cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inherited Differences in Intensity of Alcohol Withdrawal Reactions in Mice

IT is not known whether alcoholism is an inherited disease, although some aspects of this complex disorder have been shown to be genetically determined. One might expect that genetic factors could influence either the tendency of an individual to drink excessively or the sensitivity of individuals to the effects of a given alcohol intake, or both. Most genetic work has dealt with drinking behaviour. For example, it is well known that inbred strains of mice differ in voluntary alcohol intake1. In man, twin studies have shown higher concordance in monozygotic than dizygotic pairs with respect to patterns of drinking2,3. Alcoholism is frequent among offspring of alcoholics, even when raised away from their biological parents4,5. Genetic differences in sensitivity to acute effects of alcohol have been shown in mice6 and in human populations (Caucasoid compared with Mongoloid)7. I report here that genes influence the severity of alcohol withdrawal effects in mice. This may mean that vulnerability to physical dependence can be inherited.
Well Log Characterization of Sediment Porosities in Gas-Hydrate-Bearing Reservoirs

With growing interest in natural gas hydrates, it is becoming increasingly important to be able to determine the volume of gas hydrate and included gas within natural gas hydrate accumulations. Gas volumes that may be attributed to gas hydrates are dependent on a number of reservoir parameters, one of the most difficult reservoir parameters to determine is porosity. Well logs often serve as a source of porosity data; however, well-log calculations within gas-hydrate-bearing intervals are subject to error. The well-logging devices that show the greatest promise of yielding gas hydrate reservoir porosities are the gamma-gamma density and neutron porosity logs. Well log response modeling has revealed that under most conditions, the bulk-density of a water-bearing sedimentary section is almost identical to the bulk-density of a gas-hydrate-bearing sedimentary section as measured by a gamma-gamma density logging tool. At relatively high porosities (O>40%) and gas-hydrate saturations (S h >50%), however, the downhole log derived bulk-density porosities need to be corrected for the presence of gas hydrate. A neutron well-log response computer simulator, SNUPAR, has been used to calculate nuclear transport and capture parameters for various gas-hydrate-bearing reservoirs. The calculated thermal neutron capture cross section of various hypothetical gas-hydrate-bearing reservoirs indicates that methane hydrate has little effect on neutron porosity measurements within normal reservoir conditions (O 50%). Within this study, density porosity and neutron porosity nomographs have been developed with which it is possible to correct for the effect of high gas-hydrate saturations on the log derived porosities. In the field verification phase of this study, downhole density and neutron porosity log data (in some cases corrected for the presence of gas hydrate) have yielded accurate porosities for gas-hydrate-bearing reservoirs on the North Slope of Alaska.
Surgical Techniques to Avoid Parenchymal Injury During Lung Resection (Fissureless Lobectomy)

Thoracoscopic lobectomy has become an accepted, safe, and oncologically sound procedure compared with open lobectomy. Several studies have reported that it reduces the length of stay, postoperative pain, and postoperative complications, including air leaks. Although there are specific technical considerations that must be taken into account, it is increasingly becoming the preferred method of anatomic lobectomy. Surgeons should be encouraged to embrace the minimally invasive strategy, which may be learned in courses using novel simulation techniques. Future directions suggest that this technique will be expanded to address even the most challenging thoracic procedures.
Surface circulation and replacement of water in Monterey Bay

Abstract Observations in Monterey Bay for 27 months have been used to describe net surface circulation and nutrient distributions. Surface water characteristics are slightly modified in the northern and southern bay compared to mid-bay. Local winds correlate well with upwelling episodes. Our data suggest upwelling occurs predominantly along the coast south of the bay, and the effects of recent upwelling are observed within the bay due to a general northerly flow. Internal tidal mixing promotes a net upward transport of cool, nutrient-rich water at the head of Monterey Submarine Canyon. A nearshore residence time of 6 days (2- to 12-day range) was determined by temperature, nutrients and sewage-derived ammonia (during spring and summer) and by freshwater replacement (during winter). These residence times agree with direct current meter observations. The predominantly northward flow through the bay suggested by the distributions agrees with current meter measurements, the alignment of the canyon axis and offshore geostrophic observations.
Thermal conductivity of nitrogen in the temperature range 350–2500 K

The thermal conductivity of nitrogen is determined in a conductivity column instrument in the temperature range of 338 to 2518 K with an estimated uncertainty of about ± 1·5 per cent. The experimental data points are correlated by a cubic polynomial in temperature, viz. k(T)/(mW m-1 K-1) = 12·18 + 0·05224(T/K) - 0·6482 × 10-6(T/K)2 - 0·2765 × 10-9(T/K)3. These conductivity values determined from heat transfer data taken in the continuum regime are found to be in fair agreement with the values obtained from similar data referring to low pressure range. The present results are compared with the conductivity determinations of other workers and with the predictions of various theories developed for polyatomic gases. It is pointed out that a reliable calculation of thermal conductivity over an extended temperature range is impossible at the present time due to the absence of a large variety of experimental molecular data needed for such an effort. Average values of the vibrational energy diffusion coefficient,...
Reaction-matrix calculation of the Λ-particle binding in nuclear matter

