cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nanoparticle Imaging of Vascular Inflammation and Remodeling in Atherosclerotic Disease

The purpose of this review is to highlight some of the recent developments (within the last 5 years) in imaging atherosclerotic plaques using nanoparticles, with a focus on technologies that have been applied to in vivo models of disease. Structural and cellular components of atherosclerotic plaques are being imaged with greater definition and improved sensitivity. This is a result of both molecular targeting of nanoparticles to disease-relevant biomarkers through the use of nanoparticles of different shapes and sizes and tailoring pharmacokinetic parameters that allow for enhanced pharmacodynamic effects. Currently, there are no atherosclerotic plaque imaging techniques clinically validated to predict future clinical events. Considering the rapid pace of new nanomaterial discovery and development, along with the development of multimodality imaging systems, this goal seems within reach. These advancements are “nano” in name only.
Lidar-based approaches for estimating solar insolation in heavily forested streams

Abstract. Methods to quantify solar insolation in riparian landscapes are needed due to the importance of stream temperature to aquatic biota. We have tested three lidar predictors using two approaches developed for other applications of estimating solar insolation from airborne lidar using field data collected in a heavily forested narrow stream in western Oregon, USA. We show that a raster methodology based on the light penetration index (LPI) and a synthetic hemispherical photograph approach both accurately predict solar insolation, explaining more than 73 % of the variability observed in pyranometers placed in the stream channel. We apply the LPI-based model to predict solar insolation for an entire riparian system and demonstrate that no field-based calibration is necessary to produce an unbiased prediction of solar insolation using airborne lidar alone.
Studies of Neurospheres Cultured Using Adult Hippocampal Progenitor Cells Under Off-Chip Magnetic Stimulation

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease usually result in degradation of nervous tissue, affecting millions of people. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is being used as a clinical treatment for several neurological disorders. But the exact mechanisms for magnetic stimulation (MS) are still unclear. Herein, adult hippocampal progenitor cells (AHPCs) are cultured as neurospheres (NSs) in microwell chips or petri dishes, which is an ideal model for studying neurodegenerative diseases. The study of the effects of MS on AHPC NSs is reported for the first time.
Using epoxy-based lithography to probe confinement effects on active nematics

Active nematics are out-of-equilibrium liquid crystal fluids composed of rod-like subunits, which can generate large-scale, self-driven flows. In this emerging field of active nematics, new methods are needed to investigate and potentially control phase structure and dynamics. The use of complex engineered surfaces using microfabrication is an excellent way to control local orientation directors, taking advantage of the interplay between surface curvatures and topological defects. Epoxy-based lithography represents a simple and appealing approach, using low cost, minimal materials and a time efficient process. In this manuscript, we discuss methods for optimized fabrication protocols using negative and positive tone epoxy-based photoresists to create microfluidic devices for active matter. Arrays of curved objects and submerged topographies can be used to generate a variety of liquid crystal defect configurations not typically observed on unconfined planar surfaces.
Prediction model and risk scores of ICU admission and mortality in COVID-19.

This study aimed to develop risk scores based on clinical characteristics at presentation to predict intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality in COVID-19 patients. 641 hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were selected from 4997 persons under investigation. We performed a retrospective review of medical records of demographics, comorbidities and laboratory tests at the initial presentation. Primary outcomes were ICU admission and death. Logistic regression was used to identify independent clinical variables predicting the two outcomes. The model was validated by splitting the data into 70% for training and 30% for testing. Performance accuracy was evaluated using area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic analysis (ROC). Five significant variables predicting ICU admission were lactate dehydrogenase, procalcitonin, pulse oxygen saturation, smoking history, and lymphocyte count. Seven significant variables predicting mortality were heart failure, procalcitonin, lactate dehydrogenase, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulse oxygen saturation, heart rate, and age. The mortality group uniquely contained cardiopulmonary variables. The risk score model yielded good accuracy with an AUC of 0.74 ([95% CI, 0.63–0.85], p = 0.001) for predicting ICU admission and 0.83 ([95% CI, 0.73–0.92], p<0.001) for predicting mortality for the testing dataset. This study identified key independent clinical variables that predicted ICU admission and mortality associated with COVID-19. This risk score system may prove useful for frontline physicians in clinical decision-making under time-sensitive and resource-constrained environment.
Dystonia and Tremor: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Dystonia Coalition Cohort.

