cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integrated Intraoperative Optical Coherence Tomography in Pediatric Glaucoma Surgery

The advent of integrated intraoperative optical coherence tomography (i2OCT) has opened the door for safer and more complex surgeries in the retina and cornea. However, to limit its use to just two subspecialties within ophthalmology is an opportunity lost for many other subspecialties. Here, we describe the use of i2OCT in pediatric glaucoma surgery. It can be used to identify Schlemm's canal, Barkan's membrane, demonstrate the corneal pathology in Haab's striae, and iris hypoplasia in cases of Axenfeld-Rieger anomaly. It can help identify drainage blebs that are filtering and those that are not, and identify successful drainage tube flushing. It has also been used to identify a ligating suture effect on a drainage tube. We describe these scenarios in relation to training and augmenting surgical techniques.
Water End-Use Disaggregation for Six Nonresidential Facilities in Logan, Utah

AbstractMost urban water-use monitoring, modeling, and conservation research has focused on a large but relatively homogenous group of residential water users. Commercial, industrial, and instituti...
Legalizing Midwifery in Missouri

Two decades after the Missouri Supreme Court upheld an injunction against the practice of midwifery, two midwives became lobbyists for the cause and, with the remarkable cooperation of friendly legislators and lobbyists, got a provision inserted in a health bill legalizing the practice of tocology, a synonym for midwifery that went unnoticed by legislators who voted for the lengthy bill in which it was inserted. Medical associations sued to invalidate this "stealth" provision but their efforts failed when the Missouri Supreme Court declined to grant standing to the doctors to "protect" the interests of the public. Thirteen years later, the practice of midwifery in Missouri remains legal. Part I "Mastering the Legislative Game With Stealth and Faith" tells the story of lobbying the legislation; Part II "The Physicians Go to Court; the Midwives "Lawyer Up'" tells the story of the legal fight to uphold the validity of the legislation.
Determining the effects of non-catastrophic nail puncture on the operational performance and service life of small soft case commercial Li-ion prismatic cells

Abstract This work focused on the operational effects of Li-ion batteries (LIBs) that had been partially damaged and were allowed to continue operating afterwards. The intent was to simulate the operation of a damaged cell in an abusive environment, such as that found in electric vehicles and hybrid-electric vehicles. A test rig implementing a drop hammer with a nail attached was used to puncture approximately halfway through cycling LIBs to determine how their operation was affected. For all LIBs tested, the puncture caused a rapid spike in temperature. The dynamic impact immediately caused an initial drop in capacity of approximately 11%, and capacity continued to decrease throughout the remainder of the cycles. The cells also reached their end of life within an average of 43 cycles after the puncture, much sooner than the rated lifetime. Postmortem analysis of the punctured LIBs presented impact induced physical damage to the electrodes, oxidation of the electrolyte, and degradation of the interior components of the cells. This caused a decrease in discharge capacity and shortened useful lifetime due to hindering the charge capability of the cells. The degradation mechanism of the cells was further determined using peak tracking of the incremental capacity curves throughout their lifetimes.
Effects of nicotinic antagonists on working memory performance in young rhesus monkeys.

Abstract Acetylcholine plays a pivotal neuromodulatory role in the brain, influencing neuronal activity and cognitive function. Nicotinic receptors, particularly α7 and α4β2 receptors, modulate firing of dorsolateral prefrontal (dlPFC) excitatory networks that underlie successful working memory function. Minimal work however has been done examining working memory following systemic blockade of nicotinic receptor systems in nonhuman primates, limiting the ability to explore interactions of other neuromodulatory influences with working memory impairment caused by nicotinic antagonism. In this study, we investigated working memory performance after administering three nicotinic antagonists, mecamylamine, methyllycaconitine, and dihydro-β-erythroidine, in rhesus macaques tested in a spatial delayed response task. Surprisingly, we found that no nicotinic antagonist significantly impaired delayed response performance compared to vehicle. In contrast, the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine reliably impaired delayed response performance in all monkeys tested. These findings suggest there are some limitations on using systemic nicotinic antagonists to probe the involvement of nicotinic receptors in aspects of dlPFC-dependent working memory function, necessitating alternative strategies to understand the role of this system in cognitive deficits seen in aging and neurodegenerative disease.
Meeting the need for Primary Care and Academic Pediatric Clinical Experiences: An innovative academic practice partnership

Background A primary care practice within a large academic pediatric center identified the need to expand access to after-hours care for the underserved pediatric population in the community. The clinic serves approximately 14,000 pediatric patients aged 0-18 years with over 30,000 visits annually. Over 85% of the clinic patients have public health insurance. State wide, approximately 16% of children live in poverty and 46% are on Medicaid. The minority population is 43% statewide and 77% in counties surrounding the clinic. The partnering academic institution identified the need for additional clinical education experiences for pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) students. Nationally, academic …
Effects of emulsifiers on an in vitro model of intestinal epithelial tight junctions and the transport of food allergens