Abstract The two principal procedures for obtaining the phenomenological Λ well depth D from the experimental separation energies B Λ are discussed. A value D ∼ 30 ± 2 MeV, with an upper limit D ≲ 35 MeV, is consistent with the results obtained from both procedures. A reactionmatrix calculation of D is made for central ΛN potentials. This is exact in the g -matrix approximation which gives the term proportional to the density ρ in an expansion in powers of p . To calculate the g -matrix the reference-spectrum method is used in the Kallio-Day form. The free kinetic energies are used for the unoccupied states. The difference between the singleparticle energies of the bound and excited states of the Λ involves a gap which is identified with the well depth. This leads to a self-consistency condition for the determination of D . The nucleon-spectrum parameters are taken from the calculations of Sprung et al . The angle-average approximation for the exclusion-principle operator, appropriate to a Λ in nuclear matter, is examined and found to be excellent. For hard-core potentials, a perturbation expansion in the strength of the attractive tail is in general inadequate and, especially for potentials of short range, it is necessary to obtain the g -matrix exactly for the complete potentials. For given lowenergy scattering parameters, the presence of a sizable hard core very substantially reduces D , The p-state contribution to D can be quite large, especially for the phenomenological potentials with hard cores and with larger intrinsic ranges. Thus for Herndon and Tang's potentials which fit the binding energies of the A = 3 and 4 hypernuclei as well as the Λp scattering data and which have rather large hard cores, one can get close to the phenomenological value of D by assuming zero p-state interaction. With some p-state interaction — about half of that for the s-state — reasonable suppression of the ΛN-σN coupling in nuclear matter can give agreement with the phenomenological depth. The well depth is found to depend fairly linearly on ρ over a large range and the Λ effective mass can be as small as 0.65 M Λ .
Obesity: maintenance of weight loss: setting our goals higher.

A recent report based on nationally representative data suggests that US adults are more successful at long-term weight-loss maintenance than was previously thought. Should the benefit of weight-loss programs be re-evaluated?
Measurements of Partial γ-ray Cross Sections in 60Ni(n,xnypzαγ) Reactions

Abstract Absolute partial cross sections for production of discrete γ-rays using 60Ni( n , x n y p z α γ ) reactions with x ≤ 3 , y ≤ 2 and z ≤ 4 in a total of 20 reaction channels were measured. The data were taken using the GEANIE spectrometer comprised of 20 high-purity Ge detectors with BGO escape-suppression shields. The broad-spectrum pulsed neutron beam of the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center's (LANSCE) WNR facility provided neutrons in the energy range from 0.2 to 300 MeV. The time-of-flight technique was used to determine the incident neutron energies. Partial γ-ray cross sections have been measured for a total of 59 transitions and for neutron energies 1 MeV E n 300 MeV. Hauser-Feshbach theoretical calculations with an improved cluster emission model in the pre-equilibrium process were performed up to E n = 30 MeV and are compared to the experimental results.
Seasonal and interannual variation in the extent of hypoxia in the northern California Current from 1998–2012

This study addresses the occurrence, severity, and extent of hypoxia over the continental shelf of the northern California Current (40–48.5°N latitude) from 1998 to 2012. Clear seasonal trends exist in the timing and duration of hypoxia. The highest bottom-water dissolved oxygen concentrations occurred from November to March, and levels below the 1.4 mL L−1 hypoxia threshold were detected during the upwelling season (May through October). Regions of hypoxia tended to occur north of 42°N latitude and were most severe over the widest areas of the continental shelf. Hypoxic waters covered up to 62% (15,600 km2) of the continental shelf during some years (2002, 2007, 2008), and < 10% in others (2003, 2010–2011). There are seasonal and interannual shifts in both the depth and oxygen content of upwelled waters. Years with the greatest extent and severity of hypoxia had the lowest concentration of dissolved oxygen in upwelling source waters. The dissolved oxygen concentration of source waters showed a gradual decline from 1998 through 2007, with a subsequent increase from 2008–2010 before leveling off in 2011 and 2012. The variability in oxygen content of source waters correlates well with the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation and may indicate the importance of large-scale climate dynamics in determining the extent and severity of hypoxia in the northern California Current.
Family Influences on Family Size Preferences

Several studies have demonstrated important effects of parents’ childbearing behavior on their children’s childbearing preferences and behavior. The study described here advances our understanding of these family influences by expanding the theoretical model to include parental preferences, siblings’ behavior, and changes in children’s preferences through early adulthood. Using intergenerational panel data from mothers and their children, we test the effects of both mothers’ preferences for their own fertility and mothers’ preferences for their children’s fertility. Although both types of maternal preferences influence children’s childbearing preferences, mothers’ preferences for their children’s behavior have the stronger and more proximate effects. Mothers’ preferences continue to influence their children’s preferences through early adulthood; siblings’ fertility is an additional determinant of children’s family size preferences.
Positive selection of thymocytes bearing αβ T cell receptors