Objective To assess the clinical manifestations and predictors of different types of tremors in individuals with different types of isolated dystonia. Methods Clinical manifestations of tremor were assessed in a multicenter, international cross-sectional, cohort study of 2,362 individuals with all types of isolated dystonia (focal, segmental, multifocal, and generalized) recruited through the Dystonia Coalition. Results Methodical and standardized assessments of all participants in this cohort revealed the overall prevalence of any type of tremor was 53.3%. The prevalence of dystonic tremor varied from 36.9% to 48.4%, depending on criteria used to define it. To identify the factors associated with tremors in dystonia, the data were analyzed by generalized linear modeling and cluster analyses. Generalized linear modeling indicated 2 of the strongest factors associated with tremor included body region affected by dystonia and recruitment center. Tremor was also associated with severity of dystonia and duration of dystonia, but not with sex or race. The cluster analysis distinguished 8 subgroups within the whole cohort; defined largely by body region with dystonia, and secondarily by other clinical characteristics. Conclusion The large number of cases evaluated by an international team of movement disorder experts facilitated the dissection of several important factors that influence the apparent prevalence and phenomenology of tremor in dystonia. These results are valuable for understanding the many differences reported in prior studies, and for guiding future studies of the nosology of tremor and dystonia.
Scale Relativistic signature in the Brownian motion of micro-spheres in optical traps

The development of mechanics of nondifferentiable paths36 suggested by Scale Relativity31,32 results in a foundation of Quantum Mechanics30,37 including Schrodinger’s equation and all the other axioms under the assumption the path nondifferentiability can be described as a Wiener process at the resolution-scale of observation. This naturally brings under question the possibility that the statistics of the dynamics of macroscopic systems fulfilling this hypothesis could fall under a quantum-like description with the Planck constant replaced with some other constant, possibly system specific, and corresponding to a diffusion coefficient. The observation of such a quantum-like dynamics would establish if the Scale Relativistic principle is implemented in macroscopic complex or chaotic systems. This would have major implications for the study of structure formation dynamics in various research fields. In this paper, I investigate the possibility for the detection of such an effect in the Brownian motion of a micro-sphere in an optical trap. I find that, if it exists, the observation of the transition to a quantum-like regime is within reach of modern experiments.
THERMODYNAMICS OF TERNARY Fe-B-Si MELTS AT 1450℃ I. ACTIVITY OF Si AND ITS INTERACTION COEFFICIENTS

Iso-activity lines of Si in ternary Fe-B-Si melts were measured at 1450℃ with Ag-bath medium method. The activity of Si in Ag-Si alloy was also determined by means of the EMF measurement of a Si-concentration cell in which a double-tubed ZrO_2 electrolyte was used. A method has been proposed for calculat- ing ln γ°_(Si) and the first and second order interaction coefficients from the experi- mental data; Following results have been obtained: ln γ°_(Si)=-3.19, e_(Si)~(Si)=7.0, ρ_(Si)~(Si)=6.5, e_(Si)~B=16.0, ρ_(Si)~B=-12.0 and ρ_(Si)~(Si,B)=40.8
Sardine biomass is poorly correlated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation off California

[1] Pacific sardines (Sardinops sagax) fluctuate widely in abundance over interannual to multidecadal time scales. For Pacific sardines, there have been repeated attempts to link fluctuations in biomass to indices of climatic variability, such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Correlations between the PDO with periods of 40–76 years, and sardine biomass with periods of 40–70 years, have been inferred using 90-year time series (e.g. 1920–2010). The inferred correlations cannot be tested because the long-period fluctuations are outside the observation window that can be analysed statistically, i.e. the period (40–76 years) is greater than half the length of the series (45 years). To date, there has been no attempt to test the relationship between low-frequency fluctuations of sardine biomass and the PDO using longer paleoclimatic time series proxies for sardine biomass and the PDO. Here we use a 370-year record of paleoclimatic proxies to show that fluctuations in sardine biomass off California are not related to the PDO, despite the appearance of correlation in the 90-year record from 1920 to the present day.
Using Chicken Embryos for Teratology Studies

This unit describes methods for injecting, incubating, handling and analyzing domestic chicken embryos used in teratology studies. It also includes a discussion of caveats and special handling issues as well as some discussion of statistical analyses that differentiate working with chicken embryos from working with clutches of eggs or litters of pups. As an example of potential data, preliminary data from a study of abnormalities in early embryos and hatchling chicks exposed to chlordane are presented.
Perceived degree of continuous improvement principles and degree of role effectiveness of local school boards in Iowa

This study explored the relationship between the manner in which a school board functions and the level and existence of quality improvement principles perceived to be present within the school district. Two survey instruments, the Perceived Quality Assessment Instrument (PQAI) and the Role Perception Quality Instrument (RPQI), were utilized to collect data in thirty—four (34) public school districts in Iowa. Data from the first instrument was used to compute a Perceived Quality Index Score (PQI) and data from the second survey yielded a Role Perception Quality Index Score (RPQI) for each of the thirty-four (34) districts. The PQI and RPQI scores were compared to determine the degree of correlation between the PQI and RPQI. For further comparison school district data was analyzed by grouping schools according to
Staphylococcal β-Lactamase and Efficacy of β-Lactam Antibiotics: In Vitro and in Vivo Evaluation

