cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Validation of urinary calcium isotope excretion from bone for screening anabolic therapies for osteoporosis

Urinary excretion of calcium tracers in labeled individuals decreases in response to antiresorptive therapy, providing a tool to rapidly screen potential therapies. Using teriparatide, we demonstrate in this study that anabolic therapy also decreases tracer excretion, confirming that this method can also be used to screen potential anabolic therapies. Changes in urinary excretion of calcium tracers from a labeled skeleton may be a rapid and sensitive method to screen potential therapies for osteoporosis. This method has been used to screen antiresorptive therapies, but the effect of anabolic therapies on tracer excretion is unknown. Eight-month-old female Sprague Dawley rats (n = 11) were given 50 μCi 45Ca iv. After a 1-month equilibration period, baseline urinary 45Ca excretion and total bone mineral content (BMC) were measured. Rats were then treated with 30 μg/kg teriparatide sc per day, a bone anabolic agent, for 80 days. Urine was collected throughout the study and analyzed for 45Ca and total Ca, and BMC was measured at the beginning and end of the study. Teriparatide decreased urinary 45Ca excretion by 52.1 % and increased BMC by 21.7 %. The change in bone calcium retention as determined by the ratio of 45Ca to total Ca excretion in urine from day 6 through 15 of teriparatide treatment was significantly correlated (p = 0.036) with the change in BMC after 80 days of teriparatide treatment. Urinary excretion of calcium tracers from labeled bone is an effective method to rapidly screen potential anabolic therapies for osteoporosis.
PERFORATION OF MALONE ANTEGRADE CONTINENCE ENEMA: DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT

ABSTRACT Purpose: Severe bowel dysfunction often accompanies neurogenic bladder, and Malone antegrade continence enema (MACE) procedures can lead to improvement in the quality of life of these patients. However, complications such as catheter false passage with subsequent intraperitoneal instillation of irrigation can lead to significant morbidity. We present our experience with the diagnosis and management of this condition. Materials and Methods: The records of all patients undergoing MACE procedures at pediatric institutions from 1989 to 2002 were retrospectively reviewed. The records of patients diagnosed with a perforation were assessed for presentation, initial imaging studies, management and outcomes. Results: Of 187 consecutive patients treated with MACE procedures we identified 6 females and 1 male (3.7%). Mean patient age at initial surgery was 11.3 years. Of the 7 patients presented within 3 months of the initial surgery, 6 presented with abdominal pain after irrigation and 4 reported traumatic catheterization. Six patients had extravasation of contrast material on imaging studies. Two patients presented with peritonitis and underwent immediate laparotomy. In 5 patients endoscopy was performed with catheter placement which was then maintained for 6 weeks. After a mean followup of 4.7 years 4 patients have complete continence, 2 have a MACE button in place and 1 has mild fecal leakage. Conclusions: MACE procedures have a low incidence of conduit false passage and perforation. Prompt diagnosis and early intervention are crucial to management. Endoscopic evaluation with catheter placement can be helpful in preserving continence and decreasing morbidity.
Minimization of fatigue in ferroelectric films

On the basis of a quantitative fatigue model, various methods to minimize fatigue in oxide ferroelectric films are discussed. The model attributes fatigue to domain pinning by space charge that is caused by oxygen vacancy entrapment at the interfaces (e.g., electrode-ferroelectric, domain boundaries, etc.). Based on this model, it is demonstrated that fatigue can be minimized by a) using conductive oxide electrodes (e.g., RuO 2 ) that prevent space charge formation at the interfaces, b) by addition of donor dopants (e.g., Nb, La in Pb(Zr x Ti 1-x )O 3 ) that reduce the oxygen vacancy concentration, and c) by utilizing ferroelectric materials (e.g., SrBi 2 (Ta x Nb 1-x ) 2 O 9 ) that have a low intrinsic defect concentration.
Temperature-dependent Arrhenius factor for small-polaron conduction in glasses

Abstract The hopping mobility of a small-polaron has been evaluated for the case of a Gaussian distribution of jump distances and is found to lead to a temperature-dependent Arrhenius factor for conductivity.
Robust speech recognition from binary masks

Inspired by recent evidence that a binary pattern may provide sufficient information for human speech recognition, this letter proposes a fundamentally different approach to robust automatic speech recognition. Specifically, recognition is performed by classifying binary masks corresponding to a word utterance. The proposed method is evaluated using a subset of the TIDigits corpus to perform isolated digit recognition. Despite dramatic reduction of speech information encoded in a binary mask, the proposed system performs surprisingly well. The system is compared with a traditional HMM based approach and is shown to perform well under low SNR conditions.
Prevalence estimates and outcomes of mental health conditions in those hospitalized owing to dental conditions

