cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling of a Pneumatic Strain Energy Accumulator for Variable System Configurations With Quantified Projections of Energy Efficiency Increases

The pneumatic Strain Energy Accumulator (pSEA), a device that stores the energy of compressed air in the strain energy of a rubber bladder, has recently undergone proof of concept testing showing promise in compact energy storage applications. An adequate model of the pneumatic strain energy accumulator on a systems level is needed to explore the design space in order to optimize the device. The recent success of the pneumatic strain energy accumulator on an Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) medical assist device serves as motivation for such a systems level model. In laboratory experiments the AFO medical assist device has reported from 25–75% energy efficiency improvement when using the pSEA depending on the various parameters of the medical device. Early measurements and calculations for a single stage independent process pSEA indicated a theoretical maximum energy efficiency increase of 33% which lies between the energy efficiency values realized on the AFO device using a single stage coupled process pSEA. A study of a lumped parameter model using measured Pressure-Volume curve data as a model input will be used to quantify energy efficiency increases for a variety of system configurations. Once complete, a set of measurement techniques and tools to successfully realize the strain energy accumulator will be ready to use in quantifying its energy savings.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Smoking and stress: common denominators for periodontal disease, heart disease, and diabetes mellitus.

The scientific evidence supporting the relationship between periodontal disease and two major health problems of the US population, i.e., cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus, is discussed. Evidence supporting the behavioral and psychosocial factors mediating the relationship between periodontal infection and these systemic conditions, namely smoking and stress, is presented, as well as models explaining these relationships. Treatment protocols are suggested for the clinical management of patients who smoke, are diabetic, or are at risk for cardiovascular disease.
Variation In Inefficiency Among Us Hospitals

AbstractThis study analyzes the impact of policy variables and other factors on hospital technical inefficiency in the US. Distance functions are used to estimate technical efficiency for each hospital relative to contemporaneous technologies. The resulting panel of efficiency estimates are then regressed on exogenous factors to gain insight into various issues impacting the debate over health-care reform in the US. Methodologically, we extend previous work by recognizing data envelopment analysis (DEA) efficiency scores as estimates, and by dealing with a censoring problem at the estimated technology frontier. We use annual data on US hospitals operated by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), state and local governments, and for-profit as well as nonprofit organizations from 1985 to 1988.
The Tottering Mouse

In the late 1950s, a novel spontaneous mutation was found in the same litter of mice while breeding by Green and Sidman at the Roscoe B. Jackson Memorial Laboratory in Maine. Mice harboring this mutation, which was found to be recessive, were termed tottering (tg/tg) mice, and exhibited a series of neurological abnormalities, including a paroxysmal motor disturbances (dyskinesia/dystonia), a wobbly ataxic gait, and absence seizures. Since the initial discovery of this mutation, numerous studies have investigated the underlying genetics and behavioral consequences in the tg/tg mouse, and this mouse has proven useful in our understanding of several episodic neurological disorders involving the cerebellum. Caused by a mutation in the Cacna1a gene that encodes the P/Q-type voltage-gated Ca channel, the tg/tg mouse is a model for the human disorder episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2), and has provided insights into the mechanisms of episodic cerebellar dysfunction.
Robust group-Lasso for functional regression model

ABSTRACTIn this article, we consider the problem of selecting functional variables using the L1 regularization in a functional linear regression model with a scalar response and functional predictors, in the presence of outliers. Since the LASSO is a special case of the penalized least-square regression with L1 penalty function, it suffers from the heavy-tailed errors and/or outliers in data. Recently, Least Absolute Deviation (LAD) and the LASSO methods have been combined (the LAD-LASSO regression method) to carry out robust parameter estimation and variable selection simultaneously for a multiple linear regression model. However, variable selection of the functional predictors based on LASSO fails since multiple parameters exist for a functional predictor. Therefore, group LASSO is used for selecting functional predictors since group LASSO selects grouped variables rather than individual variables. In this study, we propose a robust functional predictor selection method, the LAD-group LASSO, for a funct...
Effect of crisis response planning vs. contracts for safety on suicide risk in U.S. Army Soldiers: A randomized clinical trial ☆

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of crisis response planning for the prevention of suicide attempts. Method Randomized clinical trial of active duty Army Soldiers (N=97) at Fort Carson, Colorado, presenting for an emergency behavioral health appointment. Participants were randomly assigned to receive a contract for safety, a standard crisis response plan, or an enhanced crisis response plan. Incidence of suicide attempts during follow-up was assessed with the Suicide Attempt Self-Injury Interview. Inclusion criteria were the presence of suicidal ideation during the past week and/or a lifetime history of suicide attempt. Exclusion criteria were the presence of a medical condition that precluded informed consent (e.g., active psychosis, mania). Survival curve analyses were used to determine efficacy on time to first suicide attempt. Longitudinal mixed effects models were used to determine efficacy on severity of suicide ideation and follow-up mental health care utilization. Results From baseline to the 6-month follow-up, 3 participants receiving a crisis response plan (estimated proportion: 5%) and 5 participants receiving a contract for safety (estimated proportion: 19%) attempted suicide (log-rank χ2(1)=4.85, p=0.028; hazard ratio=0.24, 95% CI=0.06–0.96), suggesting a 76% reduction in suicide attempts. Crisis response planning was associated with significantly faster decline in suicide ideation (F(3,195)=18.64, p Conclusion Crisis response planning was more effective than a contract for safety in preventing suicide attempts, resolving suicide ideation, and reducing inpatient hospitalization among high-risk active duty Soldiers.
Environmental Health Issues