The susceptibility of five cephalosporins and nafcillin to changes in inoculum size of 26 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus was studied. The spectrum of antibiotic sensitivity to such changes was cefazolin = cephaloridine > cefamandole > cephalothin > cefoxitin = nafcillin. Half of the isolates resulted in large and half in minimal inoculum-induced changes in minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs). These changes correlated with the amount of P-lactamase produced by the isolates. The in vivo relevance of these findings was studied in a model of intraperitoneal infection in mice. The effect of P1-lactamase production on mortality was greatest among animals given cefazolin or cephaloridine, intermediate among those given cefamandole, and nonexistent among those given cefoxitin, cephalothin, or nafcillin. The number of organisms in the animals' spleens paralleled survival rates. An increase in the serum level of cefazolin increased the survival rate among mice given that drug. Hence, the survival of mice was influenced by (1) the ability of the infecting organism to increase the MIC of an antibiotic via inoculum increases, (2) the sensitivity of the antibiotic to P-lactamase, and (3) the peak level of antibiotic attained in serum.
Implementation of time-delay interferometry for LISA

We discuss the baseline optical configuration for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, in which the lasers are not free-running, but rather one of them is used as the main frequency reference generator (the master) and the remaining five as slaves, these being phase-locked to the master (the master-slave configuration). Under the condition that the frequency fluctuations due to the optical transponders can be made negligible with respect to the secondary LISA noise sources (mainly proof-mass and shot noises), we show that the entire space of interferometric combinations LISA can generate when operated with six independent lasers (the one-way method) can also be constructed with the master-slave system design. The corresponding hardware trade-off analysis for these two optical designs is presented, which indicates that the two sets of systems needed for implementing the one-way method, and the master-slave configuration, are essentially identical. Either operational mode could therefore be implemented without major implications on the hardware configuration. We then derive the required accuracies of armlength knowledge, time synchronization of the onboard clocks, sampling times and time-shifts needed for effectively implementing time-delay interferometry for LISA. We find that an armlength accuracy of about 16 meters, a synchronization accuracy of about 50 ns, and the time jitter due to a presently existing space qualified clock will allow the suppression of the frequency fluctuations of the lasers below to the level identified by the secondary noise sources. A new procedure for sampling the data in such a way to avoid the problem of having time shifts that are not integer multiples of the sampling time is also introduced, addressing one of the concerns about the implementation of time-delay interferometry.
Wax constituents of the winterizer press cake of soybean oil

Wax from the winterizing press cake of soybean oil contains approximately 10 percent free alcohol in addition to true wax. No free acids and apparently no hydrocarbons are present. The principal alcohols range from C32 to below C28, while the acids have an average chain length of approximately 22 carbon atoms. The wax amounts to not more than 0.002 percent of the original oil.
Review of the chemistry of αS2-casein and the generation of a homologous molecular model to explain its properties

Abstract α S2 -Casein (α S2 -CN) comprises up to 10% of the casein fraction in bovine milk. The role of α S2 -CN in casein micelles has not been studied in detail in part because of a lack of structural information on the molecule. Interest in the utilization of this molecule in dairy products and nutrition has been renewed by work in 3 areas: biological activity via potentially biologically active peptides, functionality in cheeses and products, and nutrition in terms of calcium uptake. To help clarify the behavior of α S2 -CN in its structure-function relationships in milk and its possible applications in dairy products, this paper reviews the chemistry of the protein and presents a working 3-dimensional molecular model for this casein. The model was produced by threading the backbone sequence of the protein onto a homologous protein: chloride intracellular channel protein-4. Overall, the model is in good agreement with experimental data for the protein, although the amount of helix may be over-predicted. The model, however, offers a unique view of the highly positive C-terminal portion of the molecule as a surface-accessible area. This region may be the site for interactions with κ-carrageenan, phosphate, and other anions. In addition, most of the physiologically active peptides isolated from α S2 -CN occur in this region. This structure should be viewed as a working model that can be changed as more precise experimental data are obtained.
The influence of tonicity and viscosity on the intranasal absorption of salmon calcitonin in rabbits

Abstract As with any drug delivery system, a clear understanding of the physicochemical and formulation factors is necessary for the rational design of a dosage form. Formulation factors need to be carefully assessed to identify those which may influence pharmacological or physiological response and thus assure optimum therapeutic activity. On the basis of physicochemical and biopharmaceutical studies a nasal peptide formulation when administered with an appropriate delivery device may be designed to provide optimal nasal activity. In the present study an attempt was made to investigate the effect of tonicity and viscosity on the intranasal absorption of salmon calcitonin (sCT). Formulations were designed as nasal sprays with viscosity at 1 and 76 cps, using 0% w/w and 1% w/w methylcellulose as the viscosity enhancing agent; and with a tonicity of 100, 300 or 600 mOsms, using sodium chloride as the tonicity adjusting agent. The low viscosity formulations were delivered using a metered nasal spray pump and the high viscosity formulations were administered using a prototype device, the nasal micron spray pump (NMSP), to facilitate a uniform distribution of the spray into the nasal cavity. Serum levels of sCT were determined in healthy male New Zealand rabbits after intranasal administration of 2000 I.U. of sCT in 200 μl. The pharmacodynamic effect of salmon calcitonin of lowering blood calcium levels was measured using a visible spectrophotometric technique. Deviation from isotonicity increased the bioavailability by 4–5 times. Variation in the viscosity did not influence the bioavailability of salmon calcitonin. Response surface methodology and the canonical analysis parameters were applied to predict the optimum formulations.
Antimony quantification in Leishmania by electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy.

