cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Light scattering in rat neocortical slices differs during spreading depression and ischemia.

Abstract Spreading depression (SD) and ischemia are different pathophysiological events but have similar characteristics. This study investigated whether similarity exists in the light scattering (LS) properties during SD and ischemia in rat neocortical slices. SD was induced by injection of K+ while ischemia was simulated by removing oxygen and glucose. LS was simultaneously recorded with changes in extracellular direct current (DC) potential and extracellular space (ECS) volume. LS was measured using a photon counting fiber optic system and the ECS volume change was determined by measuring the ECS concentration of tetramethylammonium (TMA+). Slices maintained in normal artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) showed a consistent LS increase during SD, but exhibited two different LS behaviors during 6 min of ischemia. In eight slices, LS decreased and remained so until the end of the ischemic challenge. In another 10 slices, LS diminished initially but, after 2 min, suddenly reversed sign, accompanied by a rapid negative shift in extracellular DC potential. When 50 or 91% of Cl− in the ACSF was replaced by membrane-permeable propionate, LS retained its increase during SD, but always showed the sudden LS reversal during ischemia. In contrast, when Cl− was substituted with membrane-impermeant methylsulfate, the SD-induced LS increase was replaced by an LS decrease, and the sudden LS reversal during ischemia was absent. While the LS signal showed different characteristics during SD and ischemia, the DC potential always presented negative shifts and the ECS volume always exhibited similar decreases. These results suggest that the polarity of the LS signal is determined by the competition of at least two factors: cell swelling and anion influx.
Modified behavioral and olfactory bulb responses to maternal odors in preweanling rats.

Abstract Rat pups acquire an attraction for maternal odors, which can vary with maternal diet. In the two experiments reported here, maternal diet was modified and both pup behavioral responses and pup olfactory bulb neural responses ([14C]2-DG uptake) to maternal odors were examined. In experiment 1, pups were reared from birth to postnatal day 19 with either a dam fed normal rat chow or a dam fed a sucrose-based diet which suppressed her normal maternal odor. In experiment 2, pups were raised from birth to postnatal day 19 with either a dam fed the sucrose-based diet adulterated with peppermint, or the non-scented sucrose-based diet. Pups selectively expressed both a behavioral attraction and an enhanced olfactory bulb neural response to odors that they experienced in the nest.
Challenging the path of least resistance

A serious deficit in clinical literature seems related to the dynamics and treatment for low frustration tolerance that can go beyond the treatment of a specific symptom or diagnostic category. This article discusses the meaning and manifestations of low frustration tolerance, identifies its major cognitive components, and uses Ellis' rational-emotive approach as a mode of intervention to combat those cognitions.
Ferroelectric ceramics for information storage and display

The electrooptic properties of hot-pressed lead zirconate titanate ceramics and their applications are reviewed. Coarse-grained, bismuth-doped ceramics with average grain size greater than 2 ώm have light scattering properties that can be varied by switching the orientation of the ferroelectric polarization. Fine-grained bismuth-or lanthanum-doped ceramics have an effective birefringence that can be varied either by applying an external electric field (conventional electrooptic effect) or by partially switching the remanent polarization (electrooptic memory effect). Ba, Sn, or La modifications of the lead zirconate titanate system produce materials with improved switching characteristics and electrooptic effects similar to those of fine-grained bismuth-or lanthanum-doped ceramics. Lanthanum modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) is significantly more transparent than other electrooptic ceramics. The PLZT system includes materials with electrooptic memory and either linear or quadratic electrooptic effects. The electrooptic properties of modified lead zirconate titanate ceramics, especially PLZT, combined with localized switching and modulation capabilities are particularly suitable for information storage and display devices.
High conversion efficiency Hg0.77Cd0.23Te spin-flip Raman laser☆

Abstract Peak external conversion efficiencies of several percent have been measured in the 10 μm region when a CO 2 laser is used to pump a Hg 0.77 Cd 0.23 Te spin-flip Raman laser. Strong pump depletion is observed in the experiments. Quantum oscillations from the n = 0, 1 and 2 Landau levels are observed in the tuning characteristics. At 710 G the spontaneous linewidth is measured to be 8 G. Large effects due to conduction band nonparabolicity are observed.
Post-configuration repair strategy for asynchronous nanowire crossbar system

The recently proposed asynchronous nanowire crossbar architecture is envisioned to enhance the manufacturability and robustness of nanowire crossbar-based configurable digital circuits by removing various timing-related failure modes. Even though the proposed clock-free nanowire crossbar architecture has numerous technical merits over its clocked counterparts, it is still subject to high defect rates inherently induced by the nondeterministic nanoscale assembly of nanowire crossbars. To address this issue, a novel post-configuration repair strategy specific to the asynchronous nanowire crossbar architecture has been proposed. The proposed repair strategy is to selectively test highly defect-prone ON-state programmed crosspoints and reconfigure the given logic function to circumvent the ON-crosspoints tested as faulty by utilizing redundant rows/columns.
Relative Resistance of Positional Isomers of Polychlorinated Biphenyls toward Reductive Dechlorination by Zerovalent Iron in Subcritical Water

