cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surface-morphology changes and damage in hot tungsten by impact of 80 eV – 12 keV He-ions and keV-energy self-atoms

We report results of measurements on the evolution of the surface morphology of a hot tungsten surface due to impacting low-energy (80 ? 12,000 eV) He ions, performed at the ORNL Multicharged Ion Research Facility (MIRF). Surface-morphology changes were investigated over a broad range of fluences, energies and temperatures for both virgin and pre-damaged W-targets. At low fluences, ordered coral-like and ridge-like surface structures are observed, with great grain-to-grain variability. At the largest fluences, individual grain characteristics disappear in FIB/SEM scans, and the entire surface is covered by a multitude of near-surface bubbles with a broad range of sizes, and disordered whisker growth, while in top-down SEM imaging the surface is virtually indistinguishable from the nanofuzz produced on linear plasma devices. These features are evident at progressively lower fluences as the He-ion energy is increased. In addition, simulations were carried out of damage caused by cumulative bombardment of 1 keV W self-atoms, using LAMMPS at the Kraken supercomputing facility of the University of Tennessee. The simulations show strong defect-recombination effects that lead to a saturation of the total defect number after a few hundred impacts, while sputtering and implantation lead to an imbalance of the vacancy and interstitial numbers.
Unitary constraints for string propagation in the presence of background fields

Abstract We discuss the constraints imposed by the unitary of the S -matrix on the theory of a closed basonic string propagating in a background consisting of a condensate of the string modes. The equations of motion for some of the low mass modes are thus obtained to all orders in α′ but to second order in a weak field expansion about a flat background.
Connections between density waves in fluidized beds and compressible flows

Under certain simplifying assumptions, model equations of motion and continuity for the particles in a fluidized bed can be related to those of a compressible fluid acted on by a density dependent force. A linear stability analysis shows that the base state of the compressible flow equations can lose stability in the form of plane density waves. The plane waves emerge through a Hopf bifurcation and propagate through the bed as traveling waves. Through a bifurcation analysis coupled with parameter continuation, the solution structure of the fully-developed plane waves was computed. As the amplitudes of the plane waves increase, they lose stability in the lateral direction. A comparison of these results with previous work on gas-fluidized beds shows that salient features of the instability of a gas-fluidized bed are captured by the basic physics of compressible flows.
Noise-induced hearing loss and portable radios with headphones

Portable radio/cassette players with headphones have gained increasing popularity in recent years. Volume settings are often increased to override environmental noise, perhaps placing the listener at risk for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). A total of 190 public college students in NYC were studied via a self-administered questionnaire regarding the volume setting used and weekly exposure in hours to these units. Three popular models were tested using a Bruel and Kjaer sound level meter, octave band filter and artificial ear. Sound levels were measured at various frequencies (250-8000 Hz) and an overall measurement obtained using the "A"-weighted scale. Based on OSHA criteria for permissible noise dose (i.e. intensity X duration) in the work place, auditory risk criteria were developed. Of all students who used such radios 31.4% equalled or exceeded the maximum allowable dose permitted by these criteria (41.2% of the males and 29.2% of females). This sex-related difference in risk, while not statistically significant, warrants further investigation. Of the total 'at risk' group 50% exceeded the risk criteria by more than 100%. These results suggest that portable radios with headphones may be capable of causing permanent hearing loss in a large proportion of radio users.
Synthesis and Characterization of Hydrolysis Grown Zinc Oxide Nanorods

We present ZnO nanorods grown by a low-cost hydrolysis method with a rod diameter on the order of 30–40 nm and spacing on the order of 20–40 nm that find their applications in the field of solar cells and UV photodetectors with high efficiency and sensitivity. The effect of different process parameters on nanorod growth, such as the seed layer orientation in the growth medium, and the concentration of the growth medium were studied while characterizing the structure of the grown nanorods using XRD, EDAX, and SEM.
Perceived discrimination and health-related quality of life: testing the Reserve Capacity Model in Hispanic Americans.

ABSTRACT This study tested aspects of the Reserve Capacity Model (Gallo & Matthews, 2003; Gallo, Penedo Espinosa de los Monteros, & Arguelles, 2009) as a means of understanding disparities in health-related quality of life appraisals among Hispanic Americans. Questionnaire data were collected from 236 Hispanic participants, including measures of perceived discrimination, optimism, social support, symptoms of trait anxiety, and physical and mental health-related quality of life. Path analysis indicated direct, negative associations between perceived discrimination and both forms of health-related quality of life. Results also showed that these relationships were partially mediated by the reserve capacity variable of optimism and by symptoms of anxiety, though evidence for mediation by anxiety was stronger than for optimism. Findings suggest that perceived discrimination depletes intrapersonal reserves in Hispanic Americans, which, in turn, induces negative emotions. Implications for community-level interve...
Obstetric management when normoglycemia is maintained in diabetic pregnant women with vascular compromise.

