cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Complications during the initial experience with laparoendoscopic single-site pyeloplasty.

OBJECTIVE • To review our initial series of laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) pyeloplasties, focusing on 30-day complication rates as an indicator of learning curve, and to define the expected morbidity. PATIENTS AND METHODS • The study comprised 28 patients who underwent LESS pyeloplasty by a single surgeon from October 2007. • A chart review was undertaken to identify the complications that occurred within the first 30 days after surgery. RESULTS • The mean operating time was 197 min. • Seven patients (25%) experienced a total of eight complications. Four patients required nephrostomy tube placement (14%) during the early postoperative period, two for symptomatic obstruction despite the ureteral stent and two for a urine leak. Another had urine leakage that resolved spontaneously after she went home with the surgical drain for 1 week. One patient (4%) developed a retroperitoneal haematoma and required blood transfusion and one had haematuria that prolonged hospital stay by 2 days. • Of the patients experiencing complications, 71% were in the first ten cases. Only two complications occurred in the subsequent 18 patients. CONCLUSIONS • The LESS pyeloplasty procedure is a technically difficult, even for an experienced laparoscopic surgeon and the surgical challenges of this technique may translate to a higher complication rate for LESS than for conventional laparoscopic pyeloplasty early in the learning curve. However, within a relatively few cases, the complication rate is similar to that of standard laparoscopic pyeloplasty. • Additional follow-up is required to determine the long-term success rate.
Adaptive multiuser bootstrapped decorrelating CDMA detector for one-shot asynchronous unknown channels

Vast research was recently performed on signal detection of multiuser code division multiple access (CDMA). Particularly for uplink (users to base station) the signals are asynchronous and the near-far problem is an important issue to deal with. All near-far resistant detectors, adaptive or non-adaptive, assume knowledge of the relative delays of the different users signals. Among these are the one-shot detectors suggested by Verdu. In this paper we suggest an adaptive algorithm to decorrelate the outputs of the one shot matched filters that assumes no knowledge of the relative delay. The performance of this approach is shown to be better than the non-adaptive "zero-forcing" method previously used and which implements linear transformation via the inverse of matched filters output cross-correlation. For simplicity a two-user case is presented. Extension to a higher number of users is relatively simple.
Late Pleistocene drainage systems beneath Delaware Bay

Abstract Analyses of an extensive grid of seismic-reflection profiles, along with previously published sedimentary data and geologic information from surrounding coastal areas, outline the ancestral drainage systems of the Delaware River beneath lower Delaware Bay. Major paleovalleys within these systems have southeast trends, relief of 10–35 m, widths of 1–8 km, and axial depths of 31–57 m below present sea level. The oldest drainage system was carved into Miocene sands, probably during the late Illinoian lowstand of sea level. It followed a course under the northern half of the bay, continued beneath the Cape May peninsula, and extended onto the present continental shelf. This system was buried by a transgressive sequence of fluvial, estuarine, and shallow-marine sediments during Sangamonian time. At the height of the Sangamonian sea-level transgression, littoral and nearshore processes built the Cape May peninsula southward over the northern drainage system and formed a contiguous submarine sedimentary ridge that extended partway across the present entrance to the bay. When sea level fell during late Wisconsinan time, a second drainage system was eroded beneath the southern half of the bay in response to the southerly shift of the bay mouth. This system, which continued across the shelf, was cut into Coastal Plain deposits of Miocene and younger age and included not only the trunk valley of the Delaware River but a large tributary valley formed by the convergence of secondary streams that drained the Delaware coastal area. During the Holocene rise of sea level, the southern drainage system was covered by a transgressive sequence of fluvial, estuarine, and paralic deposits that accumulated due to the passage of the estuarine circulation cell and to the landward and upward migration of coastal sedimentary environments. Some Holocene deposits have been scoured subsequently by strong tidal currents. The southward migration of the ancestral drainage systems beneath Delaware Bay is analogous to that found under nearby Chesapeake Bay. In both areas, shifts in the bay mouths and river courses have preserved the morphologies and sedimentary fill of former drainage systems and provided a clear record of major sea-level fluctuations. Data from this study demonstrate that important information concerning ancient estuarine environments can be derived from the locations and characteristics of former fluvial systems.
Calibration of the Big Bear videomagnetograph

The Big Bear videomagnetograph is calibrated using three methods. Longitudinal magnetograms are calibrated by using the differences in radial velocity of the Sun caused by solar rotation, or by measuring the line profile in the Zeeman-sensitive 6103 A line used by the magnetograph system. Transverse magnetograms can be calibrated by obtaining spectra in the more magnetically sensitive 5250 A line which measure the total magnetic field and then subtracting the longitudinal component. The calibration of the transverse magnetograms is in agreement with that obtained by line profile measurements. Observations of an active region on 1993 March 8 with both the magnetograph system and with the BBSO spectrograph showed that good agreement was found between all three methods, provided the effect of seeing on the magnetograms is allowed for. Magnetograph saturation does not occur for magnetic fields below about 2100 G.
Hepatobiliary disease: A comparative evaluation by ultrasound and computed tomography

Ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) are both relatively new techniques for evaluating gallbladder and biliary disease. Ultrasound is more sensitive than CT for detecting the presence of gallstones because of partial volume averaging errors which occur with CT. Both modalities are sensitive methods of differentiating jaundice due to intrahepatic disease from extrahepatic obstruction. However, CT should not be considered a screening test at the present time and should be reserved for selected cases where ultrasound is unable to produce diagnostically acceptable information.
Particle resuspension from an asphalt road caused by car and truck traffic

Particle resuspension caused by moving-vehicular-generated surface stresses was determined by using solid ZnS tracer particles placed on a road. The ZnS particles (less than 25 μm in dia.) were initially placed on a test area 10 ft wide by 100 ft long on one lane of a two-lane, seasoned, asphalt road. To measure particle resuspension at a constant vehicle speed, either a car or a 34-ton truck was driven in the lane through the tracer area or in the lane adjacent to the tracer area. The fraction of particles resuspended from the road by the surface stresses was determined using a tracer mass balance. For the mass balance, the downwind air-borne tracer exposure and tracer ground deposition were measured. The fraction of tracer particles resuspended was normalized for each vehicle speed by the number of times (passes) the vehicle was driven the length of the test area. The fraction of particles resuspended per vehicle pass was determined for separate vehicle speeds of 5, 15, 30 and 50 miles h−1. The fraction resuspended per vehicle pass was from 10−5 to 10−2 (10−3-1 per cent) with the greater resuspension corresponding to increased vehicle speeds and driving directly through the deposited tracer. For constant vehicular conditions and no intervening traffic, the fraction of particles initially present which were resuspended decreased markedly with an increase in days after the tracer was placed on the road.
Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide (DSIP) stimulates Growth Hormone (GH) release in the rat by hypothalamic and pituitary actions

Abstract To evaluate possible effects of delta sleep-inducing peptide on GH release, the peptide was micro-injected into conscious animals with third ventricular cannulae and blood samples were drawn from indwelling external jugular vein cannulae. Ovariectomized animals were used in order to eliminate gonadal steroid feedback. In the initial experiment, intraventricular injection of 5 μg of the peptide induced an elevation of GH which became significant by 30 min and persisted for the 120 min duration of the experiment after the injection. Diluent-injected animals showed a slight initial drop in GH and then no increase. The increase in plasma GH induced by the peptide was dose-related with a minimal effective dose of 0.1 μg and a linear log-dose increase to a dose of 10 μg. This effect is presumably mediated hypothalamically via a dopaminergic mechanism since it could be blocked by pre-treatment of the animals with pimozide, a dopamine receptor blocker. Dispersed overnight, cultured pituitary cells from ovariectomized rats exhibited a dose-related increase in GH release in static incubations with DSIP. A response occurred with the lowest dose tested (10 −12 M) which increased to a maximum at 10 −10 M DSIP. The responses then declined at higher doses such that they were no longer significant at doses of 10 −7 and 10 −5 M. The increase even at the most effective dose was approximately 50% above the basal values. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that DSIP may be involved in GH release via a dopaminergic mechanism. Since the peptide induces EEG changes characteristic of slow-wave sleep and since GH release is associated with this type of sleep in the human, it is possible that DSIP may be involved in mediating sleep-induced GH release. Since the action on the pituitary directly was relatively small and exhibited a bell-shaped dose-response curve, the physiological significance of the direct effect of the peptide on pituitary cells to stimulate GH release is open to question.
Repetitively pulsed atmospheric pressure discharge treatment of rough polymer surfaces: I. Humid air discharges

Plasmas generated at atmospheric pressure are used to functionalize the surfaces of polymers by creating new surface-resident chemical groups. The polymers used in textiles and biomedical applications often have non-planar surfaces whose functionalization requires penetration of plasma generated species into sometimes complex surface features. In this regard, the atmospheric pressure plasma treatment of a rough polypropylene surface was computationally investigated using a two-dimensional plasma hydrodynamics model integrated with a surface kinetics model. Repetitively pulsed discharges produced in a dielectric barrier–corona configuration in humid air were considered to affix O. Macroscopic non-uniformities in treatment result from the spatial variations in radical densities which depend on the polarity of the discharge. Microscopic non-uniformities arise due to the higher reactivity of plasma produced species, such as OH radicals, which are consumed before they can diffuse deeper into surface features. The consequences of applied voltage magnitude and polarity, and the relative humidity on discharge dynamics and radical generation leading to surface functionalization, are discussed.
The Water Quality Consequences of Restoring Wetland Hydrology to a Large Agricultural Watershed in the Southeastern Coastal Plain

