cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adolescents differ from adults in cocaine conditioned place preference and cocaine-induced dopamine in the nucleus accumbens septi.

Abstract In humans, adolescent exposure to illicit drugs predicts the onset of adult drug abuse and suggests that early drug use potentiates vulnerability to drug addiction. Cocaine conditioned place preferences were measured in early adolescent [postnatal day (PND) 35], late adolescent (PND 45) and young adult (PND 60) rats by injecting either 0, 5 or 20 mg/kg cocaine and conditioning them to environmental cues. Cocaine preferences were found for all ages at the high dose. PND 35s were the only age group to have a preference at the low dose. To address whether age-related differences in cocaine place preferences were related to differences in the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, we measured extracellular dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens septi of PND 35, PND 45 and PND 60 rats via quantitative microdialysis under transient conditions. Rats were injected daily with either 5 mg/kg/ip or saline for 4 days and surgically implanted with a microdialysis probe aimed at the nucleus accumbens. Rats were perfused with either 0, 1, 10 or 40 nM dopamine and the extracellular dopamine concentration was measured. Our results show that adolescents differ from adults in basal dopamine. All cocaine treated rats, regardless of age, showed a significant increase in dopamine over baseline in response to a cocaine challenge. Additionally, there were age-related differences in the extraction fraction ( E d ), an indirect measure of dopamine reuptake. Together these findings suggest ontogenetic differences in extracellular dopamine and dopamine reuptake and that these differences may provide an explanation for adolescent vulnerability to addiction.
Storage temperature influences desiccation and ultra violet radiation tolerance of entomopathogenic nematodes

Abstract 1. The effect of cold (5 °C) and warm (35 °C) storage on desiccation tolerance of cold-adapted Steinernema feltiae, intermediate S. carpocapsae and warm-adapted S. riobrave was evaluated at 5 and 35 °C. 2. Desiccation survival of all three species at 5 °C was enhanced by both the cold and warm storage. At 35 °C, desiccation survival of S. feltiae and S. riobrave was enhanced by only warm storage and of S. carpocapsae by only cold storage. 3. When desiccated at 5 °C, both warm and cold stored S. carpocapsae and S. feltiae, and the cold stored S. riobrave maintained significantly higher original virulence against Galleria mellonella larvae than cohorts stored at culture temperature. When desiccated at 35 °C, both warm and cold stored S. riobrave, and warm stored S. carpocapsae and S. feltiae maintained significantly higher original virulence than cohorts stored at culture temperature. 4. After 3 h exposure to ultra violet (UV) radiation stress at 340 nm, the warm and cold stored S. carpocapsae and S. riobrave maintained significantly higher original virulence than cohorts stored at culture temperature. The virulence of UV stressed S. feltiae was unaffected by storage temperature. 5. Trehalose content of both warm and cold stored S. feltiae, cold stored S. carpocapsae and warm stored S. riobrave was positively correlated with their desiccation survival at 5 and 35 °C. Trehalose content was also positively correlated with the virulence of both warm and cold stored S. carpocapsae, and warm stored S. riobrave following exposure to UV stress.
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Case Decisions: Health-Related Service Considerations for School Psychologists.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic illness that can impact learning and often requires medical management in the school setting. School psychologists must therefore be knowledgeable of special service eligibility criteria associated with T1DM, the health-related services often required of such students, and what health-related services schools are obliged to provide. Although federal regulations speak to special service eligibility criteria to consider for children with T1DM, such codes do not outline what health services schools are expected to provide. One way to glean this information is by examining published case decisions involving diabetes health-related services in the schools. Themes and examples in five decision categories provide vital information for school psychologists regarding school service planning for T1DM. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A test of Newtonian gravitation for large distances

Un test de la gravitation newtonienne pour des distances de l'ordre du magaparsec est propose sous l'hypothese des lois newtoniennes du mouvement et d'une loi de force de la forme F=kmm'/r α ou α est a determiner. Le test est applique a 9 amas de galaxies, et un resultat de α=1.75 est obtenu avec une incertitude difficile a quantifier
Defining the Pathways of Early Adult Hematopoiesis

The journeys that hematopoietic cells take to differentiate from long-term stem cells into committed cells have recently been a topic of debate. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Arinobu et al. (2007) and Pronk et al. (2007) provide new insights into the paths traveled by hematopoietic progenitors.
Feast or famine: role of TRPML in preventing cellular amino acid starvation

