cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prolonged exposure of rats to intravenous methamphetamine: behavioral and neurochemical characterization

The translational value of preclinical models of methamphetamine abuse depends in large part on the degree to which the drug regimens used in animals produce methamphetamine exposure patterns similar to those experienced by human methamphetamine abusers. To approximate one common form of methamphetamine abuse, we studied the effects of a schedule of intravenous methamphetamine administration in rats which included 2 weeks of progressively more frequent drug injections (0.125 mg/kg/injection) followed by 40 maintenance days during which animals received 40 daily injections (at 15-min intervals), with the dose gradually increasing (0.125–0.25 mg/kg per injection) every 5–10 days. This treatment produced an emerging behavioral profile characterized by gradually more continuous periods of activation consisting of progressively more intense, focused stereotypy interrupted by episodic bursts of locomotion. We also assessed markers of dopamine neurotransmission (dopamine transporter, vesicular monoamine transporter, and dopamine D1 and D2 receptors) at 15 min and (including dopamine levels) at 6 and 30 days following cessation of methamphetamine treatment. All dopamine components measured in caudate–putamen were significantly reduced at 15 min and 6 days after the final methamphetamine injection. Dopamine D1 and D2 receptors fully recovered after 30 days of drug abstinence, whereas dopamine and the dopamine transporter exhibited significant but incomplete recovery by this time point. In contrast, only the vesicular monoamine transporter exhibited no evidence of recovery over the 30-day withdrawal period. These data are discussed in terms of damage to dopamine terminals and compensatory adjustments in mechanisms maintaining functional dopaminergic transmission.
Mineralogical compositions of aquifer matrix as necessary initial conditions in reactive contaminant transport models.

Mineralogical compositions and their spatial distributions are important initial conditions for reactive transport modeling. However, popular Kd-based “reactive” transport models only require contaminant concentrations in the pore fluids as initial conditions, and minerals implicitly represent infinite sources and sinks in these models. That situation results in a general neglect of mineralogical characterization in site investigations. This study uses a coupled multi-component reactive mass transport model to predict the natural attenuation of a ground water plume at a uranium mill tailings site in western USA. Numerous ground water geochemistry data are available at this site, but mineralogical data are sketchy. Even given the well-defined pore fluid chemistry, variations of secondary mineral species and mineral abundances in the aquifer resulted in significantly different modeling outcomes. Results show that the amount of calcite in the aquifer determines the distances of plume migration. The possible presence of jurbanite, an aluminum sulfate phase, can store acidity temporarily but cause more severe contamination on a later date. The surfaces of iron oxyhydroxides can store significant amounts of sulfate and protons and serve as a second source for prolonged contamination. These simulations under field conditions illustrate that mineralogical compositions are an essential requirement for accurate prediction of contaminant fate and transport.
THE FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF JAPAN, 1878–1958

THE FIRST PART of this study traces, over eight crucial decades of Japanese economic development, the growth of primary securities issued by non-financial spending units in Japan and net purchases by Japanese intermediaries of these primary issues. The following features emerge: (1) external finance, as evidenced by the ratio of net issues to income in each cycle period, increased in importance during 1878-1958 and averaged about 16 per cent over the whole period; (2) cycle period issues-income ratios, excluding 1947-54, were very closely related to the rate of growth of income and a trend variable; (3) annual issues-income ratios during the period 19001958 were fairly closely related to the rate of growth of income, a variable describing sharp changes in the ratio of net liquid assets to income, and a stock price-index variable; (4) the ratio of primary securities outstanding (measured at issue prices) to income rose sharply from about 0.90 in 1885 to 2.00 just before World War I, to 3.00 in the 1930's, fell sharply to about 1.00 in 1946 and 1954, and rose to 1.50 in 1958; (5) financial intermediation generally had an upward trend from 1878 to 1958 and averaged about 62 per cent over the whole period; (6) the monetary system's share in primary security issues showed no upward or downward trend over the eighty-year secular period, so that this intermediary lost ground relative to non-monetary intermediaries; (7) as a group, financial intermediaries purchased large proportions of national government bonds, local government bonds, corporate bonds, and miscellaneous longand short-term debt, but only a minor proportion of corporate stock issues; (8) public intermediaries were of considerable importance in Japan but showed no long-run tendency to grow relative to other intermediaries after 1900; and (9) interest rates, judging from data for the period 1900-1936, were closely related to the ratio of liquid to total financial assets of domestic, private, non-financial spending units. In the second part of the study, the broad contours of Japanese economic development are compared with those in the United States
Neonatal Asphyxia in Rats: Acute Effects on Cerebral Kynurenine Metabolism

