately ½) does not permit easy distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic (defect) theories, since these three crystals are all near tricritical points, for which the predicted exponent is the same (−0.5) in mean-field theory and in the defect theory of Levanyuk, Osipov, Sigov and Sobyanin. However, ultrasonic attenuation and soft-mode linewidth behavior strongly favor the defect interpretation. The specific heat behavior in BaMnF4 satisfies the predictions of the Pippard-Janovec relationship.
Pretreatment of periosteum with TGF-β1 in situ enhances the quality of osteochondral tissue regenerated from transplanted periosteal grafts in adult rabbits

Summary Objective To compare the efficacy of in situ transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1)-pretreated periosteum to untreated periosteum for regeneration of osteochondral tissue in rabbits. Methods In the pretreatment group, 12 month-old New Zealand white rabbits received subperiosteal injections of 200ng of TGF-β1 percutaneously in the medial side of the proximal tibia, 7 days prior to surgery. Control rabbits received no treatment prior surgery. Osteochondral transverse defects measuring 5mm proximal to distal and spanning the entire width of the patellar groove were created and repaired with untreated or TGF-β1-pretreated periosteal grafts. Post-operatively the rabbits resumed normal cage activity for 6 weeks. Results Complete filling of the defects with regenerated tissue was observed in both the TGF-β1-pretreated and control groups with reformation of the original contours of the patellar groove. The total histological score (modified O'Driscoll) in the TGF-β1-pretreated group, 20 (95% Confidence Interval (CI), 19–21), was significantly higher ( P =0.0001) than the control group, 18 (16–19). The most notable improvements were in structural integrity and subchondral bone regeneration. No significant differences in glycosaminoglycan or type II collagen content, or equilibrium modulus were found between the surgical groups. The cambium of the periosteum regenerated at the graft harvest site was significantly thicker ( P =0.0065) in the TGF-β1-pretreated rabbits, 121μm (94–149), compared to controls, 74μm (52–96), after 6 weeks. Conclusions This study demonstrates that in situ pretreatment of periosteum with TGF-β1 improves osteochondral tissue regeneration at 6-weeks post-op compared to untreated periosteum in 12 month-old rabbits.
Evaluation of sex difference in tissue repair following acute carbon tetrachloride toxicity in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats.

Cellular regeneration and tissue repair greatly influence the outcome of acute carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) hepatotoxicity. This study examined the temporal kinetics of cellular regeneration and tissue repair processes in male and female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats following an acute CCl4 exposure (0.8 ml/kg, i.p.). In female rats, hepatic damage peaked at 24 h following the treatment and was approximately 2.5-fold (AST 2.7-fold, ALT 2.3 fold) greater than the damage observed in male rats. The hepatic damage in male rats appeared to peak by 3 h post-exposure and did not significantly change through the 36-h time-point. The activity of cytochrome P 4502E1 was 20% greater in male rats and did not correlate with the magnitude of hepatic damage. Morphometric analysis of cell cycle indices revealed that cellular regeneration was significantly greater in female rats as compared to male rats at 48 h and corresponded proportionally to the extent of liver damage. This study demonstrated that female SD rats respond more severely to acute CCl4 hepatotoxicity than male SD rats and the extent of tissue repair and cellular regeneration was greater in female rats. Furthermore, our results suggest that tissue repair is unlikely to result in accounting for the different responses exhibited by male and female SD rats to CCl4 hepatotoxicity.
The value of physical change in adolescence: Consequences for the parent-adolescent exchange relationship

This research examines the effects of specific physical changes associated with puberty on peer and parent relationships of early and middle adolescent white boys. The data used are from a longitudinal study of Milwaukee school children conducted by Simmons and Blyth (1979). On the basis of past research, most of the physical changes that occur during puberty were expected to increase peer status. According to Richer's (1968) exchange model, these positive effects in the domain of peer relations should, in turn, reduce the resource dependency of the adolescent on his parents. As a result, greater independence from parents should ensue and the likelihood of conflict should increase. As expected, significant positive relationships were found for the effects of various physical changes on most peer status variables and independence from parents. However, no significant relationships were found for the effects of physical changes on parent-adolescent relationship quality or conflict with parents. Also contrary to expectations, controlling for changes in peer status did not alter the positive effects of physical change on independence from parents. Finally, tests for interactions showed that the parent-adolescent relationship was negatively affected when parents did not grant greater independence to the physically changing adolescent. In conclusion, it is suggested that while resource dependencies may indeed change during puberty, parents alter their expectations for their children and grant greater independence based on the adolescent's physical appearance alone.
Tunneling through point contacts in the quantum Hall effect