To ameliorate local and coastal eutrophication, management agencies are increasingly turning to wetland restoration. A large portion of restoration is occurring in areas that were drained for agriculture. To recover wetland function these areas must be reflooded and disturbances to soils, including high nutrient content due to past fertilizer use, loss of organic matter and soil compaction, must be reversed. Here, we quantified nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) retention and transformation in a unique large-scale (440 ha) restored wetland in the North Carolina coastal plain, the Timberlake Restoration Project (TLRP). For 2 years following restoration, we quantified water and nutrient budgets for this former agricultural field. We anticipated that TLRP would export high concentrations of inorganic P immediately following reflooding, while retaining or transforming inorganic N. In the first 2 years after a return to the precipitation and wind-driven hydrology, TLRP retained or transformed 97% of NO3–N, 32% of TDN, 25% of NH4–N, and 53% of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) delivered from inflows and precipitation, while exporting 20% more dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and 13% more total P (inorganic, organic, and particulate P) than inputs. Areal mass retention rates of N and P at TLRP were low compared to other restored wetlands; however, the site efficiently retained pulses of fertilizer NO3–N derived from an upstream farm. This capacity for retaining N pulses indicates that the potential nutrient removal capacity of TLRP is much higher than measured annual rates. Our results illustrate the importance of considering both organic and inorganic forms of N and P when assessing the benefits of wetland restoration. We suggest that for wetland restoration to be an efficient tool in the amelioration of coastal eutrophication a better understanding of the coupled movement of the various forms of N and P is necessary.
Neurodevelopmental disorders: Accelerating progress in autism through developmental research.

Autism is arguably the quintessential neurodevelopmental disorder. However, despite an explosion of research over the past decade, we know relatively little about the development of autism itself. Recent longitudinal research has provided important new insights—and has raised new questions—concerning the complexities of the disorder.
Localized intramural drug delivery during balloon angioplasty using hydrogel-coated balloons and pressure-augmented diffusion

AbstractObjectives. This study was designed to assess the feasibility of using hydrogel-coated balloons to deliver biologically active agents to the blood vessel wall.Background. The tool intramura...
TF-finder: A software package for identifying transcription factors involved in biological processes using microarray data and existing knowledge base

Identification of transcription factors (TFs) involved in a biological process is the first step towards a better understanding of the underlying regulatory mechanisms. However, due to the involvement of a large number of genes and complicated interactions in a gene regulatory network (GRN), identification of the TFs involved in a biology process remains to be very challenging. In reality, the recognition of TFs for a given a biological process can be further complicated by the fact that most eukaryotic genomes encode thousands of TFs, which are organized in gene families of various sizes and in many cases with poor sequence conservation except for small conserved domains. This poses a significant challenge for identification of the exact TFs involved or ranking the importance of a set of TFs to a process of interest. Therefore, new methods for recognizing novel TFs are desperately needed. Although a plethora of methods have been developed to infer regulatory genes using microarray data, it is still rare to find the methods that use existing knowledge base in particular the validated genes known to be involved in a process to bait/guide discovery of novel TFs. Such methods can replace the sometimes-arbitrary process of selection of candidate genes for experimental validation and significantly advance our knowledge and understanding of the regulation of a process. We developed an automated software package called TF-finder for recognizing TFs involved in a biological process using microarray data and existing knowledge base. TF-finder contains two components, adaptive sparse canonical correlation analysis (ASCCA) and enrichment test, for TF recognition. ASCCA uses positive target genes to bait TFS from gene expression data while enrichment test examines the presence of positive TFs in the outcomes from ASCCA. Using microarray data from salt and water stress experiments, we showed TF-finder is very efficient in recognizing many important TFs involved in salt and drought tolerance as evidenced by the rediscovery of those TFs that have been experimentally validated. The efficiency of TF-finder in recognizing novel TFs was further confirmed by a thorough comparison with a method called Intersection of Coexpression (ICE). TF-finder can be successfully used to infer novel TFs involved a biological process of interest using publicly available gene expression data and known positive genes from existing knowledge bases. The package for TF-finder includes an R script for ASCCA, a Perl controller, and several Perl scripts for parsing intermediate outputs. The package is available upon request (hairong@mtu.edu). The R code for standalone ASCCA is also available.
The Shaman-Priests of the Casas Grandes Region, Chihuahua, Mexico

The Casas Grandes culture flourished between two well-known regions: Mesoamerica and the North American Southwest. An analysis of Medio period (A.D. 1200-1450) pottery suggests that Paquime, the center of the Casas Grandes world, was dominated by shaman-priests. The pottery includes images that document a “classic shamanic journey” between this world and the spirit world. These images can be connected to the leaders of Paquime and to valuable objects from West Mexico, indicating that the Casas Grandes leadership had more in common with the Mesoamerican system of shaman-leaders than with the political system of the Pueblo world of the North American Southwest.
A new bismuth strontium vanadate, BiSr2V3O11, with both orthovanadate and pyrovanadate groups

