cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Actinide bioassays by ICPMS

The ever-increasing sensitivity of ICPMS continues to expand the technique’s application in the field of health physics. Enhancements in sample introduction and instrument design over the last few years have resulted in improving the ICPMS detection limit from ∼10 ng/l to≤0.1 ng/l. This additional sensitivity provides greater flexibility in the analysis of long-lived radionuclides in biological fluids, and requires only minimal sample preparation of urine for uranium analysis; the described 3-minute abbreviated matrix separation provides detection limits that are comparable to or better than alpha counting. For urine samples tested having concentrations that exceed the accepted administrative limit for total uranium (0.2 μg/day), isotopic analysis by ICPMS (e.g., determining the presence of236U, or measuring appropriate uranium isotope ratios) provides a reliable indication of occupational exposure. Our laboratory also utilizes ICPMS in a study examining uranium dissolution rate classification of dust collected at the perimeter of a nuclear facility. Specific details regarding these and other health physics applications are featured, including our group’s participation in assisting the DOE with the evaluation of ICPMS as a cost-effective alternative to fission-track analysis for the routine determination of239Pu in urine.
Noise, sex and time of day effects in a mathematics task.

Abstract A pilot experiment explored the effects of list length (four, six or eight digits) and presentation rate (1-6.5 per second) in a task of computer-paced addition. As the experimental variables changed, men tended to vary their speed of response while women tended to vary their level of accuracy. Conditions selected from the first experiment (six digits at two and four per second) were employed in a second, with the object of examining interactions among noise, time of day and sex. Practice effects over three sessions of testing confirmed the sex difference in speed-accuracy strategies. Male and female performance tended to change between the a.m. and p.m. test periods, such that women in quiet behaved similarly to men in noise, showing poorer p.m. performance in terms of response times and non-responses, but fewer commissive errors. Although the effects of circadian arousal were varied, noise consistently produced an effect different from that of time of day. A complex model, supported by more fac...
On the Cosmic-Ray Spectra of Three-Body Lepton-Flavor-Violating Dark Matter Decays

Abstract We consider possible leptonic three-body decays of spin-1/2, charge-asymmetric dark matter. Assuming a general Dirac structure for the four-fermion contact interactions of interest, we study the cosmic-ray electron and positron spectra and show that good fits to the current data can be obtained for both charged-lepton-flavor-conserving and flavor-violating decay channels. We find that different choices for the Dirac structure of the underlying decay operator can be significantly compensated by different choices for the dark matter mass and lifetime. The decay modes we consider provide differing predictions for the cosmic-ray positron fraction at energies higher than those currently probed at the PAMELA experiment; these predictions might be tested at cosmic-ray detectors like AMS-02.
Catabolic Control of Mammalian Cell Culture

Glycolyse aerobic et glutaminolyse. Enzymes ―Production d'ATP. Strategies possibles pour l'amelioration de la productivite des bioreacteurs
Cell and neuron densities in the primary motor cortex of primates

Cell and neuron densities vary across the cortical sheet in a predictable manner across different primate species (Collins et al., 2010b). Primary motor cortex, M1, is characterized by lower neuron densities relative to other cortical areas. M1 contains a motor representation map of contralateral body parts from tail to tongue in a mediolateral sequence. Different functional movement representations within M1 likely require specialized microcircuitry for control of different body parts, and these differences in circuitry may be reflected by variation in cell and neuron densities. Here we determined cell and neuron densities for multiple sub-regions of M1 in six primate species, using the semi-automated flow fractionator method. The results verify previous reports of lower overall neuron densities in M1 compared to other parts of cortex in the six primate species examined. The most lateral regions of M1 that correspond to face and hand movement representations, are more neuron dense relative to medial locations in M1, which suggests differences in cortical circuitry within movement zones.
Mg2+-Fe2+ order-disorder in cummingtonite, (Mg, Fe)7Si8O22(OH)2: A new geothermometer

Determination of the temperature dependence of the Mg(2+)-Fe(2+) distribution between the M4 site and the M1, M2 and M3 sites in magnesium-rich cummingtonites by Fe-57 Mossbauer resonance spectroscopy. For the basic reversible ion-exchange reaction involved, the Gibbs free energy is estimated to be 3.6 to 4.1 kcal/mole, assuming an ideal solution model at each set of sites. The crystallization temperatures of two cummingtonite-bearing metamorphosed ultrabasic rocks are estimated to be 265 and 290 deg C. The Mossbauer resonance spectra are found to be an effective basis for detecting changes in site occupancies as a function of temperature.
Exercise performance in tetralogy of Fallot: the impact of primary complete repair in infancy.

