cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Veno-venous extracorporeal blood shunt cooling to induce mild hypothermia in dog experiments and review of cooling methods

Abstract Mild hypothermia (33–36°C) might be beneficial when induced during or after insults to the brain (cardiac arrest, brain trauma, stroke), spinal cord (trauma), heart (acute myocardial infarction), or viscera (hemorrhagic shock). Reaching the target temperature rapidly in patients inside and outside hospitals remains a challenge. This study was to test the feasibility of veno-venous extracorporeal blood cooling for the rapid induction of mild hypothermia in dogs, using a simple pumping-cooling device. Ten custom-bred hunting dogs (21–28 kg) were lightly anesthetized and mechanically ventilated. In five dogs, two catheters were inserted through femoral veins, one peripheral and the other into the inferior vena cava. The catheters were connected via a coiled plastic tube as heat exchanger (15 m long, 3 mm inside diameter, 120 ml priming volume), which was immersed in an ice-water bath. A small roller-pump produced a veno-venous flow of 200 ml/min (about 10% of cardiac output). In five additional dogs (control group), a clinically practiced external cooling method was employed, using alcohol over the skin of the trunk and fanning plus ice-bags. During spontaneous normotension, veno-venous cooling delivered blood into the vena cava at 6.2°C standard deviation (SD 1.4) and decreased tympanic membrane (Tty) temperature from 37.5 to 34.0°C at 5.2 min (SD 0.7), and to 32.0°C at 7.9 min (SD 1.3). Skin surface cooling decreased tympanic temperature from 37.5 to 34.0°C at 19.9 min (SD 3.7), and to 32.0°C at 29.9 (SD 5.1) ( P =0.001). Heart rates at Tty 34 and 32°C were significantly lower than at baseline in both groups, but within physiological range, without difference between groups. There were no arrhythmias. We conclude that in large dogs the induction of mild systemic hypothermia with extracorporeal veno-venous blood shunt cooling is simple and four times more rapid than skin surface cooling.
Clutters and Circuits

We introduce a way to associate a family of circuits to an arbitrary clutter, suggested by a theorem of Lehman. Several characterizations of matroid ports using their circuits are presented.
The role of fibrates in managing hyperlipidemia: mechanisms of action and clinical efficacy.

At a time when the lipid management guidelines give more and more emphasis to the identification and treatment of high-risk patients with the metabolic syndrome and diabetes, there is an obvious need to balance the known effects of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) lowering with the new evidence of clinical efficacy derived from the adjustment of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglyceride levels. Whereas the statins remain the drug of choice for patients who need to reach the LDL goal, fibrate therapy may represent the best intervention for subjects with atherogenic dyslipidemia and an LDL already close to goal. In addition, the concomitant use of fibrates may significantly reduce cardiovascular risk in patients whose LDL is controlled by statin therapy. In this review, we evaluate the pharmacologic properties of the fibrate drugs, with particular attention to the effects of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α activation in the control of dyslipidemia as well as in the attenuation of arterial inflammation. Clinical trials of fibrates, such as the Helsinki Heart Study, Veterans Affairs High-density lipoprotein Intervention Trial, Diabetes Atherosclerosis Intervention Study, and Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention trial, have conjured up a scenario for the clinical utility of fibrates and their possible superiority to statins in the management of obese, insulin-resistant, and diabetic patients presenting with near-goal LDL and inappropriate HDL and triglyceride levels.
Fetal Heart Rate in Relation to Body Mass

AbstractIn contrast to the inverse relation of heart rate to body mass in adult mammals, the heart rate of immature fetuses is unrelated to body mass and approximately constant among different species. With maturation, fetal heart rate decreases in a large mammal but tends to increase in a small mammal. These maturational changes reduce the difference between the heart rate of a term fetus and the heart rate which is “tappropriate for body mass” as calculated by means of the allometric equation for adults. The comparative physiology of fetal heart rate supports the hypothesis that immature fetuses of small and large mammals have similar oxygen consumption rates per unit body mass.
Conversion Rates of Induced Versus Spontaneous Ventricular Tachycardia by a Third Generation Cardioverter Defibrillator

Seventy consecutive patients received the first VENTAK PRx pulse generators (Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc.) implanted in the United States. This multiprogrammable device has therapeutic options that include: (1) antitachycardia pacing; (2) low energy cardioversion; (3) defibrillation shocks; and (4) bradycardia pacing. There were 60 males and 10 females with a mean age of 65.3 +/- 9.4 years. The anatomical diagnoses were coronary artery disease in 55 patients, cardiomyopathy in 7 patients, congenital heart disease in 2 patients, and miscellaneous disease in the remaining 6 patients. Thirty-six percent had a history of sudden cardiac death and 90% had documented monomorphic ventricular tachycardia. The mean ejection fraction was 32.7% +/- 12.2%. Thirty-three (49.3%) had an ejection fraction < or = 30%. Electrophysiological testing was done preimplant, predischarge, and 1 to 2 months postimplant to define a specific electrical therapy and evaluate the efficacy of the device. Two hundred ninety-three of 367 (80%) episodes of induced ventricular tachycardia were successfully terminated by the VENTAK PRx programmed for antitachycardia pacing. There were 1,794 total therapy episodes for spontaneous ventricular tachycardia; 91% (1,641 episodes) were terminated by antitachycardia pacing and 153 episodes were converted by shocks during a minimal 6-month follow-up per patient. We conclude that documentation of a successful antitachycardia pacing modality in the electrophysiology laboratory predicts conversion of spontaneous episodes of ventricular tachycardia. Furthermore, antitachycardia pacing by the VENTAK PRx can terminate the majority of episodes of ventricular tachycardia.
Use of the surgical safety checklist to improve communication and reduce complications

