cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Tangential Gunshot Wound to the Head: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract Background: Patients with tangential gunshot wounds (TGSWs) commonly present with a good Glasgow Coma Scale score and without a history of loss of consciousness. Typically, the bullet does not breach the skull, however, there is a considerable force directed into the brain, and these patients are best treated as sustaining a moderate-to-severe blunt head injury. These patients require observation and repeat imaging. Physicians should be aware of this entity as these patients can deteriorate in a delayed fashion. Objectives: The authors present a case of a TGSW to the head in a neurologically intact patient. The initial post-injury computed tomography (CT) scan showed a very small subdural hematoma (SDH) with no overlying fracture of the skull. A delayed CT scan performed 4 h after arrival to the Emergency Department and 6 h after injury demonstrated an increase in size of the SDH, new traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, and bilateral cerebral contusions. Clinically, the patient showed worsening of her neurological examination. She underwent aggressive non-surgical treatment for increased intracranial pressure with almost complete recovery. Conclusion: Although patients with TGSWs are typically in good condition upon presentation, these injuries are not always trivial, and these patients should have, at minimum, a non-contrast brain CT scan to evaluate underlying damage to the brain and skull. In addition, a delayed CT scan and close observation on a neurosurgical service are indicated.
A translogarithmic cost function approach: Greece, 1953–1977

In this paper we use a two-output three-input specification to model the aggregate Greek economy. We use a translog joint cost function in lieu of its primal dual production function. Output consists of consumption and investment goods produced by the primary inputs and imports classified as a third agent of production. It is found that the cost minimizing input-mix is independent of the composition of output, that traditional functions are inappropriate in modeling Greek technology, and that the three factor inputs are substitutes for each other. Policies concerning the intensity of domestic inputs' use and the BOP are discussed.
Expression of CD3 antigens in renal tubule epithelium and renal oncocytomas

CD3 antigen, formerly thought to be specific for T lymphocytes, has been identified in Purkinje cells of the cerebellum and gastric parietal cells in several species, including humans. The antibodies commonly used to recognize CD3 are directed against the e-subunit of the T cell receptor. This subunit has a role in signal transduction in T lymphocytes and possibly other types of cells. We immunostained sections for CD3 from normal kidneys of several species, including humans, and from different primary human renal cortical neoplasms to determine if CD3 antigen is expressed in normal and in neoplastic tubular epithelium. CD3 expression was strong in normal proximal and distal tubular epithelium in most species and in renal oncocytomas, weak in chromophobe carcinoma, and negative in clear cell carcinomas, in papillary renal cell carcinoma, and in a transitional cell carcinoma. These findings suggest that this marker may be useful in the diagnostic workup and classification of renal cortical neoplasms.
Effects of cross-flow filtration on the absorption and fluorescence properties of seawater

Copyright (c) 1996 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Colloid spectroscopic properties, contamination artifacts, and instrumental variability were evaluated during a cross-flow filtration (CFFr intercomparison exercise. Analyses were based on absorbance (at 337 nmr, humic and protein fluorescence (337/420 and 270/320 nm, respectivelyr, absorption and fluorescence spectra, log-linearized and seawater-normalized absorbance spectra, and fluorescence-to-absorbance ratios. Permeates and retentates (1000 daltons; 1 kDr from five types of CFF systems and two types of seawater samples, coastal surface water (WHOIr and open-ocean deep water (off Hawaii; s600 m deepr, were examined. Retention of absorbance and humic fluorescence (337/420 nmr varied by a factor of s3 within system types and by a factor of s5 between system types. Despite these variations, good absorbance and humic fluorescence balances were obtained by most systems for both samples, although Hawaiian seawater appeared to be more prone to contamination effects. Only two of the 5 CFF system types (Amicon and Desalr showed significant colloid retention. Based on those two systems, major differences in absorbance and fluorescence properties were found for the two water types. For the coastal WHOI samples, s40% of the original dissolved organic matter (DOMr absorbance signal was retained as colloid, in agreement with organic carbon (OCr results. However, for the deep Hawaiian samples, only s15% of the absorbance was retained as colloid, in contrast to an average >40% for OC. These results indicate that a greater percentage of the total pool of absorbing DOM is lower molecular weight (<1 kDr in the deep Hawaiian samples compared to the coastal samples. Humic fluorescence displayed the opposite trend. The absorbance spectra of the retained colloids for both water types were significantly different from those of the unfractionated seawaters. Thus, the qualitative nature of the colloid fraction changed as function of both concentration factor during CFF and sample type, a result not obtainable from simple OC mass balances. These results indicate that organic matter (OMr concentrated by CFF is different from OM in unfractionated seawater in terms of chemical composition and spectroscopic properties, i.e. chromophoric DOM is not uniformly distributed over the total OM pool in seawater. Major, unexpected differences were also found for the fluorescence efficiencies and the slopes (Sr of the log-linearized absorption spectra for the two seawater types prior to CFF.
Distribution of 125I-asialofetuin among liver particles separated on colloidal silica gradients