Abstract A new bismuth strontium vanadate, BiSr2V3O11, has been synthesized, and its structure was determined from single crystal X-ray diffraction data. This compound may be represented by the descriptive formula BiSr2(VO4)(V2O7), indicating one orthovanadate group and one pyrovanadate group in each formula unit. The compound crystallizes in the triclinic space group P 1 with a = 7.0332(6) A, b = 10.213(2) A, c = 6.982(2) A, α = 96.01(2)°, β = 92.87(2)°, γ = 99.16(2)°, V = 491.3(1) A3, and Z = 2. The Bi atom is 7-coordinated to oxygen atoms with BiO distances from 2.208(8) to 2.88(1) A. Two types of Sr atoms were found: one with a coordination number of 9 and the other with one of 7. For the orthovanadate group, the average VO bond length is 1.72 A and the OVO angles are in the range of 103.9(4)° to 116.2(4)°. For the pyrovanadate group, the average VO bond length is 1.716 A and the VOV angle is 125.3°.
Screening for Depression Among Indigenous Mexican Migrant Farmworkers Using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9

U.S. farmworkers include growing numbers of individuals from indigenous, pre-Columbian communities in southern Mexico with distinctive languages and cultures. Given the high stress these farmworkers experience in their challenging work environments, they are very susceptible to depression and other mental and emotional health disorders. The present study explores the Spanish version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) as a screen for the presence and severity of depression among 123 indigenous Mexican-origin, migrant farmworkers in Oregon. Factor structure and inter-item correlations of the PHQ-9 are examined, along with associations between depression and culture-bound syndromes, self-esteem, self-efficacy, acculturation stress, and other sample psychosocial characteristics. The PHQ-9 exhibited strong factor loadings and internal consistency, and its severity score significantly correlated with other indicators of health status that were observed in previous studies to be significantly associated with depression. The PHQ-9 appears to be culturally relevant for use with Mexicans coming from a variety of indigenous cultures and having very low education and literacy.
Exploring intertwined orders in cuprate superconductors

Abstract The concept of intertwined orders has been introduced to describe the cooperative relationship between antiferromagnetic spin correlations and electron (or hole) pair correlations that develop in copper-oxide superconductors. This contrasts with systems in which, for example, charge-density-wave (CDW) order competes for Fermi surface area with superconductivity. La 2 − x Ba x CuO 4 with x =0.125 provides an example in which the ordering of spin stripes coincides with the onset of two-dimensional superconducting correlations. The apparent frustration of the interlayer Josephson coupling has motivated the concept of the pair-density-wave superconductor, a state that theoretical calculations show to be energetically competitive with the uniform d -wave superconductor. Even at x =0.095, where there is robust superconductivity below 32 K in zero field, the coexistence of strong, low-energy, incommensurate spin excitations implies a spatially modulated and intertwined pair wave function. Recent observations of CDW order in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6 + x and other cuprate families have raised interesting questions regarding the general role of charge modulations and the relation to superconductivity. While there are differences in the doping dependence of the modulation wave vectors in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6 + x and La 2 − x Ba x CuO 4 , the maximum ordering strength is peaked at the hole concentration of 1/8 in both cases. There are also possible connections with the quantum oscillations that have been detected about the same hole concentration but at high magnetic fields. Resolving these relationships remains a research challenge.
The development of the Office of Alternative Medicine in the National Institutes of Health, 1991-1996.

Des services de medecine alternative ont ete developpes dans les hopitaux pour le traitement des cancers, par l'Institut National de la Sante
Monitoring Single-Source Revenue Funds Throughout the Budgeting Process

Unexpected revenue shortfalls that occur during budget execution create serious problems for public agencies and programs. This is especially true for agencies and programs that rely upon a single source of revenue. This article implements a revenue monitoring process that combines ideas from statistical process control and exploratory data analysis into a spreadsheet environment. The methodology builds on principles used to monitor manufacturing processes. This simple application helps public managers detect revenue surpluses and deficits early enough in the budget execution process to take corrective action. The methodology also adapts to the data problems and avoids many of the pitfalls that arise when using "real world" budget data. An example of the benefits of this methodology is offered using an example of a state agency funded by a single revenue source.
Abstract 3429: Synthetic lethal RNAi screens to nominate potential therapeutic combinations for uveal melanoma

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common form of ocular cancer in adults and metastatic disease currently has no effective therapy. Over 80% of UM tumors harbor activating mutations in the heterotrimeric G protein α subunits GNAQ or GNA11. These mutations induce protein kinase C (PKC) and the MAP kinase pathway, which signals through RAF, MEK, and ERK. Clinical trials of MEK and PKC inhibitors are underway to treat UM, however, novel therapeutic strategies may be required for effective treatment. To identify rational combination therapies in the context of MEK or PKC inhibition, we performed a pooled, genome-wide synthetic lethal RNA interference screen. Candidate genes whose silencing sensitizes GNAQ/11-mutant UM cells to MEK or PKC inhibition were nominated and further validated across a panel of cell lines using a custom pool of shRNAs. Several genes scored well across all cell lines. The top MEK inhibitor sensitizer was BRAF, thereby highlighting the importance of MAPK signaling in UM. Several non-MAPK pathway genes were also nominated and may represent novel pathways for the development of combination therapies. Citation Format: Chelsea S. Place, Glenn S. Cowley, David E. Root, Levi A. Garraway. Synthetic lethal RNAi screens to nominate potential therapeutic combinations for uveal melanoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3429. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3429
The long-term stability of the insulin test after partial vagotomy in the dog.