Two tryptophan metabolites, the anti-excitotoxic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist kynurenic acid (KYNA) and the free radical generator 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), have been proposed to influence neuronal viability in the mammalian brain. In rats, the brain content of both KYNA and 3-HK decreases immediately after birth, possibly to ensure normal postnatal functioning of NMDA receptors. Because complications of birth asphyxia have been suggested to be associated with anomalous NMDA receptor function, we examined the acute effects of an asphyctic insult on the brain levels of KYNA and 3-HK in neonatal rats. Asphyxia was induced in animals delivered by cesarean section on the last day of gestation, using the procedure introduced by Bjelke et al. (Brain Res 543: 1-9, 1991). KYNA and 3-HK levels were determined in the brain at seven time points between 10 min and 24 h after asphyxia. Up to 6 h, asphyxia caused 160-267% increases in KYNA levels. In the same tissues, 3-HK levels decreased (significantly at five of the seven time points), demonstrating an asphyxia-induced shift in kynurenine pathway metabolism toward the neuroprotectant KYNA. This shift might constitute the brain's attempt to counter the ill effects of birth asphyxia. Furthermore, the transient increase in the brain KYNA/3-HK ratio in these animals might be causally related to the well-documented detrimental long-term effects of asphyxia.
The effects of screw number and length on two methods of tension band plating

Bovine ribs were used to evaluate the effects that screw length and number have on two types of tension bands. Five trials each were done with one, two, three, or four screws per segment, using screws 4, 8,12, or 16 mm in length and 2-mm adaptation plates or 2-mm mini-dynamic compression plates. The fractured ribs were subjected to increasing weights until failure. With the 2-mm adaptation plate, screw length played no role in the amount of weight resisted. Increasing the number of screws per segment increased the weigrit resisted to up to three screws per segment, after which no additional benefit was realized (P
Income health inequalities among older persons: the mediating role of multiple risk exposures.

Objective: We examine whether the pervasive income gradient in health among senior citizens can be explained in part by multiple risk exposure. Method: A representative sample of 457 older persons ...
Blunt trauma to the intrapericardial inferior vena cava: A case report and review of the literature

A 45-year-old woman was involved in a high-speedrear-endmotorvehiclecollisionandwastransportedby ambulance to our level I trauma centre. Shearrived to the emergency department with a heartrate of 116 beats per minute, and a systolic bloodpressure of 70 mm Hg without jugular venousdistention. Her initial Glasgow Coma Scale was 11.She was intubated in the emergency department.She had bilateral breath sounds, and weak but palp-able femoral pulses. Her hypotension respondedappropriately to initial resuscitation with 4 l of crys-talloid and two units of packed red blood cells(PRBC). Initial chest X-ray demonstrated a widenedmediastinum. Subsequent radiographs revealed aquestion of a left pneumothorax for which a tubethoracostomy was performed. Initial focused assess-ment by ultrasound for trauma (FAST) examinationdemonstratednofreeintraperitonealﬂuid;however,afollowupultrasoundshowedasmallamountofﬂuidin Morison’s pouch. There was no evidence of peri-cardialeffusion.Thepatient’shaemodynamicstatusnormalized and she was transported for computedtomography (CT). Her chest CTwas remarkable for aperiaortichaematomaalongthedescendingthoracicaorta with pericardial blood (Fig. 1B and C) andmultiple rib fractures. Abdominal CT also demon-stratedasmallamountoffreeﬂuidwithoutevidenceof solid organ injury (Fig. 1B). During CTimaging thepatient developed recurrent hypotension despiteongoing aggressive resuscitation. This ﬁndingtogether with the CT observation prompted us totake the patient to the operating room intendingtoperformapericardialwindowasthesmallamountoffreeﬂuidobservedbyCT-abdomendidnotexplainthedegreeofhypotension.Apericardialwindowwasperformed and demonstrated the presence of grossblood. Thus, a median sternotomy was immediatelyundertaken. This revealed a 3 cm laceration ofthe intrapericardial IVC at its junction with the rightatrium. This injury was primarily repaired using4-0 non-absorbable monoﬁlament sutures withpledgets. Because of the intrapericardial injuryidentiﬁed and the small amount of ﬂuid in detectedbyCT-abdomen.Anexploratorylaparotomywasper-formed to exclude an intrahepactic IVC injury. Thisdemonstrated a linear tear in the liver along thefalciform ligament. This injury was managed by acombination of electrocautery and applicationof topical haemostatic agents. No other intra-abdominal injuries were noted. Postoperative aorticangiography revealed no evidence of thoracic aorticinjury. Her post-operative course was notable for
Role of procoagulant microparticles in mediating complications and outcome of acute liver injury/acute liver failure