Existing evidence suggests that communication failures are common in the operating room, and that they lead to increased complications, including infections. Use of a surgical safety checklist may prevent communication failures and reduce complications. Initial data from the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist (WHO SSC) demonstrated significant reductions in both morbidity and mortality with checklist implementation. A growing body of literature points out that while the physical act of "checking the box" may not necessarily prevent all adverse events, the checklist is a scaffold on which attitudes toward teamwork and communication can be encouraged and improved. Recent evidence reinforces the fact the compliance with the checklist is critical for the effects on patient safety to be realized.
Successful Management of Mediastinitis, Pleural Empyema, and Aortopulmonary Fistula from Odontogenic Infection

Abstract We report a documented case of successful management of aortopulmonary fistula secondary to odontogenic infection. Lethal intrathoracic complications can occur from odontogenic synergistic infections if recognition is delayed and early and aggressive surgical treatment is not undertaken. The many facets of odontogenic infections as related to the mediastinum arc discussed and principles of treatment outlined.
The U.S. Supreme Court's Federalism Jurisprudence: Alden v. Maine and the Enhancement of State Sovereignty

In recent years, the U.S. Supreme Court's federalism jurisprudence has shielded states from certain aspects of Congress's policymaking and enforcement authority. Through its interpretations of the interstate commerce clause and of the Tenth and Eleventh Amendments, the Court has reminded Congress that its power to govern has limits. This article presents the major federalism cases of the 1990s, focusing on Alden v. Maine, the most important federalism decision of the 1998-1999 term. It concludes that the Court's interpretation of the Eleventh Amendment and the sovereign-immunity doctrine, which has constrained the federal government's power to authorize private suits against states for violations of federal law, poses a threat to a fundamental principle of the rule of law: "where there is a right, there is a remedy."
What Can Be Expected from High-Z Semiconductor Detectors?

It has been hoped that high-Z semiconductors would offer efficient ?-ray detection at or near ambient temperatures with energy resolution significantly better than NaI (T1) scintillators. For use at X-ray energies, this goal has been achieved with both HgI2, CdTe, and GaAs detectors. However, at higher energies (~660 keV) all current detectors have one or more significant deficiencies in terms of attainable volume, charge collection efficiency, and polarization effects. Starting with first principles, all potential compounds which can be formed by the binary combination of elements from the periodic chart were considered as possible detector materials. A rank-ordered listing of the most promising materials for further development is given as well as an assessment of the prospects for future success.
A Queuing System with Heterogeneous Servers and Autonomous Traffic Control

This paper considers a multiserver queue with heterogeneous servers in which arriving customers are assigned to servers according to an autonomous Markov chain. Under conditions ensuring stability, stationary distributions are computed for the waiting times and the system response times of successive customers. Limits are also obtained for the expected system workload and the expected number of customers in the system.
Selectivity and potency of opioid peptides in regulating human chorionic gonadotropin release from term trophoblast tissue.

Abstract The in vitro effect of three opioid peptides on hCG release from term trophoblast tissue was investigated. These peptides were prototypic for opioid receptors of the following types: kappa [dynorphin(1–13)], mu (DAMGO) H-Tyr- d -Ala 2 -Gly-N-Me-Phe-Gly 5 -ol, and delta (DPDPE) H-Tyr-O-Pen-Gly-Phe- d -Pen-OH[ d -Pen 2 , d -Pen 5 ]enkephalin. All peptides stimulated hCG release and their concentration-response curves were bell shaped. Their order of potency was kappa ⋙ mu > delta . Stimulation of hCG release by any of the peptides was totally reversed by opioid antagonists, indicating that the action of peptides is mediated by placental opioid receptors. In order to confirm the specificity of opioid regulation of hCG release, three nonopioid drugs (cocaine, nicotine, and isoproterenol), with binding proteins and receptors known to be present in trophoblast tissue membranes, were also investigated. Stimulation of hCG release caused by certain concentrations of nonopioid drugs was not reversed by opioid antagonists, demonstrating that their effect is not mediated by opioid receptors. Furthermore, the concentration-response curve of isoproterenol was biphasic, suggesting the presence of a mechanism regulating hCG release that is not mediated by placental β-adrenergic receptors. Data presented in this manuscript indicate that placental opioid receptors mediate one of the mechanisms regulating hCG release from trophoblast tissue and confirm our earlier results using opioid drugs.
Proxy ratings of health related quality of life in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