Abstract We study tunneling through gated point contacts on GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunctions in the regime of the integer (IQHE) and fractional (FQHE) quantum Hall effects. The off-resonant conductance data at bulk filling factor ν= 1 3 has a steep temperature dependence that is roughly consistent with the predictions of Luttinger liquid theory for edge states. In the IQHE, we find only weak temperature dependence at ν=1 in the bulk. However, the line shape of tunneling resonances at ν=1 is not well fit by a Fermi-liquid form, perhaps indicating that complex edge structure affects resonant transmission.
Theory of nonlinear elasticity, stress-induced relaxation, and dynamic yielding in dense fluids of hard nonspherical colloids

We generalize the microscopic naive mode coupling and nonlinear Langevin equation theories of the coupled translation-rotation dynamics of dense suspensions of uniaxial colloids to treat the effect of applied stress on shear elasticity, cooperative cage escape, structural relaxation, and dynamic and static yielding. The key concept is a stress-dependent dynamic free energy surface that quantifies the center-of-mass force and torque on a moving colloid. The consequences of variable particle aspect ratio and volume fraction, and the role of plastic versus double glasses, are established in the context of dense, glass-forming suspensions of hard-core dicolloids. For low aspect ratios, the theory provides a microscopic basis for the recently observed phenomenon of double yielding as a consequence of stress-driven sequential unlocking of caging constraints via reduction of the distinct entropic barriers associated with the rotational and translational degrees of freedom. The existence, and breadth in volume fraction, of the double yielding phenomena is predicted to generally depend on both the degree of particle anisotropy and experimental probing frequency, and as a consequence typically occurs only over a window of (high) volume fractions where there is strong decoupling of rotational and translational activated relaxation. At high enough concentrations, a return to single yielding is predicted. For large aspect ratio dicolloids, rotation and translation are always strongly coupled in the activated barrier hopping event, and hence for all stresses only a single yielding process is predicted.
Soil-aquifer-stream interactions — A reductionist attempt toward physical-stochastic integration

Abstract The paper suggests an approach to describe the various interactions between soil, aquifer and stream in a simplified but essentially physical and integrated manner. For practical applications, the complex hydrological processes cannot be thoroughly described at the smallest scale in time and space, at which theoretical or empirical physical laws are known. The successful passage from a smaller to a larger scale requires: enlightened simplification, integration in many senses that is: (1) in time; (2) in space; (3) in an expectation sense; and (4) in a process sense, and finally enlightened coupling . The paper illustrates in a simple manner this processus of multiple integration for the processes of infiltration, moisture redistribution, aquifer recharge and aquifer return flow, with emphasis on the stream-aquifer interaction. The paper suggests that temporal patterns of rainfall, spacial variation in soil properties, temporal fluctuations in river stage, sharp turns in flow directions (e.g. from vertical to horizontal direction at the interface of two soil layers with contrasting hydraulic properties or in the vicinity of a water table) etc., can significantly affect the response of a watershed. The paper also suggests that simple techniques can be devised that account to a large extent for these influences and will provide satisfactory tools for watershed modeling. As a sort of parenthesis, the paper shows that the purely statistical ARMA approach to hydrologic modeling will lead to incorrect identification of a perfectly stationary linear system as a nonstationary one. The combined physical-stochastic approach eliminates this potential error.
Nicotine serves as an effective reinforcer of intravenous drug-taking behavior in human cigarette smokers.

Rationale: Although numerous studies have documented that nicotine can function as an effective reinforcer of intravenous self-administration behavior in animals, it has not been clearly shown to maintain intravenous self-administration behavior above vehicle placebo levels in humans. Objectives: To compare the reinforcing effectiveness of nicotine versus saline placebo in human research volunteers responding under fixed- ratio (FR) schedules of intravenous drug self-administra- tion while systematically increasing response require- ments. Methods: Eight male cigarette smokers resided in an inpatient research unit. During 3-h sessions, intrave- nous injections of nicotine and saline were available concurrently and were contingent on responding (pulling a lever). Nicotine dose (0.75, 1.5, 3.0 mg/injection), time out (TO) value after each injection (1-20 min) and FR response requirement (10-1600) were varied in different subjects over consecutive sessions. Results: Number of nicotine injections/session significantly decreased as dose/injection increased and the number of self-adminis- tered nicotine injections was significantly greater than the number of self-administered saline injections across conditions. When FR value was progressively increased over sessions, response rates for nicotine, but not saline, injections increased, with maximal rates at the highest FR values. Rates of responding and injections/session were markedly and significantly higher for nicotine than for saline at FR values of 200 and above. Subjects rated effects of nicotine as both significantly more positive and more negative than saline placebo, with positive ratings significantly higher than negative ratings. Conclusions: Nicotine functioned as a prototypic drug of abuse, serving as an effective reinforcer of intravenous drug-taking behavior in human cigarette smokers. Subjects adjusted their responding to response requirements in a way that maintained relatively constant levels of nicotine injec- tions per session.
Meeting Their Fullest Potential: The Beliefs and Teaching of a Culturally Relevant Science Teacher