Abstract This study presents an obstetric protocol offering better management and prediction for normoglycemic insulin-dependent patients (White Class D 4 , F, R, or RF) who conceived after they were diagnosed as having vascular disease secondary to diabetes mellitus. Normoglycemia was accomplished during the pregestational phase, and conception occurred only after the glycosylated hemoglobin level was documented to be normal. Normoglycemia was maintained during pregnancy in the outpatient setting through the use of blood glucose monitoring performed by the patient. The obstetric protocol emphasized three additional areas of attention: (1) assessment of fetal growth by serial uterine fundal measurement and ultrasonography at gestational weeks 21 to 22; (2) assessment of fetal movement by patient-perceived fetal movements for 1 hour a week starting at week 35, increasing to 2 hr/day at week 37, and increasing to 3 hr/day from week 38 onward; and (3) cervical assessment at week 37 and preparation for vaginal delivery. Eight patients had a creatinine clearance of ≤80 ml/min prior to conception (mean = 66 ± 6 ml/min). By 6 to 12 weeks' gestation all eight showed an increase in creatinine clearance (mean = 91 ± 20, p 150 mg/24 hr) did not occur in the 14 women with normal antepartum creatinine clearance. Of 11 women with background retinopathy, six showed improvement in retinal status by fundus stereophotography whereas five showed no change. Of 11 women with proliferative retinopathy, five improved, five required laser therapy, and one remained in stable condition. Despite hemoglobin A 1 levels in the normal gestational range (3% to 7.5%), there was a significant correlation of these levels with infant birth weights. None of the 22 infants died, and only one had any perinatal disease. Thus this protocol with its emphasis on fetal growth and size resulted in improvement in both maternal and infant outcome in pregnancies complicated by diabetes mellitus with vascular compromise.
Targeted imaging of the spatial and temporal variation of matrix metalloproteinase activity in a porcine model of postinfarct remodeling: relationship to myocardial dysfunction.

Background— Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are known to modulate left ventricular (LV) remodeling after a myocardial infarction (MI). However, the temporal and spatial variation of MMP activation and their relationship to mechanical dysfunction after MI remain undefined. Methods and Results— MI was surgically induced in pigs (n=23) and cine magnetic resonance (MR) and dual-isotope hybrid single-photon emission CT (SPECT)/CT imaging obtained using thallium-201 and a technetium-99m-labeled MMP targeted tracer (99mTc-RP805) at 1, 2, and 4 weeks post-MI along with controls (n=5). Regional myocardial strain was computed from MR images and related to MMP zymography and ex vivo myocardial 99mTc-RP805 retention. MMP activation as assessed by in vivo and ex vivo 99mTc-RP805 imaging and retention studies was increased nearly 4-fold within the infarct region at 1 week post-MI and remained elevated up to 1 month post-MI. The post-MI change in LV end-diastolic volumes was correlated with MMP activity (y=31.34e0.48x, P =0.04). MMP activity was increased within the border and remote regions early post-MI, but declined over 1 month. There was a high concordance between regional 99mTc-RP805 uptake and ex vivo MMP-2 activity. Conclusions— A novel, multimodality, noninvasive hybrid SPECT/CT imaging approach was validated and applied for in vivo evaluation of MMP activation in combination with cine MR analysis of LV deformation. Increased 99mTc-RP805 retention was seen throughout the heart early post-MI and was not purely a reciprocal of thallium-201 perfusion. The 99mTc-RP805 SPECT/CT imaging may provide unique information regarding regional myocardial MMP activation and predict late post-MI LV remodeling.
Computer-determined rate constants of hemolysis induced by Prymnesium parvum toxin.

Abstract Rates of hemolysis of rabbit erythrocyte suspensions induced by P. parvum (prymnesin) have been measured colorimetrically at 25.5°C and pH 5.5. The data have been treated previously as consecutive first-order rate processes associated with the prolytic and lytic periods from which two specific rate constants have been obtained, k′ and kψ, respectively. These constants have been related to those obtained by a computer-generated fit of the rate data (absorbance At, as a function of time t) with the rate equation Y = D [1 + exp ((X − B) C) ] + E . Here Y equals At, X = time, t; D is equal to a spread factor, Ai − A∞; C is the slope of the curve at the inflection point; B is the midpoint time value, i.e., the time at which A t = D 2 ; E is termed the off-set constant and is equal to A∞. Of these constants, B is directly related to the length of the prolytic period, and C−1 is directly related to the specific first-order rate constant for hemolysis, kψ.
Graphite triple point and solidus-liquidus interface experimentally determined up to 1000 atm.

