cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Selection of Ideal Candidates for Neuromodulation in Refractory Overactive Bladder

Sacral neuromodulation is a minimally invasive, reversible treatment option that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for patients with urgency/frequency and urge incontinence. While long-term success rates are high, the high treatment cost and the need for operative revision or explantation in cases of failure make the selection of ideal candidates particularly important. Because predictive factors for success and the exact mechanism of action are not known, physicians must rely on a preimplantation test procedure, either in the office or in the operating room, to select patients for implantation of a pulse generator. In this paper, we review the recent literature on performing a test procedure with both temporary and permanent leads and the selection of optimal candidates for sacral neuromodulation therapy.
Measurement of surface-current densities*

We have measured the surface current densities on the shadow sides of diffracting disks for normally incident microwaves and compared our results with Andrejewski’s calculations from exact electromagnetic theory. We employed diameters of disks ranging from 3 to 30 cm and wavelengths ranging from 2.5 to 30 cm. The most-reliable measurements were made for ratios of diameter to wavelength in the range of 0.3 to 3.0. The checks between experiment and theory give us added confidence that we can measure the tangential magnetic fields and associated surface-current densities over any conducting surface.
Circulatory Support by a Left Ventricular Balloon Pump

The ability of a left ventricular balloon pump to provide support of the circulation when myocardial function had been severely impaired was examined in six dogs. When the unassisted damaged left ventricle could not maintain systemic blood flows adequate for survival, left ventricular balloon pumping resulted in peripheral blood flows which ranged from 37 to 77 ml/min/kg. These balloon-generated blood flows have been maintained for periods up to three hours. Assist of the circulation by balloon pumping was accompanied by an increase in systemic arterial blood pressure and a decrease in left atrial end-diastolic pressure. The effectiveness of left ventricular balloon pumping was reduced in hypovolemia and in the presence of ventricular extrasystolic beats. Left ventricular balloon pumping was not effective in generating a sustained peripheral flow of blood when the heart was fibrillating.
Stratified epithelium in prostatic adenocarcinoma: a mimic of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia

Stratified epithelium in prostatic adenocarcinoma: a mimic of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia
Geriatric assessment: Inside the black box

Abstract Geriatric assessment, a new, multidisciplinary team approach to health care for older adults, is examined in terms of what happens during the assessment, how it is interpreted by the providers, the patients and their families, and how these interpretations may affect the assessment outcomes. Four outpatient geriatric assessment units were studied and nineteen of their patients/families observed as they went through the assessment. Interviews and observations revealed that although there was some variation between the units, the core of the geriatric assessment remained the same for all. Through case studies of patients and families, four elements which can affect the operation and efficacy of geriatric assessment were identified. This study has implications for the role that process studies can play in the evaluation of geriatric assessment.
Understanding the relationship between substance use and self-injury in American Indian youth.

Background: American Indian communities compared to other US populations are challenged by the largest health disparities in substance abuse and suicidal behavior among youth ages 15–24. Objectives: This article examines the co-occurrence of substance use and self-injury among reservation-based youth in the US. Methods: White Mountain Apache tribal leaders and Johns Hopkins University formed a partnership to address self-injury and substance abuse among Apache youth. Data on suicide (deaths, attempts, ideation), non-suicidal self-injury, and substance use were analyzed from the White Mountain Apache tribally mandated self-injury surveillance registry from 2007 to 2010, including 567 validated incidents from 352 individuals aged 15–24 years. Findings regarding characteristics of co-occurrence – including differences in the type of self-harm behavior, gender, and reported reasons for the act – were interpreted through a community-based participatory research process. Results: From 2007 to 2010, 64% (n = 7/1...
Absorptive Capacity in the Software Industry: Identifying Dimensions That Affect Knowledge and Knowledge Creation Activities

The ability of the firm to effectively use external knowledge (its absorptive capacity) is important to firm competitiveness and innovativeness. However, the wide array of approaches to studying absorptive capacity has obscured our understanding of what drives the effective use of external knowledge. The authors show that absorptive capacity is composed of mutliple dimensions: (a) the firm’s relationship to its external environment; (b) the structure, routines, and knowledge base of the main value creation group(s); and (c) individuals’ absorptive abilities. Their data illustrate that each of these dimensions contributes to increased knowledge or knowledge creation activities.
Experimental test for deviation from Kleinman's symmetry in the third order susceptibility tensor☆

Abstract The state of polarization of light generated at the three wave mixing frequency ω3 = 2ω1 − ω2 is observed in a few simple geometries, demonstrating a deviation from Kleinman's symmetry in cubic crystals.
ABR1, an APETALA2-Domain Transcription Factor That Functions as a Repressor of ABA Response in Arabidopsis