Microparticles (MPs), membrane fragments of 0.1-1.0 μm, are derived from many cell types in response to systemic inflammation. Acute liver failure (ALF) is a prototypical syndrome of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) associated with a procoagulant state. We hypothesized that patients with ALF develop increased procoagulant MPs in proportion to the severity of systemic complications and adverse outcome. Fifty patients with acute liver injury (ALI), 78% of whom also had hepatic encephalopathy (HE; ALF), were followed until day 21 after admission. MPs were characterized by Invitrox Sizing, Antigen Detection and Enumeration, a light-scattering technology that can enumerate MPs as small as 0.15 μm, and by flow cytometry. Procoagulant activity was assessed by a functional MP-tissue factor (MP-TF) assay. Sixteen patients (32%) died and 27 (54%) recovered without liver transplantation (LT). Total MPs (0.15-1.0 μm) were present in nearly 19-fold higher concentrations in ALI/ALF patients, compared to healthy controls (P < 0.0001). MP-TF assays revealed high procoagulant activity (9.05 ± 8.82 versus 0.24 ± 0.14 pg/mL in controls; P = 0.0008). MP concentrations (0.28-0.64 μm) were higher in patients with the SIRS and high-grade HE, and MPs in the 0.36-0.64-μm size range increased in direct proportion to SIRS severity (P < 0.001) and grade of HE (P < 0.002). Day 1 MPs (0.28-0.64 μm) correlated with laboratory predictors of death/LT (higher phosphate and creatinine; lower bicarbonate), and day 1 and 3 MPs were higher in patients who died or underwent LT, compared to spontaneous survivors (P ≤ 0.01). By flow cytometry, 87% of patients had circulating CD41+ MPs, indicating platelet origin. Conclusion: Highly procoagulant MPs of specific size ranges are associated with the SIRS, systemic complications, and adverse outcome of ALI/ALF. MPs may contribute to the multiorgan system failure and high mortality of ALF. (HEPATOLOGY 2013;)
Watermarking relational data: framework, algorithms and analysis

Abstract.We enunciate the need for watermarking database relations to deter data piracy, identify the characteristics of relational data that pose unique challenges for watermarking, and delineate desirable properties of a watermarking system for relational data. We then present an effective watermarking technique geared for relational data. This technique ensures that some bit positions of some of the attributes of some of the tuples contain specific values. The specific bit locations and values are algorithmically determined under the control of a secret key known only to the owner of the data. This bit pattern constitutes the watermark. Only if one has access to the secret key can the watermark be detected with high probability. Detecting the watermark requires access neither to the original data nor the watermark, and the watermark can be easily and efficiently maintained in the presence of insertions, updates, and deletions. Our analysis shows that the proposed technique is robust against various forms of malicious attacks as well as benign updates to the data. Using an implementation running on DB2, we also show that the algorithms perform well enough to be used in real-world applications.
A Phrase Well Turned: Creative Facility in Narrative Production

It is commonly recognized that messages are simultaneously patterned and creative, but studies of message production have tended to focus on repetitive features of messages, to the relative exclusion of examination of their novel characteristics. This study is concerned with creative facility—the ability readily to construct novel, appropriate messages. In order to investigate this phenomenon, subjects produced a series of simple SITUATION-ACTION-BECAUSE narratives and also completed measures of speed of information processing (Digit-Symbol Substitution Test, DSST), cognitive tempo (Matching Familiar Figures Test, MFFT), and need for cognitive structure (Personal Need for Structure scale, PNS). Results indicate each of these measures was related to the speed with which participants were able to formulate their narratives. Moreover, the impact of both cognitive tempo, assessed as number of errors on the MFFT, and need for cognitive structure was heightened under more cognitively demanding message-productio...
Edgeworth expansions for signed linear rank statistics under near location alternatives

Abstract Edgeworth expansions with the uniform remainder of order o ( N −1 ) are established for signed linear rank statistics with regression constants under near location alternatives. The results are obtained both with exact scores and with approximate scores, normalized with natural parameters as well as with simple constants.
Passive building energy savings: A review of building envelope components

Abstract A significant portion of the total primary energy is consumed by today's buildings in developed countries. In many of these buildings, the energy consumption can be significantly reduced by adopting energy efficiency strategies. Due to environmental concerns and the high cost of energy in recent years there has been a renewed interest in building energy efficiency. This article strives to make an exhaustive technical review of the building envelope components and respective improvements from an energy efficiency perspective. Different types of energy efficient walls such as Trombe walls, ventilated walls, and glazed walls are discussed. Performance of different fenestration technologies including aerogel, vacuum glazing and frames are presented. Advances in energy efficient roofs including the contemporary green roofs, photovoltaic roofs, radiant-transmittive barrier and evaporative roof cooling systems are discussed. Various types of thermal insulation materials are enumerated along with selection criteria of these materials. The effects of thermal mass and phase change material on building cooling/heating loads and peak loads are discussed. Application of thermal mass as an energy saving method is more effective in places where the outside ambient air temperature differences between the days and nights are high. Air tightness and infiltration of building envelopes are discussed as they play a crucial role in the energy consumption of a building. Energy efficiency approaches sometimes might not require additional capital investment. For example, a holistic energy efficient building design approach can reduce the size of mechanical systems compensating the additional cost of energy efficiency features.
Interactive construction of residue-based diagrams of proteins: the RbDe web service.