Relative resistance of positional isomers within the same homologue of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was studied by comparing the reduction efficiencies (REs) of these isomers by 100-mesh zerovalent iron in subcritical water at 250 °C and 10 MPa. The REs for meta and para isomers were found to be significantly higher than that of the ortho's. These results revealed that variation in relative resistance of the positional isomers to reductive dechlorination does exist, and the order increases from para to meta to ortho substituents. This variation in relative resistance to reduction is correlated with the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy of individual PCB congeners. A model based on the empirical relative resistance of the PCBs to reductive dechlorination is developed, and an equation is established to predict the efficiency of a reductive dechlorination system that employs zerovalent iron and pressurized hot water.
Research-guided design of multimedia research tools

Since this issue of the newsletter features both multimedia designers and research-oriented users, I thought it would be interesting to merge the two viewpoints and describe my approach to the design of some of the multimedia software I use in my research. The main point of this article is to describe how the findings of prior research can be used to guide the design of software which itself is to be used for additional research. The beginning of the discussion will center around the development of a C program called "VideoGraph." The name furnishes a hint as to what the program does---it provides introductory physics students with a tool for graphically analyzing video sequences. A second package was designed to provide a multimedia editing environment for use by middle school students. Although these two projects sound very different, the software for both shares the same purpose---it gives students multimedia tools to help them learn science topics while minimizing the distraction of the software itself. The research investigated the educational impact of the software.
CELIAC ARTERY COMPRESSION SYNDROMES

In 1963 Harjola 15 described a case of chronic abdominal pain in a young woman that he attributed to mesenteric ischemia, which in turn was caused by extrinsic compression of the celiac artery (CA). The CA compression syndrome (also known as median arcuate ligament [MAL] compression syndrome, celiac band syndrome, and Dunbar's syndrome) has generated debate among surgeons ever since. All agree that if it does exist, the syndrome is rare, and thus knowledge about it will continue to depend on case reports and small institutional series. Even those who are convinced that extrinsic compression of the celiac axis by ligamentous and neural structures can be a cause of abdominal pain admit that the pathophysiology of the pain is obscure because stenosis of a single mesenteric trunk, it is commonly held, should not result in visceral ischemia. No clear diagnostic criteria have been developed, and no imaging modality is both sensitive and specific for predicting response to treatment. Nevertheless, over the last 30 years many surgeons have cared for patients who fit the unusual clinical profile of a young patient with chronic mesenteric ischemia and have successfully relieved long-standing pain with a safe and relatively simple operation. Unfortunately, because of the continuing disagreement that characterizes the literature of CA compression syndrome, effective treatment is probably denied to some patients who indeed suffer from it. The bias of the author of this article, based on personal experience of successful treatment of several patients, is that a strong case can be made for the existence of the syndrome. Accordingly, this review addresses the problems of pathophysiology and diagnosis that continue to create doubt.
The Effects of Drawing on the Wettability of Polyethylene Terephthalate Filaments

The wettabilities of undrawn and drawn polyester filaments were measured in order to establish the influence of drawing on fiber surface properties. Advancing and receding wetting forces were measured using a technique for single filaments based on the Wilhelmy balance principle. The results indicate that the drawing process renders the filaments less wettable with respect to all four of the liquids used in this study (water, formamide, ethylene glycol, and hexadecane).
Enhancement mode HgCdTe MISFETs and circuits for focal plane applications

Long wavelength enhancement mode HgCdTe MISFETs are characterized at 77K, and the first integrated circuits using these devices demonstrated. Accurate models are demonstrated for MISFET current-voltage characteristics and small signal behaviour. MISFET breakdown is characterized as a function of channel length. Noise measurements on HgCdTe MISFETs and circuits show 1/f behaviour to at least 100 kHz, and a noise level suitable for focal plane applications. Other characteristics of HgCdTe circuits are studied, demonstrating performance adequate for focal plane applications.
Logical and physical restructuring of fan-in trees

A symmetric-function fan-in tree (SFFT) is a fanout-free cone of logic that computes a symmetric function, so that all of the leaf nets in its support set are commutative. Such trees are frequently found in designs, especially when the design originated as two-level logic.These trees are usually created during logic synthesis, when there is no knowledge of the locations of the tree root or of the source gates of the leaf nets. Because of this, large SFFTs present a challenge to placement algorithms. The result is that the tree placements are generally far from optimal, leading to wiring congestion, excess buffering, and timing problems. Restructuring such trees can produce a more placeable and wire-efficient design.In this paper, we propose algorithms to identify and to restructure SFFTs during physical design. The key feature of an SFFT is that it can be implemented with various structures of a uniform set of gates with commutative inputs, i.e. AND, OR, or XOR. Drawing on the flexibility of SFFT logic structures, the proposed tree restructuring algorithm uses existing placement information to rebuild the SFFTs with reduced tree wire lengths. The experimental results demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the algorithms.
A semantic analysis of associative plurals

The paper presents a general framework for the semantic analysis of nominal plural expressions and assigns a place among them to a lesser-known construction: associative plurals. Six parameters are proposed for identifying the meaning differences among nominal plural expressions. Within this framework, associative plurals are characterized as ranked group plurals that form a single paradigm with first and second person plural pronouns and inclusory (=sylleptic) constructions, all of which are shown to be governed by similar preferences regarding the semantic composition of the group.
Pituitary-isografted mice are highly susceptible to MNU-induced mammary carcinogenesis irrespective of the level of alveolar differentiation.

