cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Boundary Issues and Multiple Relationships in Genetic Counseling Supervision: Supervisor, Non-supervisor, and Student Perspectives

Boundary issues and multiple relationships potentially affect all supervision interactions. Boundary crossings are departures from the strictest professional role and may or may not benefit supervisees. Boundary violations are outside common practice and may place supervisees at significant risk. Multiple relationships occur when supervisors concurrently or consecutively hold two or more roles with supervisees. Studies in other fields indicate supervisors and supervisees may be uncertain about professional conduct regarding these issues. In this study, genetic counselor supervisors (n = 126), non-supervisors (n = 72), and genetic counseling students (n = 129) completed an anonymous survey investigating four major questions: 1) Are various boundary issues and multiple relationships perceived as differentially appropriate? 2) Do supervisor, non-supervisor, and student perceptions differ? 3) What challenging situations have respondents experienced? and 4) What management strategies did they use? There was general agreement among groups in their appropriateness ratings of 56 hypothetical supervisor behaviors, although supervisor ratings tended to reflect stricter boundaries regarding the appropriateness of interactions than student ratings. A majority rated unavoidable boundary crossings and supervisor multiple relationships involving an academic relationship as most appropriate, and romantic/sexual multiple relationships and/or boundary violations as least appropriate. Analysis of respondents’ actual challenging situations revealed many involved boundary violations, placed students at risk of harm, and often resulted in student compliance.
Mechanism of arachidonic acid-induced Ca2+ mobilization from rat liver microsomes.

Abstract Recent evidence indicates that unesterified arachidonic acid functions as a mediator of intracellular Ca2+ mobilization by inducing Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum of pancreatic islet beta cells in a manner closely similar to that of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. To test the generality and explore the mechanism of this phenomenon we have examined the effects of arachidonic acid on calcium accumulation and release by hepatocyte subcellular fractions enriched in endoplasmic reticulum (microsomes). At concentrations above 0.017 μmol/mg microsomal protein, arachidonate induced rapid (under 2 min) 45Ca2+ release from microsomes that had been preloaded with 45Ca2+. Arachidonate also suppressed microsomal 45Ca2+ accumulation when present during the loading period, as reflected by reduction both of 45Ca2+ accumulation at steady state and of the rate of uptake. Neither the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin nor the lipoxygenase/cyclooxygenase inhibitor BW755C suppressed arachidonate-induced 45Ca2+ release, indicating that this effect was not dependent upon oxygenation of the fatty acid to metabolites. The long-chain unsaturated fatty acids oleate and linoleate were less potent than arachidonate in inducing 45Ca2+ release, and the saturated fatty acid stearate did not exert this effect. Albumin prevented 45Ca2+ release by arachidonate, presumably by binding the fatty acid. As is the case for inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, the ability of arachidonate to induce 45Ca2+ release was dependent on the ambient free Ca2+ concentration. Arachidonate did not influence microsomal membrane permeability or Ca2+-ATPase activity and may exert its effects on microsomal Ca2+ handling by activation of a Ca2+ extrusion mechanism or by dissociating Ca2+ uptake from Ca2+-ATPase activity.
Mechanical Stimulation Induces mTOR Signaling via an ERK-Independent Mechanism: Implications for a Direct Activation of mTOR by Phosphatidic Acid

Signaling by mTOR is a well-recognized component of the pathway through which mechanical signals regulate protein synthesis and muscle mass. However, the mechanisms involved in the mechanical regulation of mTOR signaling have not been defined. Nevertheless, recent studies suggest that a mechanically-induced increase in phosphatidic acid (PA) may be involved. There is also evidence which suggests that mechanical stimuli, and PA, utilize ERK to induce mTOR signaling. Hence, we reasoned that a mechanically-induced increase in PA might promote mTOR signaling via an ERK-dependent mechanism. To test this, we subjected mouse skeletal muscles to mechanical stimulation in the presence or absence of a MEK/ERK inhibitor, and then measured several commonly used markers of mTOR signaling. Transgenic mice expressing a rapamycin-resistant mutant of mTOR were also used to confirm the validity of these markers. The results demonstrated that mechanically-induced increases in p70s6k T389 and 4E-BP1 S64 phosphorylation, and unexpectedly, a loss in total 4E-BP1, were fully mTOR-dependent signaling events. Furthermore, we determined that mechanical stimulation induced these mTOR-dependent events, and protein synthesis, through an ERK-independent mechanism. Similar to mechanical stimulation, exogenous PA also induced mTOR-dependent signaling via an ERK-independent mechanism. Moreover, PA was able to directly activate mTOR signaling in vitro. Combined, these results demonstrate that mechanical stimulation induces mTOR signaling, and protein synthesis, via an ERK-independent mechanism that potentially involves a direct interaction of PA with mTOR. Furthermore, it appears that a decrease in total 4E-BP1 may be part of the mTOR-dependent mechanism through which mechanical stimuli activate protein synthesis.
Baryon spin-flavor structure from an analysis of lattice QCD results of the baryon spectrum