Graphite phase diagram at high pressures and temperatures, obtaining triple point and solidus- liquidus interface for various grades
Scenario for the Vogel-Fulcher ``law''

A scenario is presented to explain the Vogel-Fulcher "law" which describes the slowing down of relaxation processes associated with many glasses: ${\ensuremath{\tau}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}=\ensuremath{\tau}_{0}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\mathrm{exp}[\frac{\ensuremath{-}E}{(T\ensuremath{-}{T}_{0})}]$. It assumes that relaxation processes are local and satisfy an Arhennius law whose activation energy ${E}_{a}$ is determined by the energy needed to jump out of a local potential well. This latter is determined by employing a local Landau expansion of the free energy in powers of the order parameter, where it is assumed that frustration and quenched-in randomness lead to local order which is incompatible with global order. In the free energy, the randomness is considered to provide a linear coupling which drives the quadratic term, with the quartic term preventing the divergence at ${T}_{0}$ from actually occurring.
Systematic discovery of condition specific Wnt signaling subnetworks

Wnt signaling is a critically important signaling pathway in development, differentiation and embryogenesis and is broadly conserved amongst multicellular animals. Dis-regulation of Wnt signaling is associated with many human cancers, in particular colorectal cancer. Multiple branches of the Wnt signaling pathway (‘canonical’ and ‘non-canonical’) have been defined, although increasingly these are viewed as a single interconnected signaling network. A principal challenge in Wnt signaling research is to understand the connectivity between different branches, and to understand how different branches of Wnt signaling function in different biological states. To better understand this complex network, we analyze Wnt signaling in the context of diverse cell-lines, tissues and adenomas. By integrating gene-expression datasets representing these different biological states with interaction networks, we identify Wnt subnetworks activated in different biological states. We identified 10 active subnetworks in the network of 2072 protein-protein interactions from a Wnt-focused interaction network. These subnetworks were used for classification of samples and we show that classification of these samples using subnetworks rather than gene-expression profiles alone identifies potentially significant commonalities between samples. Specifically, we identify a subnetwork common to lung and colon adenoma samples, reflecting the common origin of these tumors. The approach described here will be used in future for integration of diverse Wnt-focused ‘omics’ datasets, for both defining components of the signaling network itself, as well as to reveal commonalities and distinctions between Wnt signaling under different biological states.
Long-term workload phases: duration predictions and applications to DVFS

Computer systems increasingly rely on adaptive dynamic management of their operations to balance power and performance goals. Such dynamic adjustments rely heavily on the system's ability to observe and predict workload behavior and system responses. The authors characterize the workload behavior of full benchmarks running on server-class systems using hardware performance counters. Based on these characterizations, they developed a set of long-term value, gradient, and duration prediction techniques that can help systems to provision resources.
Neck Tongue Syndrome

SYNOPSIS The neck tongue syndrome is a rare clinical entity not well appreciated. In general, it has a good prognosis. We present two patients with this syndrome, both with novel additional symptoms. Existing clinicoanatomical and physiological correlates are discussed.
Apollo LM guidance computer software for the final lunar descent

In all manned lunar landings to date, the lunar module Commander has taken partial manual control of the spacecraft during the final stage of the descent, below roughly 500 ft altitude. Because of the irregularity of the lunar surface and the inevitability of some error in the on-board estimate of the spacecraft's position with respect to the local terrain, fully automatic landings, with men aboard, cannot be anticipated until landing fields are prepared on the moon. This report describes programs developed at the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, MIT, for use in the LM's guidance computer during the final descent. At this time computational demands on the on-board computer are at a maximum, and particularly close interaction with the crew is necessary. The emphasis is on the design of the computer software rather than on justification of the particular guidance algorithms employed. After the computer and the mission have been introduced, the current configuration of the final landing programs and an advanced version developed experimentally by the author are described.
Subsarcomeric distribution of calcium in demembranated fibers of rabbit psoas muscle

Direct measurements were made of the Ca distribution within sarcomeres of glycerinated rabbit psoas muscle fibers in rigor using electron probe x-ray microanalysis. Both analogue raster analysis and digital x-ray imaging were used to quantitate the Ca distribution along thick and thin filaments as a function of the concentration of free Ca2+. Even when corrected for the estimated contribution of Ca bound to thick filaments, the Ca measured in the region of overlap between thick and thin filaments significantly exceeded the Ca in the I-band at subsaturating concentrations of free Ca2+. At saturating levels of free Ca2+, the excess Ca in the overlap region was diminished but still statistically significant. The data thus suggest that the formation of rigor linkages exerts multiple effects on the binding of Ca2+ to thin filaments in the overlap region by increasing the affinity of troponin C for Ca2+ and possibly by unmasking additional Ca2+ binding sites. The data also show that the cooperativity invested in the thin filaments is insufficient to permit the effects of rigor cross-bridge formation on Ca2+ binding to propagate far along the thin filaments into the I-band.
Character-Based Team Identification and Referent Informational Influence in Computer-Mediated Communication