Rat livers were cyclically perfused with 125 I-asialofetuin, and after various time intervals, mitochondrial-lysosomal fractions were layered on colloidal silica gradients. We observed a time-dependent progression of trichloroacetic acid-precipitable radioactivity from the plasma membrane through a “buoyant” region, which contained lysosomal marker and other subcellular particles, to a dense region of relatively pure lysosomes. The buoyant peak of radioactivity represents an intermediate step in the transfer of asialofetuin from the plasma membrane to lysosomes since a) it appears prior to the release of acid-soluble degradation products and b) it can be dissociated from lysosomal markers.
Adapting to a changing environment using winner and loser effects

Many animals form large aggregations that have no apparent consistent leader, yet are capable of highly coordinated movements. At any given time, it seems like an individual can emerge as a leader only to be replaced by another. Although individuals within a group are largely considered equal, even individuals in a homogeneous group are different. Clearly individuals will differ based on traits like sex, age, and experience. Of particular interest is the idea of individuals differing in their correlated traits, or personality. Different personalities can arise via complex interactions between genes and an environment and are often shaped by individual experience. For example, one would generally predict that individuals characterized as "bold" would more frequently be leaders. However, if the environment changes, how do once successful leaders respond to failure and how do newly successful leaders emerge? Using a biologically-based collective movement model, we demonstrate that a self-assessment mechanism using winner and loser effects is capable of producing transitory leaders who change roles in response to changes in the environment. Furthermore, simulations predict that this self-assessment mechanism allows the group to adapt to drastic changes in the environment and remain successful.
Spatial distribution of the green peach aphid used in estimating the populations of gynoparae

In 2 years, during the initial invasion of peach leaves by the green peach aphid,Myzus persicae (Sulzer), the number of gynoparae was low, and the distribution on leaves was random. Then as the mean number increased, the distribution became intermediate and could not be distinguished from either a Poisson or a negative binomial. Finally, as the mean continued to increase, the variance increased rapidly, and the population was found to fit a negative binomial distribution. Thus the aggregation response was verified because the dispersion pattern fitted a contagious distribution. A sampling plan was devised by which the dispersion parameterk was used to estimate the density of aphids per leaf based on the percentage of leaves infested. Sampling the third year of the study confirmed the validity of the sampling parameter that had been calculated from data for the 2 previous years.
TRENDS IN AIRLINE PASSENGER TRAFFIC: A GEOGRAPHIC CASE STUDY

TO an ever-increasing extent air transportation is becoming a vital element in the complex pattern of inter-connections among large United States cities. The dynamic nature of this form of transportation in recent years is shown by the fact that between 1949 and 1955 the total number of passengers carried by the domestic trunk airlines increased 154 percent (Table 1). During the same period, air passenger-miles increased nearly 300 percent. It is also apparent from a comparison of the air and rail figures in Table 1 that a fundamental change in the nation's travel habits was in process. Air passenger-miles went from a position below the rail Pullman passenger-mile total to a position well above it during the study period. In this study, attention will be focused on a series of maps depicting trends in the air passenger traffic of Chicago during this critical growth period. The maps will be examined for evidence of a relation between growth rates and possible growth-promoting characteristics of individual routes, such as resort travel, length of haul, and low coach fares. The implications of these and certain less obvious relations will then be discussed in the context of over-all air traffic trends. In its relation to geography, the study represents an example of
Validation Experiments of Large Compartment Fires

In cooperation with the fire protection engineering community, a computational fire model, Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), is being developed at NIST to study fire behavior and to evaluate the performance of fire protection systems in buildings. The software was released into the public domain in 2000, and since then has been used for a wide variety of analyses by fire protection engineers. An on-going need is to develop and validate new sub-models. Fire experiments are conducted for a variety of reasons, and model predictions of these experiments over the past few decades have gradually improved. However, as the models become more detailed, so must the measurements. The bulk of available large scale test data consist of temperature (thermocouple) measurements made at various points above a fire or throughout an enclosure. While it is useful to compare model predictions with these measurements, one can only gauge how closely the model reproduces the given data. There is often no way to infer why the model and experiment disagree, and thus no way to improve the model. Also, it is difficult to separate various physical phenomena in a large scale fire test so that combustion, radiation and heat transfer algorithms can be evaluated independently. For example, the heat release rate of the fire governs the rate at which energy is added to the system, convective and radiative transport distribute the energy throughout, and thermal conduction drains the system of some of the energy. The measured value of a temperature, heat flux, or gas concentration at any one point depends on all the physical processes, and uncertainties in each phase of the calculation tend to combine in a non-linear way impacting the prediction.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Effect of Oxytetracycline-Hydrochloric Acid on Reproduction of Female Turkeys

