cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulation Training Curricula for Neurosurgical Residents: Cervical Foraminotomy and Durotomy Repair Modules.

Introduction Since 2010, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) has offered a neurosurgical skills simulation course for residents and medical students. The authors describe their experience with incorporation of two neurosurgical skills simulation modules into the dedicated resident training curriculum of a single ACGME-accredited training program, using lumbar dural repair (5) and posterior cervical laminoforaminotomy modules from the CNS simulation initiative (6) . Methods Each of the available 22 neurosurgery residents at a single residency program was given two 20-question pretests for a cervical laminoforaminotomy and durotomy repair module as a basic test of regional anatomy, general disease knowledge, surgical decision making, and recently published literature. This was followed by a faculty-directed skills simulation course and concluded with a final 20 question post-test. Results Posterior cervical laminoforaminotomy was performed once by each resident, and grading was conducted using the predetermined OSATs. The overall score was 56.1 (70%, range 26–76, maximum 80 points) with a trend towards higher scores with advanced levels of training. All residents completed the durotomy repair OSATs for a total of three trials. Of a maximum composite score of 60, a mean 37.2 (62%, range 15–58) was scored by the residents ( Table 3 ). The mean OSAT scores for each durotomy trial was 2.66, 3.15, and 3.48 on each success test. A trend towards higher scores in advanced years of training was observed, but did not reach statistical significance ( Figure 3 ). Conclusions Duty hour limitations and regulatory pressure for enhanced quality and outcomes may limit access of neurosurgical residents to fundamental skills training. Fundamental skills training as part of a validated simulation curriculum can mitigate this challenge to residency education. National development of effective technical simulation modules for use in individual residency training programs is a promising strategy to achieve these goals.
Copyright Protection for Perfumes

In June 2004, the Lancome opinion from the Netherlands held that perfume compositions are copyrightable. The thesis of this paper is that the Dutch Court's approach runs afoul of basic copyright principles. Protecting scents instead would be relatively novel, but hardly radical, and necessary adaptations to copyright law would be modest. The paper nevertheless concludes that, lacking evidence of need, judges should not be quick to expand copyright law and should await legislative action.[An English translation of the Dutch opinion by Annemarie Louise Margot (Dooijes) Field, the author's daughter-in-law, follows at 31.]
Self-consistent cranking plus RPA method for high-spin states: (I). Theory☆

Abstract The self-consistent cranking (SCC) model is improved for high-spin states by the addition of random-phase approximation (RPA) correlations along the yrast line. The SCC+RPA method provides information on excited rotational bands as well as the yrast band. Another way to describe excited quasiparticle bands is by means of a SCC calculation with blocking. Effects of quasiparticle alignment, Coriolis antipairing, backbending, gapless superconductivity and pairing vibrations are all included at once. Addition of the RPA is expected to improve the shape of the backbending curves, provides a description of pairing rotation and vibration at high spin, and permits calculation of transition probabilities at high spin.
Growth characteristics of a mouse plasma cell tumor

Summary A quantitative spleen-colony assay was developed and used to evaluate the growth characteristics of the Adj. PC-5 colony-forming units (CFU). There was a positive correlation between the number of colonies per spleen and the number of tumor cells injected, which is compatible with the assumption that each colony arises from one malignant cell. At 21 days, each colony contains 8.4 ± 2.1 × 107 cells, but less than 4.4% of these are tumor stem cells with the proliferative capacity to form a colony. The growth rate of tumor CFU was estimated in the spleen (CFU TD = 20 ± 4 hours) and femoral marrow (CFU TD = 29 ± 5 hours). A survival TD of 36 ± 2 hours was estimated from the survival of mice injected with graded numbers of tumor cells as an indication of the growth rate of the total tumor. The proliferative capacity of the tumor CFU was completely suppressed during a 10-hour exposure to vinblastine in vivo. This result suggests that the majority of tumor CFU have a TG of less than 10 hours. All of the tumor CFU appear to be in cell cycle, for no detectable tumor CFU survived a 10-hour exposure to vinblastine, and 70% of these cells were killed by a 20-minute exposure to tritiated thymidine in vitro. Based on these findings, a model is proposed for the growth kinetics of this tumor. The model states that a small fraction of the tumor population is composed of cells in a short generation cycle with unlimited proliferative capacity (i.e., tumor stem cells). The remaining tumor cells lack the proliferative capacity to form a colony. This model for the Adj. PC-5 tumor is compared with that of a transplantable AKR lymphoma, and the chemotherapeutic implications are discussed.
Effects of H2O and NO on extinction and re-ignition of vortex-perturbed hydrogen counterflow flames