We announce the Residue-based Diagram Editor (RbDe) web service that allows online construction of residue-based diagrams and the creation of stored diagram libraries. The service has been tuned for the construction of snake-like diagrams (for transmembrane proteins) but can be used to render any protein for which defined secondary structure data or hypotheses are available. RbDe is freely available through the Internet from our web site: http://transport.physbio. mssm.edu/rbde/RbDe.html. Licenses for intranet uses can be obtained upon request.
Beer packaging in can

The food can had its origins in the early nineteenth century and underwent continuous and substantial development prior to its introduction as a beer container in the nineteen thirties. Since then methods of manufacture have changed considerably, always with the aim of increasing efficiency and reducing cost. The modern beer can is a cheap, attractive and lightweight container requiring strict quality control to maintain the necessary high standards.
A century of synaptic transmission

I wish to thank Jenifer E. Stelmack for editing this manuscript. I also acknowledge the help afforded by the NIH/NLM Grant 1 G13 LM07249-01A1.
Distinguishing Minimal Consciousness From Decisional Capacity: Clinical, Ethical, and Legal Implications

There is evidence that Nancy may react to painful stimuli. If she has any awareness of her surroundings her life must be a living hell. (Cruzan v. Harmon, 760 S.W. 2nd 408, 429 (1988), Blackmar, J....
Anomalous Magnetic Moment of the Nucleon and the Pion-Nucleon Scattering

The anomalous magnetic moment of the nucleon is calculated using the method developed by Chew and Low. The static model is used, i.e., recoil and nucleon pair creation are omitted. The anomalous moments are expressed exactly in terms of the renormalized coupling constant and pion-nucleon scattering cross sections. The result shows a satisfactory agreement for the magnetic moment arising from the pion current. The contribution from the nucleon current, however, turns out to be too large. It is concluded that the Sachs' mirror condition cannot be satisfied with the simple static model.
Spectroscopic Characterization of the Catalytically Competent Ferrous Site of the Resting, Activated, and Substrate-Bound Forms of Phenylalanine Hydroxylase

The geometric structure of the catalytically relevant ferrous active site of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) has been investigated using magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) and X-ray absorption (XAS) spectroscopies. From the excited state ligand field transitions in the MCD spectrum (10Dq = 9400 cm-1, Δ5Eg = 1800 cm-1), the temperature and field dependence of these transitions (Δ5T2g = 590 cm-1), and the XAS pre-edge shapes and intensities, the resting ferrous site of the “tense” form of PAH is six-coordinate distorted octahedral. The low ligand field strength observed in the MCD spectrum results from significant oxygen ligation and longer Fe−O/N bond distances relative to model complexes as determined from an EXAFS analysis. Nonallosteric activation using N-ethylmaleimide does not notably affect the band positions in the MCD spectrum and therefore does not perturb the structure of the iron center. However, substrate addition without allosteric activation results in a different six-coordinate distorted octa...
Does glycemic status at admission predict mortality in noncritically ill hospitalized patients

Hyperglycemic patients hospitalized as a result of acute medical conditions are prone to increased morbidity and mortality. In this Practice Point commentary, we discuss a study by Baker et al., which suggests that newly detected hyperglycemia is an important predictor of mortality in this patient group. In addition, an HbA1c level of >6% identified patients at the highest risk of death. Efforts to control glycemia should, therefore, be focused on this group. Unfortunately, optimal targets and treatment strategies for glycemic control in noncritically ill patients have not yet been determined. Tight glycemic control is associated with a potential risk of hypoglycemia; however, glucose levels within the normal range might result in improved outcomes. Furthermore, several studies suggest a direct beneficial effect of insulin therapy. Although the evidence is incomplete, it seems prudent to initiate insulin treatment whenever hyperglycemia is recognized in a hospitalized patient.
Serum and Cerebrospinal Fluid Prolactin levels in Male and Female Patients with Clinically‐Isolated Syndrome or Relapsing‐Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

There is considerable evidence that prolactin (PRL) exerts immunomodulatory actions, thus being involved in the processes of autoimmune diseases. Animal studies suggest that elevated serum PRL levels may be related to neuroprotection or participate in remyelination after brain injury. To address this question, we estimated PRL levels in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in drug-free male and female patients with clinically-isolated syndrome (CIS) suggestive of MS (i.e. after the first episode) as well as in patients with relapsing-remitting (RR) MS after two or more relapses, and related them to clinical, paraclinical and laboratory data. Seventy two patients with RR MS and 80 patients with CIS in the age range 17-61 years were studied. PRL levels of patients were compared with 74 control subjects, separately for males and females. Significantly higher PRL levels in serum and CSF were found in female RRMS patients but not in males. Patients with CIS had normal PRL levels. No associations were found with disease activity, duration of illness, presence of active lesions or the presence of oligoclonal bands in CSF. The elevated PRL levels observed in female but not in male RRMS patients, or in patients with CIS, could be suggestive of a sexually dimorphic response to central nervous system injury as a result of an increased proneness of females to synthesise and release PRL, which is possibly linked to the relatively more favourable prognosis of MS in women.
Interpartner concordance of self‐reported sexual behavior among college dating couples