The present study prospectively assessed consistency of ratings of health-related quality of life between patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and two types of proxy raters, family caregivers and oncologist care providers. Patients and proxies completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Hepatobiliary (FACT-Hep) at baseline prior to treatment (82 patients plus proxies), at 3-months (32 patients plus proxies), and 6-months follow up (16 patients plus proxies) after diagnosis. Patient and proxy demographic data and patient medical data were also collected. At baseline, significant intra-class correlations (ICC) were found for patient–caregiver ratings of physical, social/family, and functional well-being, additional concerns (symptoms, side effects), and overall health related quality of life (HRQL); for patient–care provider ratings of physical well-being; and for caregiver–care provider ratings of physical and emotional well-being. At 3-months follow-up, the most significant number of ICCs were recorded across all three rater pairs. Significant consistencies were found for overall HRQL, and all subscale scores except for social and family well-being. The fewest significant ICCs were found at the 6-month follow-up, and were for patient–caregiver ratings of physical and functional well-being, and additional concerns; and for caregiver–care provider ratings on overall HRQL. These results suggest that family caregivers are adequate proxies of patient physical and functional well-being and additional concerns throughout the patient’s illness, more so than oncologist care providers. Further research is warranted with larger samples.
Polygraphia and the Renaissance sign: The case of Trithemius

The Polygraphia is marginal to the language reform that philologists and grammarians undertook in the sixteenth century. Etymology, pronunciation, and orthography were disciplines that, each in its way, struggled to introduce order into the chaotic vernacular. By contrast, ciphers raised to an art the natural property of language to dissemble. In a time in which the scholastic, exegetical model became problematic, the Polygraphia offered a model that was both artful and pre-scientific. It taught the art of dissembling meaning through the use of codes and ciphers, but it also introduced the notion that meaning could be retrieved by applying a law, or ordering principle, to the coded text. It is not surprising that secret writing was the object of experiments by some of the same scientific minds, such as Roger Bacon, Leonardo da Vinci and Francis Bacon, that also experimented with such ocular instruments as telescopes, microscopes, and even bezicles. Or that nature should later be construed by Galileo as a script of signs to be read. The scientific mind knows that appearances hide the secrets of nature, just as textual codes hide meaning. As a deliberate fabrication of chaos, cryptography reminds us of that fact. In a sense, cryptography is a magical subverting, then reinstating, of order. Just as Prospero, the Renaissance magus, created tempests to enact the power of his art, but then calmed the winds to show his power over his dominion, the Renaissance cryptographer worked at scrambling letters, at creating a semantic storm, the better to return his reader to the calm of transparent meaning.
Evaluation of the contribution of capture gamma rays, x-ray leakage, and scatter to the photon dose at the maze door for a high energy medical electron accelerator using a Monte Carlo particle transport code.

A Monte Carlo simulation of the photon dose due to scatteredx rays, head leakage photons, and capture gamma rays in the maze of an 18 MeV accelerator facility was carried out. The results of the Monte Carlo simulation were compared with dose measurements made in the maze and also with values calculated using an empirical equation. Agreement within ±26% was found among the three techniques used to evaluate the capture gamma ray dose. It was found that the empirical equation overestimated the scattered x ray plus head leakage photon dose by a factor as large as 2.9 as compared to the other methods. It was concluded that the photon dose, for mazes greater than 3 m in length, is produced predominately by capture gamma rays.
Particle removal from a surface by a bounded vortex flow

Abstract A bounded vortex flow consists of an axisymmetric vortex that is confined top and bottom between two plates (the “confinement plate” and “impingement plate”, respectively) and surrounded laterally by a swirling annular slot jet. The bottom of the vortex terminates on the boundary layer along the impingement plate and the top of the vortex is drawn into a suction port positioned at the center of the confinement plate. The circumferential flow within the annular jet is important for supplying circulation to the central wall-normal vortex. This flow field is proposed as a method for mitigation of dust build-up on a surface, where the vortex–jet combination supplements the more traditional vacuum port by enhancing the surface shear stress and related particle transport rate. The paper reports on a computational study of the velocity field and particle transport by a bounded vortex flow. Fluid flow computations are performed using a finite-volume approach for an incompressible fluid and particle transport is simulated using a discrete-element method. Computations are performed for different values of two dimensionless parameters – the ratio of the plate separation distance and the average radial location of the jet inlet (the dimensionless confinement height) and the ratio of flow rate withdrawn at the suction outlet and that injected by the jet (the flow rate ratio). For small values of the flow rate ratio, the impinging jet streamlines pass down to the boundary layer along the bottom surface and then travel up the vortex core. By contrast, for large values of flow rate ratio, the annular jet is quickly entrained into the suction outlet and no wall-normal vortex is formed. Particles are observed to roll along the impingement surface in a direction determined by the fluid shear stress lines. Particles roll outward when they lie beyond a separatrix curve of the surface shear stress lines, where particles within this separatrix curve roll inward, piling up at the center of the flow field. A toroidal vortex ring forms for the small confinement height case with flow rate ratio equal to unity, which yields double separatrix curves in the shear stress lines. The inward rolling particles intermittently lift up due to collision forces and burst away from the impingement surface, eventually to become entrained into the flow out the suction port or resettling back onto the impingement surface.
Scott's rule