Abstract This experiment investigated the effects of arbitrary visual representation on team identification and informational influence in anonymous computer-mediated communication (CMC). In a 2 (participant's gender: male vs. female) × 2 (partner's character: male vs. female) between-subjects experiment (N = 193), participants played a trivia game with an ostensible partner via computer. Results showed that the participants exhibited stronger team affiliation with the partner when their character and the partner's represented the same gender, even though their own character mismatched their physical sex. Furthermore, team identification enhanced perceived competence of the partner and increased the private acceptance of the partner's opinions. Implications for the Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects (SIDE) and the referent informational influence theory are discussed.
The capital gains effect in the demand for housing

Abstract Recent concerns about speculation in housing markets have underscored the fact that housing is not only a consumption good but is also an investment asset with uncertain potential to generate capital gains. We present a theoretical model of housing demand, under uncertainty, that captures these dual characteristics. Emphasis is placed on the formulation of expectations about housing prices and the role that potential capital gains may play in the demand for owner-occupied housing services. The model is then taken to the data. Econometric analysis of data from Florida, a state known for periodically dynamic housing markets, is carried out. We find that an increase in housing prices increases the demand for owner-occupied housing services. Thus, housing's role as investment asset with its potential for capital gains dominates its role as consumption good, which alone would produce a downward sloping own demand curve rather than one which is upward sloping. Our theoretical model fully rationalizes this econometric result.
Dissociation of hemoglobin subunits at high dilution measured by complement fixation

Abstract An analysis by quantitative complement fixation of the behavior of hemoglobin solutions at a concentration of 5 μg/ml. (~ 10 −8 m ), showed no indication of formation of hybrids in mixtures of human and rabbit hemoglobins at neutral pH. Hybrids only appeared when the pH was lowered below 5.0. This would indicate the failure of hemoglobin to dissociate into monomers at neutral pH even at very low concentrations.
A Comparison of Factor Dimensions in Revised Scales for Student Client Evaluation of Counselors in a University Counseling and Testing Center.

For a sample of 146 student clients who judged the effectiveness of their counselors in a university counseling and testing center on a modified form of the Evaluation of Counselors Scale (EOC), a factor analysis of the intercorrelations of student responses to 19 items provided four orthogonal dimensions portraying perceptions of satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) with the counseling experience: (a) Personal Growth, (b) Atmosphere or Environment of the Counseling Center, (c) Trust or Confidence in the Counselor, and (d) Competence in Test Interpretation and Academic-Career Counseling Skills. A formerly identified factor of Counselor Effectiveness appeared to merge with Personal Growth—a circumstance that might have been associated with the rewording of one item and omission of another that had been considered somewhat ambiguous. It would appear that in general the modified form of the EOC reflects essentially the same constructs as those found in earlier versions.
Application of Multiple Topology λ-Dynamics to a Host−Guest System: β-Cyclodextrin with Substituted Benzenes

The λ-dynamics approach to free energy simulations has been applied the host−guest system of β-cyclodextrin interacting with a series of monosubstituted benzenes. Each ligand was explicitly represented, and restraining potentials [Banba, S.; Brooks, C. L., III, J. Chem. Phys. 2000, 113, 3423] were used to restrain the unselected ligands in nearly binding conformations. Using biasing potentials to enhance convergence, excellent correlation between the free energies derived from λ-dynamics and free energy perturbation results is obtained. Effects of the strength of the restraining potentials and bias potentials on the sampling of the conformational space have been examined. Ligands with smaller substituents explored alternate binding orientations in the presence of weak and moderate restraining potentials.
Linear forms in the periods of the exponential and elliptic functions

Apar t from several other important results by Schneider [5], little else was known about the arithmetic nature of these numbers until recently. The basic unsolved problem was whether or not 1, co 1, co2, ql, r/2, 2re i are linearly independent over the field of all algebraic numbers. In two papers [-1, 2], Baker made some progress towards an affirmative answer to this problem by employing a generalization to elliptic functions of the transcendence method which he had used to study linear forms in the logarithms of algebraic numbers. Further progress was made in a recent paper by the author [3], in which it was shown that any nonvanishing linear form in the numbers (1), with arbitrary algebraic coefficients, is transcendental. The aim of the present paper is to study one special case of vanishing linear forms in the numbers (1). We establish the following result.
Analysis Of Ductile Crack Growth In Pipe Test In STYLE Project