The interpartner concordance of self‐reported sexual behavior among college dating couples (N = 119 couples, total N = 238) was assessed using self‐administered questionnaires. Moderate to high agreement (≥ 75%) was found for (a) a range of sexual behaviors, including all types of penetrative intercourse; (b) behaviors related to vaginal and oral intercourse (e.g., condom use, alcohol use); and (c) pregnancy‐prevention discussion. Partners' reports of when they first met, first dated, and began steadily and exclusively dating were significantly correlated (all ps < .001). In contrast, less agreement was observed for the occurrence of safer sex discussion beyond pregnancy prevention (e.g., past sexual histories; < 75%) and sexual behaviors involving the anus and men's genitals (< 60%), primarily because of men's failure to report these behaviors. Participants had moderate awareness of their partner's attitudes toward casual sex, but low awareness of their attitudes toward condom use and sexual responsibili...
SIGACT news online algorithms column 13: 2007 - an offine perspective

This is a survey of last year's work on online competitive algorithms. The survey covers only conference papers, including those from SODA, FOCS, STOC, STACS, COCOON, ISAAC, ESA, ICALP, WAOA, and ISAAC. I tried to focus on research directly dealing with competitive analysis, and in many cases I had to make judgment calls, whether to include them or not. My initial intent was to cover only some highlights, representative of the current trends in the field, but somehow, over time, it grew to a much longer and comprehensive document. I feel compelled to add that, with the deadline approaching, I was not able to spend as much time on debugging as I should, and some errors and omissions are, I'm afraid, inevitable. If you spot anything that should be corrected, please let me know.
Status of the regal fritillary ( Speyeria idalia ) and effects of fire management on its abundance in northeastern Kansas, USA

The Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia), which once occupied prairies and meadows in North America from the upper Great Plains to the Atlantic coast, has disappeared in recent decades from nearly the entirety of the eastern half of its range and has declined westward. In the Great Plains, where the species is limited to native prairie remnants, several large populations are thought to exist, but patterns of occurrence and abundance in the region have not been described in detail. We surveyed prairies within a three county area of northeastern Kansas using distance-sampling along line transects and found Regal Fritillaries present at 70 of 87 sites. Population density varied considerably among sites but was generally much higher at those that had not been burned in the past year. Despite the loss of >99% of its original prairie landcover and the small sizes of remnants $$(\bar x = 7.1\,{\hbox{ha),}}$$ we estimate that our study area supports a globally significant population of ∼12,000 adult individuals. Given the rapidity of decline of Regal Fritillary populations elsewhere, this study establishes important population benchmarks and a practical protocol for future monitoring efforts.
Thermographic determination of delamination depth in composites

ABSTRACT                                             !  "   #      #         #        "                                $   "                    Keywords: #  #  #   1. INTRODUCTION %                         "    "              &               &                     1,2    '             "      '         '                %          (     #             )             *                 # +         (      ,  #        "  '   -   '             '      '       
Markov chain sensitivity measured by mean first passage times

Abstract The purpose of this article is to present results concerning the sensitivity of the stationary probabilities for an n -state, time-homogeneous, irreducible Markov chain in terms of the mean first passage times in the chain.
Rich and lean representations of information for knowledge work: the role of computing packages in the work of classical scholars

Applying information systems to complex intellectual tasks requires the representation and codification of ambiguous and fragmentary forms of data. This application effects changes not only in representation of this data, but in the relationships between users and tools, techniques, or systems for data interpretation. It also affects the complex infrastructures that support this process. This article uses a package metaphor to examine the impact on one domain of knowledge work, classical scholarship, of the “computerization” of a key data source, the textual edition. The construction of one on-line textual databank, the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae (TLG), has altered the traditional relationships between text “owners” and “users” has changed the role of the text as a conduit for social and historical information, and has disrupted traditional patterns of transmitting domain expertise. A rich information resource has become lean in its electronic form.The TLG has standardized the corpus of Greek literature and eased access to a broad range of works, including rare and out-of-print materials. At the same time, its construction has decoupled often-contested textual sources from their accompanying critical notes and supplemental materials. The use of the TLG has also shifted notions of objectivity, accuracy, and requisite expertise within the community. The transmission of domain knowledge must now be coupled with the transmission of technical knowledge, a process for which no infrastructure is currently in place. These experiences parallel those of other knowledge workers. “Mechanistic” paradigms of information and knowledge cannot accommodate important components of computing packages, including the transmission of expertise and infrastructures for tool development and evaluation. Recent developments in information storage and dissemination, including gophers and ftp sites may indicate that despite technical advances that could be used to support rich representations (such as hypermedia and multimedia), leaner forms of data may prevail.
A brief history of gene therapy

The concepts of gene therapy arose initially during the 1960s and early 1970s whilst the development of genetically marked cells lines and the clarification of mechanisms of cell transformation by the papaovaviruses polyoma and SV40 was in progress. With the arrival of recombinant DNA techniques, cloned genes became available and were used to demonstrate that foreign genes could indeed correct genetic defects and disease phenotypes in mammalian cells in vitro. Efficient retroviral vectors and other gene transfer methods have permitted convincing demonstrations of efficient phenotype correction in vitro and in vivo, now making gene therapy a broadly accepted approach to therapy and justifying clinically applied studies with human patients.
A 12-year comparison of students' perspectives on diversity at a Jesuit Medical School.