Primary complete repair (PCR) of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is now routinely performed in infancy. Although operative results are excellent, the impact on exercise performance is incompletely understood. We reviewed data of all children with TOF who underwent PCR at our institution and had subsequent maximal cycle ergometer exercise testing between January 1995 and December 2000. Of the 193 patients with TOF who underwent PCR, 57 (30%) underwent exercise testing; maximal tests were available for 50 of 57 (88%). Exercise performance of subjects who underwent PCR at l year of age. The median age at PCR was 10.9 months; 28 subjects (56%) underwent PCR in infancy (<1 year). A transannular incision was employed in the repair in 41 subjects (82%). The mean age at exercise testing was 12.5 +/- 3.2 years. The mean maximal VO2 was 94.9 +/- 18.8% predicted and the mean maximal work rate was 98.0 +/- 20.8% predicted. In multivariate analysis PCR in infancy (age <1 year) was not associated with maximal VO2, peak work rate, peak heart rate, or arrhythmias. Only older age at testing and male gender were significantly associated with higher maximal VO2 (p = 0.005 and p = 0.002, respectively). Intermediate-term exercise performance in subjects who undergo PCR of TOF in early childhood is near normal. Performing PCR in the first year of life does not impact subsequent exercise performance.
Asymptotic growth bounds for the Vlasov-Poisson system

Batt showed that solutions of the Vlasov–Poisson system remain smooth as long as the particle speeds remain finite. Pfaffelmoser was the first to establish a bound on the particle speeds, completing the existence proof. Horst greatly improved this bound on the particle speeds. This article improves it further. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Atmospheric dynamics of NOx emission controls

Abstract Fundamental physical and chemical processes influencing the effectiveness of oxides of nitrogen (NO x ) air pollution controls are surveyed in this paper. Phenomenological descriptions are treated for some of the main features analyzed in recent research work. The participation of NO x as a precursor to secondary pollutants depends both on the rate of mixing and the rate of reaction with other atmospheric precursor reactants. Mixing in the large scale may depend on plume dispersion and in the small scale on cascading of turbulent concentration eddies down to molecular scale. Accordingly, reactions between the primary emittant, nitric oxide (NO), and ambient ozone (O 3 ) produce short-term nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ); whereas longer term generation depends on organically-derived chain carriers that oxidize NO to NO 2 . These interactions between emissions and the environment play key roles in setting limits on both O 2 , and NO 2 -production through the alteration of emission rates. The paper concludes with some basic criteria that must be addressed in designing strategies for air quality improvements through NO x emissions control.
Acoustic and perceptual characteristics of the voices of sedentary and physically active elderly speakers

The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptual and acoustic characteristics of the voices of physically active and sedentary elderly speakers. Recordings of sustained phonations of the vowel /a/ were obtained from 31 male and female elderly speakers. Twenty adult listeners judged the chronological ages of the elderly speakers from their oral performance. The acoustic parameters of Fo, Fo standard deviation, jitter per cent, shimmer per cent, shimmer in dB and noise-harmonic ratio were measured from the sustained vowel phonations of the elderly speakers. Results indicated that physically active elderly speakers were judged as chronologically younger, had less jitter per cent and Fo standard deviation, than their sedentary cohorts. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of defining laryngeal aging physiologically as well as chronologically.
Conducting polymer nanocomposites: interactions at interfaces

ABSTRACT We report that dispersions and functionalizations of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with different dispersing methods and dispersing agents result in SWNTs with different electro nic structures and surface chemistries. By In-situ polymerizing conducting polymer (here, polyaniline boro nic acid (PABA)) in the presence of these SWNTs, we obtained composites with different chemical structures of PABA, different arrangement and distribution of the SWNTs, and dramatically different conductive properties. We also found the polymerization rates are very different depending on the electronic finge rprint and surface chemistry of the carbon nano tubes. We applied a series of techniques to characterize the produced composites and studying the electronic and molecular interactions in the composites to understand these remarkable effects. Keywords: Carbon nanotubes, nanocomposite, aniline, PABA, percolation 1. INTRODUCTION Tremendous efforts have been made over the past decade to prepare polymer and carbon nanotube (CNT) composites with an aim to synergistically combine the merits of each individual component. Polymerization of the respective monomers in the presence of carbon nanotubes is expected to form a genuine polymer/CNT composite with much more enhanced functions compared to the post mixing approaches. However, in-situ polymerization requires pre-dispersing the carbon nanotubes into solutions. Different dispersion approaches have been extensively reported to be successful, such as polymer wrapping,
Room-temperature luminescence of the volatile compounds, 1- and 2-naphthol, and other compounds, 5,6-benzoquinoline, 4-phenylphenol, phenanthrene, triphenylene, and p-aminobenzoic acid, adsorbed on filter paper treated with salts and cyclodextrins

1- and 2-Naphthol are known to volatilize upon heating along with solvents such as ethanol and water. Filter paper, treated with salts and cyclodextrins, was shown to be capable of trapping these volatile phosphors efficiently on filter paper and permitting strong luminescence signals to be observed. Filter paper samples treated with and without cyclodextrins were compared on the basis of their ability to induce room-temperature fluorescence and phosphorescence from adsorbed naphthols and five other organic compounds. Also, the effect of heavy-atom salt, NaBr, on the phosphorescence intensities of phosphors adsorbed on the filter paper surfaces was studied.
Cardiac norepinephrine and intrinsic properties of isolated hypertrophied hearts from DOCA hypertensive rats