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is conducting structural analyses, both deterministic and probabilistic, to simulate a large scale mock-up experiment planned within the European Network for Structural Integrity for Lifetime Management – non-RPV Components (STYLE).The paper summarizes current ORNL analyses of STYLE’s Mock-Up3 experiment to simulate/evaluate ductile crack growth in a cladded ferritic pipe. Deterministic analyses of the large-scale bending test of a ferritic surge pipe, with an internal circumferential crack, are being simulated with a number of local micromechanical approaches, such as Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman (GTN) model. Both FEACrack [1] and ABAQUS [2] general purpose finite element programs are being used to predict the failure load and the failure mode, i.e. ductile tearing or net-section collapse, as part of the pre-test phase of the project.Companion probabilistic analyses of the experiment are utilizing the ORNL developed open-source Structural Integrity Assessment Modular - Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics (SIAM-PFM) framework. SIAM-PFM contains engineering assessment methodologies such as the tearing instability (J-T analysis) module developed for inner surface cracks under bending load. The driving force J-integral estimations are based on the SC.ENG1 or SC.ENG2 models. The J-A2 methodology is used to transfer (constraint-adjust) J-R curve material data from standard test specimens to the Mock-Up3 experiment configuration. The probabilistic results of the Mock-Up3 experiment obtained from SIAM-PFM will be compared to those generated using the deterministic finite element modeling approach. The objective of the probabilistic analysis is to provide uncertainty bounds that will assist in assessing the more detailed 3D finite-element solutions and to also assess the level of confidence that can be placed in the best-estimate finite-element solutions.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Appreciating Charles Babbage: emails between Allan Bromley and Maurice Wilkes

The email correspondence which is presented is between Allan Bromley and Maurice Wilkes and began in 2000 with a greeting and a discussion of what Wilkes hoped to accomplish. Then the correspondence shifted the subject to the recently completed reproduction of Babbage's second difference engine.
Stent-assisted Gugliemi detachable coil repair of wide-necked renal artery aneurysm using 3-D angiography.

Purpose To report a wide-necked renal artery aneurysm treated successfully with stent-assisted Gugliemi detachable coil occlusion, assisted by three-dimensional (3-D) angiography.Case Report A 56-y...
Workflow in a neuroradiology reading room using multiviewers

Two hundred examinations were tracked through the neuroradiology reading room. The median time from completing the exam to starting the interpretation was 1.6 hours for 76% and 18 hours for 24% of the cases. The delay occurred because exams done after 4:00 PM were held for the next day along with exams for which relevant prior studies were unavailable. The median times required for previewing, interpreting and consulting on a case were 7, 8 and 5 minutes respectively.
SURVIVAL OF BACTERIAL PATHOGENS ON ANTIMICROBIAL CONVEYER BELTS

Production of wholesome meat from a healthy animal presents a great opportunity for contamination of a wide variety of microbes, and the type of equipment used in processing makes a significant contribution to microbial contamination. In this study, we evaluated the antimicrobial activities of commercial conveyer belts manufactured to contain an antimicrobial additive against selected pathogenic bacteria, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. Bacterial cells were inoculated on the surface of the belt products and incubated at 37C for 24 h before enumeration of viable cells. When three different antimicrobial belt products made of different materials (fabric, polyethylene and polyoxymethylene) were compared with respective controls without antimicrobials, all three products showed significant reduction (at least a 2 log cfu/sample reduction) in viable bacterial populations for both species (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the use of antimicrobial conveyer belts in the meat processing plant may contribute to the reduction of cross-contamination of final products by pathogenic bacteria. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Cross-contamination of meat products by pathogenic bacteria raises a serious concern for public food safety. Among many factors, the equipment used in the processing can be a significant source of cross-contamination of final meat products. Particularly, biofilm formation on conveyer belts is of great concern, since bacterial cells in biofilm can be resistant to sanitization and continuously released to the surroundings. Our current study evaluated the antimicrobial activities of conveyer belts containing antimicrobial compounds. The results strongly suggest that the use of antimicrobial conveyer belts could be a practical and efficient strategy to counteract the cross-contamination problem arising from biofilms on conveyer belts and other equipment. This information is useful for regulatory agencies and meat producers to reduce food safety concerns associated with foodborne bacterial pathogens.
The binding of inulo-oligosaccharides to homogeneous immunoglobulins E 109 and A47N

Abstract Inulo-biose, -triose and -tetraose have been separated from, respectively, sucrose, 1-kestose and nystose by chromatography. The binding of these oligosaccharides has been studied with murine anti-inulin myeloma immunoglobulins E 109 and A47N. From these and previously obtained data it is proposed that there is a sub-site in these two anti-inulins which binds a fructose unit much more strongly than any other sub-site, and that any oligosaccharide ligand will fill that sub-site at a higher rate.
Sensor data quality assessment for building simulation model calibration based on automatic differentiation

Building simulation models play a vital role in optimal building climate control, energy audit, fault detection and diagnosis, continuous commissioning, and planning. Real system parameters are often unknown or partially unknown and need to be identified through historical data, which are currently acquired by heuristically designed experiments. Without quality sensor data, model calibration is prone to fail, even if the calibration algorithm is appropriate. In this paper, we propose a Fisher-information-matrix (FIM)-based metric to examine the sensor data measurements and how their quality is related to the model calibration quality. It aims to provide quantitative guidance in the calibration cycle of a whole building model that takes as many variables as possible into consideration for the sake of accuracy. Our concerned model is based on well-known physical laws and tries to avoid simplification, thereby leading to a highly discontinuous system with model switches due to the seasonal or daily variation and other reasons. Such a model is implemented in the form of a software package. Hence, no explicit mathematical expression can be given. A key technical challenge is that the complexity of the model prohibits the analytical derivation of FIM, while the numeric calculation is sensitive to sensor noise and model switches. We, hence, propose to adopt an automatic differentiation method, which exploits the operator overload feature of object oriented programming language, for robust numerical FIM calculation.
Serotonin 2A receptor mRNA levels in the neonatal dopamine-depleted rat striatum remain upregulated following suppression of serotonin hyperinnervation.

