cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of diltiazem on morphine‐induced respiratory decline

The individual and combined effects of subcutaneous morphine and diltiazem, a calcium channel inhibitor, on arterial blood gases and pH were assessed in conscious Fischer-344 rats. Morphine (4 mg kg-1) produced hypercapnia, hypoxia and slight acidosis, as compared with control values. Diltiazem (10 mg kg-1) alone did not affect these parameters; however, it significantly delayed the onset of the aforementioned effects of morphine.
THE STRUCTURE OF DENSE ALKALI HALIDE MELTS

Calculations of the ion-ion pair distribution functions in shock melted alkali halides show that the melt undergoes a gradual pressure induced structural change from an open NaCl-like structure to one that has a rare gas-like arrangement containing about twelve neighbors of mixed charge. 12 references.
Actions, Intentions, and Self-Assessment: The Road to Self-Enhancement Is Paved with Good Intentions

Actions and intentions do not always align. Individuals often have good intentions that they fail to fulfill. The studies presented here suggest that actors and observers differ in the weight they assign to intentions when deciding whether an individual possesses a desirable trait. Participants were more likely to give themselves credit for their intentions than they were to give others credit for theirs (Studies 1 and 2). This caused individuals to evaluate themselves more favorably than they evaluated others (Studies 3-5). Discussion focuses on the motivational and information-processing roots of this actor-observer difference in the weight assigned to intentions as well as the implications of this tendency for everyday judgment and decision making.
Electron Velocity Distributions in a Partially Ionized Gas

The Boltzmann method is applied to the problem of calculating the electron velocity distribution in a partially ionized gas. Inelastic collisions with neutral molecules as well as random two-body Coulomb interactions are included. The la~er dre treated by use of the Fokker-Planck equation. Application is made to a hydrogen plasma subjected to an externally applied electric field. Static solutions are obtained, by numerical means, as a function of the ionization degree, and the classical gas discharge parameter, E/p. It is shown that the evolution of the electron velocity distribution function from that characteristic of a poorly ionized gas to the Maxwellian distribution occurs over a very large range in ionization degree. Several applications are made to enengy relaxation phenomena, and the electrical conductivity is evaluated. (auth)
Marketing policies under uncertainty in a multidivision firm

Abstract This paper develops a theoretical model about how risk-averse managers choose marketing policies under uncertainty in a multidivision firm organized in independent Strategic Business Units. We show that, even if the divisional and corporate managers have homogenous attitudes towards risk, suboptimal marketing policies will be chosen in terms of price and marketing effort if the divisions are given autonomy. Furthermore, when market conditions for one division change, the corporate manager generally wishes the other divisions to revise their marketing policies as well. The direction of effect depends on the type of uncertainty in the sales response functions and on whether divisional cash flows are positively or negatively correlated.
The oxidizing agent, paraquat, is more toxic to Wolbachia than to mosquito host cells

Cultured cells provide an important in vitro system for examining metabolic interactions between the intracellular bacterium, Wolbachia pipientis, and its insect hosts. To test whether Wolbachia-associated changes in antioxidant activities could provide a tool to select for infected cells, we tested the effects of paraquat (PQ) on Aedes albopictus mosquito cells. Like mammalian cells, mosquito cells tolerate PQ over a wide range of concentrations, and for considerable lengths of time, depending on cell density at the time of treatment. When mosquito cells were plated at low density and allowed to grow in the presence of PQ, we measured an LC50 of approximately 1–2 μM. Unexpectedly, cells persistently infected with Wolbachia strain wStr, from the planthopper Laodelphax striatellus, grew to higher densities in the presence of 1.5 μM PQ than in its absence. This effect of PQ was similar to the improved growth of host cells that occurs in the presence of antibiotics that suppress the Wolbachia infection. A more detailed examination of growth and metabolic sensitivity indicated that wStr is about 10-fold more sensitive to PQ than the mosquito host cells. Microscopic examination confirmed that Wolbachia levels were reduced in PQ-treated cells, and DNA estimates based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) indicated that Wolbachia abundance decreased by approximately 100-fold over a 10-d period. Although Wolbachia genomes encode superoxide dismutase, inspection of annotated genomes indicates that they lack several genes encoding products that ameliorate oxidative damage, including catalase, which converts the PQ byproduct, hydrogen peroxide, to molecular oxygen and water. We suggest that loss of multiple genes that participate in repair of oxidative damage accounts for increased sensitivity of Wolbachia to PQ, relative to its host cells.
Unusual adrenal cortex.

Hitherto unrecorded “atrophic” changes are described in the zona glomerulosa of both adrenals from a patient with a unilateral cortical adenoma. It is suggested that the adenoma was secreting aldosterone at approximately the correct physiological rate permitting the ipsilateral and contralateral zona glomerulosa to atrophy without causing clinical adrenocortical disease.
Impact of hydronephrosis on outcome of stage IIIB cervical cancer patients with disease limited to the pelvis, treated with radiation and concurrent chemotherapy: a Gynecologic Oncology Group study.