A broad range of different environmental exposures can cause health problems including air and water pollution, exposure to lead and other heavy metals, pesticides and chemicals, and many more. This chapter covers two main environmental exposure health status indicators: elevated child blood lead levels and pesticide exposures.
Predicting severe hematologic toxicity from extended-field chemoradiation of para-aortic nodal metastases from cervical cancer

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine factors predictive for severe hematologic toxicity (HT) in cervical cancer patients with para-aortic lymph node metastasis treated with concurrent cisplatin chemoradiation to an extended field (EFCRT). Methods and materials Thirty-eight patients with cervical cancer and para-aortic lymph node metastasis who underwent EFCRT were analyzed. Active bone marrow was defined as the region within irradiated total bone marrow (BMTOT) with a standard uptake value on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography greater than the mean standard uptake value for BMTOT. Serial weekly blood counts from the beginning to the end of radiation treatment were evaluated for HT using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. Results Nineteen patients had grade 3 or higher hematologic toxicity (HT3+), not including lymphocyte toxicity. Obese patients (n = 12) were less likely to get HT3+ (P = .03) despite getting equivalent doses of chemotherapy. Volumes of BMTOT and active bone marrow receiving doses of 20, 30, and 45 Gy and body mass index significantly predicted HT3+. Patients who had HT3+ had prolonged treatment time (62 vs 53 days, P Conclusions For patients receiving EFCRT, bone marrow irradiation parameters and patient body mass index were associated with HT3+. A simplified nomogram has been created to predict HT3+ in these patients, allowing the potential to explore bone marrow–sparing delivery techniques.
The Code, the Cloud, and the Doppler

As his colleagues perform a code on his 2-year-old daughter, a frightened young physician finds himself unmoored from time and space. Then he draws on the recalled strength of his patients and their families, overcome by a new empathy.
An Editorial: Business Educators Should Lead Their Schools into the Computer Education

(1975). An Editorial: Business Educators Should Lead Their Schools into the Computer Education. The Journal of Data Education: Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 5-5.
TALIB: an IC layout design assistant

This paper describes a knowledge-based system for automatically synthesizing integrated circuit layouts for NMOS cells. The desired cell layouts are specified in terms of their general structural and functional characteristics. From these initial specifications, the system produces correct and compact cell layouts. The system performs this task by generating plan steps at different levels of abstraction and opportunistically refining each plan step at one level to more specific steps at a lower level. Although the implementation of this system has focused on NMOS technology, the techniques used are not restricted to that technology.1
Pregnancy and child developmental outcomes after preimplantation genetic screening: a meta-analytic and systematic review

In in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, preimplantation genetic diagnosis/screening (PGD/S) attempts to detect chromosomal abnormalities in embryos before implantation. Using the meta-analytic and qualitative review approaches, this study aims to evaluate the effect of PGD/S on clinical pregnancy, live births, and childhood outcomes. We conducted a literature search using 1) PubMed and other search engines, and 2) an ancestry search by tracking references cited in prior work. After screening the studies, we extracted information pertinent to the meta-analysis. We calculated the effect sizes for clinical pregnancy and live birth rates, and performed a moderation analysis by maternal age, type of genetic screening, and timing of the biopsy. For childhood outcomes, we conducted a systematic review of studies reporting the anthropometric, psychomotor, cognitive, behavioral, and family functioning of PGD/S children. We included 26 studies for clinical pregnancy and live births, and 18 studies for childhood outcomes. Results indicated that women who underwent comprehensive chromosome screening-based PGD/S had significantly higher clinical pregnancy rates (rr 1.207, 95% CI 1.017–1.431) and live birth rates (rr 1.362, 95% CI 1.057–1.755) than those whose IVF treatment did not include PGD/S. Early childhood outcomes of PGD/S children did not differ from those of non-PGD/S children. Comprehensive chromosome screening-based PGD/S can improve clinical pregnancy and live birth rates without adversely affecting functioning in childhood at least up to age 9. Results are discussed in the context of bioethical, financial, legal, and psychological issues surrounding PGD/S.
The Truth about Red Wine