Sixty days after bilateral dopamine (DA) depletion (>98%) with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) in neonatal rats, serotonin (5-HT) content doubled and 5-HT(2A) receptor mRNA expression rose 54% within the rostral striatum. To determine if striatal 5-HT(2A) receptor mRNA upregulation is dependent on increased 5-HT levels following DA depletion, neonatal rats received dual injections of 6-OHDA and 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) which suppressed 5-HT content by approximately 90%. In these 6-OHDA/5,7-DHT-treated rats, striatal 5-HT(2A) receptor mRNA expression was still elevated (87% above vehicle controls). Comparative analysis of 5-HT(2C) receptor mRNA expression yielded no significant changes in any experimental group. These results demonstrate that upregulated 5-HT(2A) receptor biosynthesis in the DA-depleted rat is not dependent on subsequent 5-HT hyperinnervation.
Isolation of tumoricidal human factors from lymphoid cells and enzymatic digestion of these factors into small fragments retaining tumoricidal effects

Gel filtration and immunoadsorption techniques have been utilized to purify tumoricidal factors from sturgeon sera as well as human plasma. Two pure proteins with cytotoxic activity were isolated from the sturgeon serum (factors A2 and B2) and two additional cytotoxic factors were isolated from human plasma (Factors A and B). In another study, human factors A and B were quantitiated in both normal donor and cancer patients' plasma. It was found that the cancer patients produced at least 50% less tumoricidal factors than did the normal donors. Furthermore, when the secretions from various lymphoid cell populations were purified utilizing immunoadsorbent techniques, it was found that the macrophages generally were producing the human tumoricidal factors. Both the sturgeon and the human factors were enzymatically cleaved into several small molecular weight fragments. Sephadex G-75 column chromatography was then utilized to isolate the enzymatic cleavage fragments. Three fragments with cytotoxic activity were isolated from both sturgeon factor A2 and B2. Similarily, human factor A was digested into two fragments with cytotoxic activity and factor B was digested into three fragments with cytotoxic activity. The molecular weights of the cytotoxic sturgeon and human fragments ranged from 14,000 to 23,000 whereas the intact sturgeon and human factors had a molecular weight slightly greater than 67,000. Ultimately, if these small molecular weight fragments can be sequenced, then it would be possible to prepare a synthetic analog which might have future potential as a mode of treatment for cancer patients.
Application of a multilayer network in image object classification

The major objective of this system is to classify image objects into two classes which represent good and defective indications of the objects. Several features are extracted from the indications based on geometrical, morphological, and gray scale intensity information of the image objects. Most of the extracted features of the two classes are clustered and nonseparable when projected onto a 1-D feature space using the Fisher''s linear discriminant method. To get better results, a multilayer neural network system that increases the class separation distance is used. The network, which is based on the structure proposed by Webb, consists of an input layer, an output layer, and one hidden layer. The inputs to the input layer are feature vectors, the elements of which are extracted features of the image objects. The transformation of the input feature vector to the hidden units is nonlinear, while the transformation of the output of the hidden layer to the output layer is linear. The nonlinear transformation from the input layer to the hidden units is such that the resulting pattern for discrimination is easier than the original pattern. The transformation from the hidden to the output layer is linear so that the square error at the output of the network system can be minimized. By choosing a suitable nonlinear transformation and number of hidden units, this network structure is applicable to the 2-class discrimination problem to achieve better class separation. The neural network system for classifying the two classes of objects is described. This method of classification is very important in many industrial inspection applications. Comparison of the numerical results of the neural network approach with the classical pattern recognition approach, the Fisher''s linear discriminant, is made and presented as well.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Exercise physiologists talk about sex differences.