Five dogs were prepared with gastric fistulae, and partial vagotomy was performed by division of one vagus in the neck and a main vagal trunk in the lower thorax. The acid secretory responses to histamine dihydrochloride (o.16 mg. per kg.-hr.), and to graded intravenous doses of insulin (0.03, 0.06, 0.12, 0.5, and 1 U. per kg.) were measured soon after vagotomy and again 6 months later. There was no significant change in the acid response to either histamine or insulin during the 6 months after vagotomy either in timing of the peak output or in the dose of insulin required for highest peak acid output. It is concluded that no detectable reinnervation occurs in the dog in this period following gastric vagotomy.
Detection of Helicosporidium spp. in metagenomic DNA.

Distinct isolates of the invertebrate pathogenic alga Helicosporidium sp., collected from different insect hosts and different geographic locations, were processed to sequence the 18S rDNA and β-tubulin genes. The sequences were analyzed to assess genetic variation within the genus Helicosporidium and to design Helicosporidium-specific 18S rDNA primers. The specificity of these primers was demonstrated by testing not only on the Helicosporidium sp. isolates, but also on two trebouxiophyte algae known to be close Helicosporidium relatives, Prototheca wickerhamii and Prototheca zopfii. The genus-specific primers were used to develop a culture-independent assay aimed at detecting the presence of Helicosporidium spp. in environmental waters. The assay was based on the PCR amplification of 18SrDNA gene fragments from metagenomic DNA preparations, and it resulted in the amplification of detectable products for all sampled sites. Phylogenetic analyses that included the environmental sequences demonstrated that all amplification products clustered in a strongly supported, monophyletic Helicosporidium clade, thereby validating the metagenomic approach and the taxonomic origin of the produced environmental sequences. In addition, the phylogenetic analyses established that Helicosporidium spp. isolated from coleopteran hosts are more closely related to each other than they are to the isolate collected from a dipteran host. Finally, the phylogenetic trees depicted intergeneric relationships that supported a Helicosporidium–Prototheca cluster but did not support a Helicosporidium–Coccomyxa grouping, suggesting that pathogenicity to invertebrates evolved at least twice independently within the trebouxiophyte green algae.
Deficits in task-set maintenance and execution networks in Parkinson's disease.

Patients with Parkinson’s disease have difficulties with self-initiating a task and maintaining a steady task performance. We hypothesized that these difficulties relate to reorganization in the sensorimotor execution, cingulo-opercular task-set maintenance, and frontoparietal adaptive control networks. We tested this hypothesis using graph theory-based network analysis of a composite network including a total of 86 nodes, derived from the three networks of interest. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance images were collected from 30 patients with Parkinson’s disease (age 42–75 years, 11 females; Hoehn and Yahr score 2–3, average 2.4 ± 0.4) in their off-medication state and 30 matched control subjects (age 44–75 years, 10 females). For each node, we calculated strength as a general measure of connectivity, global efficiency and betweenness centrality as measures of functional integration, and clustering coefficient and local efficiency as measures of functional segregation. We found reduced node strength, clustering, and local efficiency in sensorimotor and posterior temporal nodes. There was also reduced node strength and betweenness centrality in the dorsal anterior insula and temporoparietal junction nodes of the cingulo-opercular network. These nodes are involved in integrating multimodal information, specifically related to self-awareness, sense of agency, and ultimately to intact perception of self-in-action. Moreover, we observed significant correlations between global disease severity and averaged graph metrics of the whole network. In addition to the well-known task-related frontostriatal mechanisms, we propose that the resting-state reorganization in the composite network can contribute to problems with self-initiation and task-set maintenance in Parkinson’s disease.
Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the temporal lobes in schizophrenics and normal controls

Previous research has found structural and functional abnormalities in the temporal lobes of schizophrenic patients, often with greater impairment on the left side. This study applied proton MRS to both right and left temporal lobes of schizophrenic patients and normal control subjects. Reductions in the NAA/Cr ratio were found bilaterally for schizophrenic patients as compared to normal controls, and may be associated with reduced neuronal integrity. These results strengthen the evidence for biochemical abnormalities in the temporal lobes in schizophrenia.
Tracking and anticipation of invisible spatial transformations by 4- to 8-month-old infants☆