Abstract Objectives To estimate the significance of hydronephrosis and impact of ureteral obstruction relief on outcome in patients with stage IIIB cervical cancer treated with radiation and concurrent chemotherapy. Methods We retrospectively studied stage IIIB cervical cancer patients treated on GOG trials 56, 85, 120 and 165 evaluating radiation and concurrent chemotherapy. Eligible patient records were reviewed to assess the presence of hydronephrosis and treatment of ureteral obstruction. Patients were classified into three groups; no hydronephrosis, hydronephrosis relieved from ureteral obstruction via stent or percutaneous nephrostomy and hydronephrosis without treatment of ureteral obstruction. Results 539 stage IIIB patients were studied. Hydronephrosis was present in 238 (44.2%). Patient age, race, and tumor characteristics (size, histology and grade) were not significantly different between patients with or without hydronephrosis. Patients with hydronephrosis received similar doses of radiation and cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Both overall and progression-free survival were worse with hydronephrosis (log-rank test p value=0.0189 and 0.0186, respectively). Univariable analysis identified five prognostic factors; pelvic nodal metastasis ( p =0.0001), tumor diameter ( p =0.0007), cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiation ( p =0.0031), hydronephrosis ( p =0.0189), and performance status ( p =0.0359). Hydronephrosis was associated with worse performance status ( p Conclusion In patients with stage IIIB cervical cancer restricted to the pelvis, hydronephrosis at presentation is a significant but not independent prognostic factor associated with poor performance status and poorer survival. Relief of ureteral obstruction is correlated with improved outcome.
Land Taxation, Neutrality, and Risk Aversion:

Taxation of land value has recently been shown to encourage early land devel-opment. This paper develops a somewhat different model to consider taxation of land's "use" value, incorporating risk aversion into the model. Within this framework a land tax may either encourage or discourage development.
Women Like Us: What is Happening to the Women of the Harvard Business School Who Had the First Chance to Make It to the Top?

The article reviews the book “Women Like Us: What Is Happening to the Women of the Harvard Business School, Class of '75--The Women Who Had the First Chance to Make It to the Top?” by Liz Roman.
Coherent and stochastic averaging in solid-state NMR.

Abstract A new approach for calculating solid-state NMR lineshapes of uniaxially rotating membrane proteins under the magic-angle spinning conditions is presented. The use of stochastic Liouville equation (SLE) allows one to account for both coherent sample rotation and stochastic motional averaging of the spherical dipolar powder patterns by uniaxial diffusion of the spin-bearing molecules. The method is illustrated via simulations of the dipolar powder patterns of rigid samples under the MAS conditions, as well as the recent method of rotational alignment in the presence of both MAS and rotational diffusion under the conditions of dipolar recoupling. It has been found that it is computationally more advantageous to employ direct integration over a spherical grid rather than to use a full angular basis set for the SLE solution. Accuracy estimates for the bond angles measured from the recoupled amide 1H–15N dipolar powder patterns have been obtained at various rotational diffusion coefficients. It has been shown that the rotational alignment method is applicable to membrane proteins approximated as cylinders with radii of approximately 20 A, for which uniaxial rotational diffusion within the bilayer is sufficiently fast and exceeds the rate 2 × 105 s−1.
Identification of essential and non-essential genes of the guinea pig cytomegalovirus (GPCMV) genome via transposome mutagenesis of an infectious BAC clone

We report application of a transposition methodology that allows the easy characterization and mutation of genes encoded on an infectious bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone. We characterized mutants generated by transposome (Tn) mutagenesis of a BAC clone of guinea pig cytomegalovirus (GPCMV). A pool of Tn mutant GPCMV BACs were screened initially by restriction profile analysis to verify they were full-length, and subsequently GPCMV BAC DNA from individual mutants was transfected onto guinea pig lung fibroblast cells in order to generate virus. Tn GPCMV BAC mutants were classed as either essential or non-essential gene insertions, depending upon their ability to regenerate viable, replication-competent virus. Representative mutants were more fully characterized. Analysis by sequencing the Tn insertion site on the mutated BACs, and by regeneration of virus using transfection of guinea pig fibroblasts (GPL), demonstrated that a recombinant with a Tn insertion in the UL35 homolog gene (GP35) was a non-essential gene for viral replication in tissue culture. A mutant with an insertion in the UL46 homolog (GP46) was nonviable, a phenotype which could be rescued by homologous recombination of BAC DNA with wild-type UL46 sequences, suggesting an essential role of this putative capsid gene in virus replication.
Kinetic relationships between heat generation and nitrile consumption in the reaction of poly(acrylonitrile) in air at 265°C