The optimal construction of a histogram is a fundamental task in data analysis. Many rules of thumb are available to get started. Some use the normal density as a reference distribution. Scott's rule is of that class, using as the measure of discrepancy the mean integrated squared error. This article discusses the origin and formulation of this formula, as well as comparisons with some other formulae and their relative performance. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Spot Fumigation: Fumigant Gas Dispersion and Emission Characteristics

Reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from fumigant pesticides is mandatory in California, especially in "nonattainment areas" like the San Joaquin Valley that do not meet federal air quality standards. A two-year field study was conducted to examine the feasibility of site-specific fumigant application only at future tree sites with dramatically reduced amounts of fumigant chemicals on an orchard basis. Soil gas distribution and atmospheric emission of 1,3-dichloropropene and chloropicrin were measured after applying InLine using subsurface drip irrigation. It was predicted that except in the surface 20 cm of soil, satisfactory pest control could be achieved within a 15 cm radius from the injection point. Also, at radial distances of 15-51 cm from the point of fumigant injection, effective nematode control may be achieved. Cumulative atmospheric emission of the fumigants was estimated to be 18-23% of the applied active ingredients in plots that had been cover cropped with Sudan grass and 2-6% in plots that had remained bare for several months before treatment. Considering the significantly small amount of fumigant used on an orchard basis, the spot drip fumigation may achieve a 10-fold reduction in atmospheric VOCs load from fumigant pesticides.
Unsteady conducting dusty gas flow through a circular pipe in the presence of an applied and induced magnetic field

The unsteady motion of an electrically conducting dusty gas flowing through a circular pipe in the presence of a non-uniform imposed magnetic field is studied. The induced magnetic field is assumed non-negligible. Analytical expressions for the gas and dust velocities and magnetic field are obtained in the case where the dusty gas is set into motion by an arbitrary pressure gradient. The wall of the pipe is assumed non-conducting. The particular case when the pressure decreases exponentially in time is examined.
Improving anti-jamming capability and increasing jamming impact with mobility control

The impact of a jamming attack on wireless communication depends on a number of physical characteristics and network protocol parameters. In particular, it depends on the relative geometries of the adversarial network of jammers and the network under attack. Hence, changes in network geometry achieved through node and jammer mobility can have significant influence on the impact of a jamming attack. In this work, we investigate the use of mobility as a tool to allow both the adversarial network and the network under attack to reconfigure their geometry in an attempt to improve attack impact and protocol performance, respectively. We present a mobility control framework for use by nodes in the network under attack and by jammer in the adversarial network. We show that a number of factors can be incorporated into node and jammer mobility using the proposed framework.
The transport of plasma sheet material from the distant tail to geosynchronous orbit

Several aspects of mass transport in the Earth's plasma sheet are examined. The evolution of plasma sheet material as it moves earthward is examined by statistically comparing plasma sheet properties at three different downtail distances: near-Earth plasma sheet properties obtained from measurements by 1989-046 near the geomagnetic equator near midnight at 6.6 RE, midtail plasma sheet properties obtained from ISEE 2 measurements during 333 encounters with the neutral sheet, and distant-plasma sheet properties obtained from ISEE 2 measurements during 53 encounters with the interface between the plasma sheet and the plasma sheet boundary layer. Examination of the evolution of the plasma sheet through pressure-density space shows that the transport is nearly adiabatic (γ = 1.52), with a loss of entropy observed in the near-Earth region. The estimated pressure loss from the plasma-sheet associated with the aurora is able to account for the observed decrease in entropy. The near-Earth plasma sheet plasma is also found to be compressed much less than would be expected from magnetic field models. Examination of the evolution of the plasma sheet through density-flux tube-volume space (with the aid of the T89c magnetic field model) indicates that there is a substantial loss of mass from plasma sheet flux tubes. Global magnetic reconnection during substorms and patchy reconnection at other times is invoked to account (1) for the required mass loss, (2) for the related lack of compression, and (3) for an observed disconnection between ionospheric convection and plasma sheet convection. This reconnection must occur closer than 20 RE downtail. Selective transport is examined by statistically analyzing the ISEE 2 neutral sheet crossing data set: strong transport is found to be associated with low densities, with weak Bz, and with large flux tube volume. A correlation between the direction of the flow in the plasma sheet and the solar wind velocity indicates that earth-ward transport is stronger when the solar wind velocity is lower. An examination of near-Earth and of midtail plasma sheet densities, temperatures, and entropies shows that the plasma sheet is usually spatially homogeneous, contrary to a “bubbles and blobs” picture of transport. Several new points of view about plasma sheet transport are discussed, including the dominant role of near-Earth reconnection, the importance of auroral zone pressure loss, the control of the plasma sheet properties by the density and speed of the solar wind, and the disconnection of the ionospheric and plasma sheet flow patterns.
Piecewise monotone filtering in discrete-time with small observation noise