Scope Certain food emulsifiers may interfere with gut barrier function in ways correlating to increased exposure to allergens. Understanding the consequences of interactions between these food ingredients and the intestinal epithelium is important for evaluating allergen dose exposure characteristics. Methods and results Wechallenged Caco-2 cell monolayers, an in vitromodel of human intestinal epithelial tight junctions with synthetic polysorbate-80 or natural lecithin alone, or in combination with known allergens (egg proteins: ovalbumin, ovomucoid, and ovotransferrin; and a synthetic form of galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal), an allergen of increasing concern). For most doses of individual emulsifiers and allergens, >90% cell viability and Conclusion By modulating paracellular permeability, polysorbate-80 may enhance absorption of allergens in a size-dependent manner. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Novel Phenotypic Outcomes Identified for a Public Collection of Approved Drugs from a Publicly Accessible Panel of Assays

Phenotypic assays have a proven track record for generating leads that become first-in-class therapies. Whole cell assays that inform on a phenotype or mechanism also possess great potential in drug repositioning studies by illuminating new activities for the existing pharmacopeia. The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) pharmaceutical collection (NPC) is the largest reported collection of approved small molecule therapeutics that is available for screening in a high-throughput setting. Via a wide-ranging collaborative effort, this library was analyzed in the Open Innovation Drug Discovery (OIDD) phenotypic assay modules publicly offered by Lilly. The results of these tests are publically available online at www.ncats.nih.gov/expertise/preclinical/pd2 and via the PubChem Database (https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) (AID 1117321). Phenotypic outcomes for numerous drugs were confirmed, including sulfonylureas as insulin secretagogues and the anti-angiogenesis actions of multikinase inhibitors sorafenib, axitinib and pazopanib. Several novel outcomes were also noted including the Wnt potentiating activities of rotenone and the antifolate class of drugs, and the anti-angiogenic activity of cetaben.
A theorem on non-associative algebras and its application to differential equations

For a given field F, the set of F-algebras (resp. commutative F-algebras) of arity n≥2 and F-dimension m can be identified with the mn+1 (resp. m(m+n−1n)) dimensional F-affine space S of structure coefficients. We show: If F is algebraically closed, then there exists an affine subvariety A of S with A≠S, which is defined over the prime field of F, such that all F-algebras corresponding to the points of S-A posses precisely nm−1 idempotent elements ≠0 and fail to have nil potent elements ≠0. This implies for a system of ordinary differential equations $$\left( * \right)\dot X_i = D_i \left( {X_l ,..,X_m } \right),i = l,..,m,$$ with Di(Xi,...,Xm)∈ℂ[X1,...,Xm] homogeneous polynomials of degree n: If the coefficients of the polynomials Di, i=1,...,m, are algebraically independent over the field of rationals, then (*) possesses precisely nm−1 ray solutions and fails to have a critical point other than the origin.
Rapid secretagogue-induced activation of Na+H+ exchange in rat parotid acinar cells. Possible interrelationship between volume regulation and stimulus-secretion coupling.

Abstract We demonstrate a rapid activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger in intact rat parotid acini in response to muscarinic (carbachol; K1/2 = 0.4 microM) and alpha-adrenergic (epinephrine; K1/2 = 0.1 microM) stimulation. This rapid activation is apparently distinct from the relatively "slow" activation of the exchanger (t1/2 greater than or equal to 5 min) reported previously (Manganel, M., and Turner, R. J. (1989) J. Membr. Biol. 111, 191-198). This rapid activation is not produced by treatment of acini with active diacylglycerol analogues nor prevented by protein kinase inhibitors, arguing against the involvement of protein kinase C-dependent processes. Stimulation of the exchanger is, however, produced by concentrations of ionomycin which yield intracellular calcium levels in the physiologic (secretagogue-induced) range. In addition, chelation of intracellular calcium with 1,2-bis(O-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid blocks the effect of carbachol, but calmodulin antagonists are without effect. The possibility that the rapid activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger may be associated with cell shrinkage arising from carbachol-induced calcium mobilization is explored. In support of this suggestion we present evidence that: (i) the Na+/H+ exchanger is stimulated by shrinkage of these cells, (ii) the carbachol dose dependence of Na+/H+ exchange activation correlates well with that of shrinkage (but not with that of intracellular calcium levels), and (iii) maneuvers which blunt carbachol- or calcium-induced shrinkage also blunt activation of the exchanger. We suggest that this osmoregulatory response may play an important role in maintaining ionic homeostasis during the acinar fluid secretory process.
Design and demonstration of an immobilized-cell fluidized-bed reactor for the efficient production of ethanol

Initial studies have been carried out on the scale-up of a medium-scale (2–5 m tall with a 10.2-cm id), fluidized-bed reactor (FBR) designed for fuel ethanol fermentation using immobilizedZymomonas mobilis. These results suggest that further improvements in ethanol productivity along with good operability may be possible when compared with previous results at the bench scale (40–110 g ethanol/L/h) and present industrial reactors (2–10 g ethanol/L/h). On-line and off-line measurement and control systems are also described.Z. mobilis was immobilized in ϰ-carrageenan at cell loading of approx 60 g (dry wt)/L of biocatalyst. The system is designed for determining optimal operating conditions for achieving high conversion and productivity with variations in feedstocks, temperature, flow rate, and column sizes.
S-N transfer and dual acetylation in the S-acetylation and N-acetylation of 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde dehydrogenase by substrates.