We have recently developed a mammary tumorigenesis system in which adult female BALB/c mice are grafted with two pituitaries from isologous donors and subsequently treated with a single i.v. injection of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU, 50 mg/kg). Mice bearing isografts have elevated serum titers of prolactin and progesterone which act on the mammary glands to produce a highly differentiated morphology resembling that of late pregnancy. MNU treatment of the mouse mammary gland in this differentiated state results in tumors in > 90% of tested animals. Since the mammary gland is believed to be particularly vulnerable to chemically induced carcinogenesis during alveolar morphogenesis, we chose to assess the susceptibility of the mammary gland during the initial weeks after pituitary isografting when they are ostensibly undergoing marked cell proliferation and differentiation. To this end, mice were isografted with pituitaries and subsequently analyzed at 1, 3, 5, 8 and 12 weeks for epithelial cell differentiation and susceptibility to MNU-induced tumorigenesis. By 3 weeks after isografting, the glands showed marked lobuloalveolar development and highest casein production. Tumor latency and frequency paralleled parenchymal differentiation for the first 3 weeks. By 5 weeks, and thereafter, the mice continued to be extremely susceptible to MNU-induced mammary carcinogenesis despite the highly differentiated state of the glands. Since tumors generated in this system are not dependent on pituitary isografts for their growth when transplanted to isologous recipients, and since the pituitary isograft does not act as a classical promoter but is required at the time of carcinogen treatment, we conclude that the pituitary isograft maintains a condition permissive for transformation to occur and a level of proliferation sufficient for the expression of the transformed phenotype.
Contact Angle Measurements of Sn-Ag and Sn-Cu Lead-Free Solders on Copper Substrates

In this study, the contact angles of four lead-free solders, namely, Sn-3.5Ag, Sn-3.5Ag-4.8Bi, Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu, and Sn-0.7Cu (wt.%), were measured on copper substrates at different temperatures. Measurements were performed using the sessile-drop method. Contact angles ranging from 30° to 40° after wetting under vacuum with no fluxes and between 10° and 30° with rosin mildly activated (RMA) and rosin activated (RA) fluxes were obtained. The Sn-3.5Ag-4.8Bi exhibited the lowest contact angles, indicating improved wettability with the addition of bismuth. For all soldering alloys, lower contact angles were observed using RMA flux. Intermetallics formed at the solder/Cu interface were identified as Cu6Sn5 adjacent to the solder and Cu3Sn adjacent to the copper substrate. The Cu3Sn intermetallic phase was generally not observed when RMA flux was used. The effect of temperature on contact angle was dependent on the type of flux used.
A Shaggy Beast from a Baggy Monster

‘A Shaggy Beast from a Baggy Monster’ argues that during the first two decades of the Cold War, Henry James endowed American creative writing workshops with a set of protocols for writing and an imitable image of the professionalised novelist that served the new MFA programs well. But his popularity depended as much on his ideological attractiveness to the literary critics of the period as on his true usefulness to aspiring writers. This has led to a strange afterlife for James in the writers workshops. He is quoted and misquoted without being read, regarded as indispensable without being imitated, and forever deferred to without being understood.
Measurement of In-Plane Motion of Thin-Film Structures Using Videogrammetry

the shaker. The presence of modally induced in-plane film deformation was confirmed by tracking the change in distance between points F1 and F2. The standard deviation of the value of the measured distance between these two points was found to be about 57 m. This value was well above the noise floor for this measurement, 11 m, experimentallydeterminedbycalculatingthestandarddeviationofthemeasureddistancebetweenpointsR1andR2 on the aluminum film holder, which was considered to be rigid and hence was not expected to undergo in-plane deformation.
Gyrotron traveling wave amplifier with out-ridged waveguide

The out-ridged waveguide is proposed for the use of gyrotrons operating at higher harmonics of electron gyrofrequency. Eigenvalues and the associated field components of the out-ridged waveguide are obtained with Ritz-Galerkin method. The prominent advantages of the out-ridged waveguide over the existing waveguide structures used in gyrotrons include the simplicity in manufacture, freedom from local modes, good separation of lower order modes, high power handling ability, and good beam-field coupling at higher harmonics of the electron gyrofrequency. Gain-frequency functional curves of the gyrotron traveling wave amplifiers with the out-ridged waveguide and some other waveguide structures are computed numerically by employing the general analytical results developed in [15].
Using new hyperspectral index to estimate leaf chlorophyll content in winter wheat

