cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disentangling the effects of multiple fires on spatially interspersed sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) communities

QUESTIONS: Relative to a landscape with a mosaic of two sagebrush community types and increasing fire frequency, we asked: (a) do vegetation characteristics vary significantly with number of times burned for each sagebrush community; (b) how do vegetation responses to different fire frequencies compare between the two sagebrush communities? LOCATION: Columbia Plateau Ecoregion, Washington, USA. METHODS: We sampled vegetation across a landscape that burned three times over a 10‐year period in two sagebrush community types that are interspersed on unique land forms: big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) communities that occur on small “mounds” and scabland sagebrush (A. rigida) communities that occur on surrounding “flats.” Spatially overlapping fires permitted a balanced sampling design to assess unburned and once‐, twice‐, and thrice‐burned locations for each land form/community type. We utilized a suite of statistical analyses to determine differences among plant functional groups and biomass among unburned/burned strata by land form and compared results between land forms. RESULTS: Big sagebrush and scabland sagebrush communities responded uniquely to multiple fires, due to different fuel loadings, fire severities, succession and invasion dynamics. Big sagebrush experienced nearly complete shrub loss and conversion from exotic‐invaded shrubland to exotic annual grassland after only one fire. In contrast, scabland sagebrush retained a minor shrub component and higher relative cover of native herbaceous species, even after three fires. Both communities retained cover of native perennial grasses, including shallow‐ and deep‐rooted species, likely reflecting decreasing fire intensity with number of times burned. CONCLUSIONS: Despite different community‐level responses, increasing fire frequency is transforming the entire landscape to a non‐native/native grassland mix. Quantifying unique ecosystem responses to altered wildfire regimes is critical to understanding the relative resilience of communities to disturbance and their resistance to exotic species invasion (and community type conversion). Management actions may help to maintain spatial heterogeneity of ecosystems and fire‐tolerant native species.
Selection and Characterization of Cultural Priming Stimuli for the Activation of Spanish and English Cultural Mindsets Among Hispanic/Latino Bilinguals in the United States

Abstract. Cultural priming studies frequently employ non-validated, stereotypical images. Here, we empirically select images to separately evoke two cultural mindsets: Hispanic and US-American. Spa...
The Discrete $Z_{2N_c}$ Symmetry And Effective Superpotential In SUSY Gluodynamics

We find an expression for the effective superpotential describing the $N_c$ vacua of $SU(N_c)$ SUSY gluodynamics. The superpotential reduces in some approximation to the Veneziano-Yankielowicz expression amended by the term restoring the discrete $Z_{2N_c}$ symmetry. Moreover, the superpotential, being restricted to one particular vacuum state, yields the expression which was derived recently to describe all the lowest-spin physical states of the theory. The corresponding scalar potential has no cusp singularities and can be used to study the domain walls interpolating between the chirally asymmetric vacua of the model.
Pure Liquid in Equilibrium with Its Pure Vapor, Integral Approach to Phase Equilibria, Composition Models, and Sample Problems

The material presented in this lecture is adapted from Chapter 15 in T&M. First, we will complete our discussion of the differential approach to phase equilibria that we began in Lecture 29. In particular, we will derive the Clapeyron equation, including simplifying it to obtain the Clausius-Clapeyron equation which models the variation of pressure with temperature for a pure (n = 1) material along the solid-vapor, solid-liquid, and liquid-vapor equilibrium lines. Second, we will solve Sample Problem 30–1, where in the context of the integral approach to phase equilibria, we will discuss all aspects of the phase equilibria of a multicomponent (n > 1) liquid mixture coexisting with its multicomponent (n > 1) vapor mixture. To this end, we will utilize the equalities of the fugacities of each of the n components present in each phase to model the conditions of diffusional equilibrium. Specifically, gas-phase fugacities will be modeled using a fugacity-coefficient approach based on an EOS. Further, liquid-phase fugacities will be modeled using an activity-coefficient approach based on a model for the excess Gibbs free energy of mixing. Third, we will show how to relate the pure-component fugacity at temperature T and pressure P to the pure-component fugacity at temperature T and the vapor pressure of the same component at temperature T. The resulting relation will involve introducing the Poynting correction. Fourth, using the results above, we will derive n equations modeling the diffusional equilibrium of the n components, where these equations relate the 2n unknowns, T, P, the (n-1) liquid mixture mole fractions, and the (n-1) vapor mixture mole fractions. In addition, using the Gibbs Phase Rule, we will show that L = n. This implies that if we specify n of the 2n unknowns, we should be able to uniquely calculate the n remaining ones by simultaneously solving the n equations discussed above. Fifth, we will discuss four simplifications of the n equations which will lead to simpler solutions, including the celebrated Raoult’s law. Finally, we will present several mathematical models, known as composition models, that can be used to evaluate the excess Gibbs free energy of mixing.
Game development workshops designed and delivered by peer mentors to increase student curiosity and interest in an introductory programming course