Objective Identify characteristics of individuals with mental health conditions who use hospital resources to manage dental conditions. Study Design Data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample for the years 2007 to 2010 were used. All hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of dental conditions were selected. Hospitalizations with secondary diagnoses of mental health conditions were identified. Results During the study period, 67 517 hospitalizations were primarily attributed to dental conditions. Of these, 12 080 also involved a mental health condition. The most frequently prevalent mental health conditions were mood disorders (9.9% of dental hospitalizations) and anxiety disorders (3.9%). The mean age of those with a mental health condition was 47.7 years (37.7 years for those without mental health conditions). A greater proportion of those with a mental health condition had Medicare coverage compared with those without a mental health condition (39.4% vs 17%). Those with mental health conditions also had a higher comorbid burden. Conclusions When individuals with mental health conditions are hospitalized for a dental condition, they are more likely to be older and sicker and to use more hospital resources. Better preventive care may benefit patients and health care budgets.
McTorrent: Using multiple communication channels for efficient bulk data dissemination in wireless sensor networks

This paper presents McTorrent, a reliable bulk data dissemination protocol for sensor networks. The protocol is designed to take advantage of multiple radio channels to reduce packet collisions and improve the latency of large object dissemination. We evaluated the performance of McTorrent via detailed simulations and experiments based upon an implementation on the TinyOS platform. Our results show that in comparison to Deluge, the de facto network reprogramming protocol for TinyOS, McTorrent significantly reduces the number of packet transmissions and the amount of time required to propagate a large data object through a sensor network.
Demonstrating the Influence of Cognition on Emotion and Behavior

A n exercise demonstrating the influence of cognitive processes on emotion and behavior is described. Students visualize themselves as having recently experienced the termination of an important male-female relationship. While doing so, they are exposed to one of three cognitive scenarios designed to generate feelings of depression, anger, or moderate sadness with a sense of coping. After each visualization, the nature and extent of emotional reactions and behavioral tendencies are noted and later related to class goals. Evaluation indicated that the scenarios produced different types and degrees of reported affect, suggesting that the exercise produces the desired results. Common uses of the exercise are described.
A Simple Model of Lake Ontario's Coastal Boundary Layer

Abstract An empirical forced wave model of currents and thermocline displacements in the coastal zone of Lake Ontario is derived from data from the International Field Year for the Great Lakes (1972). The model consists of three linear wave equations for predicting the depth of the thermocline, its slope and the longshore volume transport from the wind. The empirical phase speeds are consistent with internal Kelvin wave and topographic wave theory and the response to a unit longshore wind stress is consistent with cross-section models of long lakes.
Instrument-assisted cross fiber massage increases tissue perfusion and alters microvascular morphology in the vicinity of healing knee ligaments

Ligament injuries are common clinical problems for which there are few established interventions. Instrument-assisted cross fiber massage (IACFM) was recently shown to accelerate the restoration of biomechanical properties in injured rodent knee medial collateral ligaments (MCL). The current study aimed to investigate the influence of IACFM on regional perfusion and vascularity in the vicinity of healing rodent knee MCL injuries. Bilateral knee MCL injuries were induced in female Sprague–Dawley rats. Commencing 1 week post-injury, 1 minute of IACFM was introduced unilaterally 3 times/week for 3 weeks. The contralateral injured MCL served as an internal control. Regional tissue perfusion was assessed in vivo throughout healing using laser Doppler imaging, whereas regional microvascular morphology was assessed ex vivo via micro-computed tomography of vessels filled with contrast. IACFM had no effect on tissue perfusion when assessed immediately, or at 5, 10, 15 or 20 min following intervention (all p > 0.05). However, IACFM-treated hindlimbs had enhanced tissue perfusion when assessed 1 day following the 4th and 9th (last) treatment sessions (all p < 0.05). IACFM-treated hindlimbs also had greater perfusion when assessed 1 wk following the final treatment session (32 days post-injury) (p < 0.05). Subsequent investigation of microvascular morphology found IACFM to increase the proportion of arteriole-sized blood vessels (5.9 to <41.2 μm) in the tibial third of the ligament (p < 0.05). These findings suggest IACFM alters regional perfusion and vascularity in the vicinity of healing rodent knee MCL injuries. This effect may contribute to the beneficial effect of IACFM observed on the recovery of knee ligament biomechanical properties following injury.
MR imaging—guided interstitial Nd:YAG laser phototherapy: Dosimetry study of acute tissue damage in an in vivo model

A dosimetry study of acute tissue damage induced by interstitial application of the neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser was performed with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The MR appearance of the lesion was correlated with gross and histopathologic findings. Seventy-six lesions were induced in rabbit muscle with laser power outputs of 5-20 W and exposure times of 20-600 seconds. MR imaging was performed immediately after laser exposure. T2-weighted spin-echo images clearly showed the acute thermal injuries caused by laser energy deposition and correlated best with histopathologic findings. These images showed three distinct layers, corresponding to central ablation, coagulative necrosis, and interstitial edema, respectively, in the pathologic findings. Lesion diameters measured on MR images showed a linear correlation with those in gross sections. Lesion volume increased not only with increasing total energy delivered but with increasing power output for a fixed total energy delivered. MR imaging is an accurate modality for dosimetry studies of laser-induced acute lesions.
Enhanced initial and sustained intake of sucrose solution in mice with an oxytocin gene deletion.

