cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Relationship between Pitching Volume and Arm Soreness in Collegiate Baseball Pitchers

Background Excessive baseball pitch volume has been associated with increased risk of injury in adolescents. However, many collegiate athletes report non-time loss injuries over the course of the season. It is unknown how pitch volume throughout a collegiate baseball season affects arm soreness. Purpose The primary purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between pitch volume and self-reported arm soreness. A secondary purpose was to determine the relationship between change in pitch volume and change in arm soreness over the course of the season for collegiate baseball pitchers. Study design Prospective Cohort. Methods Seven collegiate baseball pitchers volunteered to participate in a yearlong prospective study. The seven pitchers reported daily pitch volume and level of soreness from the fall through spring collegiate baseball season during practices and games. The athletic trainer, a member of the research team, tracked athletic exposures and injuries for the entire season. Frequency counts of athletic exposures were categorized by game, practice, conditioning and injury status. Frequency counts of pitch volume was categorized by game, game bullpen, practice bullpen, flat ground, long toss and warm-up pitches. The pitch volume and soreness levels for each athlete were used to determine the relationship between these two variables using a Pearson correlation. Results The seven pitchers were involved with 1,256 athletic exposures and a total of 54,151 throws, averaging 7,735 throws per player for the entire season. The pitch volume and self-reported arm soreness for the entire season revealed a correlation of r = .72 (p = .004). The relationship between change in pitch volume and change in arm soreness was r = .635 (p = .001) over the season. Conclusion There was a moderate significant correlation between arm soreness and pitch volume across the whole season. This relationship was maintained when evaluating weekly changes. Level of evidence 4.
Myosin-X Silencing in the Trabecular Meshwork Suggests a Role for Tunneling Nanotubes in Outflow Regulation.

Purpose The actin cytoskeleton plays a key role in outflow regulation through the trabecular meshwork (TM). Although actin stress fibers are a target of glaucoma therapies, the role of other actin cellular structures is unclear. Myosin-X (Myo10) is an actin-binding protein that is involved in tunneling nanotube (TNT) and filopodia formation. Here, we inhibited Myo10 pharmacologically or by gene silencing to investigate the role of filopodia/TNTs in the TM. Methods Short hairpin RNA interference (RNAi) silencing lentivirus targeting myosin-X (shMyo10) was generated. Human anterior segments were perfused with shMyo10 or CK-666, an Arp2/3 inhibitor. Confocal microscopy investigated the colocalization of Myo10 with matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs). Western immunoblotting investigated the protein levels of MMPs and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. MMP activity and phagocytosis assays were performed. Results CK-666 and shMyo10-silencing lentivirus caused a significant reduction in outflow rates in anterior segment perfusion culture, an ex vivo method to study intraocular pressure regulation. In human TM cells, Myo10 colocalized with MMP2, MMP14, and cortactin in podosome-like structures, which function as regions of focal ECM degradation. Furthermore, MMP activity, thrombospondin-1 and SPARC protein levels were significantly reduced in the media of CK-666-treated and shMyo10-silenced TM cells. However, neither Myo10 silencing or CK-666 treatment significantly affected phagocytic uptake. Conclusions Inhibiting filopodia/TNTs caused opposite effects on outflow compared with inhibiting stress fibers. Moreover, Myo10 may also play a role in focal ECM degradation in TM cells. Our results provide additional insight into the function of actin supramolecular assemblies and actin-binding proteins in outflow regulation.
Egypt: Defeat and the Transformation of State and Society

In this chapter, I show how the June 1967 defeat shook the foundations of the Egyptian polity and generated instability, changes in the relative power of social classes, ideological vacuum, national identity crisis, and radicalization of the domestic political landscape—represented by both secular revolutionary leftism and militant Islamism. In this complex case, defeat had variable impacts on state and society. With respect to the state, defeat caused a rightward shift in domestic and foreign policies. Contrary to what some societal forces desired, the ‘state’ pursued neither a shift to the left nor revolutionary transformation. The ignominious fall forced the ruling elites to pursue an alternative foreign policy, one focused on compromises and alignment with the US. However, the impact of defeat on societal actors is a totally different story: the aftermath witnessed increasing leftist radicalization and the resurgence and consolidation of Islamic fundamentalism. The radical left pushed for a complete break with the past; sought total secularization, revolution, and popular war; and held religion itself responsible for the defeat, while Islamic fundamentalists looked for historical roots, advocated a return to the fundamentals of religion, and dreamed of the restoration of an imagined Islamic golden age.
Heterogeneous Multi-Mobile Computing