Leaf chlorophyll content is a key indicator of crop photosynthesis activity, which is correlated with leaf nitrogen concentration, and can serve nitrogen fertilizer decision-making. So it is of significant to estimate chlorophyll content for crop growth diagnosis. In this study, a new hyperspectral index was proposed to estimate leaf chlorophyll content in winter wheat. Hyperspectral reflectance data, covering bands from 350 to 2500nm, were collected using a ground-based ASD spectrometer on winter wheat at different stages from 2008 in rural fields of Beijing, China. Leaf chlorophyll content was obtained by traditional laboratory methods on the same area. First, hyperspectral reflectance data from 400 to 1300nm were normalized, and then a new spectral index, symbolized k nir , was proposed by a mean of fitting the normalized reflectance ranging from 760 to 920nm to evaluate chlorophyll content in winter wheat in comparison with some existing typical indices. The analysis results showed that k nir was the best index for assessing chlorophyll comparing with the existing indices, with R2 value of 0.51. It indicates that the new spectral index has a good potential for estimating chlorophyll in winter wheat.
Blood flow dynamics of one cardiac cycle and relationship to mechanotransduction and trabeculation during heart looping

Analyses of form-function relationships during heart looping are directly related to technological advances. Recent advances in four-dimensional optical coherence tomography (OCT) permit observations of cardiac dynamics at high-speed acquisition rates and high resolution. Real-time observation of the avian stage 13 looping heart reveals that interactions between the endocardial and myocardial compartments are more complex than previously depicted. Here we applied four-dimensional OCT to elucidate the relationships of the endocardium, myocardium, and cardiac jelly compartments in a single cardiac cycle during looping. Six cardiac levels along the longitudinal heart tube were each analyzed at 15 time points from diastole to systole. Using image analyses, the organization of mechanotransducing molecules, fibronectin, tenascin C, α-tubulin, and nonmuscle myosin II was correlated with specific cardiac regions defined by OCT data. Optical coherence microscopy helped to visualize details of cardiac architectural development in the embryonic mouse heart. Throughout the cardiac cycle, the endocardium was consistently oriented between the midline of the ventral floor of the foregut and the outer curvature of the myocardial wall, with multiple endocardial folds allowing high-volume capacities during filling. The cardiac area fractional shortening is much higher than previously published. The in vivo profile captured by OCT revealed an interaction of the looping heart with the extra-embryonic splanchnopleural membrane providing outside-in information. In summary, the combined dynamic and imaging data show the developing structural capacity to accommodate increasing flow and the mechanotransducing networks that organize to effectively facilitate formation of the trabeculated four-chambered heart.
Estrogen Inhibits Phorbol Ester-Induced IκBα Transcription and Protein Degradation

Abstract Estrogen (E2) is known to prevent bone loss and the mechanism is, at least in part, mediated by inhibition of expression of cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6). Expression of IL-6 is tightly regulated and the transcription factor NFκB can upregulate IL-6 gene expression by binding to its promoter region. NFκB is kept in an inactive state by associating with its cytoplasmic inhibitor IκBα. Upon mitogenic stimulation, IκBα becomes phosphorylated, followed by a rapid protein degradation. As a result, NFκB is released and translocate to the nucleus where DNA binding occurs. It has been shown that E2 treatment downregulates mitogen-induced IL-6 expression by inhibiting NFκB activity. Here, we sought to determine whether E2 regulates IL-6 gene expression by modulating the levels of IκBα. Our results show that E2 treatment almost completely inhibits phorbol ester-induced IκBα protein degradation. In addition, E2 inhibits phorbol ester-stimulated IκBα gene expression. Taken together, our results suggest that E2 maintains steadystate levels of IκBα upon mitogen stimulation, resulting in inhibition of NFκB activation and IL-6 gene expression. This may explain the protective effect of E2 on bone loss.
TEACHING JUSTICE AND TEACHING JUSTLY: REFLECTIONS ON TEACHING WORLD RELIGIONS AT A JESUIT LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE

This paper examines how the teaching of world religions at Catholic Christians institutions can contribute to teaching justice and teaching justly. The paper compares central issues engaged by History of Religions as a discipline with those addressed within the Jesuit tradition of higher education as it developed in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. While many scholars have argued that the academic study of religion and theology are premised upon irreconcilably opposed paradigms of teaching and scholarship, this paper argues that a creative combination of the two disciplines can create a crucial space for reconsidering justice within the contemporary classroom at Catholic Christian colleges that embrace the Jesuit tradition of higher education.
Argon Fluoride Laser-Excited Atomic Fluorescence of Arsenic in a H2/Air Flame and in an Ar ICP