Laboratory mice drink little sucrose solution on initial exposure, but later develop a strong preference for sucrose over water that plateaus after a few days. Both the initial neophobia and later ...
Role of Streptococcus mutans eukaryotic-type serine/threonine protein kinase in interspecies interactions with Streptococcus sanguinis

Abstract Objective Interspecies interactions of oral streptococci involve the production and excretion of antimicrobial compounds to compete successfully during colonization. Bacteriocin production by Streptococcus mutans and hydrogenperoxide (H2O2) production by Streptococcus sanguinis have been demonstrated as crucial for the clinical relevant antagonism between both species. A potential target of H2O2 is the cell-envelop of S. mutans. In the present study, the role of cell-envelop associated eukaryotic serine/threonine protein kinase (STPK) in S. mutans during interspecies competition has been investigated. Design Allelic replacement via homologous recombination of the STPK encoding gene with a kanamycin resistant determinant has been constructed. The mutant has been screened for the susceptibility towards cell-envelope stress. A previously developed spotting assay was used to simulate interspecies competition. Results The STPK− mutant showed an increased susceptibility towards envelop stress caused by H2O2 and was significantly more inhibited during interspecies competition assays. Conclusions S. mutans is able to sense antimicrobial compounds excreted by competing species and can potentially adjust the cell-envelop towards an increased resistance.
Conductance and dye permeability of a rectifying electrical synapse

Electrical synapses provide a basis for efficient signal transmission in a wide variety of nervous systems1. These synapses are composed of specialized cell-to-cell contacts known as nexuses2 or gap junctions3 which mediate the direct transfer of ions and small molecules between adjacent cell interiors1,4 by way of intercellular channels embedded in the junctional membrane5. The crayfish giant motor synapse (CMS) was the first cell-to-cell junction clearly demonstrated to operate by an electrical mechanism6. Current applied to the presynaptic lateral giant (LG) axon or to the neurite of the postsynaptic giant flexor motoneurone (MoG) spreads passively through the synapse into the adjacent neurone6,7. Each GMS behaves like an electrical rectifier: its conductance is high when LG is positive with respect to MoG, and decreases dramatically when the sign of the trans-synaptic voltage is reversed6,7. We have now examined GMS conductance and dye permeability at thoracic and abdominal levels of the crayfish nerve cord. At both levels, values of GMS chord conductance fit a simple Boltzmann model in which the conductance of individual synaptic channels is assumed to be voltage dependent. Moreover, thoracic synapses display higher limiting conductances than do those at an abdominal level, apparently as a result of their larger size. We also find that synapses at both locations are permeable to the fluorescent dye Lucifer yellow, even in conditions where electrical conductance is low. These results provide a framework for understanding the operation and functional limits of rectifying electrical synapses, and illustrate that dye permeability can be associated even with their relatively low conductance condition.
Going Charter? A Study of School District Competition in Wisconsin

The question that drives this article is why some school districts decide to open up charter schools and others do not. Several answers are plausible: (a) entrepreneurial initiative, (b) structural explanations, and (c) spatial competition. We use data for the state of Wisconsin derived from extensive case studies of 19 charter schools and quantitative data on Wisconsin school district from state files and the U.S. Department of Education common core databases. We find evidence to support all three explanations for why districts “go charter.” First, in almost every school and district we visited for case studies, at the heart of either the district or the charter school, and often both, there were entrepreneurial administrators, school board members, teachers, or parents. Our evidence was anecdotal but very consistent across 19 case studies. Second, there are two general sets of structural characteristics that were shown to be quantitatively correlated with becoming a charter district. The first set compr...
Mating call recognition in the green treefrog ( Hyla cinerea ): Importance of two frequency bands as a function of sound pressure level

1. Four hundred and ninety-nine females ofHyla cinerea made 820 responses in two-choice playback experiments conducted at sound pressure levels (SPL's) between 48 and 85 dB. About one-third of the animals responded at 48 dB, and the percentage increased as a function of SPL. 2. Females did not show a preference for a standard synthetic call with two components (0.9 + 3.0 kHz) of equal relative amplitude over a single-component (0.9 kHz) call at 48 dB SPL, but chose the bimodal stimulus at 54 dB and higher SPL's (Table 1). 3. Females chose the standard call over calls in which the high-frequency peak was attenuated by 12 or 6 dB only when the playback level (overall SPL) of the two sounds was 72 dB or higher (Figs. 1 and 2). 4. Females chose the standard call over one in which the low-frequency peak was attenuated by 12 dB over the entire range of playback levels (48 to 85 dB); when the low-frequency peak was attenuated by 6 dB, females preferred the standard call at low to moderate but not high SPL's (Figs. 3 and 4). 5. The behavioral results are related to acoustic communication in the natural environment and to basic neurophysiological data from the auditory system ofH. cinerea.
EXCRETION OF ALDOSTERONE IN INAPPROPRIATE SECRETION OF ANTIDIURETIC HORMONE FOLLOWING HEAD TRAUMA.