The number of publications addressing sex differences and exercise physiology has increased from 12, before 1970, to as many as 1344 through October 2007, according to a recent PubMed search. The following symposium represents three distinct examples of how exercise physiologists are approaching the issue of sex differences in various aspects of physiology. Tarnapolsky presents data from studies of sex and sex hormone effects on substrate use, a factor that may distinguish between the capacities of women and men to excel at exercise performance at different durations and intensities. Harms and Rosenkranz provide insight into the potential limitations of respiratory function at increased exercise intensities in the female sex attributable, in part, to sex-based anatomic differences in respiratory anatomy. Milne and Noble discuss important findings concerning the cardioprotective aspect of exercise-induced heat shock proteins versus the inherent cardioprotection of elevated estradiol concentrations in young women. Each paper demonstrates the novel methodology and sophisticated research designs currently being employed to discern sex differences and sex hormone effects on various aspects of exercise physiology
Promoting intercultural exchanges with blogs and podcasting: a study of Spanish–American telecollaboration

Blogs and podcasts open new ways for global communication and development of intercultural awareness. This article reports a Spanish–American telecollaborative project through which students created blogs and podcasts for intercultural exchanges in light of the sociocultural perspectives. The article outlines the methodology for the project including pedagogical objectives, task design, selection of web tools and implementation. Using qualitative data collection, the study explored how students collaboratively created blogs and podcasts using task-based activities and how blogs and podcasts facilitated cross-cultural exchanges. How the use of Web 2.0 tools affected the way in which the students viewed intercultural communication was examined. The findings showed that effective use of task-based instruction created a dynamic climate for interactive collaboration and afforded unique opportunities for both American and Spanish students to explore the target language and culture. The study suggests that build...
The Hawthorne effect in the assessment of pain by house staff

Internal medicine residents are one component of the healthcare delivery team in the hospital setting. Their ability to assess and treat pain should be considered in quality improvement efforts. We surveyed our residents, using a 0 to 10 scale to determine how well they assessed their patients' level of pain. We then asked half of these residents to write down their patients' pain score as a fifth vital sign in the medical record. We repeated the house staff survey three weeks later. The residents improved their assessment as a whole, with the nonintervention group faring better on the follow-up surveys. We believe that the residents' improvement can be attributed to the Hawthorne effect, in which a group that is singled out for special study or consideration has its performance positively affected. The residents' ability to accurately rate patients with moderate and severe pain is still an area for further development. Improvements in our palliative care curriculum have been implemented to enhance our residents' education and performance in this area.
Sex differences in sensitivity to electric shock in rats and hamsters

c and hamsters of both sexes using both the flinch-jump and spatial-preference techniques. In agreement with earlier work, female rats had lower thresholds in the flinch-jump test, but there was no sex difference when sensitivity was assessed by the spatial preference method. Hamsters displayed a different pattern of sex differences. Female hamsters had higher aversion thresholds in the spatial preference test, but there was no sex difference in the flinch-jump test.
Positive and copositive spline approximation in Lp[0, 1]

The order of positive and copositive spline approximation in the Lp-norm, 1 ≤ p < ∞, is studied; the main results are 1. (1) the error of positive approximation by splines is bounded by Cω2(f, 1n)p if f has a nonnegative extension; 2. (2) the order deteriorates to ω1 if f does not have such an extension; 3. (3) the error of copositive spline approximation is bounded by Cω(f, 1n)p; 4. (4) if f is also continuous, the error in (3) can be estimated in terms of the third τ-modulus τ3(f, 1n)p. All constants in the error bounds are absolute.
Plenoptic camera image simulation for reconstruction algorithm verification

Plenoptic cameras have emerged in recent years as a technology for capturing light field data in a single snapshot. A conventional digital camera can be modified with the addition of a lenslet array to create a plenoptic camera. Two distinct camera forms have been proposed in the literature. The first has the camera image focused onto the lenslet array. The lenslet array is placed over the camera sensor such that each lenslet forms an image of the exit pupil onto the sensor. The second plenoptic form has the lenslet array relaying the image formed by the camera lens to the sensor. We have developed a raytracing package that can simulate images formed by a generalized version of the plenoptic camera. Several rays from each sensor pixel are traced backwards through the system to define a cone of rays emanating from the entrance pupil of the camera lens. Objects that lie within this cone are integrated to lead to a color and exposure level for that pixel. To speed processing three-dimensional objects are approximated as a series of planes at different depths. Repeating this process for each pixel in the sensor leads to a simulated plenoptic image on which different reconstruction algorithms can be tested.
THE INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS SUBSTANCES ON THE GROWTH OF MOUSE CARCINOMA.