As smartphones and tablets proliferate, there is a growing demand for multi-mobile computing, the ability to combine multiple mobile systems into more capable ones. We present M2, a system for multi-mobile computing that enables existing unmodified mobile apps to share and combine multiple devices, including cameras, displays, speakers, microphones, sensors, GPS, and input. M2 introduces a new data-centric approach that leverages higher-level device abstractions and hardware acceleration to efficiently share device data, not API calls. To support heterogeneous devices, M2 introduces device transformation, a new technique to mix and match different types of devices. Example transformations include combining multiple displays into a single larger display for better viewing, or substituting accelerometer for touchscreen input to provide a Nintendo Wii-like experience with existing mobile gaming apps. We have implemented M2 and show that it (1) operates across heterogeneous systems, including multiple versions of Android and iOS, (2) can enable unmodified Android apps to use multiple mobile devices in new and powerful ways, including supporting users with disabilities and better audio conferencing, and (3) can run apps across mobile systems with modest overhead and qualitative performance indistinguishable from using local device hardware.
Examining the Psychosocial Needs of Adolescents With Craniofacial Conditions: A Mixed-Methods Approach.

Objective:To determine, for intervention development, the psychosocial needs of adolescents diagnosed with a craniofacial condition who attended focus group sessions.Design:A mixed-methods design c...
Tumor and Host Factors Regulating Anti-tumor Immunity and Immunotherapy Efficacy

Abstract Characterization of the "T cell-inflamed" and "non-T cell-inflamed" tumor microenvironments has generated a framework for identifying immunotherapeutic targets and for understanding mechanisms of efficacy versus resistance. The T cell-inflamed phenotype includes expression of chemokines, T cell markers, and a type I IFN signature, whereas the non-T cell-inflamed phenotype lacks these factors and appears to display immune "exclusion". The mechanisms of immune escape are likely distinct in these two subsets, and therefore the optimal immunotherapeutic interventions necessary to promote clinical responses may be different. The T cell-inflamed tumor microenvironment subset shows the highest expression of negative regulatory factors, including PD-L1, IDO, and FoxP3+ Tregs. Deep analysis of tumor antigen-specific T cells in the tumor microenvironment has identified additional mechanisms of immune dysfunction and new potential therapeutic targets, beyond PD-1. In contrast to the T cell-inflamed tumors, non-T cell-inflamed tumors are largely immunotherapy resistant with current approaches. Natural innate immune sensing of tumors appears to occur via the host STING pathway, type I IFN production, and cross-priming of T cells via Batf3-lineage DCs. New strategies are being developed to engage or mimic this pathway, including STING agonists, TLR agonists, and other innate immune activators. The molecular mechanisms that mediate the absence of the T cell-inflamed tumor microenvironment in patients are being elucidated using parallel genomics platforms and include tumor-intrinsic oncogenic events, germline polymorphisms in immune regulatory genes, and the composition of the commensal microbiota. Each of these is giving rise to new therapeutic strategies to improve spontaneous immune infiltration and expand immunotherapy efficacy.
Closed-End Funds Issues and Studies

This chapter provides brief reviews of the numerous articles that investigate various aspects of closed-end fund (CEF) pricing. Much of the research focuses on the causes of the existence and persistence of fund share price discounts to net asset value. These works span the past half century and have yielded many results including the following: (1) market frictions, such as expenses and capital gains effects, only partially explain the existence of discounts; (2) country funds which target countries having international investment restrictions tend to sell at premiums to net asset value; (3) investors who purchase most fund IPOs usually experience poor initial returns; (4) large discounts tend to be associated with periods of market pessimism, and these discounts narrow during periods of euphoria; and (5) the mean reverting behavior of discounts appears to be responsible for the profitable discount-based trading strategies reported by some authors.
Sleep endoscopy-directed management of Arnold-Chiari malformation: a child with persistent obstructive sleep apnea.

Arnold-Chiari malformations are structural defects in the base of the skull and cerebellum, when part of the cerebellar tonsils herniates through the foramen magnum into the upper spinal canal, com...
The Engagement and Performance Operations Center: EPOC

In 2018, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) funded the Engagement and Performance Operations Center (EPOC), a joint project between Indiana University (IU) and the Department of Energy's Energy Science Network (ESnet), to work with domain scientists to accelerate the ability of distributed collaborations to share data in order to reach broader science goals. The goal of this funding was to create an operations center for engagement - including definition of formal processes, tracking of engagements, and funded staff, not simply best effort by volunteers, with a goal of enabling digital societies to better share scientific data.
Examining variable nurse practitioner independence across jurisdictions: A case study of the United States.