The excited baryon masses are analyzed in the framework of the 1/Nc expansion using the available physical masses and also the masses obtained in lattice QCD for different quark masses. The baryon states are organized into irreducible representations of SU(6) x O(3), where the [56,lP=0⁺] ground state and excited baryons, and the [56,2+] and [70}},1-] excited states are analyzed. The analyses are carried out to order O(1/Nc) and first order in the quark masses. The issue of state identifications is discussed. Numerous parameter independent mass relations result at those orders, among them the well known Gell-Mann-Okubo and Equal Spacing relations, as well as additional relations involving baryons with different spins. It is observed that such relations are satisfied at the expected level of precision. The main conclusion of the analysis is that qualitatively the dominant physical effects are similar for the physical and the lattice QCD baryons.
Follow-up catheterization of patients with myocardial infarction during coronary artery bypass surgery

Summary Of 197 consecutive patients having aortocoronary bypass grafts over a 30 month period, 38 (19 per cent) had ECG evidence of myocardial infarction. The infarctions occurred more commonly in patients receiving multiple grafts. The infarctions were usually in areas supplied by grafted vessels. The infarctions occurred most often in the inferior wall, even when multiple vessels were grafted. Eleven patients with intraoperative infarction have had repeat postoperative coronary arteriograms. Seven had all grafts patent; three of these patients had hypokinesis of the infarcted wall. Four of the 11 patients had one or more occluded grafts; three of these patients had an area of hypokinesis. We conclude that intraoperative myocardial infarction is a common problem in aortocoronary bypass surgery and is not necessarily caused by graft occlusion.
Accuracy and reliability of disposable pressure transducers coupled with modern pressure monitors.

Objective To determine the bedside accuracy of direct patient pressure monitoring when used with new and clinically used disposable blood pressure (BP) transducers. Design Prospective study. Setting Laboratory bench and critical care units in an adult and children's hospital. Subjects Seventy-five bedside patient monitors (25 Marquette Electronics, 25 Spacelab Medical, and 25 Hewlett-Packard), and 100 disposable transducers (50 from Utah Medical Products and 50 from Abbott Critical Care Systems [25 new, 25 clinically used of each manufacturer]) were tested. Interventions None. Measurements and main results A +/- 2% accuracy requirement for bedside monitors and the +/- 3% American National Standards Institute accuracy standard for disposable BP transducers were used. To test the accuracy of the bedside monitors, a certified transducer simulator was used to apply 100 mm Hg to each bedside monitor. To test the accuracy of the disposable BP transducers, a very accurate (+/- 0.05%) pneumatic dead weight tester was used to apply pressures to the transducer. A digital power supply and a 6 1/2 digit voltmeter were used. The average output of the bedside monitors when 100 mm Hg was applied was 99.90 +/- 0.83 mm Hg, with the worst cases being 98 and 103 mm Hg. For all 100 disposable pressure transducers, the average output was 100.03 +/- 0.55 mm Hg, with the worst cases being 98.53 and 101.36 when 100 mm Hg was applied. There was no important difference in the accuracy of the transducers obtained from the two vendors nor whether the transducers had been used clinically. Conclusions All disposable BP transducers tested were much more accurate than the American National Standards Institute standard for accuracy. Even the worst case transducers were twice as accurate as required by the American National Standards Institute standard. Only one bedside monitor was outside the +/- 2% accuracy range (103 mm Hg). Based on these findings, this author recommends that fixed calibration disposable transducers and fixed calibration bedside pressure monitoring systems be used. The clinical risks of air embolism and infection from the calibrating mercury manometer and the complexity of the calibration task are the overriding factors for making these recommendations.
Educational Design and Learning - The Next Frontier for Human Factors/Ergonomics - Panel Summary

The purpose of this panel is to: (1) introduce the field of educational ergonomics as that branch of human factors/ergonomic (HF/E) science concerned with the interaction of educational performance...
Corticosteroid therapy of alcoholic hepatitis: how many studies will it take?

Study Objective: To determine the efficacy of a corticosteroid in reducing the short-term mortality of patients with 8evere alcoholic hepatitis. Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial. Setting: Four university teaching hospitals. Patients: We enrolled 66 patients with alcoholic hepatitis and either spontaneous hepatic encephalopathy or a discriminant function value greater than 32, calculated using the formula: 4.6(prothrombin time -control time) + serum bilirubin [in pmoUL]/17.1. Fifty-nine patients (89%)completed the study. Two patients withdrew from the trial. The other 64 patients were hospitalized for the duration of the trial: however, treatment was discontinued in 5 patients because of potential drug toxicity. Interventions: Patients were randomly assigned to receive either methylprednisolone (32 mg) or placebo within 7 days of admission. Treatment was given for 28 days. The doses were then tapered over 2 weeks and discontinued. Measurements and Main Results: The endpoint of the study was death. Of the 31 recipients of placebo, 11 (35%)died within 28 days of randomization compared with 2 (6%)of the 36 patients given methylprednisolone (p = 0.006). The 95% CI for the difference in mortality was 12% to 70%. In the patients with spontaneous hepatic encephalopathy at entry, 9 of 19 recipients of placebo died (47%)compared with 1 (7%)of the 14 patients given methylprednisolone (p = 0.02). The 95% CI for the difference in mortality was 14% to 66%. The Cox proportional hazards regression model showed the advantage of methylprednisolone over placebo after adjustment for other potentidy important prognostic variables (p = 0.004). Conclusions: Methylprednisolone therapy decreases short-term mortality in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis manifested either by spontaneous hepatic encephalopathy or a markedly elevated discriminant function value.
Effects of Harbor Modification on Crescent City, California’s Tsunami Vulnerability

