cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pigeons' use of cues in a repeated five-trial-sequence, single-reversal task

We studied behavioral flexibility, or the ability to modify one's behavior in accordance with the changing environment, in pigeons using a reversal-learning paradigm. In two experiments, each session consisted of a series of five-trial sequences involving a simple simultaneous color discrimination in which a reversal could occur during each sequence. The ideal strategy would be to start each sequence with a choice of S1 (the first correct stimulus) until it was no longer correct, and then to switch to S2 (the second correct stimulus), thus utilizing cues provided by local reinforcement (feedback from the preceding trial). In both experiments, subjects showed little evidence of using local reinforcement cues, but instead used the mean probabilities of reinforcement for S1 and S2 on each trial within each sequence. That is, subjects showed remarkably similar behavior, regardless of where (or, in Exp. 2, whether) a reversal occurred during a given sequence. Therefore, subjects appeared to be relatively insensitive to the consequences of responses (local feedback) and were not able to maximize reinforcement. The fact that pigeons did not use the more optimal feedback afforded by recent reinforcement contingencies to maximize their reinforcement has implications for their use of flexible response strategies under reversal-learning conditions.
Comparison of the Rectilinear Biphasic Waveform With the Monophasic Damped Sine Waveform for External Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation and Flutter

External cardioversion using the monophasic damped sine (MDS) waveform is successful 70% to 94% of the time when using up to 360 J. The rectilinear biphasic (RLB) defibrillator has been shown to be superior in efficacy to the MDS waveform in atrial cardioversion in a small randomized study. This larger, retrospective study compares the results of the RLB waveform with those of the MDS waveform for cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter in a large cohort of patients. We performed 1,877 external cardioversion procedures in 1,361 patients for AF and atrial flutter by using the RLB defibrillator. We compared these results with those of the MDS defibrillator in 2,025 patients who underwent 2,818 cardioversion procedures. The overall success rates for the RLB defibrillator were 99.1% for AF and 99.2% for atrial flutter, and the corresponding success rates for the MDS defibrillator were 92.4% and 99.8% (p 4,000 procedures confirmed and extended those of the previous report by showing a very high success rate for cardioversion of AF and atrial flutter using the RLB waveform. The MDS waveform was equally effective for atrial flutter but significantly less effective in terminating AF.
Latent Trait Modeling with the Common beliefs Survey III: Using Item Response Theory to Evaluate an Irrational Beliefs Inventory

Assessment of irrational beliefs by such measures as the Common Beliefs Survey III (CBS) has traditionally relied upon classical test theory assumptions, in which the properties of specific test items are less important than the total test score as the aggregate of all item responses. An alternative approach using item response theory (IRT) methodology allows one to specify the parameters of difficulty and discrimination for each test item. Difficulty levels of CBS items range along a continuum of irrationality, the implied latent trait measured by responses to the questionnaire as a whole. We evaluated the CBS responses of 605 individuals from clinical and college settings, drawing from current and archival data. The original Likert scale ratings were recoded into dichotomous scores. Fourteen of the 54 items were highly or very highly discriminating in distinguishing respondents with high and low irrationality levels. However, discriminating items exhibited a very narrow range of difficulty; most functioned at a point a little above the halfway mark on the continuum of irrationality. Item characteristic curves and test information curves were very similar for female (n = 424) and male (n = 179) respondents. We derived a 4-item screening test for irrationality from our IRT analyses of the 54 CBS items. Further test development, focused on the selection and scaling of items with a much broader range of difficulty, would facilitate evaluation of the hierarchical structure of irrational beliefs.
Determination of the enantiomeric composition of carprofen by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with a chiral lanthanide-shift reagent.

Abstract The enantiomeric composition of carprofen has been determined in a rapid and reliable manner by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with a chiral lanthanide-shift chelate. Carprofen was converted into a mixture of enantiomeric methyl ester derivatives which were then complexed with tris[3-(heptafluoropropylhydroxymethylene)-(+)-camphorato]europium(III) in CDCl 3 . The concentration of substrate in the test sample was 0.15 M and the chiral-shift reagent:substrate molar ratio was 0.453. Determination of the enantiomers was based on the relative intensities of the signals for the α-methyl protons. The mean recovery ±SD for six determinations of S(+)-carprofen from synthetic enantiomeric mixtures was 99.3 ± 1.7%.
Dose‐dependent inhibition of the hemodynamic response to dipyridamole by caffeine

