cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Occult esophageal perforation associated with cervical spine fracture.

A case of surgically confirmed cervical esophageal perforation associated with burst fractures of two cervical vertebral bodies is presented. We also describe a second case in which an incidentally discovered abscess of the cervical region could have been the result of esophageal perforation secondary to spine injury. Both patients had negative positive contrast esophagograms . This complication of cervical spine injury is extremely rare, and diagnosis can be difficult. Cervical esophageal perforation must be considered in the face of unexplained cervical, thoracic, or systemic sepsis and in the presence of an unexplained cervical mass. Severe cervical fracture with or without subluxation seems to constitute the anatomical basis for the entity. The treatment consists of drainage and antibiotics aimed at oral flora. The clinical features, diagnostic tests, and surgical management of this entity are reviewed.
1669 OUTCOME IN CHILDREN WITH PRENATALLY DIAGN0SED CONGENITAL HYDROCEPHALUS

At our institution in a 5 year interval between 1978 and 1983, all 14 children with prenatally diagnosed congenital hydrocephalus, defined as excessively increasing ventricular size and biparietal diameter on at least two sequential examinations, were available for outcome evaluation. Others in whom this diagnosis was made either did not survive gestation or the initial neonatal period due to interruption of the pregnancy or intrapartum demise. GA at diagnosis varied from 26 to 38 wks with a mean of 31 wks. Age at delivery varied from 32 to 40 wks with a mean of 36 wks. Four of these children had myelomeningocoele, 6 had hydrocephalus without other anomalies, three had intracranial cysts, and one had an encephalocoele. All of them underwent ventriculo-peritoneal shunting. Five had shunt related infections. Six had Bayley mental or Stanford-Binet scores >80 (43%), 2 had scores between 65 and 80 (14%), and 6 had scores <65 (43%). The poorer outcome of this group in comparison to other series of such hydrocephalus may relate both to the early stage at which the diagnosis was made such that children with more severe conditions have survived and the high rate of infection.
The demand for electricity and natural gas in the northeastern United States.

The demand for natural gas and electricity for the residential, commercial and industrial sectors was estimated using a combination of the error-components model and seemingly unrelated regressions. The estimated demand models showed both natural gas and electricity to be price-elastic in the long run and price-inelastic in the short run in all sectors except the commercial sector in which electricity demand is unresponsive to its own price. Natural gas had negligible income elasticities in the residential and commercial sectors, and a long-run income elasticity of 2.86 in the industrial sector. Electricity had an insignificant income effect in all sectors but the industrial, where its long-run elasticity was unitary. Only in the residential demand for natural gas is the cross price elasticity substantial with the price of electricity having a long-run cross elasticity of 1.70. Fuel oil prices generally had a negative impact probably indicating a large income effect. The elasticities of adjustment were higher for natural gas than electricity, indicating a faster adjustment to change, either in response to greater instability in energy availability or reflecting more alternative fuels or both. 16 references, 4 tables.
A Comparison of Trauma Intubations Managed by Anesthesiologists and Emergency Physicians

Although airway management by emergency physicians has become standard for general emergency department (ED) patients, many believe that anesthesiologists should manage the airways of trauma victims. Objectives: To compare the success and failure rates of trauma intubations performed under the supervision of anesthesiologists and emergency physicians. Methods: This was a prospective, observational study of consecutive endotracheal intubations (ETIs) of adult trauma patients in a single ED over a 46-month period. All ETIs before November 26, 2000, were supervised by anesthesiologists (34 months), and all ETIs from November 26, 2000, onward were supervised by emergency physicians (12 months). Data regarding clinical presentation, personnel involved, medications used, number of attempts required, and need for cricothyrotomy were collected. Study outcomes were: 1) successful intubation within two attempts, and 2) failure of intubation. Failure was defined as inability to intubate, resulting in successful intubation by another specialist, or cricothyrotomy. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to compare results between groups. Results: There were 673 intubations during the study period. Intubation within two attempts was accomplished in 442 of 467 patients (94.6%) managed by anesthesiologists, and in 196 of 206 of patients (95.2%) managed by emergency physicians (OR = 1.109, 95% CI = 0.498 to 2.522). Failure of intubation occurred in 16 of 467 (3.4%) patients managed by anesthesiologists, and in four of 206 (1.9%) patients managed by emergency physicians (OR = 0.558, 95% CI = 0.156 to 1.806). Conclusions: Emergency physicians can safely manage the airways of trauma patients. Success and failure rates are similar to those of anesthesiologists.
Comparison of Self-Report Sleep Measures for Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis and Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract Objective To investigate self-report measures of sleep disturbances and sleep-related impairments in samples of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) or spinal cord injury (SCI). Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Community based. Participants Adults (age ≥18y) (N=700) with either MS (n=461) or SCI (n=239) who were enrolled in a longitudinal survey of self-reported health outcomes and who completed self-report sleep measures at 1 time point. Interventions None. Main Outcome Measures Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS-S), Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) sleep disturbance short form, and PROMIS sleep-related impairments short form. Results Mean scores on the MOS-S sleep index II were significantly worse for both the MS and SCI samples than those of previously reported samples representative of the U.S. general population ( P P P =.045), the differences on the PROMIS sleep disturbance short form were not significant ( P =.069). Conclusions Although the MOS-S scores for the MS and SCI cohorts clearly indicated significantly high levels of sleep-related problems and were consistent with existing literature, the more ambiguous findings from the PROMIS sleep disturbance short form and PROMIS sleep-related impairments short form suggest that not enough is currently known about how these instruments function when applied to those with chronic neurologic dysfunction.
Ultra-low-volume application of insecticides to cattle for control of the horn fly.