Laser-excited atomic fluorescence spectrometry (LEAFS) can be an extremely sensitive method of trace analysis. However, some elements, such as As, have strong absorption lines only below 200 nm. Dye laser systems capable of resonance excitation of As are complicated and very expensive. By coincidence, a simple fixed-frequency argon fluoride (ArF) excimer laser produces a broad-band output centered at 193.0-193.2 nm overlapping the As absorption line at 193.7 nm. The use of an ArF excimer laser as a source for LEAFS detection of As in a H2/air flame and an Ar-ICP has been evaluated. Detection limits of about 20 ng/mL were obtained with both atomizers. The limiting noise was laser-induced scatter in both cases. Methods of improving the detection powers are discussed.
Fock-Tani representation for the quantum theory of reactive collisions

Abstract A previously-developed second-quantization representation for nonrelativistic systems of composite bound states and their constituents is extended to any number of composite species. The result is an explicit representation for the kinematics and dynamics of reactive scattering processes (rearrangement collisions). A single Hamiltonian in the new representation simultaneously exhibits the various possible scattering and reaction channels, thus circumventing problems associated with “different Hamiltonians for different channels”. The “unperturbed” Hamiltonian describes the free propagation of all possible bound composites as well as their unbound constituents, while the interaction Hamiltonian describes only true scattering and reaction processes, each term corresponding to a collision process with specified initial and final bound composites and/or unbound constituents. The key to the generalization is a suitable ordering of the composite species and a corresponding ordered-product form of the unitary transformation to the new representation.
Asymptotic analysis of solutions in the “double root” case

Abstract A new method is given for the computation and verification of asymptotic approximations for second order linear difference equations. The case that the coefficients are rational functions is completely analyzed.
Structure of the oxidized active site of galactose oxidase from realistic in silico models.

A systematic in silico approach is employed to generate an accurate model for the catalytically important oxidized state of galactose oxidase (GO) using spectroscopically calibrated hybrid density-functional theory. GO displays three distinct oxidation states: oxidized [Cu(II)-Y•], semireduced [Cu(II)-Y], and fully reduced [Cu(I)-Y], but only the [Cu(II)-Y•] and the [Cu(I)-Y] states are assumed to be involved in catalysis. We have developed multiple models for the oxidized [Cu(II)-Y•] state, whose structure has not yet been fully characterized. These models were evaluated by comparison of calculated and experimental structural data, singlet−triplet energy gaps, and electronic transitions for the antiferromagnetically coupled oxidized [Cu(II)-Y•] state. An extended model system that includes explicit solvent molecules and second coordination sphere residues (R330, Y405, and W290) is essential to obtain the correct electronic structure of the active site. The model with all the residues that have been show...
Effects of floral restrictiveness and stigma size on heterospecific pollen receipt in a prairie community

Plant species vary greatly in the degree to which floral morphology restricts access to the flower interior. Restrictiveness of flower corollas may influence heterospecific pollen receipt, but the impact of floral morphology on heterospecific pollen transfer has received little attention. We characterized patterns of pollinator visitation and quantities of conspecific and heterospecific pollen receipt for 29 species with a range of floral morphologies in a prairie community dominated by the introduced plant Euphorbia esula (leafy spurge) which has an unrestrictive morphology. Pollinator overlap was significantly greater between Euphorbia and other unrestrictive flowers than restrictive flowers. Compared to flowers with restrictive morphologies, unrestrictive flowers received significantly more Euphorbia pollen, more heterospecific pollen from other sources, and a greater diversity of pollen species, but not more conspecific pollen. However, stigmatic surface area was significantly larger for flowers with unrestrictive morphologies, and the density of Euphorbia and other heterospecific pollen per stigmatic area did not significantly differ between flower types. These findings suggest that the smaller stigma size in restrictive flowers partly accounts for their decreased heterospecific pollen receipt, but that restrictiveness also allows species to increase the purity of pollen loads they receive. Given that restrictive flowers receive fewer heterospecific pollen grains but at a higher density, the effect of restrictiveness on fecundity depends on whether absolute quantity or density of heterospecific pollen affects fecundity more. Our results also indicate that abundant neighbors are not necessarily important heterospecific pollen sources since Euphorbia pollen was rarely abundant on heterospecifics.
Effects of retorting and storage on liquid mass transfer in canned skipjack (Katsuwonas pelamis) muscle

Mass loss of precooked tuna muscle during retorting and storage in cans impacts cannery yield and throughput. Changes in moisture content and mass of frozen, thawed, precooked tuna muscle chunks, canned in water, were determined after retorting and through five weeks of subsequent storage. Canned tuna pieces were retorted to equivalent lethality (F o -value of four) for different time and temperature processes. Retorting at a lower temperature, longer time resulted in less mass loss than higher temperature, shorter time processes. Canned storage of up to five weeks had no effect on muscle mass or moisture content.
The infectious etiology of rheumatoid arthritis.