Alterations in cardiac norepinephrine (NE) levels often accompany cardiac hypertrophy. The present study addresses the question of whether such differences in endogenous NE might be responsible for hypertrophy-dependent differences in acutely measured mechanical and metabolic properties of isolated rat heart preparations. Hypertrophied hearts (H) of deoxycorticosterone acetate-hypertensive rats and normal hearts (N) of sham-treated rats were perfused in Langendorff fashion with atrial tissue removed. Assessment of ventricular NE after 3 to 5 min indicated that the concentration was lower in H than N but total content of the left ventricle was not significantly different. Assessment of ventricular NE after three hours suggested that some washout or depletion of NE occurred in H but not N. Mechanical and metabolic characteristics of the isovolumic preparation were determined. When compared to N, H had greater spontaneous ventricular beating rates and, when paced with field stimuli, higher systolic pressures, longer relaxation times and mechanical refractory periods, and greater oxygen consumption. When the latter was normalized for ventricular mass and systolic pressure, H utilized less oxygen/g/100 mmHg pressure than N. Elimination of the acute effects of endogenous NE by either blockade (propranolol) or depletion (reserpine) eliminated the difference in ventricular automaticity between H and N, but did not influence the other differences (or similarities) between H and N. We conclude that aside from changes in ventricular automaticity, hypertrophy-dependent alterations in cardiac mechanical and metabolic properties are not likely to be a result of differing acute influences of endogenous norepinephrine.
August Knoblauch and amusia: a nineteenth-century cognitive model of music.

Abstract Early models of human cognition can be traced to nineteenth-century investigations of brain and behavior. Influential neurologists such as Wernicke, Kussmaul, and Lichtheim constructed diagrammatic models to illustrate current theories of cognition. Language was the most commonly studied cognitive function during this time; however, investigators also studied other cognitive functions, such as music and visual processing. While a number of nineteenth-century neurologists made observations about music abilities in aphasic patients, August Knoblauch, a German physician and anatomist, was the first to propose a diagrammatic model of music (1888/1890). He described a detailed cognitive model of music processing, hypothesized the existence of nine disorders of music production and perception, and coined the term “amusia.” Knoblauch’s model is the earliest cognitive model of music and is largely unrecognized as an important part of the history of neurology, neuropsychology, and music cognition.
Simulator-independent compact modeling of vertical npn transistors for ESD and RF circuit simulation

Abstract We present an easy-to-use, simulator-independent compact model of a vertical npn transistor suitable for ESD circuit simulation. In addition to including high-current and breakdown effects, we also model accurately the small-signal off-state impedance of the device using s -parameter measurements, for inclusion in RF circuit simulations. Experimental results are provided for silicon and SiGe npn transistors.
Absorption of cholesterol-4-C14 oleate.

SummaryCholesterol-4-C14 oleate and cholesterol-4-C14 were fed in a test meal to lymph fistula rats. The data indicate that free cholesterol was absorbed to a greater extent than esterified cholesterol. This study also provides evidence to support the concept that preliminary hydrolysis is obligatory for absorption of cholesterol esters and that only free cholesterol can enter the intestinal wall. The significance of these findings is discussed.
Building a Program of Research Based on the Transtheoretical Model

The purpose of this article is to describe the author's program of research based on the transtheoretical model (TTM) by Prochaska and DiClemente, applied to individuals with addictions and comorbid psychiatric disorders. A brief overview of the TTM is provided. The purpose, findings, and implications for five non-experimental studies are presented. The concept of patient choice emerges from this program of research. Well-designed randomized control trials need to be conducted to establish the efficacy of stage-based treatment for the target population and to examine the role of choice on treatment outcomes. The article addresses the value of being mentored by experts and mentoring others to address the shortage of addictions nurse researchers.
The relationship of drive for muscularity to sociocultural factors, self-esteem, physical attributes gender role, and social comparison in middle school boys

This study examines the relationship of three sociocultural factors-media influence, peer teasing, and parent teasing/comments and three potential moderator variables-self-esteem, social comparison, and endorsement of male strength and athleticism-to drive for muscularity in middle school boys. There were 287 seventh and eighth grade boys who completed a questionnaire measuring these variables as well as body mass index (BMI) and pubertal status. Results indicated that media influence and male physical attributes endorsement were particularly important correlates of drive for muscularity. These findings have implications for programs designed to prevent body dissatisfaction among adolescent boys.
Stories of Service: Public Service in the Children's Literature of the United States and Great Britain