Abstract The ability of 4- to 8-month-old infants to track and anticipate the final orientation of an object following different invisible spatial transformations was tested. A violation-of-expectation method was used to assess infants' reaction to possible and impossible outcomes of an object's orientation after it translated or rotated behind an occluder. Results of a first experiment show that at all ages infants tend to look significantly longer at an impossible orientation outcome following invisible transformations. These results suggest that from 4 months of age, infants have the ability to detect orientation-specific information about an object undergoing linear or curvilinear invisible spatial transformations. A second experiment controlling for perceptual cues that infants might have used in the first experiment to track the object orientation replicates the results with a new sample of 4- and 6-month-old infants. Finally, a control experiment involving no motion yielded negative results, providing further support that infants as young as 4 months old use motion information to mentally track invisible spatial transformations. The results obtained in the rotation condition of both experiments are tentatively interpreted as providing first evidence of some rudiments of mental rotation in infancy.
Late dosing with ethacrynic acid can reduce gentamicin concentration in perilymph and protect cochlear hair cells.

A key factor in the well-known interaction between ethacrynic acid (EA) and aminoglycoside antibiotics (AABs) is disruption of the blood-labyrinth barrier (BLB), leading to rapid entry of EA and AABs into the cochlear fluids. The idea that the blood-labyrinthine fluid concentration gradient might be utilized in a protective manner was tested in the current experiment. We hypothesized that administering EA when gentamicin (GM) levels are higher in the cochlea than in the blood might actually reduce cochlear damage by permitting efflux of GM from the cochlear fluids into the bloodstream, down a concentration gradient and across a temporarily disrupted BLB. Guinea pigs received 1, 11, 14 or 20 injections of GM (125 mg/kg i.m.). Approximately half of the animals also received a single injection of EA (40 mg/kg i.v.) either concurrently or 12-18 h after the last GM injection. Concurrent injection of EA significantly increased GM concentration in serum and perilymph at all time points sampled (2.5, 5-8, and 12 h post injection). Compared to animals that received GM only, animals that received a delayed injection of EA had a significantly lower GM concentration in perilymph, lower thresholds of the compound action potential, and less outer hair cell loss. Collectively, the evidence suggests that EA can reduce GM ototoxicity if it is administered 12-18 h after GM, but the mechanism remains to be elucidated. The results may have implications for the clinical management of aminoglycoside ototoxicity in humans, as well as for understanding the mechanisms underlying AAB/EA interactions.
Left ventricular output derived from the time-derivative and phase velocities of the aortic pressure wave.

A method of deriving aortic flow from pressures measured in the proximal aorta has been tested. The Womersley equation was used with the pressure gradient substituted by the time derivative of the pressure and the measured phase velocity c′ of each harmonic component. Reflected waves alter the value of c′ and are a source of error when a constant value of c is used, as in previous methods in which dP/dt has been used.
Catalan numbers and branched coverings by the Riemann sphere

Abstract We prove that the number of PGL(2, C) equivalence classes of degree d rational maps with a fixed branch set is generically equal to the “Catalan number” ϱ(d) = ( 1 d )( 2d−2 d−1 ) . Several (previously known) applications of Catalan numbers to combinatorics and algebraic geometry are discussed throughout the course of the article.
Effects of mixture casting Nafion® with quaternary ammonium bromide salts on the ion-exchange capacity and mass transport in the membranes

Abstract Nafion® has been used to modify electrodes for a wide variety of electrochemical applications. This research studies how the physical properties of Nafion® are affected by mixture casting Nafion® with quaternary ammonium bromide salts of differing sizes and hydrophobicities. The quaternary ammonium bromides incorporated into Nafion® have shown up to a (6.73±1.49)-fold increase in the flux of tris(2,2′-bipyridyl) ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)32+) through a mixture cast (C2H5)4NBr/Nafion® membrane. The quaternary ammonium bromide incorporation can increase the pore size of Nafion® to allow for the electrochemical sensing of large redox moieties, such as erythromycin, which cannot be sensed at Nafion®-modified electrodes. One of the most startling effects of incorporating the quaternary ammonium bromide salts is the loss of selectivity upon incorporation of all tetraalkylammonium bromides. Along with this loss of selectivity, the number of available exchange sites to proton of the Nafion® membranes decreases with the increase in size and hydrophobicity of the quaternary ammonium bromides.
Cytokine-mediated β-cell damage in PARP-1-deficient islets.