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays an important role in plant development and stress responses. An important step of ABA action is activation or inactivation of gene expression. Although several transcription factors are identified to function as positive regulators of ABA-induced gene expression, little is known about the negative regulators of ABA-regulated gene expression. Here, we have identified an APETALA2 (AP2) domain transcription factor that serves as a repressor of ABA response during seed germination and ABA- and stress-induced gene expression in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The expression of the AP2-like ABA repressor 1 (ABR1) gene itself was responsive to ABA and stress conditions including cold, high salt, and drought. Disruption of ABR1 led to hypersensitive response to ABA in seed germination and root growth assays. The mutant plants were also hypersensitive to osmotic stress conditions, such as high salt and high concentrations of mannitol. Further analyses indicated that increased stress sensitivity may result from hypersensitivity to ABA as ABA biosynthesis inhibitor rescued the stress hypersensitivity phenotype. The abr1 mutant plants accumulated significantly higher levels of ABA- and stress-inducible gene transcripts as compared to the wild-type plants, supporting the hypothesis that this AP2 domain protein serves as a repressor of ABA-regulated gene expression.
Autonomic dysfunction in muscular dystrophy: a theoretical framework for muscle reflex involvement

Muscular dystrophies are a heterogeneous group of genetically inherited disorders whose most prominent clinical feature is progressive degeneration of skeletal muscle. In several forms of the disease, the function of cardiac muscle is likewise affected. The primary defect in this group of diseases is caused by mutations in myocyte proteins important to cellular structure and/or performance. That being stated, a growing body of evidence suggests that the development of autonomic dysfunction may secondarily contribute to the generation of skeletal and cardio-myopathy in muscular dystrophy. Indeed, abnormalities in the regulation of both sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve activity have been reported in a number of muscular dystrophy variants. However, the mechanisms mediating this autonomic dysfunction remain relatively unknown. An autonomic reflex originating in skeletal muscle, the exercise pressor reflex, is known to contribute significantly to the control of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity when stimulated. Given the skeletal myopathy that develops with muscular dystrophy, it is logical to suggest that the function of this reflex might also be abnormal with the pathogenesis of disease. As such, it may contribute to or exacerbate the autonomic dysfunction that manifests. This possibility along with a basic description of exercise pressor reflex function in health and disease are reviewed. A better understanding of the mechanisms that possibly underlie autonomic dysfunction in muscular dystrophy may not only facilitate further research but could also lead to the identification of new therapeutic targets for the treatment of muscular dystrophy.
Does Connection to Primary Care Matter for Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder?

OBJECTIVE. Whether high-quality primary care in the form of a medical home effectively meets the health care needs of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is unknown. The objectives of this study were to (1) describe the percentage who report unmet health care need, (2) evaluate whether having a medical home is associated with lower risk for having unmet needs, and (3) compare the impact of having a medical home on unmet need for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with those with asthma. METHODS. Cross-sectional analysis was conducted of the National Survey of Children9s Health, 2003, a nationally representative sample. The primary outcome variable was parent-reported unmet health care need. Multivariate logistic regression tested the impact of having a medical home on unmet needs for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and asthma. RESULTS. The National Survey of Children9s Health interviewed parents of 6030 children who had attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and 6133 children who had asthma and were between the ages of 6 and 17 years. A total of 16.8% of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder had at least 1 unmet need compared with 6.7% of children with asthma. Although the proportion of children with a medical home was comparable, children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were 3.5 times more likely to have an unmet need than were children with asthma. Children with asthma who have a medical home have less than half the likelihood of reporting an unmet need in comparison with those without a medical home; however, among children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, having a medical home was not associated with decreased likelihood of reporting an unmet need. CONCLUSIONS. Having a medical home is not associated with fewer unmet needs for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Our results suggest that high-quality primary care may not be as successful at meeting the needs of children with behavioral health conditions compared with those with physical conditions.
Dopaminergic modulation at the olfactory nerve synapse.