Abstract A patient is reported with the typical syndrome of inappropriate secretion of ADH, who retains water with water-loading, expands his extracellular space, dilutes his serum sodium, and further, loses sodium in his urine. These observations agree with investigative studies reported elsewhere which show that the normal subject who receives vasopressin does the same. Excessive loss of sodium in this patient's urine is explained by decreased aldosterone excretion which was confirmed by measurement and appropriate changes in sodium: potassium ratio in urine and saliva. After several days, despite a persistently expanded extracellular space and hyponatremia, aldosterone excretion became excessive for 6 days. This observation may well represent the mechanism by which the normal subject given vasopressin for a prolonged period becomes refractory to the hormone and conserves sodium despite expansion of body water compartments. Late rise in aldosterone excretion occurs by an undetermined mechanism which does not fit current theories regarding control mechanisms for aldosterone secretion.
Quality Management In Corrections: Implementation Issues and Potential Policy Implications

In recent years, correctional managers have become subject to what has been characterized as "micro-management" by state legislatures seeking to appease public demands for punitive measures ranging from chain gangs to striped uniforms. Although such measures may not necessarily be supported by professionals in the field, neither has correctional leader ship taken collective action to oppose legislative interference with internal practices. But while correctional administrators may not be exerting a substantial impact on externally-generated public policy, many have begun to reshape the internal nature of their organizations in keeping with current "total quality management" (TQM) trends. In fact, the National Institute of Corrections since 1993 has been offering such training pro grams for teams of participants from institutional and community-based correctional agencies throughout the country. This post-training follow- up explores the extent to which TQM concepts subsequently have been transferred from ...
Ocean sequestration of carbon dioxide: modeling the deep ocean release of a dense emulsion of liquid Co2-in-water stabilized by pulverized limestone particles.

The release into the deep ocean of an emulsion of liquid carbon dioxide-in-seawater stabilized by fine particles of pulverized limestone (CaCO3) is modeled. The emulsion is denser than seawater, hence, it will sink deeper from the injection point, increasing the sequestration period. Also, the presence of CaCO3 will partially buffer the carbonic acid that results when the emulsion eventually disintegrates. The distance that the plume sinks depends on the density stratification of the ocean, the amount of the released emulsion, and the entrainment factor. When released into the open ocean, a plume containing the CO2 output of a 1000 MWel coal-fired power plant will typically sink hundreds of meters below the injection point. When released from a pipe into a valley on the continental shelf, the plume will sink about twice as far because of the limited entrainment of ambient seawater when the plume flows along the valley. A practical system is described involving a static mixer for the in situ creation of th...
Evaluation of quality factors in marketing experiments

In many cases of practical interest, marketing experiments involve the evaluation of qualitative factors such as packaging, display, color, and shape, along with quantitative factors such as price, profits, and sales. This article discusses an alternative model for the analysis of variance of such experiments in the place of the standard analysis of variance. The differences between the alternative model and the standard model are illustrated with an example of a marketing experiment. In spite of its direct applicability to business experiments the model has been heretofore over-looked by business practitioners and the results as well as their implications have not been discussed anywhere in the business literature.
Stress, Role Ambiguity, and Role Conflict:

The purposes of the study were to determine the relationships between stress, role ambiguity, and role conflict and to correlate these measures with job satisfaction. Direct service workers (n = 138) in mental health, mental retardation, and physical restoration facilities participated. All variables were significantly intercorrelated. Highest correlations were between stress, role ambiguity, and job satisfaction. Role conflict was not significantly correlated with job satisfaction when stress and role ambiguity were partialed out. Leaders' structuring behaviors should be studied as a potential moderator of stress and role ambiguity.
Assessing the quality of prostate cancer care.

Purpose of review Until recently, little was known about the quality of prostate cancer care in the United States. This article provides an overview of the methodology of quality of care research, reviews the available quality measures in prostate cancer and presents an overview of the existing literature on the quality of prostate cancer care in the US. Recent findings Researchers have applied methodologies developed in other conditions to construct tools to measure the quality of care in this disease. Initially, researchers from the RAND Corporation developed a preliminary performance measure set. This measure set was tested in a number of settings. Along with a number of clinical guidelines, the RAND measures served as the basis of new prostate cancer measures developed by the American Medical Association's Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement. Recent studies document that patients undergoing radical prostatectomy had worse documented compliance with quality indicators than those undergoing external beam radiotherapy. Summary There is clearly room for improvement in prostate cancer quality of care in the US. If providers do not take the initiative and address these shortcomings, providers and policymakers will implement changes that may not be in the best interests of patients.
The design of analog computer compensated control systems