Abstract The kinetics of the disappearance of nitrile absorption by FTIR has been examined in terms of two distinct reaction paths each consisting of consecutive first-order processes. Deviations from simple first-order behavior can be accounted for by the dual consecutive first-order kinetic structure in both films and fibers. In the case of fibers, a single set of rate constants was determined from FTIR data and used to describe both heat generation and oxygen uptake. The mechanistic relationships between nitrile consumption, heat generation, and oxygen uptake are described.
Screening of human LPHN3 for variants with a potential impact on ADHD susceptibility

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common behavioral disorder in childhood, and often has effects detectable into adulthood. Advances in genetic linkage and association analysis have begun to elucidate some of the genetic factors underlying this complex disorder. Recently, we identified LPHN3, a novel ADHD susceptibility gene harbored in 4q, and showed that a LPHN3 common haplotype confers susceptibility to ADHD and predicts effectiveness of stimulant medication. Here we present the mutational analysis of the entire coding region of LPHN3 in a cohort of 139 ADHD subjects and 52 controls from across the USA. We identified 21 variants, of which 14 have been reported and 7 are novel. These include 5 missense, 8 synonymous, and 8 intronic changes. Interestingly, neither susceptibility nor protective haplotype alleles are associated with obviously significant coding region changes, or canonical splice site alterations, suggesting that non-coding variations determining the quantity and/or quality of LPHN3 isoforms are the likely contributors to this common behavioral disorder.
Passage of material containing uracil-14C between the nucleus and cytoplasm of Amoeba proteus

Abstract Ultraviolet light influenced the passage of material containing uracil- 14 C (presumably RNA) between the nucleus and the cytoplasm, a greater movement occurring when either the nucleus or the cytoplasm had been irradiated or photoreversed than when the cell was not irradiated. The greatest passage of labeled material from nucleus to cytoplasm and from the cytoplasm to the nucleus occurred in cells containing a nonirradiated nucleus in irradiated or photoreversed cytoplasm.
Comparative analysis of the kinetics and dynamics of K10, bicoid, and oskar mRNA localization in the Drosophila oocyte

The localization of mRNAs to discrete cytoplasmic sites is important for the function of many, and perhaps all, cells. Many mRNAs are thought to be localized in a directed fashion along microtubule tracts. This appears to be the case for several mRNAs that are synthesized in Drosophila nurse cells and then transported into, and localized within, the oocyte. In this report, we compare the transport/localization kinetics and dynamics of three such mRNAs, K10, bicoid, and oskar. We generated flies carrying heat shock-K10, -bicoid, or -oskar fusion genes, which allowed us to carry out the molecular genetics equivalent of a pulse chase experiment. Our analyses indicate that K10, bicoid, and oskar mRNA transport and localization are a continuous process involving multiple movements of the same mRNA molecules. The transport and early localization dynamics of the three mRNAs are indistinguishable from each other and, in order, include accumulation in the apical regions of nurse cells, transport to the posterior pole of the oocyte, and movement to the oocyte's anterior cortex at stage 8. We also show that the rate of transport is the same in each case, approximately 1.1 microns/min. Only after stage 8 are RNA-specific movements seen. The similarities in the transport/ early localization kinetics and dynamics of K10, bicoid, and oskar mRNAs suggest that such events are mediated by a common set of factors. We also observe that all three mRNAs localize to the apical regions of somatic follicle cells when expressed in such cells, suggesting that the transport/early localization factors are widespread and involved in the localization of mRNAs in many tissues.
Femtosecond Dynamics and Electrocatalysis of the Reduction of O2: Tetraruthenated Cobalt Porphyrins

Recently we reported the femtosecond dynamics of some porphyrin molecules. These studies elucidated the elementary steps involved in intramolecular relaxation and charge transfer (CT) in cobalt tetraphenylporphyrin (CoTPP) from the porphyrin π (a_(2u)) system to the Co(d_z^2). Our interest in the dynamics of intramolecular electron transfer stems from recent studies of cobalt porphyrins that were modified by attachment of Ru(II) or Os(II) complexes to the periphery of the porphyrin ring. These modified cobalt porphyrins exhibit high catalytic activity for the electroreduction of O_2 directly to H_2O, a process that most monomeric cobalt porphyrins are unable to accomplish. The mechanism by which the modified cobalt porphyrins achieve the direct, four-electron reduction of O_2 has been suggested to involve back-bonding interactions among the attached Ru(II) and Os(II) centers, the porphyrin ring, and the Co(II) ion at its center.
Measuring thermodynamic details of DNA hybridization using fluorescence

Modern real-time PCR systems make it easy to monitor fluorescence while temperature is varied for hundreds of samples in parallel, permitting high-throughput studies. We employed such system to investigate melting transitions of ordered nucleic acid structures into disordered random coils. Fluorescent dye and quencher were attached to oligonucleotides in such a way that changes of fluorescence intensity with temperature indicated progression of denaturation. When fluorescence melting data were compared with traditional ultraviolet optical experiments, commonly used dye/quencher combinations, like fluorescein and tetramethylrhodamine, showed substantial discrepancies. We have therefore screened 22 commercially available fluorophores and quenchers for their ability to reliably report annealing and melting transitions. Dependence of fluorescence on temperature and pH was also investigated. The optimal performance was observed using Texas Red or ROX dyes with Iowa Black RQ or Black Hole quenchers. These labels did not alter two-state nature of duplex melting process and provided accurate melting temperatures, free energies, enthalpies, and entropies. We also suggest a new strategy for determination of DNA duplex thermodynamics where concentration of a dye-labeled strand is kept constant and its complementary strand modified with a quencher is added at increasing excess. These methodological improvements will help build predictive models of nucleic acid hybridization. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 95: 472–486, 2011.
Accurate dissociation energies for the X 1Σ+ states of KH and CsH