Acetyl phosphate or p-nitrophenyl acetate acetylates a specific cysteine residue in 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde dehydrogenase to give an active acetyl-enzyme compound. By raising the pH above 7.0, the acetyl group migrates to the e-amino group of a lysine residue to form an enzymatically inactive compound. This S-N acetyl transfer is the principal route for N-acetylation of the lysine residue on the dehydrogenase. A number of considerations suggest that the cysteine and lysine residues are in close proximity although they are not near neighbors in a single peptide chain.
An Overview of Behavioral Analaysis Using Social Web Site Data

Everyday millions of users can share or exchange their opinion through messages on social web sites. In various domains behavior analysis is critical for decision making. The behavioral data on social website can provide an economical and effective way to expose public opinion timely. The public behavior in messages can be used to obtain user feedback towards different company products, it can be utilized for marketing of different products or to track the popularity of different things. So there must be some methodologies to analyze user behavioral variations on social web sites and extract possible reasons behind such variations. This paper gives an overview of overall process for behavioral analysis. Earlier research work in the field of behavioral analysis is presented in this paper.
Building distributed, wide-area applications with wheelFS

It is a challenge to build applications that need to share data and are distributed across hundreds or thousands of computers in a wide-area network (e.g., PlanetLab or on a Grid). In order to cope with high latency, throughput bottlenecks, and temporary failures, such applications typically implement their own storage plan or use special-purpose storage solutions (e.g., DISC, Globus, Carbonite, etc.). Inspired by the success of the Google File System for cluster applications, this proposal investigates whether a general-purpose wide-area file system could simplify building distributed applications. In particular, this talk presents a preliminary design, called WheelFS. WheelFS's goal is to ease the development of distributed applications such as cooperative Web caches, dataintensive Grid applications, and PlanetLab measurements, perhaps reducing the storage management code to a simple script around the application's core logic. Towards this goal, WheelFS adopts many features from existing file systems, and adds two new ones: semantic cues, and write-locally-read-globally. This talk will also discuss several specific applications that can potentially benefit from using WheelFS.
Coevolution of a marine gastropod predator and its dangerous bivalve prey

The fossil record of the interaction between the predatory whelk Sinistrofulgur and its dangerous hard-shelled bivalve prey Mercenaria in the Plio-Pleistocene of Florida was examined to evaluate the hypothesis that coevolution was a major driving force shaping the species interaction. Whelks use their shell lip to chip open the shell of their prey, often resulting in breakage to their own shells, as well as to their prey. Mercenaria evolved a larger shell in response to an intensifying level of whelk predation. Reciprocally, an increase in attack success (ratio of successful to unsuccessful attacks) and degree of stereotypy of attack position by the predator suggest reciprocal adaptation by Sinistrofulgur to increase efficiency in exploiting hard-shelled prey. A decrease in prey effectiveness (ratio of unsuccessful to total whelk predation attempts) and an increase in the minimum boundary of a size refuge from whelk predation for Mercenaria may indicate that predator adaptation has outpaced prey antipredatory adaptation. Evolutionary size increase in Sinistrofulgur most likely occurred in response to prey adaptation to decrease the likelihood of feeding-induced shell breakage and unsuccessful predation when encounters with damage-inducing prey occur, coupled with (or reinforced by) an evolutionary response to the whelk's own predators. Predator adaptation to Mercenaria best explains temporal changes in whelk behaviour to decrease performance loss (shell breakage) associated with feeding on hard-shelled prey; this behavioural change limits attacks on prey to when the whelk's shell lip is thickest and most resistant to breakage. Despite evidence of reciprocal adaptation between predator and prey, the contribution of Mercenaria to Sinistrofulgur evolution is likely only a component of the predator's response to dangerous bivalve prey. This study highlights the importance of understanding the interactions among several species in order to provide the appropriate context to test evolutionary hypotheses about any specific pair of species. © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2003, 80, 409–436.
Evaluating consistency in typology and classification