We investigated the effects of the adenosine antagonist caffeine on the hemodynamic response to dipyridamole infusion (0.4 mg/kg for 4 minutes). According to a randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind protocol, eight normotensive volunteers each participated in five tests: placebo after placebo, dipyridamole after placebo, and dipyridamole after 1, 2, and 4 mg/kg caffeine. Infusion of caffeine alone (4 mg/kg) induced an increase in mean arterial pressure of 6.1 ± 0.5 mm Hg versus 1.5 ± 0.9 mm Hg after placebo (p < 0.05). Infusion of dipyridamole alone exerted a characteristic hemodynamic response with an increase in systolic blood pressure (+ 8.4 ± 2.4 mm Hg), pulse pressure (+ 7.0 ± 2.4 mm Hg), heart rate (+ 25.7 ± 3.8 beats/min) and calculated rate-pressure product (+ 3419 mm Hg × beats per minute), all being significantly different from the changes induced by placebo. Caffeine induced a dose-dependent attenuation of the response to dipyridamole, with a significant negative correlation between the dose of caffeine on the one hand (0, 1, 2, and 4 mg/kg) and the dipyridamole-induced increments in systolic blood pressure (r = −0.53), pulse pressure (r = −0.50), heart rate (r = −0.95), and rate-pressure product (r = −0.93) on the other hand. We conclude that caffeine attenuates the hemodynamic response to dipyridamole infusion in humans in a dose-dependent fashion. Because of the widespread use of caffeine, this pharmacologic interaction may be of clinical importance, for example, in the diagnostic use of dipyridamole in thallium-201 myocardial imaging. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1991) 50, 529–537; doi:10.1038/clpt.1991.178
The spatial structure of resting state connectivity stability on the scale of minutes

Resting state functional MRI (rsfMRI) connectivity patterns are not temporally stable, but fluctuate in time at scales shorter than most common rest scan durations (5-10 min). Consequently, connectivity patterns for two different portions of the same scan can differ drastically. To better characterize this temporal variability and understand how it is spatially distributed across the brain, we scanned subjects continuously for 60 min, at a temporal resolution of 1 s, while they rested inside the scanner. We then computed connectivity matrices between functionally-defined regions of interest for non-overlapping 1 min windows, and classified connections according to their strength, polarity, and variability. We found that the most stable connections correspond primarily to inter-hemispheric connections between left/right homologous ROIs. However, only 32% of all within-network connections were classified as most stable. This shows that resting state networks have some long-term stability, but confirms the flexible configuration of these networks, particularly those related to higher order cognitive functions. The most variable connections correspond primarily to inter-hemispheric, across-network connections between non-homologous regions in occipital and frontal cortex. Finally we found a series of connections with negative average correlation, but further analyses revealed that such average negative correlations may be related to the removal of CSF signals during pre-processing. Using the same dataset, we also evaluated how similarity of within-subject whole-brain connectivity matrices changes as a function of window duration (used here as a proxy for scan duration). Our results suggest scanning for a minimum of 10 min to optimize within-subject reproducibility of connectivity patterns across the entire brain, rather than a few predefined networks.
The strength of an Ig switch region is determined by its ability to drive R loop formation and its number of WGCW sites.

Summary R loops exist at the murine IgH switch regions and possibly other locations, but their functional importance is unclear. In biochemical systems, R loop initiation requires DNA sequence regions containing clusters of G nucleotides, but cellular studies have not been done. Here, we vary the G-clustering, total switch region length, and the number of target sites (WGCW sites for the activation-induced deaminase) at synthetic switch regions in a murine B cell line to determine the effect on class switch recombination (CSR). G-clusters increase CSR regardless of their immediate proximity to the WGCW sites. This increase is accompanied by an increase in R loop formation. CSR efficiency correlates better with the absolute number of WGCW sites in the switch region rather than the total switch region length or density of WGCW sites. Thus, the overall strength of the switch region depends on G-clusters, which initiate R loop formation, and on the number of WGCW sites.
Iridium precursor pyrolysis and oxidation reactions and direct liquid injection chemical vapor deposition of iridium films

Abstract Pyrolysis and oxidation reactions of the iridium precursor, (methylcyclopentadienyl)(1,5-cyclooctadiene)iridium (I), were studied to identify the role of O 2 in chemical vapor deposition film growth. A toluene solution of (methylcyclopentadienyl)(1,5-cyclooctadiene)iridium (I) was used in a direct liquid injection chemical vapor deposition process with O 2 to deposit iridium films on SiO 2 and TiN(111) substrates. The precursor decomposition studies revealed O 2 decreases the reaction temperature of (methylcyclopentadienyl)(1,5-cyclooctadiene)iridium (I) from near 760 K to temperatures below 465 K. Oxidation of the precursor ligands acts to prevent greater than 99% of the carbon from incorporating into the deposited film, making the growth surface more reactive. The precursor and oxygen react to form CO, CO 2 and H 2 O. Pure iridium films were deposited on SiO 2 and TiN(111) substrates at temperatures between 550 and 625 K. Under identical conditions, the film nucleation and coalescence rates are nearly 2 times higher on the TiN(111) substrate with 0.22 torr O 2 . The ratio of (111) to (200) X-ray diffraction intensities resembled Ir powder for films deposited on SiO 2 , the same ratio was more than 9 times larger than that of Ir powder for Ir films produced on TiN(111). Decreasing the oxygen partial pressure from 0.66 to 0.22 torr resulted in a 75% reduction in the film growth rate and a 40% reduction in film roughness. Conformal (step coverage approaching unity) iridium films were produced at 550 K in aspect ratio 1–0.25 μm vias in SiO 2 and in aspect ratio 2.5–0.35 μm vias in TiN(111).
Hydrocarbon Vapor Diffusion in Intact Core Sleeves