The past year has been marked by the application of new technologies to study thymocyte development. These studies have shown that positive selection affects a surprisingly large proportion of thymocytes, and now are beginning to investigate the affinities/avidities of the reactions involved. The lengthy controversy over how thymocytes decide whether to express CD4 or CD8 has taken a new turn with the discovery that levels of expression of the fate-determining protein Notch may affect the decision.
L'expression de l'identité en français : le cas de même et de pareil

Cette contribution consiste en une confrontation des adjectifs meme et pareil, envisages du point de vue de leur fonctionnement syntaxico-semantique, mais egalement de leur exploitation discursive. Elle vise a degager le caractere propre de chaque adjectif, a partir de l’examen successif des differentes possibilites d’encodage syntaxique de ses arguments semantiques. Meme et pareil se pretent essentiellement a trois types d’emploi, qui s’expliquent par le fait qu’ils etablissent toujours une relation entre au moins deux entites. Sont ainsi successivement examines les emplois a complements, les emplois anaphoriques et les cas de lecture dependante. Il en ressort que l’interpretation de meme est toujours liee a des effets de distributivite, sans lesquels l’adjectif ne fait pas sens. D’une maniere generale, meme peut s’interpreter comme le moyen d’identifier le facteur commun a deux situations mises en parallele. Les faits examines montrent aussi que pareil, dont le comportement est plus conforme a ce que l’on peut attendre d’un adjectif ‘prototypique’, permet de mettre en lumiere le fait qu’un referent donne presente des caracteristiques particulierement saillantes, ou jugees comme telles. Il etablit une relation asymetrique entre deux referents, dont l’un sert souvent de parangon pour la description de l’autre.
Conditioning of narcotic abstinence symptoms in human subjects.

Abstract Clinical evidence suggests the possibility of conditioning of narcotic abstinence symptoms. Addicts report subjective and objective signs of withdrawal/craving when exposed to certain stimuli. This may partially explain the high rate of relapse to drug seeking behavior when treated addicts return to their home environment. Conditioning of narcotic abstinence symptoms was produced experimentally in five of eight volunteer subjects. Brief naloxone precipitated abstinence was the unconditioned response. The conditioned stimulus was a tone and odor. After an average of seven training trials, the tone and odor produced a conditioned abstinence response. The conditioned response consisted of subjective components (feelings of sickness, nausea, cramps, craving) and objective components (yawning, tearing, rhinorrhea, irregular respiration and transiently increased blood pressure). These laboratory findings support the anecdotal evidence regarding the existence of conditioned abstinence phenomena.
Constitutional supercooling surface roughening

This paper consists of my recollections about the studies of crystal growth which I have been involved with over the past decades. I am deeply indebted to many outstanding co-workers who have collaborated with me. The descriptions are drawn from my memory of events, and subject to all of the failing which that might entail. I only regret that I will not be able to mention all of my collaborators over the years, due to a limitation of space and a faulty memory. This paper includes sections on interface instabilities, on the surface roughening transition, on the Jackson alpha factor, on transparent analogues of metals, on analytical models for crystallization, and finally, a few remarks about on-going and future of studies of crystal growth processes.
Sex differences in the effect of supervisory consideration on sales force turnover

Contrary to theory and past empirical results, supervisory consideration in the workplace was a significant predictor of intent to leave for 210 men in sales only (not the 39 women in sales). “Self-selection” and “Structural” theory of Dawson are offered as explanations for this phenomenon.
One-phonon transition of He-Ag(111) surface inelastic scattering calculated from an ab initio scattering theory

Abstract By investigating the differential reflection coefficient for one-phonon transition, various properties of the scattering of the He-Ag(111) system are studied. The formulation employed here is based on the distorted-wave Born approximation of an ab initio time-independent scattering theory. In the formulation, an arbitrary pair potential between the projectile and the crystal atoms together with the dispersion relation and the polarization vectors can be input. A model of a 69-layer slab is chosen for the computation of the vibrational modes. The plate modes are then mapped onto the Rayleigh modes. Using a pair potential proposed by others we calculated the differential reflection coefficient for one-phonon transitions corresponding to the Rayleigh modes. The phonon wave vectors are chosen along the (112) direction with magnitude ranging from 0.10 to 0.90 A −1 . The shape of the differential reflection coefficient is in agreement with experiment by other workers if we choose the amplitude of the Rayleigh modes to be proportional to the square root of the phonon wave vectors. We find that the projectile mainly interacts with the vibrational motion of the atoms in the first layer of the crystal, and the interaction reaches the third layer for small parallel momentum transfer and no deeper than the surface for phonon wave vectors greater than 0.6 A −1 . We also find that the effect of the Debye-Waller factor is small as temperature increases from 60 to 300 K. The differential reflection coefficient increases with temperature due to the Bose-Einstein distribution of the phonons and is larger for phonon annihilation than for phonon emission as determined by the density of the final states of the projectile, the incident flux and the kinematic conditions of the scattering.
NMR technique for assessing contributions of heavy and light chains to an antibody combining site.

NMR technique for assessing contributions of heavy and light chains to an antibody combining site
Further observations on in vitro cytopathic effects associated with murine leukemia virus infection.