Abstract We have constructed new hybrid potential energy curves for the ground states of KH and CsH. Then for observed quasibound states (ν″ = 23, J ″ = 7 in KH; ν″ = 25, J ″ = 11 in CsH), we calculated energies and linewidths for varying dissociation energies D e . Based on a comparison of calculated and observed linewidths, we determined improved D e values: for KH, D e = 14772.7 ± 0.6 cm −1 ( D 0 =14282.6 cm −1 ); for CsH, D e =14791.2 ± 2.0 cm −1 ( D 0 =14348.5 cm −1 ).
CT of renal pseudotumor secondary to anticoagulant therapy

Renal pseudotumor due to anticoagulant therapy presents a diagnostic problem and may result in innecessary nephrectomy for suspected neoplasm. We present a case in which computed tomography helped avert surgery. The value of CT in following such patients is discussed.
Requirements Development: Approaches and Behaviors of Novice Designers

Elicitation and development of product requirements are crucial aspects of front-end design and have significant impacts on future product success. This study sought to better understand how novice designers approach the development of product requirements during a front-end design task. Results showed that the stakeholder validity of participants' requirements and the level of tailoring of the requirements to the design context and stakeholders were highly correlated to the number of distinct information sources used and moderately correlated to participants' dependency on particular information sources. Furthermore, an in-depth exploration of participants' information gathering behavior during the design task elucidated specific strategies and processes that may explain why some participants were more successful than others.
Impact of chronic renal insufficiency on clinical outcomes in patients undergoing saphenous vein graft intervention with drug-eluting stents: A multicenter Southern Californian Registry†

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical outcomes in patients with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) who undergo saphenous vein graft (SVG) intervention with drug-eluting stents (DES). Background: Patients with CRI have higher rates of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) after percutaneous revascularization. SVG intervention is associated with increased rates of MACE compared with percutaneous revascularization of native arteries. However, the impact of CRI on SVG intervention with DES has not been well delineated. Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent SVG intervention with DES at five medical centers from April 2003 to December 2007 were included in this analysis. Results: A total of 172 patients, 39 patients with CRI and a serum creatinine ≥1.5 mg dL−1, and 133 patients without CRI, underwent SVG intervention with DES. Patients with CRI were more often older, diabetic, and had a longer mean total stent length. At 1 year, patients with CRI had a higher MACE rate (35.9% vs. 15.8%, hazard ratio [HR] 2.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26–4.88, log rank P = 0.009), mainly driven by higher mortality (20.5% vs. 9.8%, HR 3.41, 95% CI 1.10–10.58, log rank P = 0.024). There was a trend toward higher rates of target vessel revascularization in the CRI group (21.8% vs. 10.3%, HR 2.42, 95% CI 0.94–6.24, log rank P = 0.059). Stent thrombosis rates were not different between patients with and without CRI (2.6% vs. 2.3%, P = 0.8). Multivariable analysis revealed that CRI was the only significant predictor of 1-year MACE (HR 2.2, 95% CI 1.1–4.3; P = 0.03). Conclusions: Patients with CRI who underwent SVG intervention with DES had higher risks of MACE and death compared with patients with preserved renal function. Further treatment strategies are needed in this high-risk group who undergo SVG intervention with DES. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Rule-based Process Server Component For Constructing Rule-based Development Environments

We have been working on the MARVEL rule-based development environment (RBDE) for several years [9, 7], and are currently in the process of scaling up to supporting cooperation among multiple users working together on large projects [1]. This line of research led us to breaking up the previous single user MARVEL 2.6 implementation into the two main pieces of multiple user MARVEL 3.0: the clients representing user interface and activity management, and the server consisting of modules that support process model enaction, concurrency control, and object management [4, 2]. We are now entertaining the definition of a set of components, generalized from MARVEL’s modules, which could be used to construct a range of RBDEs. Here we discuss our initial ideas regarding the most fundamental component, the rule-based process server.
Vascular abnormalities in pediatric craniopharyngioma patients treated with radiation therapy.