Background : Many studies have assessed perspectives of medical students toward institutional diversity, but few of them have attempted to map changes in diversity climate over time. Objective : This study aims to investigate changes in diversity climate at a Jesuit medical institution over a 12-year period. Methods : In 1999, 334 medical students completed an anonymous self-administered online survey, and 12 years later, 406 students completed a comparable survey in 2011. Chi-square tests assessed the differences in percent responses to questions of the two surveys, related to three identities: gender, race, and sexual orientation. Results : The 1999 versus 2011 samples were 46% versus 49% female, 61% versus 61% Caucasian, and 41% vs. 39% aged 25 years or older. Findings suggested improvements in medical students’ perceptions surrounding equality ‘in general’ across the three identities ( p <0.001); ‘in the practice of medicine’ based on gender ( p <0.001), race/ethnicity ( p =0.60), and sexual orientation ( p =0.43); as well as in the medical school curriculum, including course text content, professor’s delivery and student–faculty interaction ( p <0.001) across the three identities. There was a statistically significant decrease in experienced or witnessed events related to gender bias ( p <0.001) from 1999 to 2011; however, reported events of bias based on race/ethnicity ( p =0.69) and sexual orientation ( p =0.58) only showed small decreases. Conclusions : It may be postulated that the improvement in students’ self-perceptions of equality and diversity over the past 12 years may have been influenced by a generational acceptance of cultural diversity and, the inclusion of diversity training courses within the medical curriculum. Diversity training related to race and sexual orientation should be expanded, including a follow-up survey to assess the effectiveness of any intervention. Keywords: medical students; diversity; curriculum; equality; survey; identity (Published: 27 February 2014) Citation: Med Educ Online 2014, 19 : 23401 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/meo.v19.23401
Mechanisms Affecting the Transition from Shallow to Deep Convection over Land: Inferences from Observations of the Diurnal Cycle Collected at the ARM Southern Great Plains Site

Abstract Summertime observations for 11 yr from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility Southern Great Plains (SGP) site are used to investigate mechanisms controlling the transition from shallow to deep convection over land. It is found that a more humid environment immediately above the boundary layer is present before the start of late afternoon heavy precipitation events. The higher moisture content is brought by wind from the south. Greater boundary layer inhomogeneity in moist static energy, temperature, moisture, and horizontal wind before precipitation begins is correlated to larger rain rates at the initial stage of precipitation. In an examination of afternoon rain statistics, higher relative humidity above the boundary layer is correlated to an earlier onset and longer duration of afternoon precipitation events, whereas greater boundary layer inhomogeneity and atmospheric instability in the 2–4-km layer above the surface are positively correlated to the total rain ...
Modification of Laminar Flow Ultrafine Condensation Particle Counters for the Enhanced Detection of 1 nm Condensation Nuclei

This paper describes simple modifications to thermally diffusive laminar flow ultrafine condensation particle counters (UCPCs) that allow detection of ∼1 nm condensation nuclei with much higher efficiencies than have been previously reported. These non-destructive modifications were applied to a commercial butanol-based UCPC (TSI 3025A) and to a diethylene glycol-based UCPC (UMN DEG-UCPC). Size and charge dependent detection efficiencies using the modified UCPCs (BNL 3025A and BNL DEG-UCPC) were measured with high resolution mobility classified aerosols composed of NaCl, W, molecular ion standards of tetra-alkyl ammonium bromide, and neutralizer-generated ions. With negatively charged NaCl aerosol, the BNL 3025A and BNL DEG-UCPC achieved detection efficiencies of 37% (90× increase over TSI 3025A) at 1.68 nm mobility diameter (1.39 nm geometric diameter) and 23% (8× increase over UMN DEG-UCPC) at 1.19 nm mobility diameter (0.89 nm geometric diameter), respectively. Operating conditions for both UCPCs were ...
Anatomical Closure of Left-to-Right Shunts in Premature Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia and Pulmonary Hypertension: A Cautionary Tale

Closure of a systemic to pulmonary shunt in premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia may be beneficial, but in the presence of pulmonary hypertension is controversial. Here, we discuss two premature infants with pulmonary hypertension who developed acute pulmonary hypertensive crisis after closure of these shunts and hence advise caution.
Exposition: Man-The-Creator and the “Prototype of Action”