My dual passions for science and writing co-mingled as I managed and wrote for Stemosphere (stem-o-sphere.org), a science communication blog. I wanted to break down science publications into easy-to-understand pieces that are accurate but easily digested. In this piece, originally written for Stemosphere, I broke down the complicated relationship between researchers, journalists, and the public consumer in the consumption of science in the media. Quite often, publications can be disconnected from their public portrayals, and I attempt to ascertain where these inconsistencies stem from. While it may be easy to place blame with the content creators, each of us has a responsibility to approach articles with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Understanding the (Ir)Relevance of Shareholder Votes on M&A Deals

Has corporate law and its bundles of fiduciary obligations become irrelevant? Over the last thirty years, the American public corporation has undergone a profound metamorphosis, transforming itself from a business with dispersed ownership to one whose ownership is highly concentrated in the hands of sophisticated financial institutions. Corporate law has not been immutable to these changes so that current doctrine now accords to a shareholder vote two effects: first, the vote satisfies a statutory mandate that shareholders approve a deal, and second and significantly, the vote insulates the transaction and its actors from any claim of misconduct incident the approved transaction. This article takes issue with the courts and commentators who have so elevated the impact of shareholder approval to insulate misconduct. We develop why it is not reasonable to believe that the shareholders’ competencies extend to adjudging managerial misconduct, why that conclusion is inconsistent with other modern corporate law developments, and why such shareholder ratification is likely both coerced and poorly considered. We also point out that the position of courts and commentators who pronounce the death of corporate fiduciary law is deeply qualified by the deep conflicts of interest institutional investors face when voting as well as the very real threat that today’s ecology that supports shareholder activism is likely to change so that the voice of the discontented shareholder will be at least more muted in the future. Finally, we provide strong empirical support based on a sample of 852 merger deals from 2000 to 2015 that there is a very large thumb on the scale that pushes all deals toward approval, regardless of any allegations of wrongdoing. We observe substantial ownership changes at target corporations, sometimes as high as 40 to 50% of their stock, from long-term investors to hedge funds upon the announcement of a deal and before the consummation of the transaction with a shareholder vote. This change reflects the merger arbitrageurs’ actions. We further show that this change in ownership has a positive and statistically significant impact on the likelihood of merger deals garnering the required shareholder approval. We conclude that the Delaware courts need to rethink their obsession with the shareholder vote, renounce the current doctrinal trends that are taking them in the wrong direction, and return to their historic role of evaluating whether directors have satisfied their fiduciary duties in M&A transactions.
‘America’s most precious resource’: The future in American national identity and foreign policy

Abstract This paper examines how a particular conception of American national identity, America as the “great nation of futurity,” was rhetorically deployed within an instance of post-World War II foreign policy discourse. I analyze projections of the future embedded within and disseminated through “modernization theory” and the rhetorical functions those projections served within the discourse. Modernization theory was a social scientific theory which provided a blueprint for restructuring post-colonial societies. I argue that the U.S.’s self-proclaimed identity as the nation of the future was an important aspect of modernization theory discourse and that this identity was used rhetorically to legitimate the nation’s efforts to shape the future of postcolonial societies. Working within a Critical Discourse Analysis framework, I focus on two prominent modernization theory texts, Millikan & Rostow’s A Proposal and Lerner’s The Passing of Traditional Society. I analyze the discursive means through which the future of the newly decolonized societies was aligned with U.S. foreign policy interests and how an historically specific vision of the future was transformed into a universal, inevitable future. My analysis examines the space-times embedded in the texts, the relations and contrasts created between them, and how these contrasts served to legitimate, and, ultimately, universalize a projection of the future grounded in American interests, history, and identity.
The relationship between pupil diameter and other measures of opioid withdrawal during naloxone precipitated withdrawal.

Abstract Background Understanding mechanisms of physiological opioid withdrawal symptoms can inform treatment strategies. This secondary analysis evaluated the association between mydriasis (dilated pupils), a commonly-assessed opioid withdrawal metric, with self- and observer-rated opioid withdrawal severity. Method Ninety-five participants with opioid physical dependence were stabilized with morphine before receiving an injection of the opioid antagonist naloxone to precipitate withdrawal. Pupil diameter, the Subjective Opiate Withdrawal Scale (SOWS), and the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) were collected at baseline and in 15-minute intervals for 120 min following naloxone administration. Pearson product-moment correlations and linear regressions characterized the relationships between pupil measurements (baseline and peak naloxone-induced) and self- and observer-rated measures of withdrawal. Repeated-measures ANOVAs tested whether self and observer-rated withdrawal severity corresponded to unique patterns in pupil changes. Results Baseline pupil diameter significantly correlated with SOWS and COWS peak scores. Peak naloxone-induced pupil diameter significantly correlated with SOWS scores only. Peak changes in pupil from baseline did not correspond to peak changes in self- and observer-rated withdrawal scales. Conclusions This study suggests that pupil diameter measurements were more closely associated with acute opioid withdrawal severity than changes in pupil diameter. Prospective research examining the mechanisms underlying the relationship between pupil diameter and opioid withdrawal severity are warranted.
Emergency Cesarean Delivery After Repair of an Ankle Fracture