The previously reported cytopathic effects (CPE) in an established cell culture chronically infected with the Rauscher murine leukemia virus have been investigated in more detail. Initiation of CPE and morphologic transformation was observed in newly infected cultures. Suppression of CPE and transformation by NCTC 109 medium containing 25% human serum was also found to be reproducible in newly infected cultures. Adult human serum, human cord serum, fetal calf serum and fetuin had a suppressive effect on the CPE and transformation. Serological tests to detect non-leukemogenic mouse viruses in the transformed cells were negative. Infected, trans-formed cells were highly tumorigenic when inoculated subcutaneously into BALB/c mice. The resultant tumors were classified as myxofibrosarcomas. Approximately 50% of such tumor-bearing mice also developed leukemia. In contrast, control uninfected cells under similar conditions were less tumorigenic and produced spindle-cell sarcomas. None of the mice injected with control uninfected cells developed leukemia. The tumori-genicity of both the infected and uninfected cell cultures increased when the cells were cultured on 4 × BME medium containing 10% calf serum. Nouvelles observations sur les effets cytopathiques observes in vitro et associes a l'infection par le virus de la leucemie des souris On a etudie en plus grand detail les effets cytopathiques, exposes precedemment, qui ont ete observes dans une culture tissulaire chroniquement infectee par le virus de Rauscher responsable de la leucemie des souris. Le declenchement de ces effets et la transformation morphologique des cellules ont ete observes dans les cultures recemment infectees. On a constate que dans ces cultures la suppression des effets cytopathiques et de la transformation cellulaire grǎce l'emploi de milieu NCTC 109 contenant 25% de serum humain etait egalement reproductible. Les substances suivantes provoquaient cette suppression: serum humain adulte, serum de cordon ombilical humain, serum faetal de veau et “fetuine”. Les epreuves serologiques visant a deceler la presence de virus murins non leucemogenes ont toutes ete negatives. Les cellules infectees et transformees, inoculees a des souris BALB/c par voie sous-cutanee, se sont montrees hautement tumorigenes. Les tumeurs obtenues ont ete classees dans la categorie des myxofibrosarcomes. Par contre, des cellules temoins non infectees, cultivees de facon identique, etaient moins tumorigenes et produisaient des sarcomes fuso-cellulaires. Environ la moitie des souris porteuses de myxofibrosarcomes ont presente en outre une leucemie, tandis qu'aucune des souris ayant recu des cellules temoins non infectees n'a eu de leucemie. Le potentiel tumorigene des cellules infectees aussi bien que des cellules non infectees augmentait lorsque la culture etait entretenue sur un milieu 4 × BME contenant 10% de serum de veau.
Down-modulation of the G-protein-coupled Estrogen Receptor, GPER, from the Cell Surface Occurs via a trans-Golgi-Proteasome Pathway

GPER is a G(s)-coupled seven-transmembrane receptor that has been linked to specific estrogen binding and signaling activities that are manifested by plasma membrane-associated enzymes. However, in many cell types, GPER is predominately localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and only minor amounts of receptor are detectable at the cell surface, an observation that has caused controversy regarding its role as a plasma membrane estrogen receptor. Here, we show that GPER constitutively buds intracellularly into EEA-1+ endosomes from clathrin-coated pits. Nonvisual arrestins-2/-3 do not co-localize with GPER, and expression of arrestin-2 dominant-negative mutants lacking clathrin- or β-adaptin interaction sites fails to block GPER internalization suggesting that arrestins are not involved in GPER endocytosis. Like β1AR, which recycles to the plasma membrane, GPER co-traffics with transferrin+, Rab11+ recycling endosomes. However, endocytosed GPER does not recycle to the cell surface, but instead returns to the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and does not re-enter the ER. GPER is ubiquitinated at the cell surface, exhibits a short half-life (t½;) <1 h), and is protected from degradation by the proteasome inhibitor, MG132. Disruption of the TGN by brefeldin A induces the accumulation of endocytosed GPER in Rab11+ perinuclear endosomes and prevents GPER degradation. Our results provide an explanation as to why GPER is not readily detected on the cell surface in some cell types and further suggest that TGN serves as the checkpoint for degradation of endocytosed GPER.
Critical stenosis of aortic and mitral valves after mediastinal irradiation

Radiotherapy is used widely in cancer treatment. Mediastinal irradiation is associated with valvular regurgitation; however, stenosis is rare. We present a patient with critical aortic and mitral valve stenosis after mediastinal irradiation and discuss the natural history, treatment, and prognosis of radiation-associated valvular heart disease.
Paramagnetic Resonance in an Excited State of TmN: Crystal-Field and Exchange Effects

Paramagnetic resonance has been observed in an excited ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{5}$ triplet state 222\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K above the singlet ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{1}$ ground state of ${\mathrm{Tm}}^{3+}$ ($4{f}^{12}$) in TmN (NaCl structure). Much of the observed behavior is understood with exchange small compared with crystal-field effects; however, there is an anomalous minimum in the temperature variation of the resonant $g$.
Single inward rectifier potassium channels in guinea pig ventricular myocytes. Effects of quinidine.