Lysosomal storage diseases are metabolic disorders characterized by the accumulation of acidic vacuoles, and are usually the consequence of the deficiency of an enzyme responsible for the metabolism of vesicular lipids, proteins or carbohydrates. In contrast, mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV), results from the absence of a vesicular Ca2+ release channel called mucolipin 1/transient receptor potential mucolipin 1 (MCOLN1/TRPML1) which is required for the fusion of amphisomes with lysosomes. In Drosophila, ablation of the MCOLN1 homolog (trpml) leads to diminished viability during pupation when the animals rely on autophagy for nutrients. This pupal lethality results from decreased target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) signaling, and is reversed by reactivating TORC1. Our findings indicate that one of the primary causes of toxicity in the absence of TRPML is cellular amino acid starvation, and the resulting decrease in TORC1 activity. Furthermore, our findings raise the intriguing possibility that the neurologic...
LOW-INCOME ELDERLY ADULTS' NEEDS AND PREFERENCES FOR NUTRITION EDUCATION

Abstract Four focus groups were conducted with low-income elderly adults (28 females and 7 males), ages 55+ years, to understand their needs and preferences for nutrition education. Adults were Congregate Meal Program participants in Virginia. Discussion questions addressed food purchasing and preparation, importance of food to health, and education methods. Discussions were audio-taped and written transcripts were made for use in data analysis. The influence of health conditions on food choices was the predominant theme of the discussions; adults made choices according to dietary restrictions. Food preferences and sensory characteristics also were important. Some experienced food insecurity. Most wanted to receive information on disease-specific food choices through group discussions and written materials.
Lanthanide-mediated phosphoester hydrolysis and phosphate elimination from phosphopeptides.

Lanthanide ions can mediate both phosphomonoester hydrolysis and β-elimination of inorganic phosphate from polypeptide substrates under near-physiological conditions of pH, temperature, and salt.
Ultrashort laser pulse beam shaping

We calculated the temporal and spatial characteristics of an ultrashort laser pulse propagating through a diffractive beam-shaping system that converts a Gaussian beam into a beam with a uniform irradiance profile that was originally designed for continuous waves [Proc. SPIE2863, 237 (1996)]. The pulse front is found to be considerably curved for a 10-fs pulse, resulting in a temporal broadening of the pulse that increases with increasing radius. The spatial intensity distribution deviates significantly from a top-hat profile, whereas the fluence shows a homogeneous radial distribution.
Planetary science: Iron fog of accretion

Pinpointing when Earth's core formed depends on the extent of metal–silicate equilibration in the mantle. Vaporization and recondensation of impacting planetesimal cores during accretion may reconcile disparate lines of evidence.
Evaluation of a fortuitously reward other

Under the guise of an experiment on gambling decisions, subjects briefly met a confederate of the experimenter, whom they later evaluated. The major hypothesis was that the confederate would be evaluated more favorably by subjects who were told that she had received a fortuitous reward than by control subjects. The hypothesis was confirmed for female subjects only.
Isolation of a bi-directional promoter directing expression of the mouse GABPα and ATP synthase coupling factor 6 genes

Abstract The GA-binding protein (GABP) is a ubiquitous heteromeric transcription factor implicated in the regulation of several genes involved in mitochondrial energy metabolism including subunits of cytochrome c oxidase, ATP synthase, and mitochondrial transcription factor 1 (mtTF1). GABPα subunit binds the PEA3/Ets binding sites (EBS), while GABPβ contains a transcription activation domain and mediates αβ dimer and α 2 β 2 tetramer formation essential for activation of transcription. Here we report the cloning of 2449 bp of the mouse (m) GABPα promoter region including 201 bp of the 5′ end of the published mGABPα cDNA sequence. Surprisingly, sequences homologous to the 5′UTR of mouse, rat and human mitochondrial ATP synthase coupling factor 6 (ATPsynCF6) cDNAs were found165–240 bp upstream of the mGABPα cDNA. A search of the non-redundant nucleotide database revealed a human genomic sequence derived from chromosome 21 (21q22) bearing significant homology to the mGABPα/ATPsynCF6 promoter region and encompassed the entire hGABPα and hATPsynCF6 genes. Primer extension analysis revealed multiple transcription start sites for both mGABPα and mATPsynCF6 mRNAs that mapped near the published cDNA 5′ ends. Sequence analysis identified several binding sites upstream of the GABPα cDNA sequence including sites for GABP (−86, −104, −169, −257, and −994), YY1 (−57), Sp1 (−242 and −226), and NRF1 (−5). No ‘TATA’ motif was identified near either the GABPα or ATPsynCF6 transcription start sites. The human and mouse promoters retain significant sequence identity including binding sites for several tissue-specific transcription factors. Transient transfection assays using Luciferase reporter constructs containing the intergenic region and flanking sequences confirmed that this region of DNA promotes transcription in both directions.
Image processing by template polynomials

Summary form only given. A polynomial approach to the representation of binary gray images for machine vision is described. First, the authors develop an algebraic system and show that most of the standard image processing can be done by the template polynomial operations. They also develop some operators which rely on the intrinsic properties of polynomials and perform considerable advantage when the polynomial representation is used. In particular, the authors develop a parallel algorithm by template decomposition which uses the separability property of the template polynomial to reduce the time complexity. The authors also develop a method for decomposing the template which reduces the time complexity significantly for a large-sized template. A necessary and sufficient condition for the decomposability of a template which is easy to apply is obtained. Finally, a parallel algorithm for processing an image by decomposing a template into local templates is developed. >
Family Employment Intensity and Income Adequacy‐ A Multi‐Sample Analysis