More damaging tsunamis have impacted Crescent City, California in historic times than any other location on the West Coast of the USA. Crescent City’s harbor has undergone significant modification since the early 20th century, including construction of several breakwaters, dredging, and a 200 × 300 m2 small boat basin. In 2006, a Mw 8.3 earthquake in the Kuril Islands generated a moderate Pacific-wide tsunami. Crescent City recorded the highest amplitudes of any tide gauge in the Pacific and was the only location to experience structural damage. Strong currents damaged docks and boats within the small boat basin, causing more than US $20 million in damage and replacement costs. We examine how modifications to Crescent City’s harbor may have affected its vulnerability to moderate tsunamis such as the 2006 event. A bathymetric grid of the basin was constructed based on US Army Corps of Engineers soundings in 1964 and 1965 before the construction of the small boat basin. The method of splitting tsunamis was used to estimate tsunami water heights and current velocities at several locations in the harbor using both the 1964–1965 grid and the 2006 bathymetric grid for the 2006 Kuril event and a similar-sized source along the Sanriku coast of Japan. Model velocity outputs are compared for the two different bathymetries at the tide gauge location and at six additional computational sites in the harbor. The largest difference between the two grids is at the small boat basin entrance, where the 2006 bathymetry produces currents over three times the strength of the currents produced by the 1965 bathymetry. Peak currents from a Sanriku event are comparable to those produced by the 2006 event, and within the boat basin may have been higher. The modifications of the harbor, and in particular the addition of the small boat basin, appear to have contributed to the high current velocities and resulting damage in 2006 and help to explain why the 1933 Mw 8.4–8.7 Sanriku tsunami caused no damage at Crescent City.
The Presence of Sofía Imber

Sofia Imber has been a journalist and commentator, a museum founder and director. She condemns and deplores anti-Semitism in present-day Venezuela and the political use of artistic space.
A re-investigation of the thio effect at the hammerhead cleavage site

The effect of introducing a phosphorothioate at the hammerhead cleavage site was investigated using a kinetically well-characterized hammerhead. In buffers containing Mg ion, the RP-phosphorothioate isomer cleaved 2000- to 80 000-fold slower than the SPisomer or the unmodified RNA substrate. Addition of low concentrations of several thiophilic metal ions, especially Cd2+, to these reactions is sufficient to fully restore the cleavage rate of the RPsubstrate without affecting cleavage rate of the all-oxygen or SPsubstrate. Thus, a model proposing coordination of a divalent metal ion to the pro-R oxygen at the hammerhead cleavage site appears justified.
The World-System After the Cold War

The story of the US hegemonic era is the easiest to tell. At the end of World War II, the USA found itself in an exceptional position. Its basic economic forces had been growing steadily stronger in terms of technology, competitiveness, and quantitative share of world production for 100 years. World War II resulted in enormous physical destruction throughout the Eurasian land mass, and thus among all the potential economic rivals of the USA, both those who had been allies and those who had been foes during the war. The USA was thus able to establish a new world order, a pax americana, after the long disorder of 1914-45. The pax americana had four pillars. The first was the reconstruction of the major industrial powers, not only its long-time allies in western Europe, but its recent foes, Germany and Japan. Tne motives were multiple. The world-economy needed the reentry of these countries both as major producers and as major customers for US production. The USA needed a network of associates to maintain the world order. And, ideologically, the USA needed to propagate the idea of a 'free world' that was prosperous as a symbol of hope and therefore of moderation for the world's lower strata. The second pillar was an arrangement with the only other serious military power in the world, the USSR. The Soviet Union was ostensibly an ideological rival and potentially an expanding power. In fact, it was quite easy to come to an arrangement in which the Soviet Union had its reserved zone (the 'socialist bloc'). There were four conditions to the deal: there would be absolute peace in Europe; the two blocs would be territorially fixed; the two great powers would maintain internal order in their blocs; the socialist bloc would expect no help in reconstruction from the USA. There were, to be sure, many noisy quarrels, but since none of them ended in breaking the arrangement, we may assume that their purpose was largely for show. The third pillar was US internal unity built around the acceptance of US 'responsibility' in the world-system, anti-Communism at home and abroad, and the end of racial segregation. The fourth pillar was the slow political decolonization of the Third World and modest
The effect of routine use of a computer-aided detection system on the practice of breast imagers: a subjective assessment.