Several possible mechanisms of chronic inflammatory arthritis that might be initiated by infectious agents are discussed. Some recent information on mycoplasma infections, long-term virus infections, and shed bacterial components provides the bases for new experimental approaches. Currently, evidence of involvement of mycoplasma or viral agents in rheumatoid arthritis is tenuous. Chronic peptidoglycan-immune-complex formation is a consideration that has been discussed, but only recently pursued in depth. It may well be that experimental studies on the infectious etiology of rheumatoid arthritis will be revitalized through an appreciation of the bacterial antigen load in the gastrointestinal tract. The perimental vehicles for testing this possibility are available and should be directly applicable at the clinical level.
Clomiphene citrate monitoring for intrauterine insemination timing: a randomized trial.

Objective To compare pregnancy rates with two different methods of intrauterine insemination (IUI) timing in patients treated with clomiphene citrate (CC). Design Prospective, randomized trial. Setting Academic medical center. Patient(s) One hundred fifty ovulatory, infertile women. Intervention(s) Patients were randomized into a luteinizing hormone (LH) surge group or a follicle monitoring/human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) group. All patients underwent baseline ultrasound, and took clomiphene citrate, during days 5–9. Patients in the LH surge group underwent IUI on the day after a home test for the LH surge was positive, whereas those in the hCG group received hCG according to ultrasound parameters and underwent insemination 33–40 hours later. Patients remained in the same study group for up to three cycles. Main Outcome Measure(s) Pregnancy rates per cycle and per patient. Result(s) No significant differences were found between groups in pregnancy rates per patient or per cycle. The LH surge group underwent IUI significantly later than the hCG group. Cancellation rates were significantly higher for the LH surge group (31% vs. 11%) and attributable mainly to failure to detect an LH surge. The majority of pregnancies in both treatment groups occurred in the first cycle. Conclusion(s) The decision to use hCG for IUI timing should be influenced by factors other than pregnancy rates.
Approaches to correct device malposition in percutaneous PFO closure: Anatomical and technical implications

We describe three patients with initial failure of transcatheter patent foramen ovale closure. Two patients had residual defects successfully closed during the initial session, and one patient had a persistent shunt, which was corrected at a later time. Anatomical and technical considerations and the role of intracardiac ultrasound are discussed.
Affluent mature consumers: Preference and patronisation for financial services

Mature consumers have long been recognised as an important segment of market that no marketers of financial-service providers could ignore. The segment itself, however, is not homogeneous. Our study further segments the market basing on income and contrasts the differences between upscale mature consumers and lower scale ones in terms of their preference and patronisation for financial services. The study based on two large-scale studies designed to generate information that would fill gaps in our existing knowledge about upscale older consumers. Implications are discussed for marketers of financial services to fine-tune their differentiation strategies.
Some aspects of mining subsidence and its control in the US coalfields

The problem of surface subsidence is rapidly becoming an important environmental consideration of active as well as abandoned mining operations in the USA. The damages attributed to this phenomenon range from simple land settlement to severe structural damage and have been experienced in both rural and urban areas spreading across thirty states. This paper presents a discussion on mining subsidence and its characteristics above US longwall and room-and-pillar mines. The influence of the geological controls on subsidence is discussed in detail and the effects of subsidence on man and his environment are presented and exemplified. In addition, a historical review of rules and regulations governing subsidence-related problems is given, leading to Public Law 95-87, the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, and finally, the new regulations being developed under the regulatory reform program are discussed.
Hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin methods for the time-harmonic Maxwell's equations

We present two hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) methods for the numerical solution of the time-harmonic Maxwell's equations. The first HDG method explicitly enforces the divergence-free condition and thus necessitates the introduction of a Lagrange multiplier. It produces a linear system for the degrees of freedom of the approximate traces of both the tangential component of the vector field and the Lagrange multiplier. The second HDG method does not explicitly enforce the divergence-free condition and thus results in a linear system for the degrees of freedom of the approximate trace of the tangential component of the vector field only. For both HDG methods, the approximate vector field converges with the optimal order of k+1 in the L^2-norm, when polynomials of degree k are used to represent all the approximate variables. We propose elementwise postprocessing to obtain a new H^c^u^r^l-conforming approximate vector field which converges with order k+1 in the H^c^u^r^l-norm. We present extensive numerical examples to demonstrate and compare the performance of the HDG methods.
Excitation Systems Their Influence on Short Circuits and Maximum Power

Since 1920, when the general subject of excitation systems was reviewed at the White Sulphur Springs Convention, two important problems regarding these systenms have arisen: One relates to the required excitation characteristics during system disturbances, and the other to the characteristics which are necessary in order to increase the maximumn power above the steady state or static limit?i. e., in order to operate the synchronous machines under the condition of dynamic stability. With respect to the former problem, the advantages and disadvantages of quick response excitation are considered. Such excitation tends, of course, to hold up the voltage during system disturbances, and is thus advantageous. However, it also increases the short-circuit current which circuit breakers must interrupt. The general trend in installing such systems is, therefore, in the direction, of requiring larger circuit breakers. Such an excitation systemn is justified in many cases, and, indeed, it is essential in some. The extent to which the quickness of response and the maximum value of the excitation voltage are carried, is a question which, at present, should be settled by the conditions of the particular case. As to increasing power limits, results are given which are very promising with respect not only to long distance transmission, but also to power systems which have approached the power limit as determinied by the condition of present normal operation. A new regulator, unique in its operating characteristic, has been.
MANUFACTURING DNA NANOWIRES WITH AIR BLOWING ASSEMBLY ON MICROPATTERNED SURFACE