Typological systems are essential for communication between anthropologists as well as for interpretive purposes. For both communication and interpretation, it is important to know that different individuals using the same typology classify artifacts in similar ways, but the consistency with which typologies are used is rarely evaluated or explicitly tested. There are theoretical, practical, and cultural reasons for this failure. Disagreements among archaeologists using the same typology may originate in the typology itself (i.e., imprecise type definitions, confusing structure) or in the classification process, because of observer errors, differences in perception and interpretation, and biases. We review previous attempts to evaluate consistency in typology and classification, and use consensus analysis to examine one well-established typology. Both consensus and disparity are apparent among the typologists in our case study, and this allows us to explore the kinds of forces that shape agreement and diversity in the use of all typological systems. We argue that issues of typological consistency are theoretically and methodologically important. Typological consistency can be explicitly tested, and must be if we hope to use typologies confidently.
An evaluation of musician earplugs with college music students

Musician earplugs are marketed and recommended for use in music settings but no studies have evaluated these products with musicians. This study evaluated the influences of earplugs on college stud...
Training in the use of a tactile supplement to lipreading: a long-term case study.

Objective: The major objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of long-term training for an adult subject fitted with the Tactaid VII vibrotactile aid. A secondary goal of this work was to provide a detailed description of how the KTH Tracking Procedure can be used for training and evaluative purposes. Design: An adult male subject was fitted with a Tactaid VII tactile aid and provided with weekly training sessions in its use over an 18 mo period. The KTH Tracking Procedure was used for training and to record the subject's performance over time. Additional post-training measures included sentence lists and consonants presented in an [aCa] frame. Results: The results obtained showed a 19 to 37% improvement in tracking rate when lipreading was supplemented by the Tactaid VII compared with those obtained via lipreading alone. Attempts to supplement lipreading with auditorily presented voicing cues did not result in improved performance. At the completion of the training program, additional tracking measures were obtained with an unfamiliar female speaker. The results of this testing again showed enhanced performance when the Tactaid VII supplemented lipreading. Post-training testing with sentence materials yielded scores of 29.8% correct for lipreading alone and 39.9% correct for lipreading plus the Tactaid VII. The subject's scores for consonants in [aCa] testing were 47.0% correct for lipreading alone and 60.1% correct for lipreading plus the Tactaid VII. Conclusions: The study showed that the use of the Tactaid VII resulted in improved lipreading performance for a range of materials and with two different speakers. The results also highlight the value of the KTH Tracking Procedure for testing and training purposes.
Teacher Folklore and Sensitivity of a Course Evaluation Questionnaire

The purpose of this study was to determine if (a) “folklore” about a teacher contributes to his ratings on a course evaluation questionnaire and (b) changes in students' attitudes during the course of instruction can be determined with a questionnaire on course evaluation. Multivariate analysis of variance and discriminant analysis, ideally suited for this type of research, were employed. The results indicated that there were no significant differences in attitudes toward a course in educational statistics between those who took the course in 1967–1968 and those who took it in 1968–1969. This seems to indicate that students do not build a “folklore” about a course based upon the course presented a year earlier.
Progression of student solutions over the course of a Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA)

This study is part of a larger project that focuses on the use of Model-Eliciting Activities (MEAs) as a means of developing problem-solving skills among first-year engineering students. The MEA used for this study required the development of a model that uses both mathematical and statistical measures to help an end user reach a decision. Each team ultimately produced two drafts of their solution and a final product. Between the drafts, the students had the opportunity to review sample solutions, give and receive peer feedback, and receive feedback from their graduate teaching assistants. A sample of 50 teams was randomly selected and each of their pieces of work was analyzed for types of mathematics and statistics used. The purpose of this paper is not to assess the quality of the students' work, but to examine the patterns of change across the three versions of the student-developed models produced over the course of the MEA implementation.
Prevalence of ventilation tubes in children with a tracheostomy tube

Abstract Objectives To estimate the prevalence of operative ear disease in pediatric patients with tracheostomy tubes, as well as to identify risk factors predictive of operative otologic interventions in this patient cohort. Methods We hypothesize that the prevalence of operative middle ear disease in patients with a tracheostomy tube is greater than that of the population at large. To validate our anecdotal observations, we queried the CHCA hospital database (PHIS) regarding the association between tympanostomy tube placements in children with tracheostomies. To further investigate, a retrospective chart review was undertaken at our regional tertiary care children's hospital to determine the frequency at which tympanostomy tubes were placed in children who have a tracheostomy. Risk factors were analyzed, applying independent samples t-tests and Pearson's Chi-square test. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for predictors of operative ear disease. Institutional review board (IRB) approval was obtained. Results Of a population of 181 patients with tracheostomies, 37 (or 20%, 95% CI 15–26%) have undergone placement of ventilation tubes in the past 3 years. No statistically significant difference was noted with regards to gender or race. The operative group had an average age of 23.0 months at the time of tracheostomy, compared to 52.5 months in the non-operative group (p = 0.0022). In addition, home living situation, term birth, and craniofacial abnormalities were more frequently observed in the operative versus the non-operative group. Multivariate logistic regression models revealed the same factors as predictors of operative ear disease. Conclusion The presence of a tracheostomy is associated with an increased risk of requiring ventilation tube placement over the population at large. Risk factors for operative middle ear disease among these children include age at time of the tracheostomy, craniofacial abnormalities, term birth, and home living situation.
Attack and defense in rodents as ethoexperimental models for the study of emotion