The diffusion of 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (TMP) and 2,2,5-trimethylhexane (TMH) vapors put of residually contaminated sandy soil from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) field research site at Traverse City, Michigan, was measured and modeled. The headspace of an intact core sleeve sample was swept with nitrogen gas to simulate the diffusive release of hydrocarbon vapors from residual aviation gasoline in and immediately above the capillary fringe to a soil-venting air flow in the unsaturated zone. The resulting steady-state profile was modeled using existing diffusivity and air porosity estimates in a balance of diffusive flux and a first order source term. The source strength, which was calibrated with the observed flux of 2,2,4-TMP leaving the sleeve, varied with the residual gasoline remaining in the core, but was independent of the headspace sweep flow rate. This finding suggested that lower soil-venting air flow rates were in principle as effective as higher air flow rates in venting LNAPL vapors from contaminated soils. The saturated vapor concentration ratio of 2,2,4-TMP to 2,2,5-TMH decreased from 6.6 to 3.5 over the duration of the experiments in an expression of distillation effects. The vertical profile model was tested against sample port data in four separate experiments for both species, yielding mean errors ranging from 0 to—24 percent in magnitude.
Shared implementation of radix-10 and radix-16 square root algorithm with limited precision primitives

We present a shared implementation of a radix-10 and radix-16 fixed-point digit-recurrence algorithm for division operation using limited-precision multipliers, adders, and table-lookups. We discuss the proposed algorithm, its design, and its ASIC implementation using a standard cell library. We present the cost and delay characteristics for precisions of 7 (single-precision), 14 (double-precision) decimal digits, and single and double precision for radix-16. The proposed scheme uses short (2–3 digit-wide) operators which leads to compact modules, reduced interconnections and has an advantage at the layout level as well as in power optimization.
Social Work Students' Research-Related Anxiety and Self-Efficacy: Research Instructors' Perceptions and Teaching Innovations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine social work research instructors' perceptions of research-related anxiety and research confidence among social work students, and teaching strategies to identify and manage anxiety. A national web-based survey of 186 BSW and MSW social work research instructors was conducted. Many BSW (70%) and MSW (61%) research instructors reported that they used specific activities or approaches to assess or impact upon student anxiety. Qualitative analysis results suggested a teaching model for social work research instructors designed to reduce students' research-related anxiety, including by enhancing their research confidence. Strategies that instructors can use include creating a supportive class climate, providing activities that are emotion-, cognitive-, and action-focused as well as the use of strategic timing. These findings can be used to guide social work research instructors' facilitation of students' attainment of research competencies and help further...
Role of Receptor-attached Phosphates in Binding of Visual and Non-visual Arrestins to G Protein-coupled Receptors

Arrestins are a small family of proteins that regulate G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Arrestins specifically bind to phosphorylated active receptors, terminating G protein coupling, targeting receptors to endocytic vesicles, and initiating G protein-independent signaling. The interaction of rhodopsin-attached phosphates with Lys-14 and Lys-15 in β-strand I was shown to disrupt the interaction of α-helix I, β-strand I, and the C-tail of visual arrestin-1, facilitating its transition into an active receptor-binding state. Here we tested the role of conserved lysines in homologous positions of non-visual arrestins by generating K2A mutants in which both lysines were replaced with alanines. K2A mutations in arrestin-1, -2, and -3 significantly reduced their binding to active phosphorhodopsin in vitro. The interaction of arrestins with several GPCRs in intact cells was monitored by a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)-based assay. BRET data confirmed the role of Lys-14 and Lys-15 in arrestin-1 binding to non-cognate receptors. However, this was not the case for non-visual arrestins in which the K2A mutations had little effect on net BRETmax values for the M2 muscarinic acetylcholine (M2R), β2-adrenergic (β2AR), or D2 dopamine receptors. Moreover, a phosphorylation-deficient mutant of M2R interacted with wild type non-visual arrestins normally, whereas phosphorylation-deficient β2AR mutants bound arrestins at 20–50% of the level of wild type β2AR. Thus, the contribution of receptor-attached phosphates to arrestin binding varies depending on the receptor-arrestin pair. Although arrestin-1 always depends on receptor phosphorylation, its role in the recruitment of arrestin-2 and -3 is much greater in the case of β2AR than M2R and D2 dopamine receptor.
Effects of Variations in pH and Hypothiocyanite Concentrations on S. mutans Glucose Metabolism

Hypothiocyanous acid (HOSCN) and hypothiocyanite (OSCN-) were generated by the antibody-independent salivary peroxidase (SP) system. The metabolism of Streptococcus mutans NCTC 10449 was examined by uniformly labeled glucose incorporation studies. We found that the SP-system causes a pH-dependent inhibition of 14C-labeled glucose uptake, and that the effects of HOSCN/OSCN- are bacteriostatic. The results also showed that, at low pH, bacteria required more time to recover fully from HOSCN/OSCN- inhibition. When control experiments were performed in the absence of HOSCN/OSCN-, but the pH was varied, we found a positive correlation between pH and the rate of 14C-glucose incorporation. The results also showed that pH did not affect the maximum incorporation of 14C-glucose, demonstrating that S. mutans can adapt to pH changes in the environment. Based on the data obtained, we postulate that the antibody-independent SP system plays an important role in the regulation of the metabolism of oral streptococci.
Interacting one-dimensional Bose gas: Beyond Bogolyubov