Student motivation in the Programming Fundamentals (CS1) course in our college has long been a problem. Our project utilized both peer modeling and game development to increase students' curiosity for programming and help them enjoy the learning process. Our project involved peer mentors in every aspect of the game development workshops. We guided peer mentors to design, develop and deliver game development workshops. The main goal is to motivate and retain early college IT students, especially traditionally underrepresented groups, such as females and underrepresented minorities (URM) in IT. The second goal is to improve peer mentors' professional development and career readiness. We conducted a pilot study in spring 2020. Shortly after the peer mentors conducted the first workshop in person in classrooms, the classes were moved online due to the COVID pandemic. The remaining workshops were forced to be converted to the online asynchronous format. This adaptation in fact gave us a unique opportunity to observe the difference of the two modalities. Survey data show that our approach was effective at increasing students' curiosity and enjoyment of programming. Female and URM students responded especially well to workshops conducted by peer mentors in the in-person sessions, better than their counterparts. However, the benefit seemed greatly reduced for them when the remaining workshops were forced to be converted to the online asynchronous format when classes were moved online. Our survey data also showed that 91% of students prefer the in-person workshop to the standard class format, while only 56% of students preferred the online asynchronous workshops to a standard programming assignment. The contrast between the two modalities shed light on the elements, such as peer modeling and personal interaction that are especially effective for increasing motivation and improving learning for underrepresented students in IT. A larger scale implementation is in planning and what we learned in the pilot study will help guide the project in the future for both the delivery and assessment of the workshops.
Contralateral supracerebellar-transtentorial approach for posterior medio-basal temporal cavernous malformation resection.

ABSTRACT Cerebral cavernous malformations are abnormal clusters of thin-walled sinusoidal vascular channels without intervening brain parenchyma. The most common presenting symptom is seizure, which results from hemosiderin deposition in surrounding tissues. Early surgical resection of these malformations confers the greatest likelihood of long-term seizure freedom. This operative video demonstrates the resection of a posterior medio-basal temporal cavernous malformation through a contralateral supracerebellar-transtentorial (cSCTT) approach. The patient, a 65-year-old woman, presented with a complex partial seizure with secondary generalization. On preoperative evaluation, she was neurologically intact. The risks and benefits of treatment alternatives, including observation, were explained to her. She consented to proceed with surgery to remove the cavernous malformation.
Discrete Finite Element Method Application for Analysis of Unreinforced-Masonry Underground Structures

Unreinforced-masonry underground structures are composed of a finite number of distinct interacting blocks that have length scales relatively comparable with the underground openings of interest. Therefore, these structures are ideal candidates for modeling as discrete systems instead of as continuous systems. The discrete finite element method (DFEM) developed by the author to model discontinuous media consisting of blocks of arbitrary shapes was adopted for the static analysis of unreinforced masonry underground structures. The developed DFEM was based on the principles of the finite element method incorporating contact elements. The DFEM considers blocks as subdomains and represents them by solid elements. Contact elements, which are far superior to joint or interface elements, are used to model block interactions such as sliding or separation. In this study, the DFEM is briefly reviewed; then, through some illustrative examples, the applicability of the DFEM to the analysis of unreinforced-masonry und...
Loving the Green-Eyed Monster: Development and Exploration of the Jealousy is Good Scale

Despite negative relationship consequences associated with jealousy, it is often romanticized and seen as a sign of passion and investment in romantic relationships. In Study 1, we developed the ten-item Jealousy is Good Scale (JIGS) to assess pro-jealousy attitudes and examined its association with existing constructs among a sample of women. JIGS scores were related to endorsement of traditional romantic beliefs and gender norms. They were also related to desiring a partner displaying jealousy and endorsing traditional norms of masculinity, including violence. In Study 2, the structure of the JIGS was confirmed for both women and men, and there was no difference in the extent to which men and women endorsed pro-jealousy beliefs. JIGS scores were again related to the endorsement of traditional romantic beliefs as well as to sexist beliefs for both men and women. Though seemingly romantic, valuing jealousy may have problematic consequences.
Software Modeling and Design: Software Quality Attributes

Software quality attributes (Bass, Clements, and Kazman 2003) refer to the nonfunctional requirements of software, which can have a profound effect on the quality of a software product. Many of these attributes can be addressed and evaluated at the time the software architecture is developed. Software quality attributes include maintainability, modifiability, testability, traceability, scalability, reusability, performance, availability, and security. An introduction to software quality attributes is given in Section 4.6. This section describes each of these attributes and discusses how they are supported by the COMET design method. Some software quality attributes are also system quality attributes because they need both the hardware and software to achieve high quality. Examples of these quality attributes are performance, availability, and security. Other software quality attributes are purely software in nature because they rely entirely on the quality of the software. Examples of these quality attributes are maintainability, modifiability, testability, and traceability. MAINTAINABILITY Maintainability is the extent to which software is capable of being changed after deployment. Software may need to be modified for the following reasons: Fix remaining errors . These are errors that were not detected during testing of the software prior to deployment. Address performance issues . Performance problems may not become apparent until after the software application has been deployed and is operational in the field. Changes in software requirements . The biggest reason for software change is changes in software requirements.
Measuring the Tropical Year