Poly(ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP) is an abundant nuclear protein that is activated by DNA damage; once active, it modifies nuclear proteins through attachment of poly(ADP)-ribose units derived from β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). In mice, the deletion of PARP-1 attenuates tissue injury in a number of animal models of human disease, including streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Also, inflammatory cell signaling and inflammatory gene expression are attenuated in macrophages isolated from endotoxin-treated PARP-1-deficient mice. In this study, the effects of PARP-1 deletion on cytokine-mediated β-cell damage and macrophage activation were evaluated. There are no defects in inflammatory mediator signaling or inflammatory gene expression in macrophages and islets isolated from PARP-1-deficient mice. While PARP-1 deficiency protects islets against cytokine-induced islet cell death as measured by biochemical assays of membrane polarization, the genetic absence of PARP-1 does not effect cytokine-induced inhibition of insulin secretion or cytokine-induced DNA damage in islets. While PARP-1 deficiency appears to provide protection from cell death, it fails to provide protection against the inhibitory actions of cytokines on insulin secretion or the damaging actions on islet DNA integrity.
An apparent paradox of horizontal and vertical disease transmission

The question as to how the ratio of horizontal to vertical transmission depends on the coefficient of horizontal transmission is investigated in host–parasite models with one or two parasite strains. In an apparent paradox, this ratio decreases as the coefficient is increased provided that the ratio is taken at the equilibrium at which both host and parasite persist. Moreover, a completely vertically transmitted parasite strain that would go extinct on its own can coexist with a more harmful horizontally transmitted strain by protecting the host against it.
Lipids of plasma membranes of monkey and hamster kidney cells and of parainfluenza virions grown in these cells

Abstract Plasma membranes have been isolated from primary rhesus monkey kidney (MK), baby hamster kidney (BHK21-F), and adult hamster kidney (HaK) cells, and detailed lipid analyses of the membranes, the whole cells, and parainfluenza virus SV5 grown in MK and BHK21-F cells have been carried out. The lipid compositions of the plasma membranes differ from those of the respective whole cells, and show characteristic features, including a high cholesterol and sphingomyelin content, and a cholesterol to phospholipid ratio which is higher than that of the whole cell. The lipid patterns of the membranes of the various cell types are significantly different from each other, especially with regard to phospholipids. In MK membranes, e.g., phos-phatidylethanolamine is the major phospholipid, and there is a relatively high content of phosphatidylserine, whereas in BHK21-F membranes, phosphatidylcholine is present in highest amount, and there is relatively little phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine. Previous studies have shown that the plasma membranes of these cells exhibit significant biological differences, particularly in their interactions with SV5. SV5 virions grown in MK or BHK21-F cells have a lipid composition that is closely similar to that of the plasma membrane of the particular cell type in which the virus was grown. The data support the hypothesis that during the maturation of the virion by budding from the cell surface, the lipids of the plasma membrane are incorporated quantitatively into the viral envelope.
Texture of cooked potatoes. Relationship between compressive strength, pectic substances and cell size of Redskin tubers of different maturity

Loss of compressive strength and breakage of disks and solubilization of pectic material occurred sooner as tubers matured. These changes occurred with shorter cooking times in disks cooked in NaCl and sodium hexametaphosphate (HMP)-which gave similar results-than in disks cooked in water.
Monetary–Fiscal Policy Interactions under Implementable Monetary Policy Rules

This paper examines the implications of forward- and backward-looking monetary policy rules in an environment with monetary–fiscal interactions. We find that the unique stationary rational expectations equilibrium (REE) is always non-Ricardian under simple implementable monetary policy rules.
Single Particle and Ensemble Spectroscopy of Silicon Nanoparticles

Octanethiol-stabilized Si nanocrystals, ranging from 2 to 8 nm in diameter, were synthesized in cyclohexane heated and pressurized above its critical point at temperatures ranging from 400°C to 500°C. The nanocrystals exhibit crystalline cores and photoluminesce with relatively high efficiencies. These nanocrystals are suitable for single particle spectroscopic measurements that reveal optical information about the individual chromophores that are buried in ensemble measurements. The sterically-stabilized Si nanocrystals emit with relatively narrow emission spectra at room temperature, characteristic of molecules.
Role of engineered materials in superconducting tunnel-junction x-ray detectors: suppression of quasi-particle recombination losses via a phononic bandgap

An engineered structure is proposed that can alleviate quasi-particle recombination losses via the existence of a phononic band gap that overlaps the 2-Delta energy of phonons produced during recombination of quasi-particles. Attention is given to a 1D Kronig-Penny model for phonons normally incident to the layers of a multilayered superconducting tunnel junction as an idealized example. A device with a high density of Bragg resonances is identified as desirable; both Nb/Si and NbN/SiN superlattices have been produced, with the latter having generally superior performance.
A simplified nitrite procedure for the determination of reserpine.