We have described the methods used in determining the influence of certain substances on tumor growth, and we measured approximately the degree of reliability of the quantitative method used. We examined with these methods various classes of substances,— distilled water, a number of inorganic salts, inorganic colloidal substances, various organic colloidal and non-colloidal substances, especially various proteids, tuberculin and hirudin alone as well as in combination with other substances. Distilled water, various inorganic sulphur preparations, and various inorganic salts did not show an inhibiting effect on tumor growth sufficient to be detected by means of our first method. Only in the case of gold potassium cyanide was there possibly a slightly retarding influence present. On the other hand, certain colloidal solutions of heavy metals (copper, platinum, gold) retard the growth of a number of tumors of injected animals. Certain combinations of copper salts and casein act in a similar manner. Of the organic substances used, casein, nucleoproteid, and hirudin were active, while the other proteids tested, as well as various other organic substances and tuberculin and lecithin, seemed to be either without effect or weaker than the other substances mentioned as retarding the tumor growth. Hirudin was active and caused in addition to its inhibiting influence the retrogression of a certain number of tumors. Especially active was a combination of hirudin with colloidal copper and of hirudin with nucleoproteid. One single injection of casein or nucleoproteid, or of the Heyden preparation of colloidal copper, leads to a more or less marked edematous condition of a certain number of tumors, while hirudin caused in addition, in many cases, marked hemorrhages in or around the tumors. Other substances which we tested did not show this effect, although their inhibiting action on tumor growth may have been equally strong. Very young tumors (two to six days old) are not retarded in their growth through injection of colloidal copper or hirudin, while nine to thirteen days old tumors are, independently of their size on the ninth day, inhibited in approximately the same relative degree; absolutely, however, the more rapidly growing smaller tumors are more markedly inhibited than the normally more slowly growing larger tumors.
Static Solutions of Einstein's Field Equations for Spheres of Fluid

A method is developed for treating Einstein's field equations, applied to static spheres of fluid, in such a manner as to provide explicit solutions in terms of known analytic functions. A number of new solutions are thus obtained, and the properties of three of the new solutions are examined in detail. It is hoped that the investigation may be of some help in connection with studies of stellar structure. (See the accompanying article by Professor Oppenheimer and Mr. Volkoff.)
Parent-Child Interaction—The Foundation for Family-Centered Early Intervention Practice: A Response to Baird and Peterson

In their article, Baird and Peterson (this issue) propose that current practice in infant-parent interaction assessment and intervention may conflict with family-centered philosophy. Baird and Pete...
Assessment of the Antiviral Properties of Zeolites Containing Metal Ions

The antiviral properties of zeolite (sodium aluminosilicate) powders amended with metal ions were assessed using human coronavirus 229E, feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV), and feline calicivirus F-9. Zeolites containing silver and silver/copper caused significant reductions of coronavirus 229E after 1 h in suspension. The silver/copper combination yielded a >5.13-log10 reduction within 24 h. It was also the most effective (>3.18-log10) against FIPV after 4 h. Other formulations were ineffective against FIPV. On plastic coupons with incorporated silver/copper-zeolites, >1.7-log10 and >3.8-log10 reductions were achieved for coronavirus 229E and feline calicivirus within 24 h, respectively. Silver/copper zeolite reduced titers of all viruses tested, suggesting that it may be effective against related pathogens of interest [i.e., SARS coronavirus, other coronaviruses, human norovirus (calicivirus)]. Of note, it was effective against both enveloped and nonenveloped viruses. Metal-zeolites could therefore possibly be used in applications to reduce virus contamination of fomites and thus the spread of viral diseases.
Mixed Dementia Emerging Concepts and Therapeutic Implications

ContextThe prevalence of mixed dementia, defined as the coexistence of Alzheimer disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD), is likely to increase as the population ages.ObjectivesTo provide an overview of the diagnosis, pathophysiology, and interaction of AD and VaD in mixed dementia, and to provide a systematic literature review of the current evidence for the pharmacologic therapy of mixed dementia.Data Sources, Study Selection, and Data ExtractionThe Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was searched using the keyword dementia. MEDLINE was searched for English-language articles published within the last 10 years using the keywords mixed dementia, the combination of keywords Alzheimer disease, cerebrovascular disorders, and drug therapy, and the combination of keywords vascular dementia and drug therapy.Evidence SynthesisDementia is more likely to be present when vascular and AD lesions coexist, a situation that is especially common with increasing age. The measured benefits in clinical trials for the treatment of mixed dementia are best described as statistically significant differences in cognitive test scores and clinician and caregiver impressions of change. In these studies, the control groups’ scores typically decline while the treatment groups improve slightly or decline to a lesser degree over the study period. Nevertheless, even the patients who experience treatment benefits eventually decline. Cholinesterase inhibitor (ChI) therapy for mixed dementia shows modest clinical benefits that are similar to those found for ChI treatment of AD. The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist memantine also shows modest clinical benefits for the treatment of moderate to severe AD and mild to moderate VaD, but it has not been studied specifically in mixed dementia. The treatment of cardiovascular risk factors, especially hypertension, may be a more effective way to protect brain function as primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention for mixed dementia.ConclusionsCurrently available medications provide only modest clinical benefits once a patient has developed mixed dementia. Cardiovascular risk factor control, especially for hypertension and hyperlipidemia, as well as other interventions to prevent recurrent stroke, likely represent important strategies for preventing or slowing the progression of mixed dementia. Additional research is needed to define better what individuals and families hope to achieve from dementia treatment and to determine the most appropriate use of medication to achieve these goals.