At the outset of Book I of his, Ptolemy provides an overview of his world-view, describing the size, shape, position and motion of the heavens and the earth. Now in Book III, Ptolemy focuses his attention on the motion of the sun. In the reading selection that follows, he considers how the length of the year is determined. This is no simple problem. First, one must decide how the year is to be defined. How does Ptolemy do it? Is the motion of the sun uniform, or does its speed vary from year to year, or perhaps even from day to day? Next, one must find and interpret the ancient historical documents which record, to varying degrees of reliability, the time at which significant astronomical events—such as solstices and equinoxes—were observed.
Growth Charts for Muscular Strength Capacity With Quantile Regression.

Introduction Muscle strength preservation may play an important role in protecting against cardiometabolic diseases, functional decline, musculoskeletal deterioration, and early all-cause mortality. However, sex-specific strength growth charts and curves using data from a U.S.-representative sample and clinically feasible measurement remain to be established. Methods A sample of 7,119 individuals, aged 6–80 years, was included from the 2011–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Analyses were performed in 2015. Grip strength was assessed using a hydraulic handheld dynamometer; peak force values were normalized per body mass. Parametric quantile regression was used to determine unique normalized and absolute strength percentiles for men and women. Responses were fitted with a parametric model, involving six powers of age. Results Growth charts and curves were created using output from the quantile regression from reference values of normalized and absolute grip strength corresponding to the fifth, tenth, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 95th percentiles across all ages. For men, there was a small drop in normalized strength at age 6 years followed by quick growth until about age 25 years. Among women, normalized strength grew gradually until about age 15 years. For both men and women, normalized strength declined throughout middle age and later adulthood; however, these rates were greater among men. More-pronounced patterns of growth and decline were observed for absolute strength in men and women. Conclusions The established strength quantiles can easily be incorporated into a clinical setting for screening individuals that would benefit from lifestyle interventions to improve muscular fitness and reduce health risks.
Matrix Methods in the Design Analysis of Mechanisms and Multibody Systems

This book is an integrated approach to kinematic and dynamic analysis. The matrix techniques presented are general and fully applicable to two- or three-dimensional systems. They lend themselves to programming and digital computation and can act as the basis of a usable tool for designers. Techniques have broad applicability to the design analysis of all multibody mechanical systems. The more powerful and more flexible the approach, and the less specialisation and reprogramming required for each application, the better. The matrix methods presented have been developed using these ideas as primary goals. Matrix methods can be applied by hand to such problems as the slider-crank mechanism, but this is not the intent of this text, and often the rigor required for such an attempt becomes quite burdensome in comparison with other techniques. The matrix methods have been extensively tested, both in the classroom and in the world of engineering industry.
General deterrence theory: assessing information systems security effectiveness in large versus small businesses

This research sought to shed light on information systems security (ISS) by conceptualizing an organization’s use of countermeasures using general deterrence theory, positing a non-recursive relationship between threats and countermeasures, and by extending the ISS construct developed in prior research. Industry affiliation and organizational size are considered in terms of differences in threats that firms face, the different countermeasures in use by various firms, and ultimately, how a firm’s ISS effectiveness is affected. Six information systems professionals were interviewed in order to develop the appropriate instruments necessary to assess the research model put forth; the final instrument was further refined by pilot testing with the intent of further clarifying the wording and layout of the instrument. Finally, the Association of Information Technology Professionals was surveyed using an online survey. The model was assessed using SmartPLS and a two-stage least squares analysis. Results indicate that a non-recursive relationship does indeed exist between threats and countermeasures and that countermeasures can be used to effectively frame an organization’s use of countermeasures. Implications for practitioners include the ability to target the use of certain countermeasures to have desired effects on both ISS effectiveness and future threats. Additionally, the model put forth in this research can be used by practitioners to both assess their current ISS effectiveness as well as to prescriptively target desired levels of ISS effectiveness.
Applying a dissident's stance on recent trends in urban research - quantitative methods as a symptom of growing marketing pressures on the city