A 34-year-old woman, G1P0 and at 36 weeks estimated gestational age, slips on the stairs at home and fractures her right ankle (L-1). She is otherwise in good health and last ate 2 h before her injury. The orthopedists feel that the fracture needs to be repaired immediately since there are signs of neurovascular compromise at the ankle. The patient is afraid of the effect of general anesthesia on the baby and is happy when the anesthesia provider suggests that a spinal anesthetic would be a good technique in her case. He says that he will add morphine and fentanyl to the intrathecal mixture, thereby giving her some pain relief for the first 24 h after surgery.
Cannibalization and sealing of deepwater reservoirs by mass-transport complexes — The Jubilee field, Gulf of Mexico

AbstractMass-transport complexes (MTCs) are important stratigraphic elements in many deepwater basins. In hydrocarbon exploration, MTCs have traditionally been identified as seals although they can...
Experiences in physical education and sport: reflections of female athletes with visual impairments

The purpose of this study was to understand how individuals identifying as female, an athlete and having a visual impairment experience physical education and sport experiences. An interpretative p...
Birds Ruffled by Big-City Lights

![Graphic][1] The blazing lights of Times Square in New York City may be impressive for tourists, yet this blindingly bright attraction can cause problems for urban wildlife. Artificial light at night, typical of cities and suburban areas around the globe, can cause problems for the animals
Pandora's Ballot Box, or a Proxy With Moxie? Majority Voting, Corporate Ballot Access, and The Legend of Martin Lipton Re-Examined

The Delaware General Assembly has recently adopted an amendment to the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) which provides that where shareholders have adopted a majority voting bylaw for corporate elections over the traditional plurality scheme, a corporation may not subsequently amend its bylaws to return to plurality voting without shareholder approval. This article compares this provision to other approaches and attempts to explain the reasons underlying its adoption. The article also briefly summarizes the evolving shareholder empowerment debate and analyzes the majority voting provision in the context of that discussion. This article also describes some unique and unanticipated interactions between majority voting bylaws and various other working parts of corporation and securities laws affecting the shareholder franchise, a carefully protected right in Delaware jurisprudence. The most prevalent corporate strategies responding to this movement are explored and the difficulties of implementing majority voting are described. Finally, voting schemes from the political sphere are analyzed in an attempt to find analogous lessons for the corporate arena. The article ends with some predictions about future developments which will hinge on the outcome of SEC rules proposals, further DGCL revisions, and the responses of Delaware incorporated entities.This article blends three distinct groups of thought: (i) theoretical corporate law scholarship and financial regulatory theory; (ii) interpretation of Delaware Court of Chancery cases; and (iii) practical analysis on the future of the majority voting movement and the strategic choices facing boards of directors in the aftermath of the Delaware amendments and corollary Securities and Exchange Commission and New York Stock Exchange regulatory initiatives. The result is a developed framework for how majority voting could serve to alter significantly the balance of power between shareholders and board members, with the magnitude of that effect contingent on the result of pending governance changes at forums, board responses, and the continuing evolution of the Delaware General Corporation Law. The presence of activist shareholders will be an especially important phenomenon affecting this analysis. The article also briefly explores one alternative to majority voting, the runoff election proposal, to allow that concept to enter into the debate. As a secondary thesis to the ideas summarized above, this article will also respond to Martin Lipton's latest article, The Many Myths of Lucian Bebchuk, which summarizes Lipton's views as the leading voice against the shareholder empowerment movement. This article will argue that, though there are many valid criticisms of the shareholder empowerment movement, Lipton's latest invective diatribe is bereft of them.
Distributive Politics: Federal Outlays

We provide an interpretive review of theoretical and empirical research on the distribution of federal outlays in the United States and their political antecedents. We argue that the foundational scholarly research on the subject to date can be classified to a great extent according to the perspectives it takes respecting legislative organization, political parties, and the executive branch. After reviewing theoretical and empirical research in these areas, we discuss some cutting-edge research in this area of research. One of the most exciting trends in the study of distributive politics is a much greater focus on issues of causal identification in empirical tests of theories concerning the allocation of federal resources. Finally, we describe five questions that we believe ought to motivate future research in this area. These questions concern the relationship between entitlement and discretionary spending; how to integrate research on distributive politics with research on political business cycles; how best to measure executive discretion in specific assistance programs; how to understand the relationship between spending in an area and support for that spending; and how to capture the mechanism relating spending and electoral benefits. Keywords: spending; pork barrel; discretionary; distributive; legislative organization; political parties; executive; bureaucracy
The Cambridge Introduction to Literature and Philosophy