Background Craniopharyngioma is a benign brain tumor that can be treated with some combination of surgery, intracystic chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Treatment for craniopharyngioma, especially radiation therapy, is associated with a variety of long-term toxicities including vascular abnormalities. We report on the incidence of vascular abnormalities seen in the children with craniopharyngioma who received radiation therapy at our institution. Procedure We reviewed our experience with craniopharyngioma patients who received radiation therapy from 1995 to 2008. We reviewed clinical data including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and imaging for vasculopathy. Results Twenty of the 22 children with craniopharyngioma who received radiation therapy had imaging available. Six of the 20 were found to have some type of vasculopathy. One had bilateral temporal cavernomas, one had moyamoya syndrome, one had an aneurysm of the internal carotid artery and three children had decreases in the caliber of the carotid or cerebral arteries, but were asymptomatic. Two of the six children with abnormalities also received intracystic bleomycin prior to radiation therapy. Conclusions We report a high incidence of vascular abnormalities in children with craniopharyngioma. The data suggest that intracystic bleomycin may contribute to radiation-related vasculopathy. We now include magnetic resonance angiography as part of our routine follow up in these children. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009;52:227–230. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A discontinuous hp finite element method for diffusion problems: 1-D analysis☆

Abstract This paper presents the mathematical analysis of a new variant of the discontinuous Galerkin method which is applicable to the numerical solution of diffusion problems, not requiring auxiliary variables such as those used in mixed methods. The focus of this study is on a class of linear second-order boundary value problems for which we prove stability and a priori error estimates in both the finite- and infinite-dimensional spaces.
Effects of environmental variables on fish feeding ecology: implications for the performance of baited fishing gear and stock assessment

The effectiveness of baited fishing gear ultimately depends upon behaviour of the target species – activity rhythms, feeding motivation, and sensory and locomotory abilities. While any environmental parameter that mediates feeding or locomotion can have an important influence on the active space presented by the bait and fish catchability, few biologists have considered how such variation in behaviour might affect catch per unit effort (CPUE) and the resultant stock abundance estimates or population parameters. This review reveals that environment-related variation in feeding behaviour can act through four different mechanisms: metabolic processes, sensory limitations, social interactions and direct impacts. Water temperature, light level, current velocity and ambient prey density are likely to have largest effects on fish catchability, potentially affecting variation in CPUE by a factor of ten. Feeding behaviour is also density-dependent, with both positive and negative effects. Over time and geographic space a target species can occupy wide ranges of environmental conditions, and in certain cases, spatial and temporal variation in feeding biology could have a larger impact on CPUE than patterns of abundance. Temperature, light and current can be measured with relative facility and corrections to stock assessment models are feasible. Making corrections for biological variables such as prey density and bait competitors will be more difficult because the measurements are often not practical and relationships to feeding catchability are more complex and poorly understood. There is a critical need for greater understanding of how environmental variables affect feeding-related performance of baited fishing gear. A combination of field observations and laboratory experiments will be necessary to parameterize stock assessment models that are improved to accommodate variation in fish behaviour. Otherwise, survey data could reveal more about variation in behaviour than abundance trends.
Instrumentation for the measurement of void-fraction in breaking waves: laboratory and field results

The authors report on the development and use of an impedance probe to measure the volume fraction of air (void-fraction) in bubble plumes generated by breaking waves. The void-fraction gauge described was found to be most useful in the initial period after breaking when large void-fractions prevail. The authors describe the instrumentation at length and report on its use in the laboratory and in the field. The instrument is found to be capable of rendering the space-time evolution of the void-fraction field from controlled laboratory breaking waves. Field results show measurements of void-fractions (up to 24%) which are several orders of magnitude greater than time averaged values previously reported. Preliminary measurements show that the fraction of breaking waves per wave is dependent on significant wave height and wind speed. The dependence on wind speed is compared with data of previous investigators. Underwater video photography from the field shows the formation and evolution of distinct bubble plumes and the presence of large bubbles (at least 6-mm radius) generated by breaking. >
Some simulations on filler reinforcement in elastomers

Abstract This review illustrates how elastomer reinforcement can be modeled using Monte Carlo simulations on rotational isomeric state chains to characterize their spatial configurations in the vicinity of filler particles. The results are distributions of the chain end-to-end distances as perturbed by this excluded-volume effect, and the results obtained are in agreement with experimental results gotten by neutron scattering. The use of these distributions in standard molecular theories of rubberlike elasticity then produces stress–strain isotherms suitable for comparison with those in elongation experiments. Such simulations have now been carried out for elastomeric matrices reinforced by spherical filler particles (either on a cubic lattice or randomly dispersed), or by prolate or oblate particles on cubic lattices (either with their axes oriented or randomized). The simulated mechanical properties are consistent with experimental results available at the present time, and should provide encouragement and guidance for additional simulations and experiments.
Rapid Inactivation of Airborne Bacteria Using Atmospheric Pressure Dielectric Barrier Grating Discharge

Dielectric barrier discharge plasma has been known to inactivate many different microorganisms on surfaces when treatment times are on the order of seconds or minutes in duration. In this paper, a unique plasma air cleaning facility was created which combines a dielectric barrier grating discharge (DBGD) with a filterless laboratory-scale ventilation system and is used to treat concentrated bacterial bioaerosol in a moving air stream at air flow rates of 25 L/s. Results indicate that plasma treatment times on the order of milliseconds corresponding to one pass through the DBGD device can achieve 1.5-log reduction in culturable E. coli immediately after contact with plasma and 5-log reduction totally following in the minutes after the plasma treatment. A numerical characterization study was performed to help predict and understand the mechanism of bacteria inactivation in the DBD plasma from a variety of plasma factors.
Regional Influence of Cannabinoid CB1 Receptors in the Regulation of Ethanol Self-Administration by Wistar Rats.