Formal civic education has dominated political socialization research recently as it has looked at the effects of events, schools, mass media, and families on the formation of political attitudes and opinions of children. However, books have been overlooked when considering the possible effect of mass media, and although controversial, children's literature has rarely been investigated systematically as to its political content. After conducting content analyses of 76 books and 1,202 adult characters, I conclude that British adult characters are portrayed as more competent and benevolent than U.S. adult characters. I also find that British public servants are portrayed as more competent and benevolent than other British adult characters.
Hydrothermal plume dynamics on Europa: Implications for chaos formation

[1] Hydrothermal plumes may be responsible for transmitting radiogenic or tidally generated heat from Europa’s rocky interior through a liquid ocean to the base of its ice shell. This process has been implicated in the formation of chaos regions and lenticulae by melting or exciting convection in the ice layer. In contrast to earlier work, we argue that Europa’s ocean should be treated as an unstratified fluid. We have adapted and expanded upon existing work describing buoyant plumes in a rotating, unstratified environment. We discuss the scaling laws governing the flow and geometry of plumes on Europa and perform a laboratory experiment to obtain scaling constants and to visualize plume behavior in a Europa-like parameter regime. We predict that hydrothermal plumes on Europa are of a lateral scale (at least 25–50 km) comparable to large chaos regions; they are too broad to be responsible for the formation of individual lenticulae. Plume heat fluxes (0.1–10 W/m 2 ) are too weak to allow complete melt-through of the ice layer. Current speeds in the plume (3–8 mm/s) are much slower than indicated by previous studies. The observed movement of ice blocks in the Conamara Chaos region is unlikely to be driven by such weak flow. INDEX TERMS: 6218 Planetology: Solar System Objects: Jovian satellites; 5418 Planetology: Solid Surface Planets: Heat flow; 5430 Planetology: Solid Surface Planets: Interiors (8147); 4540 Oceanography: Physical: Ice mechanics and air/sea/ice exchange processes; 4568 Oceanography: Physical: Turbulence, diffusion, and mixing processes; KEYWORDS: chaos, Europa, hydrothermal plumes
Alcoholics name fewer mixed drinks than social drinkers.

Gamma alcoholics (N = 25) were found to be deficient in a basic response repertoire for names of types of mixed alcoholic drinks as compared with a matched sample of social drinkers (N = 25) and a sample of alcoholic bartenders (N = 10). The deficiency is interpreted as a learning deficit.
Manganese Deficiency in Chlorella under Heterotrophic Carbon Nutrition

IN the course of an investigation of the effect of manganese on nitrogen metabolism in Chlorella, limitations in growth of Chlorella due to lack of manganese have been obtained under autotrophic, mixotrophic and heterotrophic conditions of carbon nutrition with both nitrate and ammonium as nitrogen sources. In the recent report of Pirson and Bergmann1, it is stated that for Chlorella vulgaris, “manganese deficiency has no influence upon growth in heterotrophic culture in darkness”.
Ultrasonic harmonic generation due to a strain dependent dielectric constant

Abstract A simple analysis of ultrasonic harmonic generation in materials with a strain dependent dielectric constant shows that non-linear acoustic effects in such materials are much stronger than in ordinary piezoelectric semiconductors. Therefore, ferroelectric semiconductors operating near their Curie temperature should provide excellent materials in which to generate high frequency acoustic waves via second harmonic generation.
Synthesis of pdCpAs and transfer RNAs activated with thiothreonine and derivatives.

N,S-diprotected l-thiothreonine and l-allo-thiothreonine derivatives were synthesized using a novel chemical strategy, and used for esterification of the dinucleotide pdCpA. The aminoacylated dinucleotides were then employed for the preparation of activated suppressor tRNACUA transcripts. Thiothreonine and allo-thiothreonine were incorporated into a predetermined position of a catalytically competent dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) analogue lacking cysteine, and the elaborated proteins were derivatized site-specifically at the thiothreonine residue with a fluorophore.
International Care Models for Chronic Kidney Disease: Methods and Economics – United States