Effects of oxytetracycline-HCl on reproductive performance of turkey breeder hens from the 13 to 24-wk production period were evaluated. During the 13th wk of production, females were grouped into low, medium, and high fertility subclasses. Females within each fertility subclass were randomly reassigned to treatments. The antibiotic was administered via the drinking water (T-2) or via the drinking water plus an intravaginal lavage (T-3). Hens receiving T-2 treatment showed significantly higher fertility than untreated controls (T-1) but also showed significantly higher early embryonic mortality than those receiving the T-3 treatment. Hatchability of all egg set was significantly higher in both antibiotic-treated groups than in controls. Females in the fertility subclasses remained significantly different from each other throughout the experiment. To determine the duration of the effect of antibiotic treatment, eggs were collected in a treatment and posttreatment periods. Fertility (P less than .05), and hatchability (P less than .10) were improved during the treatment period compared with results of the posttreatment period. The T-3 treatment had a long-term effect: it maintained early embryonic mortality at 10% and hatchability at the same level during both treatment periods. A short-term effect was observed in the T-2 group; early embryonic mortality increased (P less than .05) and hatchability decreased (P less than .10) during the posttreatment period. No correlations were found between mycoplasmal or bacterial populations and fertility subclass or antibiotic treatment. Egg production, body weight, feed consumption, feed consumed per egg, egg weight, and egg specific gravity were unaffected by antibiotic treatment.
Evaluation of thyroid hormone effects on liver P450 reductase translation.

Abstract The expression of NADPH cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (P450R) in rat liver is positively regulated by thyroid hormone (T3), at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Here we investigate the effects of T3-induced hyperthyroidism on the regulation of P450R protein synthesis. T3 treatment of adult male rats led to a strong induction (up to ∼10-fold) of liver P450R mRNA but little or no change in P450R protein and activity. Investigation of this discrepancy revealed that the association of hepatic P450R mRNA with polysomes was not altered by T3 treatment, suggesting that the discoordinate changes in P450R mRNA and protein levels do not reflect decreased recruitment of T3-induced P450R mRNA into polysomes. Moreover, polysome size distribution analysis of P450R mRNA did not show any T3-dependent changes. When assayed in an in vitro translation system, T3-induced and uninduced P450R mRNAs were translated with similar efficiencies. Moreover, liver cell extract from T3-treated rats did not selectively inhibit in vitro translation of T3-induced P450R mRNA. Thus, neither structural changes in P450R mRNA nor trans-acting binding proteins in liver cytosol were found to control translation of P450R mRNA in response to T3 treatment. Taken together, these data suggest that P450R may in part be regulated at the level of protein stability in hyperthyroid rat liver.
The real cost of pediatric Crohn's disease: the role of infliximab in the treatment of pediatric IBD.

The Real Cost of Pediatric Crohn's Disease: The Role of Infliximab in the Treatment of Pediatric IBD
New challenges in biorobotics: Incorporating soft tissue into control systems

The development of truly biomimetic robots requires that soft materials be incorporated into the mechanical design and also used as an integral part of the motor control system. One approach to this challenge is to identify how soft animals control their movements and then apply the found principles in robotic applications. Here I show an example of how a combination of animal kinematics, neural patterning and constitutive modelling of tissues can be used to explore motor control in the caterpillar, Manduca sexta. Although still in the early stages, these findings are being used to design and fabricate a new type of robot that does not have a rigid skeleton and is structured entirely from soft or compliant materials. It is hoped that this new robotic platform will promote the development of actuators, sensors and electronics that are compatible with soft materials.
Pigeon Pattern Perception: Limits on Perspective Invariance

Two experiments are reported in which the response of pigeons to perspective transformations of a pattern target was measured. In the first experiment an alphabet letter was taken as the pattern target (the ‘positive’) and the response to its perspective transforms was compared to the response to nontarget letters (‘negatives’) over the course of discrimination training. In the second experiment irregular quadrilaterals were used as positives and the responses to slight perspective deformations of the prototypes were compared to the responses to random transformations of the same magnitude under steady-state conditions. The amount of differential responding depended on the type of transformation. There was no differential response to targets rotated in the picture plane or around the horizontal axis in either experiment. There was differential response to small reductions and enlargements of the target. There was also differential response to translated targets, and this was seen irrespective of the amoun...
Forgetting factor selection in RLS decision-directed tracking of doubly-selective channels