The effects of quinidine on single inward rectifier K channels were investigated in cell-attached patches with 4.5 mM pipette potassium concentrations. Under these conditions, the single-channel slope conductance of the predominant conductance level of the inward rectifier channels was 3.9 +/- 0.3 pS at membrane potentials between -75 and -150 mV. Quinidine reversibly decreased the likelihood of channel opening to the main conductance level without reducing the single-channel conductance, and also reduced the probability of channel opening to subconducting levels. Quinidine had no significant effects on the channel open times, and the inhibition of channel opening was only slightly voltage dependent over the range of membrane potentials investigated. Quinidine induced a complete cessation of channel openings for brief periods (up to 2 min), suggesting that quinidine promoted occupancy of a state from which opening was less likely. Occasional long periods (up to an hour) with an absence of channel activity were also observed but quinidine did not appear to promote this behavior. The data suggest that quinidine decreases the ability of the channel to enter both main and subconducting states. By binding to a particular closed conformation of the channel, quinidine could reduce the likelihood of channel opening. The main features of these observations could be accounted for using the three-state kinetic model proposed by Sakmann, B. and G. Trube (1984b. J. Physiol. [Lond.]. 347:659–683.) with quinidine binding to the middle closed state.
Inhibitory effects of vanadium pentoxide on respiration of rat liver mitochondria.

The bioenergetic functions of liver mitochondria were studied following the acute and chronic exposure of rats to vanadium pentoxidevia respiratory tract. The mitochondrial respiration with glutamate or succinate as substrate was inhibited significantly when compared to the control animals. No inhibition was found with ascorbate. The same effects were observedin vitro. Vanadium (V) was responsible for these inhibitory effects. It is postulated that significant amounts of vanadate are accumulated in the intermembrane space of liver mitochondria of the exposed rats. The process of “detoxification” by reduction of vanadate in the tissue may be insufficient to prevent the deleterious action of this compound on liver mitochondria.
Residential application of refrigerant-charged solar collectors

A fluorocarbon (trichlorofluoromethane) loaded solar collector system was installed and evaluated. It demonstrated 83 per cent energy recovery at a low collector temperature difference of approx. 10°C. The maximum peak energy picked up by the collector surface was 2.8 MJ/m2 · hr (250 Btu/hr-ft2). The heat-transfer medium is relatively nontoxic, noncorrosive and nonfreezing in cold climates. In this application it circulates by natural convection; therefore, the system requires no pump or electronic control in the primary loop.
Ventricular dyssynchrony in dilated cardiomyopathy: the role of biventricular pacing in the treatment of congestive heart failure

Despite advances in pharmacologic therapy, the prognosis of patients with advanced congestive heart failure (CHF) remains poor. Many of these patients have cardiac conduction abnormalities, such as left bundle-branch block or interventricular conduction delays, that can lead to ventricular dyssynchrony (abnormal ventricular activation that results in decreased ventricular filling and abnormal ventricular wall motion). Biventricular pacing is an alternative, nonpharmacologic therapy under active investigation for the treatment of CHF. Resynchronization devices with transvenous leads in the right atrium, right ventricle, and left ventricle (via the coronary sinus) have been implanted in patients to provide atrial triggered biventricular pacing. The use of such devices has been associated with improvement in ejection fraction, dP/dt, stroke work, and functional class. The proposed mechanisms involved in improving ventricular function with biventricular pacing include improved septal contribution to ventricular ejection, increased diastolic filling times, and reduced mitral regurgitation. This article reviews the pathophysiology of ventricular dyssynchrony and examine insights from clinical trials that are evaluating cardiac resynchronization therapy for CHF.
Magnetic vortex in color-flavor locked quark matter

Within Ginzburg-Landau theory, we study the structure of a magnetic vortex in color-flavor locked quark matter. This vortex is characterized by winding of the $SU(3)$ phase in color-flavor space, as well as by the presence of a color-flavor unlocked condensate in the core. We estimate the upper and lower critical fields and the critical Ginzburg-Landau parameter that distinguishes between type I and type II superconductors.
Skin melanin, hemoglobin, and light scattering properties can be quantitatively assessed in vivo using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy

Noninvasive and real-time analysis of skin properties is useful in a wide variety of applications. In particular, the quantitative assessment of skin in terms of hemoglobin and melanin content, as well as in terms of its light scattering properties, is a challenging problem in dermatology. We present here a technique for examining human skin, based on the in vivo measurement of diffuse reflectance spectra in the visible and near-infrared ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum. Spectra were measured by means of a fiber optic probe, and they were analyzed using an analytical model of light diffusion in the skin. The results of the analysis indicate that it is possible to obtain quantitative information about hemoglobin and melanin content, as well as basic information regarding the scattering properties of the skin.
Automated coronary CT angiography plaque-lumen segmentation