Abstract Background Nurse Practitioners have the potential to reduce primary care shortages for underserved populations. Yet, scopes of practice in some political jurisdictions (e.g. states, provinces) are more restrictive than others, and prevent Nurse Practitioners from working to the full extent of their training. The research is limited as to which intrastate or interstate characteristics contribute to understanding why scope of practice differences exist. Objectives To estimate associations between intrastate/interstate characteristics and US state-level Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice policy. Research design Retrospective study of state-level factors influencing Nurse Practitioner Scopes of Practice. Subjects U.S. states from 2001 to 2015. Measures Our dependent variable is state-level Scope of Practice policy, indicating the extent to which Nurse Practitioners are autonomous in a state (Independent, Collaboration or Supervision). The intrastate characteristics that we include are numbers of Nurse Practitioners, Primary Care Physicians and rural hospitals per capita, state Board of Medicine governance and Nursing License Compact membership. We also measure the number of border-states that adopt specific policies in order to indicate the extent to which interstate characteristics influence focal states to adopt similar policies. Results Among intrastate characteristics, we found that rural hospital concentrations (Odds Ratio=0.78; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.71–0.85) and Nursing License Compact membership (Odds Ratio=0.23; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.0–0.60) were associated with lower levels of restrictions, while Board of Medicine governance (Odds Ratio=27.36; 95% Confidence Interval: 5.75–130.20) was associated with increased levels of restrictions. Among interstate characteristics, higher numbers of border-states adopting Nursing License Compact membership (Odds Ratio=0.51; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.32–0.80) was associated with lower levels of restrictions. Conclusions Barriers to Nurse Practitioner independence are largely attributable to unfavorable governance arrangements and non-participation in reciprocal licensing networks. Achieving Nurse Practitioner independence will require cooperation between nursing, medicine and policy makers. We offer some suggestions as to where parties interested in seeing increased Nurse Practitioner independence should focus their efforts when attempting to remove restrictions on Nurse Practitioner practice.
The technological advancements that enabled the age of big data in the environmental sciences: A history and future directions

Abstract Advancements in environmental sensors and laboratory instrumentation are inherently linked with Big Data in environmental chemistry. Technological advancements in instrumentation have greatly increased the throughput and precision of measuring chemical, biological, and physical variability and have also resulted in the generation of vast quantities of digital data that can be used to monitor the fate of chemicals in the environment. However, many challenges to accessing and analyzing these data are proving persistent. This review provides a brief overview of the technological advancements that enabled the age of Big Data in the environmental chemistry, the current status of data integration in the environmental sciences, and areas of opportunity for more efficient data integration and comprehensive environmental study, particularly accessibility and use by a multidisciplinary audience.
Evaluating fishery management strategies using an ecosystem model as an operating model

Abstract Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) is an effective tool to gauge the relative performance of fishery management options. For the most part, MSEs have been applied to single-species management procedures. However, to be more inclusive of all the biological and technical interactions occurring within a system, ecosystem-based strategies are emerging. In order to test the feasibility of these strategies, a full ecosystem model should be used as an operating model. Mass balance food web models include many features that managers are interested in and therefore can be useful as an operating model. Until recently, full feedback interactions between a management strategy and a mass balance operating model were impractical. However, with the development of Rpath, users now have the ability to fully customize their mass balance models. We developed new functionality for the Rpath modelling framework that allows it to be used as a flexible operating model. Using an example Georges Bank model, we demonstrate how Rpath can now pause the simulation, evaluate an external model, and use the results to modify the parameters of the operating model. This new flexibility will allow users to test a variety of management strategies or couple to other models making Rpath a valuable tool for conducting MSEs.
Atomic population transfer for single- and N-photon wavepackets

We investigate the most energy-efficient way to transfer population in a three-level atom in the lambda configuration, under conditions of very strong coupling to a one-dimensional waveguide. We start with the ideal situation in which a single-photon pulse can yield a perfect transfer, through the process known as “single-photon Raman interaction,” and then consider how to improve the transfer probability by adding as few photons as possible when these ideal conditions are not met. We find that under a broad range of conditions, the failure probability can be made to decrease exponentially with the average number of photons in a coherent-state wavepacket. We also find that, in general, under these conditions, it is preferable to increase the number of photons in the single “pump” pulse than to add a second (“Stokes”) pulse on the second leg of the lambda configuration.
Clinical Implications of Multiplex Pathogen Panels for the Diagnosis of Acute Viral Gastroenteritis.

Acute gastroenteritis remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality both in high and low-resource settings. The development of nucleic acid based testing has demonstrated that viruses are a common, yet often undetected, cause of acute gastroenteritis. The development of multiplex pathogen PCR panels makes it possible to detect these viral pathogens with greater sensitivity and rapidity than with previous methods. At present, there is insufficient evidence to recommend the routine use of these panels for the average patient with acute gastroenteritis. However, there are specific scenarios and patient populations such as epidemiology/outbreak surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship, and the care of immunocompromised patients where these tests could be clinically useful today. Further research on the effect of these syndromic panels on provider antibiotic prescribing behavior and patient length of stay will be necessary in order to know their ultimate role in clinical practice.
Students’ Civic Engagement Self-Efficacy Varies Across Socioscientific Issues Contexts