Tri- and pentavalent antimony were quantified in Leishmania mexicana pifanoi amastigotes and promastigotes by atomic absorption spectroscopy with electrothermal atomization. Leishmania grown in axenic culture were treated with either potassium antimony tartrate [Sb(III)] or sodium stibogluconate [Sb(V)]. The parasites were collected, digested with nitric acid, and subjected to atomic absorption spectroscopy. The method was linear from 0 to 7 ng of antimony. The interassay coefficients of variation were 9.6 and 5.7% (N = 5 for 0.52 and 3.7-ng samples of leishmanial antimony, respectively. The limit of detection was 95 pg of antimony. The assay was used to characterize Sb(III) and Sb(V) influx and efflux kinetics. Influx rates were determined at antimony concentrations that produced a 50% inhibition of growth (IC50). The influx rates of Sb(V) into amastigotes and promastigotes were 4.8 and 12 pg/million cells/h, respectively, at 200 μg antimony/ ml. The influx rate of Sb(III) into amastigotes was 41 pg/million cells/h at 20 μg antimony/ml. Influx of Sb(III) into promastigotes at 1 μg antimony/ml was rapid and reached a plateau of 175 pg/million cells in 2 h. Efflux of Sb(III) and Sb(V) from amastigotes and promastigotes exhibited biphasic kinetics. The initial (α) half-life of Sb(V) efflux was less than 4 min and that of Sh(III) was 1-2 h. The apparent terminal (β) half-lives ranged from 7 to 14 h.
Partition coefficients of rare-earth elements between igneous matrix material and rock-forming mineral phenocrysts—II

Abstract Solid-liquid partition coefficients between phenocrysts and the host lavas have been measured for rare-earth elements by an isotope dilution technique. Phenocrysts analyzed include clinopyroxenes, orthopyroxenes, olivines, micas, amphiboles, garnet, plagioclases and K-feldspar. The consistency of much of the data suggests that most of the phenocrysts crystallized under equilibrium, or quasi-equilibrium, conditions. There is sufficient data on pyroxenes and feldspars to indicate that relative and absolute partition coefficients can be correlated with the major element composition of the phenocrysts. The size of the positive Eu anomaly in feldspars increases with increasing alkali content of the feldspar.
Response of Doppler spacecraft tracking to gravitational radiation

A calculation is made of the effect of gravity waves on the observed Doppler shift of a sinusoidal electromagnetic signal transmitted to, and transponded from, a distant spacecraft. We find that the effect of plane gravity waves on such observations is not intuitively immediate and in fact can have surprisingly different spectral signatures for different spacecraft directions and distances. We suggest the possibility of detecting such plane waves by simultaneous coherent Doppler tracking of several spacecraft.
Effect of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy on Renal Function

The effect of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and its possible effect on renal function has not been fully investigated. We evaluated renal function using the quantitative renal scintillation gamma camera. Preoperative estimated renal plasma flow (ERPF) was compared to (1) immediate (1 to 7 days) ERPF, and (2) long-term postoperative (over 3 months) ERPF. Twelve patients undergoing simultaneous bilateral treatment had mean preop total ERPF of 609+90 and immediate mean postop total ERPF of 557±104 (p = 0.0006). There was no significant correlation between the number of shock waves administered and the postop-preop ERPF. Seventy-four patients with unilateral treatment showed mean preop ERPF on treated side of 296±72 and mean postop ERPF on the operated side of 273±74 (p = 0.0001). The untreated side had preop ERPF mean of 324±73 and postop ERPF mean of 314±71 (p = .018). However with fewer than 1,500 shocks, there were no significant differences. With more than 1,600 shocks, both the treated and nontreated sides were significantly different with regard to preop and postop ERPF (p = .0001) for treated and (p = .0391) for nontreated side. The correlation coefficient between number of shocks and postop ERPF minus preop ERPF on treated side was -0.2504. The difference between postop and preop ERPF could be predicted based on the number of shocks and started falling between 650 and 700 shocks. Although there is some eventual improvement, our short-term data suggest that one should limit the number of shocks given per kidney per treatment and caution against “casual overtreatment.”
Parallel magnetic resonance imaging using localized receive arrays with sinc interpolation (PILARS).