Abstract Dopamine can change the membrane potential, regulate cyclic nucleotides, and modulate transmitter release in central neurons. In the olfactory bulb (OB), the dopamine synthetic enzyme, tyrosine hydroxylase, is largely confined to neurons in the glomerular layer. After demonstrating dopamine D2 receptors in the glomerular and olfactory nerve (ON) layers, Nickell et al. [W.T. Nickell, A.B. Norman, L.M. Wyatt, M.T. Shipley, Olfactory bulb DA receptors may be located on terminals of the olfactory nerve, NeuroReport, 2 (1991) 9–12.] proposed that these receptors may reduce transmitter release due to their localization to ON presynaptic boutons. We have previously demonstrated that olfactory receptor neurons use glutamate to excite OB neurons through activation of glutamate receptors subtypes, NMDA and AMPA/kainate [D.A. Berkowicz, P.Q. Trombley, G.M. Shepherd, Evidence for glutamate as the olfactory receptor cell neurotransmitter. J. Neurophysiol., 71 (1994) 2557–2561]. Here, we used a hemisected turtle OB preparation and patch-clamp recording techniques to assess dopamine modulation of the ON/OB neuron synapse. We found that dopamine (10–300 μM) reversibly decreased the excitatory postsynaptic response to ON stimulation. This effect could be overcome by recruiting additional nerve fibers by increasing the intensity of ON stimulation. Quinpirole (10 μM), a D2 agonist, mimicked the effects of dopamine. Conversely, sulpiride (300 μM), a D2 antagonist, prevented the inhibitory effects of dopamine on synaptic transmission. Whereas dopamine appeared to equally affect the NMDA and AMPA/kainate receptor-mediated components of the synaptically evoked response, it had no direct effect on membrane currents evoked by exogenous glutamate, kainate or NMDA applied to cultured OB neurons. Our data, therefore, support the notion that dopamine modulates synaptic transmission between olfactory receptor neurons and OB neurons via a presynaptic mechanism involving D2 receptor activation. Our abstract (Berkowicz et al. (1994) Neuroscience Abs. 20:328) is the first report of these results.
Bipolaronic charge excitations in t-J two-leg ladders

We present a low-energy effective model for the charge degrees of freedom in two-leg t-J ladders. Starting from SU(2) mean-field theory, we exclude the spin degrees of freedom which have an energy gap. At low temperatures, the mean-field solution is the staggered-flux phase. For gapless charge excitations the effective theory is the Luther-Emery liquid. Our analysis is applicable at low doping and in the ``physical'' range of parameters $t/J\sim 3$ where there is only one massless mode in the charge sector and no massless modes in the spin sector. Within our model we make predictions about correlation exponents and the superconductivity order parameter, and discuss the comparison with the existing numerical results.
Sex differences in dental caries experience: clinical evidence, complex etiology

A sex difference in oral health has been widely documented through time and across cultures. Women's oral health declines more rapidly than men's with the onset of agriculture and the associated rise in fertility. The magnitude of this disparity in oral health by sex increases during ontogeny: from childhood, to adolescence, and through the reproductive years. Representative studies of sex differences in caries, tooth loss, and periodontal disease are critically reviewed. Surveys conducted in Hungary, India, and in an isolated traditional Brazilian sample provide additional support for a significant sex bias in dental caries, especially in mature adults. Compounding hormonal and reproductive factors, the sex difference in oral health in India appears to involve social and religious causes such as son preference, ritual fasting, and dietary restrictions during pregnancy. Like the sex difference in caries, tooth loss in women is greater than in men and has been linked to caries and parity. Results of genome wide association studies have found caries susceptible and caries protective loci that influence variation in taste, saliva, and enamel proteins, affecting the oral environment and the micro-structure of enamel. Genetic variation, some of which is X-linked, may partly explain how sex differences in oral health originate. A primary, but neglected, factor in explaining the sex differential in oral health is the complex and synergistic changes associated with female sex hormones, pregnancy, and women's reproductive life history. Caries etiology is complex and impacts understanding of the sex difference in oral health. Both biological (genetics, hormones, and reproductive history) and anthropological (behavioral) factors such culture-based division of labor and gender-based dietary preferences play a role.
Queen longevity, queen adoption, and posthumous indirect fitness in the facultatively polygynous ant Myrmica tahoensis

In many polygynous ant species, established colonies adopt new queens secondarily. Conflicts over queen adoption might arise between queens and workers of established colonies and the newly mated females seeking adoption into nests. Colony members are predicted to base adoption decisions on their relatednesses to other participants, on competition between queens for colony resources, and on the effects that adopted queens have on colony survivorship and productivity. To provide a better understanding of queen-adoption dynamics in a facultatively polygynous ant, colonies of Myrmica tahoensis were observed in the field for 4 consecutive years and analyzed genetically using highly polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers. The extreme rarity of newly founded colonies suggests that most newly mated queens that succeed do so by entering established nests. Queens are closely related on average (r¯ = 0.58), although a sizable minority of queen pairs (29%) are not close relatives. An experiment involving transfers of queens among nests showed that queens are often accepted by workers to which they are completely unrelated. Average queen numbers estimated from nest excavations (harmonic mean = 1.4) are broadly similar to effective queen numbers inferred from the genetic relatedness of colony members, suggesting that reproductive skew is low in this species. Queens appear to have reproductive lifespans of only 1 or 2 years. As a result, queens transmit a substantial fraction of their genes posthumously (through the reproduction of related nestmates), in comparison to direct and indirect reproduction while they are alive. Thus queens and other colony members should often accept new queens when doing so will increase colony survivorship, in some cases even when the adopted queens are not close relatives.
What caused the low-water phase of glacial Lake Agassiz?