The Problem of designing a continuous feedback control system may generally be stated in the following form: Given 1. The characteristics of the plant to be controlled, usually in terms of a transfer function. 2. A set of specifications of the desired characteristics of the over-all system. These specifications may cover such system attributes as transient response, frequency response, steady-state error to particular inputs, certain error constants, etc.
Modern electronic structure theory

Volume 2: Gaussian Basis Sets and Molecular Integrals (T Helgaker & P Taylor) Time Dependent Response Theory with Applications to Self Consistent Field and Multiconfiguration Self Consistent Field Wave Functions (J. Olsen & P Jorgensen) Evaluation of Bond Energies to Chemical Accuracy by Quantum Chemical Techniques (K Raghavachari & L A Curtiss) Exchange-Correlation Approximations in Density-Functional Theory (A D Becke) Coupled Cluster Theory - An Overview of Recent Developments (P J Bartlett) Pseudospectral Methods Applied to the Electron Correlation Problem (T J Martinez & E A Carter) Quasidegenerate Perturbation Theory Using Effective Hamiltonians (M Hoffmann) Analytical Derivative Techniques and the Calculation of Vibrational Spectra (P Pulay) Applications of Molecular Structure Methods to Problems in Astrochemistry (K P Kirby) The Application of Ab Initio Electronic Structure Calculations to Molecules Containing Transition Metal Atoms (C W Bauschlicher Jr et al) Studies of Electron Molecule Collisions on Massively Parallel Computers (C Winstead & V McKoy).
Influence of brodifacoum and bromadiolone on growth of yoghurt cultures in milk

The influence of brodifacoum and bromadiolone on the growth of yoghurt culture in milk was determined. Milk samples inoculated with a commercial yoghurt culture and serially diluted rodenticides were incubated at 42 °C for 6 h. The yoghurt cultures showed detectable sensitivity (significant change (P < 0.05) in pH in the medium) to brodifacoum at 0.12 mg/mL and to bromadiolone at 0.08 mg/mL. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) in the bacterial count and α-galactosidase and β-galactosidase activities in the presence of toxins in milk. The results indicate that brodifacoum and bromadiolone could inhibit the growth of yoghurt culture in milk.
Family environment and length of recovery for married male members of Gamblers Anonymous and female members of GamAnon

Family environments of married male members of Gamblers Anonymous (GA) and married female members of GamAnon were measured with the Family Environment Scale (FES), a measure of 10 characteristics of family life. The total sample of 86 included 50 male GA and 36 female GamAnon members. GA and GamAnon groups did not differ from each other. However, the short-term GA group reported greater dissatisfaction than controls on five personal growth dimensions. The long-term GA group reported less Conflict than controls. Both short-term and long-term GamAnon groups reported less satisfaction than normal controls on personal growth dimensions. A composite measure of social support demonstrated improvement with duration of abstinence for gamblers but not for spouses. Results suggest improvement in family environment for male pathological gamblers with length of gambling abstinence but less improvement for wives.
Thinking Skills Writing Prompts for Dance — Negotiating Common Core Instruction

ABSTRACTDance educators working in K–12 schools are reporting an increased demand from principals to integrate writing into dance instruction. This is a concern for many dance educators who wish to preserve class time for kinesthetically engaged learning and who also might not have been given professional development for guiding content-specific writing. This article examines the recent source of the issue, namely the trifecta of the Common Core State Standards, the PARCC exams, the InTASC Model Core Teacher Standards and related new teacher evaluation systems, demonstrating that dance educators must negotiate the issue. This article models solutions by taking the position that writing helps to prepare thinking dancers. Example writing prompts ideal for dance learning processes based on the thinking skills model developed by Bellanca, Fogarty, and Pete (2012), as well as resources and instructional management tips are provided.
Surfactants at low concentrations stimulate biodegradation of sorbed hydrocarbons in samples of aquifer sands and soil slurries

A study was conducted of the effect of two nonionic surfactants on the biodegradation of phenanthrene and biphenyl sorbed to aquifer material and soil. Alfonic 810–60 and Novel II 1412–56 at 10 and 100 μg/ml enhanced the extent of desorption of phenanthrene and biphenyl from aquifer solids, but concentrations of 1 μg/ml or lower were ineffective. The surfactants at 10 and 100 μg/g of aquifer solids enhanced the mineralization of phenanthrene sorbed to the solids, but the extent of mineralization was low. The addition of N and P to aquifer solids with the surfactants did not stimulate the biodegradation. Inoculation of aquifer solids with phenanthrene- or biphenyl-utilizing microorganisms stimulated the rate and extent of mineralization of the two compounds, and the rate was further increased by either surfactant. The rate and extent of phenanthrene and biphenyl mineralization in soil slurries was increased by either surfactant at 10 or 100 μg/g of soil. We suggest that surfactants at low concentrations may be useful for the bioremediation of sites contaminated with sorbed aromatic hydrocarbons.
Designing nature reserves: adapting ecology to real-world problems