We consider a decision-directed tracking approach to doubly-selective channel estimation exploiting the complex exponential basis expansion model (CE-BEM). The time-varying nature of the channel is well captured by the CE-BEM while the time-variations of the (unknown) BEM coefficients are likely much slower than those of the channel. We track the BEM coefficients via the exponentially-weighted recursive least-squares (RLS) algorithm, aided by symbol decisions from a decision-feedback equalizer (DFE). Such a scheme was recently presented in a conference paper by the authors [1]. In this paper we investigate selection of the forgetting factor in the RLS algorithm. We show that its selection depends upon how often the BEM coefficients are updated and we provide simple guidelines for its choice. Simulation examples demonstrate superior performance of the proposed decision-directed scheme over an existing subblock-wise channel tracking scheme.
Pseudoscience and Selection

Abstract The notion of pseudoscience, as coined by philosopher Karl Popper, is discussed in the context of its application to library science and its implications for selection. Popper's demarcation criterion is described. The literature on pseudoscience and libraries, which accepts Popper's demarcation criteria, is summarized and critiqued. The received view of a rigid distinction between pseudoscience and science is found wanting. The new sociology of scientific knowledge and constructivism is described and advocated as an alternative to the received view of science, and the notion of ‘boundary work’ is suggested as an alternative to demarcation. It is concluded that constructivism is a non-elitist, democratic, and client-centered guide to selection.
A Continuous Robust Control Strategy for the Active Aeroelastic Vibration Suppression of Supersonic Lifting Surfaces

The model-free control of aeroelastic vibrations of a non-linear 2-D wing-flap system operating in supersonic flight speed regimes is discussed in this paper. A novel continuous robust controller design yields asymptotically stable vibration suppression in both the pitching and plunging degrees of freedom using the flap deflection as a control input. The controller also ensures that all system states remain bounded at all times during closed-loop operation. A Lyapunov method is used to obtain the global asymptotic stability result. The unsteady aerodynamic load is considered by resourcing to the non-linear Piston Theory Aerodynamics (PTA) modified to account for the effect of the flap deflection. Simulation results demonstrate the performance of the robust control strategy in suppressing dynamic aeroelastic instabilities, such as non-linear flutter and limit cycle oscillations.
VACUUM STRESSING TECHNIQUE FOR COMPOSITE LAMINATES INSPECTION HY OPTICAL METHOD

The vacuum stressing as a nondestructive method is an effective tool employed in conjunction with holographic interferometry for the detection of flaws and delaminations on or near the surface of composite laminates. Vacuum stressing can also be used in other optical testing techniques such as shearography, speckle interferometry and Moire analysis.
Local structural investigation of Eu3+-doped BaTiO3 nanocrystals

A structural investigation of sub-15 nm xEu:BaTiO3 nanocrystals (x = 0–5 mol%) was conducted to determine the distribution of the Eu3+ ion in the BaTiO3 lattice. Pair distribution function analysis of X-ray total scattering data (PDF), steady-state photoluminescence, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES/EXAFS) were employed to interrogate the crystal structure of the nanocrystals and the local atomic environment of the Eu3+ ion. The solubility limit of the Eu3+ ion in the nanocrystalline BaTiO3 host synthesized via the vapor diffusion sol–gel method was estimated to be ∼4 mol%. A contraction of the perovskite unit cell volume was observed upon incorporation of 1 mol% of europium, while an expansion was observed for nominal concentrations between 1 and 3 mol%. The average Eu–O distance and europium coordination number decreased from 2.46 A and 9.9 to 2.42 A and 8.6 for europium concentrations of 1 and 5 mol%, respectively. Structural trends were found to be consistent with the substitution of Eu3+ for Ba2+via creation of a Ti4+ vacancy at low europium concentrations (<1 mol%), and with the substitution of Eu3+ for both Ba2+ and Ti4+ at high europium concentrations (1–3 mol%). The significance of accounting for local structural distortions to rationalize the distribution of lanthanide ions in the perovskite host is highlighted.
Oceanic stratified euphotic zone as elucidated by 234Th: 238U disequilibria1