In STEM learning focused on science literacy, socioscientific issues instruction is often proposed as a way to bolster students’ civic engagement, however few studies in science education have explicitly examined this connection. We define civic engagement as the work of influencing legitimately public matters using means within the existing political structure. In this work we investigate students’ feelings of self-efficacy for this type of civic engagement in the context of four socioscientific issues (prairie dog conservation, food insecurity, biofuels and water conservation). This study was in the context of a large enrollment introductory science college course, where students used a structured decision-making process to examine alternative policy solutions to complex socioscientific issues. We qualitatively examined students’ response about their perception of the importance of the issue, their self-efficacy in exploring actions they could take to impact the issue, and the effectiveness of those actions. We found that students’ ideas about impact and effectiveness varied across the four different issues contexts due to students’ sense of the issues’ importance and scale. Generally, students’ ideas about actions they could take to impact the issue were narrow and rarely included political actions like voting. We also found post instruction increases in students’ civic engagement attitudes and skills related to social justice, interpersonal and problem-solving skills and political awareness. Finally, we suggest that socioscientific instruction must have an explicit connection to policy-level decisions and reveal how individual actions can influence the societal system. Our course using a structured decision-making process in the context of socioscientific issues is one model to help students make these connections.
Chemical Process Engineering : Design And Economics

This illustrative reference presents a systematic approach to solving design problems by listing the needed equations, calculating degrees-of-freedom, developing calculation procedures to generate process specifications, and sizing equipment. Containing over thirty detailed examples of calculation procedures, the book tabulates numerous easy-to-fol
The Importance of Digital Asset Succession Planning for Small Businesses

The digitization of business assets has created a new challenge for the development of succession plans for small business owners. Without a well-defined and managed succession plan that considers digital assets, these valuable business intangibles may perish resulting in irreversible damage. This paper defines digital assets, identifies types of digital assets used by small business owners, and expands upon traditional challenges faced by small business owners who must now account for digital assets in succession planning. Guidance is provided on how to create a successful digital asset succession plan for a small business with current legal mechanisms and best business practices.
Prostate cancer: A simplified prostate cancer grading system.

Evolving over time, the Gleason scoring system has remained a crucial tool for prognosis and treatment decision making in prostate cancer. A recent study proposes a modification to the current Gleason system that should more accurately risk stratify patients and enable clinicians to make more appropriate treatment decisions.
SkipNet: a scalable overlay network with practical locality properties

Scalable overlay networks such as Chord, CAN, Pastry, and Tapestry have recently emerged as flexible infrastructure for building large peer-to-peer systems. In practice, such systems have two disadvantages: They provide no control over where data is stored and no guarantee that routing paths remain within an administrative domain whenever possible. SkipNet is a scalable overlay network that provides controlled data placement and guaranteed routing locality by organizing data primarily by string names. SkipNet allows for both fine-grained and coarse-grained control over data placement: Content can be placed either on a pre-determined node or distributed uniformly across the nodes of a hierarchical naming sub-tree. An additional useful consequence of SkipNet's locality properties is that partition failures, in which an entire organization disconnects from the rest of the system, can result in two disjoint, but well-connected overlay networks.
Intratumoral Vegf and Fgf1 Administration Alters Tumor Growth, Vascular Density, Oxygenation, and Expression of Mcp-1 and Interleukins

The biological and physiological effects of exogenous FGF1 and VEGF were measured using the KHT murine fibrosarcoma tumor model. Tumor-bearing C3H mice were treated intratumorally with either one or six daily doses of 6 μ g/mouse FGF1, VEGF, or saline. Tumors were excised 24 hrs after the final injection. Compared to controls, only FGF1 treatment significantly increased tumor weight and size, and only in the 6 dose group. Both FGF1 and VEGF administration (6 dose) decreased tumor cell hypoxia as detected by EF5 uptake: 85% ± 5% for FGF1 and 82% ± 6% for VEGF versus 100% ± 6% for controls. Decreased tumor cell EF5 staining, however, was not associated with changes in numbers of structural or angiogenic vessels. DiOC7 staining showed a slight decrease in perfused vessel numbers in tumors treated with daily VEGF. Intratumoral injections of FGF1 or VEGF also slightly decreased the tumor tissue chemokine MCP-1, interleukins (IL-1β , IL-6, and IL-18) mRNA expression, and increased NFκ B binding without altering Ap-1 binding of Iκ B protein expression. In summary, single pulse exposures of tumors to angiogenic factors had little or no effects on tumor growth or perfusion, while daily exposures stimulated tumor growth through improved tumor oxygenation. This improved vascular function occurs without an increase in vascular density.
Metformin and other biguanides: pharmacology and therapeutic usage

The role of biguanides in the treatment of type 2 diabetes has evolved along with the understanding of the disease pathogenesis and its associated complications. Metformin is a valuable agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and its ability to improve insulin sensitivity allows for broader use (i.e. insulin-resistant prediabetic states). The efficacy of metformin in improving glycemic control is similar to that of sulfonylureas or insulin. Additionally, metformin has been shown to reduce macrovascular complications of type 2 diabetes in overweight patients; and it improves serum lipoprotein parameters, reduces body weight, and stimulates fibrinolysis. Metformin can be administered with insulin and other oral antihyperglycemic agents. Reformulation of the drug in an extended-release form and in combination tablets (glyburide/metformin, glipizide/metformin, or rosiglitazone/metformin) allows for simplified dosage regimens, which may enhance patient adherence. Keywords: adherence; combination tablet; combination therapy; fasting plasma glucose; glycosylated hemoglobin; metformin; monotherapy; persistence; type 2 diabetes
Microwave fiber optic link antenna remoting trade study measurements

This paper summarizes measurements made to evaluate the use of commercial off-the-shelf microwave fiber optic links for transmitting and receiving RF signals for antenna remoting in testing of electronic warfare and radar systems.
Analysis of naturally occurring and site-directed mutations in the argininosuccinate lyase gene.