Literature and philosophy have long shared an interest in questions of truth, value, and form. And yet, from ancient times to the present, they have often sharply diverged, both in their approach to these questions and in their relationship to one another. Moreover, the vast differences among individual writers, historical periods, and languages pose challenges for anyone wishing to understand the relationship between them. This Introduction provides a synthetic and original guide to this vast terrain. It uncovers the deep interests that literature and philosophy share while offering a lucid account of their differences. It sheds new light on many standing debates and offers students and scholars of literary criticism, literary theory, and philosophy a chance to think freshly about questions that have preoccupied the Western tradition from its very beginnings up until the present.
Change point method for detecting regime shifts in paleoclimatic time series: Application to δ18O time series of the Plio‐Pleistocene

[1] Although different paleoenvironmental time series resolve past climatic change at different time scales, nearly all share one characteristic: they are nonstationary over the length of the record sampled. We describe a recursive dynamic programming change point algorithm that is well suited to identify shifts in the Earth system’s variability, as it represents a nonstationary time series as a series of regimes, each of which is homogeneous. The algorithm fits the data by minimizing squared errors not only over the parameters of the models for each subsequence but also over an arbitrary number of boundary points without restrictions on the lengths of regimes. The versatility of the algorithm is illustrated by an application to 5 Ma of Plio-Pleisotcene d 18 O variations. We seek to identify either the single dominant ‘‘Milankovitch’’ frequency or linear combinations of frequencies and consistently identify changes � 780 ka and � 2.7 Ma, among others, in each analysis done. Our applications also provide support to the recent hypothesis that obliquity-based Milankovitch terms can account for the circa 100 ka cycle that empirically dominates the most recent 1 million years.
Selected contribution: measuring the response time of pulmonary capillary recruitment to sudden flow changes.

To determine how rapidly pulmonary capillaries recruit after sudden changes in blood flow, we used an isolated canine lung lobe perfused by two pumps running in parallel. When one pump was turned o...
Aneurysm of a saphenous vein aortocoronary graft.

A 79-year-old male who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery (free LIMA, two vein grafts) in 1990 was admitted with exertional dyspnea. A chest computed tomography (CT) revealed a solid lingular mass (Fig. 1), which, on CT-guided biopsy, was shown to be an adenocarcinoma. In addition, there was a large bilobed, partially thrombosed aneurysm of the obtuse marginal vein graft (Fig. 2). A 3D volume-rendered reconstruction showed a 5.8 cm 6.2 cm superior lobe and a 8.7 cm 6.6 cm inferior lobe aneurysm (Fig. 3). Following a diagnostic mediastinoscopy, he developed pulmonary edema and persistent hypoxemia, and therefore surgical correction of the aneurysm was not pursued.
NON-AMENABLE TYPE K EQUATIONS OVER GROUPS

We define a class of equations that are not amenable but are type K and are therefore solvable over torsion-free groups. Moreover, we show that these new equations are solvable over all groups.
Laryngeal presentation of blastomycosis

Systemic blastomycosis may rarely involve the larynx, and it most likely is a result of hematogenous dissemination or direct inoculation from a currently or previously active pulmonary infection. Often, laryngeal blastomycosis has been confused with squamous cell carcinoma because of the clinical and histopathologic similarities, and this confusion has led to inaccurate diagnosis and inappropriate therapy. The etiologic agent, Blastomyces dermatiditis, may be seen in infected tissue with routine and special stains; however, cultural proof remains the sine qua non for diagnosis.
Comparison of the SAPRC07 and SAPRC99 photochemical mechanisms during a high ozone episode in Texas: Differences in concentrations, OH budget and relative response factors

Abstract The latest SAPRC photochemical mechanism SAPRC07 (S07), an update from SAPRC99 (S99), is implemented into the Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) model and applied to simulate a high ozone episode during the Texas Air Quality Study 2000 (TexAQS 2000). The results from the S07 mechanism are compared with those from the S99 mechanism. In general, the predicted O3 concentrations by S07 are lower than those of S99 with maximum difference as high as 20%. The two mechanisms also show significant differences in the predicted OH, HNO3, PAN and HCHO concentrations. S99 predicts higher OH concentration by 7–20%, higher PAN by approximately 20–25% and higher HCHO by approximately 15% than S07. OH budget analysis suggests that OH propagation factor (POH) is higher in urban and industrial areas but lower in rural areas. Although S07 generally predicts similar or higher POH, S99 predicts higher new OH formation rate from H2O + O(1D) and leads to higher OH and thus higher O3 in most part of the domain. OH reactions with VOCs and CO accounts for a majority part of reacted OH. Secondary VOCs photolysis is not a main path of regenerated OH. New OH mainly comes from H2O + O(1D) reaction. Although the two mechanisms predict different ozone concentrations, the relative response factor (RRF) of ozone at rural, urban and industrial sites under emission controls of anthropogenic NOx and VOC controls by factors 0.6–1.4 predicted by the two mechanisms are very similar. This suggests that although the absolute predictions are different, both models will provide nearly identical attainment assessment in regulatory applications.
The State of the Mature Industrial Regions in Western Europe and North America