In the United States, there is a major chronic kidney disease (CKD) problem with over 8 million adults having stage 3 or 4 CKD. There is good medical evidence that many of these patients can benefit from focused interventions. And while there are strong theoretical reasons to believe these interventions are cost-effective, there are little published data to back up this assertion. However, despite the lack of financial data proving cost-effectiveness and against the background of a disorganized health care system in the US, some models of CKD care are being employed. At the present time, the most comprehensive models of care in the US are emerging in vertically integrated health care programs. Other models of care are developing in the setting of managed care health plans that employ CKD disease management programs, either developed internally or in partnership with renal disease management companies.
Cigarette smoke chemistry: conversion of nitric oxide to nitrogen dioxide and reactions of nitrogen oxides with other smoke components as studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Abstract Nitric oxide is both a critical biological toxin and an important messenger molecule, signalling events as diverse as nerve transmission and smooth muscle relaxation. Fresh cigarette smoke contains from 300 to 500 ppm nitric oxide. While there have been reports of the rate of oxidation of nitric oxide to nitrogen dioxide in cigarette smoke, none have utilized a real-time method and provided detailed kinetic data and modelling. In this paper we present a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) method for the simultaneous determination of nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide in gas phase cigarette smoke and in a number of gaseous mixtures that model smoke. The method uses multivariate least-squares regression analysis, which allows simultaneous quantitation of several components even in the presence of overlapping peaks, and fast data acquisition for kinetic analysis. Model systems containing mixtures of nitric oxide and isoprene, methanol, and/or acrolein and acetaldehyde in air were studied. The concentrations of nitric oxide, isoprene, etc., in the model systems were chosen to duplicate those in authentic cigarette smoke. In our best model (a mixture of nitric oxide, methanol, and isoprene in air) the disappearance of nitric oxide and the appearance of nitrogen dioxide follow time courses that closely duplicate those for cigarette smoke. Furthermore, the production of nitrogen dioxide follows a time course that agrees with our previously published rate of the development of organic free radicals in cigarette smoke. The present work, therefore, substantiates the steady-state mechanism we previously proposed for the production of free radicals in gas phase cigarette smoke.
The Status of Apalone atra Populations in Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila, México: Preliminary Data

ABSTRACT The species-level designation of the Mexican softshell turtle, Apalone atra, has been repeatedly challenged, yet no DNA evidence has been collected. We conducted field studies of all the drainages of the Cuatro Cienegas basin, and the only pure morphological population of A. atra found was in Tio Candido, the type locality for the species. One nuclear intron known to show species-level divergence in the family Trionychidae, 2 nuclear genes, and a mitochondrial gene revealed little molecular divergence for A. atra when compared with A. spinifera emoryi from the Rio Grande. Further, no reciprocal monophyly of the mitochondrial gene tree was seen between A. atra and A. s. emoryi morphotypes.
Seasonal predictions of ice extent in the Arctic Ocean

[1] How well can the extent of arctic sea ice be predicted for lead periods of up to one year? The forecast ability of a linear empirical model is explored. It uses as predictors historical information about the ocean and ice obtained from an ice–ocean model retrospective analysis. The monthly model fields are represented by a correlation-weighted average based on the predicted ice extent. The forecast skill of the procedure is found by fitting the model over subsets of the available data and then making subsequent projections using independent predictor data. The forecast skill, relative to climatology, for predictions of the observed September ice extent for the pan-arctic region is 0.77 for six months lead (from March) and 0.75 for 11 months lead (from October). The ice concentration is the most important variable for the first two months and the ocean temperature of the model layer with a depth of 200 to 270 m is most important for longer lead times. The trend accounts for 76% of the variance of the pan-arctic ice extent, so most of the forecast skill is realized by determining model variables that best represent this trend. For detrended data there is no skill for lead times of 3 months or more. The forecast skill relative to the estimate from the previous year is lower than the climate-relative skill but it is still greater than 0.45 for most lead times. Six-month predictions are also made for each month of the year and regional three-month predictions are made for 45-degree sectors. The ice-ocean model output significantly improves the predictive skill of the forecast model.
Heart Symptoms and Color Sensitivity

Abstract Previous studies have suggested a link between responsiveness to color stimuli and both heart reactivity and heart pathology. The present project tested the hypothesis that reports of disturbance in heart functioning in normal late-adolescent persons would be positively linked with degree of responsiveness to color stimuli. The hypothesis was significantly supported in both male and female samples.
Theory of Spherical Agglomeration. I. Continuity Equation for Granules in a Rotating Conical Drum

Abstract A theoretical study is made of the steady-state spherical agglomeration process in a rotating conical drum used to separate bitumen from solid particles in oil sands. Some consequences of the continuity equation for the flow of granules suspended in a bitumen-solvent liquid are investigated. From this equation, and experimental results, some general conclusions are reached concerning the distribution of granule sizes, their segregation, and their rates of production and destruction in the agglomeration process in the conical drum. It is argued that layering is a special form of coalescence
Serum growth hormone response to growth hormone-releasing hormone in non-obese and obese adults with hypopituitarism