Abstract The influence of water vapor (H2O) and nitric oxide (NO) on the dynamics of extinction and re-ignition of a vortex-perturbed non-premixed hydrogen–air flame is investigated. A steady non-premixed flame is established in an axisymmetric counterflow configuration with a fuel stream of nitrogen-diluted hydrogen flowing against heated air containing 160 ppm of NO and various amounts of H2O ranging from 1.2% to 7.1% by volume. Local extinction is induced by a fuel-side vortex, and the temporal evolution of the hydroxyl radical (OH) field is measured during the extinction and subsequent re-ignition processes using planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF). The additives modify the flame recovery mode by affecting the competition between autoignition and edge-flame propagation. Doping with 160 ppm of NO can significantly enhance the re-ignition of hydrogen due to its catalytic effect, while H2O addition inhibits re-ignition because of its high specific heat and large third-body chaperon efficiency. In the flames considered here, direct numerical simulations are performed using a detailed H2–air mechanism and are compared with experiments. The simulations show that a small amount of OH from NO-catalyzed reactions enhances autoignition in the extinguished region, whereas adding H2O inhibits re-ignition. Although flame propagation and extinction are largely unaffected by these additives, the induction time associated with the flame’s recovery mode by autoignition is strongly affected. Hence, these additives can be used to control the recovery time following local extinction.
Percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty : the learning curve

PBMV is a catheter-based approach to nonsurgically relieving obstruction to mitral inflow in patients with symptomatic mitral stenosis. Since 1986, 50 patients at the Mayo Clinic have undergone the procedure, utilizing either the Inoue pillow-shaped balloon or a dual-balloon technique with excellent early hemodynamic and symptomatic results. Mean mitral valve area increased from 1.06 +/- 0.32 cm2 to 2.01 +/- 0.70 cm2, and transmitral gradient decreased from 15.7 +/- 7.1 mm Hg to 7.5 +/- 3.9 mm Hg. This improvement has been sustained during short-term and intermediate-term follow-up. A marked improvement in procedural success and complication rates is attributable to refinement of patient selection criteria, technical advances in the procedure, and operator experience. There have been three procedure-related deaths; one of these was in a patient who developed severe mitral regurgitation after PBMV and underwent emergency valve replacement. Unfavorable outcomes appear to be related to three factors: presence of thick, calcified valve leaflets with extensive subvalvular involvement, poor general medical status, and operator inexperience.
Sweetened Mango Purees Preserved by Canning and Freezing

Mango fruit (Mangifera indica L., Kent variety) at canning ripeness was processed as sweetened puree of 42–43° Brix soluble solids by canning and freezing. Sucrose and high fructose corn syrups in various combinations were used as sweeteners. Processed purees, diluted with three parts of water, produced mango nectars of 13% soluble solids for evaluation of chemical and sensory quality. The frozen mango purees contained slightly more ascorbic acid than the canned products. Sucrose and high fructose corn syrups may be used interchangeably as sweeteners. Panel members were not able to distinguish differences in preference for nectars even though some difference in sugar components among them were detected by high performance liquid chromatography.
Impurity gettering effect of Te inclusions in CdZnTe single crystals

The local impurity distribution in Te inclusions of CdZnTe (CZT) crystal was investigated by the time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (Tof-SIMS) technique. Direct evidence of impurity gettering in Te inclusions has been observed for the first time. The impurity gettering in Te inclusions originated from the diffusion mechanism during crystal growth and segregation mechanism during crystal cooling. This phenomenon is meaningful, because it reveals how Te inclusions affect CZT properties and provides a possible approach to reduce the impurities in CZT by the way of removing Te inclusions.
Ternary complex of transforming growth factor-β1 reveals isoform-specific ligand recognition and receptor recruitment in the superfamily

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, -β2, and -β3 are 25-kDa homodimeric polypeptides that play crucial nonoverlapping roles in embryogenesis, tissue development, carcinogenesis, and immune regulation. Here we report the 3.0-Å resolution crystal structure of the ternary complex between human TGF-β1 and the extracellular domains of its type I and type II receptors, TβRI and TβRII. The TGF-β1 ternary complex structure is similar to previously reported TGF-β3 complex except with a 10° rotation in TβRI docking orientation. Quantitative binding studies showed distinct kinetics between the receptors and the isoforms of TGF-β. TβRI showed significant binding to TGF-β2 and TGF-β3 but not TGF-β1, and the binding to all three isoforms of TGF-β was enhanced considerably in the presence of TβRII. The preference of TGF-β2 to TβRI suggests a variation in its receptor recruitment in vivo. Although TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 bind and assemble their ternary complexes in a similar manner, their structural differences together with differences in the affinities and kinetics of their receptor binding may underlie their unique biological activities. Structural comparisons revealed that the receptor-ligand pairing in the TGF-β superfamily is dictated by unique insertions, deletions, and disulfide bonds rather than amino acid conservation at the interface. The binding mode of TβRII on TGF-β is unique to TGF-βs, whereas that of type II receptor for bone morphogenetic protein on bone morphogenetic protein appears common to all other cytokines in the superfamily. Further, extensive hydrogen bonds and salt bridges are present at the high affinity cytokine-receptor interfaces, whereas hydrophobic interactions dominate the low affinity receptor-ligand interfaces.
Steroid Secretion by Sexually Immature Rat and Rabbit Testes Perfused in Vitro