Substantial evidence suggests a facilitatory influence of cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the modulation of ethanol consumption by rodents. Studies performed in rats selectively bred for high alcohol preference point to an involvement of CB1 receptors in the nucleus accumbens (NAC), ventral tegmental area (VTA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in the modulation ethanol self-administration. However, the neural mechanisms through which CB1 receptors regulate ethanol intake in out-bred Wistar rats have not been investigated. The present study evaluated alterations in ethanol self-administration induced by localized infusions of the CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716A (0, 1 and 3 � g/side) into the NAC, anterior and posterior VTA and mPFC. Separate groups of Wistar rats were trained to operantly respond for an oral ethanol solution and prepared with bilateral injection cannulae aimed at each brain region. Results revealed significant decreases in ethanol intake following intra-NAC SR141716A administration, consistent with our prior observation of ethanol-induced increases extracellular 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) in this brain region. We also observed a significant dose-dependent reduction in ethanol intake following SR141716A administration into the posterior, but not anterior VTA, consistent with evidence of a specific involvement of the posterior VTA in the regulation of ethanol intake. Ethanol consumption was unaltered following intra-mPFC SR141716A administration and ethanol self- administration did not induce robust changes in anandamide or 2-AG levels in mPFC microdialysates. These findings implicate an involvement of CB1 receptors in the NAC and posterior VTA, but not anterior VTA and mPFC in the regulation of ethanol self-administration behavior by outbred Wistar rats.
Predicting the Risk of Breakthrough Urinary Tract Infections: Primary Vesicoureteral Reflux

Purpose: We constructed a risk prediction instrument stratifying patients with primary vesicoureteral reflux into groups according to their 2-year probability of breakthrough urinary tract infection.Materials and Methods: Demographic and clinical information was retrospectively collected in children diagnosed with primary vesicoureteral reflux and followed for 2 years. Bivariate and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with breakthrough urinary tract infection. The final regression model was used to compute an estimation of the 2-year probability of breakthrough urinary tract infection for each subject. Accuracy of the binary classifier for breakthrough urinary tract infection was evaluated using receiver operator curve analysis. Three distinct risk groups were identified. The model was then validated in a prospective cohort.Results: A total of 252 bivariate analyses showed that high grade (IV or V) vesicoureteral reflux (OR 9.4, 95% CI 3.8–23.5, p <0.001), pre...
Validation of Satellite Precipitation Adjustment Methodology From Seven Basins in the Continental United States1

Tobin, Kenneth J. and Marvin E. Bennett, 2012. Validation of Satellite Precipitation Adjustment Methodology From Seven Basins in the Continental United States. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(2): 221-234. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00604.x Abstract: The precipitation science community has expressed concern regarding the ability of satellite-based precipitation products to accurately capture rainfall values over land. There has been some work that has focused on addressing the deficiencies of satellite precipitation products, particularly on the adjustment of bias. This article outlines a methodology that adjusts satellite products utilizing ground-based precipitation data. The approach is not a simple bias adjustment, but is a three-step process that transforms a satellite product based on a ground-based precipitation product (NEXRAD-derived Multisensor Precipitation Estimator [MPE] product or rain-gauge data). The developed methodology was successfully applied to seven moderate-to-large sized watersheds from continental United States (CONUS) and northern Mexico over a spectrum of climatic regimes ranging from dry to humid settings. Methodology validation is based on comparison of observed and simulated streamflow generated with SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model using unadjusted and adjusted precipitation products as input. Streamflow comparison is based on mass balance error and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient. Finally, the contribution of how adjustment to correct misses, false alarms, and bias impacts adjusted datasets and the potential impact that the adjustment methodology can have on hydrological applications such as water resource monitoring and flood prediction are explored.
Impact of resource reservation on the distributed multi-path quality of service routing scheme

This paper studies the impact of resource reservation on the multipath quality-of-service (QoS) routing schemes that use the global network state to make routing decisions. Incorporating resource reservation into multipath QoS routing algorithms greatly changes the communication characteristics in a network system and affects the performance of the routing algorithms. In this paper, we develop a QoS routing protocol that combines resource reservation with the ticket-based distributed multipath QoS routing scheme, evaluate the new routing protocol through extensive simulation, and study the impact of other network components, such as the network size and the link state update mechanisms, on the performance of multipath QoS routing schemes with resource reservation.
Modulo-q Sum Consensus Via Compressed Data