1. In wild and laboratory rats, offense and defense constitute nonoverlapping behavior patterns seen in response to resource or dominance challenge, or, to predatory, conspecific or environmental threat, respectively. 2. Defensive behaviors are determined by both the threat stimulus and the situation. Defense patterns to discrete, approaching, predators or conspecifics and to nondiscrete, potential, threat have several behaviors in common. However, the latter also includes an important risk assessment complex not seen to discrete, present, threat. Behaviorally and functionally, risk assessment shows considerable similarity to the apprehensive expectation and vigilance and scanning components of generalized anxiety reactions. 3. There are parallels between lower mammal offense and human angry aggression in terms of eliciting stimuli, and a variety of experiential factors including inhibition by fear/pain, and reinforcement effects. 4. A variety of neuroanatomical or pharmacological manipulations have different, often opposite, effects on offense and defense. Differentiation of the two and attention to the specific behaviors involved provide a more precise basis for the use of these patterns as animal models of emotion states.
Nocturia Associated With Depressive Symptoms

Objectives To assess the relationship between nocturia and depression, two inflammatory conditions that affect a significant number of men worldwide. Methods We asked 547 male patients to self-administer the American Urological Association Symptom Score (AUA-SS) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), a validated screening tool for depression. Univariate analysis identified significant differences in patient characteristics between depressed and nondepressed patients, and binary logistic regression was used to assess the potential relationship between nocturia and depression while controlling for patient demographics and quality of life. Results Of the cohort, 17.0% screened positive for depression. Depressed and nondepressed patients reported a mean (SD) of 2.7 (1.4) and 1.9 (1.4) episodes of nocturia per night, respectively ( P P Conclusions A significant correlation exists between nocturia and depression. Consequently, clinicians might use nocturia as a predictor of depression. Patients with increased frequency of nocturia may be considered for referral for further mental health evaluation.
Uranium(VI) bio-coordination chemistry from biochemical, solution and protein structural data

Abstract The biocoordination chemistry of the uranyl cation (uranium(VI), [UO2]2+) is assessed utilizing data from the Protein Databank, solution thermodynamic data and biochemical experiments. Uranyl cation is effectively transported in the bloodstream through interactions with carbonate and protein ligands. Under physiologic conditions, carboxylate donors from biological ligands to uranyl are expected to compete favorably against carbonate in the inner sphere of the tris-carbonato uranyl complex. Carboxylate donors from aspartate, glutamate or the carboxyl terminus in proteins make up the majority of inner-sphere interactions with uranyl in protein structures that include this cation. Other significant interactions include amide oxygen donors in the inner-sphere, and H-bonding to uranyl oxo ligands by amide N H donors. These inner- and outer-sphere interactions are also present in structures of uranyl–amino acid complexes, and in other uranyl complexes with small molecules. In the solution state, uranyl–carboxylate interactions have been measured with thermodynamic values for stepwise conditional formation constants on the order of log K ≈ 2–5, similar to uranyl–acetate interactions. In addition to inner-sphere coordination, H-bonding and charge effects, as well as local chemical environmental conditions, play significant roles in the outer sphere; these interactions are somewhat less characterized in the literature.
Amplification-free digital gene expression profiling from minute cell quantities

Generating reliable expression profiles from minute cell quantities is critical for scientific discovery and potential clinical applications. Here we present low-quantity digital gene expression (LQ-DGE), an amplification-free approach involving capture of poly(A)(+) RNAs from cellular lysates onto poly(dT)-coated sequencing surfaces, followed by on-surface reverse transcription and sequencing. We applied LQ-DGE to profile malignant and nonmalignant mouse and human cells, demonstrating its quantitative power and potential applicability to archival specimens.
Effect of calcium, sodium, and aluminum ions on electrical and physical properties of bimolecular lipid membranes.

Evidence is presented that the interaction of electrolytes (NaCl, CaCl2, and AlCl3) with a bimolecular lipid membrane (BLM) influences the kinetics of thinning of the forming membrane, as well as its structure, stability, and electrical properties. The net surface charge and, hence, the interfacial electrostatic repulsive force, is determined by the relative specific and nonspecific adsorption of cations and anions, which in turn is influenced by the nature, concentration, and pH of the electrolyte. A similarity exists between the thinning rate curves and both the electrophoretic patterns of lipid dispersions and surface potential of lipid monolayers. Studies with the Ca2 + -modified and non-modified membranes in the various electrolytes indicate that Ca2 +appears to have a unique, dual nature which is pH and concentration dependent. It can bring about a high resistance state under conditions of alkaline pH and high concentrations or a low resistance state under conditions of low concentrations and acid p...
Raphe serotonin neurons are not homogenous: Electrophysiological, morphological and neurochemical evidence