As elementary and middle school children of color continue to score poorly on science standardized tests, culturally relevant teaching has been shown to be an effective approach to addressing the social and academic needs of students from diverse backgrounds. In this article, we illustrate how the theory of culturally relevant pedagogy is embraced in the teaching beliefs of a sixth grade science teacher in a rural, low socioeconomic, predominantly African American school. The findings from a qualitative case study reveal beliefs and teaching practices consistent with three major tenets of culturally relevant pedagogy: conceptions of self and students; social relations; and perceptions of knowledge (Ladson-Billings, 2009). This study builds upon the culturally relevant pedagogy knowledge base by illustrating the tenets of this theory in the beliefs and teaching practices of a sixth grade science teacher.
On the nature of ventricular tachycardia in coronary heart disease.

The prerequisites for the development of uniform ventricular tachycardia (VT) late after myocardial infarction (MI) have been fairly well understood for many years. Compared with survivors of cardiac arrest or patients evaluated for nonsustained VT, patients with uniform VT have more extensive infarction, more profound left ventricular dysfunction, and more abnormal endocardial activation during sinus rhythm.1,2 The slow conduction required for formation of VT circuits is caused by tissue disruption secondary to myocyte death and secondary fibrosis, as well as electric remodeling (eg, altered connexin expression) of the surviving cells.3,4 Although infarct-related damage may be transmural, the importance of the endocardial substrate for the formation of VT circuits has been established by histological-electrophysiological correlation3,5,6 and by the effects of catheter and surgical ablation. Given the importance of the topic, it is puzzling that there have been few data collected on the influence of modern cardiovascular care on the development of VT. There is a general sense that current pharmacological therapy and appropriate revascularization have reduced the incidence of VT after MI, but it is not clear how these therapies might affect the underlying pathophysiology. Article see p 1887 In this light, the study by Wijnmaalen and coworkers in this issue of Circulation offers considerable promise.7 In this study, 36 consecutive patients with VT late after MI (mean 13±9 years) were carefully evaluated to compare the influence of acute reperfusion of the infarct-related artery on the characteristics of the spontaneous/induced VT and the underlying VT substrate. There were 14 patients in the reperfused group and 22 who were not reperfused. The baseline characteristics of the 2 groups were similar, although the reperfused group presented with VT earlier after MI and were slightly younger. The majority …
Power Balance in Aerodynamic Flows

A control volume analysis of the compressible viscous flow about an aircraft is performed, including integrated propulsors and flow-control systems. In contrast to most past analyses that have focused on forces and momentum flow, in particular thrust and drag, the present analysis focuses on mechanical power and kinetic energy flow. The result is a clear identification and quantification of all the power sources, power sinks, and their interactions, which are present in any aerodynamic flow. The formulation does not require any separate definitions of thrust and drag, and hence it is especially useful for analysis and optimization of aerodynamic configurations that have tightly integrated propulsion and boundary-layer control systems. Nomenclature b, c = wingspan and chord CD = dissipation coefficient Cf = skin friction coefficient Di = induced drag Dp = profile drag Dw = wave drag dS = surface element of control volume dV = volume element of control volume _ Ea = axial kinetic energy deposition rate _ Ep = pressure-work deposition rate _ Ev = transverse (vortex) kinetic energy deposition rate _ Ew = lateral wave-outflow energy deposition rate Fn = streamwise force from lateral outflow velocity Vn Fu = streamwise force from axial velocity u Fv = streamwise force from transverse velocities v, w Fx, Fz = total streamwise, normal aerodynamic forces
Adhesive Capsulitis of the Hip