Abstract Argininosuccinic aciduria is an inborn error of metabolism due to the genetic deficiency of argininosuccinate lyase. In order to determine the molecular basis for the disease, RNA isolated from cultured skin fibroblasts derived from four unrelated patients was reverse-transcribed and amplified using the polymerase chain reaction and the products were cloned and sequenced. Three single base missense mutations were identified: Arg111----Trp, Gln286----Arg, and Arg193----Gln. One single base amber mutation was identified at Gln454. One mutation involved a 13-base pair deletion within exon 13, and it was noted that the majority of the mature RNA derived from this allele was deleted for the entire exon rather than containing the exon with the 13 bases deleted. A final mutation was observed in which exon 2 was deleted from the mature RNA. The molecular basis for this deletion was not determined. Of the eight potential mutations present in the four cell lines studied, six mutations were identified and further data indicate that the remaining two unidentified mutations were different from those identified. Two site-directed mutations were created in the cDNA, Lys51----Asn and His89----Gln, and these were expressed in yeast. The Lys51 mutation caused an approximate 2-fold reduction in activity and the His89 mutation resulted in an approximate 10-fold reduction in activity. The combination of determination of naturally occurring mutations and the study of the effect of site-directed mutations on the activity of argininosuccinate lyase provide insight into the amino acid residues critical to the function of the enzyme.
Lewis Carroll and psychoanalysis: Why nothing adds up in wonderland

Each generation of psychoanalyst has found different things to value and sometimes to censure in Lewis Carroll’s remarkable fiction and flights of fancy. But what does Carroll’s almost ‘surrealist’...
Antimicrobial Peptides – The Defence Never Rests

ABSTRACT The era of genomics has arrived bringing with it the promise of novel insights into the molecular basis of human health and disease. True to this promise, the field of innate immunity has seen extraordinary advances in the identification of key molecules for pathogen recognition, cellular signalling and microbicidal activity. Prominent among them in both epithelial tissues and granulocytes are the abundant and evolutionary-ancient defensins and cathelicidins. These molecules, recognized initially for their broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties, are now shown to occupy critical junctions in both the regulatory and effector arms of the innate immune system. This review will focus on these unique peptides, highlighting their structure, function and regulation in epithelial host defence, with an emphasis on clinical implications and a role as therapeutic targets.
Detection of singlet (1O2) oxygen phosphorescence during chloroperoxidase-catalyzed decomposition of ethyl hydroperoxide.

Abstract Evidence for the production of singlet molecular oxygen (1O2) during the chloroperoxidase-catalyzed decomposition of ethyl hydroperoxide has been obtained through the use of optical spectroscopy, oxygen electrode experiments, and electron spin resonance (ESR). ESR spin-trapping experiments with 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) demonstrate the production of the ethyl peroxyl free radical during the chloroperoxidase/ethyl hydroperoxide reaction. Oxygen and acetaldehyde concentrations suggest that the production of ethyl peroxyl radicals constitutes less than 2% of the decomposition of ethyl hydroperoxide at the concentrations of reactants used. The phosphorescence of 1O2 at 1268 nm was observed during the chloroperoxidase-catalyzed decomposition of ethyl hydroperoxide in deuterium oxide buffer. Chloroperoxidase also catalyzes the decomposition of tert-butyl hydroperoxide to its corresponding peroxyl radical. Alkoxyl and alkyl-DMPO spin adducts were also detected. A much lower yield of 1O2 phosphorescence was observed during the chloroperoxidase-catalyzed decomposition of tert-butyl hydroperoxide. This phosphorescence probably arises through secondary production of alkyl peroxyl radicals. These results suggest that the initial enzyme-dependent production of ethyl peroxyl radicals is followed by enzyme-independent reaction of two peroxyl radicals through the tetroxide intermediate, as originally proposed by Russell (Russell, G. A. (1957) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 79, 3871-3877), to form acetaldehyde, ethyl alcohol, and molecular oxygen.
No strong evidence that any topical treatment is effective for relieving the sensation of dry mouth.

No strong evidence that any topical treatment is effective for relieving the sensation of dry mouth
Penile fracture and testicular rupture.