First-order modeling suggests that a low-water phase in late-glacial Lake Agassiz can be explained through changes in the balance between evaporation, precipitation, and runoff, rather than drainage. The low-water Moorhead Phase is often attributed to drainage through outlets opened by isostatic depression and retreat of the Laurentide ice margin. However, new data indicate that the proposed outlets were ice-covered during the Moorhead Phase. Instead, the lake water levels dropped to the Moorhead Phase before the start of the Younger Dryas chronozone and remained there until 11.3 ka. Thus, drainage seems to be an implausible explanation for Younger Dryas-aged low water levels in Lake Agassiz. An alternative explanation is that evaporation equaled or exceeded water inputs from the adjacent ice margin and the deglaciated parts of the drainage basin. To evaluate whether this hypothesis is plausible, we constructed a simple model that considers the paleo-basin geometry, hydrology, and meltwater production from the adjacent ice margin. Modest hydrologic changes (within the range of present-day variability), coupled with low meltwater production, produce a closed basin. Shifts in the location of the polar jet, driven by increased Arctic albedo, may explain our inferred hydrologic changes.
The Effect of Hen Age on Antibiotic Resistance of Escherichia coli Isolates from Turkey Poults

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the effect of turkey breeder hen age on the efficacy of different antibiotics commonly used in the turkey industry against poult Escherichia coli isolates. Intestinal isolates demonstrated more incidences of resistance to chlortetracycline (CTC), gentamicin (GEN), enrofloxacin (ENO), neomycin (NEO), and sulfadimethoxine-ormetoprim (SDM-ORM) when cultured from poults from young hens (YHP, 15 weeks of lay) (p ≤ 0.05). Liver isolates demonstrated varied hen age differences to GEN (p ≤ 0.05). However, liver isolates cultured from YHP showed higher levels of resistance to NEO and SDM-ORM and lower levels of resistance to ENO (p ≤ 0.05). All isolates cultured were resistant to clindamycin (CLD) and bacitracin (BAC), and no less than 96.6% of the isolates cultured were resistant to penicillin (PEN). Isolates from Hatchery 1 and 2 exhibited strong susceptibility to ENO, but, in Hatchery 3, results to ENO varied. The results were more variable when breeder flocks were followed from young to old, which may be due to pronounced seasonal effects. In conclusion, E. coli isolates from YHP have a higher incidence of resistance to antibiotics than E. coli isolates from OHP. These data suggest that age of breeder flock and hatchery-related environmental differences might influence the effectiveness of antibiotics against avian E. coli isolates from turkey poults.
INTROSPECTION AND THE INSCRUTABILITY OF REFERENCE

Possedons-nous une evidence privee sur la reference? Si la reponse est positive, cela peut constituer un argument contre la these quinienne de l'inscrutabilite de la reference. L'A. examine cet argument de l'introspection.
Optimum Management of Asthma in Pregnancy

In pregnancy complicated by asthma, the greatest risk to the fetus is severe and uncontrolled bronchospasm resulting in hypoxia. For this reason, the priority in management of the pregnant asthmatic should be effective control of asthma symptoms with an appropriate amount of asthma medication to accomplish this goal.
Brain Reward Circuitry: Insights from Unsensed Incentives

The natural incentives that shape behavior reach the central circuitry of motivation trans-synaptically, via the five senses, whereas the laboratory rewards of intracranial stimulation or drug injections activate reward circuitry directly, bypassing peripheral sensory pathways. The unsensed incentives of brain stimulation and intracranial drug injections thus give us tools to identify reward circuit elements within the associational portions of the CNS. Such studies have implicated the mesolimbic dopamine system and several of its afferents and efferents in motivational function. Comparisons of natural and laboratory incentives suggest hypotheses as to why some habits become compulsive and give insights into the roles of reinforcement and of prediction of reinforcement in habit formation.
An examination of the edge effect in a cantilever beam

A solution of the plane elasticity problem for the cantilever beam is presented. The classical solution in the interior region of the beam is developed with the aid of a geometric parameter. The effect of local transverse deformations and distortions are accounted for in the solution near the clamped edge. Some numerical results are presented.
GaAsFET and HEMT small-signal parameter extraction from measured S-parameters

An improved method for extracting small-signal model parameters including package parasitics for GaAsFET and HEMT devices is described. Monte Carlo simulation techniques result in optimized model component values for minimum error between measured and modeled S-parameters. Simulation time is reduced by starting from initial component values derived from an improved direct extraction procedure. >
Differential rearing effects on rat visual cortex synapses. I. Synaptic and neuronal density and synapses per neuron.