A discrete-time model for filtering with small observation noise is considered. A piecewise linear observation function is considered with two intervals of monotonicity. A sequential quadratic variation test is found to detect intervals of linearity of the observation function. Diffusion approximations to certain discrete processes are made to estimate the mean times for reaching a decision and the error probabilities. >
The coeruleospinal noradrenergic neurons: Anatomical and electrophysiological studies in the rat

Abstract The neuroanatomical location and pharmacological sensitivity of coeruleospinal neurons were studied with a combination of retrograde tracing experiments and single unit recording. Coeruleospinal neurons were multipolar, medium-sized cells and were found in the ventral division of the locus coeruleus and in the locus subcoeruleus. In the locus coeruleus proper, they presumably corresponded to the large cells of the ventral division defined in previous Golgi studies. Coeruleospinal cells were identified by antidromic stimulation from the cervical spinal cord. Their firing rate was slow and regular, their conduction velocity characteristic of unmyelinated fibers (0.65 m/sec). The method of antidromic stimulation also revealed that coeruleospinal neurones possess an anteriorly directed collateral traveling in the midbrain reticular formation outside the main noradrenergic dorsal bundle. These neurones were strongly inhibited by the iontophoretic application of morphine, noradrenaline, clonidine, GABA and excited by ACh. Although the coeruleo- and subcoeruleospinal neurones are clearly a group of cells distinct from the coeruleocortical projection, their electrophysiological and pharmacological properties are essentially identical.
PEELING AIDS AND THEIR APPLICATION TO CAUSTIC PEELING OF TOMATOES

Tomato pulp recovered from acidified and screened caustic (sodium hydroxide) peelings obtained from rotating rubber disc peelers at a cannery in 1975 was found to be a potential food material. However, this pulp contained high levels (150-450 ppm) of peeling aids used in commercial caustic baths; these are not approved food additives. In the spring of 1976, a preliminary study evaluated 50 compounds and various procedures for their peeling aid efficiency. Compounds tested included carboxylic acids (C2-C1 8) and their esters and salts and other surfactants, emulsifiers, and proprietary mixes. The most effective and acceptable peeling aids were C2-C8 saturated fatty acids. For the processing variety, VF145B-7879, the most effective peeling was with a pretreatment of 0.5% octanoic acid at 65°C for about 1 mm, followed by the usual caustic immersion. This was at least as effective as using the octanoic acid directly in the caustic bath.
Scattering and inverse scattering for a second‐order differential equation

The scattering and three inverse scattering problems for (d/dx)[a(x)(dψ/dx)] +k2h(x)ψ=Q(x)ψ on the real axis are considered herein. In the first inverse scattering problem, Q(x) is recovered when a(x), h(x), and the scattering data are given. In the second inverse problem h(x) is recovered when a(x), Q(x), and the scattering data are known. In the third inverse problem, in case Q(x)=0, a(x) is recovered when h(x) and the scattering data are known. The inversion is illustrated with examples.
High-resolution crystal structures of Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) nigerythrin: facile, redox-dependent iron movement, domain interface variability, and peroxidase activity in the rubrerythrins.

High-resolution crystal structures of Desulfovibrio vulgaris nigerythrin (DvNgr), a member of the rubrerythrin (Rbr) family, demonstrate an approximately 2-A movement of one iron (Fe1) of the diiron site from a carboxylate to a histidine ligand upon conversion of the mixed-valent ([Fe2(II),Fe1(III)]) to diferrous states, even at cryogenic temperatures. This Glu↔His ligand “toggling” of one iron, which also occurs in DvRbr, thus, appears to be a characteristic feature of Rbr-type diiron sites. Unique features of DvNgr revealed by these structures include redox-induced flipping of a peptide carbonyl that reversibly forms a hydrogen bond to the histidine ligand to Fe1 of the diiron site, an intra-subunit proximal orientation of the rubredoxin-(Rub)-like and diiron domains, and an electron transfer pathway consisting of six covalent and two hydrogen bonds connecting the Rub-like iron with Fe2 of the diiron site. This pathway can account for DvNgr’s relatively rapid peroxidase turnover. The characteristic combination of iron sites together with the redox-dependent iron toggling between protein ligands can account for the selectivity of Rbrs for hydrogen peroxide over dioxygen.
Fast generation of audio signatures to describe iTunes libraries

Abstract iTunes Signature Maker (iTSM) uses a feature-driven audio editing algorithm to rapidly generate a short sonic signature of an iTunes music library. iTSM stitches together small segments of songs, driving a concatenative algorithm with spectral features intrinsic to the audio files themselves and with environmental features which describe how those files have been used. This paper relates iTSM to projects in algorithmic playlist generation and music summarization and then describes the software's implementation in relation to the project's objectives: accessibility to a broad audience, accurate representation of users' musical preferences, and interesting and enjoyable results. The project is evaluated in terms of these objectives using both statistical data and anecdotal feedback collected from users.
Microbiota under Antarctic ice shelves