The properties of a one-dimensional system of bosons interacting via a repulsive delta-function potential are studied here using a modified Bogolyubov method. The motivation for the modification is twofold: First, to cure an internal inconsistency that predicts a single-particle ground-state occupancy of minus infinity when the Bogolyubov scheme is applied to this model. Second, to abandon the initial assumption---at odds with the exact result---of a macroscopically occupied single-particle ground-state. Whereas the Bogolyubov scheme uses the lowest-energy-single-particle state as a reservoir for the other states, our method uses, for each single-particle state, all single-particle states of lower energy collectively as a reservoir. This not only removes the inconsistency but also allows us to estimate the ground-state energy in much better agreement with the exact result.
Inferential Meaning in Philosophic Questions

Philosophy is often characterized as a study in which questions are more significant than answers. I shall not attempt to determine to what extent this is a fair characterization; rather, I shall assume that the questions asked may be significant, and shall try to reveal the general conditions of their significance.
The burning at Mont-Aimé: Thibaut of Champagne's preparations for the Barons' Crusade of 1239

A little more than a month before he planned to go on crusade to the Holy Land, Thibaut IV of Champagne (1201–1253) presided over one of the largest burnings of heretics ever to take place in northern France, in which some 180 people were executed. Historians have traditionally portrayed the burning at Mont-Aime as a particularly egregious example of inquisitorial zeal on the part of northern French ecclesiastical authorities, especially the Dominican friar Robert le Bougre, in the wake of Pope Gregory IX’s introduction of the first papal inquisitorial tribunals into the region in the 1230s. This study argues that Thibaut’s status as a crusader gave him his own interests in punishing heretics at that time and that the burning helped satisfy the material and devotional demands that planning for a crusade imposed upon powerful magnates who took the cross.
Issue-Specific Engagement: How Facebook Contributes to Opinion Leadership and Efficacy on Energy and Climate Issues

ABSTRACTAlthough social media are increasingly studied for their political impact, not enough is known about how distinct forms of Facebook activity, such as general news consumption and expression vs. issue-specific engagement, explain orientations toward a particular issue. Using a Republican sample, we demonstrate that only issue-specific engagement on Facebook—and not other forms of online behaviors—is consistently associated with a greater sense of personal influence on the issue of climate change and energy, which suggests that distinguishing between types of Facebook activity is important.
Pupillary dilation as an index of central nervous system α2-adrenoceptor activation

In recent years there has been increasing evidence that some antihypertensive drugs like clonidine and alpha-methyldopa (after conversion in the brain to alpha-methylnorepinephrine) may decrease sympathetic tone by stimulating central nervous system (CNS) alpha 2-adrenoceptors. These same drugs also produce pupillary dilation in cats and rats. In this review, evidence is presented supporting the hypothesis that clonidinelike drugs act either directly or indirectly on CNS postsynaptic alpha 2-adrenoceptors to cause pupillary dilation by reduction of parasympathetic neural tone to the iris. It is further suggested that the underlying physiologic mechanism for this mydriatic action is activation of an ascending pathway that provides tonic inhibitory input by releasing norepinephrine on neurons in the Edinger-Westphal complex. Yohimbine-sensitive pupillary dilation in these species may provide a simple and effective model for quantitatively accessing CNS alpha 2-adrenoceptor activity.
Poly-DWT: Polymorphic wavelet hardware support for dynamic image compression

Many modern computing applications have been enabled through the use of real-time multimedia processing. While several hardware architectures have been proposed in the research literature to support such primitives, these fail to address applications whose performance and resource requirements have a dynamic aspect. Embedded multimedia systems typically need a power and computation efficient design in addition to good compression performance. In this article, we introduce a Polymorphic Wavelet Architecture (Poly-DWT) as a crucial building block towards the development of embedded systems to address such challenges. We illustrate how our Poly-DWT architecture can potentially make dynamic resource allocation decisions, such as the internal bit representation and the processing kernel, according to the application requirements. We introduce a filter switching architecture that allows for dynamic switching between 5/3 and 9/7 wavelet filters and leads to a more power efficient design. Further, a multiplier-free design with a low adder requirement demonstrates the potential of Poly-DWT for embedded systems. Through an FPGA prototype, we perform a quantitative analysis of our Poly-DWT architecture, and compare our filter to existing approaches to illustrate the area and performance benefits inherent in our approach.
Plants, animals and the logic of development

Multicellular plants and animals have evolved independently from a unicellular, last common ancestor. Each lineage started with a common toolkit of functioning genes and evolved to complex, multicellular forms. Comparison of the genes used to serve similar functions shows how organisms can use different genes for similar ends and thereby reveals the principles of development.
Association of a 33-Kilodalton Cysteine Proteinase Found in Corn Callus with the Inhibition of Fall Armyworm Larval Growth