The optimal use of any technological tool, such as computer-aided detection (CAD), requires the user to both understand the strengths and limitations of the technology and feel at ease in adapting it into his or her practice. Much previous and ongoing effort has been directed to the study of the impact of CAD systems, in terms of device performance (eg, digitizer, detection algorithms) and clinical impact (eg, detection of cancers, recall rates) after implementation (1–5). However, to date, there is no published information about the perception of breast imagers with substantial experience in using mammography CAD with regard to what impact it had on their own practice. This is an important issue because breast imagers could ignore the CAD results altogether if they felt uncomfortable with the cueing results. Reimbursement for CAD would then in effect become an unnecessary expense. In addition, there may be an increase in liability for breast imagers in cases where CAD cues are actually correct but cancers were missed by the radiologist.
Pressure drop in fully developed, duct flow of dispersed liquid-vapor mixture at zero gravity

The dynamics of steady, fully developed dispersed liquid-vapor flow in a straight duct at 0-g is simulated by flowing water containing n-butyl benzoate droplets. Water and benzoate are immiscible and have identical density at room temperature. The theoretical basis of the simulation is given. Experiments showed that, for a fixed combined flow rate of water and benzoate, the frictional pressure drop is unaffected by large changes in the volume fraction of benzoate drops and their size distribution. Measured power spectra of the static wall pressure fluctuations induced by the turbulent water-benzoate flow also revealed that their dynamics is essentially unaltered by the presence of the droplets. These experimental findings, together with the theoretical analysis, led to the conclusion that the pressure drop in fully developed, dispersed liquid-vapor flow in straight ducts of constant cross section at 0-g is identical to that due to liquid flowing alone at the same total volumetric flow rate of the liquid-vapor mixture and, therefore, can be readily determined.
Public understanding of the politics of global warming in the news media: the hostile media approach:

This study uses the politics of global warming in the US to investigate an affective mechanism of hostile media perception and the democratic consequences of such perception, in an effort to delineate audience and journalistic barriers to stimulating urgent concern about climate change. The study confirms that partisanship played a significant role in perceptual differences with regard to media bias in an important area of science journalism--climate change. News consumers' anger perception was tested as a mediator in seeking an affective mechanism of hostile media perception. Hostile media perception has important democratic consequences in that it is positively associated with individuals' trust in news coverage of global warming and with selective media use.
Synthesis, characterization, and physical properties of two new magnetic organic metals, [BEDT-TTF]4[C(CN)2CONH2]CuX2 (X = Cl and Br0. 77Cl0. 22)

Abstract Two new BEDT-TTF based charge transfer salts, [BEDT-TTF]4[C(CN)2CONH2]CuX2 (X = Cl and Br0.77Cl0.22) have been synthesized and characterized with use of x-ray diffraction, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), and Raman spectroscopy. ESR spectroscopy reveals that the anion layer contains 3% of paramagnetic Cu(II) species which exhibit Curie-Weiss behavior with a Weiss constant of θ =-2.8 K. Both compounds are metallic below 150 K. AC susceptibility, RF penetration depth, and RF impedance measurements under pressure do not reveal signals of superconductivity.
Obstructive sleep apnea: electromyographic and fiberoptic studies

Abstract Seventeen predominantly obstructive sleep apnea patients and four normal controls (all adult males) underwent one or both investigative protocols: (A) A fiberoptic endoscope was introduced intranasally into the pharynx and subjects were monitored continuously and filmed intermittently during wakefulness and sleep. (B) Muscles selected because of their anatomical importance in maintaining the oropharynx during the respiratory cycle were electromyographically implanted intraorally or, in tracheostomy patients, at time of surgery, and subjects were polygraphically monitored during wakefulness and sleep. In both protocols, standard electroencephalogram, chin electromyogram (EMG), electrooculogram (EOG), and respiration were monitored simultaneously. During fiberoptic studies obstructive apnea during sleep first appeared as a partial or total invagination of the posterolateral pharyngeal walls, while the laryngeal inlet remained patent. EMG recordings showed normal firing patterns in patients during unobstructed sleep. During sleep-induced obstructive apnea, however, a significant decrease or complete disappearance of EMG activity was observed in the palatoglossus, palatopharyngeus, genioglossus, superior and middle constrictors of the pharynx, and stylopharyngeus. The obstruction involves absence, during inspiration, of the activity in the pharyngeal dilators needed to counteract the loads abruptly imposed by intrathoracic negative pressure changes.
Three-dimensional man-machine interaction