Large arrays with localized coil sensitivity make it possible to use parallel imaging to significantly accelerate MR imaging speed. However, the need for auto calibration signals limits the actual acceleration factors achievable with large arrays. This paper presents a novel method for parallel imaging with large arrays. The method uses Sinc kernels for k-space data interpolation that only requires one phase parameter to be estimated using a small size of calibration signals. Simulations based on synthetic array data and phantom experiments show that the new method can achieve higher actual acceleration factors with comparable reconstruction quality. Magn Reson Med 000:000–000, 2011. V C 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Decreased phosphorylative capacity and respiratory rate of rabbit skeletal muscle mitochondria in vitamin E dystrophy.

Abstract 1. 1. Ultrastructural and biochemical changes occurring in mitochondria of skeletal muscle of vitamin E deficient rabbits and the extent of repair of the mitochondria after oral administration of the vitamin to the deficient rabbits have been studied. 2. 2. Muscle of the dystrophic rabbits showed structural changes typical of the myopathic state, and these were reversed in the rehabilitated rabbits. 3. 3. State 3 respiratory rate of the dystrophic mitochondria was severely reduced when measured in the presence or absence of albumin in the assay medium. 4. 4. The ADP/O ratio of the dystrophic mitochondria utilizing glutamate malate was reduced by one-third when albumin was absent from the assay medium but was similar to the ratio of the control and rehabilitated mitochondria when albumin was present. 5. 5. This result suggested that skeletal muscle mitochondria of dystrophic rabbits had a decreased ADP/O ratio in vivo .
Effects of Radiation Exposure on Response Latencies of Rhesus Monkeys

Abstract : Thirty-nine male and 25 female rhesus monkeys, ranging in age from 42 to 54 months, that had previously been exposed to varying dosages of nuclear radiations, were tested in a modified version of the WGTA for 10 trials per day over a five-day period on response latency to a familiar food-rewarded wooden block placed randomly over either of the two outside food wells. They were then tested for 10 trials per day over a five-day period on response latency to either the same food-rewarded wooden block or to a novel non-rewarded wooden block presented siumltaneously. The following results were obtained: (1) on the single-stimulusblock condition, the higher the relative radiation dosage, the longer was the response latency; and (2) when the novel nonrewarded stimulus block was introduced, the higher the relative radiation dosage, the less was the disruption of response latency. (Author)
Spatial Differences in Heliothis zea Egg Density and the Intensity of Parasitism by Trichogramma Spp. : an Experimental Analysis

The effects of spatial differences in host density on parasitism of Heliothis zea (Boddie) eggs by Trichogramma spp. were investigated in cultivated soybean plots. H. zea egg density per leaf and the distance separating egg-bearing leaves within lots were experimentally manipulated. A kairomone-containing extract of H. zea scales was used to mimic natural oviposition sites. Spatial relationships between the probability of parasitism and egg density per leaf were the result of 2 opposing trends. The probability of at least one egg on an eggbearing leaf being encountered and parasitized by Trichogramma (here termed a “discovery” of that leaf by parasitoids) increased as the egg density per leaf increased; the conditional probability of parasitism for other eggs present, given an attack on one egg, decreased with increasing egg density. The net result of these opposing trends varied with separation distance and, statistically, percent parasitism varied from inversely density-dependent to density-independent as separation distance increased from 25 to 150 cm.
High temperature thermographic measurements of laser heated silica

In situ spatial and temporal surface temperature profiles of CO2 laser-heated silica were obtained using a long wave infrared (LWIR) HgCdTe camera. Solutions to the linear diffusion equation with volumetric and surface heating are shown to describe the temperature evolution for a range of beam powers, over which the peak surface temperature scales linearly with power. These solutions were used with on-axis steady state and transient experimental temperatures to extract thermal diffusivity and conductivity for a variety of materials, including silica, spinel, sapphire, and lithium fluoride. Experimentally-derived thermal properties agreed well with reported values and, for silica, thermal conductivity and diffusivity are shown to be approximately independent of temperature between 300 and 2800K. While for silica our analysis based on a temperature independent thermal conductivity is shown to be accurate, for other materials studied this treatment yields effective thermal properties that represent reasonable approximations for laser heating. Implementation of a single-wavelength radiation measurement in the semi-transparent regime is generally discussed, and estimates of the apparent temperature deviation from the actual outer surface temperature are also presented. The experimental approach and the simple analysis presented yield surface temperature measurements that can be used to validate more complex physical models, help discriminate dominant heat transport mechanisms, and to predict temperature distribution and evolution during laser-based material processing.
Effects of temperature upon glucose tolerance curves in the rocky intertidal striped shore crab Pachygrapsus crassipes randall (Crustacea: Decapoda)

1. 1. The influence of acute exposure to 10, 20 and 30°C on the rate of disappearance of injected glucose from hemolymph in cold acclimated (12°C), fasted and intact or bilaterally destalked crab Pachygrapsus crassipes Randall was followed. 2. 2. Eyestalk ablation caused a significant increase in the rate of injected glucose disappearance at 10 and 30°C. 3. 3. Results suggest the diabetogenic factor or hyperglycemic hormone of decapod crustacean eyestalks increases hemolymph glucose concentration by decreasing glucose utilization as well as by stimulating glycogenolysis.
Current practice of motor evoked potential monitoring: results of a survey.