Man, the mediator between the natural and the cultural, finds himself in the unlucky happenstance dramatized so poignantly by Pascal in the seventeenth century: on the one hand, a reed blown about by the wind; and on the other, possessed of a mind capable of understanding his situation between the “two infiinities” of the incomparably great and the infmitesimally small. But a mind is a fragile thing, and the same imagination that enables us to project other possible worlds, the same symbol systems that permit our understanding of the real world and to contemplate a better one, may victimize the symbolizer, render most alienated the most powerful of imaginations. For this reason, man is the weakest link in “the great chain of being”, one of those “unit ideas”, 1 which, according to Arthur O. Lovejoy, permits the development of a discipline that has come to be known as “the History of Ideas.”
Tenofovir Therapy for Lamivudine Resistance Following Liver Transplantation

BACKGROUNDResistant hepatitis B virus (HBV) strains develop in 30% of liver transplant recipients treated with lamivudine within 2 years from the time of transplantation.OBJECTIVETo assess safety and outcomes of tenofovir salvage therapy for patients with lamivudine resistance in a retrospective cohort of liver-transplanted patients.METHODSMedical records were retrospectively evaluated for patients who received tenofovir. Data collected included demographics, HBV serologic information prior to and during tenofovir therapy, drug-related complications, and creatinine clearance. Criteria for lamivudine resistance included elevation of liver chemistries along with reappearance of hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis Be antigen, and/or HBV DNA.RESULTSSixteen patients showed resistance to lamivudine at 10–85 months (median 26) following liver transplantation. Tenofovir 300 mg/day orally was added in 8 patients 1–66 months after the development of viral lamivudine resistance and continued for 14–26 months (med...
Simvastatin Reduces Steroidogenesis by Inhibiting Cyp17a1 Gene Expression in Rat Ovarian Theca-Interstitial Cells

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by ovarian enlargement, theca-interstitial hyperplasia, and increased androgen production by theca cells. Previously, our group has demonstrated that statins (competitive inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, a rate-limiting step of the mevalonate pathway) reduce proliferation of theca-interstitial cells in vitro and decrease serum androgen levels in women with PCOS. The present study evaluated the effect of simvastatin on rat ovarian theca-interstitial cell steroidogenesis. Because actions of statins may be due to reduced cholesterol availability and/or isoprenylation of proteins, the present study also investigated whether steroidogenesis was affected by cell- and mitochondrion-permeable 22-hydroxycholesterol, isoprenylation substrates (farnesyl-pyrophosphate [FPP] and geranylgeranyl-pyrophosphate [GGPP]), as well as selective inhibitors of farnesyltransferase (FTI) and geranylgeranyltransferase (GGTI). Theca-interstitial cells were cultured for 12, 24, and 48 h with or without simvastatin, GGPP, FPP, FTI, GGTI, and/or 22-hydroxycholesterol. Simvastatin decreased androgen levels in a time- and concentration-dependent fashion. This inhibitory effect correlated with a decrease in mRNA levels of Cyp17a1, the gene encoding the key enzyme regulating androgen biosynthesis. After 48 h, GGPP alone and FPP alone had no effect on Cyp17a1 mRNA expression; however, the inhibitory action of simvastatin was partly abrogated by both GGPP and FPP. The present findings indicate that statin-induced reduction of androgen levels is likely due, at least in part, to the inhibition of isoprenylation, resulting in decreased expression of CYP17A1.
Coprimality of Certain Families of Integer Matrices

Commuting coprime pairs of integer matrices have been of interest in multidimensional multirate systems, and more recently in array processing. In multirate systems they arise, for example, in the design of interchangeable cascades of decimator and expander matrices. In array processing they arise in the construction of dense coarrays from sparse sensors located on a pair of lattices. For the important case of two dimensional signals, these matrices have size 2 × 2. In this paper the condition for coprimality is derived for several classes of 2 × 2 integer matrices, namely circulant, skew-circulant, and triangular families. The first two are also commuting families. For each class, the special case of adjugate pairs, which automatically commute, is also elaborated. It is also shown that the problem of testing coprimality of two 2 × 2 matrices is equvialent to testing coprimality of a pair of triangular matrices, which can be done almost by inspection. Also considered is the case of 3 × 3 triangular matrices and their adjugates, which have potential applications in three dimensional signal processing.
Fully developed viscous flow in coiled circular pipes

The Navier-Stokes equations in stream-function/vorticity form were solved numerically by over-relaxation for the case of steady state, fully developed, isothermal, incompressible viscous Newtonian flow within a rigorously treated toroidal geometry. Solutions were obtained for curvature ratios ranging from 5 to 100 and for Dean numbers as low as I and as high as 1000. The Dean number was demonstrated to be the principal parameter to characterize toroidal flow; however, a second-order dependence upon the curvature ratio above that expressed in the Dean number was observed. Comparisons of the numerically computed axial-velocity profiles were made with experimental data. The cross-sectional pressure distribution was calculated, and a correlation is presented for a diametral pressure drop in terms of the Dean number.
Transduction of multiple effects of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) on T cell functions by the S1P1 G protein-coupled receptor.