Traumatic injuries to the penis and testicles are uncommon, likely due to the well-protected location and degree of mobility of these organs [10, 21]. Because of this the management of these injuries has historically been controversial. However, current literature supports immediate evaluation and surgical repair of these traumatic injuries to prevent complications such as erectile dysfunction or testicular loss [20, 27]. Herein the diagnostic and therapeutic options for both traumatic penile fracture and testicular rupture are reviewed with emphasis on immediate evaluation and repair.
Episodic remembering creates access to involuntary conscious memory: demonstrating involuntary recall on a voluntary recall task.

The idea that involuntary memory retrieval might occur during voluntary memory retrieval can be traced back to Ebbinghaus (1885/1964). However, methodological challenges have stood in the way of testing this idea. Recent diary studies of naturally occurring involuntary memories have provided insights into how this idea could be tested (Berntsen, 1998; Mace, 2005b, 2006). These studies have shown that the contents of an involuntary memory sometimes trigger additional involuntary memories, a process called chaining. It was hypothesised that chaining should also occur on autobiographical memory tasks, and this was tested in the present study by asking participants in an autobiographical memory task to report the presence of involuntary memories while they were performing the task. The results showed that involuntary memories did occur when participants were recalling the past. The results also showed involuntary memories dissociating from voluntary memories on two independent measures, thereby enhancing the ...
The narrative structure of Hengest's revenge in Beowulf

Although Beowulf scholars have now generally accepted Frederick Klaeber's emendation … Finne / [ea]l unblitme (1128b–9a), the meaning of unblitme has remained in some doubt. Professors Dobbie and Rosier have held that unblitme means literally ‘without casting of lots’ and by extension ‘without choice”, Dobbie explaining that Hengest, ‘having no choice, was forced to remain with Finn’ and Rosier affirming that he did so ‘entirely with lack of choice’. Their view of unblitme has for some time gone unchallenged. But lately Professor Fry has dissented, contending briefly that ‘“without casting of lots” should produce just the opposite of “having no choice”. Casting lots throws the result up to chance, and so un-blitme should logically mean “not by chance”, that is “voluntarily”.’ There can be little question, I think, that Fry is right in rejecting the older view of unblitme. To take unblitme to mean ‘having no choice’ is to equivocate on the word ‘choice’. Any hlitm, ‘casting of lots’, would imply ‘choice’ in the sense ‘decision pursuant to lots and not to one's desires’. But the translation ‘having no choice’ means much more than this; it means ‘unwillingly‘free choice, choice pursuant to one's desires‘.
Desensitization by protein kinase C activation differentially uncouples formyl peptide receptors from effector enzymes in HL-60 granulocytes

Abstract The hypothesis that protein kinase C (PKC) participates in agonist-mediated desensitization of formyl peptide receptors in HL-60 granulocytes was tested. fMet-Leu-Phe and leukotriene B4(LTB4) produced homologous desensitization of agonist-stimulated intracellular calcium transients. Pre-treatment with the PKC activator, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA; 10 nM), abolished both fMet-Leu-Phe and LTB4-stimulated calcium transients. Membranes prepared from control HL-60 granulocytes (NM) or cells treated with 10 nM PMA (PMA-M) demonstrated increased formyl peptide receptor and G protein density, as determined by radioligand binding and pertussis toxin- and cholera toxin-catalysed ADP ribosylation. fMet-Leu-Phe stimulation of guanosine 5′-[γ-thio]-triphosphate (GTPγS) binding and GTP hydrolysis and GDP inhibition of fMet-Leu-Phe binding were not different between NM and PMA-M. Pre-treatment with 10 nM PMA did not inhibit subsequent fMet-Leu-Phe-stimulated superoxide generation or phospholidase D activation. We conclude that PKC desensitizes fMet-Leu-Phe-stimulated phospholipase C, but not phospholipase D, responses and that PKC activation does not mediate agonist-induced desensitization of formyl peptide receptors.
Behavioral Differences among C57BL/6 Substrains: Implications for Transgenic and Knockout Studies

Separate breeding colonies of C57BL/6 (“B6”) mice maintained at the Jackson Laboratories (“J”) and NIH (“N”) have led to the emergence of two distinct substrains of C57BL/6 mice: C57BL/6J and C57BL/6N. Molecular genetic studies indicate simple sequence-length polymorphisms, single-nucleotide polymorphisms, and copy-number variants among B6 substrains that may contribute to phenotypic differences. We examined differences in motor coordination, pain sensitivity, and conditional fear in the C57BL/6J strain and three N strains: C57BL/6NCrl (Charles River), C57BL/6NTac (Taconic), and C57BL/6NHsd (Harlan Sprague Dawley). Male C57BL/6J mice demonstrated enhanced motor coordination, as measured by the rotarod assay, markedly enhanced pain sensitivity in two assays of acute thermal nociception (e.g., tail withdrawal and hot plate), and a reduced level of conditional fear. The tail withdrawal result was confirmed in a separate laboratory. We also provide a table reviewing previously reported behavioral differences ...
Evaporation and growth dynamics of a layered droplet