The paper reports the economic transformation of four major steel-producing areas - Pittsburgh, Nord-Pas de Calais, the Ruhrgebiet and west central Scotland. The relationship between demographic an...
Human fetal membrane contribution to the prevention of parturition: uterotonin degradation

This investigation was conducted to evaluate the potential capacity of the human fetal membranes-decidua parietalis, and in particular the chorion laeve, to degrade uterotonins that are produced in amnion, are present in amniotic fluid, or both. The four uterotonins that have been evaluated most frequently as myometrial contractants potentially involved in the initiation of human parturition are prostaglandins, oxytocin, endothelin-1, and platelet-activating factor. We assessed the levels of mRNA and the specific activities (SAs) of enkephalinase (the plasma membrane endopeptidase that degrades endothelins) and prostaglandin dehydrogenase (PGDH) in human fetal membranes, i.e. amnion and chorion leave, and in decidua parietalis. The SA of oxytocinase (which inactivates oxytocin) in these tissues also was determined. The SA of enkephalinase in chorion laeve from all anatomical sites (singleton and diamnionic-dichorionic twin placentae) in all pregnancies studied (mean +/- SEM, 95 +/- 7.9 ng/min.mg protein; ...
Factors Influencing Success in a Junior High Computer Programming Course

Factors contributing to the prediction of success for junior high school students in completing a computer programming course indicated that analytic and quantitative factors of students' cognitive abilities were relevant for prediction of success in a computer programming class. Deductive ability and verbal aptitude were also found to be significant in students' success in a computer programming course.
Tissue expansion technique and the transposition flap

A simple clinical guide is provided for calculation of the size of tissue expander necessary for any given defect. The use of an expanded transposition flap is demonstrated and its advantages expounded.
The Role of Expected Reciprocity in Knowledge Sharing

The authors investigated the effects of expected reciprocity on knowledge sharing, as moderated by team and individual variables. Data n = 84 was collected in an experimental study from undergraduate business student participants. Effects of expected reciprocity on knowledge sharing depended on the levels of individual competence, positive team attitudes, functional diversity and demographic diversity. Implications include that the effectiveness of reciprocity in knowledge sharing depends on several factors relating to the team and individual. Encouraging reciprocity may have positive effects, but these can be overridden by poor team attitudes, low ability perceptions and team diversity. Future research suggestions are offered.
Perspectives on the activities of ANGPTL8/betatrophin.

In this issue of Cell, Gusarova et al. (2014) show that deletion of ANGPTL8 in mice does not affect the compensatory proliferation of pancreatic beta cells in response to insulin resistance induced by a high-fat diet or treatment with the insulin antagonist S961. They also show that overexpression of human ANGPTL8 in mouse liver leads to elevated serum triglyceride levels but not significant pancreatic beta cell proliferation. They conclude that ANGPTL8 (also called betatrophin [Yi et al., 2013]/RIFL [Ren et al., 2012]/lipasin [Zhang, 2012]) does not control pancreatic beta cell expansion.
A relation between longevity, metabolic rate, and activity in shaker mutants of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract Of five neurologically mutant strains, Hk1P and Sh5 stocks lived half as long as normal flies; Eag, Hk2T and the double mutant Hk1P Sh5 were intermediate. The average lifespan was found to be inversely proportional to the average metabolic rate, as predicted by Rubner's Hypothesis. Rubner's Constant was approximately 6 ml of oxygen consumed per milligram (or fly) per lifetime. The increase in metabolic rate over that of normal flies was found to be directly proportional to the increase in activity, measured by the rate of buzzing events (flights). The results are consistent with the idea that the abnormal innate nervous activity of shakers forces an increase in muscular activity, both through direct action and an increased reactivity to the environment; that this increased physical activity induces an increased metabolic rate; and that the total metabolic rate, basal and induced, is a major variable determining the lifespan.
Some one-hundred ‘somes’

Abstract The suffixed ending ‘-some' is widely used to name subcellular organelles, supramolecular structures of biological origin, whole cell types, and undefined cellular particles. A list of over 100 ‘-somes' is provided with definitions for these names. The list emphasizes the extent of our growing understanding of subcellular organization.
Models and modeling with the Louisville experiment simulation system (LESS)

A system is described which permits the average instructor, without programming knowledge, to prepare a simulation model that can be called up by students as a simulated experiment.
The impacts of invaders: Basal and acute stress glucocorticoid profiles and immune function in native lizards threatened by invasive ants