The film accompanied by this paper illustrates an experimental system for real-time Computer-Aided Geometric Design of three-dimensional parametric surfaces. A detailed description of the system is given in another paper by the author(1). Its principle features are that it operates in real-time, all geometric interaction with the surfaces is accomplished with a 3-D Wand, the surfaces are viewed in 3-D using a head-mounted display, and the surfaces are mathematically represented using parametric spline surface patches.The two principle computing components of the system are a PDP-10 computer and an LDS-1 display computer. The PDP-10 acts as a host to the LDS-1. Its main tasks each 1/30 second are to compute the 3-D Wand and head-mounted display positions and to incrementally update the geometries of the surface patches being designed by the user. During the same time period, the LDS-1 loads its digital matrix multiplier with the room-to-head transformation matrix provided to it by the PDP-10, displays on the head-mounted display's CRT's a line drawn rendering of all of the parametric surface patches that are within the 40 degree field-of-view of the display and displays a small cube to represent the current position of the Wand.The user of the system initiates a design sequence by selecting a patch description file from the PDP-10's file system. He then puts on the head-mounted display and uses the 3-D Wand with its control buttons to grasp the patches, which appear to float before him in the room, and make appropriate changes to their geometry. After a design sequence he may save the new surfaces on the PDP-10 file system and select certain views of the surfaces to be rendered as a continuous-tone shaded picture with hidden-surfaces removed.The first part of the film described here shows the system in real-time operation. During this part, several free-form surfaces are manipulated as the camera records the action on a line-drawing monitor. The second part of the film illustrates a continuous-tone, shaded rendering of a design sequence. The continuous-tone rendering was produced "off-line" using pertinent viewpoint information that was saved during the design sequence. The final few minutes of the film depict the construction of a Klein-Bottle.
Impact of solar radiation on aerosol-cloud interactions in thin stratocumulus clouds

Abstract. This study examines the role of solar radiation in the effect of aerosols on liquid-water path (LWP) in thin, marine stratocumulus clouds with LWP of ~50 g m −2 or less by performing four sets of simulations with different solar radiation. Each set is composed of a simulation with present-day (PD) aerosols and a simulation with preindustrial (PI) aerosols. As solar radiation increases, decoupling within the marine boundary layer (MBL) becomes stronger, leading to less condensation and less LWP and thus the absence of the surface precipitation. This enables the evaporation of rain to affect the cloud-base instability. As rain evaporation increases due to more conversion of cloud liquid to rain in the PI case, the cloud-base instability increases and thus updrafts increase which leads to larger LWP in the PI case than in the PD case. In the cases with no surface precipitation, when solar radiation decreases and thus decoupling becomes weaker, rain evaporation and cloud-base instability become larger, which increases the LWP more with PI aerosols than with PD aerosols. As solar radiation decreases further, condensation and, thus, the LWP increase, which leads to the presence of the surface precipitation. This stabilizes the entire MBL and thus prevents the interactions that cause the evaporation of rain to enhance the cloud-base instability. In cases with the surface precipitation, the in-cloud interactions among cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC), supersaturation, and updrafts play an important role in the effect of aerosols on the LWP; these in-cloud interactions produce larger LWP with the PD aerosols than with the PI aerosols. In a case with lower solar radiation and with surface precipitation, weaker decoupling induces stronger in-cloud interactions, which results in larger increases in LWP with PD aerosols compared to PI aerosols than that in a case with higher solar radiation. The results of this study demonstrate that solar radiation can act as an important environmental factor by inducing a large variation in the LWP and by changing the sign of aerosol effects on the LWP of thin stratocumulus clouds. Hence, the effect of solar radiation on decoupling and thus on the feedbacks between microphysics and dynamics needs to be included in climate models for a better prediction of the effect of aerosols on clouds and thus climate.
Computer Anxiety and Computer Attitudes: An Investigation of Construct and Predictive Validity Issues

Factor analysis of several computer attitude and anxiety scales suggested that computer anxiety and attitude toward computers should be treated as separate constructs. Some evidence of the convergent validity of the computer anxiety construct was demonstrated. However, the predictive validity of computer anxiety and various computer attitudes was low.
Correlation between helium mole fraction and plasma bullet propagation in low temperature plasma jets

A helium flow dynamics simulation is performed along the propagation region of the plasma bullet to determine the minimum helium mole fraction value necessary to sustain its propagation. The plasma bullet launches from a plasma jet device called the 'plasma pencil' driven by unipolar square nanosecond high voltage pulses and propagates in the surrounding air. During its propagation, air molecules diffuse into the path/helium channel of the plasma bullet. It is found that if the ratio of air molecules to helium atoms exceeds a certain limit, the plasma bullet propagation is inhibited. In this study, the helium mole fraction limits are estimated for different operating conditions of the plasma pencil.
Clinical and developmental implications of memory and affect in children

Therapy with children requires attention to their ability to remember affectively charged events. Experimental research can shed light on this process.
Determination of the Molecular Species Composition of Bovine Milk Serum Lecithin

Abstract The molecular species of bovine milk serum lecithin were determined by a multistep procedure involving their conversion to aceto-1,2-diglycerides, fractionation of these compounds by argentation-thin-layer chromatography, liquid-liquid partition chromatography and, finally, by an isomer analysis via pancreatic lipase hydrolysis. The combination of techniques gave a quantitative analysis of 93 molecular species of this lecithin, ranging in amounts greater than 0.01%. Some species were present in lesser amounts and 113 of the theoretically possible 196 molecular species differing by one carbon atom or one double bond were detected.
Ethanol directly excites dopaminergic ventral tegmental area reward neurons.