Abstract A mathematical model has been formulated for the evaporation and growth of a two-phase isolated droplet of two partially miscible components, exposed to a stagnant gas phase. Unsteady-state transport equations of the two components in the core, shell and gas phases have been rigorously treated. The resulting mathematical model involving two moving boundaries at the core-shell interface and the droplet-gas interface has been solved numerically for various conditions. Effects of critical parameters on the droplet dynamics have been examined. In a vapor free atmosphere where both components evaporate, the results show that the core either grows or evaporates depending on the physical parameters. When the core evaporates, either the shell or core disappears first, leaving a single-phase droplet. The study shows that the volatility of the components, thermodynamic and transport parameters greatly influence the evaporation behavior of a layered droplet.
On a plate supported by an elastic foundation and containing a finite crack

Using an integral formulation, the equation for a plate resting on an elastic foundation, of a spring constant k and containing a crack of length 2c, is solved for the Kirchhoff bending stresses. The inverse square root singular behavior of the stresses peculiar to crack problems is obtained. Furthermore, this singularity may be related to that found in an unsupported plate by $$\frac{{\sigma _{y_{sup.} } }}{{\sigma _{y_{unsup} .} }} \approx \frac{1}{{1 + a\lambda ^2 }}$$ where a is for small values of the parameter λ is a positive constant.
Macroeconomic Implications of the Transition to Inflation Targeting and Capital Account Liberalization in Romania

In the near future, Romania will introduce inflation targeting and fully liberalize its capital account. This paper aims to analyze, in a dynamic general-equilibrium model with sticky prices and monopolistic competition, how these two profound changes will affect the ability of monetary policy to pursue its objective of price stability. In particular, the resilience of the current and future monetary policy regimes to shocks is evaluated against two welfare criteria: a standard central bank loss function containing the deviations of inflation, output, and the real exchange rate from their equilibrium values, and the compensating variation measure of Lucas (1987).
Teaching students computer architecture for new, nanotechnologies

Given the potential limitations facing CMOS, there has been an influx of work and research in various nano-scale devices. Most of the work related to nanotechnology has been done strictly with devices, with little attention given to circuits or architectures of them -- the desired end result. In the past, these studies have usually lagged device development by many years. However, we propose a curriculum to help integrate the communities -- device physicists and computer architects -- earlier. One goal of such a curriculum would be to teach students how to generate a "Mead/Conway" methodology for a given nanotechnology. This would teach students not only how to help technology change and evolve, but eventually teach students how to adapt to changes after a technology evolution. Another goal would be to facilitate more (and earlier) interaction between device physicists and computer architects to prevent these two groups from developing diverging views of what is physically and computationally possible in a system of nano-scale devices.
Time from Medicare Part D claim adjudication to community pharmacy payment

Abstract Objective To determine the average payment time from Medicare Part D plans to community pharmacies for prescription drugs dispensed to Medicare beneficiaries. Design Nonexperimental time series. Setting United States in January to December 2006. Participants 145 independent pharmacies and 17 regional chain pharmacy firms. Intervention Review of 2,944,526 Medicare Part D prescription drug claims adjudicated in 2006. Main outcome measures Median payment time and the number and proportion of claims paid, controlling for month of claim adjudication, pharmacy type, and Part D plan. Results The median payment time for 2006 claims filed by all pharmacies in this study was 29.0 days (mean 39.1). The median payment time was greater for independent pharmacies (median 31.0, mean 49.1) than chain pharmacies (median 29.0, mean 36.5). Payment was slower during the first few months of the Medicare Part D benefit than later in the year. By December, approximately 40% of the claims were not paid within 30 days. Within the 12 plans identified as having the greatest number of claims in the sample, the median payment time ranged from 23.0 days to 36.0 days. Conclusion Payment times improved during 2006, but a sizable proportion of claims were not paid within 30 days. Chain pharmacies received payments sooner than independent pharmacies. Additionally, a wide variation in median payment times was observed for Part D plans. The results of this study, based on actual claims data, are not in agreement with findings from a survey of Part D plans reported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The Deuterium Chemistry of the Early Universe

The chemistry of deuterium, as well as that of hydrogen and helium, in the postrecombination era of the expanding early universe is presented. A thorough survey of all potentially important gas-phase reactions involving the primordial elements produced in the Big Bang, with a particular emphasis on deuterium, is given. The reaction set, consisting of 144 processes, is used in a nonequilibrium chemistry model to follow the production of primordial molecules in the postrecombination era. It is found that significant deuterium fractionation occurs for HD+, HD, and H2D+, while the abundance of D+ is reduced compared to the proton abundance. Even with the enhanced fractionation of H2D+, its abundance is predicted to be too small to cause any interesting cosmological consequences, such as possible attenuation of spatial anisotropies in the cosmic background radiation field, detections of the epochs of reionization and reheating, or constraints on the primordial deuterium abundance. HD, being the second most abundant primordial molecule after H2, may play a role in subsequent structure formation because of its cooling radiation.
Time-Resolved Laser-Excited Phosphorimetry at Liquid Helium Temperature for the Direct Analysis of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachloro-Dibenzo-Para-Dioxin in Complex Mixtures