Centers responding to a survey of MEP monitoring practices predominantly used transcranial electrical brain stimulation (TCES) with brief pulse trains and/or spinal cord stimulation (SCS) to elicit MEPs; transcranial magnetic stimulation and single-pulse TCES were not techniques of choice. Most centers using TCES had patient exclusion criteria (e.g., cochlear implants, cardiac pacemakers, prior craniotomy or skull fracture, history of seizures). Adverse effects included rare tongue injuries or seizures from TCES, and minor bleeding from needle electrodes in muscle. Spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle recording sites were all employed. TCES with recording of muscle responses was the preferred MEP monitoring technique at the plurality of the centers. MEPs suitable for monitoring were obtained in about 91.6% of patients overall. Most of the failures were attributed to technical factors; preexisting neurologic dysfunction precluded MEP monitoring in approximately 1.7% of patients. Almost all centers monitored SEPs concurrently with MEPs. Overall, both measures remained stable during about 90.2% of cases. Adverse MEP changes occurred in about 8.3%; a little over half of these were accompanied by SEP changes. Adverse SEP changes without MEP changes occurred in about 1.5% of cases. SEPs and MEPs should be used together to optimally monitor the spinal cord.
The influence of the state of aggregation on the specific acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of sodium dodecyl sulfate

Abstract Solutions of sodium dodecyl sulfate at concentrations above the c.m.c. have been shown to undergo hydrolysis at rates more than 30 times that for SDS solutions at concentrations below the c.m.c. The addition of nonionic agents capable of forming mixed micelles with SDS increases the rate of SDS hydrolysis both above and below the c.m.c. Although enhanced association of the catalytic hydronium ion and dodecyl sulfate ion in micellar form is probably primarily responsible for the increase in rate of hydrolysis, additional factors may be involved when SDS is associated with non-ionic agents in mixed micelles. The enhanced rate of hydrolysis in the micellar state appears to be associated with a large positive entropy term rather than with a more favorable activation energy.
Chemical Reactivity within NO/Ethanol Cluster Ions

The direct influence of hydrogen-bonding on chemical reactivity within [{NO}n{CH3CH2OH}m]+ ions is presented in this study. At high ethanol concentrations in the ethanol/NO gas mixture, the primary ion−molecule reaction generates CH3CH2ONO and HNO via loss of a hydrogen solely from the hydroxy group of the ethanol. This behavior continues without regard to the ethanol concentration until a certain critical value of the ethanol concentration is reached. Further decreasing the ethanol composition gives rise to a change in the position of the hydrogen atom loss, from the hydroxyl group to the methylene group. These results, we believe, originate from structural changes in the hydrogen-bonding network of the ethanols. We propose a model to account for this distinctive chemistry within NO/ethanol clusters and have interpreted the difference in the chemical reactivity between NO/ethanol and NO/methanol in terms of geometrical versus energetic factors.
A further analysis of age and sleep deprivation effects.

Subjective, persistence/attention, precision, and cognitively demanding measures were obtained across two nights' sleep deprivation to compare the performance of 50–59 and 18–22 yr old men. The younger subjects had the larger subjective decrements while the older subjects had the larger decrements on the persistence tasks. The results were mixed on the precision and cognitively demanding tasks.
Long‐term survival in patients with human immunodeficiency virus‐associated small non‐cleaved cell lymphoma: the role for short course intensive chemotherapy

While intensive chemotherapy is recommended for the treatment of non-HIV related adult small non-cleaved lymphoma (SNCL), including Burkitt's and Burkitt-like lymphoma, optimal treatment for patients with HIV-associated SNCL is not known. We assessed remissions and survival in a cohort of 44 consecutive HIV positive patients diagnosed with SNCL at our hospital between June 2000 and November 2001 using chart and pathology data. Median follow-up, survival and survival at the median follow-up time were 4.5 months, 4 months and 49% respectively. Of this cohort 39% were complete responders (CR) and 36% were long-term lymphoma-free survivors. Two patients relapsed from CR. Short course intensive chemotherapy (McMaster) was administered to 23 patients; 17 received less intensive conventional combination chemotherapy; and four received single-agent chemotherapy or no treatment. In the McMaster group, 38% (9/23) achieved CR with no relapses. Seven patients (30%) died of toxicity compared with one (6%) in the less intensively treated group. Of the stage I patients, 75% (6/8) achieved long-term CR with half being treated conventionally. Conventional chemotherapy may be curative for early stage HIV-SNCL. In advanced disease, McMaster chemotherapy was found to be associated with substantial early mortality but was curative in a significant number of patients.
Why Darwin rejected intelligent design.