We are investigating the feasibility of a computer-aided detection (CAD) system to assist radiologists in diagnosing coronary artery disease in ECG gated cardiac multi-detector CT scans having calcified plaque. Coronary artery stenosis analysis is challenging if calcified plaque or the iodinated blood pool hides viable lumen. The research described herein provides an improved presentation to the radiologist by removing obscuring calcified plaque and blood pool. The algorithm derives a Gaussian estimate of the point spread function (PSF) of the scanner responsible for plaque blooming by fitting measured CTA image profiles. An initial estimate of the extent of calcified plaque is obtained from the image evidence using a simple threshold. The Gaussian PSF estimate is then convolved with the initial plaque estimate to obtain an estimate of the extent of the blooming artifact and this plaque blooming image is subtracted from the CT image to obtain an image largely free of obscuring plaque. In a separate step, the obscuring blood pool is suppressed using morphological operations and adaptive region growing. After processing by our algorithm, we are able to project the segmented plaque-free lumen to form synthetic angiograms free from obstruction. We can also analyze the coronary arteries with vessel tracking and centerline extraction to produce cross sectional images for measuring lumen stenosis. As an additional aid to radiologists, we also produce plots of calcified plaque and lumen cross-sectional area along selected blood vessels. The method was validated using digital phantoms and actual patient data, including in one case, a validation against the results of a catheter angiogram.
Temperature and acid–base balance in the American lobster Homarus americanus

Lobsters ( Homarus americanus ) in the wild inhabit ocean waters where temperature can vary over a broad range (0–25°C). To examine how environmental thermal variability might affect lobster physiology, we examine the effects of temperature and thermal change on the acid–base status of the lobster hemolymph. Total CO 2 , pH, P CO 2 and HCO – 3 were measured in hemolymph sampled from lobsters acclimated to temperature in the laboratory as well as from lobsters acclimated to seasonal temperatures in the wild. Our results demonstrate that the change in hemolymph pH as a function of temperature follows the rule of constant relative alkalinity in lobsters acclimated to temperature over a period of weeks. However, thermal change can alter lobster acid–base status over a time course of minutes. Acute increases in temperature trigger a respiratory compensated metabolic acidosis of the hemolymph. Both the strength and frequency of the lobster heartbeat in vitro are modulated by changes in pH within the physiological range measured in vivo . These observations suggest that changes in acid–base status triggered by thermal variations in the environment might modulate lobster cardiac performance in vivo.
Treatment of Refractory Serotonin Syndrome with Dexmedetomidine

Objectives: Dexmedetomidine, a centrally acting alpha-2- adrenergic agonist that inhibits norepinephrine and serotonin release, has gained popularity for its use for certain types of delirium and withdrawal. Herein, we describe a novel case of Dexmedetomidine use in the treatment of an adult patient with delirium due to serotonin syndrome. Methods: After unsuccessful treatment with Benzodiazepines, and Cyproheptadine, a patient was transferred to our institution with “refractory” serotonin syndrome. Upon arrival, the patient was confused, tremulous and minimally responsive to verbal stimuli, with unstable vital signs, and was started on a Dexmedetomidine infusion. Results: Within two hours of initiation, the patient’s vital signs stabilized. Within 12 hours, mental status improved to baseline. Conclusions: Management of Serotonin syndrome is based on cessation of the offending agent and supportive care. Dexmedetomidine has been shown to inhibit serotonin release in animal models. This case describes its successful adjunctive use in difficult to treat Serotonin syndrome. Journal of Nature and Science, 1( 2 ):e 47 , 2015.
Anomalous flux flow and matching in Mn doped NbSe2

Abstract We have observed unique superconducting properties in Mn doped NbSe 2 . It was found that for certain Mn concentrations there is an anomalous decrease in the flux pinning along with an increase in the transition temperature. Oscillatory flux pinning behavior is observed which is shown to be consistent with pinning due to matching of flux lines to pinning sites.
INTERACTION REGION LAYOUT AND e+e- PAIR BACKGROUNDS IN e-e- COLLISIONS

The production of soft e+e- pairs through the interactions of beamstrahlung photons is the major expected background at the next generation of high energy e+e- and e-e- colliders. This process has been simulated and the resulting distributions of particles in the very forward 5-25 mrad pair luminosity monitor are shown.
ORGANIC ANION ADSORPTION ON ALUMINUM HYDROXIDES: SPIN PROBE STUDIES

The nature of organo-phosphate and carboxylate bonding in aqueous suspensions of noncrys- talline alumina, boehmite, and gibbsite has been studied using the anionic nitroxide spin probes 3-carboxy- 2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-l-pyrrolidinyloxyl and 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidinooxyl dihydrogen phosphate. Analysis of the electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra of these molecules revealed that ad- sorption of both molecules occurred rapidly on the high surface area alumina and boehmite, whereas only the organophosphate adsorbed on gibbsite. A loss in rotational motion of the molecules accompanied ad- sorption, with the greater degree of motional restriction observed for the carboxylate attributed to steric restrictions to rotation about the surface-bound C-C00 bond axis. The ease of displacement of adsorbed carboxylate from surface binding sites by weakly adsorbing anions (CI-, C104 ) compared to organophos- phate suggests that the carboxylate adsorbed by ligand exchange of a single surface OH, whereas the organophosphate probably formed a bidentate bond. The carboxylate bound on noncrystalline alumina showed evidence of nonspecific electrostatic adsorption in addition to ligand exchange of surface OH. This weak bonding was indicated by a moderate loss in rotational motion and ease of exchangeability.
Volvulus of the Distal Part of the Jejunoileum in Four Cows

Four cows were diagnosed as having volvulus of the distal jejunoileum. Affected cattle became acutely depressed, dehydrated, and tachycardic, all developed abdominal distention, and three of four were in severe pain at the time of admission. Feces were scant or absent. The volvulus was corrected by exteriorizing the small intestine and replacing it in correct position. All four cows recovered without complications and were well 6 months or more following surgery.
Effects of health information exchange adoption on ambulatory testing rates.