A sprayer was developed that will provide animal-activated ultra-low-volume (ULV) application of insecticides to cattle. A preset volume of insecticide (as much as 5 ml) is delivered from a single spray nozzle in a band about 30 cm wide from the withers to the loin on 1 side of the animal. The sprayer should be situated where the animals are forced to use it frequently, preferably daily. In large-cage tests, two 1-ml applications per day of each of the following insecticides with the ULV sprayer controlled Haematobia irritans (L.) on cattle: 1% carbaryl; 0.5% Ciodrin® ( alpha -methylbenzyl 3-hydroxycrotonate dimethyl phosphate); 0.1% Compound 4072 (2-chloro-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)vinyl diethyl phosphate); 0.25% coumaphos; 0.25% Gardona® (2-chloro-1-(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl)vinyl dimethyl phosphate); 1% malathion; and 1% methoxychlor. In the field, 1% Ciodrin and 1% malathion delivered by the sprayer controlled horn flies on dairy and beef cattle, respectively, during the summer of 1966. During the summer of 1967, horn flies were controlled on cows at 3 dairies where 0.5% Ciodrin was dispersed with the ULV sprayers. The cost of the insecticide used in the ULV sprayer was estimated at 0.064¢ per animal per day for malathion and methoxychlor and at about 0.084¢ per animal per day for Ciodrin, a considerable saving over conventional treatment of dairy cattle. The automatic sprayer reduced the labor required to apply insecticide and to handle the animals.
Arc abandonment as a cause for passive continental rifting: Comparison of the Jurassic Mexican Borderland rift and the Cenozoic Rio Grande rift

Two rift systems, one of late Mesozoic age and the other of Tertiary age, in the southern Cordillera of North America formed along the inner flanks of former continental arcs. Both rift systems were initiated when arc magmatism abandoned its former inboard extent as a result of retrograde motion of the subducted slab. Similarities in stratigraphy and geochemistry preceding and during crustal extension of each rift system suggest a three-phase magmatic-depositional model for the formation of passive continental rifts above a foundering subducted slab. Continental arc magmatism associated with normal subduction weakens the continental crust during phase 1. Phase 2 involves incipient retrograde motion of the slab, or slab foundering, initiating mantle return into the wedge-shaped volume between slab and overlying continental lithosphere. This causes crustal extension, lithospheric melting, and deposition of conglomerate in nascent rift basins stratigraphically above and adjacent to the extinguished arc. Caldera-related silicic volcanism defines an ignimbrite flare-up, accompanied by extrusion of lithosphere-derived basalt. Mafic volcanism, block faulting, and extensional sedimentary-basin formation continue after the end of silicic volcanism. During phase 3, decompression partial melting of convecting asthenosphere creates basalts with ocean-island chemical affinities intercalated with alluvial or marine sedimentary rocks in extensional basins.
Linking marine predator diving behavior to local prey fields in contrasting habitats in a subarctic glacial fjord

lower percent bottom time, and generally traveled further to forage. The increased diving effort for seals from the glacial ice site corresponded to lower prey densities and prey at deeper depths at the glacial ice site. In contrast, seals captured at terrestrial sites dived shallower, had shorter dive durations, higher percent bottom time, and traveled shorter distances to access foraging areas with much higher prey densities at shallower depths. The increased diving effort for seals from glacial ice sites suggests that the lower relative availability of prey may be offset by other factors, such as the stability of the glacial ice as a resting platform and as a refuge from predation. We provide evidence of differences in prey accessibility for seals associated with glacial ice and terrestrial habitats and suggest that seals may balance trade-offs between the costs and benefits of using these habitats.
An investigation of the Si(111)−(√3 × √3)R30°−Ag surface by Li+ impact collision ion scattering spectroscopy