Herein, we present a new flow-guided assembly approach to align and position DNA nanowires. Single or multiple drops of a λ-DNA solution were loaded from one side of template with micropad array and blown off by air flow. DNA molecules were aligned along the flow direction and well positioned under the guiding of pre-defined micropatterns. Different from other pioneering work, we focused on investigating the assembly quality, reliability and appropriateness for large-scale manufacturing. We correlated the assembly quality (alignment, patterning and the surface coverage) with the concentration of DNA in droplets and droplet evaporation and suggested appropriate process windows. With this new approach, the synthesis, alignment and patterning of nanowires may be done in a reliable and efficient manner and with high throughput.
Effects of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Submental Muscle Activity

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) therapy has been proposed as a treatment option for pharyngeal dysphagia. However, little is known about the effects, if any, that NMES has on specific biomechanical aspects of the pharyngeal swallow. The purpose of this study was to determine if two weeks of NMES applied to the submental muscles increased myoelectric activity. Ten age- and gender-matched subjects participated, and eight completed the protocol. Treatment was delivered using an AB or BA design. No treatment was given during the A condition. Subjects received ten 1-h NMES treatments during the B condition. Results indicated that seven of eight subjects exhibited no significant gains in myoelectric activity of the submental muscles following NMES. Therefore, the benefit of NMES to the submental muscles with the goal of improving the pharyngeal swallow is not supported. Additional research investigating duration of treatment as well as frequency and amplitude modulation of NMES is needed to determine if, how, and why NMES applied to the submental muscles affects the biomechanical aspects of both the normal and disordered pharyngeal swallow.
Structure and dynamics of human vimentin intermediate filament dimer and tetramer in explicit and implicit solvent models

Intermediate filaments, in addition to microtubules and microfilaments, are one of the three major components of the cytoskeleton in eukaryotic cells, and play an important role in mechanotransduction as well as in providing mechanical stability to cells at large stretch. The molecular structures, mechanical and dynamical properties of the intermediate filament basic building blocks, the dimer and the tetramer, however, have remained elusive due to persistent experimental challenges owing to the large size and fibrillar geometry of this protein. We have recently reported an atomistic-level model of the human vimentin dimer and tetramer, obtained through a bottom-up approach based on structural optimization via molecular simulation based on an implicit solvent model (Qin et al. in PLoS ONE 2009 4(10):e7294, 9). Here we present extensive simulations and structural analyses of the model based on ultra large-scale atomistic-level simulations in an explicit solvent model, with system sizes exceeding 500,000 atoms and simulations carried out at 20 ns time-scales. We report a detailed comparison of the structural and dynamical behavior of this large biomolecular model with implicit and explicit solvent models. Our simulations confirm the stability of the molecular model and provide insight into the dynamical properties of the dimer and tetramer. Specifically, our simulations reveal a heterogeneous distribution of the bending stiffness along the molecular axis with the formation of rather soft and highly flexible hinge-like regions defined by non-alpha-helical linker domains. We report a comparison of Ramachandran maps and the solvent accessible surface area between implicit and explicit solvent models, and compute the persistence length of the dimer and tetramer structure of vimentin intermediate filaments for various subdomains of the protein. Our simulations provide detailed insight into the dynamical properties of the vimentin dimer and tetramer intermediate filament building blocks, which may guide the development of novel coarse-grained models of intermediate filaments, and could also help in understanding assembly mechanisms.
Variation in Mesoderm Specification across Drosophilids Is Compensated by Different Rates of Myoblast Fusion during Body Wall Musculature Development

Background It has been shown that species separated by relatively short evolutionary distances may have extreme variations in egg size and shape. Those variations are expected to modify the polarized morphogenetic gradients that pattern the dorso-ventral axis of embryos. Currently, little is known about the effects of scaling over the embryonic architecture of organisms. We began examining this problem by asking if changes in embryo size in closely related species of Drosophila modify all three dorso-ventral germ layers or only particular layers, and whether or not tissue patterning would be affected at later stages. Principal Findings Here we report that changes in scale affect predominantly the mesodermal layer at early stages, while the neuroectoderm remains constant across the species studied. Next, we examined the fate of somatic myoblast precursor cells that derive from the mesoderm to test whether the assembly of the larval body wall musculature would be affected by the variation in mesoderm specification. Our results show that in all four species analyzed, the stereotyped organization of the body wall musculature is not disrupted and remains the same as in D. melanogaster. Instead, the excess or shortage of myoblast precursors is compensated by the formation of individual muscle fibers containing more or less fused myoblasts. Conclusions Our data suggest that changes in embryonic scaling often lead to expansions or retractions of the mesodermal domain across Drosophila species. At later stages, two compensatory cellular mechanisms assure the formation of a highly stereotyped larval somatic musculature: an invariable selection of 30 muscle founder cells per hemisegment, which seed the formation of a complete array of muscle fibers, and a variable rate in myoblast fusion that modifies the number of myoblasts that fuse to individual muscle fibers.
The Hinge of Salvation: Body, Liturgy, and Bioethics