The purpose of this analysis was to investigate the relationship between the intensity of the family's work effort, both market and nonmarket, and the adequacy of the family's income in eight diverse samples. The simple correlation coefficient was positive in all samples, but varied from .21 in the small-town sample to .59 in an urban low-income sample. A multiple regression model that incorporates factors that intervene in this relationship—wage rates, family size, and income from sources other than earnings—pro duced coefficients of determination (R2) ranging from .27 to .77. In five samples, one or more of the intervening variables contributed more to explained variance in income adequacy than did work effort.
Health screening, counseling, and hypertension control for people with serious mental illness at primary care visits

Abstract Objective This study sought to determine if primary care visits for people with serious mental illness (SMI) demonstrate different rates of basic physical health services compared to others, and to determine factors associated with differing rates of these measures in people with SMI. Method The study used 2005–2010 visit-level primary care data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. The provision of health counseling, receipt of any diagnostic or screening test, measurement of blood pressure or weight and evidence of hypertension control were assessed, adjusting for identified patient, provider and visit-level factors. Results After adjustment for covariates, we found no significant differences between visits for people with SMI and those without for any outcome. Probability of blood pressure measurement and diagnostic or screening testing significantly increased over time. Conclusion The lack of significant differences found here might be due to adjustment for covariates, a focus only on primary care visits, the use of visit-level data or evolution over time. Mortality differences for people with SMI may be attributable to those not receiving primary care, self-management of disease or subsets of the population requiring targeted interventions.
Throwing vs. walking as indicators of distance perception in real and virtual environments

In order for humans to act effectively in their environment, it is important for the visual system to determine the absolute size and distance of objects. Some measures of distance perception, characterized as visually directed walking tasks [Rieser et al. 1990; Loomis et al. 1992], indicate that humans are good at solving this problem given distances ranging from 2 to 25 meters in full-cue real-world environments. One example of this type of task is direct blind walking, in which observers walk without vision to previously viewed targets on the ground. Despite accurate behavior in the real-world, recent research in immersive virtual environments (VEs) using head-mounted displays (HMDs) has consistently found compression of distance to targets on the floor given the same blind walking tasks [Loomis and Knapp 2003; Thompson et al. in press].
WORDS AND CONCEPTS

To investigate the relation between words and concepts conjunctive and disjunctive problems were generated from lists of adjectives and nouns. Half of the Ss were given a strong aid to memory by giving them a continuous record of all past concept instances. All Ss were required to describe the basis for their choices following each problem. Conjunctive performance proved superior to disjunctive performance both in terms of errors committed and the appropriateness of the verbal descriptions of the problems. Inclusion of a memory aid reduced errors for both conceptual rules but also decreased the appropriateness of the verbalizations of the problems. Some evidence was obtained that the ease of solution of a conceptual problem is related to the particular parts of speech comprising that problem.
Improvement of noncoherent orthogonal coding by time overlapping

A simple way to increase the performance of noncoherent orthogonal coding is suggested. The idea is to overlap the transmitted symbols in time using an appropriate set of symbols. The best upper bound of the possible performance improvement in terms of E/sub b//N/sub 0/ when transmitting over the AWGN channel is proven to be M/(M-1). An example of a set of orthogonal symbols which can be overlapped to achieve this bound is the Walsh functions. The theory is a generalisation of the relation which exists between binary FSK and differential PSK for M-ary orthogonal noncoherent modulation.
Charged nanograins in the Enceladus plume

Enceladus, which orbits Saturn in the planet's E ring, is one of the few geologically active moons in the outer solar system. It emits a large plume that contains water-ice dust grains. Hill et al. used instruments on the Cassini spacecraft to observe charged nanometer sized grains of water ice emanating from Enceladus. The authors measured the charge-to-mass ratio of each grain and found that the most likely charge per grain is 1 electron charge. In addition, negatively charged grains outnumber positively charged ones by a factor of more than 2000. On the basis of their analysis, the researchers argue that the nanograins are not charged when they leave Enceladus but become charged as they encounter electrons in the plasma around Enceladus. (Journal of Geophysical Research-Space Physics, doi:10.1029/2011JA017218, 2012)
Dpbx, a new homeobox gene closely related to the human proto-oncogene pbx1 molecular structure and developmental expression.