Background : The mesolimbic/mesoeortical dopamine pathway mediates the rewarding effects of ethanol and other drugs of abuse like cocaine and opiates. Dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) arc the cells of origin of the mesolimbic/mesocortical dopamine pathway. Ethanol's rewarding properties result from its ability to excite dopaminergic cell bodies in the VTA which results in increased dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. Many recent papers have speculated that ethanol excitation of dopaminergic VTA neurons is indirect, either that ethanol acts on GABAergic or other interneurons, which in turn modulate the activity of dopaminergic VTA neurons, or that ethanol modulates the action of neurotransmitter-gated ion channels in the VTA. Methods : VTA neurons were acutely dissociated and plated onto a cover slip in an electrophysiological recording chamber. These neurons generated spontaneous action potentials which could be measured with cell attached loose patch recording. The dissociation procedure truncated the dendritic trees, severed synaptic contacts and widely dispersed these neurons. Dopamine (10–50 nM) and ethanol (20–120 mM) were bath applied and their effects on firing rate were measured. After some experiments, plated cells were fixed and processed for immunostaining of tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme in dopamine synthesis. Results : All neurons met electrophysiological criteria previously established for dopaminergic VTA neurons. Dopamine inhibited all VTA neurons tested, indicating the presence of dopamine autoreceptors. All neurons identified as dopaminergic by these electrophysiological and pharmacological criteria, and that were processed for immunohistochemistry, stained positive for tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity. All acutely dissociated VTA neurons, identified as dopaminergic by electrophysiological, pharmacological and immunohistochemical criteria, were robustly excited by behaviorally relevant concentrations of ethanol. The ethanol-induced excitation was concentration-dependent. Conclusions : These data provide strong evidence that ethanol directly excites dopaminergic VTA neurons, 21s this excitation still occurs in the absence of input from surrounding neurons.
A comparative study on interpolation methods for controlled cardiac CT

Bai et al. recently proposed to acquire random fan-beam-cone-beam projections with a linear-planar detector from a circular scanning locus for controlled cardiac computed tomography (CT). After specifying a uniform acquisition geometry required by FBP (filtration-backprojection), we rebin the random fan-beam-cone-beam data via nearest-neighbor, quadrilateral and triangle-based linear interpolation methods. The fan-beam and parallel-beam FBP algorithms are employed for rebinned fan-beam projections. The FDK (Feldkamp–Davis–Kress) and t-FDK (tent-FDK) methods are employed for rebinned cone-beam data. Also, nonuniform weighting fan-beam-FDK methods are used to reconstruct without rebinning. As a benchmark, the images are reconstructed using uniform weighting fan-beam-FDK method from data collected at the specified uniform grid. To evaluate the different methods, effects of increasing the number of projections and adding Poisson noise are studied. The root mean square error (RMSE) is used to quantify the image quality by numerical tests with the cardiac phantom. Our results show that it is helpful to perform data interpolation for improvements of the image quality in controlled cardiac CT from random projections. Our simulations indicate that triangular interpolation gives the most satisfactory result for improved image quality whereas quadrilateral interpolationgives the best noise performance. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 17, 91–98, 2007
On the Joint Distribution ofq-Additive Functions in Residue Classes

Abstract Let S q ( n ) denote the sum of digits of n in base q . For given pairwise coprime bases q 1 , …, q l and arbitrary residue classes a i mod m i ( i =1, mldr;, l), we obtain an estimate with error term O ( N 1− δ ) for the quantity #{0⩽n S q i (n)≡a i mod m i (i=1, …, l)}, which extends results of J. Besineau and establishes a conjecture of A. O. Gelfond. More generally, we obtain estimate of this type with each S q i replaced by an arbitrary integer-valued completely q i -additive function.
The Mentally Ill in Greece: Starvation During the Winter of the Nazi Occupation

In pre-World War II Greece, mental illness and mental retardation carried significant stigma, and treatment for these conditions was far from adequate. Mental health had never been high on the political agenda. Following the defeat of Greece by Turkey in 1922, the increasing numbers of inmates of psychiatric institutions made conditions in such hospitals deplorable. This article investigates whether the quality of life for psychiatric patients further deteriorated during the German occupation and the civil war that followed. The war years were a time of great hardship for all the citizens of Greece. For those in the asylums, the hardship was much greater. Patients were neglected both by their families and by a professional staff depleted by war. Parts of asylums were used as army barracks or arsenals, resulting in cramped living conditions for patients. The occupying forces imposed strict food rationing and, during the winter of 1941-1942, fully half the population of psychiatric asylums died of starvatio...
The Impact of Marijuana Use on Glucose, Insulin, and Insulin Resistance among US Adults