The clinical consequences of growth hormone (GH) deficiency (GHD) in adults have not been defined. Standard methods of measuring GH reserve in children may not be reliable in adults. In addition, obesity in normal adults diminishes GH responsiveness to provocative stimuli; this inhibition of GH release is reversed with pyridostigmine (PD). We investigated the use of GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) as a method to assess pituitary GH secretory reserve (as defined by peak GH response to GHRH) in both non-obese and obese (ie, > 115% ideal body mass index [BMI]) adults with hypothalamic-pituitary tumors. Nine non-obese patients (NOP) and 10 obese patients (OP) were studied with 11 non-obese controls (NOC) and 10 obese controls (OC). All study groups received GHRH (1 μg/kg intravenous bolus) with blood sampling at −15, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 minutes. OC and OP received 120 mg PD orally 1 hour before GHRH injection. Mean serum GH responses in NOC and OC were significantly higher (P < .05) than those in NOP and OP, respectively, 15 minutes after GHRH injection, and remained so throughout the time-course of the test. Mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM) peak GH level (μg/L) was lower in NOP than in NOC (5.1 ± 1.6 v 21.2 ± 4.4, P < .01) and lower in OP than in OC (4.6 ± 1.8 v 15.5 ± 2.2, P < .01). Mean ± SEM peak GH level was also lower in NOP than in OC (5.1 ± 1.6 v 15.5 ± 2.2 μg/L, P < .01). Patient subgroups defined by gonadal hormone status consistently displayed lower mean peak GH levels when compared with controls. Our findings indicate that GHRH-stimulation 0testing may be useful in identifying decreased GH secretory reserve in a group of adults with hypothalamic-pituitary tumors. PD administration to obese adults allows GHRH testing to remain an effective means of testing for GH reserve.
Decolorization of Direct Yellow R Dye from Aqueous Solution by Aluminum Anode Electrochemical

The present study applied Aluminum anode electrochemical method to decolorize direct yellow R wastewater. Experiments were conducted in electrochemical cell system with dimensions of 60 mm ´ 40 mm ´ 2 mm, a steel cathode and aluminum anode. Decolorization efficiency and electrical energy consumption were also calculated to compare optimal values. The effects of factors consist of current density, initial pH, initial dye concentration and electrolyte solution concentration on color removal efficiency have been also investigated. The results of study suggested that direct yellow R dye decolorization was very effective by using treatment technique applied in the study. The optimal values of impact factors were also indicated by. The initial dye concentration of 50 mg/l, initial pH value of 6.76, and current density of 2.5 mA/cm2 and Na2SO4 electrolyte concentration of 0.1mol/L were optimal conditions for dye decolorization. Besides that, the dye decolorization might reached the highest efficiency of 96.1% once it was conducted at temperature of 20°C, electrode distance of 16 mm and electrolyte time of 60 minutes. Energy consumption for decolorization in conditions mentioned above was 2.399 kWh/kg-dye.
Chronic changes in skeletal muscle histology and function in peripheral arterial disease.

BACKGROUND Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is associated with an impairment in exercise performance and muscle function that is not fully explained by the reduced leg blood flow during exercise. This study characterized the effects of PAD on muscle function, histology, and metabolism. METHODS AND RESULTS Twenty-six patients with PAD and six age-matched control subjects were studied. Ten of the PAD patients had unilateral disease, which permitted paired comparisons between their diseased and nonsymptomatic legs. All PAD patients had a lower peak treadmill walking time and peak oxygen consumption than controls. Vascular disease (diseased leg in unilateral patients and the most severely diseased leg in bilateral patients) was associated with decreased calf muscle strength compared with control values. In patients with unilateral disease, the diseased legs had a greater percentage of angular fibers (indicating chronic denervation) and a decreased type II fiber cross-sectional area (expressed as percent of total fiber area) compared with the nonsymptomatic, or control, legs. In diseased legs, gastrocnemius muscle strength was correlated with the total calf cross-sectional area (r = 0.78, p CONCLUSIONS In patients with PAD, gastrocnemius muscle weakness is associated with muscle fiber denervation and a decreased type II fiber cross-sectional area. In contrast, the PAD patients displayed substantial heterogeneity in muscle enzyme activities that was not associated with exercise performance. Denervation and type II fiber atrophy may contribute to the muscle dysfunction in patients with PAD and further confirm that the pathophysiology of chronic PAD extends beyond arterial obstruction.
Engaging the Learner: The ABC's of Service-Learning

Abstract Today, educators are faced with the most demanding generation of learners: Generation Y. Service–learning is a means to engage Generation Y learners and empower them as active learners using real-life applications. Service–learning energizes and redesigns the learning environment as it takes traditional classroom experiences into the community. Through service–learning, students have the chance to practice what they learn while enhancing leadership, social, and partnership skills.
Competencies expected of beginning clinicians working with children who stutter

Abstract Experienced clinicians served as consultants to determine the competencies first year clinicians should possess for working with children who stutter. Competencies were identified in the areas of assessment and remediation. The frequencies with which particular competencies were cited were determined, as well as the perceived differences between competencies suggested by rural school-based consultants and consultants based in nonschool agencies. The evaluation of the outcomes is discussed in terms of the preservice educational needs of speech language pathologists who will be responsible for assisting children who stutter. Competency-based models are endorsed for professional education in communication disorders.
New stroboscopic light source and technique for intraoperative retinal fluorescein angiography during penetrating keratoplasty