Profiles of dissolved and particulate 234Th were determined at the VERTEX 2 and 3 stations off Manzanillo, Mexico, and at the VERTEX 4 station about 900 km north of Hawaii. By modeling the disequilibria between 234Th and 238U in the dissolved and particulate form, estimates of scavenging rates for Th from the dissolved to particulate phases, particle residence times, and the flux of Th via particle removal can be obtained. 234Th: 238U activity ratio profiles indicate that the euphotic zone can be separated into two layers: An upper oligotrophic layer characterized by low new production values, low net scavenging, and long dissolved 234Th residence times; and a subsurface eutrophic layer with higher new production values, more intense scavenging, and shorter dissolved 234Th residence times. New production, rather than total primary production may determine net scavenging rates of reactive elements from oceanic surface waters. These results contribute to the emerging descriptions of the layered structure of oligotrophic euphotic zones and support the notion that this may be a general and ubiquitous feature of global stratified oligotrophic regimes. These layered systems can be structured not only in biological and nutrient parameters, but also in terms of the rates of chemical scavenging and elemental transport. The layered structure of biological processes within stratified oceanic euphotic zones has been recognized for quite some time. Since Steele and Yentsch’s (1960) paper on the vertical distribution of chlorophyll, the subsurface chlorophyll maximum has received a great deal of attention and is now a well known oceanographic feature. Dugdale (1967) proposed a two-layer model, for oceanic euphotic zones, in which nutrient-limited phytoplankton populations overlie light-limited populations. Venrick (1982) reported two distinct floral assemblages associated with each of these layers, which also seem to be differentiated ecologically in terms of competition and predation. Herbland et al. (1985) showed a strong stratification in size classes of photosynthetic organisms (especially < 1 pm) of the equatorial Atlantic, with the major shift in size spectra occurring at or near the base of the mixed layer. Recently, the presence of stratified systems in meso- and oligotrophic regimes has been further interpreted in terms of the concepts of Dugdale and Goering (1967) and Eppley and Peterson (1979) regarding “new” and “regenerated” pro
Application of mathematical removal of positron range blurring in positron emission tomography

The range of positrons in tissue is an important limitation to the ultimate spatial resolution achievable in positron emission tomography. In this work, a Fourier deconvolution technique is applied to remove range blurring in images taken by the Donner 600-crystal positron tomograph. Using phantom data, the authors found significant improvement in the image quality and the FWHM for both /sup 68/Ga and /sup 82/Rb. These were successfully corrected so that the images and FWHM almost matched those of /sup 18/F, which has negligible positron range. However, statistical noise was increased by the deconvolution process and it was not practical to recover the full spatial resolution of the tomograph. >
Applying polymer process studies using molecular modeling

Although process studies are usually done experimentally within the microelectronics board and packaging industry, at Honeywell we have been concerned about facilitating such studies though use of molecular-scale simulation support. For instance, we have used bleed modeling for several years now to understand and target bleed modification additives and to help us predict the effect of both organic and inorganic components on underfill flow. In a similar strategy we have used an adhesion modeling extension to understand stress cycling reliability, and to predict the relative ability of our formulations to withstand thermal cycling. Most recently we have used thermal cycling to help us understand process differences in several resin coated copper foils used in circuit board manufacture. All of these studies have demonstrated usefulness in understanding specific interfacial mechanisms that could not be understood from larger scale simulations or experimental evidence alone. As these studies encompass aspects of both the pre-cure and post-cure state of the adhesive, they require different assumption bases as well as different methodologies to address the performance issues. In this paper we will discuss the strategies applied, their results in in-house formulation and the impacts of using the molecular perspective to increase adhesive understanding in a development scenario.
Nucleus isthmi in goldfish: in vitro recordings and fiber connections revealed by HRP injections.

Recordings of field potentials in nucleus isthmi (NI) were obtained in an in vitro preparation of goldfish brain using a lateral approach. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was injected from recording electrodes to verify recordings within the nucleus and to label axonal pathways and cell bodies. Activity in NI was repetitive and could be elicited by stimulation of the optic nerve, tectum, pretectum, or tectobulbar tract. Spontaneous activity was present in some preparations and consisted of bursts with intervening silent periods. Anatomical and electrophysiological evidence indicated that the primary isthmotectal pathway is composed of fine fibers that exit NI rostrally and pass through pretectum to enter tectum rostrally. An afferent pathway consisting of both fine- and large-diameter fibers entered NI ventromedially; the large diameter axons have been previously reported in percomorph fishes, but were not thought to be present in cyprinids such as goldfish. The large diameter axons arise from labeled cell bodies in the region of the lateral thalamic nucleus. No labeled cell bodies were seen in ipsilateral nucleus pretectalis superficialis, pars magnocellularis, where they are seen in percomorphs. The fine axons, which have not been reported in percomorph fishes, were shown to arise from tectal bipolar (type VI) neurons. As in percomorphs, tectal type XIV neurons were also labeled. This and corroborating recordings from nucleus isthmi constitute the first demonstration of a tectoisthmic projection in a cyprinid fish.
Special Education Faculty Perceptions of Participating in a Culturally Responsive Professional Development Program.