Abstract Recently, a new class of homeodomain containing proteins, pbx1, pbx2 , and pbx3 has been described. pbx proteins are most closely related to two yeast regulatory proteins, a1 and α2. Here, we identify and characterize the pbx homolog in Drosophila , designated Dpbx . Dpbx is 95% identical to the pbx proteins within the homeodomain and, more remarkably, is 85% to 88% identical within a 201 amino acid region adjacent to the homeodomain. Cytologically, the Dpbx gene is located on the X chromosome at 14A. mRNA expression is both maternal and zygotic and occurs throughout the life cycle. Prior to full germband retraction, Dpbx is rather ubiquitously present and variations are minor. The most notable feature of Dpbx expression is that after germband retraction, high levels of Dpbx are observed in the anterior portion of the ventral nerve cord.
Improved ohmic contacts to n-type GaP devices*

Abstract Ohnic contacts to n -type GaP devices which are capable of operation at ambient temperatures as high as 500°C were investigated. Alloying temperatures of Au, Al, Ag and Ni films on GaP single crystals were measured and found to be 520, 635, 690 and 760°C respectively, within an accuracy of ± 20°C. Films of Ag covered with Ni showed good wetting on GaP and were stable well above 500°C. Silver based alloy contacts such as Ag-Ge, Ag-Te and Ag-Te-Sb covered with Ni films were ohmic after heat treatments at temperatures between 600 and 700°C. The lowest specific contact resistance obtained to date is 4 × 10 −4 Ω cm 2 with the Ag-Te-Sb system.
Monte Carlo evaluation of the relationship between absorbed dose and contrast-to-noise ratio in coherent scatter breast CT

The objective of this work was to evaluate the advantages and shortcomings associated with Coherent Scatter Computed Tomography (CSCT) systems for breast imaging and study possible alternative configurations. The relationship between dose in a breast phantom and a simple surrogate of image quality in pencil-beam and fan-beam CSCT geometries was evaluated via Monte Carlo simulation, and an improved pencil-beam setup was proposed for faster CSCT data acquisition. CSCT projection datasets of a simple breast phantom have been simulated using a new version of the MC-GPU code that includes an improved model of x-ray coherent scattering using experimentally measured molecular interference functions. The breast phantom was composed of an 8 cm diameter cylinder of 50/50 glandular/adipose material and nine rods with different diameters of cancerous, adipose and glandular tissues. The system performance has been assessed in terms of the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in multiple regions of interest within the reconstructed images, for a range of exposure levels. The enhanced pencil-beam setup consisted of multiplexed pencil beams and specific post-processing of the projection data to calculate the scatter intensity coming from each beam separately. At reconstruction spatial resolution of 1×1×1 mm3 and from 1 to 10 mGy of received breast dose, fan-beam geometry showed higher statistical noise and lower CNR than pencil-beam geometry. Conventional CT acquisition had the highest CNR per dose. However, the CNR figure of merit did not combine yet all the information available at different scattering angles in the CSCT, which has potential for increased discrimination of materials with similar attenuation properties. Preliminary evaluation of the multiplexed pencil-beam geometry showed that the scattering profiles simulated with the new approach are similar to those of the single pencil-beam geometry. Conclusion: It has been shown that the GPU-accelerated MC-GPU code is a practical tool to simulate complete CSCT scans with different acquisition geometries and exposure levels. The simulation showed better performance in terms of the received dose and CNR with pencil-beam geometry in comparison to the fan-beam geometry. Finally, we demonstrated that the proposed multiplexed-beam geometry might be useful for faster acquisition of CSCT while providing comparable image quality as the pencil-beam geometry.
Measurement of end-tidal PCO2 and PO2.

This article describes the basic principles of the measurement of end-tidal carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) in humans. The description includes definitions of the major parameters of breathing (e.g., the composition of atmospheric air, arterial and venous blood; metabolism; lung capacity; volumetric measures of tidal volume, minute volume, and respiration frequency; pH regulation and cerebral acidity; barometric pressure and the partial pressures of CO2 and O2), the basic anatomical features of breathing, the means by which gases are exchanged between the lungs and blood, the techniques used in the measurement of respiratory variables, and the interpretation of these measurements.
Avian reticuloendotheliosis virus: Identification of the hematopoietic target cell for transformation

Non-virus-producing hematopoietic cells transformed in vitro by reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV-T) induce lethal "reticuloendotheliosis" when inoculated into histocompatible chickens. This is the first direct demonstration that an in vivo target cell of an avian acute leukemia virus can be transformed in vitro. The tumorigenic, REV-T-transformed non-virus-producing cells fail to express helper-virus-coded proteins. REV-T transformed tumorigenic cells therefore do not require helper-virus functions. Cells transformed in vivo or in vitro by REV-T have lymphoblastoid morphology and express low levels of terminal-deoxynucleotidyl-transferase activity and bursal-cell determinants. One clone synthesized Ig mu. The preferred target cells for REV-T transformation are therefore immature lymphoid cells that express B-cell determinants. We propose that the unique transforming sequence of REV-T be designated rel (lymphoid).
Novel Non-aqueous Sol-Gel Synthesis of Carbon-Coated LiMPO 4 (M = Fe, Mn, Co) for Lithium Ion Batteries