WHETHER or not life can exist far from the open sea beneath the permanent ice shelves of Antarctica is not known, but there are three opinions. (1) A biota cannot exist at all because of the absence of surface primary and secondary productivity1. (2) A biota exists but with specialisations unique to life in the absence of surface productivity and in isolation under an ice shelf1. (3) A typical Antarctic biota exists under any Antarctic ice shelf because currents are surely present that could carry food to it2. Evidence supporting any of these views is unreliable. On the Ross Ice Shelf, samples taken through cracks 22 and 28 km from the open sea and in a newly calved area 8 km from the former ice front yielded rich benthic faunas but no floras3,4. Plant life was presumably restricted by the lack of light coming through the ice. Some of the more common species of animals at nearby McMurdo Sound were not found in the samples, indicating that there was a possibility that conditions under the ice precluded them. Such differences, however, are common in Antarctic shallow-water areas, and can be due to local substrate differences, recent grounding of ice, or sampling bias dependent on the size and penetration depth of the sampler5. The Ross Ice Shelf locations are so close to the open ocean that typical benthic communities might live there. At George VI Sound, marine fish whose stomachs contained several species of invertebrates were caught through a proglacial lake adjacent to the ice shelf 100km from the nearest open water6. These animals were interpreted as evidence that a marine biome occurs under the entire shelf6. However, we describe here a microbiota from the George VI Sound occurrence that indicates that the fauna there may also be unique because it resides in a situation not typical of the entire ice shelf. Available evidence thus does not support any opinion.
Malignant tumors of the vagina.

A retrospective analysis of 118 patients with malignant tumors of the vagina shows that the prognosis, following adequate irradiation, is similar to cornparable stages of carcinoma of the cervix. The 5-year absolute cure rate was 75% for Stage I, 50% for Stage JIA, and about 25% for Stages IIB, 111, and IV. The patients were retrospectively staged according to the system adopted by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. It is proposed that the Stage I1 lesions be subdivided into IIA (paravaginal submucosal extension only) and IIB (parametrial extension), since the prognosis is distinctly different in these patients. Otherwise, the prognosis correlates well with the various clinical stages. Tumor control was excellent in the in-situ and early invasive lesions treated by radium alone or combined with external beam in Stage I lesions. Local and pelvic failures were more frequently seen in tumors more extensive than Stage IIA. Well-planned irradiation, with the aid of computer calculations, will significantly increase tumor control. This is best achieved by combining interstitial and intracavitary vaginal radium and external beam supervoltage irradiation to the pelvic and parametrial tissues. The importance of careful follow-up after irradiation and the early treatment of recurrent lesions is emphasized since a number of these patients can be salvaged by a subsequent surgical procedure. The most significant factor affecting the prognosis was the stage of the disease, which was related to the depth of infiltration of the tumor in the vaginal wall or adjacent tissues. Age of the patient, location, or extent of mucosal involvement did not significantly influence the prognosis.
QoE-aware mobile association and resource allocation over wireless heterogeneous networks

As video content delivery over wireless networks is expected to grow tremendously in upcoming years, how to support energy and bandwidth consuming video applications with high Quality of Experience (QoE) becomes a challenging issue in the future wireless networks. Clearly, there is an urgency for a new disruptive paradigm to bridge the gap between the increasing capacity plus energy demands and the scarce wireless network resources. In this paper, we propose a spectrum and energy efficient mobile association and resource allocation scheme in wireless heterogeneous networks based on two new performance metrics: video content aware or QoE-aware Energy Efficiency (QEE) and video content aware or QoE-aware Spectral Efficiency (QSE). QEE and QSE evaluate the power consumption and bandwidth consumption from video quality's perspective. First we conduct a fundamental study between QEE and QSE in a point-to-point wireless environment. Then we propose a mobile associations and resource allocation scheme in a heterogeneous wireless network that can optimize QEE and QSE. The system level problem is formulated as a mixed-integer nonlinear optimization problem. Nonlinear fractional programming approach and dual decomposition method are applied to search the optimal solutions in a computationally efficient way.
Gene therapy vectors containing CArG elements from the Egr1 gene are activated by neutron irradiation, cisplatin and doxorubicin

Gene therapy vectors containing CArG elements from the Egr1 gene are activated by neutron irradiation, cisplatin and doxorubicin
Quantitative Changes in the Microflora of Butter during Storage

Summary 1. Mold, yeast and bacterial counts of 483 samples of commercial salted butter and 123 samples of unsalted butter, before and after storage, are reported. 2. There is a general tendency for salted samples to show decreases in counts during storage. 3. There is an equally significant tendency for unsalted samples to show an increase in count. 4. The ratio of increase is higher in the unsalted than in the salted butter while the opposite is true for the ratio of decrease. 5. The salt content of butter has a decided effect upon quantitative changes in the microflora of butter during storage but this is not in proportion to the amount of salt present.
Needs and Concerns of Family Caregivers of Persons With Type 2 Diabetes An Integrated Review of Cross-cultural Literature With Implications for the American Indian Population