The paper investigates the rapidly increasing use of data in urban research, questioning cause and effect in order to understand how the usually publicized reasons for this trend - scientific progress and ecological threats - relate to wider economic interests as the actual underlying forces of transformation. Dealing in essence with a whole discipline within the philosophy of science - the relation between scientific progress, human behavior and the economic realm - the author does not endeavor to bring new findings to the philosophical discussion as such, but applies elements of it to the urban realm. Just like the fast development of mobile devices - as one example among many others - can not simply be attributed to technological progress, but also to the market’s fervent demand and the product’s considerable profitability, the author argues that the impressive change of paradigm in urban research might as well be motivated by something else than simple pragmatic needs and a new fashion for computation. He also observes the dissolution of a formerly existing discussion between experts towards a situation in which the wider public is addressed as the consumer of a product that is defined by an oligopoly of public-private interests. The character of this marriage leads for the urban professional to a new method of not only approaching, but also perceiving and “selling” the urban realm, one example being different types of city rankings that are using figure-based information in order to attract investment through the creation of an image. This duality and tension, between the rationality of a figure-based approach and the marketing pressure that consists in provoking irrational buying decisions, crystallizes as one ofthe study’s major outcomes. Is what we see just the agreeable tip of a manipulative iceberg? How can the urban designer adjust to these trends, avoiding to be used as a mere tool for empty marketing campaigns?
Morphea and lichen sclerosus et atrophicus. Clinical and histopathologic studies in patients with combined features

Ten patients with skin lesions clinically consistent with morphea and lichen sclerosus et atrophicus were studied. In all cases, histopathologic changes of both morphea and lichen sclerosus et atrophicus were also present. The coexistence of morphea and lichen sclerosus et atrophicus in the same patient suggests that these lesions represent a spectrum which may reflect similar etiologic events or closely related pathologic processes in these two diseases.
Self-synchronizing outer codes for the TDRSS decoder

In this paper, various aspects of developing a self-synchronizing coding system are discussed for NASA's TDRSS satellite system. The coding system used is a concatenation of a (2, 1, 7) inner convolutional code with a (255,223) Reed-Solomon outer code. The goal is to design the decoder in such a way that both symbol and word synchronization are achieved for the outer code without the need for any separate synchronization patten. The system proposed in this paper uses the properties of the inner (Viterbi) decoder to provide symbol synchronization for the outer code, and maintains word synchronization by making use of a coset code of the Reed-Solomon code.
Selenium Sulfide: Adjunctive Therapy for Tinea Capitis

Selenium sulfide lotion used as a shampoo has been shown to be an effective adjunctive agent to griseofulvin in the treatment of tinea capitis. Of 16 children with Trichophyton tonsurans infections 15 had negative fungal cultures at two weeks following a regimen of daily oral griseofulvin and selenium sulfide shampooing twice weekly. All patients treated with griseofulvin alone or in combination with either a bland shampoo or topical clotrimazole had positive cultures not only at the two-week interval but also as long as eight weeks later. In vitro analysis shows selenium sulfide to be sporicidal, correlating well with the in vivo observations. It is postulated that selenium sulfide usage may lessen the chances for spreading of infectious spores to other individuals.
Metabolic and functional characteristics of alveolar macrophages recovered from rats exposed to marijuana smoke.

Pulmonary alveolar macrophages were obtained by bronchopulmonary lavage from male rats after 30 consecutive days of in vivo exposure to marijuana and tobacco smoke. No significant differences were found between either group of experimental animals and controls in the number of cells recovered, the protein content per 106 cells, or the percentage of cells that adhered to plastic surfaces. The ability of macrophages to phagocytize viable bacteria was not affected by exposure to either marijuana or tobacco smoke in that both treatment groups ingested Staphylococcus aureus over a 60-min period as well as did control cells. Differences were found between the groups, however, with respect to cellular metabolism. Marijuana smoke inhalation caused a small decrease in the amount of oxygen consumed by macrophages during phagocytosis, as compared with control cells. This may have been reflected in the even greater decrease in superoxide formation observed during particle engulfment by these treated cells. Tobacco smoke, on the other hand, increased oxygen consumption and was without effect on superoxide release. Neither tobacco nor marijuana smoke treatment had an effect on the direct oxidation of glucose via the hexose monophosphate shunt. Our results indicate that, despite several metabolic alterations in response to marijuana and tobacco smoke, alveolar macrophages were not compromised with respect to their ability to ingest a particulate challenge.
Desktop commodity-level immersive environments

The financial resources once required to maintain multi-million dollar facilities dedicated solely to virtual reality applications are no longer an absolute necessity. The technology to develop and display multi-user, stereo 3D immersive environments is now available on the desktop. Personal computers and 3D game-specific graphic cards are now powerful enough to allow anyone with modern personal computers and an inexpensive, multi-player, first person 3D game engine to create and display reasonably convincing 3D stereo immersive environments. I will be demonstrating the use of a popular and inexpensive (<$50) first person shooter (FPS) game engine to create convincing multi-user stereo 3d immersive environments using commodity-level (~$2000) PC hardware. These environments can be experienced by booth visitors using inexpensive (<$100) wireless LCD shutter glasses. Interested visitors may be provided with brief hands-on experience creating these environments, depending on booth traffic.
Civil rights in America's African diaspora: Firestone Rubber and segregation in Liberia