A simple organic solvent based sol-gel method for synthesis of carbon-coated LiFePO 4 is developed. Phase pure LiFePO 4 with uniform size of 200–300 nm and no agglomeration is obtained, with 1.8 wt % surface carbon formed in-situ . Such a material gives specific discharge capacities of 150 mAh/g and 145 mAh/g at C/5 and 2C at room temperature, respectively, with desirable cycling stability. The dependence of particle size and morphology on precursor concentrations is opposite to conventional solution based methods. Other LiMPO 4 (M = Mn, Co, Ni, etc) with favorable physical characteristics can be synthesized the same way.
The Dynamics of Action-Oriented Problem Solving: Linking Interpretation and Choice

We offer a theory of action-oriented problem solving that links interpretation and choice, processes usually separated in the sensemaking literature and decision-making literature. Through an iterative, simulation-based process we developed a formal model. Three insights emerged: (1) action-oriented problem solving includes acting, interpreting, and cultivating diagnoses; (2) feedback among these processes opens and closes windows of adaptive problem solving; and (3) reinforcing feedback and confirmation bias, usually considered dysfunctional, are helpful for adaptive problem solving.
After-Hours Pediatric Care Compared With Emergency Department Care A Retrospective Charge Analysis

Objective. To compare financial charges between children treated and released from an emergency department (ED) with those evaluated in an after-hours (AH) pediatric clinic. Methods. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for 200 children <15 years of age treated in a hospital-based ED and compared with 200 children seen in an AH pediatric clinic. Our main outcome was median overall patient charges by clinic setting. We additionally examined charges by the 6 most common disease diagnoses. Results. Median charges for children treated and released from the ED were $457 [interquartile range (IQR) $320-$628] compared with $140 (IQR $140-$140) for those treated in the AH clinic (P < .01). In addition, median charges were higher for the ED group in the 6 most common disease classes shared between the 2 study groups, both overall and for individual disease class comparison between study groups (all P < .01). We examined the association between charges and clinic setting in multiple quantile regression mod...
Community Learning by Graph Approximation

Learning communities from a graph is an important problem in many domains. Different types of communities can be generalized as link-pattern based communities. In this paper, we propose a general model based on graph approximation to learn link-pattern based community structures from a graph. The model generalizes the traditional graph partitioning approaches and is applicable to learning various community structures. Under this model, we derive a family of algorithms which are flexible to learn various community structures and easy to incorporate the prior knowledge of the community structures. Experimental evaluation and theoretical analysis show the effectiveness and great potential of the proposed model and algorithms.
Air & Sea Temperature Measurements For Imet

The World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) is directed at understanding ocean circulation and its interrelation to the climate. IMET (Improved Meteorological Measurements from Ships and Buoys) is a long lead time development effort to test and develop
PHENIX: Beyond 15 years of discovery

The PHENIX experiment at BNL’s Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) was designed to uncover properties of the quark–gluon plasma (QGP) via rare penetrating probes. Over the past 15 years, the collaboration has delivered on its promised measurements, often with exciting results beyond those originally foreseen. That the QGP behaves as a nearly perfect fluid and that non-photonic electrons are substantially suppressed has led to the use of heavy quarks as probes of the medium. The PHENIX silicon vertex detectors are opening a new arena for QGP studies, and the MPC-EX, a novel forward calorimeter with silicon readout, accesses low-x physics via direct photons with unprecedented precision. PHENIX has proposed sPHENIX, a major upgrade using the recently acquired BaBar solenoid and full calorimetric coverage and high rate capabilities. sPHENIX will reconstruct jets and extend observables to higher transverse momentum, where comparisons to results from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) heavy-ion program will provide the most insightful. Following the RHIC program, the nuclear physics community has identified an electron ion collider (EIC) as crucial to the next generation of QCD investigations. The BaBar magnet and sPHENIX calorimetry will be an excellent foundation for a new collaborative pursuit of discovery.
Comparison of quantitative and semiquantitative methods for assessing mitral regurgitation by transesophageal echocardiography.