ABSTRACt Purpose: We report the development of a new stroboscopic light source system and technique forperforming intraoperative fluorescein angiography during penetrating keratoplasty for aphakic orpseudophakic bullous keratopathy. Method: A controllable pulse xenon light source system(Strobex lamp; Chadwick-Helmuth mc, El Monte, CA) with a fiberoptic endoilluminator probe isused to perform high quality intraoperative fluorescein angiography during penetrating keratoplastyin pigmented rabbits and human subjects. Following corneal trephination and extraction of theintraocular lens (crystalline lens in rabbits), a temporary Cobo keratoprosthesis is secured while a20 gauge endoilluminator is inserted into the vitreous cavity through a limbal incision. Theendoilluminator is advanced to a retinal illumination area of DD and 10% fluorescein is injectedintravenously. A microscope camera coupled to a 50:50 beamsplitter photographs the passage offluorescein dye while the surgeon maintains an unaltered view through the operating microscope.Results: Angiograms through a keratoprosthesis show excellent contrast and resolution,comparable to standard fluorescein angiography. Fine peripapillary vessels are seen reproduciblyand with great detail in the rabbits. All the phases ofretinal angiography can be seen, includingarteriolar constriction and capillary nonperfusion in one of four human subjects examined.Conclusions: High quality intraoperative fluorescein angiography can be performed in patientsundergoing penetrating keratoplasty for aphakic/ pseudophakic bullous keratopathy. With thistechnology, pre-existing retinal disorders such as cystoid macular edema might be identified in theperioperative setting allowing for imponant management decisions to be made intraoperatively.1. INTRODUCTIONCME remains the leading cause of best corrected poor visual acuity following penetrating
Designing Microporous Hollow Fibre Blood Oxygenators

Extracorporeal blood oxygenators are used to oxygenate the blood during open-heart surgery. Today the vast majority of these blood oxygenators use hydrophobic microporous hollow fibre membranes to separate the blood and gas phases. Oxygen diffuses from the gas phase through the gas-filled membrane pores into the blood. Oxygen in the blood plasma binds to haemoglobin present in the red blood cells. Consequently the rate of oxygen transfer is enhanced compared to the oxygenation of water where the oxygen does not react in the liquid phase. Here mass transfer and friction factor correlations developed for nonreactive Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids are used to predict results for blood. Characteristic parameters such as the Reynolds and Schmidt numbers and the friction factor have been modified to account for the shear-thinning behaviour of blood. A mass transfer enhancement factor has been developed based on film theory which accounts for the reaction between oxygen and haemoglobin. These equations may be used to predict the performance of a blood oxygenator based on results for simple systems such as the oxygenation of water. Consequently in the initial stages of new blood oxygenator designs, experiments may be conducted using water rather than blood to save time and money.
Male menopause: myth or mystery

As they age, men face physiological changes similar to what women experience during menopause. This article reviews Web sites that discuss "male menopause" and its suitability as a diagnosis. It also reviews more general sites that provide information on healthy aging for men.
Who And Where Are The Children Yet To Enroll In Medicaid And The Children’s Health Insurance Program?

Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of health and human services, has issued a challenge to enroll the millions of uninsured children eligible for public insurance in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This paper provides estimates of the rates at which children in the various states participated in these programs in 2008 as well as the number who were eligible for them but uninsured. According to our coverage estimates, an estimated 7.3 million children were uninsured on an average day in 2008, of whom 4.7 million (65 percent) were eligible for Medicaid or CHIP but not enrolled. Participation rates varied across states from 55 percent to 95 percent, and ten states had participation rates close to or above 90 percent. Thirty-nine percent of eligible uninsured children (1.8 million) live in just three states—California, Texas, and Florida—and 61 percent (2.9 million) live in ten states. Meeting Secretary Sebelius’s challenge means achieving success in these populous states, in part throug...
A Review of: “Shame and Guilt”

Historically, there have been difficulties in defining the two words in the title of this book by June Tangney and Ronda Dearing. Helen Block Lewis is credited with bringing the topics of shame and...
Activation of NAD(P)H oxidase by outward movements of H+ ions in renal medullary thick ascending limb of Henle.

The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that the production of superoxide (O2−·) by NAD(P)H oxidase is coupled to tubular metabolic activity through ionic activation mediated by H+ mo...
Learning to learn

Empirical evidence shows that infants 10 months of age can learn about 10 times faster than infants 2 months of age that a novel entity is socially contingent. This suggests that during the period from 2 to 10 months of age infants became better learners. One possible explanation for this change is that new brain structures grow, in a genetically predetermined manner, that support more efficient learning. An analogy for this point of view would be the increase in mastication efficiency due to the growth of teeth. An alternative hypothesis is that the increase in learning efficiency is itself the result of a learning process that operates on the time scale of months. Under this view, better learning is the consequence of learning itself. Here we explore the plausibility of the "learning to learn" hypothesis from a computational point of view. We show that with standard reinforcement learning algorithms using an internally generated reinforcement signal it is possible to develop agents that progressively learn to learn within a period of months. The results fit well at a qualitative level empirical evidence regarding the development of social contingency detection in infants. The learning techniques that we explored have potential application for robots that learn to learn on their own.
Tectonic stylolites in the ‘undeformed’ Cumberland Plateau of southern Tennessee