As anthropogenic stressors increase exponentially in the coming decades, native vertebrates will likely face increasing threats from these novel challenges. The success or failure of the primary physiological mediator of these stressors—the HPA axis—will likely involve numerous and chaotic outcomes. Among the most challenging of these new threats are invasive species. These have the capacity to simultaneously challenge the HPA axis and the immune system as they are often associated with, or the cause of, emerging infectious diseases, and energetic tradeoffs with the HPA response can have immunosuppressive effects. To determine the effects of invasive species on the vertebrate GC response to a novel stressor, and on immunity, we examined the effects of invasive fire ants on native lizards, comparing lizards from sites with long histories with fire ants to those outside the invasion zone. We demonstrated higher baseline and acute stress (captive restraint) CORT levels in lizards from within fire ant invaded areas; females are more strongly affected than males, suggesting context-specific effects of invasion. We found no effect of fire ant invasion on the immune parameters we measured (complement bacterial lysis and antibody hemagglutination) with the exception of ectoparasite infestation. Mites were far less prevalent on lizards within fire ant invaded sites, suggesting fire ants may actually benefit lizards in this regard. This study suggests that invasive species may impose physiological stress on native vertebrates, but that the consequences of this stress may be complicated and unpredictable.
Serotonin uptake in the ectoplacental cone and placenta of the mouse

Summary The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT) was localized in the ectoplacental cone (EPC) and placenta of the day 9–12 (E9–12) mouse embryo in vivo and in whole embryo cultures, using immunocytochemistry with a specific 5-HT antiserum. In uncultured conceptuses, 5-HT immunoreactivity (5-HT IR) was most intense in the EPC at E9 (2–7 somites), particularly in giant cells around the periphery. Nuclear staining was observed in lightly staining giant cells and in small cells in the core of the cone. By E10 (18–24 somites) 5-HT IR in the placenta was less intense and almost exclusively limited to giant cells, where it was localized to chromatin-like material in nuclei. The same pattern and level of 5-HT IR persisted through E12. In the placenta, 5-HT IR appeared to be most intense in giant cells located near aggregations of platelets in decidual blood vessels. 5-HT IR was enhanced in cultured conceptuses, and further increased when exogenous 5-HT was added to the culture medium. Immunoreactivity was greatly reduced by adding the 5-HT uptake inhibitor fluoxetine to the culture medium, or culturing conceptuses in medium containing 5-HT depleted rat serum. Thus, 5-HT was apparently taken up from the culture medium. In conceptuses exposed to exogenous 5-HT, immunoreactivity in the placenta appeared as a gradient from the giant cells to the inner layers, suggesting that these cells may transport 5-HT toward the embryo. No evidence of 5-HT synthesis by the EPC/placenta was found. These results suggest that 5-HT present in the EPC/placenta is due to uptake, not synthesis. Possible sources and functions of 5-HT in the developing placenta are discussed.
How to write a second restoration: The political novel and meiji historiography

The Meiji political novel was closely connected to contemporary changes in techniques for the representation of history. Suehiro Tetchō's novel Setchūbai (Plum blossoms in snow, 1886) shares many of the concerns of the historiography of its time, in particular the desire to explain the place of 1868 in Japanese history. The novel positions 1868 as a step in the establishment of democracy in Japan, to be followed by the founding of a liberal parliament in 1890. At the same time, the novel's philosophy of history disqualiﬁes fundamental dissent from the reformist programs espoused by the Meiji government and liberals alike.
Ventriculosubgaleal shunt: a treatment option for progressive posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus

Among premature infants born at less than 1500 g, the incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage is greater than 45%. Of these, 40% will develop progressive posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PPHH). Optimum treatment remains controversial. Ventriculosubgaleal (VSG) shunts were first proposed as a means of temporarily diverting cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a more physiological manner for those infants less than 1500 g in weight who would not tolerate a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt. The VSG shunt could then be converted into a VP shunt when the infant had gained the desired weight. Despite favorable reports, the procedure has not gained universal acceptance and is unknown to many neurosurgeons. The present authors report a series of 15 patients who had VSG shunts inserted with excellent temporary CSF diversion and no complications. Furthermore, 3 out of the 15 patients required no further treatment. We suggest that VSG shunting is a safe and effective means of treating the premature infant with PPHH.
Niche specification and competition modeling.

The concept of the ecological niche as an environmentally dimensioned hypervolume provides a theoretical method of niche description applicable to plants as well as animals. This paper proposes that the niche of a plant can be more fully specified by including plant responses to the environment as additional dimensions of the niche hypervolume. Any point within a species' niche may be represented by the values of environmental variables and species responses at that point. The environment-response hypervolume is considered a many dimensional vector space. Any point of the niche is a vector and can be expressed as a one-dimensional matrix of discrete values of environmental factors (the habitat vector) and organism responses (the response vector). Since organism response at each point in the niche is specified, it is possible to model interspecies competition by comparing response vectors of competing species at points of niche overlap.
Trends in railway electrification

A survey of world-wide trends in electric traction over the past decade shows the United States lagging in electrification projects and emphasizing the use of diesel power. More attention is urged for these projects in view of the greater abundance of hydroelectric power, coal, and possibly nuclear power as compared with oil.
Practical Synthesis of 2-Keto-3-deoxy-d-glycero-d-galactononulosonic Acid (KDN)