Semiquantitative grading of mitral regurgitation (MR) by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is widely used for clinical decision making. However, the relation between semiquantitative grading by biplane or multiplane TEE and quantitative measures remains undetermined. Biplane or multiplane TEE was performed in 113 patients in the operating room. MR severity was graded from 1 to 4+ by Doppler color flow mapping. MR was quantified using the thermodilution-Doppler method as mitral regurgitant stroke volume (RSV) derived from the difference between total mitral inflow measured by pulsed Doppler and forward flow measured by thermodilution. Mitral regurgitant orifice area (ROA) was calculated by RSV divided by mitral regurgitant velocity. RSV and ROA were also calculated using the proximal isovelocity surface area method. RSV and ROA significantly correlated with the semiquantitative grading either by TEE or angiogram in a nonlinear fashion, with the best fit being given by an exponential model with correlation coefficients from 0.73 to 0.87 (p <0.001). Substantially increased RSV and ROA were observed in MR grades of ≥3+. In the same grades of 3+ or 4+ MR, the largest RSV was 4 times larger than the smallest (190 to 220 vs 44 to 45 ml), and the largest ROA (1.82 to 2.0 vs 0.26 to 0.27 cm2) was sixfold larger than the smallest. Patients with 2 to 3+ MR had significantly variable RSV and ROA (range 21 to 91 ml and 0.12 to 0.65 cm2, respectively). Color flow mapping by biplane or multiplane TEE or angiography is able to categorize precisely mild (≤2+) and severe (≥3+) MR, but cannot accurately determine actual hemodynamic load of MR in more severe degrees of MR.
The kissing-stent technique for treatment of distal aortic stenosis and protection of the inferior mesenteric artery orifice

Focal infrarenal aortic stenosis is relatively rare. Traditionally, aortic endarterectomy and aortic bypass surgery have been used to treat these lesions. However, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting have become well-defined alternatives. A 62-year-old woman presented with bilateral ischemic rest pain. Angiography revealed a mid-infrarenal aortic stenosis adjacent to an enlarged, patent inferior mesenteric artery. Celiac artery and superior mesenteric artery stenoses were also present. The kissing-stent technique is a viable option for ensuring inferior mesenteric artery patency when treating distal aortic lesions by endovascular means in patients with asymptomatic multivessel mesenteric artery disease.
Lifelines: The implications of Migrant Remittances and Transnational Elder Care for the Financial Security of Low-Income Hispanic Immigrants in the United States

Research on population aging generally focuses on a particular elderly population in a specific location or context. However, a growing literature on transnationalism emphasizes that for immigrant populations, societies of origin and settlement are linked through a dense web of economic, cultural, and political connections. As such, aging in the Americas among populations shaped by immigration must consider the indelible impact of transnational ties. This paper draws on original survey data from Durham, NC to investigate the impact of remittances and transnational elder care on the financial security of low-income Hispanic immigrants. Results demonstrate not only that a large share of immigrant households in Durham routinely support parents and other elders abroad, but that the determinants of remittances to elders differ in important ways from the previous literature on undifferentiated remittances. Moreover, I document important differences in both the patterns and predictors of elder remittances between men and women, and significant interactions between gender and family structure in shaping transnational elder care. The findings suggest that the need to support aging relatives abroad is an important contributor to the precarious financial position of low-skill immigrants, with potential implications for both the inter-generational transmission of inequality and the future old-age security of immigrants themselves.
Microphysical variability in southeast Pacific Stratocumulus clouds: synoptic conditions and radiative response

Abstract. Synoptic and satellite-derived cloud property variations for the southeast Pacific stratocumulus region associated with changes in coastal satellite-derived cloud droplet number concentrations (Nd) are explored. MAX and MIN Nd composites are defined by the top and bottom terciles of daily area-mean Nd values over the Arica Bight, the region with the largest mean oceanic Nd, for the five October months of 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. The ability of the satellite retrievals to capture composite differences is assessed with ship-based data. Nd and ship-based accumulation mode aerosol concentrations (Na) correlate well (r = 0.65), with a best-fit aerosol activation value dln Nd dln Na of 0.56 for pixels with Nd>50 cm−3. The adiabatically-derived MODIS cloud depths also correlate well with the ship-based cloud depths (r=0.7), though are consistently higher (mean bias of almost 60 m). The MAX-Nd composite is characterized by a weaker subtropical anticyclone and weaker winds both at the surface and the lower free troposphere than the MIN-Nd composite. The MAX-Nd composite clouds over the Arica Bight are thinner than the MIN-Nd composite clouds, have lower cloud tops, lower near-coastal cloud albedos, and occur below warmer and drier free tropospheres (as deduced from radiosondes and NCEP Reanalysis). CloudSat radar reflectivities indicate little near-coastal precipitation. The co-occurrence of more boundary-layer aerosol/higher Nd within a more stable atmosphere suggests a boundary layer source for the aerosol, rather than the free troposphere. The MAX-Nd composite cloud thinning extends offshore to 80° W, with lower cloud top heights out to 95° W. At 85° W, the top-of-atmosphere shortwave fluxes are significantly higher (~50%) for the MAX-Nd composite, with thicker, lower clouds and higher cloud fractions than for the MIN-Nd composite. The change in Nd at this location is small (though positive), suggesting that the MAX-MIN Nd composite differences in radiative properties primarily reflects synoptic changes. Circulation anomalies and a one-point spatial correlation map reveal a weakening of the 850 hPa southerly winds decreases the free tropospheric cold temperature advection. The resulting increase in the static stability along 85° W is highly correlated to the increased cloud fraction, despite accompanying weaker free tropospheric subsidence.
Bovine serum albumin preparations enhance in vitro production of tumor necrosis factor alpha by murine macrophages