Abstract The Si(111)−(√3 × √3)R30°−Ag surface has been investigated using the technique of Li+ impact collision ion scattering spectroscopy. Typical LEED √3 domain sizes were estimated to be on the order of 150 A for a 1 ML coverage of Ag, with the √3 structure persisting for coverages of Ag up to 35 ML. Silver islanding was found to influence the appearance of the 5 keV Li+ ICISS angular scans even for 1 ML coverages of Ag deposited at 480°C. A detailed structural analysis of the Si(111)−√3−Ag surface (0.25 ML deposition) involved the comparison of 5 keV Li+ ICISS experimental data along the [11 2 ], [ 1 10] and [2 bar3 1] azimuths with computer simulations of the scattered ion intensities based on previously proposed models for the √3 surface. Nine structurally different models were tested, and only the missing-top-layer (MTL) and the honeycomb-chained-trimer (HCT) models were found to be consistent with all the experimental results. An estimate of 0.4 A for the maximum downward vertical displacement of the Ag atoms with resect to the surface Si atoms in the MTL model is made. The effects of increased thermal vibrational amplitude in the simulation of SiAg shadowing effects is also discussed. The interpretations of previous noble gas ICISS results are shown to be inconsistent with the present alkali metal ICISS study of the √3 surface.
Maximal breath-holding time and immediate tissue CO2 storage capacity during head-out immersion in humans.

This study tested three possible mechanisms that could explain the prolonged breath-holds (BH) previously observed in humans during submersion in 35°C (thermoneutral) water, including a reduced metabolism, a decreased CO2 sensitivity, and an increased CO2 storage capacity. During immersed BH (n = 13), maximal BH time was prolonged by 20.3% (P 0.05). The mechanism of the latter remains unclear.
Myron Wegman: early days, lasting influence.

Dr. Myron Wegman's long life (1908–2004) and career connected him with the most important and formative period of child health in American history. His work paralleled momentous changes in federal child health policy and in the fields of pediatrics and public health. He began professional life at a moment that gave him entree into the forefront of that history, and he was part of it at every level, from the most rural local settings to the international stage. Despite his high profile, little has been written about his early career in Maryland or how that period shaped him as a leader in maternal and child health (MCH). This article describes Wegman's work in rural Maryland and his initiation into academic public health at Johns Hopkins University. We suggest that Wegman's time in Maryland was formative, both for himself and for the MCH field. His work during this time influenced his own thinking and subsequent work in MCH education, his understanding of the healthy development of children, and his emergence as a social conscience for the field. This apparently modest start to his career gains import because his achievements rose above the individual level: his life and his ideals became part of our current approach to maternal and child health science and social philosophy. This article is based on life history interviews and less formal discussions conducted with Wegman by the authors, his own colloquia and lectures on child health history presented at Johns Hopkins from 1991 through 1998, his manuscripts, and the written and oral accounts of his contemporaries.
Gestational diabetes may represent discovery of preexisting glucose intolerance

A representative sample of 817 American women aged 20-44 yr who were not pregnant and had no medical history of diabetes were given 75-g 2-h oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs). Although these conditions are somewhat different from those recommended for pregnant women (100 g glucose, 3-h OGTT), 3.8% of the women might have been considered to have met O'Sullivan and Mahan criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) had they been pregnant. Prevalence was 2-3% below age 35 yr, similar to that found in studies of pregnant women, and rose to 8% at age 40-44 yr. Rates of women meeting World Health Organization criteria for gestational impaired glucose tolerance (G-IGT) rose steadily from 5% at age 20-24 yr to 11% at age 40-44 yr. Risk factors for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) including parental history and obesity were more prevalent among women meeting these criteria than among women in the entire group; the same risk factors are also more prevalent among pregnant women with GDM. The similarity of rates in this study to rates of GDM and G-IGT, together with their association with risk factors for NIDDM, indicate that these entities are compatible with undiagnosed glucose intolerance occurring before pregnancy and discovered during the metabolic testing that generally accompanies prenatal care rather than conditions that have an etiologic relationship to pregnancy.
Variational expressions for first-order properties involving continuum wave functions.

We discuss methods for computing first-order matrix elements involving continuum wave functions variationally. Specifically, we show that the trial wave function obtained from the Kohn method will give a variational result for any first-order property. We also discuss a variational technique for computing the squared modulus of a first-order matrix element based on approximating the resolvent. We explain why the resolvent method will converge more slowly in certain cases and illustrate our remarks with calculations on a model problem.
Lusternik-Schnirelmann category of spaces with free fundamental group

The Lusternik–Schnirelmann category cat.X / of a topological space X is the least integer n for which X has an open cover X DU0[U1[ [Un where each inclusion map Uk ,!X is nullhomotopic. Lusternik and Schnirelmann introduced this invariant in the 1930s for use in their study of critical points of smooth functions on manifolds. We refer to the book by Cornea, Lupton, Oprea and Tanre [1] for standard results on L–S category and to Whitehead [4] for background on homotopy theory.
Effect of the mechanical boundary condition at the crack surfaces on the stress distribution at the crack tip in piezoelectric materials

Abstract A finite element technique is used to study the stress distributions at the crack tip of a piezoelectric ceramic because of the combined mechanical and electrical loads. For high electrical to mechanical load ratios, the assumption of crack surfaces to be free of surface traction as the mechanical boundary condition is not valid for two cases of combined electrical and mechanical loadings—(i) applied stress and negative applied electric field (electric field opposite to the direction of poling) and (ii) applied strain and positive applied electric field. The stress distributions at the crack tip for these loading conditions under the assumption of closed crack mechanical boundary condition are found to be different from those under the assumption of crack surfaces to be free of surface traction.
Use of model predictive control to enhance the flexibility of thermal energy storage cooling systems