Puberty in the mammal signals a dramatic change in testicular function. Previous studies of steroid production by pubertal rat and rabbit testes have been incomplete and the results have not been comparable because of the variety of techniques used. The purpose of the present experiments was to quantify and compare the in vitro testicular steroid secretion profiles of rats and rabbits at the same pubertal stage as defined by spermatogenic development: near the completion of meiosis. The secretion rates of testosterone, its 5α-reduced metabolites (dihydrotestosterone, 3α-androstanediol, 3β-androstanediol), and testosterone biosynthetic intermediates (pregnenolone, 17α-hydroxypregnenolone, dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenediol, progesterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione) were measured in order to elucidate testicular steroidogenic capacity. Steroids in the venous effluent of testes perfused in vitro were extracted, isolated by thin layer and Celite-column chromatography, and subsequently quanti...
Accurate determinations of one-bond 13C-13C couplings in 13C-labeled carbohydrates.

Abstract Carbon plays a central role in the molecular architecture of carbohydrates, yet the availability of accurate methods for 1DCC determination has not been sufficiently explored, despite the importance that such data could play in structural studies of oligo- and polysaccharides. Existing methods require fitting intensity ratios of cross- to diagonal-peaks as a function of the constant-time (CT) in CT-COSY experiments, while other methods utilize measurement of peak separation. The former strategies suffer from complications due to peak overlap, primarily in regions close to the diagonal, while the latter strategies are negatively impacted by the common occurrence of strong coupling in sugars, which requires a reliable assessment of their influence in the context of RDC determination. We detail a 13C–13C CT-COSY method that combines a variation in the CT processed with diagonal filtering to yield 1JCC and RDCs. The strategy, which relies solely on cross-peak intensity modulation, is inspired in the cross-peak nulling method used for JHH determinations, but adapted and extended to applications where, like in sugars, large one-bond 13C–13C couplings coexist with relatively small long-range couplings. Because diagonal peaks are not utilized, overlap problems are greatly alleviated. Thus, one-bond couplings can be determined from different cross-peaks as either active or passive coupling. This results in increased accuracy when more than one determination is available, and in more opportunities to measure a specific coupling in the presence of severe overlap. In addition, we evaluate the influence of strong couplings on the determination of RDCs by computer simulations. We show that individual scalar couplings are notably affected by the presence of strong couplings but, at least for the simple cases studied, the obtained RDC values for use in structural calculations were not, because the errors introduced by strong couplings for the isotropic and oriented phases are very similar and therefore cancel when calculating the difference to determine 1DCC values.
Assessing substance abuse among health care students and the efficacy of educational interventions

Approximately 10 per cent of nurses are chemically dependent, and, for many, substance abuse begins while attending nursing school. Faculty must be able to assess the extent of the problem, understand the contributing factors, recognize signs and symptoms, and use educational interventions in identifying and preventing chemical dependency in nurses. Beginning in 1989, the authors sampled all entering students in four colleges on a health science campus using the Standardized Substance Abuse Attitude Survey and obtained resurvey data from two of the colleges' 1989 entering classes in fall 1991. Each college developed educational interventions. Some clear differences between nursing and pharmacy students emerged and indicated that a greater emphasis on drug and alcohol education can pay dividends. Establishing a data base over a period of more than 2 years provides a foundation to evaluate further interventions.
Observational Studies of Drugs and Mortality

When randomized, controlled trials, for a variety of reasons, fail to provide data on overall mortality, should epidemiologic studies step into the breach? Wayne Ray cautions that there are formidable challenges involved in conducting studies of mortality that are clinically relevant and scientifically accurate.
Improving pneumococcal vaccine rates. Nurse protocols versus clinical reminders.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of three interventions designed to improve the pneumococcal vaccination rate.
Critical Dynamics of a Heisenberg Spin-Glass

The spin-glass transition of a magnetic materials with quenched impurities is studied with use of perturbative mode-mode coupling theory, without the use of the replica method. In mean-field theory we find that the transport coefficient Gamma-tilde diverges just above the spin-glass freezing temperature T/sub f/ like (T - T/sub f/)/sup -1/2/ for d > 4 and (T - T/sub f/)/sup 2/d/-1 for 2 < d < 4.
Judicial Policy Making: The Environmental Protection Agency's Enforcement of the Resource, Conservation, and Recovery Act