BACKGROUND: There are limited data regarding the relationship between cannabinoids and metabolic processes. Epidemiologic studies have found lower prevalence rates of obesity and diabetes mellitus in marijuana users compared with people who have never used marijuana, suggesting a relationship between cannabinoids and peripheral metabolic processes. To date, no study has investigated the relationship between marijuana use and fasting insulin, glucose, and insulin resistance. METHODS: We included 4657 adult men and women from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 to 2010. Marijuana use was assessed by self-report in a private room. Fasting insulin and glucose were measured via blood samples after a 9-hour fast, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated to evaluate insulin resistance. Associations were estimated using multiple linear regression, accounting for survey design and adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Of the participants in our study sample, 579 were current marijuana users and 1975 were past users. In multivariable adjusted models, current marijuana use was associated with 16% lower fasting insulin levels (95% confidence interval [CI], � 26, � 6) and 17% lower HOMA-IR (95% CI, � 27, � 6). We found significant associations between marijuana use and smaller waist circumferences. Among current users, we found no significant dose-response. CONCLUSIONS: We found that marijuana use was associated with lower levels of fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, and smaller waist circumference.
CHLOROPHYLL a FLUORESCENCE YIELD IN LIVE CELLS AND SOLUTIONS

— Fluorescence yields of chlorophyll a in ether and methanol solutions (Fs), on the one hand, and in Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Anacystis nidulans cells (Fc), on the other hand, were determined by excitation at 600 mμ (instead of at 436 mμ, as was done in earlier research in our, and other, laboratories). The ratio of the yields Fs/Fc, was found to be 5.9 for Chlorella (compared to an ether solution of chlorophyll a), and of 4.5 (as compared to a methanol solution—not too different from the corresponding ratios of fluorescence lifetimes, τs/τc which were determined earlier as 3.1 and 4, respectively. The much higher values of the yield ratio, previously reported for Chlorella (about 13, compared to chlorophyll a in ether solution), may have been due to disregard of light absorption in carotenoids in live cells; and perhaps also to quenching of chlorophyll excitation by carotenoids. The latter can occur (as suggested in an earlier publication) when chlorophyll is excited to its second singlet excited state. For Anacystis, the yield ratios were now found to be 5.1 and 3.8, when compared to ether and methanol solutions respectively; while the previously determined lifetime ratios were 3.7 and 4.9, respectively. It remains to be seen whether the remaining differences between the lifetime ratios and the yield ratios are real and significant.
Development and Evaluation of a Coupled Photosynthesis-Based Gas Exchange Evapotranspiration Model (GEM) for Mesoscale Weather Forecasting Applications

Current land surface schemes used for mesoscale weather forecast models use the Jarvis-type stomatal resistance formulations for representing the vegetation transpiration processes. The Jarvis scheme, however, despite its robustness, needs significant tuning of the hypothetical minimum-stomatal resistance term to simulate surface energy balances. In this study, the authors show that the Jarvis-type stomatal resistance/transpiration model can be efficiently replaced in a coupled land‐atmosphere model with a photosynthesis-based scheme and still achieve dynamically consistent results. To demonstrate this transformative potential, the authors developed and coupled a photosynthesis, gas exchange‐based surface evapotranspiration model (GEM) as a land surface scheme for mesoscale weather forecasting model applications. The GEM was dynamically coupled with a prognostic soil moisture‐soil temperature model and an atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) model. This coupled system was then validated over different natural surfaces including temperate C4 vegetation (prairie grass and corn field) and C3 vegetation (soybean, fallow, and hardwood forest) under contrasting surface conditions (such as different soil moisture and leaf area index). Results indicated that the coupled model was able to realistically simulate the surface fluxes and the boundary layer characteristics over different landscapes. The surface energy fluxes, particularly for latent heat, are typically within 10%‐20% of the observations without any tuning of the biophysical‐vegetation characteristics, and the response to the changes in the surface characteristics is consistent with observations and theory. This result shows that photosynthesis-based transpiration/stomatal resistance models such as GEM, despite various complexities, can be applied for mesoscale weather forecasting applications. Future efforts for understanding the different scaling parameterizations and for correcting errors for low soil moisture and/or wilting vegetation conditions are necessary to improve model performance. Results from this study suggest that the GEM approach using the photosynthesis-based soil vegetation atmosphere transfer (SVAT) scheme is thus superior to the Jarvis-based approaches. Currently GEM is being implemented within the Noah land surface model for the community Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Advanced Research Version Modeling System (ARW) and the NCAR high-resolution land data assimilation system (HRLDAS), and validation is under way.
Benefits And Costs Of Immunizing Children Against Influenza At School: An Economic Analysis Based On A Large-Cluster Controlled Clinical Trial

ABSTRACT: Current influenza vaccination recommendations focus on immunizing high-risk people; however, influenza mortality and morbidity remain elevated. U.S. policymakers are considering expansion...
Solidification processing of alloys in the pseudo-binary PbTe–Sb2Te3 system