Purpose It is postulated that adhesive capsulitis of the hip is more common than suggested in the published literature, which recounts only a few isolated cases, and that this condition shares many of the same characteristics seen in the shoulder. The purpose of this study was to investigate and report the findings of the first clinical case series on this condition. Type of Study Clinical case series, retrospective review of prospectively collected data. Methods Since 1993, all hip arthroscopy cases have been prospectively assessed with a 100-point rating system. In 1999, adhesive capsulitis was first recognized as a causative factor. Since then, 9 patients have been identified with this condition with at least 1 year of follow-up. Results There was 100% follow-up at an average of 17.3 months. The average age was 43.7 years. There were 8 women and 1 man. Radiographs were normal in 8 cases and revealed mild degenerative disease in the 1 male patient. Magnetic resonance imaging/arthrography failed to reveal evidence of adhesive capsulitis. Examination under anesthesia revealed an average loss of 25° of rotational motion (19.4 external, 5.6° internal). Full range of motion was regained with manipulation. Arthroscopy revealed characteristic findings of adhesive capsulitis in all cases and coexistent pathology in 6 cases (5 articular lesions, 3 labral tears, and 1 ruptured ligamentum teres). The 8 women with normal radiographs all improved with an average of 32 points (preoperative, 56.4; postoperative, 88.4). The 1 man with degenerative changes showed negligible improvement. There were no complications. Conclusions Adhesive capsulitis of the hip is not as rare as suggested by the paucity of available literature. The clinical characteristics are similar to the shoulder, principally consisting of painful restricted motion and a clear predilection for middle aged women. It may occur with or without associated intra-articular pathology. Arthroscopy can be beneficial in the treatment of recalcitrant cases, but may assume less of a role with improved diagnostic skills essential to implementing a proper management strategy. Level of Evidence Level IV.
Impact of South American heroin on the US heroin market 1993-2004

Background: The past two decades have seen an increase in heroin-related morbidity and mortality in the United States. We report on trends in US heroin retail price and purity, including the effect of entry of Colombian-sourced heroin on the US heroin market. Methods: The average standardized price ($/mg-pure) and purity (% by weight) of heroin from 1993 to 2004 was from obtained from US Drug Enforcement Agency retail purchase data for 20 metropolitan statistical areas. Univariate statistics, robust Ordinary Least Squares regression and mixed fixed and random effect growth curve models were used to predict the price and purity data in each metropolitan statistical area over time. Results: Over the 12 study years, heroin price decreased 62%. The median percentage of all heroin samples that are of South American origin increased an absolute 7% per year. Multivariate models suggest percent South American heroin is a significant predictor of lower heroin price and higher purity adjusting for time and demographics. Conclusion: These analyses reveal trends to historically low-cost heroin in many US cities. These changes correspond to the entrance into and rapid domination of the US heroin market by Colombian-sourced heroin. The implications of these changes are discussed.
Air embolism as a cause of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome: a case report

We describe a case of systemic inflammatory response syndrome associated with air embolism following the removal of a central line catheter, coupled with a deep inspiratory maneuver. The presence of a patent foramen ovale allowed the passage of a clinically significant amount of air from the venous circulation to the systemic circulation. The interaction of air with the systemic arterial endothelium may have triggered the release of endothelium-derived cytokines, resulting in the physiologic response of systemic inflammatory response syndrome.
Prostate Specific Antigen Versus Prostate Specific Antigen Density as a Prognosticator of Pathological Characteristics and Biochemical Recurrence Following Radical Prostatectomy

Purpose: The usefulness of prostate specific antigen density for predicting pathological stage and biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy has not been well defined. We investigated whether prostate specific antigen density yielded an advantage over total prostate specific antigen for predicting adverse pathological characteristics and disease recurrence following radical prostatectomy.Materials and Methods: A total of 13,434 men who underwent radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer between 1984 and 2006 were included in this study. The study population was stratified by Gleason score (6 or less, 7, and 8 or greater), and the clinical and pathological characteristics of each group were compared. We constructed ROC curves and determined the ROC AUC and concordance index to specifically investigate the accuracy of prostate specific antigen and prostate specific antigen density for predicting pathological stage and biochemical recurrence.Results: Prostate specific antigen de...
The inhibition of the soluble human placental 17-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase by o,p -DDD and its analogs.

o,p′-DDD is a more potent inhibitor of the human placental 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase than any of the structural analogs, non-steroidal estrogens or anti-estrogens that have been examined. This inhibition is competitive with respect to 17β-estradiol. Both o,p′-DDD and diethylstilbesterol compete for the same binding site. (Endocrinology 89: 1407, 1971)
Executive Elections in the Arab World: When and How Do They Matter?