PurposeThe purposes of this review were to identify the needs and concerns of family caregivers of persons with type 2 diabetes and to develop recommendations for future research on family caregive...
Species Specific Recreational Demand: The Case of Trout Fishing in Alberta

Abstract Many native trout reintroduction programmes and non-native trout suppression programmes are being sold to the public on the fact that through these programmes anglers can catch more and bigger fish. Most studies of recreational demand lump all species within a category of fish into a single species such as lumping rainbow, brook and bull trout into trout. This study disaggregates the effects of individual species on recreational demand. Our goal is to understand the role of species specific characteristics on recreational demand that may or may not be observable. We find that the interaction between angler characteristics and species plays a major role in how anglers choose locations.
Yield, Composition and Acceptability of Meat from Chukar Partridge

Abstract Battery-reared male and female Chukar partridge were processed at 14, 16 and 20 weeks of age. Ready-to-cook yields (from live weights) were similar for male and female birds, averaging 73.5%. Meat yields and compositions, cooking losses and panel acceptability were determined for oven cooked birds. Total cooked yields, which varied from 80 to 85%, were similar for males and females and remained fairly constant for birds 14–20 weeks of age. Boneless cooked meat yields were high (75% of cooked carcass weight) with slightly less than one half from breast muscles. Cooked meat plus skin samples contained 25% protein, 5% crude fat and 69% moisture. Oven cooked partridge were found acceptable by the taste panels.
“Nostalgia” or “Newness”: Nihon Buyō in The United States

(2001). “Nostalgia” or “Newness”: Nihon Buyō in The United States. Women & Performance: a journal of feminist theory: Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 135-149.
Review of Marilyn Francus, Monstrous Motherhood: Eighteenth-Century Culture and the Ideology of Domesticity

Review of Marilyn Francus. Monstrous Motherhood: Eighteenth-Century Culture and the Ideology of Domesticity. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins UP, 2012. Xi + 297pp. Index. ISBN 978-1-4214-0737-1.
Physiological suppression of the temperature-sensitive sporulation defect in a Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase mutant

Five hundred putative RNA polymerase mutants of Bacillus subtilis were isolated by selecting for resistance to the RNA polymerase inhibitors rifampin (Rifr), streptovaricin (Strr) or streptolydigan (Stdr). This collection was screened for mutants that were unable to sporulate at the non-permissive temperature of 46 degrees C, yet which sporulated well at 37 degrees C and had normal vegetative growth (Spots phenotype). Nearly one half of the Rifr and one quarter of the Stvr mutants were Spots, whereas none of the Stdr mutants had this phenotype. The streptovaricin resistant strain stv84 was studied in detail. The stv84 mutation maps between cysA14 and strA39 on the B. subtilis chromosome, and the Stvr and Spots phenotypes cotransform at a frequency of 100%. The Spots phenotype of stv84 could be physiologically corrected by supplementing the growth medium with inhibitors of RNA synthesis such as rifampin or azauracil, with carbohydrates such as ribose, mannose or glycerol, or with lipids such as Tween 40 or fatty acids native to Bacillus subtilis membranes. A Spots phenotype resembling that of stv84 was produced in wild type B. subtilis by adding cerulenin, an inhibitor of fatty acid biosynthesis, to the growth medium. This cerulenin-induced sporulation defect was reversed by the same treatments that correct the temperature-sensitive genetic defect of stv84. These data indicate that the Spots phenotype of strain stv84 is not due to an intrinsic inability of the mutant RNA polymerase to transcribe developmentally-specific genes at the nonpermissive temperature. Rather, the data suggest that the stv84 lesion causes a physiological imbalance which disrupts membrane structure or function in sporulating cells.
Ultrafast pulse excitation of a metallic nanosystem containing a Kerr nonlinear material

We discuss the effect of introducing a nonlinear material exhibiting a strong optical Kerr effect between two metallic nanowires. Our results are based on rigorous finite-difference time-domain calculations. We show how the near-fields that result as an intense, ultrafast pulse interacts with the system can be very different from those in the absence of the nonlinear material. In particular, for sufficiently large incident intensities, a significant reduction in the near-field intensity between the two nanowires is observed. Optical cross sections are also calculated and shown to vary with increasing intensity.
EFFECTS OF RANDOMNESS IN VEHICLE DWELL TIMES ON THE THROUGHPUT OF AUTOMATED FIXED GUIDEWAY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM STATIONS WITH MULTIPLE LOADING POSITIONS

SUMMARY Vehicle dwell times are perhaps the most unpredictable parameters of station operations because of occasional passenger intervention. This paper reports on an investigation involving theoretical and Monte Carlo techniques to ascertain the sensitivity of station throughput to randomness in dwell times. Alternative configurations of vehicle loading positions, e.g., loading positions in parallel, in series, or in a series-parallel combination, are considered in an effort to rank the configurations by their associated performance levels.
Transnationalism, leisure, and Chinese graduate students in the United States.