This article focuses on judicial policy making and seeks to determine the extent of regional differences by examining the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforcement actions in Resources Conservation and Recovery Act civil judicial cases. The research evaluates three competing models, the law school model, the political culture/regional model, and the economic model, that attempt to explain and predict penalty imposition and penalty severity. An integrated model with EPA regions and judicial circuits independently added is also evaluated. Findings suggest that the law school model appeared to be the best model to determine penalty imposition and that EPA administrators may be better predictors than judges. When a penalty is imposed, findings suggest that an integrated model best predicts penalty severity. Additional findings indicated that region or circuit does not add significantly more predictive value than the substantive theoretical variables in penalty severity. Este articulo se enfoca en el diseno de politicas judiciales y busca determinar la extension de las diferencias regionales por medio del examen de la aplicacion de acciones de la Agencia de Proteccion Ambiental (APA) en los casos civiles judiciales de la Ley de Conservacion y Rescate de Recursos. La investigacion evalua tres modelos, el modelo legal, el modelo cultural/regional politico y el modelo economico, en el intento de explicar y predecir los resultados de los casos en relacion a si un castigo es impuesto o no, asi como la severidad del mismo. Un modelo integral es tambien evaluado, con las regiones APA y los circuitos judiciales entonces anadidos independientemente a este modelo. Las conclusiones sugieren que el modelo legal parece ser el mejor para determinar la imposicion del castigo y que los administradores de la APA pueden ser mejores vaticinadores que jueces. Cuando un castigo es impuesto, los resultados sugieren que un modelo integrado predice mejor la severidad del castigo. Resultados adicionales indican que la region o el circuito no anaden un mayor valor significativo que las variables teoricas substantivas en la severidad del castigo.
Influence of Materials on Teacher Adoption of Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs.

BACKGROUND: Given the growing scientific evidence against abstinence-only-until-marriage education, health educators are supporting an evidence-based approach to teaching sexuality education. However, there is still an abundance of federal support and funding streams allocated to sustain abstinence-only programs. This study assessed indicators that influence the adoption of abstinence-only-until-marriage education as well as school teachers' likelihood of adopting such programs. METHODS: Predictors included relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, and observability and were assessed with a self-administered, validated questionnaire. Additional questions were asked related to demographics, professional history, and abstinence-only-until-marriage education policies and funding. The relationships were tested with multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: A trend became apparent in which most teachers would allow a state- or federally funded program to be offered and presented in their schools, but most did not know if their school received funding to support abstinence-only-until-marriage education. Attendance at religious services, complexity of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, and abstinence-only-until-marriage curriculum emerged as important predictors of the likelihood to adopt abstinence education. CONCLUSIONS: Trends in political agendas, policy development, and state and federal funding have supported abstinence-only-until-marriage education programs. In order to ensure an understanding about the inclusion of sexuality education in the classroom, insight into the teacher's role in the integration of sexuality education in the classroom is important.
Effect of oxidation-reduction potential on light-induced cytochrome and bacteriochlorophyll reactions in chromatophores from the photosynthetic green bacterium Chlorobium.

Abstract The reaction center bacteriochlorophyll of Chlorobium thiosulfatophilum has a midpoint oxidation-reduction potential ( E m ) of +330 mV. Its photooxidation is unaffected by oxidation-reduction potentials in the range from +260 mV to −70 mV but on further reduction is attenuated to zero in a one-electron transition with an E m of −130 mV. A c -type cytochrome with an E m of +220 mV and absorption maxima at 551–552 nm (α-band) and 420 nm (γ-band) is present in Chlorobium chromatophores and undergoes photooxidation. Cytocrome c photooxidation is attenuated to zero in two 1-electron steps with E m of +30 mV and −130 mV Possible roles for +30 mV and −130 mV components in photosynthetic electron transport in Chlorobium are discussed.
HYPER-RAYLEIGH SCATTERING MEASUREMENTS OF NONLINEAR OPTICAL CHROMOPHORES AT 1907 NM

Abstract Hyper-Rayleigh scattering measurements are performed on nonlinear optical chromophores using an excitation wavelength of 1907 nm. This wavelength is the longest that has yet been reported for the hyper-Rayleigh scattering experiment and allows measurements of the first hyperpolarizability of chromophores that are free of contributions from two-photon absorption induced fluorescence and reduces one and two photon resonance enhancement to a minimum. Using the 1907 nm setup we demonstrate good agreement between our results and those obtained with the electric field induced second harmonic generation (EFISHG) technique previously performed at this wavelength.
DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF ACTINIDIN IN KIWIFRUIT (ACTINIDIA CHINENSIS) AND ITS PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION

The actinidin activity in kiwifruit increased 3-fold after 3 weeks postharvest ripening at 5°C with a 15% decrease in specific activity. Actinidin activity is highest in the pulp of ripe fruit at 27,600 U/kg fruit. The thiol protease actinidin from kiwifruit was extracted and purified 26-fold to a specific activity of 57 U/mg with Km= 91 μM and kcat= 101 s−1 towards N-α-CBZ-lysine p-nitrophenyl ester at pH 6.0 and 25°C.
A model-reduction method for nonlinear discrete-time skew-product dynamical systems in the presence of model uncertainty