A rapid procedure is described for the extraction and determination of reserpine in crystalline samples of the alkaloid and in reserpine tablets.
Multiple RF Coil Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Quantum Computing

Recent work has demonstrated the feasibility of using an array of quantum information processors connected via classical channels (type II quantum computer) to implement a quantum lattice-gas algorithm. This paper describes work towards constructing a new experimental set-up for a type II quantum computer. This set-up has new hardware and software specifications but does follow previously published approaches of operation encoding the initial mass density onto a twoqubit processor and using standard pulse techniques to step through the algorithm. New hardware for this system includes the ability to read both qubits at once, effectively reducing the processing time by twofold. Hardware changes also include the use of multiple coils controlled by a single spectrometer and a hardware switch. New software includes a top level control system for the spectrometer for quick experimental configuration as well as configurable modeling software to verify results. Results are presented here from a system with the final software implementations and the two channel spectrometer configuration run on a single prototype coil. Progress towards the final multi-coil implementation is described.
Intranasal exposure to manganese disrupts neurotransmitter release from glutamatergic synapses in the central nervous system in vivo

Chronic exposure to aerosolized manganese induces a neurological disorder that includes extrapyramidal motor symptoms and cognitive impairment. Inhaled manganese can bypass the blood-brain barrier and reach the central nervous system by transport down the olfactory nerve to the brain's olfactory bulb. However, the mechanism by which Mn disrupts neural function remains unclear. Here we used optical imaging techniques to visualize exocytosis in olfactory nerve terminals in vivo in the mouse olfactory bulb. Acute Mn exposure via intranasal instillation of 2-200 μg MnCl(2) solution caused a dose-dependent reduction in odorant-evoked neurotransmitter release, with significant effects at as little as 2 μg MnCl(2) and a 90% reduction compared to vehicle controls with a 200 μg exposure. This reduction was also observed in response to direct electrical stimulation of the olfactory nerve layer in the olfactory bulb, demonstrating that Mn's action is occurring centrally, not peripherally. This is the first direct evidence that Mn intoxication can disrupt neurotransmitter release, and is consistent with previous work suggesting that chronic Mn exposure limits amphetamine-induced dopamine increases in the basal ganglia despite normal levels of dopamine synthesis (Guilarte et al., J Neurochem 2008). The commonality of Mn's action between glutamatergic neurons in the olfactory bulb and dopaminergic neurons in the basal ganglia suggests that a disruption of neurotransmitter release may be a general consequence wherever Mn accumulates in the brain and could underlie its pleiotropic effects.
Regional Variations in Urban Fragmentation Among U.S. Metropolitan and Megapolitan Areas

In this paper we investigate the regional variations in the fragmentation of urban landcover among 86 metropolitan areas and 19 megapolitan areas in the United States. Urban fragmentation was evaluated using nine spatial metrics that collectively quantified the continuity and shape complexity of urban landcover. Spatial metrics were calculated for each metropolitan and megapolitan area using a high urban threshold containing the urban core and surrounding suburbs, and a low urban threshold that further encompassed the outer exurban fringe. A principal component analysis was used to collapse the nine spatial metrics into two components of urban form: “shape complexity”, which describes the porosity of the urban fabric, and urban “continuity”, which represents the aggregation of urban patches or pixels. Urban “continuity”, and seven of nine spatial metrics, varied significantly by U.S. census region. A hot-spot analysis further revealed a high degree of spatial autocorrelation, with metropolitan areas in the Northeast and South regions generally exhibiting a more fragmented urban landscape than those in the Midwest or West regions. Relative to metropolitan areas, megapolitan areas exhibited more complex and fragmented patterns of urban landcover, presumably due to the high level of inter- and intra-urban polycentricism at this broader scale.
Target tracking in MIMO radar systems: Techniques and performance analysis

In this paper, moving target tracking performance in multiple input multiple output (MIMO) radar systems with distributed antennas and non-coherent processing is studied. Due to the use of multiple, widely distributed antennas, MIMO radar architectures support both centralized and decentralized tracking techniques. Each receiving radar may contribute to central processing by providing either raw data or partially/fully processed data. Estimation performance of centralized and decentralized tracking is analyzed through the Bayesian Cramer-Rao bound (BCRB). The BCRB offers insight into the effect of the radars geometric layout, the target location, and propagation path losses on tracking accuracies. It is shown that, with different propagation path loss, the manner in which decentralized estimations are combined in the fusion center effects the overall estimation performance. Two tracking algorithms are proposed, corresponding to respectively, a centralized and decentralized modes of operation. It is demonstrated that communication requirements and processing load may be reduced at a relatively low performance cost. Based on mission needs, the system may use either approach: centralized for high accuracy or decentralized for resource-aware tracking.
Studies of the flexural properties of asbestos-reinforced phenolic composites

Factors which may influence the flexural strength of asbestos-reinforced phenolic composites were investigated. These are: fibre-to-resin adhesion, the degree of fibre dispersion, the relative fracture strains of the fibres and matrices, and voids. Fibre-to-resin adhesion was promoted by pre-coating asbestos fibres with phenol-formaldehyde in solution state throughin situ polymerization. Fibre dispersion was controlled by applying shear agitation to the mixture of fibres in solution duringin situ polymerization. The ratio of the fracture strain of the fibres to that of the matrix was varied by using resins having different fracture strains. Voids were found to be present in all cases. The size of voids was not significantly affected by different processing conditions. It is concluded that the flexural strength of the composites is largely controlled by voids in the moulded parts. Other factors have little effect on the flexural strength when they are varied over a range of practical importance.