As a Cambridge University undergraduate Charles Darwin was fascinated and convinced by the argument for intelligent design, as set forth in William Paley’s 1802 classic, Natural Theology. Subsequently, during his five-year voyage on HMS Beagle (1831–1836), Darwin interpreted his biological findings through a creationist lens, including the thought-provoking evidence he encountered during his historic visit to the Galapagos Islands in September and October 1835. After his return to England in 1836 and his subsequent conversion to the idea of organic evolution in March 1837, Darwin searched for a theory that would explain both the fact of evolution and the widespread appearance of intelligent design. His insight into the process of natural selection, which occurred in September 1838, provided this alternative explanation. Darwin’s Origin of Species (1859) exemplifies his skillful deployment of the hypothetico-deductive method in testing and refuting the arguments for intelligent design that he had once so ardently admired.
GRiNGA: A service-oriented middleware for interactive TV grids

This paper presents GRiNGA, a middleware based on service-oriented grids to support the development of interactive TV applications. The nodes of GRiNGA are typically personal devices of a Home Area Network (HAN), such as notebooks and mobile phones, which can be accessed by a settop box with Ginga middleware, the standard component of the Brazilian Digital Television System (SBTVD). GRiNGA (Grid + Ginga) takes advantages of idle resources from HAN devices, in order to improve the execution of more demanding interactive applications.
Incidental rolandic spikes: Long-term outcomes and impact of treatment

We describe a group of 26 children with no prior history of seizures consistent with benign rolandic epilepsy who had rolandic spikes found coincidentally on EEG. A retrospective chart review as well as phone and email follow-ups with families were completed to assess long-term outcomes. A subset of this group (n=7) with reported comorbid language or learning difficulties was then given an empiric trial of levetiracetam. Seven (27%) children eventually developed seizures, with a median of 14months after the abnormal EEG. Of the 7 children ever treated with levetiracetam, 5 exhibited beneficial effects on learning, speech, or behavior. Side effects reported were mild and included irritability and headache. Incidental rolandic spikes may represent a discrete neurologic condition, with approximately one-quarter of the patients later developing epilepsy. Some of these children may experience improved intellectual functioning with levetiracetam.
G Protein Signaling: Insights from New Structures

A large body of experimental evidence exists that links heterotrimeric guanosine triphosphate–binding protein (G protein) structure to function. The determination of the crystal structures of G proteins in various activational states and, more recently, in complexes with effectors and other signaling partners highlights the varied mechanisms involved in G protein regulation. Signaling complexes, such as the recently solved complex of Gβγ and G protein receptor kinase 2 (GRK2), provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying the regulation of these highly conserved signaling molecules. In this Review, we discuss the latest findings and their implications for G protein–signaling paradigms.
Precision-grip force changes in the anatomical and prosthetic limb during predictable load increases

This study examined precision-grip force applied to an instrumented test object held aloft while the weight of the object was predictably varied by transporting and placing loads (50, 100, or 200 g) atop the test object. Transport of the loads was performed either by the subject or the experimenter. Grip force was examined in four non-amputee control subjects and in the anatomical and prosthetic hand of a subject with a prosthetic device. As subjects transported the load, anticipatory grip-force changes occurred in the anatomical hands and prosthetic hand, which were scaled in relation to the load. When the experimenter transported the load to the anatomical hands of control subjects or the prosthetic user, anticipatory increases in grip force occurred that also were scaled in relation to load. However, when the experimenter transported the load to the prosthetic hand, anticipatory grip-force adjustments were absent. During the phase in which the load was being assumed by the postural hand, grip forces in the anatomical hands and prosthetic hand were further scaled to load demands. Ability to adapt grip force in the prosthetic hand during this phase suggested that the subject was utilizing sensory information from the residual limb to adjust grip force. Thus, while anticipatory changes precede the process of adaptation to load changes, actual sensory consequences resulting from added weight remain necessary to fully adapt grip force to load demands, even for the prosthetic user.
New learning and teaching from where you've been: The global intercultural experience for undergraduates

The authors describe the structure and impact of faculty-led intercultural field placements involving diverse groups of students.
Rayleigh scattering measurements in supersonic facilities

Using a narrow-band, pulsed, ArF excimer laser and a single-intensified CCD camera, planar laser Rayleigh scattering measurements were performed to obtain quantitative density measurements both in the free stream and in a model flow field. These measurements were conducted in the 15-inch, Mach 6 high temperature facility at NASA Langley Research Center. This facility is capable of achieving stagnation temperatures up to 700 K (800 F) over a range of stagnation pressures from 0.35 to 2.07 MPa (50 to 300 psia). The high temperature capability of this facility eliminates the clustering effect observed in earlier Mach 6 studies, and allows quantitative density measurements in the free stream over a range of stagnation pressures from 0.35 to 1.75 MPa (50 to 250 psia). Model flow field measurements were obtained on 38.1 mm diameter cylinder. Measurement locations include the free stream, the region behind the bow shock in front of the model, and the region behind the model including the wake. The densities deduced from the Rayleigh scattering measurements in the model flow field are compared with CFD computations. Measurement uncertainties and the detection limit are discussed.
An empirical investigation of user term feedback in text-based targeted image search