The present research work proposes a new systematic approach to the problem of model reduction for nonlinear discrete-time skew-product dynamical systems in the presence of model uncertainty. The problem of interest is addressed within the context of functional equation theory, and in particular, through a system of invariance functional equations for which a general set of conditions for solvability is provided. Within the class of analytic solutions, this set of conditions guarantees the existence and uniqueness of a locally analytic solution which represents the system’s slow invariant manifold attracting all dynamic trajectories in the absence of model uncertainty. An exact reduced-order model is then obtained through the restriction of the original discrete-time system dynamics on the slow manifold. The analyticity property of the solution to the invariance functional equations enables the development of a series solution method that can be easily implemented using MAPLE leading to polynomial approximations up to the desired degree of accuracy. Furthermore, the aforementioned attractivity property and the system’s transition towards the above manifold is analyzed and characterized in the presence of model uncertainty. Finally, the proposed method is evaluated through an illustrative biological reactor example.
Public Opinion on Dimensions of Governance in East Asia: An Analysis of Citizen and Expert Evaluations

In recent years, institutional financial institutions such as the World Bank have taken a keen interest in the links between governance and economic development in East Asia and in other regions of the world. However, the concept of governance has proven difficult to measure in cross-national studies and its meaning in the minds of citizens and experts may differ noticeably. This article examines elite and mass perceptions of governance using the World Governance Indicators developed by scholars affiliated with the World Bank and survey data derived from the 2006 wave of the AsiaBarometer Survey conducted in seven ‘Confucian’ societies. The results of the analysis capture considerable variation at the country and individual levels for how citizens and experts perceive governance in this region of the world. In addition, a multivariate test uncovered some convergence between citizen and expert assessments but only for some of the various governance components.
Dairy Records and Models for Economic and Financial Planning

Managers are challenged to translate farm goals into specific strategies within organizational areas such as production and finance. To the extent that the goals include profitability, economic criteria should be used to determine the strategies. The economic criteria should be evaluated with data that are specific to the individual farm rather than assuming average relationships between production practices and profitability, which may or may not be relevant in specific economic situations with constraints. Farm data from production and financial records can be used to analyze past performance, and then these data can be integrated with decision models to yield predictions about future performance that are critical for cash, credit, and financial planning. Information gathered regularly on current milk production, stage of lactation, age, reproductive status, health, feeding practices, performance, costs, and market prices, including forecasts, can be continuously included for management monitoring and control. Economic analysis includes opportunity costs and risk assessment. An example of a current operational system is given that analyzes past performance but also uses simulation and optimization models to forecast and analyze alternatives. Optimization, although never perfect, is considered to be a valuable part of the system to generate alternative strategies to reach farm goals and to make the system more than merely descriptive.
Registration of 'Desert Song' Flor de Junio and 'Gypsy Rose' Flor de Mayo Common Bean Cultivars

‘Desert Song’ Flor de Junio (FJ) common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) (Reg. No. CV-308, PI 673424) and ‘Gypsy Rose’ Flor de Mayo (FM) common bean (Reg. No. CV-309, PI 673425) cultivars, developed by Michigan State University AgBioResearch, were released in 2014 as high-yielding FJ and FM seed types adapted to northern production zones. Both cultivars were developed using the pedigree breeding method to the F 4 generation followed by pure line selection for disease, agronomic, seed, and cooking traits. In 4 yr of field trials, Desert Song yielded 3468 kg ha −1 , flowered in 41 d, and matured in 100 d on average. Plants averaged 48 cm for canopy height, with lodging resistance score of 3.2 and seed weight of 36.2 g 100 seed−1 . In the same 4 yr of field trials, Gypsy Rose yielded 3761 kg ha −1 , flowered in 49 d, and matured in 105 d on average. Plants averaged 49 cm for canopy height, with lodging resistance score of 3.3 and seed weight of 30.4 g 100 seed−1 . Both cultivars combine high yield potential with adaptation to northern production areas. They possess resistance to Bean common mosaic virus and intermediate resistance to race 22:2 of bean rust [incited by Uromyces appendiculatus (Pers.:Pers.) Unger]. Each cultivar produces seed that meets industry standards for packaging and canning in the respective FJ and FM seed classes.
Mechanics of interface failure in the trilayer elastic composite

An exact analysis of the mechanics of interface failure is presented for a trilayer composite system consisting of geometrically and materially distinct linear elastic layers separated by straight nonlinear, uniform and nonuniform decohesive interfaces. The technical significance of this system stems from its utility in representing two slabs joined together by a third adhesive layer whose thickness cannot be neglected. The formulation, based on exact infinitesimal strain elasticity solutions for rectangular domains, employs a methodology recently developed by the authors to investigate both solitary defect as well as multiple defect interaction problems in layered systems under arbitrary loading. Interfacial integral equations, governing the normal and tangential displacement jump components at the interfaces, are solved for the uniformly loaded trilayer system. Interfacial defects, taken in the form of interface perturbations and nonbonded portions of interface, are modeled by coordinate dependent interface strengths. They are examined in a variety of configurations chosen so as to shed light on the various interfacial failure mechanisms active in layered systems.
Confounding factors in toxicity testing