Establishing nature reserves is the foundation of regional conservation strategies. The science of nature reserve design is relatively new, having emerged alongside the interdisciplinary field of conservation biology over the past three or four decades. Its goal is to apply scientific ideas and methods to the selection and design of nature reserves and to related problems, such as deciding what kinds of buffer zones should surround reserves or how to establish corridors to link reserves and allow organisms to move from one area to another. As in other areas of conservation biology, designing nature reserves is a 'crisis' science, whose practitioners are driven by an acute sense of urgency over the need to stem the loss of species caused by human population growth.
Carbon offsets as an economic alternative to large-scale logging: a case study in Guyana

Abstract The objective of this study is to analyze the economic viability of carbon-offset projects that avoid logging in Guyana's forests. The results of this case study illustrate the cost effectiveness of alternative land-use options that reduce deforestation and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This analysis demonstrates that using Guyana's rainforests for climate change mitigation can generate equivalent revenue to that of conventional large-scale logging without detrimental environmental impacts. At a 12% discount rate, the break-even price for carbon is estimated to be about US$ 0.20/tC. This estimate falls toward the low range of carbon prices for existing carbon offset projects that avoid deforestation.
17β-Estradiol/levonorgestrel transdermal system for the management of the symptomatic menopausal woman

Recent publications of the initial outcomes from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study of menopausal management have raised concerns over the safety of hormone therapy [1,2]. Every study, no matter how large or well conducted, has biases and limitations that preclude the ability to apply the outcomes to a larger group of individuals not specifically evaluated in the analysis. In particular, the hormonal arms of the WHI evaluated only a single dose of a daily oral regimen of conjugated equine oestrogen 0.625 mg [1,2], combined with medroxyprogesterone acetate 2.5 mg if the subject had a uterus [1]. The failure to evaluate non-oral regimens prevented the evaluation of hormone delivery systems that have been shown to provide similar symptom relief to oral regimens, but with a considerably different physiological impact. The once-weekly transdermal patch (Climara Pro™) releasing 17β-estradiol 0.045 mg/day and levonorgestrel 0.015 mg/day has been shown to be highly effective in rapidly reducing the frequen...
Determination of albuterol in plasma after aerosol inhalation by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with selected-ion monitoring.

Abstract Albuterol is a β2-adrenergic agonist commonly used as a bronchdilator for the treatment of patients with asthma. We have developed an assay to determine plasma levels as low as 50 pg/ml of albuterol by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This assay utilizes isotopically labeled albuterol ([13C]albuterol) as an internal standard. In this assay albuterol and the internal standard are recovered from 1 ml of plasma using solid-phase extraction. The samples are then derivatized to trimethylsilyl ethers using N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoro-acetamide with 1% trimethylchlorosilane. The samples are then analyzed by GC-MS with selected-ion monitoring (SIM) for the ions m/z 369.15 and 370.15. The method has been validated for a concentration range of 50–10000 pg/ml in plasma.
Cardiac muscle in the wall of an anomalous pulmonary vein

An isolated cardiac muscle segment in an anomalous pulmonary vein is described. Pulmonary veins of twelve of seventeen randomly selected cases showed cardiac muscle continuous with the atria; no isolated segments were discovered.The segment of cardiac muscle is thought to have arisen by heteroplastic differentiation, and thus its presence does not add any weight to theories concerning the development of the pulmonary venous system.In view of this report careful study of the whole length of anomalous pulmonary veins would clearly be valuable.
Scheduling batch processing machines with incompatible job families

The problem of scheduling a single batch processing machine with incompatible job families was studied, where jobs of different families cannot be processed together in the same batch. First static problems where all jobs are available simultaneously were considered and showed that for a regular performance measure there will be no unnecessary partial batches. This allowed us to develop efficient optimal algorithms to minimize makespan (Cmax), maximum lateness (Lmax) and total weighted completion time and apply some of these results to problems with parallel identical batch processing machines. Then problems withdynamic job arrivals were considered and an efficient optimal algorithm for minimizing Cmax and several heuristics to minimize Lmax were provided. Computational experiments showed that the heuristics developed for the latter problem consistently improve on dispatching solutions in very reasonable CPU times.
Selection of DNA ligands for protein kinase C-δ

Protein kinase Cs are a family of serine and threonine kinases that mediate a wide variety of cellular signalling processes such as cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis and tumor development. We have selected high-affinity DNA aptamers for PKCδ by capillary electrophoresis based SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment, CE-SELEX). We have demonstrated that fluorescently tagged PB9 aptamer can specifically recognize PKCδ under in vitro conditions. The Kd of the aptamer-protein binding is 122 nM. These aptamers will enable us to apply fluorescently labelled probes to study the spatiotemporal dynamics and activation of individual endogenous PKC isoforms during various cell signalling processes.
Magnetorestriction mapping of sort magnetic films on thick rigid substrates