This paper investigates the application of a model predictive controller (MPC) to both a traditional and a novel chilled water thermal energy storage system over for an Austin, Texas, climate. In the novel system, the thermal storage discharges during peak electricity times to meet building cooling load and to supply reduced temperature water for heat rejection in the chiller's condenser. Chiller efficiency improves as the condenser water temperature decreases, shifting more electrical usage to off-peak hours, but may increase overall electrical usage. The MPC is designed to optimize the discharge and recharge of the thermal storage in order to minimize operation costs or energy consumption over a 24-hour prediction horizon. The ability of MPC to level the electrical load profile is also considered. The way in which demand charges are considered in the objective function can greatly influence the system's electrical load profile.
Permeability of heterotopic and homotopic rat urinary bladders to water, sodium and a carcinogenic aromatic amine

A heterotopic bladder model has been described previously for the study of urinary bladder carcinogenesis and the cocarcinogenic role of urine. In the studies presented here, the permeability coefficients of heterotopic and homotopic bladders to water, sodium, and a carcinogen, 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF), were measured. There were no significant differences in the sodium and AAF permeabilities, but the water permeability coefficient was significantly increased (24%) in the heterotopic bladder. However, when translated into percent absorption per hour there was no difference between the two groups because the larger volume of the heterotopic bladder cancels out the effect of the increased permeability coefficient.
HACCP with multivariate process monitoring and fault diagnosis techniques: Application to a food pasteurization process

Multivariate statistical process monitoring (SPM), and fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) methods are developed to monitor the critical control points (CCPs) in a continuous food pasteurization process. Multivariate SPM techniques effectively use information from all process variables to detect abnormal process behavior. Fault diagnosis techniques isolate the source cause of the deviation in process variable(s). The methods developed are illustrated by implementing them to monitor the critical control points and diagnose causes of abnormal operation of a high temperature short time (HTST) pasteurization pilot plant. The detection power of multivariate SPM and FDD techniques over univariate SPM techniques is shown and their integrated use to ensure the product safety and quality in food processes is demonstrated.
The satellites of Jupiter as a source of very energetic magnetospheric particles

Abstract The Jovian satellites and ring are continuously bombarded by high-energy galacic cosmic rays and magnetospheric ions. Nuclear interactions will create very energetic neutrons and pions. The decay of some of these unstable particles within the Jovian magnetosphere wil result in trapped protons and ultrarelativistic electrons and positrons. Although this source is weak compared to those that yield lower-energy magnetospheric particles, it is expected to generate the most energetic Jovian particles. These processes are briefly described.
Amino acid composition of some calcified proteins.

Amino-acid analysis shows that the proteins from two calcified tissues, enamel and snail shell, are related to collagen in that they also contain hydroxylysine . The presence of hydroxyproline is suggested but not confirmed. This evidence, together with other recent findings, suggests that hydroxylysine may have an important role in the calcification of each of these otherwise diverse proteins.
Gating of Single‐Layer Graphene with Single‐Stranded Deoxyribonucleic Acids

Patterning of biomolecules on graphene layers could provide new avenues to modulate their electrical properties for novel electronic devices. Single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acids (ssDNAs) are found to act as negative-potential gating agents that increase the hole density in single-layer graphene. Current-voltage measurements of the hybrid ssDNA/graphene system indicate a shift in the Dirac point and "intrinsic" conductance after ssDNA is patterned. The effect of ssDNA is to increase the hole density in the graphene layer, which is calculated to be on the order of 1.8 x 10(12) cm(-2). This increased density is consistent with the Raman frequency shifts in the G-peak and 2D band positions and the corresponding changes in the G-peak full width at half maximum. Ab initio calculations using density functional theory rule out significant charge transfer or modification of the graphene band structure in the presence of ssDNA fragments.
Short and long nightly hemodialysis in the United States

When hemodialysis first started in the United States in the 1960s, a large percentage of patients performed their treatments at home. However, because of reimbursement issues, home hemodialysis (HHD) gradually succumbed to an in-center approach and eventually a mindset. Since the introduction of nightly HHD by Uldall and Pierratos in 1993, there has been a resurgence of interest in HHD. This paper describes the different types of home hemodialysis being performed as of December 31, 2007 in this country. Because neither the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) nor the End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Networks break down home dialysis into the different modalities, a provider questionnaire was sent out to 2 major providers, a number of mid-level providers and other providers known to do HHD. In addition, a questionnaire was sent out to 3 machine providers to obtain the number of patients using their machine for HHD as of December 31, 2007. The results showed that 91.7% of patients are dialyzing in-center, 7.3% are doing peritoneal dialysis, and 0.7% are doing HHD. Currently about 1% of ESRD patients in the United States are doing home hemodialysis. NxStage, however, has started 1000 patients in the past year on short-daily home hemodialysis. Patients are beginning to understand that there are better options than 3 times a week in-center dialysis. And as a result of the "HEMO Study," nephrologists now believe that longer and more frequent dialysis is a better therapy for ESRD patients. Therefore, promotion of HHD should become a priority for the renal community in the future.
Response expectancy theory and application: A decennial review