Dominant trends within the philosophical debate over personhood and identity tend to discount the significance and meaning of the human body and often slip into dualistic conceptions. I will argue that a Catholic theology of the body challenges many of the prevalent understandings in bioethics today. Such a notion takes Christ’s Incarnation as its foundation and seeks to develop an account of the human body in the context of the call to communion imprinted on humanity as made in the image of the Trinitarian communion of love. Such a conception counteracts forms of utilitarian or technological reductionism of the person. While Catholic bioethicists will need to consider how such an account will have practical applicability to cases, the call to communion ought to be fostered through the liturgical life of the Church, which enables Catholic bioethicists to develop a liturgical worldview that guards against devaluations of the dignity of the human person.
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide and Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-activating Polypeptide Inhibit Nuclear Factor-κB-dependent Gene Activation at Multiple Levels in the Human Monocytic Cell Line THP-1

The neuropeptides vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) suppress monocyte/macrophage production of proinflammatory agents. The transcription factor NF-kappa B regulates the transcription of most agents. VIP/PACAP inhibit NF-kappa B transactivation in the lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human monocytic cell line THP-1 at multiple levels. First, VIP/PACAP inhibit p65 nuclear translocation and NF-kappa B DNA binding by stabilizing the inhibitor I kappa B alpha. Second, VIP/PACAP induce phosphorylation of the CRE-binding protein (CREB) and its binding to the CREB-binding protein (CBP). This results in a decrease in p65.CBP complexes, which further reduces NF-kappa B transactivation. Third, VIP and PACAP reduce the phosphorylation of the TATA box-binding protein (TBP), resulting in a reduction in TBP binding to both p65 and the TATA box. All these effects are mediated through the specific receptor VPAC1. The cAMP/cAMP-dependent protein kinase pathway mediates the effects on CBP and TBP, whereas a cAMP-independent pathway is the major transducer for the effects on p65 nuclear translocation. Since NF-kappaB represents a focal point for various stimuli and induces the expression of many proinflammatory genes, its targeting by VIP and PACAP positions them as important anti-inflammatory agents. The VIP/PACAP inhibition of NF-kappa B at various levels and through different transduction pathways could offer a significant advantage over other anti-inflammatory agents.
Academic integrity and the World Wide Web

After analyzing five values (honesty; fairness; trust; respect; and responsibility) that are constitutive of academic integrity, this paper considers moral challenges to academic integrity that are posed by the World Wide Web in three areas: student integrity, faculty integrity, and institutional integrity.
INFLUENCE OF TEMPORARY ANOXIA BY SUBMERGING IN WATER ON LIGHT-INDUCED GREENING AND GLYCOALKALOID FORMATION OF POTATO TUBERS

Temporary anoxia created by submerging potato tubers in water completely inhibited light-induced greening and glycoalkaloid formation of Russet Burbank, White Rose and Pontiac cultivar. Preanoxia vacuum treatment of the tuber has the same effect but hastened rottenness of the tubers. Anoxia treatment also inhibited the respiration of potato tissue. Partial exposure of the surface of anoxia tubers to air reduced the inhibition. The inhibition of the light-induced greening by anoxia condition was due to inhibition of tuber respiration. The light absorption by the water used to create anoxia condition did not contribute to the inhibition of light-induced greening. The duration which tubers could tolerate anoxia condition depended upon the cultivar and the physical condition of the tubers. Incorporation of 100 to 1000 ppm sodium hypochlorite or daily replacing with fresh water effectively improved incubation stability and reduced rottenness.
An Experimental Evaluation of the Impact of Intensive Supervision on the Recidivism of High-Risk Probationers

This article reports the results of an experimental evaluation of the impact of Intensive Supervision Probation (ISP) on probationer recidivism. Participants, who were assessed at an increased likelihood of committing serious crimes and not ordered to specialized supervision, were randomly assigned to ISP (n = 447) or standard probation (n = 385). ISP probationers received more restrictive supervision and experienced more office contacts, home visitations, and drug screenings. After 12 months, there was no difference in offending. This equivalence holds across multiple types of crimes, including violent, non-violent, property, and drug offenses, as well as in a survival analysis conducted for each offense type. ISP probationers absconded from supervision, were charged with technical violations, and were incarcerated at significantly higher rates. Policy implications for these results are discussed.