Protein patterns of callus from corn (Zea mays L.) inbreds that are either resistant or susceptible to fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda [J.E. Smith]) were analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Fall armyworm larvae reared on callus initiated from resistant inbreds were significantly smaller than those reared on callus of susceptible inbreds. A 33-kD protein found in callus from the resistant inbreds Mp704 and Mp708 was absent in callus from the susceptible inbreds Tx601 and Ab24E. However, a 36-kD protein found in Ab24E callus immunoreacted with polyclonal antibody raised against the 33-kD protein. When Mp704 nonfriable callus changed to friable, larval growth was not inhibited and the 33-kD protein was absent. There was a significant negative correlation between the concentration of the 33-kD protein in the callus and the weight of the larvae feeding on the callus in the F2 progeny of Mp704 x Tx601. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the 33-kD protein suggested that it was cysteine proteinase. Purification of the 33- (Mp708) and 36-kD (Ab24E) proteins indicated that they were both cysteine proteinases. The 33-kD cysteine proteinase had 7-fold higher specific activity than the 36-kD enzyme.
Allergic reactions and risk of vulvodynia.

Purpose A recent histological study of vestibular tissue from women with localized vulvodynia found universal presence of mast cells compared to no presence in vestibular tissue among controls. Since histamine is generated by mast cells, and mast cells contribute to the production of cytokines during chronic inflammation, we assessed the association between conditions that elicit a clinically relevant histamine response and vulvodynia. Methods We studied 239 women with and 239 women without vulvodynia to assess the influence of self-reported allergic reactions antecedent to first development of vulvar pain symptoms among cases, and a matched reference age among controls. Results Women with self-reported hives prior to first report of vulvar pain or reference age among controls were 2.5 times more likely to develop vulvodynia (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7–4.4). Those reporting a history of allergic reactions to insect bites were 2.1 times more likely (95%CI, 1.1–4.0), and those reporting a history of seasonal allergies were 2.0 times (95%CI, 1.3–3.2) more likely to develop vulvodynia. Findings were similar in a restricted subset of clinically confirmed cases and matched controls. Conclusions An altered immuno-inflammatory response to environmentally induced allergic reactions may predispose women to the development of vulvodynia or may be markers of an already heightened immuno-inflammatory response.
Initiation and growth of the grain boundary discontinuous precipitation reaction

Abstract Evidence is presented indicating that within the Cu-Be alloy system, which undergoes a discontinuous precipitation reaction, the aging temperature can affect the initiation mechanism of the reaction. At low temperatures (below ~ Tm/2) precipitates induce grain boundary migration by a puckertype process. At high temperatures (above ~ Tm2) thermal migration of grain boundaries precedes boundary precipitation. These observations are used to support a proposed explanation for the occurrence of both single seam and double seam precipitate morphologies in the growth stages of the reaction in aged alloys. The double seam morphology which is the favored mode of growth at low temperatures is shown to arise as a result of the ‘S’ mechanism previously proposed as a mechanism for discontinuous coarsening. The single seam morphology which predominates at high temperatures is due to boundary migration in one direction only.
VSAM record-level data sharing

VSAM (Virtual Storage Access Method) has been extended to provide multisystem data sharing through use of the S/390® coupling facility. This paper describes the serialization techniques used in the implementation of VSAM data sharing.
THE SCIMITAR ANOMALY WITH ABSENT RIGHT PULMONARY ARTERY.

Abstract A case of the scimitar totalis anomaly has been described. Associated congenital anomalies were present; these were an absent right pulmonary artery and complete double uterus and cervix. A successful right pneumonectomy was performed because of repeated attacks of bronchitis and recurrent hemoptysis since childhood. The patient continues to be improved since surgery.
The immunopathogenesis of chronic HBV induced liver disease.

The pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus induced liver disease is not well understood. Because a suitable animal model and methods for in vitro propagation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) have not been available, most current information is derived from clinical studies. Although considerable circumstantial evidence suggests the involvement of immunologic mechanisms [61] it is difficult to determine if the reported immunologic events are primary pathogenetic determinants or merely secondary to the disease.
Equivalence of single-term Wiener-Hermite and equivalent linearization techniques

Abstract It is shown that when only the first term of the Wiener-Hermite series is considered, the method becomes equivalent to the time-dependent equivalent linearization technique.
Pulmonary artery stiffness assessed by velocity-encoding MRI: comparison of techniques

The pulmonary artery (PA) plays an essential role in smoothing the transition from right-ventricular pulsatile flow to the nearly steady-flow at capillary level. The loss of PA compliance has considerable influence on elevated right-ventricle workload. MRI velocity-encoding is an effective technique for assessing pulse-wave-velocity (PWV) by measuring the disturbances in flow or vessel diameter the pressure wave causes [1]. Two methods have been proposed for measuring PWV: transit-time (TT) and flow-area (QA)[2,3]. Nevertheless, no data is available that compares the two methods, especially over wide range of PWV values, or at 3.0-Tesla, which is the purpose of this study.
INCREASED FREQUENCY OF SERUM ANTIBODIES TO CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS IN INFERTILITY DUE TO DISTAL TUBAL DISEASE

Abstract 186 infertile women underwent standard infertility investigations (including hysterosalpingography and, in 87 women, laparoscopy) and tests for the presence of antibody to Chlamydia trachomatis . 73% of the women with distal occlusion of the fallopian tubes and 21% with peritubal adhesions alone had antibodies to C. trachomatis , but none of those with normal tubes did (p C. trachomatis. Since the presence or absence of antibodies to C. trachomatis was as discriminatory in the detection of tubal disease in infertile women as was the hysterosalpingogram, the serological test for C. trachomatis should become part of a routine infertility investigation.
Cancer rehabilitation services in a tertiary care center.