Abstract Response expectancy is the anticipation of automatic, subjective, and behavioral responses to particular situational cues. More than a decade of research in diverse laboratories indicates that response expectancies are important considerations in designing and administering treatments and prevention programs for such problems as anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse, and sexual dysfunction. Response expectancy also plays a central role in the effects of antidepressive medication, psychotherapy, and hypnosis. In addition, studies of the effects of placebos reveal that response expectancies can produce lasting changes in pain, anxiety, depression, alertness, tension, sexual arousal, alcohol craving and consumption, aggression, asthma, warts, and contact dermatitis. The veracity of many self-reported placebo effects have been corroborated by changes in physiological function.
Mitaplatin, a potent fusion of cisplatin and the orphan drug dichloroacetate

The unique glycolytic metabolism of most solid tumors, known as the Warburg effect, is associated with resistance to apoptosis that enables cancer cells to survive. Dichloroacetate (DCA) is an anticancer agent that can reverse the Warburg effect by inhibiting a key enzyme in cancer cells, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK), that is required for the process. DCA is currently not approved for cancer treatment in the USA. Here, we present the synthesis, characterization, and anticancer properties of c,t,c-[Pt(NH3)2(O2CHCl2)2Cl2], mitaplatin, in which two DCA units are appended to the axial positions of a six-coordinate Pt(IV) center. The negative intracellular redox potential reduces the platinum to release cisplatin, a Pt(II) compound, and two equivalents of DCA. By a unique mechanism, mitaplatin thereby attacks both nuclear DNA with cisplatin and mitochondria with DCA selectively in cancer cells. The cytotoxicity of mitaplatin in a variety of cancer cell lines equals or exceeds that of all known Pt(IV) compounds and is comparable to that of cisplatin. Mitaplatin alters the mitochondrial membrane potential gradient (Δψm) of cancer cells, promoting apoptosis by releasing cytochrome c and translocating apoptosis inducing factor from mitochondria to the nucleus. Cisplatin formed upon cellular reduction of mitaplatin enters the nucleus and targets DNA to form 1,2-intrastrand d(GpG) cross-links characteristic of its own potency as an anticancer drug. These properties of mitaplatin are manifest in its ability to selectively kill cancer cells cocultured with normal fibroblasts and to partially overcome cisplatin resistance.
Who? where? what?: examining distributed development in two large open source projects

To date, a large body of knowledge has been built up around understanding open source software development. However, there is limited research on examining levels of geographic and organizational distribution within open source software projects, despite many studies examining these same aspects in commercial contexts. We set out to fill this gap in OSS knowledge by manually collecting data for two large, mature, successful projects in an effort to assess how distributed they are, both geographically and organizationally. Both Firefox and Eclipse have been the subject of many studies and are ubiquitous in the areas of software development and internet usage respectively. We identified the top contributors that made 95% of the changes over multiple major releases of Firefox and Eclipse and determined their geographic locations and organizational affiliations. We examine the distribution in each project's constituent subsystems and report the relationship of pre- and post-release defects with distribution levels.
Cellular response to subgingival injection of bacterial products in the rat.

Various bacterial products were injected in the oral mucosa of 74 conventional weanling rats of the Holtzman strain. The site of injection was lingual to the mesial cusp of the first molar of the maxilla or mandible. The bacterial products were whole dead cells, cell walls or cytoplasm obtained from Actinomyces naeslundii. Saline was injected into control animals. The animals were killed at intervals 0 to 48 hours subsequently, and the tissues examined by standard histological methods. In all cases there was an initial polymorphonuclear response at the site of injection which had usually disappeared by 24 hours. In addition, osteoblasts on the adjacent alveolar bone were destroyed and in no case had they reappeared at 48 hours. Osteocytes were also missing after whole dead cell or cytoplasm injections, but not after cell wall injections. The most striking difference between the various reactions was an early appearance of lymphocytes after cell wall injections, which overshadowed the polymorphonuclear response, and which persisted up to 24 hours post injection. The disappearance of osteoblasts and osteocytes after injection of bacterial products from an organism associated with periodontal disease in man may explain in part the bone loss in this condition.
Biostratigraphy and magnetostratigraphy, late Pliocene rocks, 111 Ranch, Arizona