The necessity for understanding normal human functions and the mechanisms which underlie dysfunction in these processes is essential in the promotion of a healthier lifestyle. To achieve this goal utilization of a suitable animal model is necessary in order to develop new pharmaceutical agents to alleviate diseases or chemicals to enhance the quality of life. It is incumbent upon investigators to choose a species in which pharmacokinetic principles are established and it is important that these phenomena resemble those of the humans. The choice of rats has specific advantages in that these rodents possess similar pharmacodynamic parameters to humans. Other advantages include availability, low cost, ease of breeding, and an extensive literature data-base to enable comparisons to present findings. However, in the interpretation of data from animals to humans, there are factors which need to be recognized as playing important roles in chemical-induced outcomes. The confounding factors include strain, supplier, age, gender, hormonal status and dietary intake. The aim of this article is to demonstrate that there are differences in the responsiveness of rat stock/strains to chemicals and that lack of consideration of confounding factors yields inappropriate conclusions regarding risk assessment for humans.
Regional obesity determinants in the United States: a model of myopic addictive behavior in food consumption

Obesity is considered one of the largest public health problems in the United States today. The premise for our study is a body of results from medical research showing that sweetened foods, i.e., an increased consumption of sugars, leads first to sugar addiction and second to carbohydrate addiction and increased consumption of fats. The latter feature is actually responsible for the increase in body mass index (BMI), but the trigger that produces cravings for extra calories is sugar and sweeteners. Based on our results, a myopic model of addictive behavior in food consumption seems to capture the food consuming habits and related outbreak of obesity among the American population. Our results indicate that lower current and past real prices of sugar contribute significantly to higher values of BMI, and increase the likelihood of becoming obese in the United States.
Where and What are the Data in Human Factors

The major points of this paper are: (1) Human Factors (HF) data have no value unless used; (2) the major use of HF data should be quantitative prediction of human performance; (3) predictive methods exist but the data banks to support them do not; (4) HF research should be directed by data bank needs, rather than by researcher idiosyncracy.
Vehicular mobile commerce

Growing interest in mobile commerce among users, service providers, content developers, businesses, and researchers has spawned many new applications ncluding location-based services, mobile financial services, multiparty interactive games, and mobile auctions. Most of these applications are designed to be accessible via personal digital assistants or cell phones, but handhelds have limited capabilities and are impractical or dangerous to use while driving. Increased computing and communications power, coupled with advances in wireless networking technology and the explosive growth in wireless local area network (WLAN) deployments, have the potential to enable new m-commerce applications for drivers or passengers in motor vehicles. These applications range from entertainment and business services to diagnostic and safety tools. However, for vehicular m-commerce to become a reality, researchers must address a number of technical challenges.
Lef1 is required for progenitor cell identity in the zebrafish lateral line primordium

The zebrafish posterior lateral line (pLL) is a sensory system that comprises clusters of mechanosensory organs called neuromasts (NMs) that are stereotypically positioned along the surface of the trunk. The NMs are deposited by a migrating pLL primordium, which is organized into polarized rosettes (proto-NMs). During migration, mature proto-NMs are deposited from the trailing part of the primordium, while progenitor cells in the leading part give rise to new proto-NMs. Wnt signaling is active in the leading zone of the primordium and global Wnt inactivation leads to dramatic disorganization of the primordium and a loss of proto-NM formation. However, the exact cellular events that are regulated by the Wnt pathway are not known. We identified a mutant strain, lef1nl2, that contains a lesion in the Wnt effector gene lef1. lef1nl2 mutants lack posterior NMs and live imaging reveals that rosette renewal fails during later stages of migration. Surprisingly, the overall primordium patterning, as assayed by the expression of various markers, appears unaltered in lef1nl2 mutants. Lineage tracing and mosaic analyses revealed that the leading cells (presumptive progenitors) move out of the primordium and are incorporated into NMs; this results in a decrease in the number of proliferating progenitor cells and eventual primordium disorganization. We concluded that Lef1 function is not required for initial primordium organization or migration, but is necessary for proto-NM renewal during later stages of pLL formation. These findings revealed a novel role for the Wnt signaling pathway during mechanosensory organ formation in zebrafish.
The Bourdon illusion in subjective contours.