Special education faculty members (n = 12) from a large Western university participated in a four-year professional development program centered on increasing their cultural responsiveness. During the fourth year the primary investigator interviewed faculty members regarding their perceptions and the impact of the program. Each interview was audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using the inductive analysis design for qualitative research (Hatch, 2002). Faculty expressed likes and dislikes of the program and provided suggestions for future professional development. Other results that emerged included that time was a barrier, that leaving campus facilitated learning, and that collaboration enhanced learning. Faculty reported that the professional development made them self-reflect, change practice and attitudes, adjust their perceptions of diverse students, and alter professional interactions. Faculty also expressed personal conflicts as a result of these activities.
Sex differences in the enhanced responsiveness to acute angiotensin II in growth-restricted rats: role of fasudil, a Rho kinase inhibitor

This study tested the hypothesis that Rho kinase contributes to the enhanced pressor response to acute angiotensin II in intact male growth-restricted and gonadectomized female growth-restricted rats. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and renal function were determined in conscious animals pretreated with enalapril (250 mg/l in drinking water) for 1 wk to block the endogenous renin-angiotensin system and normalize blood pressure (baseline). Blood pressure and renal hemodynamics did not differ at baseline. Acute Ang II (100 ng·kg(-1)·min(-1)) induced a greater increase in MAP and renal vascular resistance and enhanced reduction in glomerular filtration rate in intact male growth-restricted rats compared with intact male controls (P < 0.05). Cotreatment with the Rho kinase inhibitor fasudil (33 μg·kg(-1)·min(-1)) significantly attenuated these hemodynamic changes (P < 0.05), but it did not abolish the differential increase in blood pressure above baseline, suggesting that the impact of intrauterine growth restriction on blood pressure in intact male growth-restricted rats is independent of Rho kinase. Gonadectomy in conjunction with fasudil returned blood pressure back to baseline in male growth-restricted rats, and yet glomerular filtration rate remained significantly reduced (P < 0.05). Thus, these data suggest a role for enhanced renal sensitivity to acute Ang II in the developmental programming of hypertension in male growth-restricted rats. However, inhibition of Rho kinase had no effect on the basal or enhanced increase in blood pressure induced by acute Ang II in the gonadectomized female growth-restricted rat. Therefore, these studies suggest that Rho kinase inhibition exerts a sex-specific effect on blood pressure sensitivity to acute Ang II in growth-restricted rats.
Open versus endovascular AAA repair in patients who are morphological candidates for endovascular treatment.

Methods: A retrospective review of 229 consecutive AAA patients treated over a 3-year period identified 149 patients who were candidates for endovascular repair based on preoperative computed tomography and angiography. Of the 149 patients, 79 (68 men; mean age 74 6 8 years) underwent endovascular repair with the AneuRx stent-graft; the remaining 70 (56 men; mean age 72 6 8 years) had open repair. Short-term outcome measures were 30-day mortality and procedure-related morbidity, length of stay in the intensive care unit and hospital, intraoperative blood loss, interval to oral diet, and time to ambulation. Long-term outcome measures included death and secondary procedures. Results: There was no difference in the 30-day mortality between endovascular repair (2, 2.5%) and open repair (2, 2.9%), even though endovascular patients had more comorbidities (p,0.05). Overall length of stay was reduced for endovascular patients (3.9 6 2.4 days versus 7.7 6 3.1 days for surgical patients, p,0.0001). Fewer endograft patients had complications (24% versus 40% for open repair, p,0.05), and the severity of these complications was less, as evidenced by the shorter hospital stays for endovascular patients with complications compared to conventionally treated patients with complications (6.7 6 2.4 days versus 22.5 6 35.2 days, p,0.05). There were no aneurysm ruptures or late surgical conversions in either group. Conclusions: Patients with AAA who were endograft candidates but who were treated with open repair experienced more morbidity and had more complications than patients treated with stent-grafts. Despite increased comorbidities in the endograft patients, there was no increase in mortality compared to open repair. Both treatments required secondary procedures and appeared to be equally effective in preventing aneurysm rupture up to 3 years. J Endovasc Ther 2002;9:255‐261
Cell wall properties play an important role in the emergence of lateral root primordia from the parent root

Plants adapt to their unique soil environments by altering the number and placement of lateral roots post-embryonic. Mutants were identified in Arabidopsis thaliana that exhibit increased lateral root formation. Eight mutants were characterized in detail and were found to have increased lateral root formation due to at least three distinct mechanisms. The causal mutation in one of these mutants was found in the XEG113 gene, recently shown to be involved in plant cell wall biosynthesis. Lateral root primordia initiation is unaltered in this mutant. In contrast, synchronization of lateral root initiation demonstrated that mutation of XEG113 increases the rate at which lateral root primordia develop and emerge to form lateral roots. The effect of the XEG113 mutation was specific to the root system and had no apparent effect on shoot growth. Screening of 17 additional cell wall mutants, altering a myriad of cell wall components, revealed that many (but not all) types of cell wall defects promote lateral root formation. These results suggest that proper cell wall biosynthesis is necessary to constrain lateral root primordia emergence. While previous reports have shown that lateral root emergence is accompanied by active remodelling of cell walls overlying the primordia, this study is the first to demonstrate that alteration of the cell wall is sufficient to promote lateral root formation. Therefore, inherent cell wall properties may play a previously unappreciated role in regulation of root system architecture.
Collaborative Internet worm containment