Fossiliferous strata exposed along the northwestern flank of Dry Mountain on the 111 Ranch, 27 km southeast of Safford, Graham County, Arizona, were dated by means of isotopic methods and the magnetic-reversal time scale. A 100-m fossiliferous interval contains the later part of the Gauss Chron and the early part (pre-Olduvai) of the Matuyama Chron. Zircon fission-track ages on an ash bed just below the Gauss-Matuyama boundary support this identification. Owing to these age constraints, the fossil mammals at the 111 Ranch locality are all constrained within the later part of the Blancan Mammal Age rather than the latest Blancan and early Irvingtonian, as previously stated in the literature. They are, therefore, synchronous with certain localities (Wolf Ranch and California Inst. Technology) in the Saint David Formation of the San Pedro Valley 130 km to the southwest of Dry Mountain. The horse Nannippus persisted in the 111 Ranch locality at least until the end of the Gauss Chron, in confirmation of data from the San Pedro Valley. A diverse group of equine and asinine equids is evident in the 111 Ranch fauna, which argues for an early divergence of these major branches of horse phylogeny. The 111 Ranch fauna records the first appearance of three neotropical immigrants in the southwest, including the sloth Glossotherium , the glyptodont Glyptotherium , and the capybara Neochoerus . A palearctic immigrant, the vole Synaptomys , is also present.
Cross tolerance between D-2-brom-lysergic acid diethylamide (BOL-148) and the D-diethylamide of lysergic acid (LSD-25).

1. Simultaneous administration of 2 to 4 mg of d-2-Brom lysergic acid diethylamide (BOL-148) did not reduce the intensity of the reaction caused by 0.5 to 1.5mcg/kg of LSD-25. 2. Pre-treatment of 8 subjects with 3 mg of BOL-148 daily for two days caused statistically nonsignificant reductions in all aspects of the reaction induced by 1 mcg/kg of LSD-25. 3. Pre-treatment of 10 subjects with 3 mg of BOL-148 for five days resulted in statistically significant attenuation of all aspects of the LSD reaction that were measured. 4. The results are more compatible with the development of cross tolerance between BOL-148 and LSD-25 than they are with simple molecular competition between the two drugs.
Life history and captive rearing of the Wekiu bug (Nysius wekiuicola, Lygaeidae), an alpine carnivore endemic to the Mauna Kea volcano of Hawaii.

The hemipteran family Lygaeidae contains species that are overwhelmingly plant and seed feeders. The Wekiu bug, Nysius wekiuicola, a candidate endangered species endemic to the summit of the 4,205 m volcano, Mauna Kea, and the closely related A’A bug, Nysius aa, are the only obligate carnivore scavengers of the family. Despite its unique diet, remarkable ecology, and high profile due to conservation concerns, there is still little known about the Wekiu bug. We present the first detailed observations and descriptions of the Wekiu bug, including a complete life history. The Wekiu bug lays eggs singly or in small loose clutches, matures after five nymphal instars, and can survive and reproduce at constant temperatures never found in its natural habitat. Our results clearly demonstrate the importance of behaviour, rather than pure physiological adaption, in an insect’s persistence in a harsh environment. The Wekiu bug’s shift to carnivory from a suite of herbivorous congeners is a remarkable adaptive shift in an aeolian system bereft of vascular plants. Finally, we relate the specialized life history of the Wekiu bug to its conservation on the arid, frigid summit of the Mauna Kea volcano. This unique habitat is increasingly impacted by tourism and telescope facilities.
Monitoring HIV Treatment in Resource-Limited Settings: Reassuring News on the Usefulness of CD4+ Cell Counts

This editorial comments upon an article that focuses on an assessment of the relative usefulness of virologic and immunologic markers in predicting mortality among HIV-infected women in Nairobi Kenya during 1-2 years of follow-up after delivery. It states that the article is encouraging because it indicates that CD4 cell counts can be used to make decisions about treatment and monitoring of HIV disease progression in resource-limited settings where virologic monitoring is not widely available.
Agroforestry and the search for alternatives to slash-and-burn cultivation: From technological optimism to a political economy of deforestation

Launched in 1994, the Alternatives to Slash-and-Burn Programme is a multidisciplinary collaborative research effort aimed at addressing the issue of deforestation. This article analyzes the genesis and the history of this research effort and the causes of its successes and failures. I will show that despite the genuine commitment of the ASB Programme to achieve comprehensive analysis linking the social and the biophysical realms, its conclusions and recommendations were biased in favor of biophysical models whose adoption by farmers remained low. The ASB scientists engaged in a self-critique which led to the opening of new areas of inquiry, such as the macroeconomic context of deforestation. But an excessive faith in the positivist paradigm of Western science maintained the illusion that perfect biophysical solutions could be designed, if larger scales (watershed or region) were addressed. Economic instruments (payment for environmental services) are now being elaborated to favor the adoption of these models, and the ASB Programme may be on the verge of replicating at watershed scale the misleading approach it adopted earlier at plot scale. I conclude that in order to properly answer to the environmental challenges of our time, some myths that pervade within the practice of science have to be debunked, and the issue of unequal power between stakeholders have to be addressed. This could be achieved by paying more attention to disciplines that employ the narrative mode to depict realities and by taking more distance from managerial approaches and from the technological optimism that characterizes them.
A unidirectional breathing pattern improves breathing efficiency in subjects with severe COPD.