The median (MR) and dorsal raphe (DR) nuclei contain the majority of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, serotonin) neurons that project to limbic forebrain regions, are important in regulating homeostatic functions and are implicated in the etiology and treatment of mood disorders and schizophrenia. The primary synaptic inputs within and to the raphe are glutamatergic and GABAergic. The DR is divided into three subfields, i.e., ventromedial (vmDR), lateral wings (lwDR) and dorsomedial (dmDR). Our previous work shows that cell characteristics of 5-HT neurons and the magnitude of the 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptor-mediated responses in the vmDR and MR are not the same. We extend these observations to examine the electrophysiological properties across all four raphe subfields in both 5-HT and non-5-HT neurons. The neurochemical topography of glutamatergic and GABAergic cell bodies and nerve terminals were identified using immunohistochemistry and the morphology of the 5-HT neurons was measured. Although 5-HT neurons possessed similar physiological properties, important differences existed between subfields. Non-5-HT neurons were indistinguishable from 5-HT neurons. GABA neurons were distributed throughout the raphe, usually in areas devoid of 5-HT neurons. Although GABAergic synaptic innervation was dense throughout the raphe (immunohistochemical analysis of the GABA transporters GAT1 and GAT3), their distributions differed. Glutamate neurons, as defined by vGlut3 anti-bodies, were intermixed and co-localized with 5-HT neurons within all raphe subfields. Finally, the dendritic arbor of the 5-HT neurons was distinct between subfields. Previous studies regard 5-HT neurons as a homogenous population. Our data support a model of the raphe as an area composed of functionally distinct subpopulations of 5-HT and non-5-HT neurons, in part delineated by subfield. Understanding the interaction of the cell properties of the neurons in concert with their morphology, local distribution of GABA and glutamate neurons and their synaptic input, reveals a more complicated and heterogeneous raphe. These results provide an important foundation for understanding how specific subfields modulate behavior and for defining which aspects of the circuitry are altered during the etiology of psychological disorders. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled ‘Serotonin’.
Parental anxious expectations and child anxiety predicting homesickness during overnight summer camp

Although mild homesickness during summer camp is common, 10 to 20% of children report moderate to severe homesickness that can interfere with their functioning during camp. Previous research has considered many risk and protective factors for homesickness, including prior camp experience and coping strategies. Few studies have examined the role of parent or child anxiety. Both are associated with child adjustment difficulties in school and clinic settings, but have rarely been examined in the camp setting. This exploratory study examined parents' worries about sending their children to camp, and children's anxiety symptoms in predicting homesickness during overnight summer camp. Participants included 275 children and adolescents (7 to 14 years, 131 male and 144 female). At the beginning of camp, parents/guardians reported their anxious expectations, and children completed several items from the Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Near the end of camp, children reported the amount of homesickness they experienced using items from the Rate Your Day-Revised checklist. The regression model accounted for 36% of the variance in homesickness, with younger child age, less prior camp experience, higher parental anxious expectations, and greater child separation anxiety uniquely predicting homesickness. Implications for including strategies for parents in homesickness prevention programs are discussed.
Effect of nitrogen post-doping on a commercial platinum–ruthenium/carbon anode catalyst

Abstract This work investigates the effects of after-the-fact chemical modification of a state-of-the-art commercial carbon-supported PtRu catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). A commercial PtRu/C (JM HiSPEC-10000) catalyst is post-doped with nitrogen by ion-implantation, where “post-doped” denotes nitrogen doping after metal is carbon-supported. Composition and performance of the PtRu/C catalyst post-modified with nitrogen at several dosages are evaluated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), rotating disk electrode (RDE), and membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for DMFC. Overall, implantation at high dosage results in 16% higher electrochemical surface area and enhances performance, specifically in the mass transfer region. Rotating disk electrode (RDE) results show that after 5000 cycles of accelerated durability testing to high potential, the modified catalyst retains 34% more electrochemical surface area (ECSA) than the unmodified catalyst. The benefits of nitrogen post-doping are further substantiated by DMFC durability studies (carried out for 425 h), where the MEA with the modified catalyst exhibits higher surface area and performance stability in comparison to the MEA with unmodified catalyst. These results demonstrate that post-doping of nitrogen in a commercial PtRu/C catalyst is an effective approach, capable of improving the performance of available best-in-class commercial catalysts.
Genetic algorithms for layout optimization in crossdocking operations of a manufacturing plant

In this study, we use genetic algorithms to optimize the lane layout associated with the crossdocking operation at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing plant in Georgetown, Kentucky, USA. A genetic algorithm solution can be obtained within seconds, whereas an exhaustive search would require a computing time of over five days on a 1 GHz Intel Pentium III. The results of this study show that a simple rearrangement of the lanes will lead to a decrease in workload of nearly 34% in the crossdocking area and ultimately result in an overall reduced lead time.
Trajectories for Human Missions to Mars, Part 2: Low-Thrust Transfers