Abstract The effects of composition and cooling rate on the microstructures of alloys in the pseudo-binary PbTe–Sb 2 Te 3 system were investigated as a first step towards the design of nanostructured materials with enhanced thermoelectric properties. Liquid alloys of three different compositions were cooled in three distinct ways: water quenching, air cooling and furnace cooling. The resultant structures and phases were examined by electron microscopy, electron microprobe chemical analysis and electron backscatter diffraction. The compound Pb 2 Sb 6 Te 11 precipitated as a metastable phase (in conjunction with PbTe and/or Sb 2 Te 3 ) under all conditions. Furthermore, whereas PbTe exhibited dendritic morphology, Sb 2 Te 3 and Pb 2 Sb 6 Te 11 crystallized as lamellar platelets with preferred (0 0 1) orientation. The range of cooling rates was from ∼1 to 26 K/s, while the characteristic microstructural feature size ranged from 10 to 35 μm for dendrites, and from 15 to 50 μm for lamella. The prospects for achieving nanoscale structure are discussed.
Behavioral and Chemical Ecology of Marine Organisms with Respect to Tetrodotoxin

The behavioral and chemical ecology of marine organisms that possess tetrodotoxin (TTX) has not been comprehensively reviewed in one work to date. The evidence for TTX as an antipredator defense, as venom, as a sex pheromone, and as an attractant for TTX-sequestering organisms is discussed. Little is known about the adaptive value of TTX in microbial producers; thus, I focus on what is known about metazoans that are purported to accumulate TTX through diet or symbioses. Much of what has been proposed is inferred based on the anatomical distribution of TTX. Direct empirical tests of these hypotheses are absent in most cases.
Making students do the thinking: team-based learning in a laboratory course

Team-based learning (TBL) is a teaching pedagogy for flipping the classroom that moves the focus of the classroom from the instructor conveying course concepts via lecture to the application of concepts by student teams. It has been used extensively in lecture courses; however, there is little evidence of its use in laboratory courses. The purpose of this report is to describe the implementation of TBL in a graduate exercise physiology laboratory course. Using TBL in a graduate laboratory course was very successful and well received by both the students and instructor. Students reported increased content learning, skill development, and retention. They took on the responsibility for learning and were more accountable. The learners drove the process and were guided by the instructor rather than through instructor-centered delivery.
ATM switch design using code division multiple access techniques

In this paper, we present a new architecture for an electronic implementation of an ATM switch using a technique from spread spectrum communications known as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). In a CDMA-based ATM switch, each output port is assigned a unique code word from an orthogonal set of code words. Each input data stream is encoded using the code word corresponding to its intended destination output port. Coded data from different input ports are then added together and broadcast to all of the output ports. Each output port is able to select its appropriate data stream using coding theory. In this way, complex internal routing within the switching fabric is avoided. In our basic method, the input data are expanded by a factor equal to the number of bits in a code word. A second, more sophisticated method called exponential extension is also introduced to reduce the data expansion rate so that more efficient hardware implementations can be obtained.
Mail advertising and consumer behavior

This paper examines some trends in mail advertising and presents some findings from a longitudinal study on mail sent to and from U.S. households. Data from 1987 and 1991 interviews and diaries of a national probability sample of U.S. households were compared. As the third largest advertising medium, mail has grown in market share in the past decade as traditional advertising media declined or stayed the same. The paper examines how consumers feel, perceive and respond to the advertising mail they receive. It also explores how characteristics of the senders and recipients, factors outside the mail piece and the type of mail piece, influence consumer attitudes, perceptions, and treatment of the mail received. The paper concludes with recommendations to advertisers, marketers, and fundraisers for future research and for increasing the effectiveness of mail in their marketing mix. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
An automated interference analysis model for modern radar systems

The Radar Receiver System Model (RRSM), an automated model for performing an electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) analysis on the signal processing of modern search radars, is described. The discussion includes the modeling approach, a description of the model, an analysis of a radar receiver in the presence of pulsed undesired signals, and an example of the application of model results to performing an EMC analysis on a selected airborne radar system. RRSM, a full-screen user-interactive computer program, is designed to enable the analyst to study the effects of the intermediate-frequency (IF) filter and signal processing on an interfering signal. >
A noniterative greedy algorithm for multiframe point correspondence

This work presents a framework for finding point correspondences in monocular image sequences over multiple frames. The general problem of multiframe point correspondence is NP-hard for three or more frames. A polynomial time algorithm for a restriction of this problem is presented and is used as the basis of the proposed greedy algorithm for the general problem. The greedy nature of the proposed algorithm allows it to be used in real-time systems for tracking and surveillance, etc. In addition, the proposed algorithm deals with the problems of occlusion, missed detections, and false positives by using a single noniterative greedy optimization scheme and, hence, reduces the complexity of the overall algorithm as compared to most existing approaches where multiple heuristics are used for the same purpose. While most greedy algorithms for point tracking do not allow the entry and exit of the points from the scene, this is not a limitation for the proposed algorithm. Experiments with real and synthetic data over a wide range of scenarios and system parameters are presented to validate the claims about the performance of the proposed algorithm.