BACKGROUND: Unidirectional breathing (UB), nose-in mouth-out (NMB) or vice versa, is thought to create PEEP, stabilize small airways, and increase expiratory flow and exhaled tidal volume (VT) in patients with expiratory obstructive disorders. However, the exact mechanism providing the benefits of UB remains unknown. Our hypothesis was that the benefits of UB are achieved mainly through reduction of upper airway dead space. METHODS: Sixteen stable COPD patients requiring oxygen use at home were enrolled in this prospective study at a tertiary health care center. A nasal mask and a mouthpiece were used, each having a removable one-way valve to direct the breathing pattern. Four experimentally defined patterns of spontaneous breathing, NMB, mouth-in nose-out (MNB), nose-in nose-out (NNB), and mouth-in mouth-out (MMB), were compared. Each breathing pattern lasted 5 min followed by a 5-min rest period. A NICO device continuously monitored respiratory parameters. The functional anatomical dead space volume (VD) and expired VT values were determined. Breathing efficiency (BE) was calculated as alveolar VT divided by expired volume. RESULTS: Functional anatomical VD was higher in bidirectional breathing (BB) (overall: 207.4 ± 7.9 mL; MMB: 232.5 ± 72.7 mL; NNB: 182.2 ± 75 mL) compared to UB (overall: 178.1 ± 87.2 mL; NMB: 176.9 ± 91.3 mL; MNB: 179.3 ± 83.2 mL) ( P < .001). BE achieved with UB (overall: 76.2 ± 6.5%; NMB: 76.8 ± 6.8%; MNB: 75.6 ± 6.3%) was higher than that with BB (overall: 66.2 ± 0.09%; MMB: 64.3 ± 0.10%; NNB: 68.1 ± 0.08%) ( P < .001). The difference in BE between UB and BB was more pronounced with small VT values (UB: 73.8 ± 0.08; BB: 49.4 ± 0.09) than with large VT values (UB: 77.3 ± 0.06; BB: 63.0 ± 0.07) ( P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that a reduction in functional anatomic VD may be the underlying mechanism for the benefits associated with UB in COPD patients. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration [NCT00784004][1].) [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=CLINTRIALGOV&access_num=NCT00784004&atom=%2Frespcare%2F59%2F10%2F1487.atom
Coordinated posttranscriptional mRNA population dynamics during T-cell activation

Although RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) coordinate many key decisions during cell growth and differentiation, the dynamics of RNA–RBP interactions have not been extensively studied on a global basis. We immunoprecipitated endogenous ribonucleoprotein complexes containing HuR and PABP throughout a T-cell activation time course and identified the associated mRNA populations using microarrays. We used Gaussian mixture modeling as a discriminative model, treating RBP association as a discrete variable (target or not target), and as a generative model, treating RBP-association as a continuous variable (probability of association). We report that HuR interacts with different populations of mRNAs during T-cell activation. These populations encode functionally related proteins that are members of the Wnt pathway and proteins mediating T-cell receptor signaling pathways. Moreover, the mRNA targets of HuR were found to overlap with the targets of other posttranscriptional regulatory factors, indicating combinatorial interdependence of posttranscriptional regulatory networks and modules after activation. Applying HuR mRNA dynamics as a quantitative phenotype in the drug-gene-phenotype Connectivity Map, we identified candidate small molecule effectors of HuR and T-cell activation. We show that one of these candidates, resveratrol, exerts T-cell activation-dependent posttranscriptional effects that are rescued by HuR. Thus, we describe a strategy to systematically link an RBP and condition-specific posttranscriptional effects to small molecule drugs.
Developing the NASA Food System for Long-Duration Missions

Even though significant development has transformed the space food system over the last 5 decades to attain more appealing dietary fare for low-orbit space crews, the advances do not meet the need for crews that might travel to Mars and beyond. It is estimated that a food system for a long-duration mission must maintain organoleptic acceptability, nutritional efficacy, and safety for a 3- to 5-y period to be viable. In addition, the current mass and subsequent waste of the food system must decrease significantly to accord with the allowable volume and payload limits of the proposed future space vehicles. Failure to provide the appropriate food or to optimize resource utilization introduces the risk that an inadequate food system will hamper mission success and/or threaten crew performance. Investigators for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Advanced Food Technology (AFT) consider identified concerns and work to mitigate the risks to ensure that any new food system is adequate for the mission. Yet, even with carefully planned research, some technological gaps remain. NASA needs research advances to develop food that is nutrient-dense and long-lasting at ambient conditions, partial gravity cooking processes, methods to deliver prescribed nutrients over time, and food packaging that meets the mass, barrier, and processing requirements of NASA. This article provides a brief review of research in each area, details the past AFT research efforts, and describes the remaining gaps that present barriers to achieving a food system for long exploration missions.
Bayesian Analysis of Mutational Spectra