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is most commonly produced by macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The present study shows that BSA in place of FBS in RPMI 1640 medium accelerated the rate of LPS-induced TNF-alpha production by resident peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c mice when compared to LPS in serum free medium. Using 10 or 100 ng LPS/ml and 100 U IFN-gamma/ml in RPMI 1640 medium plus 0.5% BSA, both cytoplasmic TNF-alpha mRNA and TNF-alpha precursor and extracellular TNF-alpha production by mouse macrophages were increased when compared to stimulation by LPS plus IFN-gamma in medium without BSA and FBS. The level of TNF-alpha produced was shown to be related to the BSA concentration. Medium containing BSA but no LPS also stimulated macrophages to produce TNF-alpha, but BSA's TNF-alpha inducing activity varied among different lots and was not blocked by polyclonal antibody to BSA. This effect appeared to be associated with the presence of immunoglobulin in BSA products. Confirmation that BSA activity was not due to LPS contamination was achieved by testing macrophages from LPS-nonresponder C3H/HeJ mice, as well as testing TNF-alpha induction in the presence of polymyxin B (10 micrograms/ml), an LPS inhibitor.
Ageing, muscle properties and maximal O2 uptake rate in humans

1This paper asks how the decline in maximal O2 uptake rate (VO2,max) with age is related to the properties of a key muscle group involved in physical activity – the quadriceps muscles. Maximal oxygen consumption on a cycle ergometer was examined in nine adult (mean age 38.8 years) and 39 elderly subjects (mean age 68.8 years) and compared with the oxidative capacity and volume of the quadriceps. 2VO2,max declined with age between 25 and 80 years and the increment in oxygen consumption from unloaded cycling to VO2,max (ΔVO2) in the elderly was 45 % of the adult value. 3The cross-sectional areas of the primary muscles involved in cycling – the hamstrings, gluteus maximus and quadriceps – were all lower in the elderly group. The quadriceps volume was reduced in the elderly to 67 % of the adult value. Oxidative capacity per quadriceps volume was reduced to 53 % of the adult value. The product of oxidative capacity and muscle volume – the quadriceps oxidative capacity – was 36 % of the adult value in the elderly. 4Quadriceps oxidative capacity was linearly correlated with ΔVO2 among the subjects with the slope indicating that the quadriceps represented 36 % of the VO2 increase during cycling. 5The decline in quadriceps oxidative capacity with age resulted from reductions in both muscle volume and oxidative capacity per volume in the elderly and appears to be an important determinant of the age-related reduction in ΔVO2 and VO2,max found in this study.
Luminescence Saturation via Mn2+–Exciton Cross Relaxation in Colloidal Doped Semiconductor Nanocrystals

Colloidal Mn2+-doped semiconductor nanocrystals such as Mn2+:ZnSe have attracted broad attention for potential applications in phosphor and imaging technologies. Here, we report saturation of the sensitized Mn2+ photoluminescence intensity at very low continuous-wave (CW) and quasi-CW photoexcitation powers under conditions that are relevant to many of the proposed applications. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements and kinetic modeling indicate that this saturation arises from an Auger-type nonradiative cross relaxation between an excited Mn2+ ion and an exciton within the same nanocrystal. A lower limit of k = 2 × 1010 s–1 is established for the fundamental rate constant of the Mn2+(4T1)-exciton cross relaxation.
Large Urethral Calculus Formation on an Transobturator Synthetic Sling in the Urethra

Study Objective: Describe radiologic findings of calcium hydroxylapatite used for urethral bulking. Design: A retrospective chart review of two patients where calcium hydroxyapatite injections were incidentally visualized by radiologic means and raised clinical suspicions of cancer. Setting: Urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery practice in community based, university affiliated teaching hospital. Patients: Patients undergoing radiologic imaging with prior urethral bulking treatments for intrinsic sphincteric deficiency. Intervention: Consultation with radiologic colleagues and counseling of patients regarding incidental visualization during subsequent pelvic imaging studies. Review of radiologic images. Measurements and Main Results: Ultrasound and CT descriptions of images are given. Conclusion: Numerous injection materials have been utilized for urethral bulking and ureterovesical reflux. Due to inherent differences between the materials, radiologic appearances will vary. The patients should be advised prior to the procedure that the bulking material might be seen during any future imaging. Radiologist should be educated about these procedures and the imaging findings that may result. 552
A first RF digitally-controlled oscillator for mobile phones

We propose and demonstrate the first RF digitally-controlled oscillator (DCO) for cellular mobile phones. The DCO is part of a single-chip fully-compliant quad-band GSM transceiver realized in a 90 nm digital CMOS process. Frequency tuning is achieved through digital control of an array of standard n-poly/n-well MOSCAP devices. The finest varactor step size is 12 kHz at the 1.6-2.0 GHz output. We analyze the effect of high-speed varactor dithering on the phase noise and show that it can be made sufficiently small. The measured phase noise at 20 MHz offset in the GSM900 band is -165 dBc/Hz and shows no degradation due to the dithering.
The Martinsville Seven: Race, Rape, and Capital Punishment