Objective To determine the effects of the adoption of ambulatory electronic health information exchange (HIE) on rates of laboratory and radiology testing and allowable charges. Design Claims data from the dominant health plan in Mesa County, Colorado, from 1 April 2005 to 31 December 2010 were matched to HIE adoption data on the provider level. Using mixed effects regression models with the quarter as the unit of analysis, the effect of HIE adoption on testing rates and associated charges was assessed. Results Claims submitted by 306 providers in 69 practices for 34 818 patients were analyzed. The rate of testing per provider was expressed as tests per 1000 patients per quarter. For primary care providers, the rate of laboratory testing increased over the time span (baseline 1041 tests/1000 patients/quarter, increasing by 13.9 each quarter) and shifted downward with HIE adoption (downward shift of 83, p<0.01). A similar effect was found for specialist providers (baseline 718 tests/1000 patients/quarter, increasing by 19.1 each quarter, with HIE adoption associated with a downward shift of 119, p<0.01). Even so, imputed charges for laboratory tests did not shift downward significantly in either provider group, possibly due to the skewed nature of these data. For radiology testing, HIE adoption was not associated with significant changes in rates or imputed charges in either provider group. Conclusions Ambulatory HIE adoption is unlikely to produce significant direct savings through reductions in rates of testing. The economic benefits of HIE may reside instead in other downstream outcomes of better informed, higher quality care.
Use of semen quality scores to predict pregnancy rates in couples undergoing intrauterine insemination with donor sperm

Objective To establish semen quality scores in a population of sperm donors and determine whether the scores can be used to predict pregnancy rates after donor insemination. Design Retrospective study. Setting Infertility clinic at a tertiary care teaching hospital between 1993–2001. Patient(s) One hundred eleven women who underwent IUI with sperm from 27 anonymous donors. Intervention(s) None. Main outcome measure(s) The semen analysis results before freezing and after thawing were analyzed, and overall donor insemination semen quality (DI-SQ) and donor insemination relative quality (DI-RQ) scores were calculated. After adjusting for female characteristics, the scores were compared with samples that did and did not result in pregnancy. Result(s) Of 111 patients, 70 had at least one pregnancy, and 60 had at least one live birth, with a mean of 6.52 ± 4.67 IUI cycles per patient. Five significant risk factors for low pregnancy and live birth rates were identified: female infertility factor, positive laparoscopy, older maternal age, low number of previous births, and lack of ovulatory stimulation. After adjusting for these factors, both prefreeze and postthaw DI-SQ scores were statistically significantly associated with IUI live birth rates. Using only the samples with a DI-SQ score of >110 doubled the expected live birth rate, compared with using samples with a DI-SQ score less than 100, from 8.5% to 16.1%. Conclusion(s) The DI-SQ score was an effective predictor of pregnancy and live birth outcomes in IUI patients who underwent artificial insemination with anonymous donor semen. The DI-SQ score could also be used by sperm banks to help select donors.
Sound Discrimination by the Bicolor Damselfish, Eupomacentrus Partitus

1. Males of laboratory and field colonies of the bicolor damselfish, Eupomacentrus partitus , showed significantly greater response to playback of courtship sounds of conspecifics than to playback of structurally similar and fully analogous sounds of two closely related and sympatric congenerics, E. leucostictus and E. planifrons . 2. Relative levels of responsiveness by these colonies differed, however, in that laboratory males showed a significant difference in courtship during playback periods of congeneric sounds (recorded in the laboratory) whereas field males showed no such difference. 3. Field males, though responding well to typical laboratory sounds from conspecifics during tests which did not include playback of field sounds from conspecifics, failed to respond well when playback periods did include such field sounds. 4. Present evidence demonstrates that male bicolors possess an excellent discriminative ability within the acoustic modality and that such discrimination is based on some factor of the structural patterning, in time, of the experimental sounds. 5. Present evidence also indicates that the observed response differentials noted during experiments were the result of a slight, but important, difference in at least one typical parameter, i.e., the pulse interval.
The emerging role of tacrolimus in myasthenia gravis

Objective:To describe and evaluate the available evidence assessing the role of tacrolimus in the management of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG).Data sources:A literature search of MEDLINE (194...
Risk Assessment of Mechanism-Based Inactivation in Drug-Drug Interactions

Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) that occur via mechanism-based inactivation of cytochrome P450 are of serious concern. Although several predictive models have been published, early risk assessment of MBIs is still challenging. For reversible inhibitors, the DDI risk categorization using [I]/Ki ([I], the inhibitor concentration; Ki, the inhibition constant) is widely used in drug discovery and development. Although a simple and reliable methodology such as [I]/Ki categorization for reversible inhibitors would be useful for mechanism-based inhibitors (MBIs), comprehensive analysis of an analogous measure reflecting in vitro potency for inactivation has not been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the term λ/kdeg (λ, first-order inactivation rate at a given MBI concentration; kdeg, enzyme degradation rate constant) would be useful in the prediction of the in vivo DDI risk of MBIs. Twenty-one MBIs with both in vivo area under the curve (AUC) change of marker substrates and in vitro inactivation parameters were identified in the literature and analyzed. The results of this analysis show that in vivo DDIs with >2-fold change of object drug AUC can be identified with the cutoff value of λ/kdeg = 1, where unbound steady-state Cmax is used for inhibitor concentration. However, the use of total Cmax led to great overprediction of DDI risk. The risk assessment using λ/kdeg coupled with unbound Cmax can be useful for the DDI risk evaluation of MBIs in drug discovery and development.
Human mutations affecting aging--a review.

Abstract A review of human genetic mutations that affect aging and their potential contribution to help understand normal aging proceses is presented. The lifespans of most animal species, including man, have a genetically determined maximum. The lifespan of man appears to have evolved exceedingly rapidly, which suggests that relatively few genes may determine longevity. Analysis of biochemical evolution suggests that the regulation of enzyme levels may underlie most evolutionary changes. There is a wide spectrum of human genetic mutations. Some, such as progeria and Werner's syndrome, produce a phenotype resembling premature aging and may involve genes related to the aging process. Certain human chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down's syndrome, produce an appearance of premature aging and may be due to abnormal gene regulatory mechanisms. Progress in understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying aging is likely to come from elucidation of the molecular defects that result in the premature aging syndromes and from insights gained regarding the regulatory mechanisms governing eukaryotic genetic expression.
Women, Men, Work, and Family: Expansionist Theory Updated

In 2001, Barnett and Hyde proposed an expansionist theory, which argues that multiple roles (e.g., worker, spouse, and parent) are beneficial for both women and men. This chapter updates that work, roughly 14 years later. Women’s and men’s roles continue to change compared with earlier decades. For example, today women outnumber men in college, and women constitute 49.4 % of the US workforce. Newer scientific evidence continues to support expansionist theory. Multiple roles appear to be beneficial for adults’ mental, physical, and relationship health, and for children of parents who hold multiple roles. However, I raise concerns about research designs in which scientists reach causal conclusions based on cross-sectional, correlational designs. Additional evidence has accumulated in support of processes that were hypothesized to contribute to the benefits of multiple roles: buffering, added income, increased social support, and increased self-complexity. Moderators of the effects of multiple roles include gender-role ideology and role quality. Important new trends to consider in work–family research are same-sex marriage and the “New Economy” with its belief that workers should be available 24/7. The approach of intersectionality can now be fruitfully applied to this area of research.
The Replication of Simian Virus 40 DNA

I would like to divide the topic of SV40 DNA replication into three parts: 1) the isolation and characterization of SV40 replicative intermediates, 2) the mechanism of formation of SV40 dimeric DNA and 3) the characterization of an SV40 specific nucleoprotein-complex found in infected cells.
Assessment of Psychiatric Symptoms at a Level I Trauma Center Surgery Follow-up Clinic: A Preliminary Report:

At Level I trauma centers, psychiatric consultation is readily available to inpatient surgical services. This study sought to characterize the psychiatric symptoms present in the surgical follow-up clinic. Patients aged 18 years and older were assessed over one month for symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with the Short PTSD Rating Interview (SPRINT), depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), alcohol abuse with the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), and the presence of violence using the MacArthur Community Violence Instrument (MCVIa [victimization] MCVIb [perpetration]). Twenty-five individuals participated. Using the SPRINT, 13 (52.0%) met the cutoff for PTSD. For PHQ-9 depression, 11 (44%) were in the moderate to severe range. For AUDIT, five (20.0%) likely had an alcohol problem. Using the MCVI, 15 (60.0%) reported victimization and 12 (48.0%) reported perpetration. Elevated levels of psychiatric symptoms were found in the trauma surgery follow-up clinic. Psychiatric care embedded in this setting may be warranted. Language: en
Modeling of Agricultural Markets and Prices Using Causality and Path Analysis

This study proposes and evaluates a new procedure for use in analysis of both agricultural markets and prices. Causal models of both corn and wheat prices are presented as empirical examples. Results have implications for both grain market structure and the robustness of Granger-type causality tests.
Classroom Technology Transformation using the 4 Tźs Framework

How do educators develop the theoretical and practical knowledge and skills required of 21st century teachers? Teachers need effective technology exposure and practice in order to develop the skills required to integrate current technologies into daily lessons. A partnership between Education Department faculty in the United States and K-12 private school teachers in Southern Europe revealed the necessity of the 4Ts of Time, Tools, Training, and Teamwork when exposed to emergent technologies.