A technique that permits the saturation magnetostriction constant lambda to be measured for soft magnetic films that are deposited on thick rigid substrates is reported. Because the technique employs a magnetooptic Kerr sensor for the film magnetization, spatial resolution down to approximately=100 mu m is easily achieved and maps of lambda uniformity can thus be generated. The anisotropy field H/sub k/ of a relaxed film at the location of the Kerr-sensor laser spot is measured using the method of Kerr torque magnetometry. The film is then anisotropically stressed by bending the substrate over a rigid stainless-steel knife-edge assembly, and H/sub k/ is again measured. The strain (e) induced in the film by the bending is measured by a simple laser-beam deflection technique. The sign and magnitude of lambda are calculated from the measured ratio of the change in H/sub k/ and e and from known constants of film elasticity and saturation magnetization. >
Analysis of associations with change in a multivariate outcome variable when baseline is subject to measurement error.

A simple general algorithm is described for correcting for bias caused by measurement error in independent variables in multivariate linear regression. This algorithm, using standard software, is then applied to several approaches to the analysis of change from baseline as a function of baseline value of the outcome measure plus other covariates, any of which might have measurement error. The algorithm may also be used when the independent variables differ by component of the multivariate independent variable. Simulations indicate that under various conditions bias is much reduced, as is mean squared error, and coverage of 95 per cent confidence intervals is good.
Molecular Approach to Mesoporous Metal Sulfides

We have synthesized metal-sulfide/surfactant nanocomposite materials by cooperative assembly of molecular precursors in a aqueous medium. The template-mediated synthetic approach is applicable to metals sulfides that exhibit aqueous thiometallate chemistry. The products are lamellar and have a bilayers or interdigitated layers of surfactant molecules sandwiched between metal sulfide layers. The layers of anionic metal sulfide molecules are not completely condensed in the nanocomposites, which results in a negative charge on the metal sulfide layers. The materials are stable at room temperature in water, methanol, 1 M HCl, 30 wt% NH{sub 3}, and 1 M NaOH. The materials do not dissolve at 80{degrees}C in water and are stable to at least 180{degrees}C in air. The nanocomposites exhibit ion exchange of smaller surfactants, alkali-metal ions, and divalent metal ions.
Using Automated Emergency Notification Systems to Inform the Public: A Field Experiment

Research and experience have shown that it can be difficult to get citizens to pay attention to risk messages and preparedness information in the absence of an actual emergency. As the use computerized systems that alert the public to hazards by automatically ringing their home phones increases, we thought it important to ask if tests of these “call down” systems can also be used to convey preemergency information. We worked with a local government to add instructions on how to shelter-in-place to the message on a routine test of a call down system. We then surveyed a test group and a control group before and after the test call and a second control group on after the call. The results indicate that the test call raised awareness of the emergency notification system without generating undue concern about the possibility of a chemical accident. Those who received the test call demonstrated significant improvements in their knowledge of how to shelter-in-place while no such improvement was observed in those who did not get the call. While the nature of the sample used in this study limits generalizability, we feel this outcome is positive enough to warrant further exploration of this method of disseminating risk information and preparedness instructions.
A Parameter Model of Gas Exchange for the Seasonal Sea Ice Zone

Abstract. Carbon budgets for the polar oceans require better constraint on air–sea gas exchange in the sea ice zone (SIZ). Here, we utilize advances in the theory of turbulence, mixing and air–sea flux in the ice–ocean boundary layer (IOBL) to formulate a simple model for gas exchange when the surface ocean is partially covered by sea ice. The gas transfer velocity (k) is related to shear-driven and convection-driven turbulence in the aqueous mass boundary layer, and to the mean-squared wave slope at the air–sea interface. We use the model to estimate k along the drift track of ice-tethered profilers (ITPs) in the Arctic. Individual estimates of daily-averaged k from ITP drifts ranged between 1.1 and 22 m d−1, and the fraction of open water (f) ranged from 0 to 0.83. Converted to area-weighted effective transfer velocities (keff), the minimum value of keff was 10−55 m d−1 near f = 0 with values exceeding keff = 5 m d−1 at f = 0.4. The model indicates that effects from shear and convection in the sea ice zone contribute an additional 40% to the magnitude of keff, beyond what would be predicted from an estimate of keff based solely upon a wind speed parameterization. Although the ultimate scaling relationship for gas exchange in the sea ice zone will require validation in laboratory and field studies, the basic parameter model described here demonstrates that it is feasible to formulate estimates of k based upon properties of the IOBL using data sources that presently exist.
Habitat relations within lowland grassland rodent communities in Taiwan