People with cancer often have functional limitations resulting from fatigue, deconditioning, pain, or metastasis to the musculoskeletal or nervous system, in addition to the psychosocial aspects of dealing with their disease. Their medical caregivers often focus on treating the disease and overlook these important aspects. The Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Mayo Clinic developed a Cancer Rehabilitation Service in 1979 to address these needs for hospitalized patients. Some of the challenges and successes of this service are briefly discussed in this article.
Reye's syndrome due to a novel protein-tolerant variant of ornithine-transcarbamylase deficiency.

Abstract A novel variant of ornithine-trans-carbamylase (O.T.C.) deficiency has been discovered in a patient with encephalopathy and fatty visceral degeneration (Reye's syndrome). Hepatic ornithine transcarbamylase activity was 20·7% of normal, with extremely low affinity of the enzyme for ornithine, and substrate inhibition by carbamyl phosphate and ornithine. The findings reveal a link between Reye's syndrome and heritable O.T.C. deficiency, and suggest that administration of ornithine or arginine may be specific therapy for this condition.
Visualization and Predictive Modeling of Two-Phase Flow Regime Transition With Application Towards Water Management in the Gas-Flow Channels of PEM Fuel Cells

Understanding the behavior of gas and water vapor flow through the microchannel gas flow passages of a proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells is critical to reliable fuel cell operation. Recent research efforts have illustrated the importance of capillarity on the behavior of two-phase flow (gas-liquid) in low Bond number systems; that is, systems where capillary forces are important relative to gravitational forces. Such systems include capillary tubes and microchannels as well as the gas flow channels of a PEM fuel cell. The key characteristic scaling factors for two-phase flow in capillaries have been determined. The choice of length scales and velocity scales in dimensionless groups used to characterize two-phase flow is critical to correctly delineating phase distribution. Traditional scaling for these types of flows have considered the interaction between gas and liquid phases to be primarily inertial in nature. The role of liquid film stability where the phase interaction is a combination of viscous and capillary effects is shown to be a more appropriate scaling for low-Bond number, low-Suratman number two-phase flows. Microscopic visualization at high frame rates has been used to identify the flow regime under various gas-liquid mass ratios, channel geometries and surface energies. The observations collected via high speed microscopy and corresponding pressure measurements are reported for square and circular cross-sectional microchannels with contact angles of 20 degrees (hydrophilic) and 70 degrees (hydrophobic). The effect of geometry and contact angle on the phase distribution and the pressure drop are dramatic.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
TH-C-BRA-01: An introduction to GPU Computing

The graphical processing unit (GPU) is a special‐purpose co‐processor used to perform fast calculation of 2D and 3D graphics commands for computer displays. Recently GPUs have begun to be used as general‐purpose vector processors for a wide range of scientific programs. GPU programming is used in domains such as medical imaging financial analysis and oil exploration. This talk will introduce the history and capabilities of modern GPU‐based computing systems. I will describe the hardware organization of GPUs and describe how multithreaded GPU programs map onto the hardware. Next I will introduce the CUDA language and software tools used to create GPU‐accelerated programs. Finally I will present an overview of existing libraries and applications. Learning Objectives: 1. Learn the history and capabilities of GPU‐based computing systems 2. Learn the hardware organization of GPUs 3. Learn tools and procedures for programming GPUs
Towards an Ecosystem Approach to Cheese Microbiology.

Cheese is an ideal environment to serve as a model for the behavior of microbes in complex communities and at the same time allow detailed genetic analysis. Linking organisms, and their genes, to their role in the environment becomes possible in the case of cheese since cheese microbial communities have been “in culture” for thousands of years, with the knowledge of how to grow these organisms passed down by generations of cheesemakers. Recent reviews have described several emerging approaches to link molecular systems biology to ecosystem-scale processes, known as ecosystems biology. These approaches integrate massive datasets now available through high-throughput sequencing technologies with measurements of ecosystem properties. High-throughput datasets uncover the “parts list” (e.g., the species and all the genes within each species) of an ecosystem as well as the molecular basis of interactions within this parts list. Novel computational frameworks make it possible to link species and their interactions to ecosystem properties. Applying these approaches across multiple temporal and spatial scales makes it possible to understand how changes in the parts lists over space and time lead to changes in ecosystems processes. By manipulating the species present within model systems, we can test hypotheses related to the role of microbes in ecosystem function. Due to the tractability of cheese microbial communities, we have the opportunity to use an ecosystems biology approach from the scale of individual microbial cells within a cheese to replicated cheese microbial communities across continents. Using cheese as a model microbial ecosystem can provide a way to answer important questions concerning the form, function, and evolution of microbial communities.
Development of a rapid-cycling population ofSolanum tuberosum Group Phureja