The goal of n nodes, each measuring a component of a source and communicating via broadcast compressed messages, is to ultimately achieve consensus, with high reliability, on the modulo-q sum of the measured data. We provide an example (specifically, a joint probability mass function for the source) for which we characterize the "K-rate region" the rates necessary and sufficient for consensus. For our example, when there are two nodes in the network, the K-rate region coincides with the Slepian-Wolf rate region. However, for more than 2 nodes, compressing for consensus can result in lower rates than compressing, as in the Slepian-Wolf formulation, for the entire data sequences in the network. We quantify the savings in rate that are obtained, when compressing for K in comparison to the Slepian-Wolf rates, as the number of nodes in the network grows.
Vitamin A supplementation and severity of pneumonia in children admitted to the hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Vitamin A deficiency and acute lower respiratory tract infections coexist as important public health problems in many developing countries. We carried out a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to examine whether large doses of vitamin A given to Tanzanian children who are admitted to the hospital with nonmeasles pneumonia would reduce the severity of respiratory disease. Six hundred eighty-seven children were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or vitamin A [200 000 IU (60 mg retinol equivalents) for children > 1 y of age and 100000 IU (30 mg retinol equivalents) for infants] on the day of admission and another dose on the following day. Of the 346 children in the vitamin A group, 13 died in the hospital, compared with 8 of 341 children in the placebo group; the relative mortality was 1.63 (95% CI: 0.67, 3.97; P = 0.28). The mean number of days of hospitalization was the same in both groups (4.2 d). There were no differences between the vitamin A and placebo groups in the duration of hospital stay when examined within categories of children stratified by age, sex, breast-feeding status, nutritional status at baseline, or quartile of dietary vitamin A intake in the 4 mo before admission to the hospital. There were also no differences in the mean number of days of fever, rapid respiratory rate, or hypoxia, whether these endpoints were examined in the total number of subjects or in a subset with more severe clinical conditions at baseline. Large doses of vitamin A had no protective effect on the course of pneumonia in hospitalized Tanzanian children.
Processor accelerator for AES

Software AES cipher performance is not fast enough for encryption to be incorporated ubiquitously for all computing needs. Furthermore, fast software implementations of AES that use table lookups are susceptible to software cache-based side channel attacks, leaking the secret encryption key. To bridge the gap between software and hardware AES implementations, several Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) extensions have been proposed to provide speedup for software AES programs, most notably the recent introduction of six AES-specific instructions for Intel microprocessors. However, algorithm-specific instructions are less desirable than general-purpose ones for microprocessors. In this paper, we propose an enhanced parallel table lookup instruction that can achieve the fastest reported software AES encryption and decryption of 1.38 cycles/byte for general-purpose microprocessors, a 1.45X speedup from the fastest prior work reported. Also, security is improved where cache-based side-channel attacks are thwarted, since all table lookups take the same amount of time. Furthermore, the new instructions can also be used to accelerate any functions that can be accelerated through table lookup operations of one or multiple small tables.
Structure-function relationships of AE2 regulation by Ca(i)(2+)-sensitive stimulators NH(4+) and hypertonicity.

We showed previously that the nonerythroid anion exchanger AE2 and the erythroid anion exchanger AE1 differ greatly in their regulation by acute changes in intracellular pH (pHi) and extracellular ...
Services, architectures, and protocols for space data systems

The author presents a comprehensive discussion of three major aspects of the work of the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS), a worldwide cooperative effort of national space agencies. The author examines the CCSDS space data communications network concept on which the data communications facilities of future advanced orbiting systems will be based. He derives the specifications of an open communications architecture as a reference model for the development of services and protocols that support the transfer of information over space data communications networks. Detailed specifications of the communication services and information transfer protocols that have reached a high degree of maturity and stability are offered. The author also includes a complete list of currently available CCSDS standards and supporting documentation. >
Prison Crowding Research

Although prison crowding has been a major concern of corrections and government officials, surprisingly few studies on the actual impact of crowding exist. This undoubtedly reflects the relative inaccessibility of the prison as a research site and the difficulties of conducting research in a prison environment. Research on crowding that is likely to yield results that might be unfavorable and politically troublesome is particularly difficult to accomplish.
How Does Management Compensation Affect Bank Risk Taking: Evidence from FAS 123R

We examine how management compensation policies affect bank risk taking in mortgage lending using exogenous variation in stock option grants generated by FAS 123R, which requires all firms to expense options. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we find that banks that did not expense options before FAS 123R (treated banks) significantly decrease approval rates of risky mortgage applications after FAS 123R relative to banks that did not grant stock options or voluntarily expensed their stock option before FAS 123R (control banks). We also find that the treatment effect is concentrated in large banks, suggesting that managers’ risk-taking incentives at large banks are more sensitive to option compensation. Finally, we show that treated banks are more likely than control banks to reduce their exposure to risky mortgages through securitization after FAS 123R.
The Eagle Tactical Athlete Program Reduces Musculoskeletal Injuries in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)