Abstract The bulk of the evidence indicating that different experiences can lead to differences in synapse numbers involves inference from measures of postsynaptic surface (spines and dendrites) in Golgi impregnated tissue. The capriciousness of Golgi impregnation and the absence of direct evidence regarding changes in afferents mandate confirmation of synapse changes by electron microscopy. We calculated the ratio of synapses per neuron in layers I–IV of occipital cortex of rats reared in complex (EC), social (SC), or isolated (IC) environments. Synaptic density estimates were derived from electron micrographs of osmium-uranyl-lead stained tissue and neuronal density estimated were derived from toluidine blue stained semithin sections using stereological methods which correct for group differences in the sizes of synapses and neuronal nuclei. The ratio of these densities, synapses per neuron, was highest in complex environment rats, intermediate in socially reared rats and lowest in isolates, in accordance with predictions from prior Golgi studies. The bulk of the differences were attributable to neuronal density, which was highest in IC rats and lowest in ECs. Synaptic density did not differ statistically across groups. These results indicate, at least within this area and paradigm, that differences in dendritic measures in Golgi impregnated tissue reflect differences in the number of synapses per neuron.
Length Effects on Fatigue Behavior of Longitudinal Pipeline Dents

Dent length has been shown to have a significant effect on the fatigue cracking behavior of pipeline dents. Long dents, which experience rerounding and center cracking, have a dramatically shorter fatigue life than otherwise similar short dents, which experience peripheral cracking and little rerounding. Because the fatigue lives of long dents are much shorter than those of short dents, both safety and economy would benefit from improvements in the ability to distinguish long dents from short dents. Based on experimental evidence, a transition between short and long dent behavior is shown to exist. Finite element models are used to further explore the nature of this transition by allowing the examination of cases not available in the experimental record and by permitting stress behavior to be studied. A parametric study is used to quantify the nature of the short dent to long dent transition for a range of cases. Relative dent lengths that bound short and long dent regions of behavior are proposed for these cases.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Simpson's rule for an odd number of intervals

An integration rule is derived which, like Simpson's rule, is of third degree, but which applies to an odd as well as an even number of intervals.
Sequential Fault Diagnosis of Modular Systems

In this correspondence, we present an algorithm based on information theoretic concepts for the design of efficient sequential fault diagnosis experiments for permanent faults in modular systems.
An Approach to Evaluating Effects of Alternative Controls for Douglas-Fir Tussock Moth

The objective of our working group is essentially two-fold: To generate the physical impacts of tussock moth outbreaks under a variety of control strategies that range from doing nothing to using a variety of chemicals or biological controls and, second, to translate these impacts into measures for decision makers and managers to use in evaluating the trade-offs between control alternatives.
Regression of Replication Forks Stalled by Leading-strand Template Damage: II. REGRESSION BY RecA IS INHIBITED BY SSB*

Stalled replication forks are sites of chromosome breakage and the formation of toxic recombination intermediates that undermine genomic stability. Thus, replication fork repair and reactivation are essential processes. Among the many models of replication fork reactivation is one that invokes fork regression catalyzed by the strand exchange protein RecA as an intermediate in the processing of the stalled fork. We have investigated the replication fork regression activity of RecA using a reconstituted DNA replication system where the replisome is stalled by collision with leading-strand template damage. We find that RecA is unable to regress the stalled fork in the presence of the replisome and SSB. If the replication proteins are removed from the stalled fork, RecA will catalyze net regression as long as the Okazaki fragments are sealed. RecA-generated Holliday junctions can be detected by RuvC cleavage, although this is not a robust reaction. On the other hand, extensive branch migration by RecA, where a completely unwound product consisting of the paired nascent leading and lagging strands is produced, is observed under conditions where RuvC activity is suppressed. This branch migration reaction is inhibited by SSB, possibly accounting for the failure of RecA to generate products in the presence of the replication proteins. Interestingly, we find that the RecA-RuvC reaction is supported to differing extents, depending on the template damage; templates carrying a cyclopyrimidine dimer elicit more RecA-RuvC product than those carrying a synthetic abasic site. This difference could be ascribed to a higher affinity of RecA binding to DNAs carrying a thymidine dimer than to those with an abasic site.
Homocysteine enriched diet leads to prolonged QT interval and reduced left ventricular performance in telemetric monitored mice.