Despite the substantial number of international students attending colleges and universities in the United States, limited efforts have been devoted to understanding their leisure behavior. The aim of this study was to identify factors related to the transnational status that affected leisure experiences of interviewed Chinese international graduate students. The theory of transnationalism, which posits that contemporary migrants maintain economic, political, social and cultural linkages to their countries of origin, was employed as the theoretical framework. The data were collected from 16 semi-structured interviews with students enrolled in one of the public universities in the Midwest. The findings revealed that the temporary residence in the U.S., coupled with a strong desire to focus on their studies abroad, were the most important factors affecting leisure of Chinese graduate students. Transnational circumstances influenced their emotional well-being, and certain legal barriers constrained their lei...
High-resolution computational spectral imaging with photon sieves

Photon sieves, modifications of Fresnel zone plates, are a new class of diffractive image forming devices that open up new possibilities for high resolution imaging and spectroscopy, especially at UV and x-ray regime. In this paper, we develop a novel computational photon sieve imaging modality that enables high-resolution spectral imaging. For the spatially incoherent illumination, we study the problem of recovering the individual spectral images from the superimposed and blurred measurements of the proposed photon sieve system. This inverse problem, which can be viewed as a multi frame deconvolution problem involving multiple objects, is formulated as a maximum posterior estimation problem, and solved using a fixed-point algorithm. The performance of the proposed technique is illustrated for EUV spectral imaging through numerical simulations. The results suggest that higher spatial and spectral resolution can be achieved as compared to conventional spectral imagers.
Ca2+ Receptor from Brain to Gut: Common Stimulus, Diverse Actions

An extracellular Ca(2+)-sensing receptor (CaR) plays central roles in Ca(2+) homeostasis by regulating parathyroid hormone (PTH)secretion and renal Ca(2+) handling. The CaR is also expressed in intestine and bone, where its functions in mineral metabolism are not yet well defined. The receptor is also present in various types of cells seemingly uninvolved in systemic mineral ion homeostasis (such as neuronal and glial cells in the brain and various epithelial cells), where its actions are poorly understood but might involve the regulation of local ionic homeostasis and/or diverse cellular processes, such as cellular differentiation and proliferation.
The absence of localization in certain statically disordered solids

Abstract We present statically disordered electronic system in which under certain circumstances an initially localized particle necessarily becomes delocalized at long times regardless of the spatial dimension and the magnitude of the disorder. The model is based on correlations between diagonal and off-diagonal matrix elements and is shown to be applicable to structurally-induced disorder in solids. Numerical and analytical calculations in 1-dimension indicate that transport is superdiffusive with the mean-square displacement growing in the time as 3 2 , regardless of the magnitude of the disorder.
Regulation of syndecan-4 expression with mechanical stress during the development of angioplasty-induced intimal thickening.

In this study, we postulated that acute mechanical strain of the arterial wall induces changes in syndecan-4 expression that in turn may modulate cellular events, which promote neointima formation. Correlative in vivo and in vitro studies were performed to determine whether: (1) balloon injury of the rat carotid artery induces spatially and temporally regulated changes in syndecan-4 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression; (2) the application of biaxial mechanical strain to cultured vascular wall cells regulates the expression of syndecan-4 mRNA and protein and its cell surface distribution and surface shedding; and (3) shed syndecan-4 directly effects cell motility behavior. We observed that syndecan-4 mRNA and protein expression were regulated in a temporally and spatially specific manner, such that initial expression of syndecan-4 was localized to adventitial cells followed by later expression in the neointima. Notably, in vitro stimulation of isolated adventitial fibroblasts with a mechanical stretch protocol that was designed to mimic in vivo balloon injury produced a rapid increase in syndecan-4 (4.3-fold increase; P < .001) that was accompanied both by enhanced protein shedding and by the disassembly of focal adhesions. Also significant was that shed syndecan-4, induced with mechanically conditioned media, appeared to be responsible for a chemotactic response of adventitial fibroblasts (P .005). These results indicate that mechanical strain tightly regulates syndecan-4 expression, which may, in part, provide a mechanism for the activation of myofibroblast migration from the tunica adventitia into the neointima. (J Vasc Surg 2002;36: 361-70.) The advent of balloon angioplasty, mechanical atherectomy, arterial stents, and endovascular grafts offer a variety of minimally invasive approaches for the treatment of advanced vascular lesions. All of these interventional procedures, however, inherently initiate concomitant mechanical injury to the vascular wall, with secondary intimal thickening, lumenal narrowing, and a consequent reduction in long-term vessel patency. Although local inflammatory response 1 and thrombus formation 2 usually precede neointima formation, recent experimental and clinical studies suggest that intimal growth is also related to direct deformation of the vessel wall. 3