Research with the potato (Solarium tuberosum L.) could benefit from a rapid-cycling diploidSolarium population. Rapid-cycling populations have already been developed inBrassica species for research use. The germplasm used for a mass selection scheme consisted of twelve accessions of 5.tuberosum GroupPhureja. Variation was found for early flowering. An overall decrease of 24 days to first flower was achieved during selection from Cycle 0 to Cycle 3. Additional decrease of days to first flower may be possible by further selection.
Growth and water use of faba beans (Vicia faba) in a subhumid climate II. Simulation analysis of crop responses to drought

Although faba bean (Vicia faba L.) crop yields are sensitive to drought stress, this species shows a number of potentially advantageous adaptations to drought stress in the field. These adaptations have implications for the breeding and management of faba beans. In this study, a computer model was used to analyse the water relations of the frequently irrigated (If) and unirrigated (Io) faba bean crops described in paper I of this series. The objective was to assess the effectiveness of observed root and shoot adaptations to drought, paying particular attention to increased root growth and decreased leaf-area index under drought conditions. The model describes water movement throught the soil/plant/atmosphere continuum using resistance-analogue concepts. Measured crop characteristics (root distribution, leaf-area index, etc.) and weather conditions were input frequently over 92 simulated days. The model performed well at simulating water use by the crops. Simulations were also carried out in which the input data for crop characteristics were altered, to assess the likely performance of the Io crop had it not adapted as observed. The results indicated that the root and shoot adaptations were quite successful at reducing drought stress in the Io crop; without them the crop would probably have died prematurely. At least up to about 21 days from maturity the increased root growth of the Io crop was the most important of the observed adaptations. Both simulations and field observations indicated the Io crop to be under substantially more drought stress than the If crop from about 65 days after sowing, although shoot dry-matter did not differ between these crops for a further 55 days. Even though shoot dry-matter was relatively insensitive to the drought, composition of shoot material was probably much affected, since other studies indicate the energy-demanding process of N2-fixation is much reduced by drought stress.
Solubility of Liquid Organics of Environmental Interest in Subcritical (Hot/Liquid) Water from 298 K to 473 K

The solubilities of benzene, toluene, m-xylene, p-cymene, octane, 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (isooctane), tetrachloroethylene, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, and tetraethyltin were determined at temperatures ranging from 298 K to 473 K. Increasing the temperature up to 473 K increased the solubilities by a factor of ∼10−250. For example, increasing the temperature from 298 K to 473 K increased the mole fraction solubility of tetraethyltin from (0.03 ± 0.002) × 10-7 to (8.8 ± 0.6) × 10-7 but only increased the solubility of benzene from (4.0 ± 0.1) × 10-4 to (41 ± 3) × 10-4. Pressure had a minimal effect; for example, increasing the pressure from 65 to 400 bar at either 298 K or 473 K reduced the solubility of benzene by only ∼20%.
Crystal-poor, multiply saturated rhyolites (obsidians) from the Cascade and Mexican arcs: evidence of degassing-induced crystallization of phenocrysts

A detailed petrological study is presented for six phenocryst-poor obsidian samples (73–75 wt% SiO2) erupted as small volume, monogenetic domes in the Mexican and Cascade arcs. Despite low phenocryst (+microphenocryst) abundances (2–6 %), these rhyolites are each multiply saturated with five to eight mineral phases (plagioclase + orthopyroxene + titanomagnetite + ilmenite + apatite ± zircon ± hornblende ± clinopyroxene ± sanidine ± pyrrhotite). Plagioclase and orthopyroxene phenocrysts (identified using phase-equilibrium constraints) span ≤30 mol % An and ≤15 % Mg#, respectively. Eruptive temperatures (±1σ), on the basis of Fe–Ti two oxide thermometry, range from 779 (±25) to 940 (±18) °C. Oxygen fugacities (±1σ) range from −0.4 to 1.4 (±0.1) log units relative to those along the Ni–NiO buffer. With temperature known, the plagioclase-liquid hygrometer was applied; maximum water concentrations calculated for the most calcic plagioclase phenocryst in each sample range from 2.6 to 6.5 wt%. This requires that the rhyolites were fluid-saturated at depths ≥2–7 km. It is proposed that the wide compositional range in plagioclase and orthopyroxene phenocrysts, despite their low abundance, can be attributed to changing melt water concentrations owing to degassing during magma ascent. Phase-equilibrium experiments from the literature show that higher dissolved water concentrations lead to more Fe-rich orthopyroxene, as well as more calcic plagioclase. Loss of dissolved water leads to a progressive increase in melt viscosity, and phenocrysts often display diffusion-limited growth textures (e.g., dendritic and vermiform), consistent with large undercoolings caused by degassing. A kinetic barrier to microlite crystallization occurred at viscosities from 4.5 to 5.0 log10 Pa s for these rhyolites, presumably because the rate at which melt viscosity changed was high owing to rapid loss of dissolved water during magma ascent.
ATP-dependent Choline Phosphate-induced Mitogenesis in Fibroblasts Involves Activation of pp70 S6 Kinase and Phosphatidylinositol 3′-Kinase through an Extracellular Site SYNERGISTIC MITOGENIC EFFECTS OF CHOLINE PHOSPHATE AND SPHINGOSINE 1-PHOSPHATE