Patterns of habitat use by murid rodents were examined in lowland grasslands in Taiwan. Fifteen grassland sites were live-trapped in 1990, and 16 microhabitat variables were measured at each of 539 trap stations in the sampling sites. Mus caroli, Apodemus agrarius, Rattus losea, and Bandicota indica were captured regularly during the sampling. Rattus norvegicus and Nivivenrer coxingi were captured infrequently. The analysis focused on the four common species. Mus caroli, R. losea, and B. indica have been considered to be commensals of humans and to be largely dependent upon agricultural crops. However, these species were captured in natural habitats, often far from agricultural areas. M. caroli and R. Iosea were by far the most abundant species. Vertical stratification of the habitat did not increase the number of species or overall rodent abundance. Rather, sites with well-developed grass cover and little vertical development of vegetation above the grass layer had the highest overall densities of rodents. Use of habitat was very similar among the four common species and was concentrated in areas with dense grass cover. Overlap in habitat use was particularly extensive in the core areas of greatest occupancy. Relative population abundances (number of individuals captured per trap station) of the four species were related weakly to the microhabitat variables. These variables were better predictors of capture probabilities of M. caroli and R. losea at individual trap stations, as revealed by multiple logistic regression. Abundances and capture probabilities did not appear to be affected by the presence or abundance of other species. It is suggested that body size differences may facilitate coexistence of these four species of ecologically similar murids. Beginning with the smallest species (M. caroli), body masses of each subsequent species in the series differ by at least a factor of two. These grassland communities may be somewhat resistant to invasion by more similar-sized species of murids.
Terminal Pleistocene braided to meandering transition in rivers of the Southeastern USA

Abstract Thirteen paleomeanders on the oldest parts of meander belts on floodplains in the Coastal Plain of Georgia and the Carolinas (southeastern USA) were selected for radiocarbon dating to determine the onset of meandering following braiding during the Late Pleistocene during Oxygen Isotope Stage 2. The radiocarbon ages were compared to previously reported Late Pleistocene ages for braid bars and eolian dunes. Results indicate that meandering commenced at circa 15,000 to 16,000 cal years BP and continued throughout the terminal Pleistocene and Holocene. Correlation with other paleoenvironmental records indicates that this shift to meandering was associated with global warming and moister conditions in the southeastern United States that led to a denser vegetation cover and a reduction in sediment yield. The shift to meandering was also associated with some incision and terracing of the Late Pleistocene braided fluvial surfaces. Paleodischarge of the bankfull condition of early Holocene meandering channels was apparently greater than under modern conditions, suggesting wetter conditions at that time than at present. This braided to meandering transition in the southeastern United States provides an example of river response to global climate change in a relatively low latitude region of the world that was not influenced by glacial or periglacial landscape conditions.
High-frequency, depressing inhibition facilitates synchronization in globally inhibitory networks.

Motivated by the study of sharp wave-associated ripples, high-frequency (∼200 Hz) extracellular field oscillations observed in the CA1 region of the rat hippocampus during slow-wave sleep and periods of behavioural immobility, we consider a single inhibitory neuron synapsing onto a network of uncoupled, excitatory neurons. The inhibitory synapse is depressing and has a small synaptic delay. Each excitatory cell provides instantaneous, positive feedback to the inhibitory cell. We show that the interneuron can rapidly synchronize the action potentials of the pyramidal cells if the frequency of inhibitory input is increased in a ramp-like manner as occurs during the ripple. We show that the basin of attraction of the synchronous solution is larger when the inhibition frequency is gradually increased as opposed to remaining constant.
Imaging of Gaucher disease

Gaucher disease is the prototypical lysosomal storage disease. It results from the accumulation of undegraded glucosylceramide in the reticuloendothelial system of the bone marrow, spleen and liver due to deficiency of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase. This leads to hematologic, visceral and skeletal maifestions. Build up of glucosylceramide in the liver and spleen results in hepatosplenomegaly. The normal bone marrow is replaced by the accumulating substrate leading to many of the hematologic signs including anemia. The visceral and skeletal manifestations can be visualized with various imaging modalities including radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radionuclide scanning. Prior to the development of enzyme replacement therapy, treatment was only supportive. However, once intravenous enzyme replacement therapy became available in the 1990s it quickly became the standard of care. Enzyme replacement therapy leads to improvement in all manifestations. The visceral and hematologic manifestations respond more quickly usually within a few months or years. The skeletal manifestations take much longer, usually several years, to show improvement. In recent years newer treatment strategies, such as substrate reduction therapy, have been under investigation. Imaging plays a key role in both initial diagnosis and routine monitoring of patient on treatment particularly volumetric MRI of the liver and spleen and MRI of the femora for evaluating bone marrow disease burden.
Data reorganization in a dynamically reconfigurable environment

The authors consider data reorganization in a dynamically reconfigurable distributed database system. The network environment they study is a dynamic system prototype called Driftwood. They present reallocation strategies corresponding to different network reconfiguration and then address the nonblocking reorganization approach. They cover the implementation strategies, impact on user transaction processing, and efficiency. The authors present an algorithm to construct a parallel reorganization scheduler that is expected to minimize the system recovery time. >