In 1926, the United States (US) company Firestone Rubber in Akron, Ohio initiated a second practice of segregation in Liberia. The first practice began with the minority regime of the Afro-American settlers over 17 ethnic groups in the Republic of Liberia in 1847. Civil rights were unheard of in Liberia during either of these two periods. This changed when Liberian students travelled to the US on government scholarships, primarily to study in historical black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the 1940s and 1950s. When the Liberian students were exposed to the Civil Rights Movement, they fully understood the injustice of the situation in Liberia. Dr Martin Luther King, Jr and others travelled to the Gold Coast for its transition into becoming the nation of Ghana on 6 March 1957. Meetings between King and Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah led to collaborative efforts towards ending colonial racism in Africa and segregation in the US. During the Cold War, segregation in the US and Liberia was a source of shame...
Evaporation at high elevations in Hawaii

Abstract An experiment was conducted to measure evaporation at high elevations on a tropical island mountain and to compare these measurements with estimates from Penman, Penman-Van Bavel, Penman-Monteith, and Priestley-Taylor models. Hourly evaporation and other microclimatological data were measured at three sites on Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii. Evaporation during the observation period increased with elevation, averanging 3.3 mm day −1 at 950 m, 3.6 mm day −1 at 1650 m, and 6.4 mm day −1 at 2130 m. The spatial pattern of evaporation on Haleakala is dominantly a function of elevation relative to the position of the inversion. The residual of measured minus modeled evaporation, as well as the ratio of evaporation to net radiation increased with elevation. The rate of night-time evaporation, also increasing with elevation, suggests a source of non-radiative energy. Results indicate that air above and within the inversion layer in the Hawaiian Islands region provides a source of heat advection that substantially increases potential evaporation at high elevations.
Heteromultivalent liposomal nanoconstructs for enhanced targeting and shear-stable binding to active platelets for site-selective vascular drug delivery

Abstract Activated platelets play multiple roles in vascular diseases. Hence, a delivery vehicle that can specifically target activated platelets and stay retained under a hemodynamic environment can potentially enhance the efficacy of vehicle-encapsulated vascular drug by protecting it from rapid plasma deactivation, reducing its systemic non-specific side-effects, and increasing its therapeutic index at disease sites undergoing platelet hyperactivity. We rationalized that liposomal nanoconstructs surface-modified with two kinds of peptide that simultaneously bind integrin αIIbβ3 and P-selectin on activated platelets can provide synergistic mechanisms for enhanced selectivity to vascular disease sites. We further hypothesized that dual-receptor targeting will enhance binding strength and retention under flow. We tested this using fluorescently-labeled liposomes, surface-modified by an RGD peptide targeted to active αIIbβ3 and an EWVDV peptide targeted to P-selectin. The liposomes were studied for their platelet-specific interactions inside a parallel plate flow chamber at low-to-high shear stresses. The interaction specificity was further confirmed by flow cytometry. Our results indicate that liposomes surface-modified with both RGD and EWVDV simultaneously have higher selectivity as well as retention to activated platelets under flow compared to liposomes bearing any one peptide type. These results establish the potential of our nanoconstructs for enhanced site-selective drug delivery in vascular diseases.
Low molecular weight RNA components from KB cells.

Simple oligonucleotide maps can be obtained by two-dimensional paper electrophoresis from enzyme digests of 5S RNA from KB carcinoma ribosomes. These maps can be distinguished from those obtained from 5S RNA derived from E. coli and from RNA components of low molecular weight derived from KB cells with and without adenovirus infection.
Modeling of water transport in and release from glucose-sensitive swelling-controlled release systems based on poly(diethylaminoethyl methacrylate-g-ethylene glycol)

The glucose-sensitive behavior of glucose-sensitive, poly(diethylaminoethyl methacrylate-g-ethylene glycol) hydrogels was modeled and analyzed in the case of exposure to glucose solutions. Gel microparticles were prepared with molar ratios of 10:1 diethylaminoethyl methacrylate to poly(ethylene glycol) of molecular weights 200, 400, and 1000, using tetra(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate as a cross-linking agent. Glucose oxidase and catalase was immobilized in the matrix during polymerization. The equilibrium and dynamic swelling properties of these hydrogels were investigated. The pH-dependent equilibrium swelling characteristics showed a sharp transition between the swollen state and the collapsed state at a pH of 7.0. Microparticles showed rapid swelling and collapse under the influence of pulsatile pH changes. The glucose-sensitive behavior of the gels due to glucose oxidase was also studied. Diffusion and relaxation models were used to predict swelling of single microparticles under different pH and gl...
2012 Special Issue: A novel extended kernel recursive least squares algorithm

In this paper, a novel extended kernel recursive least squares algorithm is proposed combining the kernel recursive least squares algorithm and the Kalman filter or its extensions to estimate or predict signals. Unlike the extended kernel recursive least squares (Ex-KRLS) algorithm proposed by Liu, the state model of our algorithm is still constructed in the original state space and the hidden state is estimated using the Kalman filter. The measurement model used in hidden state estimation is learned by the kernel recursive least squares algorithm (KRLS) in reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS). The novel algorithm has more flexible state and noise models. We apply this algorithm to vehicle tracking and the nonlinear Rayleigh fading channel tracking, and compare the tracking performances with other existing algorithms.
Duration of Resuscitation Efforts and Functional Outcome After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest When Should We Change to Novel Therapies?