Abstract Background and aims Homocysteine (Hcy) is a sulfur-containing, non-protein amino acid produced in the metabolic pathway of methionine. Hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with cerebro- and cardiovascular disease in industrialized countries, mostly resulting from protein rich diet and sedentary life style. Matrix metalloproteinases are involved in cardiac remodeling, leading to degradation of intercellular junctions, cardiac connexins and basement membranes. The study was designed to investigate the relationship between Hcy, cardiac remodeling, cardiac performance, and rhythm disturbances in an animal model of hyperhomocysteinemia. We tested the hypothesis that induction of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 leads to connexin 40, connexin 43, connexin 45 expression changes contributing to decreased cardiac performance and disturbed atrioventricular conduction. Methods and results Hcy was added to drinking water of male C57/BL6J mice to achieve moderate Hcy blood levels. ECG was monitored in conscious mice with a telemetric ECG device; echocardiography was used for assessment of left ventricular function. Immunoblotting was used to evaluate matrix metalloproteinase-2, matrix metalloproteinase-9, connexin 40, connexin 43, and connexin 45 expression in cardiac tissue. Animals fed Hcy showed significant prolongation of QRS, QTc, and PR intervals along with reduced left ventricular function. Western blotting showed increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2, matrix metalloproteinase-9 and decreased expression of connexin 40, 43, and 45. Conclusion Hcy has been identified as a nutritional factor contributing to cardiovascular disease. Cardiac remodeling induced by matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 and decreased expression of connexin 40, 43, and 45 appears to play a role in the pathomechanism of atrioventricular conduction delay and ventricular dilatation in hyperhomocysteinemia.
Model and analysis of a cylindrical in-line hydraulic suppressor with a solid compressible liner

Abstract An in-line hydraulic noise suppressor with a lossy, compressible liner made of foamed polyurethane liner is introduced which is intended to provide an alternative to current in-line silencing devices using compressed nitrogen gas volumes. The liner is engineered to be compressible at elevated pressures, such that it can provide effective noise abatement for practical hydraulic systems. In support of such work, a multimodal model is developed to characterize the device and the liner material. Because the hydraulic system is pressurized after insertion of the liner, the model must address liner compression and the corresponding small gaps introduced in the expansion volume; additionally, both compression and shear wave propagation must be considered in the liner. Several mode matching solutions are investigated, and a pseudoinverse mode matching method is found to provide good convergence characteristics. The multimodal model is validated against a finite element model, and also used in an optimization algorithm to estimate the material properties of a prototype liner using experimental transmission loss data. Experimental results show broadband transmission loss performance at 2.8 MPa system pressure; transmission loss decreases with increasing system pressure, and data at 4.1 MPa system pressure produces about 4 dB less transmission loss than a similarly sized commercial device. The multimodal model with estimated material properties at 2.8 MPa achieves a root mean squared error of 1.7 dB or less for two different length devices over a frequency range of 50–2000 Hz.
Internal drainage of the gallbladder

F OR the past twenty years, whenever practicabIe, we have used interna gaIIbIadder drainage, that is, turning the infected organ into the stomach or duodenum, as a routine procedure. It is the main object of this paper to report the resuIts of 300 such operations during that twenty-year period. acute case reIieved by medical treatment and duodena1 gaIIbIadder drainage is not surgica1; but that the patient Iong treated medicaIIy, without relief, usuaIIy receives prompt benefit from surgery; and that choIecystectomy is today the operation of choice.
Carborane functionalized pyrroles and porphyrins via the Suzuki cross-coupling reaction

A new route to carboranylated pyrroles and porphyrins is reported which involves the Suzuki coupling of readily available bromo- and boronic acid-pyrroles and bromoporphyrins with functionalized carboranes; the X-ray structures of two targeted products are presented and discussed.
Management of dyslipidaemias

Atherosclerotic disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in Europe, the United States, and worldwide.1,2 Previously considered a “western” disease, it is now clear that various peoples of diverse ethnic backgrounds are vulnerable to atherosclerosis. The epidemic of obesity, especially abdominal obesity, escalates the need for appropriate detection and management of high risk individuals. The overwhelming consumption of economic and medical resources necessitates preventive measures in order to decrease the global burden of heart disease. The recent Interheart study, a very large case–control study of acute myocardial infarction in 52 countries, demonstrates that traditional risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) account for most of the risk worldwide (over 90%) and include abnormal lipids, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, abdominal obesity, psychosocial factors, diminished consumption of fruits and vegetables, lack of regular alcohol intake, and lack of regular physical activity. The two most potent risk factors worldwide are smoking and dyslipidaemia.3 The forefront of primary and secondary prevention of CHD is the management of dyslipidaemia. This article will review current strategies in managing dyslipidaemias, focusing on drug treatment and the adjunctive role of diet. A lipid profile including total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and triglycerides should be checked in all adults beginning at age 20, but earlier if the patient is obese or there is a family history of premature atherosclerotic disease or primary lipoprotein abnormalities (table 1). Elevated apo-B values may be a more accurate indicator of atherosclerotic risk than LDL alone. However, current guidelines base treatment on LDL values. European guidelines advocate use of the SCORE model and risk charts4 while US guidelines advocate use of the Framingham risk model and implementation of National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP/ATP III) guidelines based on …
Transformative Topographies: The Natural World in Historia de los Triumphos de la Santa Fee by Andrés Pérez de Ribas, S.J. (1645)