In serum-starved NIH 3T3 clone 7 fibroblasts, choline phosphate (ChoP) (0.5-1 mM) and insulin synergistically stimulate DNA synthesis. Here we report that ATP also greatly enhanced the mitogenic effects of ChoP (0.1-1 mM) both in the absence and presence of insulin; maximal potentiating effects required 50-100 microM ATP. The co-mitogenic effects of ATP were mimicked by adenosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate), adenosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate), ADP, and UTP, but not by AMP or adenosine, indicating the mediatory role of a purinergic P2 receptor. Externally added ChoP acted on DNA synthesis without its detectable uptake into fibroblasts, indicating that ChoP can be a mitogen only if it is released from cells. Extracellular ATP (10-100 microM) induced extensive release of ChoP from fibroblasts. ChoP had negligible effects, even in the presence of ATP or insulin, on the activity state of p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinases, while in combination these agents stimulated the activity of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI 3'-kinase). Expression of a dominant negative mutant of the p85 subunit of PI 3'-kinase or treatments with the PI 3'-kinase inhibitor wortmannin only partially (approximately 40-50%) reduced the combined effects of ChoP, ATP, and insulin on DNA synthesis; in contrast, the pp70 S6 kinase inhibitor rapamycin almost completely inhibited these effects. ATP and insulin also potentiated, while rapamycin strongly inhibited, the mitogenic effects of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P). Furthermore, even maximally effective concentrations of ChoP and S1P synergistically stimulated DNA synthesis. The results indicate that in the presence of extracellular ATP and/or S1P, ChoP induces mitogenesis through an extracellular site by mechanisms involving the activation of pp70 S6 kinase and, to a lesser extent, PI 3'-kinase.
Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy: Application With Adolescents Who Are Cognitively Impaired and Sexually Act Out

Abstract Cognitive-Behavioral Group therapy is used to decrease inappropriate sexual behaviors among male adolescents who are mildly and moderately cognitively impaired.
Interleukin 1 induces expression of the human immunodeficiency virus alone and in synergy with interleukin 6 in chronically infected U1 cells: Inhibition of inductive effects by the interleukin 1 receptor antagonist

In the present study we have observed that interleukin (IL) 1 alpha or IL-1 beta directly induced expression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the latently infected human promonocytic cell line U1. In addition, IL-1 synergized with IL-6, but not with tumor necrosis factor, in the upregulation of virus expression in U1 cells as measured by accumulation of steady-state mRNAs and production of reverse transcriptase activity. The HIV inductive effect of IL-1 was blocked by transforming growth factor beta, anti-IL-1 antibodies, or monoclonal antibodies directed to the type 1, but not to the type 2, cell surface receptor for IL-1; the latter actually caused enhancement of the IL-1-mediated effect. Unlike tumor necrosis factor alpha, IL-1 either alone or in combination with IL-6 did not induce activation of the transcription activating factor NF-kappa B above the constitutive levels of unstimulated U1 cells. Finally, the IL-1 receptor antagonist effectively blocked IL-1-mediated direct and synergistic inductive effects on virus production. Thus, IL-1 may be an important mediator of HIV expression, and blocking of IL-1 expression and/or its effects may have a potential therapeutic role in the inhibition of HIV expression in infected individuals.
Robust sensing films for pathogen detection and medical diagnostics

Our team has developed polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) for biological detection on either planar or spherical substrates, which resist non-specific binding while facilitating specific ligand attachment. The preparation and characterization of these thin films, their validation against B. anthracis protective antigen (PA) in a sandwich assay format, and the application of these thin films for quantitative analysis of several medically interesting targets (breast cancer, tuberculosis, and influenza) will be shown.
Sensitivity of Hydrological Simulations of Southeastern United States Watersheds to Temporal Aggregation of Rainfall

AbstractThis study investigates the sensitivity of the performance of hydrological models to certain temporal variations of precipitation over the southeastern United States (SEUS). Because of observational uncertainty in the estimates of rainfall variability at subdaily scales, the analysis is conducted with two independent rainfall datasets that resolve the diurnal variations. In addition, three hydrological models are used to account for model uncertainty. Results show that the temporal aggregation of subdaily rainfall can translate into a markedly higher volume error in flow simulated by the hydrological models. For the selected watersheds in the SEUS, the volume error is found to be high (~35%) for a 30-day aggregation in some of the selected watersheds. Hydrological models tend to underestimate flow in these watersheds with a decrease in temporal variability in precipitation. Furthermore, diminishing diurnal amplitude by removing subdaily rainfall corresponding to times of climatological daily maxim...