The Bourdon illusion is a contour-attraction effect in which a straight edge of a solid figure appears bent in the same direction as an objectively bent edge located nearby. This illusion is stronger in subjective contours than in real contours. A feature-detection model accounts for these findings and other aspects of the Bourdon illusion.
Papillary fibroelastoma of the aortic valve

Abstract We hereby report the case of a patient with a papillary fibroelastoma involving the right coronary cusp of the aortic valve that was diagnosed with the use of transesophageal echocardiography after workup for recurrent transient ischemic attacks. (J Am Echocardiogr 2002;15:382-4.)
New frontiers in acute asthma therapy

Acute asthma therapy is an active area of research, and studies of new therapies are continually emerging. Levalbuterol and the leukotriene modifying agents are newly approved medications that show some potential for use in acute asthma although specific roles have yet to be defined for the emergency department (ED). Helium and oxygen mixtures (heliox) have been used to treat asthma for decades, and clinical research interest has increased recently. Although heliox does not appear to have a role in standard ED therapy, it may benefit patients in respiratory failure. The inhaled corticosteroids are a class of medications that are highly effective in preventive asthma therapy. ED-based research has produced conflicting results which may relate to differences in the agents, dosages, and outcomes studied. Providers of pediatric emergency care will need to assess future data on all of these agents carefully to define new standards of care for acute asthma.
Estimating the prevalence of injecting drug use in the Middle East and North Africa

Background and objective The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is home to the world's largest producer of opioids, as well as to major drug trade routes. Over 80% of the global supply of heroin is produced in Afghanistan, and over 75% of this is trafficked through Iran and Pakistan. The increased availability and purity of inexpensive heroin in MENA appears to have led to a subsequent rise in injecting drug use. The objective of this sub-study was to estimate the proportion and number of people who inject drugs (PWID) in MENA, as part of a larger study of HIV epidemiology among PWID in this region. Methods This was a systematic review of literature following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Sources of data included PubMed, Embase, regional databases, conference abstracts, as well as a large body of country-level reports. A generic "drug use" search of these databases was performed. Data on PWID population size estimates in the 23 MENA countries were extracted from relevant studies. Estimates were weighted by adult population size. When more than one such estimate was available per country, we used their mean. Adult population size was extracted from the United Nations World Population Database. Results After screening 4,985 citations, we extracted 121 and 105 measures on the number and proportion of PWID, respectively. We estimated that there are 0.6-1 million PWID in MENA. Pakistan, Iran, and Egypt have the largest number, with an average of about 210,000, 180,000 and 89,000 PWID, respectively. The weighted mean prevalence of injecting drug use was estimated at 0.23 per 100 adults (range 0.03-0.50%), and was highest in Iran (0.43%). Studies of sub-national populations showed geographical heterogeneity in the proportion of PWID. Data on the prevalence of female PWID were scarce. Overall, the mean proportion of females among PWID in included studies was 3.6% (range: 0-35%). Conclusion The mean prevalence of injecting drug use in MENA (23 in every 1000 adults) is comparable with global figures which range from 0.06% in South Asia to 1.50% in Eastern Europe. The prevalence of injecting drug use varied between MENA countries, being higher in the eastern part of the region; and appeared to be heavily concentrated among men. With recent evidence suggesting emerging HIV epidemics among PWID in several MENA countries, these findings take on additional importance. There is an urgent need to scale up harm reduction services for the nearly one million individuals who form this vulnerable population group in MENA.
Attenuation of the Renewal Effect by Extinction in Multiple Contexts

Abstract In two experiments, water-deprived rats were given a single pairing of a sucrose solution with LiCl in one context (Context 1). Some subjects then received three nonreinforced exposures to sucrose, that is, extinction, in Context 1. Other subjects received these three sucrose extinction trials in a different context (e.g., Context 2). A third group of subjects was included that received one extinction trial in each of three different contexts (Contexts 2, 3, and 4). Following this treatment, the rats were returned to Context 1 and were tested for their aversion to sucrose. Subjects given extinction trials only in one context other than the conditioning context (e.g., Context 2) yielded a greater aversion sucrose at test than subjects given extinction in Context 1, that is, a renewal effect occurred. Moreover, the groups given extinction in three different contexts exhibited attenuated renewal relative to subjects that received extinction trials only in Context 2. The discussion focuses on the possible mechanism underlying the renewal effect.
Classical Dispersion Analysis of Multiband Systems in the Infrared Region

A self-bracketing search technique employing classical dispersion analysis is used to calculate dispersion parameter values by minimizing the deviation between experimental and calculated reflectance or transmission data. An evaluation of the method on multiband spectra is accomplished by using synthetic spectra that contain both overlapping and nonoverlapping band systems. The experimental spectra are obtained by measuring the reflectance at normal incidence from a large single crystal or by measuring the transmittance of a thin film deposited on a transparent substrate. Upon application of the technique to real spectra, the deviation between the calculated and real spectra produces a constant value rather than approaching zero, as is the case with synthetic spectra. Reasons for this phenomenon are discussed.
Anterior cingulate cortex, error detection, and the online monitoring of performance