This essay analyzes the representation and cross-fertilization of natural and spiritual landscapes in Andres Perez de Ribas's Historia de los Triumphos de Nuestra Santa Fee (1645), a massive history of Jesuit evangelization in northwestern New Spain. Perez de Ribas confers a major role to the natural world by deploying its wonders as well as its utilitarian riches in the service of imperial expansion and conversion, resignifying native landscapes in the process. The essay argues that Perez de Ribas uses a ‘double optics’ of empirical observation and religion in order to make the northern periphery visible to readers at the centers of imperial power, and to participate in the Jesuit enterprise of knowledge making that was so much a part of their global enterprise.
Human Flourishing: The Context for Character Development in Christian Higher Education

Although character formation has always been a central goal of education, efforts to promote character education in schools have, in the last century, always been hampered by an inability to adequately define character. We offer the concept of the flourishing life as the appropriate context for defining and developing character. This concept, which includes a robust understanding of character, has historically prevailed in Western thought. We first recover some of the historical discussion, and then consider essential elements of the good life in light of this historical discourse and the findings of the social sciences, including the focused work on the flourishing life coming out of positive psychology. Finally, we consider some implications of a well-formed understanding of human flourishing for Christian higher education.
Influence of injector bypass on lifetime of small-particle liquid chromatographic columns

In the case of liquid chromatography columns packed with small (3–5 μm) particles and utilized at relatively high flow rates, pressure pulses associated with the sample injection process (caused by a short-duration interruption in mobile phase flow to the column during injection) may result in a reduction of column lifetime. This detrimental effect can be eliminated by the utilization of specially constructed sample injection valves incorporating properly desinged bypass loops. The paper investigates in detail the effect of pressure pulses, describes the criteria and performance of the bypass systems, and documents column life time and performance.
Surgical treatment protocol of an HIV positive patient with history of radiation therapy post laryngeal carcinoma

Summary This article describes the importance of proper intraoral surgical management of an HIV positive patient who had previously received radiation therapy for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA). The report discusses the risk of developing osteoradionecrosis (ORN) following radiation therapy, additional oral complications and dental management documenting the need for the oral health care provider to understand these sequelae in order to best treat HIV positive patients post radiation therapy.
Modeling, measuring, and minimizing the instrument response function of a tunable diode laser spectrometer

Abstract The instrument response function (IRF) of a spectrometer limits the accuracy of measured spectroscopic parameters by broadening recorded spectral lines/features. We describe methods to model the effects of the IRF on spectral data, to minimize the IRF widths, and to measure the resulting width of the spectrometer IRF. We have modeled the IRF of our Tunable Diode Laser Spectrometer as a Voigt function. A real-time method of eliminating the effects of low-frequency spectrometer drift has been implemented and has resulted in a substantial reduction in the width of the IRF, its residual Gaussian component reduced from about 0.00045 cm - 1 to about 0.0002 cm - 1 . An accurate measurement of the IRF Gaussian width utilizes a computationally simple method making use of the spectral dependence of the RMS noise of each signal-averaged data point. Various noise sources affecting the spectrometer (preamp/detector noise, laser AM noise, and laser FM noise) are identified and separately quantified by use of the same method. The IRF Gaussian-width measurement can be automatically applied to each measured spectrum of an experimental data set. A related method is discussed which allows accurate determination of the spectral dependence of statistical noise appropriate for use in quantitative Chi-square fitting of absorption spectra. We explore simple, efficient numerical processes which can dramatically enhance the quality and usefulness of acquired spectral data, improving the ability to apply TDL spectroscopy to high-precision, quantitative measurements and the determination of detailed spectroscopic lineshape parameters. This paper provides a guide for interested readers to implement these developments in their own spectrometers.
Further structural constraints and uncertainties of a thin laterally varying ultralow-velocity layer at the base of the mantle