Reaction of propargylmagnesium bromide with 2,3;5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-d-mannonolactone followed by highly stereoselective reduction of the so-formed lactol with sodium borohydride gives a syn-diol from which practical syntheses of 2-keto-3-deoxy-d-glycero-d-galactononulosonic acid (KDN) and various partially protected derivatives have been achieved all of which feature the oxidative unmasking of the α-keto acid moiety from the alkyne.
Psychological Classics: Older Works in Developmental Psychology Frequently Cited Today

(1983). Psychological Classics: Older Works in Developmental Psychology Frequently Cited Today. The Journal of Genetic Psychology: Vol. 143, No. 2, pp. 169-174.
Typhoid fever in fourteen children treated with chloramphenicol

Summary Nine children with typhoid have been cured with chloramphenicol in an initial dose of 50 mg. per kilogram followed by 125 to 250 mg. single doses every two to three hours until fever first disappeared, an average of about two to four days, and then every four to six hours during four to five days of normal temperature. Two relapses occurred which the drug quickly stopped. There were no drug reactions, disease complications, sequelae, or known carriers.
Regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor exon IV transcription through calcium responsive elements in cortical neurons.

Activity-dependent transcription of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been studied as an important model to elucidate the mechanisms underlying numerous aspects of neuroplasticity. It has been extensively emphasized that Ca2+ influx through different routes may have significantly different effects on BDNF transcription. Here, we examined the regulatory property of the major calcium responsive elements (CaRE) in BDNF promoter IV in cultured rat cortical neurons. BDNF promoter IV, as well as CaRE1 and CaRE3, was significantly activated by Ca2+ influx through L-type voltage-gated calcium channel (L-VGCC) or NMDA receptor (NMDAR). However, the L-VGCC- and NMDAR-mediated activation of CaRE was differentially regulated by different Ca2+-stimulated protein kinases. Specifically, PKA, CaMKI, and CaMKIV activity were required for L-VGCC-, but not NMDAR-mediated CaRE1 activation. CaMKI activity was required for NMDAR- but not L-VGCC-mediated CaRE3 activation. Surprisingly, the activation of CaRF, a previously identified transcription factor for CaRE1, was stimulated via L-VGCC but not NMDAR, and required MEK, PI3K and CaMKII activity. These results suggest a new working model that activity-dependent BDNF IV up-regulation may be coordinately mediated by CaRE1 and CaRE3 activity, which show different responses to Ca2+-stimulated kinases. Our data also explain how the individual cis-element in BDNF promoter is distinctively coupled to different Ca2+ routes.
Late-night salivary cortisol measurement in the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome

Making a definite diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome is a challenging problem. Unsuspected Cushing's syndrome occurs in 2-3% of patients with poorly controlled diabetes, 0.5-1% with hypertension, 6-9% with incidental adrenal masses, and 11% with unexplained osteoporosis and vertebral fractures. The increasing recognition of this syndrome highlights the need for a simple, sensitive, and specific diagnostic test. Patients with Cushing's syndrome consistently do not reach a normal nadir of cortisol secretion at night. The measurement of late-night salivary cortisol levels might, therefore, provide a new diagnostic approach for this disorder. Salivary cortisol concentrations reflect those of active free cortisol in plasma and saliva samples can easily be obtained in a nonstressful environment (e.g. at home). Late-night salivary cortisol measurement yields excellent overall diagnostic accuracy for Cushing's syndrome, with a sensitivity of 92-100% and a specificity of 93-100%. Several factors can, however, make interpretation of results difficult; these factors include disturbed sleep-wake cycles, contamination of samples (particularly by topical corticosteroids), and illnesses known to cause physiologic activation of the pituitary-adrenal axis. In this Review, we discuss the methods and value of measuring salivary cortisol for the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome, and put forward some recommendations to maximize accuracy of results.
Computation of unit hydrographs by a Bayesian method

Abstract The Bayesian method of unit hydrograph estimation is investigated. Both synthetic and observed rainfall-runoff data are used. The Bayesian method is shown to be a general method which gives non-oscillatory unit hydrographs with non-negative ordinates.
Baddeley revisited: The functional approach to autobiographical memory

In Baddeley's (1988) classic article he challenged researchers to take a functional approach by asking, for their phenomenon of interest, “but what the hell is it for?” In twenty years, how far has the field advanced in addressing this question, particularly in examining the functions of autobiographical memory? This introductory article provides an overview of the functional approach. Next, eight core articles appear, each framed to address Baddeley's question. The core articles are written by experts on distinct empirically established autobiographical memory phenomena: each presents a synopsis of current research in their area and then examines the function that their specific autobiographical memory phenomenon serves in human activity and adaptation. The issue ends with two commentaries by scholars who provide analyses of the functional approach from unique perspectives. Revisiting Baddeley provides an opportunity for a current discussion of the strengths and challenges of taking a functional approach to autobiographical memory. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.