Text queries are natural and intuitive for users to describe their information needs. However, text-based image retrieval faces many challenges. Traditional text retrieval techniques on image descriptions have not been very successful. This is mainly due to the inconsistent textual descriptions and the discrepancies between user queries and terms in the descriptions. To investigate strategies to alleviate this vocabulary problem, this article examines the role of user term feedback in targeted image search that is based on text-based image retrieval. Term feedback refers to the feedback from a user on specific terms regarding their relevance to a target image. Previous studies have indicated the effectiveness of term feedback in interactive text retrieval. However, in our experiments on text-based image retrieval, the term feedback has not been shown to be effective. Our results indicate that, although term feedback has a positive effect by allowing users to identify more relevant terms, it also has a strong negative effect by providing more opportunities for users to specify irrelevant terms. To understand these different effects and their implications, this article further analyzes important factors that contribute to the utility of term feedback and discusses the outlook of term feedback in interactive text-based image retrieval.
Measuring Changes in Interest in Science and Technology at the College Level in Response to Two Instructional Interventions

Improving interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is crucial to widening participation and success in STEM studies at the college level. To understand how classroom and extracurricular interventions affect interest, it is necessary to have appropriate measurement tools. We describe the adaptation and revalidation of a previously existing multidimensional instrument to the end of measuring interest in environmental science and technology in college nonscience majors. We demonstrate the revised instrument’s ability to detect change in this group over an 8-week time period. While collection of demographic information was not part of the study design, participating students were similar in that they hailed from three environmental science nonmajor classes sharing a common syllabus and instructional delivery method. Change in interest was measured in response to two types of scientific literature-based learning approaches: a scientific practice approach and a traditional, quiz-driven approach. We found that both approaches led to moderate gains in interest in learning environmental science and careers in environmental science across an 8-week time period. Interest in using technology for learning increased among students using the scientific practice approach; in contrast, the same measure decreased among students using the reading/quiz approach. This result invites the possibility that interest in using technology as a learning tool may relate to technological literacy, which must be taught explicitly in the context of authentic inquiry experiences.
Effects of beef insulin upon the granulation of beta cells in cultures of pancreases of fetal rats from diabetic mothers

Portions of pancreases were removed from nineteen and one-half day fetuses from diabetic and nondiabetic rats. These explants were grown for four days in organ culture by the watch glass method. Four types of culture media were used: standard medium containing 165 mg of glucose per 100 ml; similar standard medium supplemented with 0.70 to 2.20 mU per ml of insulin (beef); high glucose medium containing 1050 mg of glucose per 100 ml; similar high glucose medium supplemented with 0.65 to 2.00 mU per ml of insulin (beef). In cultures of pancreases grown on standard media both with and without added insulin, there were large increases in the number of granulated beta cells. In cultures of pancreases of fetuses from diabetic rats, which were grown on high glucose medium, the high level of glucose maintained the cultures in a simulated diabetic environment in which few granulated beta cells appeared. Conversely, when the cultures of fetuses from diabetic rats were grown on high glucose medium with added insulin, there was an increase in the number of granulated beta cells. These observations suggest that the insulin level in the culture medium influences the granulation of the beta cell.
Pseudodissection: negative contrast streaming from collateral flow branch mimicking coronary arterial dissection.

Description des implications chimiques et therapeutiques decoulant de ces anomalies angiographiques
Basin-scale inputs of cobalt, iron, and manganese from the Benguela-Angola front to the South Atlantic Ocean

We present full-depth zonal sections of total dissolved cobalt, iron, manganese, and labile cobalt from the South Atlantic Ocean. A basin-scale plume from the African coast appeared to be a major source of dissolved metals to this region, with high cobalt concentrations in the oxygen minimum zone of the Angola Dome and extending 2500 km into the subtropical gyre. Metal concentrations were elevated along the coastal shelf, likely due to reductive dissolution and resuspension of particulate matter. Linear relationships between cobalt, N2O, and O2, as well as low surface aluminum supported a coastal rather than atmospheric cobalt source. Lateral advection coupled with upwelling, biological uptake, and remineralization delivered these metals to the basin, as evident in two zonal transects with distinct physical processes that exhibited different metal distributions. Scavenging rates within the coastal plume differed for the three metals; iron was removed fastest, manganese removal was 2.5 times slower, and cobalt scavenging could not be discerned from water mass mixing. Because scavenging, biological utilization, and export constantly deplete the oceanic inventories of these three hybrid-type metals, point sources of the scale observed here likely serve as vital drivers of their oceanic cycles. Manganese concentrations were elevated in surface waters across the basin, likely due to coupled redox processes acting to concentrate the dissolved species there. These observations of basin-scale hybrid metal plumes combined with the recent projections of expanding oxygen minimum zones suggest a potential mechanism for effects on ocean primary production and nitrogen fixation via increases in trace metal source inputs.