In January 1949 a thirty-two-year-old white woman in Martinsville, Virginia, accused seven young black men of raping her. Within two days state and local police had rounded up all the suspects and extracted confessions from them. In a series of trials that lasted eleven days, all were found guilty and sentenced to death - a sentence that was carried out, amid a storm of protest from civil-rights advocates and death-penalty opponents, in February 1951. Here is the first comprehensive treatment of the Martinsville case. Covering every aspect of the proceedings, from the commission of the crime through two sets of appeals, Eric Rise reexamines common assumptions about the administration of justice in the South. Although racial prejudice undeniably contributed to the outcome of the case, so did concerns for due process, crime control, community stability, judicial restraint, and domestic security. The success of the due process campaign by groups such as the NAACP helped curb the most egregious abuses of authority, but it did little to help defendants who conceded their guilt but protested unusually severe sentences. The author focuses on the efforts of the attorneys for the Martinsville Seven, who, rather than citing procedural errors, directly attacked the discriminatory application of the death penalty. It was the first case in which statistical evidence was used to substantiate systematic discrimination against blacks in capital cases.
Quasirandom Diffusion Monte Carlo

Diffusion Monte Carlo is a common method for estimating the properties of quantum mechanical systems by computing averages over sets of random walk simulations. We have found that by using quasirandom sequences of points in place of random or pseudorandom points in generating the simulation paths, we are able to obtain improved convergence rates and consequently reduced Monte Carlo errors for Diffusion Monte Carlo. Computational results are presented for a three dimensional harmonic oscillator and the Helium atom.
Role of Multiparametric MR Imaging in Malignancies of the Urogenital Tract

Multiparametric MR imaging (mpMRI) combine different sequences that, properly tailored, can provide qualitative and quantitative information about the tumor microenvironment beyond traditional tumor size measures and/or morphologic assessments. This article focuses on mpMRI in the evaluation of urogenital tract malignancies by first reviewing technical aspects and then discussing its potential clinical role. This includes insight into histologic subtyping and grading of renal cell carcinoma and assessment of tumor response to targeted therapies. The clinical utility of mpMRI in the staging and grading of ureteral and bladder tumors is presented. Finally, the evolving role of mpMRI in prostate cancer is discussed.
Iron Transport in Yeast: The Involvement of an Iron Reductase and Oxidase

This chapter will describe a novel plasma membrane iron transport system that is used by both the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. and the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. An essential feature of this transport system is the requirement for both a plasma membrane ferrireductase and a plasma membrane ferroxidase. The ferrireductase converts extracellular ferric chelates to free ferrous iron and the ferroxidase converts the ferrous iron to ferric, which is transported into the cell by an iron permease. The ferroxidase is a multicopper oxidase and a homologous enzyme has a role in mammalian iron transport. There is a connection between iron and copper metabolism in both yeast and humans, with the intersection being the multicopper oxidase’s requirement for cellular copper homeostasis. The similarities and differences between the role of the ferroxidase in eukaryote iron transport systems will be discussed.
Pharmacokinetic interaction between isradipine and lovastatin in normal, female and male volunteers.

We have examined the pharmacokinetic interaction between isradipine and lovastatin in six male and six female, healthy, normotensive, human subjects after a single dose and after treatment for 5 days. The isradipine plasma concentrations were determined by a radioimmunoassay and the lovastatin serum concentrations by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and by the inhibition of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric-coenzyme reductase activity. We found that the apparent serum concentrations of lovastatin were 4- to 6-fold higher in the reductase-inhibition assay than the GC/MS assay, suggesting that the bulk of the reductase inhibition is due to active metabolites. The peak and the time-to-peak concentrations were unaffected by the treatments, either after the first dose or after continued administration. In male subjects, after repeated doses of isradipine, the lovastatin area under the time-concentration curves (AUCs) decreased by 40% as determined by the GC/MS assay (P < .001) and 20% as determined by the reductase-inhibition assay (P < .0022). In the female subjects, isradipine treatment decreased the lovastatin AUCs as determined by the GC/MS assay, but this was not statistically significant due to a high variance. Furthermore, in the female subjects, isradipine had no effect on the lovastatin AUCs as determined by the reductase-inhibition assay. Because the lovastatin peak and the time-to-peak concentrations were unaffected by isradipine treatment, the decreased lovastatin AUCs were probably not due to altered intestinal absorption. More likely, because lovastatin has a high hepatic clearance, the decreased AUCs seen after isradipine treatment could be due to increases in the clearance of lovastatin secondary to increased hepatic blood flow.