Background—Functionally favorable survival remains low after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. When initial interventions fail to achieve the return of spontaneous circulation, they are repeated with little incremental benefit. Patients without rapid return of spontaneous circulation do not typically survive with good functional outcome. Novel approaches to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest have yielded functionally favorable survival in patients for whom traditional measures had failed, but the optimal transition point from traditional measures to novel therapies is ill defined. Our objective was to estimate the dynamic probability of survival and functional recovery as a function of resuscitation effort duration to identify this transition point. Methods and Results—Retrospective cohort study of a cardiac arrest database at a single site. We included 1014 adult (≥18 years) patients experiencing nontraumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest between 2005 and 2011, defined as receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitati...
Early declarative memory for location

The abilities of 7.5-month-old infants to recall the location of hidden objects after delays averaging 90 seconds were investigated in three experiments. Various kinds of events were introduced during the delays in order to examine the stability of early location memory. Recall, as shown by reaching towards the correct location, was most clearly found when the infants were allowed either to remain seated facing the hiding locations (Expt 1) or were turned around and immediately re-seated (Expt 2) during the delays. In both experiments, the infants' attention was diverted from the hiding places, but during all or most of the delay the infants were facing the locations. Recall was dampened when infants were removed from the immediate location of the hiding and engaged in other activities such as looking at a picture during the delay (Expt 3). Further analyses indicated an effect for age that coincides with other research on location memory: evidence for recall was more clearly found for the older, but not the younger, 7-month-olds.
DFMO Reduces Cortical Infarct Volume After Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in the Rat

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), a key enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis, is induced in ischemic tissue and may mediate vasogenic edema and delayed neuronal death. We determined the effects of alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), a specific inhibitor of ODC, on infarct size and ODC activity in a rat model of transient focal ischemia. DFMO blocked the ischemia-induced increase in ODC and significantly reduced infarct volumes by 57-45%, depending upon the treatment regimen. These studies suggest that polyamine metabolism plays a role in the development of cerebral infarction after focal ischemia and that DFMO may be useful in limiting injury after a stroke.
Dorsal root ganglia isolated from Nf1+/− mice exhibit increased levels of mRNA expression of voltage-dependent sodium channels

Abstract We reported previously that sensory neurons isolated from mice with a heterozygous mutation of the Nf1 gene (Nf1+/−) exhibited greater excitability and increased sodium current densities compared with wildtype mice. This raises the question as to whether the increased current density resulted from post-translational modifications or increased expression of sodium channels. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to measure expression levels of the nine different voltage-gated sodium channel α subunits and the four associated auxiliary β subunits in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) obtained from wildtype and Nf1+/− mice. The Relative Expression Software Tool indicated that Nav1.1, Nav1.3, Nav1.7, and Nav1.8 were significantly elevated in DRG isolated from Nf1+/− mice. Expression of Nav1.2, Nav1.5, Nav1.6, and Nav1.9 were not significantly altered. The gene transcript for Nav1.4 was not detected. There were no significant changes in the relative expression levels of β subunits. The Nav1.9 subtype was the most abundant with Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 being the next most abundant subtypes, whereas Nav1.3 was relatively less abundant. For the β subunits, β1 was by far the most abundant subtype. These results demonstrate that the increased expression levels of Nav1.7, Nav1.8, and perhaps Nav1.1 in the Nf1+/− DRG make the largest contribution to the increased sodium current density and thus give rise to the enhanced excitability. Though the mechanisms by which many people with NF1 experience increased pain have not been elucidated, these abnormal painful states may involve elevated expression of specific sodium channel subtypes in small diameter nociceptive sensory neurons.
The use of gabapentin for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia

Abstract Background: Varicella-zoster virus causes chickenpox and can reemerge later in life to cause herpes zoster or shingles. One of the most common and disabling complications of herpes zoster is postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Objectives: This article reviews the current primary literature about the efficacy and tolerability of gabapentin for the treatment of PHN. Gabapentin pharmacokinetics and drug interactions are also reviewed. Methods: A literature search in the English language was conducted using OVID Web, which contained the following databases: MEDLINE (1966–present), EMBASE (1980–2002), Current Contents/Clinical Medicine (1999–2002), Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (1898–present), Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews (fourth quarter, 2002), and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970–2002). Search terms used were postherpetic neuralgia; zoster; gabapentin; neuropathic pain; pain; pharmacoeconomic; cost; controlled clinical trial; randomized, controlled trial; postherpetic neuralgia and gabapentin; gabapentin and pain; treatment and postherpetic neuralgia; gabapentin and age; gabapentin and gender; gabapentin and ethnicity ; and gabapentin and pharmacokinetics . Results: Gabapentin displays nonlinear absorption kinetics, is minimally protein bound ( P P P P Conclusions: Gabapentin appears to be effective and well tolerated for the short-term treatment of PHN. However, future controlled studies are needed to determine whether the effectiveness of gabapentin for PHN is maintained for >2 months, to establish the optimal dose of gabapentin for PHN, and to compare the efficacy of gabapentin with that of other pharmacologic agents used for the treatment of PHN.
Local Difference Binary for Ultrafast and Distinctive Feature Description

The efficiency and quality of a feature descriptor are critical to the user experience of many computer vision applications. However, the existing descriptors are either too computationally expensive to achieve real-time performance, or not sufficiently distinctive to identify correct matches from a large database with various transformations. In this paper, we propose a highly efficient and distinctive binary descriptor, called local difference binary (LDB). LDB directly computes a binary string for an image patch using simple intensity and gradient difference tests on pairwise grid cells within the patch. A multiple-gridding strategy and a salient bit-selection method are applied to capture the distinct patterns of the patch at different spatial granularities. Experimental results demonstrate that compared to the existing state-of-the-art binary descriptors, primarily designed for speed, LDB has similar construction efficiency, while achieving a greater accuracy and faster speed for mobile object recognition and tracking tasks.
Physical and biogenic aspects of backbarrier sedimentary sequences, Georgia Coast, U.S.A.

Abstract Configuration of the present Georgia coast, with its broad expanses of salt marsh and intricate tidal drainages behind Pleistocene—Holocene barrier islands, implies the filling of an extensive backbarrier lagoonal system. However, riverine and salt marsh estuaries dominate the modern depositional setting and reconstructed vertical sequences suggest that backbarrier filling was accomplished by estuarine processes. Backbarrier sediments exhibit considerable diversity in grain size and physical and biogenic sedimentary structures. Principal sediment textures include clean to muddy coarse and fine sand, mud and, to a lesser extent, shells, pebbles, and mud and bedrock clasts. Physical sedimentary structures, many modified by bioturbation, include large-scale cross-bedding (trough and planar) with graded sets, small-scale crossbedding (ripple lamination and flaser, wavy and lenticular bedding), laminated to interbedded sand and mud, and rare pebble or shell beds. Ebb-oriented structures predominate over flood-oriented ones. Except in upper reaches of riverine estuaries, biogenic sedimentary structures typically are diverse and abundant. characteristic lebensspuren include polychaete dwelling tubes, decapod and polychaete burrows, ray holes, and bioturbate textures imparted by amphipods, ophiuroids, bivalves and anemones. Patterns of bioturbation are controlled to some extent by sediment type, salinity levels and rates of deposition and physical reworking of sediments. Although intensity of bioturbation generally increases seaward, bioturbate textures are more readily preservable in the lower-energy, middle reaches of estuaries. Because of numerous local Pleistocene sediment sources and local variations in hydrographic regimes, the stratigraphic record of salt marsh estuaries differs relatively little from that of riverine estuaries. The basic sequence, in ascending order, typically consists of: (1) channel-lag and (or) channel-fill deposits; (2) estuarine accretionary beds; (3) point bar, tidal flat and shoal sediments; and (4) channel margin and salt marsh deposits.
More on mortality

Question 1. Does there exist an algorithm which decides for any finite set of 2 x 2 matrices with integer entries whether the set is mortal? It is easy to find examples of mortal sets and examples of nonmortal sets of matrices. A natural question to ask is whether there is an algorithm to determine mortality. You might be able to answer the question in terms of basic properties of matrices and of integers by discovering, from examples, a systematic way of checking for mortality. Indeed, if we limit the question to lower triangular matrices, there is a simple algorithm to determine mortality. A finite set of lower triangular 2 x 2 matrices is mortal if and only if, for each diagonal entry position there is a matrix in the set with a zero in that position. It is important to realize that there may not exist an algorithm as indicated in question 1. That is, there may not be a recursive procedure [1, p. 534], [2] for deciding mortality and we would say that the mortality problem is unsolvable [4, p. 2], [2]. It is possible to use elementary means and a known result that some other problem is recursively unsolvable to verify that a mortality problem is unsolvable. This was done in [5] to show that the mortality problem for 3 x 3 matrices is unsolvable. Thus, if we change question 1 to refer to 3 x 3 matrices instead of 2 x 2
Vesicle-associated Membrane Protein (VAMP) Cleavage by a New Metalloprotease from the Brazilian Scorpion Tityus serrulatus