We compute optimal low-thrust transfers (with constant thrust and constant specific impulse) between Earth and Mars over a range of flight times (from 120 to 270 days) and launch years (between 2009 and 2022). Unlike impulsive transfers, the mass-optimal trajectory depends strongly on the thrust and specific impulse of the propulsion system. A low-thrust version of the rocket equation is provided where the initial mass or thrust may be minimized by varying the initial acceleration and specific impulse for a given power-system specific mass and for a trajectory time of flight. With fixed time-of-flight transfers there is a minimum thrust and a maximum allowable specific mass; that is, if the available thrust is too low or the specific mass is too large then the desired transfer does not exist. We find the minimum allowable thrust for constrained time-of-flight missions is on the order of a few Newtons per metric ton of payload for power systems with tens of kg/kW. As expected, the thrust and AV requirements of the trajectories decrease with increasing flight times. By extending the flight time from 180 to 270 days the A V is reduced by 40% for powered captures and up to 35% for aeroassisted capture trajectories.
Droplet coalescence in the shear flow of model emulsions

During the flow of an emulsion, droplets of the dispersed phase can deform, break up, coalesce or migrate to other regions within the flow field. Understanding these different processes is relevant to morphology development in immiscible polymer blends. Here, emulsions of castor oil in silicone oil were employed to study shear-induced coalescence alone; the conditions chosen were such that drop breakup and drop migration did not occur. A cone-and-plate device and tubes of varying length were used to examine the influence of the average shear rate, the time of shearing, concentration of the dispersed phase, and temperature on the average droplet size. It was found that the extent of “demixing” was not influenced by the spatially non-homogeneous nature of flow in a tube; results correlated very well with the average shear rate. On the other hand, coalescence was significant even when the concentration of the dispersed phase was as low as 0.5%, and it became more important as the concentration was increased. Other results were that the extent of coalescence could be promoted by lowering the shear rate. In quantitative terms, it was found that available coalescence theory gave the correct order of magnitude for the average steady-state droplet size as a function of the imposed shear rate, but the actual variation of drop size with shear rate was gentler than that predicted by theory. An unusual observation was that, under some circumstances, the droplets did not coalesce but simply stuck to each other and maintained their separate identity.
Closed-form expressions for the series impedance parameters of on-chip interconnects on multilayer silicon substrates

This paper presents accurate closed-form expressions for the frequency-dependent series impedance parameters of on-chip interconnects over general multilayer conductive silicon substrates. The closed-form expressions are obtained from a generalized complex image approach combined with a surface impedance formulation that takes into account the effects of the distributed eddy currents in the multilayer conductive substrate. Results for single and coupled microstrips on multilayer conductive substrates are shown over a broadband frequency range of 20 GHz and compared with full-wave electromagnetic solutions. It is demonstrated that a thin, heavily-doped channel-stop layer may contribute significantly to the series resistance at higher frequencies. The new approach is further validated for a coplanar waveguide interconnect by comparison with measurement data.
What's Up and Down with Histone Deacetylation and Transcription?

There is little doubt regarding the biological significance of protein acetylation. Several new and important papers have shown that deacetylases can function in transcriptional repression. These studies additionally suggest many new lines of experimentation. For instance, are core histones and/or HMG proteins the critical downstream targets of the deacetylases? What are the functional consequences of protein acetylation? Why does Rpd3 affect both transcriptional repression and activation? To address some of these questions, it will be important to analyze the expression of endogenous or stably integrated genes rather than transiently transfected templates that are not efficiently packaged into chromatin (note, however, that many of the studies of Sin3 and Rpd3 in yeast have used native endogenous genes). It will also be interesting to investigate whether or not there is a large protein complex containing some or all of the factors shown in Figure 1Figure 1. There are many other questions and issues remaining, as we are in the early stages of understanding the various functions of protein acetylation. In the near future, we can look forward to many more interesting and important discoveries in this area.*To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Investigating the role of electrolyte acidity on hydrogen uptake in mesoporous activated carbons

Abstract The relationship between electrolyte solution pH and the local retention of electrochemically-generated hydrogen under extreme bias conditions for highly receptive activated carbons was studied for the first time. Hydrogen was generated through electrolysis on the surface of custom-made activated carbon electrodes in aqueous solutions with a range of pH (approximately 2–10). The carbon's ability to retain this generated hydrogen was analyzed via a galvanostatic test protocol, while the pH was monitored in situ. A rise in the basicity and corresponding Pourbaix shift was observed for tests performed in intermediate pH solutions, in contrast to that observed for strongly acidic or alkaline solutions. For the three intermediate pH solutions, an increased hydrogen evolution overvoltage was observed and was correlated to an increased hydrogen storage efficiency. These results clearly demonstrate the importance of pH control to extract maximum degree of hydrogen storage in idealized carbons, and show that the optimal pH for this effect is in the range of approximately 4–8. Furthermore, these high surface area carbons were found to have over 300 mAh g−1 of energy storage capacity when charged with hydrogen in the proper pH range.
Decreased Glutathione Results in Calcium-Mediated Cell Death in PC12