ABSTRACT The Eagle Tactical Athlete Program (ETAP) was scientifically developed for the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) to counter unintentional musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs). Purpose: To determine if ETAP would reduce unintentional MSIs in a group of 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Soldiers. Methods: ETAP-trained noncommissioned led physical training. 1,720 Soldiers were enrolled (N = 1,136 experimental group [EXP], N = 584 control group [CON]) with injuries tracked before and after initiation of ETAP. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes were analyzed and described the anatomic locations, anatomic sub-locations, onset, and injury types. McNemar tests compared the proportions of injured subjects within each group. Results: There was a significant reduction in the proportion of Soldiers with preventable MSIs in the EXP (pre: 213/1,136 (18.8%), post: 180/1,136 (15.8%), p = 0.041) but not in the CON. In addition, there...
Specific and Nonspecific Metal Ion-Nucleotide Interactions at Aqueous/Solid Interfaces Functionalized with Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine Oligomers

This article reports nonlinear optical measurements that quantify, for the first time directly and without labels, how many Mg2+ cations are bound to DNA 21-mers covalently linked to fused silica/water interfaces maintained at pH 7 and 10 mM NaCl, and what the thermodynamics are of these interactions. The overall interaction of Mg2+ with adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine is found to involve −10.0 ± 0.3, −11.2 ± 0.3, −14.0 ± 0.4, and −14.9 ± 0.4 kJ/mol, and nonspecific interactions with the phosphate and sugar backbone are found to contribute −21.0 ± 0.6 kJ/mol for each Mg2+ ion bound. The specific and nonspecific contributions to the interaction energy of Mg2+ with oligonucleotide single strands is found to be additive, which suggests that within the uncertainty of these surface-specific experiments, the Mg2+ ions are evenly distributed over the oligomers and not isolated to the most strongly binding nucleobase. The nucleobases adenine and thymine are found to bind only three Mg2+ ions per 21-mer ol...
A New Starch-Grafted Gelling Agent for Screwworm (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Larval Diet

Larvae of screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), were reared on diets solidified with an inexpensive starch-grafted sodium polyacrylate gel (brown and white formulations) and on a control diet solidified with Water-Lock G-400 gel, the standard gelling agent used for larval diet in the Screwworm Eradication Program (of the United States Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the government of Mexico). Mean pupal weight, number of pupae, percent emergence, sex ratio, adult longevity, fecundity, and fertility recorded from the test diets solidified with the brown starch-grafted gel were compared with the same parameters obtained from diets prepared with Water-Lock G-400 gel. There were no significant differences in any of the parameters examined between the tests and the corresponding control. Diets solidified with the white variety of the starch-grafted gel performed poorly. The brown starch-grafted gel has potential for use in the larval diet for mass production and may effectively replace the more expensive Water-Lock G-400 gel.
Mineralogy and Microbial Diversity of the Microbialites in the Hypersaline Storr's Lake, the Bahamas.

Abstract Microbialites found in the low-light-intensity, hypersaline waters of Storr's Lake (SL), San Salvador Island, the Bahamas, were investigated with respect to their morphology, mineralogy, and microbial diversity. Previously described microbialite morphologies, as well as a newly identified “multi-cuspate” morphology, were observed at various depths. Electron microscopy analysis revealed the presence of angular, blocky, and needle-shaped crystals with mineralized cyanobacterial filaments and remains of exopolymeric substances. X-ray diffraction studies confirmed the presence of both Mg-calcite and aragonite in the plateau-mushroom and pinnacle mound microbialites, whereas only Mg-calcite was identified in the other microbialite morphotypes. A comprehensive molecular analysis using barcoded pyrosequencing of five different microbial mat communities identified at least 12 dominant bacterial phyla. Cyanobacteria were generally low in abundance and ranged from ∼0.01% in the deeper pinnacle mounds to ∼3...
Application and evaluation of three genotyping methods for Legionella pneumophila

Objective To compare the discriminatory ability and potential value of three widely used methods for the genotyping of Legionella pneumophila.Methods A total of 29 strains of L.pneumophila and one standard ATCC33153 were genotyped simultaneously by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE),sequence-based typing(SBT) and mip sequence.Results There were 5 clusters and 19 PFGE types identified by PFGE with discriminatory index(D) of 0.9586,while 22 sequence types(STs) found by SBT with D value of 0.9608.However,only 9 types were identified by mip gene typing with D value of 0.8344.Several strains with different serotype(LP1 and LP14) identified by SBT,PFGE and mip had very closely related genetic backgrounds,which suggested a possible "antigen switching" among them.Conclusions For Legionella pneumophila genotyping,SBT is better than PFGE because of the relatively higher discriminating ability which makes it possible to differentiate most of L.pneumophila strains and to be used in the comparison as well as evolutionary relationship study in the global alignment database,while the combination of PFGE and SBT can be used in tracing the epidemiological resource of Legionella.