Although elections loom large in the study of nondemocracies, scholars continue debating what function those elections play. This article sets evidence from the Arab world in a global context to evaluate three theorized roles for elections: safety valve, patronage network, and performance ritual. Executive elections in the Middle East and North Africa remain less common and less competitive than polls in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. This profile is largely consistent with the observable implications of leading theories. The data, though, also show theoretically rich differences. Although levels of competition and participation in Yemen, Tunisia, and Algeria fit expectations about elections being safety valves or political spectacles, Egypt’s presidential election stands apart, with exceptionally meager public involvement. In such circumstances, where competition and turnout are both unusually low, other social and political phenomena may matter more than elections for regime survival, resource distributio...
High-Impact Event Prediction by Temporal Data Mining through Genetic Algorithms

This paper describes a genetic algorithm based approach to detect and predict high-impact events. While, these events occur infrequently, they are quite costly, meaning that they have a high-impact on the system key performance indicators. This approach is based on mining for these events and subsequences that are predictive of these high-impact events from historical data and then classifying these predictive patterns. The resulting mined patterns are subsequently used to make future prediction of occurrences. The approach uses a genetic algorithm for estimating the parameters for the mining process and for the prediction. This makes our approach robust as the parameters are optimized for best accuracy in classification. This approach was tested on high-impact events that occur in automotive manufacturing lines and it was found to be robust, highly accurate and with low probability of false alarms for prediction of future occurrences of such events.
Effective use of block-level sampling in statistics estimation

Block-level sampling is far more efficient than true uniform-random sampling over a large database, but prone to significant errors if used to create database statistics. In this paper, we develop principled approaches to overcome this limitation of block-level sampling for histograms as well as distinct-value estimations. For histogram construction, we give a novel two-phase adaptive method in which the sample size required to reach a desired accuracy is decided based on a first phase sample. This method is significantly faster than previous iterative methods proposed for the same problem. For distinct-value estimation, we show that existing estimators designed for uniform-random samples may perform very poorly if used directly on block-level samples. We present a key technique that computes an appropriate subset of a block-level sample that is suitable for use with most existing estimators. This, to the best of our knowledge, is the first principled method for distinct-value estimation with block-level samples. We provide extensive experimental results validating our methods.
TRPV4 plays an evolutionary conserved role in the transduction of osmotic and mechanical stimuli in live animals

The TRPV4 ion channel, previously named vanilloid receptor-related osmotically activated channel (VR-OAC), functions in vivo in the transduction of osmotic and mechanical stimuli. In trpv4 null mice, TRPV4 was found to be necessary for the maintenance of systemic osmotic equilibrium, and for normal thresholds in response to noxious mechanical stimuli. In a Caenorhabditis elegans TRPV mutant transgenic for mammalian TRPV4, the mammalian transgene was directing the osmotic and mechanical avoidance response in the context of the ASH ‘nociceptive’ neurone. Molecular mechanisms of gating of TRPV4 in vivo are not known at this point and have to be determined.
Impact of age on clinical presentation, treatment, and cancer-specific survival of patients with small-cell carcinoma of the prostate

Background The effects of age on clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes for patients with small-cell carcinoma of the prostate (SCCP) are unclear.
Metabolic Tumor Volume Predicts Disease Progression and Survival in Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anal Canal

PET imaging has become a useful diagnostic tool in patients with anal cancer. We evaluated the prognostic value of metabolic tumor volume (MTV) in patients with anal cancer treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy. Methods: Patients with anal cancer who underwent PET imaging for pretreatment staging or radiation therapy planning from 2003 to 2011 were included. PET parameters included MTV and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax). Total MTV (MTV-T) was defined as the sum of the volumes above a standardized uptake value 50% of the SUVmax within the primary tumor and involved nodes. Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression models were used to test for associations between metabolic or clinical endpoints and overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and event-free survival (EFS). Results: Thirty-nine patients were included. Median follow-up for the cohort was 22 mo. Overall, 6 patients died and 9 patients had disease progression. The 2-y OS, PFS, and EFS for the entire cohort were 88%, 74%, and 69%, respectively. Higher MTV-T was associated with worse OS (P = 0.04), PFS (P = 0.004), and EFS (P = 0.002) on univariate analysis. Patients with an MTV greater than 26 cm3 had worse PFS than did those with an MTV of 26 cm3 or less (33% vs. 82%, P = 0.003). SUVmax was not prognostic for any outcome. Higher T classification (T3/T4 vs. T1/T2) was associated with worse PFS and EFS. When adjusting for T classification, MTV-T remained a significant predictor for PFS (P = 0.01) and EFS (P = 0.02). Conclusion: MTV-T yields prognostic information on PFS and EFS beyond that of established prognostic factors in patients with anal cancer.