An unresolved question in neuroscience and psychology is how the brain monitors performance to regulate behavior. It has been proposed that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), on the medial surface of the frontal lobe, contributes to performance monitoring by detecting errors. In this study, event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine ACC function. Results confirm that this region shows activity during erroneous responses. However, activity was also observed in the same region during correct responses under conditions of increased response competition. This suggests that the ACC detects conditions under which errors are likely to occur rather than errors themselves.
Inflation-unemployment trade-offs of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents: Empirical evidence on the partisan theory

Abstract Recently economists have given much attention to the partisan theory of interaction between political motivations and the macroeconomy. The partisan theory implies that Democratic voters will be more concerned about unemployment relative to inflation than Republican voters. We test this hypothesis by estimating voters' preference functions between inflation and unemployment using disaggregated Gallup Poll presidential popularity data. Using alternative nonlinear and logistic specifications and seemingly unrelated regression estimation procedures, we estimate the slopes of the indifference curves in the preference functions for respondents classified as Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Wald tests show that we cannot reject the hypothesis that supporters of the Democratic and Republican parties and Independents have the same trade-offs between inflation and unemployment.
Urethral Dysfunction in Diabetic Rats

ABSTRACTPurpose: We investigated the effects of diabetes mellitus (DM) on urethral relaxation mechanisms during reflex bladder contractions in rats.Materials and Methods: Five weeks after streptozotocin injection (65 mg/kg intraperitoneally) the effects of DM on urethral relaxation mechanisms were evaluated by simultaneous recordings of intravesical pressure under isovolumetric conditions and urethral perfusion pressure (UPP) using urethane anesthesia.Results: In diabetic rats the UPP nadir during urethral relaxation and intravesical pressure thresholds for inducing urethral relaxation were significantly higher (199% and 92%, respectively) than in normal rats, while baseline UPPs were not significantly different. The mean rate and amplitude of high frequency oscillations of urethral striated muscle in diabetic rats were also significantly lower (17% and 64%, respectively) compared with normal rats. Following α-bungarotoxin treatment to eliminate striated muscle sphincter contractions intravenous administr...
TRANSMISSION GRATING INCORPORATED DISPLACEMENT SENSOR: A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE SENSOR PARAMETERS.

The imaging phenomenon due to a rectangular transmission grating has earlier been described in its close vicinity. By reversing the conjugate planes, it has been possible to obtain highly magnified grating images. The phenomenon has been successfully utilized for sensing displacements of the object grating. We have observed the image magnification in the range 102 to 103 by using a 25μm object grating. The optimum imaging conditions have been explained on the basis of the OTF theory. The signal contrast has been studied theoretically and experimentally as a function of the size and polychromaticity of the light source and the distance between the object and pupil gratings. In the case of two rectangular transmission gratings, the signal consists of a triangular wave when the image is observed at infinity under the optimum imaging conditions. As the image plane approaches the pupil grating, the waveform tends to become sinusoidal due to the loss of higher spatial frequencies. We have employed the differential detection method and the sensitivity in the linear region has been estimated to be 0.01μm.
Trends in female representation in published ophthalmology literature, 2000-2009.

Purpose To examine trends in female first and last authors in clinical ophthalmology literature published from January 2000 to December 2009.
A multicast-based protocol for IP mobility support

Several architectures have been recently proposed to support IP mobility. Most studies, however, show that current protocols, in general, fall short from satisfying the performance requirements for audio applications. In this study, we propose a multicast-based protocol to reduce latency and packet loss during handoff and provide the base for IP mobility support. We use extensive simulation to evaluate our protocol's performance over a variety of real and generated topologies, and we compare it to several other mobility protocols, especially the Mobile IP protocols. We take handoff delay estimates and routing efficiency as metrics for our comparisons. We take a route analysis (as opposed to packet analysis) approach in our study, and we apply it in the context of wide-area networks.Our simulation results show significant improvement for our proposed protocol. On average, basic Mobile IP consumes almost twice as much network bandwidth, and experiences more than twice as much end-to-end and handoff delays, as does our proposed protocol. In addition, average handoff delay estimates for our protocol prove to be less than that for other protocols in this study, even with route optimization. We further propose an extension to Mobile IP to support our protocol with minimal modification.
Creep behavior of carbon fiber/epoxy matrix composites

Abstract The creep behavior of a carbon fiber/epoxy matrix composite was studied through tensile and flexural creep testing. No creep rupture failures were observed in short-term (less than 1600 h) room temperature tensile creep tests at loads up to 77% ultimate tensile strength (UTS). For elevated temperature flexural creep compliance data taken at isotherms between 30 and 75 °C, the principle of time–temperature superposition held. Master curves were generated by shifting the data by hand and also using the constant activation energy of the glass transition relaxation to estimate the shift factors. It was shown that the constant activation energy assumption worked fairly well, but only for temperatures below the onset T g of the material. Predictions were made concerning the creep levels at the end of a proposed 50-year design life.