Abstract Numerous tectonic stylolites (i.e. stylolitic planes), most of which are nearly vertical and strike about N30E. cut through otherwise undeformed carbonates in the Cumberland Plateau of southeastern Tennessee. These stylolites confirm previous arguments that tectonic stylolites should form in flat-lying strata in front of foldthrust belts. The uniform trend of the teeth of the stylolites at N50W to N70W suggests that they formed as the result of Alleghanian compression, but the stylolites lie beyond the geographic limits of other, larger-scale. Alleghanian structures. Field evidence shows that the Monteagle stylolites, which are evenly spaced, formed along pre-existing fractures, illustrating that even spacing is not necessarily evidence of self-organization.
Population management in new plant breeding approaches

This chapter briefly reviews some examples of the application of population and quantitative genetics to the development of new breeding methods. Plant breeding methods are all centered on the basic concepts of exploiting natural or artificially induced genetic variation in crop plants through selection, agronomic trials, and repeated cycles of this controlled evolutionary scheme. Methods vary in terms of the breeding system of the crop species (e.g. outbreeding, inbreeding, asexual), breeding objectives and the plant breeder’s primary training or research area. Over the past three decades a significant shift to population genetic and evolutionary thinking has modified many breeding approaches in terms of methods for synthesizing initial gene pools, recurrent selection procedures for improving source populations, and the desired genetic heterogeneity in the end product cultivars. This shift has been induced by several factors: greater recognition of the role of variation in populations due to increase in evolutionary training, greater availability of genetic resources, ecological and environmental issues, and changes in agriculture toward long-term biocontrol and multi-species strategies. Theoretical ideas have also played a role in understanding these new methods although most basic principles are too general or elementary to be cited as the direct basis for developing any particular breeding methods. For example, recurrent selection involves some general background in polygenic inheritance models and in the basic theory of selection response. However, even with much empirical work from numerous crop breeding projects, only general guidance, not specific rules, can be obtained from them. In managing genetically heterogeneous host populations for developing durable disease resistance, indeed several interesting discoveries have been made on the genetic basis of resistance, cost of virulence, pathogenicity in mixed populations, epidemiology of different fungi, and so on.
Penseurs Profonds: Sensibility and the Knowledge-Seeker in Eighteenth-Century France

The best-known intellectual persona of the French Enlightenment, the philosophe, is typically associated not with the vicissitudes of sensory, corporeal existence, but with reason, truth-telling, and the pursuit of social and political reform. However, like many other aspects of eighteenth-century culture, the figure of the thinker was deeply inflected by sensibility’s rise as a concept that bridged body, mind, and milieu. This chapter focuses on the absorbed thinker as a type to reconstruct what sensibility was held to do in the mind and body during the act of intense cerebration. It examines the ambiguous affective and sensory state which various moralists and physicians ascribed to thinkers observed or imagined in the state of absorption. It then considers some of the purposes to which Denis Diderot put the figure, focusing particularly on the absentminded geometer characters that appeared in his fictional dialogue Le Reve de d’Alembert (1769) and in the Elements de physiologie (1778). Finally, it considers what those depictions imply, both for Diderot’s views on the thinking process and for existing historiographical accounts of sensibility in the Enlightenment era.
Catholic Conceptions of Faith: A Generational Analysis*

Les AA. portent leur attention sur les conceptions de la foi parmi les catholiques americains. Ils estiment que celle-ci tend a etre de plus en plus individuelle et de moins en moins institutionnelle. Ils s'efforcent de mesurer en quoi les changements sociaux ainsi que les changements au sein de l'Eglise catholique ont pu jouer un role en ce domaine. Ils presentent un certain nombre de donnees collectees en 1993. Ils se demandent s'il existe des differences sur le plan de la conception de la foi entre les differentes generations interrogees
A communication library to support concurrent programming courses

A number of communication libraries have been written to support concurrent programming. For a variety of reasons, these libraries generally are not well-suited for use in undergraduate courses. We have written a communication library uniquely tailored to an academic environment. The library provides two levels of communication abstraction (topology and channel) and supports communication among threads, processes on the same machine, and processes on different machines, via a unified interface. The routines facilitate controlled message loss along channels and can be integrated with an existing graphical tool that supports visualization of the communication that occurs. An editor has been developed for automatic code generation for arbitrary topologies via a graphical interface. All these tools run over Solaris, Linux, and Windows.
An Institutional Economic Analysis of Labor Unions

This paper uses institutional economic theory in the line of Commons and Coase to examine the purposes, economic effects, and social welfare consequences of labor unions. Cross-discipline and cross-national principles of the institutional paradigm are described, the American and European literatures are briefly juxtaposed, and the subject of unions is placed in a larger paradigm context. Relative to previous studies, this paper presents the most formal and analytically developed application of institutional theory to the subject of unions. A number of new or revisionist implications are developed, as are contrasts with neoclassical-based models.