We present evidence that venom from the Brazilian scorpion Tityus serrulatus and a purified fraction selectively cleave essential SNARE proteins within exocrine pancreatic tissue. Western blotting for vesicle-associated membrane protein type v-SNARE proteins (or synaptobrevins) reveals characteristic alterations to venom-treated excised pancreatic lobules in vitro. Immunocytochemistry by electron microscopy confirms both the SNARE identity as VAMP2 and the proteolysis of VAMP2 as a marked decrease in secondary antibody-conjugated colloidal gold particles that are predominantly associated with mature zymogen granules. Studies with recombinant SNARE proteins were used to determine the specific cleavage site in VAMP2 and the susceptibility of VAMP8 (endobrevin). The VAMP2 cleavage site is between the transmembrane anchor and the SNARE motif that assembles into the ternary SNARE complex. Inclusion of divalent chelating agents (EDTA) with fraction ν, an otherwise active purified component from venom, eliminates SNARE proteolysis, suggesting the active protein is a metalloprotease. The unique cleavages of VAMP2 and VAMP8 may be linked to pancreatitis that develops following scorpion envenomation as both of these v-SNARE proteins are associated with zymogen granule membranes in pancreatic acinar cells. We have isolated antarease, a metalloprotease from fraction ν that cleaves VAMP2, and report its amino acid sequence.
Longitudinal relationship between television viewing and leisure-time physical activity during adolescence.

OBJECTIVE. The goal was to examine the longitudinal associations of changes in television viewing and other sources of sedentary behavior with changes in leisure-time moderate/vigorous physical activity in adolescence. METHODS. We studied a cohort of 6369 girls and 4487 boys who were 10 to 15 years of age in 1997. During each of 4 years of follow-up assessments, participants self-reported their weekly hours of television viewing. By using a seasonal questionnaire, we also obtained detailed information on physical activities over the previous year, from which we calculated total leisure-time moderate/vigorous physical activity. We performed linear regression analyses to assess the longitudinal associations between 1-year changes in television viewing and 1-year changes in leisure-time moderate/vigorous physical activity during the same year, using data from 1997 through 2001. RESULTS. One-year changes (mean ± SD) were −0.13 ± 7.2 hours/week for leisure-time moderate/vigorous physical activity, −0.55 ± 7.0 hours/week for television viewing, and −1.02 ± 11.0 hours/week for total sedentary behaviors. In longitudinal models adjusted for age, age2, gender, race/ethnicity, Tanner stage, menarche (in girls), baseline physical activity, and baseline television viewing, we found no substantive relationship between year-to-year changes in television viewing and changes in leisure-time moderate/vigorous physical activity (0.03 hours/week, for each 1-hour/week change in television viewing). There were no material associations in age or gender subgroups. CONCLUSIONS. In this longitudinal study, changes in television viewing were not associated with changes in leisure-time moderate/vigorous physical activity. Our findings suggest that television viewing and leisure-time physical activity are separate constructs, not functional opposites.
Differential reflectometry and its application in materials science

The differential reflectometer is briefly described, Its use as a fast, simple, and non-destructive surface analytical instrument is stressed and several examples are provided. Among them are a study of the electronic structure of alloys, the identification and evaluation of surface films in situ, and some investigations which elucidate the damage which is inflicted on semiconductor materials and electronic devices by ion implantation and other means.
42 bp element from LDL receptor gene confers end-product repression by sterols when inserted into viral TK promoter.

Abstract The LDL receptor, which mediates the cellular uptake of cholesterol, is subject to classic end-product repression when cholesterol accumulates in the cell. We here show that the sensitivity to end-product repression depends upon a 42 bp element in the 5′-flanking region of the human LDL receptor gene. This sequence, designated sterol regulatory element 42 (SRE 42), contains two 16 bp direct repeats that exhibit positive and negative transcriptional activities. Cells transfected with a fusion gene containing SRE 42 inserted into the promoter of the herpes simplex viral TK gene produced abundant mRNA when grown without sterols. When sterols were present, the mRNA was reduced by 57%–95%, depending on the number of copies of SRE in the fusion gene. These transfection data plus DNAase I footprinting experiments suggest a model of end-product repression in which the end product (sterols) opposes the action of a positive transcription factor that binds to a discrete promoter element.
Sex-Role Attitudes of Drug Abuse Treatment Counselors.

This study examined the sex-role attitude of the drug abuse treatment counselor as a function of the sex of the counselor, the sex of the client, and the treatment approach (drug free versus methadone maintenance). Two versions of a stimulus vignette depicting a typical client, identical except for the sex of the client, were developed. Counselors rated this hypothetical client on an author developed Attitude Toward Addiction Scale. Findings indicated that: 1) male counselors viewed clients of both sexes more negatively than did female counselors; 2) male clients were viewed more negatively than female clients by counselors of both sexes; 3) counselors in drug free treatment programs viewed clients more negatively than did counselors in methadone maintenance programs; and 4) counselors with less education had more negative attitudes.