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) in blood, lymph, and immune tissues stimulates and regulates T cell migration through their S1P1 (endothelial differentiation gene encoded receptor-1) G protein-coupled receptors. We show now that S1P1Rs also mediate suppression of T cell proliferation and cytokine production. Uptake of [3H]thymidine by mouse CD4 T cells stimulated with anti-CD3 mAbs plus either anti-CD28 or IL-7 was inhibited up to 50% by 10−9–10−6 M S1P. Suppression by S1P required Ca2+ signaling and was reduced by intracellular cAMP. S1P decreased CD4 T cell generation of IFN-γ and IL-4, without affecting IL-2. A Th1 line from D011.10 TCR transgenic mice without detectable S1P1 was refractory to S1P until introduction of S1P1 by retroviral transduction. S1P then evoked chemotaxis, inhibited chemotaxis to CCL-5 and CCL-21, and suppressed Ag-stimulated proliferation and IFN-γ production. Thus, S1P1 signals multiple immune functions of T cells as well as migration and tissue distribution.
Effect of Neutralizing Transforming Growth Factor β1 on the Immune Response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Guinea Pigs

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is a cytokine which has been shown to suppress the antimycobacterial immune responses of humans and experimental animals. In this study, the contributions of TGF-beta to cytokine production in vivo were investigated by using the established guinea pig model of tuberculous pleurisy. Mycobacterium bovis BCG-vaccinated guinea pigs were injected intrapleurally with heat-killed virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Eight days following induction of an antigen-specific pleural effusion, guinea pigs were injected intrapleurally with anti-TGF-beta1 or isotype control antibody. The following day, pleural exudates were removed, and the fluid volume and characteristics of the infiltrating cells were determined. Pleural fluid was analyzed for total interferon (IFN) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) protein levels by using appropriate bioassays. RNA from pleural effusion cells was examined to determine TGF-beta1, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and interleukin-8 mRNA levels by using real-time PCR. Proliferative responses of pleural effusion lymphocytes were examined in response to concanavalin A and purified protein derivative (PPD) in vitro. Treatment with anti-TGF-beta1 resulted in decreased pleural fluid volume and decreased cell numbers in the pleural space along with an increased percentage of lymphocytes and a decreased percentage of neutrophils. The bioactive TNF protein levels in pleural fluid were increased in guinea pigs treated with anti-TGF-beta1, while the bioactive IFN protein concentrations were not altered. Expression of TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha mRNA was significantly increased following TGF-beta1 neutralization. Finally, PPD-induced proliferative responses of pleural cells from anti-TGF-beta1-treated animals were significantly enhanced. Thus, TGF-beta1 may be involved in the resolution of this local, mycobacterial antigen-specific inflammatory response.
Time course of pharmacokinetic and hormonal effects of inhaled high-dose salvinorin A in humans

Salvinorin A is a kappa opioid agonist and the principal psychoactive constituent of the Salvia divinorum plant, which has been used for hallucinogenic effects. Previous research on salvinorin A pharmacokinetics likely underestimated plasma levels typically resulting from the doses administered due to inefficient vaporization and not collecting samples during peak drug effects. Six healthy adults inhaled a single high dose of vaporized salvinorin A (n = 4, 21 mcg/kg; n = 2, 18 mcg/kg). Participant- and monitor-rated effects were assessed every 2 min for 60 min post-inhalation. Blood samples were collected at 13 time points up to 90 min post-inhalation. Drug levels peaked at 2 min and then rapidly decreased. Drug levels were significantly, positively correlated with participant and monitor drug effect ratings. Significant elevations in prolactin were observed beginning 5 min post-inhalation and peaking at 15 min post-inhalation. Cortisol showed inconsistent increases across participants. Hormonal responses were not well correlated with drug levels. This is the first study to demonstrate a direct relationship between changes in plasma levels of salvinorin A and drug effects in humans. The results confirm the efficacy of an inhalation technique for salvinorin A.
From Traditional To Modern Conceptions of Gender Equality in Politics: Gradual Change and Lingering Doubts

A n important development in American politics during the 1980s was the disappearance of gender differences in turnout. The Center for Political Studies (CPS) conducted voter validation studies for each of its National Election Studies (NES) during the last decade except 1982. On each of the four NESs, the difference between women's and men's validated rates of turnout was statistically insignificant. The CPS found, for example, that 56 percent of women and 59 percent of men had actually gone to the polls in 1988. A percentage difference that small could happen by chance in three out of every four surveys of the same size (x2=1 .2 0, df=1, p=.27). Women now also equal men in reported voting in local elections. The National Opinion Research Center's (NORC) 1987 General Social Survey found that women were just as likely as men to report voting in all or almost all local elections (68 vs. 68 percent).1 Gender parity in turnout ends a tradition of lower turnout among women dating back to ratification of the 19th Amendment just before the 1920 election. Much has changed in women's involvement in society and politics during the past quarter-century. They are more likely to be in the workforce, even if they are married and have young children. By 1987, for example, 57 percent of married women with children under six years old were in the labor force. This was a 27 percent increase from 1970 (U.S. Bureau of the Census [BOC] 1987: 374). In addition to the increasing likelihood to vote noted above, more women have