Abstract Neuronal damage in certain cellular populations in the brain has been linked to oxidative stress accompanied by an elevation in intracellular calcium. Many questions remain about how such oxidative stress occurs and how it affects calcium homeostasis. Glutathione (GSH) is a major regulator of cellular redox status in the brain, and lowered GSH levels have been associated with dopaminergic cell loss in Parkinson’s disease (PD). We found that transfection of antisense oligomers directed against glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS), the rate-limiting enzyme in GSH synthesis, into PC12 cells resulted in decreased GSH and increased levels of ROS. Decreased GSH levels also correlated with an increase in intracellular calcium levels. Data from this study suggest that dopaminergic neurons are very sensitive to decreases in the internal oxidant buffering capacity of the cell caused by reductions in GSH levels, and that alterations in this parameter can result in disruption of calcium homeostasis and cell death. These results may be of particular significance for therapeutic treatment of PD, as those dopaminergic neurons that are spared in this disorder appear to contain the calcium binding protein, calbindin.
The neutrophil: function and regulation in innate and humoral immunity.

The neutrophil is a critical effector cell in humoral and innate immunity and plays vital roles in phagocytosis and bacterial killing. Discussed here are the neutrophil components necessary for these processes and the diseases in which these components are either lacking or dysfunctional, illustrating that normal neutrophil function is vital for health.
β-3 Adrenergic Agonist Restores Skeletal Muscle Insulin Responsiveness in Sprague–Dawley Rats

Between 7 and 14 weeks of age, male Sprague–Dawley rats develop a greater than 50% loss in insulin-stimulated glucose transport in skeletal muscle. We treated rats aged 14 weeks with the beta-3 adrenergic agonist CL316,243 (1 mg/kg/day by minipump for 14 days). Treatment resulted in a 56% reduction in visceral fat (P < 0.05). Muscle mass and body weight were unchanged. In strips of soleus muscle isolated from rats treated with CL316,243, basal transport of [3H]-2-deoxyglucose (2-DOG) was unchanged (105.8 ± 7.5 nmol/g/min for vehicle vs 122.0 ± 8.7 for CL316,243). However, in rats treated with CL316,243, the increase in 2-DOG transport in response to a maximal concentration of insulin was substantially increased (55.5 ± 13.1 nmol/g/min for vehicle vs 102.4 ± 13.5 for CL316,243, P < 0.03). CL 316,243 caused no significant changes in fasting glucose, insulin, or free fatty acids. Treatment of soleus muscle strips in vitro with CL316,243 (either 0.1 nM or 1.0 nM for 120 min at 37°C) had no effect either on basal 2-DOG transport or on insulin-stimulated transport. We conclude that the CL316,243 causes a reduction in visceral fat and a reversal of muscle insulin resistance. The effect CL 316,243 on muscle insulin responses appears to be indirect, as it did not occur in vitro.
Pituitary gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor levels in intact and ovariectomized-adrenalectomized female golden hamsters on a short photoperiod.

Both intact and ovariectomized+adrenalectomized hamsters on a short photoperiod, had a daily surge in plasma LH at approximately 16.00–18.00 h. The number of pituitary GnRH receptors was generally lower in ovariectomized+adrenalectomized hamsters than in intact animals, but both intact and ovariectomized+adrenalectomized hamsters had a decrease in the number of receptors just prior to the LH surge. These results show that gonadal steroids are not involved in regulating the pre-LH surge fall in the number of GnRH receptors.
A Perfection Theory Of The Good

In this paper I wish to set forth as plainly and simply as possible a theory of the good which finds little modern vogue, but which nevertheless seems to me more plausible than any of those now current. The perfection theory of the good can claim weighty historical roots, especially in Plato and Aristotle; but I shall proceed systematically rather than historically. The exposition of the theory will be presented in three parts: first, a statement of a generic definition of perfection; second, an attempt to give more specific content to the definition; and third, an indication of my reasons for upholding the truth of the theory.
Registration of ‘Chukar’ wheat

'Chukar' winter club wheat (Triticum aestivum) was developed by the USDA-ARS with assistance from the Washington Agricultural Experiment Station and the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station. The pedigree of Chukar is WA7665/'Rulo'. Chukar was released in September 2001 because of its yield potential and disease resistance combined with the quality characteristics desired for the club wheat market class. It is resistant to strawbreaker foot rot (Tapesia yallundae, syn. Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides) and stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis f. tritici). Chukar is best suited to the intermediate to high rainfall zones of Washington State and northern Idaho.