Large-scale worm outbreaks that lead to distributed denial-of-service attacks pose a major threat to Internet infrastructure security. Fast worm containment is crucial for minimizing damage and preventing flooding attacks against network hosts.
Development and Evaluation of Monoclonal Antibodies for Paxilline

Paxilline (PAX) is a tremorgenic mycotoxin that has been found in perennial ryegrass infected with Acremonium lolii. To facilitate screening for this toxin, four murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were developed. In competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (CI-ELISAs) the concentrations of PAX required to inhibit signal development by 50% (IC50s) ranged from 1.2 to 2.5 ng/mL. One mAb (2-9) was applied to the detection of PAX in maize silage. The assay was sensitive to the effects of solvents, with 5% acetonitrile or 20% methanol causing a two-fold or greater increase in IC50. For analysis of silage samples, extracts were cleaned up by adsorbing potential matrix interferences onto a solid phase extraction column. The non-retained extract was then diluted with buffer to reduce solvent content prior to assay. Using this method, the limit of detection for PAX in dried silage was 15 µg/kg and the limit of quantification was 90 µg/kg. Recovery from samples spiked over the range of 100 to 1000 µg/kg averaged 106% ± 18%. The assay was applied to 86 maize silage samples, with many having detectable, but none having quantifiable, levels of PAX. The results suggest the CI-ELISA can be applied as a sensitive technique for the screening of PAX in maize silage.
Predicting Guild Membership in Massively Multiplayer Online Games

Massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) offer a unique laboratory for examining large-scale patterns of human behavior. In particular, the study of guilds in MMOGs has yielded insights about the forces driving the formation of human groups. In this paper, we present a computational model for predicting guild membership in MMOGs and evaluate the relative contribution of 1) social ties, 2) attribute homophily, and 3) existing guild membership toward the accuracy of the predictive model. Our results indicate that existing guild membership is the best predictor of future membership; moreover knowing the identity of a few influential members, as measured by network centrality, is a more powerful predictor than a larger number of less influential members. Based on these results, we propose that community detection algorithms for virtual worlds should exploit publicly available knowledge of guild membership from sources such as profiles, bulletin boards, and chat groups.
Observations on the Antagonism Between Heparin and Trypsin.

SummaryHeparin does not appear to be specific antitryptic substance since it prevents neither the fall in blood pressure produced by trypsin in the dog nor the proteolytic activity of trypsin on a hemoglobin substrate. However, heparin does protect guinea pigs against the lethal effects of intravenously injected trypsin.The observation that fastusol, like heparin, protects rats against the lethal effects of trypsin is compatible with the notion that such a protective action on the part of heparin is related to its anticoagulant properties.
Emergency crowd evacuation modeling and simulation framework with cellular discrete event systems

First responders and security personnel face many challenges to safely evacuate crowded environments. Conducting frequent physical and table-top exercises are neither feasible nor economical. This is where modeling and simulation comes into play in providing a risk-free and economical method to practice various evacuation strategies, train first responders, and provide accurate decision-support and emergency guidance. With the aid of formal methods, here we present a suite of various egress strategies build on top of an open-source modeling and simulation environment. We use Cellular Discrete-Event System Specification Cell-DEVS formalism to explore emergency evacuation scenarios by building 12 egress models representing aspects of human behaviors under emergencies and the activities of authorities in guiding the crowd. The proposed framework explores random and controlled human movement, as well as implementing psychological conditions such as herd following and panicked states. We provide results analysis to compare evacuation speed under various egress methods, allowing for decision making when using the suite for training purposes. The outcome of this work is available on a public repository to serve the DEVS community, researchers, and public safety authorities interested in emergency evacuation simulations.
Optimizing Research in Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is a common and complex disease that has biological, clinical, and sociological significance. Scientific research with cell cultures, organ baths, and animal models has significantly advanced our understanding of the physiology of penile erection and common pathways involved in erectile dysfunction. Such studies have paved the way for pharmacological intervention and the modern era of highly effective treatments for ED. Continued investment in basic science research offers the potential for new and effective therapies for ED in the future. ED is intimately related to chronic medical and psychological conditions and may have significant psychosocial effects; for these reasons, psychological and epidemiologic research on ED is also important to advance the field. This chapter reviews fundamental tenets in the conduct of research and explore the current status of research on erectile dysfunction at physiological, clinical, and epidemiological levels.
Factors Affecting Greenhouse Sweetpotato Slip Production