Time-resolved laser-excited phosphorimetry is proposed for the direct analysis of 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-para-dioxin in complex mixtures at 4.2 K. Measurements are easily made with the aid of a cryogenic fiber-optic probe, which provides excellent precision of measurements and high quality spectra. A tunable dye laser with a narrow bandwidth allows selective excitation in mixtures with highly overlapped excitation spectra. The selectivity of analysis is further enhanced with time-resolution of both fluorescence and phosphorescence interference. Detection at the parts-per-billion level (ng·mL-1) is made with the aid of photon counting. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of detecting 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-para-dioxin in the presence of dioxin isomers and other organic pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polychlorinated dibenzofurans. Because of the selectivity of our approach, it was possible to spectroscopically resolve mixtures containing up to 43 components.
A proposed technique for signal multiplexing in mass spectrometry

Abstract A technique using multiplex filtering which has been of use in optical spectroscopy is suggested for use in mass spectroscopy. The advantage offered is an increased signal to noise ratio for low level intensity measurements by means of a simple experimental approach.
Generalized polarimetric model-based decompositions using extended incoherent scattering models

The Freeman and Durden decomposition as original developed is based on three scattering models for volume, surface and double bounce. It is known that the decomposition produces negative scattering powers for a large number of pixels. This implies that the scattering models are inconsistent with the data. In this paper, we investigate the negative power problem and propose two algorithms to mitigate it. To achieve this, alternative scattering models have been adopted, and new families of incoherent scattering models are developed. The effectiveness of these approaches is compared using L-band E-SAR polarimetric data. It will be shown that the negative power problem can be reduced to an insignificant level.
Selecting all treatments better than a control with a binomial prior distribution

Let π1,…,πk denote k treatment populations and let πk represent thex control population. It is assumed that data obtained from (π0, π1,…,πk) by a repeated measurements design follow a multivariate normal distribution with mean vector (π0, π1,…, πk) and covariance matrix £0. Then, if “better” is defined to mean “at least as good as” (πi > π0) we propose selection procedures for selecting a subset which includes all treatments better than the control. Due to the fact that the number of better populations is unknown, a binomial prior distribution on this unknown factor is assumed. Consequently, the exact infimum of probability of correct selection is obtained. Statistical tables to implement these procedure are extensively constructed and expected subset size is also considered.
Anatomical distribution and sensory properties of brain stem and posterior diencephalic neurons responding to genital, somatosensory, and nociceptive stimulation in the squirrel monkey.

Abstract In chloralose-urethane-anesthetized female squirrel monkeys, 325 single units sampled from a region extending from the caudal medulla to the posterior diencephalon were examined for responsiveness to genital, rectal, innocuous somatosensory, and various forms of nociceptive stimulation. The units were highly responsive, with 84% responding to at least one stimulus type. The responsive units were widely distributed in the brain stem tegmentum, deep tectum, and posterior diencephalon. Very few neurons responded to only one type of stimulation. The patterns of convergent responsiveness to the various stimulus types were not, however, a simple random function of unit responsiveness to each type of stimulus per se. Unit responses to vaginal stimulation consisted of simple increases or decreases in firing which outlasted the duration of the probing stimulus in most cases. Some units responded more strongly to cervical than to vaginal tract stimuli. The somatic receptive fields of units responding to touch-pressure stimuli were typically bilateral and quite extensive. A forceps pinch of nociceptive intensity elicited a response from 64% of the cells, and of these, 11% showed significant linear correlations between their firing rates and increasing pinch pressure in the nociceptive intensity range. Brief, localized nociceptive thermal stimuli and needle pricks failed to elicit responses from the neurons tested. Based on a comparison between the response properties of monkey brain stem neurons and the previous findings for rat and cat neurons, it was concluded that brain stem cells display species-typical sensory characteristics which have parallels in the properties of behavioral responses of these three species to genital and other sensory stimuli. Properties of unit responses to nociceptive stimuli have implications in relation to the neural mechanisms of first and second pain.
Intrinsic bistability by charge accumulation in an L-valley state in GaSb-AlSb resonant-tunneling diodes.

We have observed intrinsic bistability in the current-voltage characteristics of GaSb-AlSb double-barrier heterostructures at 4 K and under a hydrostatic pressure of 7 kbar. We explain this phenomenon by the accumulation of electrons in the L-point valley of the GaSb quantum well, after they tunnel from the electrode to a \ensuremath{\Gamma}-point quantum state and then scatter into the L point. Our model, which takes into account the various scattering and tunneling times involved in the process, is confirmed with magnetotunneling experiments up to 20 T. At this field, bistability completely disappears because of the field-induced reduction of \ensuremath{\Gamma}-L scattering.