Constraints and uncertainties are presented for modeling of an ultralow-velocity zone layer (ULVZ) at the base of Earth's mantle using an SKS wave with small segments of P wave diffraction at the SKS core entry and exit locations, called SP_dKS. Source or receiver effects are ruled out as causes for the SP_dKS anomalies used to map ULVZ structure, since systematic SP_dKS-SKS travel time moveout behavior is present in profiles of recordings of a given earthquake at many seismographic stations and also for many events recorded at one station. The southwest Pacific region produces strong variability in observed SP_dKS/SKS amplitude ratios (compared to synthetic seismograms), which geographically corresponds to an anomalous ULVZ region. Accurate determination of absolute ULVZ thicknesses requires knowledge of, in addition to magnitude of P wave velocity (V_p) reduction in the layer, the magnitude of S wave velocity (V_S) reduction and density (ρ) perturbation (if any). Synthetic seismogram experiments demonstrate several key points regarding uncertainties and constraints in modeling ULVZ structure: (1) thicker layers (up to 300 km thick) with mild reductions (e.g., −2.5 to −5.0%) cannot reproduce the anomalous SP_dKS behavior seen in the data; (2) for ULVZ layers less than 10 km thick, strong trade-offs exist between discontinuous velocity reductions and linear gradient reductions over a thicker zone; (3) uncertainties preclude precise determination of magnitude of δV_P and δV_S reductions, as well as the δV_S:δV_P ratio; (4) large density increases within the ULVZ (e.g., up to 60% and more) can efficiently broaden and delay the peak of the energy that we identify as SP_dKS for models with strong velocity reductions in the layer; (5) models with extreme Q reductions in the ULVZ can affect SP_dKS waveforms, and dampen spurious ringing energy present in Sd waveshapes due to the ULVZ; and (6) the minimum required V_p reduction for the most anomalous data (around −10%) trades off with thinner ULVZ structures containing larger velocity reductions (with possible density increases as well).
Improving scanner productivity and control through innovative connectivity application

Overlay accuracy is a key issue in semiconductor manufacturing process. In the ITRS roadmap also, overlay budgets are being reduced at a rapid pace. Coupled with the decreasing technology node budget allowances, alternative processing techniques are also driving overlay budgets to shrink. To meet those requirements, high order modeling of overlay error is potentially an effective solution. One source of overlay error is distortion matching between exposure tools. Matching can be broken down in to 2 areas; grid (stage related) and distortion (lens related). By using high order modeling of grid and distortion matching, we have been able to show overlay improvement of up to 50%. KLA-Tencor and Nikon are planning to provide automatic feedback system of high order compensation to exposure tool directly from metrology results. This feedback system can provide adjustment of coefficients of grid and distortion for periodical maintenance. Automating this process will lead to not only improved overlay control but also improved exposure tool productivity.
Scaling of Connectivity in Marine Populations

Defining the scale of connectivity, or exchange, among marine populations and determining the factors driving this exchange are pivotal to our understanding of the population dynamics, genetic structure, and biogeography of many coastal species. Using a high-resolution biophysical model for the Caribbean region, we report that typical larval dispersal distances of ecologically relevant magnitudes are on the scale of only 10 to 100 kilometers for a variety of reef fish species. We also show the importance of the early onset of active larval movement mediating the dispersal potential. In addition to self-recruitment, larval import from outside the local area is required to sustain most populations, although these population subsidies are very limited in particular systems. The results reveal distinct regions of population isolation based on larval dispersal that also correspond to genetic and morphological clines observed across a range of marine organisms.
Role of calcineurin in activity-dependent pattern formation in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the ferret.

In the retinogeniculate pathway of the ferret, in addition to the separation of the inputs from the two eyes to form eye-specific layers, there is also an anatomical segregation of the terminal arbors of on-center retinal ganglion cells from the terminal arbors of off-center retinal ganglion cell axons to form on/off sublaminae. Sublamination normally occurs during postnatal weeks 3-4 and requires the activity of retinal afferents, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, nitric oxide synthase, and a target of nitric oxide, cyclic guanosine monophosphate. Calcineurin is a calcium/calmodulin dependent serine, threonine protein phosphatase suggested to mediate NMDA-receptor dependent synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. We have examined whether calcineurin plays a role during on/off sublamination in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the ferret. Immunohistochemistry showed that calcineurin expression is transiently up-regulated in dLGN cells and neuropil during the period of on/off sublamination. A functional role for calcineurin during sublamination was investigated by blocking the enzyme locally via intracranial infusion of FK506. Treatment with FK506 during postnatal weeks 3-4 disrupted the appearance of sublaminae. These results suggest that calcineurin may play a role during this process of activity-dependent pattern formation in the visual pathway.
Inhibition of respiration in yeast by light.

Irradiation of starved cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with blue light under aerobic conditions inhibited the capacity of the yeast cells to respire added substrates (e.g., ethanol) and stimulated endogenous respiration. Spectroscopic examination of the cells showed that the irradiation destroyed both cytochrome a and a3 components of cytochrome oxidase and a part of the cytochrome b. Irradiation under anaerobic conditions had no effect on the respiratory capacity or the cytochrome content of the cells. Under aerobic conditions cytochrome a3 was protected against photodestruction when complexed with cyanide and cytochrome a was protected when complexed with azide.