Studies that examine both the frequency of gene mutation and the pattern or spectrum of mutational changes can be used to identify chemical mutagens and to explore the molecular mechanisms of mutagenesis. In this article, we propose a Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach for the analysis of mutational spectra. We assume that the total number of independent mutations and the numbers of mutations falling into different response categories, defined by location within a gene and/or type of alteration, follow binomial and multinomial sampling distributions, respectively. We use prior distributions to summarize past information about the overall mutation frequency and the probabilities corresponding to the different mutational categories. These priors can be chosen on the basis of data from previous studies using an approach that accounts for heterogeneity among studies. Inferences about the overall mutation frequency, the proportions of mutations in each response category, and the category-specific mutation frequencies can be based on posterior distributions, which incorporate past and current data on the mutant frequency and on DNA sequence alterations. Methods are described for comparing groups and for assessing dose-related trends. We illustrate our approach using data from the literature.
Correction for Temperature Effect in the Recovery of a Pumped Well

Water levels measured in tests on pumped or flowing wells tapping confined aquifers are generally affected by temperature changes in the water column. This temperature effect becomes significant in deep wells, making direct hydraulic analysis of test data meaningless. The problem can be avoided by using an observation well or by monitoring bottom-hole pressure in the test well, but both these options are costly and consequently not always available. Therefore, a temperature correction method is proposed based on a simple model assumed to describe the cooling in the test well during recovery. The method is designed to determine the aquifer transmissivity from recovery data and to calculate the true drawdown during pumping. The only additional test data requirements are measurements of the initial and stabilized discharge temperatures. Despite several approximating assumptions in the cooling model, the method has given apparently successful results in a number of case studies. Although further testing of its effectiveness is still required, the method may prove to be a useful secondary alternative in many cases if observation wells and bottom-hole pressure monitoring facilities are not available.
Assessment of speech production with dentures by electromagnetic articulography

This report investigates the use of electromagnetic articulography (EMA) to compare basic speech patterns between a patient with traditional dentures to those of a normally dentate person. The goal is to assess the efficacy of traditional dentures in order to generate clinical data and works towards the improvement of denture design. Kinematic and acoustic data were acquired for these two subjects using a variety of repetitive vowel-consonant-vowel tasks. Spatiotemporal parameters indicating dynamic properties of the tongue blade and jaw movements, and timing coordination of the movements between them and with the output acoustic signal, were measured and compared within and between the participants. The results show significant differences in both spatial and temporal patterns and variation between individual tasks within each subject's data, as well as a difference in the two subjects' performance of the same task (cross-subject) for select calculated kinematic and latency parameters. It is concluded that there is more variation in spatiotemporal parameters in speech patterns for patients with dentures than without; in particular, latencies of the tongue blade and jaw movements and acoustic landmarks of the consonants, show strategies of movements timing coordination, typical of the speaker with denture.
A novel method for determination of dielectric properties of materials using a combined embedded modulated scattering and near-field microwave techniques-Part I: forward model

The use of combined embedded modulated scattering technique and near-field microwave nondestructive testing techniques is investigated as a novel method for evaluating the dielectric properties of a material. The forward formulation for determining the reflection coefficient at the aperture of a waveguide radiating into a dielectric half-space in which a PIN diode-loaded dipole (i.e., modulated scattering technique probe) is embedded is presented. This formulation is based upon calculating the near-field coupling between the waveguide and the dipole as a mutual impedance.
Issues and considerations regarding the use of assessment instruments in the evaluation of competency to stand trial.

Since the early 1960s, a number of instruments, reflecting a broad range of assessment methods, have been developed to assist in the evaluation of competency to stand trial. These instruments have taken various forms including checklists, self-report questionnaires, sentence-completion tasks, and interview-based instruments with and without criterion-based scoring. This article reviews these assessment instruments with a specific focus on their contribution to the competency evaluation process. Furthermore, relevant issues and considerations regarding the use of these instruments are outlined, including a comparison of screening versus assessment applications of these instruments, balancing standardized approaches with individualized assessments, the integration of instrumentally derived data with other components of a competency evaluation, and the communication of results to the fact finder. Each of these issues is discussed in relation to specific competency assessment instruments. Overall, we argue that each of the competency assessment instruments developed to date can make a contribution to the competency evaluation process and this article serves to delineate those areas in which these contributions are made. Copyright # 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhanced renal function in bradykinin B2 receptor transgenic mice

The tissue kallikrein-kinin system has been recognized as a paracrine and/or autocrine hormonal system that regulates arterial pressure, renal hemodynamics, and electrolyte excretion. We have creat...
Analysis of the electrical noise from the APS kicker magnet power supplies

The APS kicker magnet power supplies deliver damped sinusoidal currents in excess of 2400 A peak with a half-period of 300 ns to the kicker magnets. Conducted and radiated electromagnetic interference (EMI) is created by this system in the low megahertz range. This interference affects a number of beam diagnostics in the APS injector. The sources and coupling mechanisms for the EMI generated by this system are described and solutions discussed.