ABSTRACTSweetpotato certified seed producers rely on fast propagation of virus-indexed slip plants in the greenhouse to obtain transplants for the production of first generation of storage roots. Effective fertilization is important for greenhouse vegetative propagation, but relevant guidelines are rare. Greenhouse experiments were conducted in 2011 and 2012 using sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) var. Covington, Beauregard, and Evangeline to evaluate effects of fertilizer rate on slip production. The most commonly used commercial fertilizer mix (20N–10P–20K) was applied at the rates 50, 100, 200, 300, 400 mg·L−1 of N. Plants were harvested nine times over the season in both years. Total nodes on vines and total slip fresh weight were determined. ‘Evangeline’ produced more nodes—that is, more plants—than ‘Beauregard’ and ‘Covington’, and ‘Beauregard’ produced the highest slip fresh weight, followed by ‘Evangeline’ and ‘Covington’. Effect of fertilizer rate on vine node count was similar for early (h...
Coherent Light Sources at the Nanoscale

This review focuses on coherent light sources at the nanoscale, and specifically on lasers exploiting plasmonic cavities that can beat the diffraction limit of light. Conventional lasers exhibit coherent, intense, and directional emission with cavity sizes much larger than their operating wavelength. Plasmon lasers show ultrasmall mode confinement, support strong light-matter interactions, and represent a class of devices with extremely small sizes. We discuss the differences between plasmon lasers and traditional ones, and we highlight advances in directionality and tunability through innovative cavity designs and new materials. Challenges and future prospects are also discussed.
A neuromorphic IC connection between cortical dendritic processing and HMM classification

We show connections between dendritic processing structures and hidden-Markov model (HMM) decoding that we arrived at through simultaneous circuit design of these systems. From an integrated circuit (IC) towards a biology perspective, these simple spreading networks relate well to cable theory and are similar to biological structures such as dendrites and cortical cells. Going in the other direction, from IC to classical digital signal processing (DSP), these structure hold similarities to HMM decoders. In order to implement both structures requires a compact array of variable conductance elements. Using floating-gate transistors, we are able to individually vary the conductance of each diffuser element in the array, which dramatically changes the analysis of these arrays.
Experimental Investigation of Laser Texturing and its Effect on Friction and Lubrication

Abstract Significant effort has been undertaken to study the effects of engineered surfaces, such as those developed through laser texturing, and the potential tribological benefits that can arise. However, the theoretical models can be contradictory, and few good experimental studies of such systems exist. In this work, dimpled surfaces were created using laser surface texturing (LST) which were tested in a reciprocating wear tester. Friction and wear coefficients were measured and compared to surfaces without dimples for both metal-on-metal and metal-on-plastic contacts. The geometry of the dimple to accommodate unidirectional sliding was considered. The results showed a positive effect of surface texturing on the friction coefficients and wear rates of the textured surfaces, consistent with increased distance between asperities due to improvements in lubrication.
Ascorbic acid, but not dehydroascorbic acid increases intracellular vitamin C content to decrease Hypoxia Inducible Factor -1 alpha activity and reduce malignant potential in human melanoma.

Abstract Introduction Accumulation of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) in malignant tissue is known to contribute to oncogenic progression and is inversely associated with patient survival. Ascorbic acid (AA) depletion in malignant tissue may contribute to aberrant normoxic activity of HIF-1α. While AA supplementation has been shown to attenuate HIF-1α function in malignant melanoma, the use of dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) as a therapeutic means to increase intracellular AA and modulate HIF-1α function is yet to be evaluated. Here we compared the ability of AA and DHA to increase intracellular vitamin C content and decrease the malignant potential of human melanoma by reducing the activity of HIF-1α. Methods HIF-1α protein accumulation was evaluated by western blot and transcriptional activity was evaluated by reporter gene assay using a HIF-1 HRE-luciferase plasmid. Protein expressions and subcellular localizations of vitamin C transporters were evaluated by western blot and confocal imaging. Intracellular vitamin C content following AA, ascorbate 2-phosphate (A2P), or DHA supplementation was determined using a vitamin C assay. Malignant potential was accessed using a 3D spheroid Matrigel invasion assay. Data was analyzed by One or Two-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test as appropriate with p Results Melanoma cells expressed both sodium dependent vitamin C (SVCT) and glucose (GLUT) transporters for AA and DHA transport respectively, however advanced melanomas responded favorably to AA, but not DHA. Physiological glucose conditions significantly impaired intracellular vitamin C accumulation following DHA treatment. Consequently, A2P and AA, but not DHA treated cells demonstrated lower HIF-1α protein expression and activity, and reduced malignant potential. The ability of AA to regulate HIF-1α was dependent on SVCT2 function and SVCT2 was not significantly inhibited at pH representative of the tumor microenvironment. Conclusions The use of ascorbic acid as an adjuvant cancer therapy remains under investigated. While AA and A2P were capable of modulating HIF-1α protein accumulation/activity, DHA supplementation resulted in minimal intracellular vitamin C activity with decreased ability to inhibit HIF-1α activity and malignant potential in advanced melanoma. Restoring AA dependent regulation of HIF-1α in malignant cells may prove beneficial in reducing chemotherapy resistance and improving treatment outcomes.