cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Setting a paradigm for building economics

The need for new knowledge in the building industry has grown in recent years. In the main this comes from economic challenges. Uncertainties about inflationary cycles, capital availabilities and resource shortages, along with complexities in growing client and government demands have turned expectations upside-down. Prior assumptions about maximum possible expenses have turned into hoped for minimums. Previous minimum returns have become maximums open for further negotiation. Traditional construction business cycles have tended towards the vertical. Measures of efficiency and productivity, while increasingly applied, are decreasingly helpful. The qualities and healthfulness of the building product are of growing concern. This is not to say that the cumulative activities of the building industry are necessarily good or bad, but that they are entering times of increasing instability and unpredictability. In many respects this is a more important issue than goodness or badness. Instability erodes the operational base for planning and meeting mutual expectations, upon which statements of good and bad can be debated and supplied with evidence. There have been widespread calls to respond by improving the efficiency of the building industry, to raise its level of productivity. Significant definition and measurement problems exist in concepts of productivity (Unipub, 1984). Even in controlled factory settings there are large gaps in knowledge of what comprehensive productivity means. Even greater problems await achieving it in complex socio-technical systems (Trist, 1981). These issues become even more difficult in the building industry where a majority of the production takes place in nature, outside the boundary of a rational, enclosed, factory-type environment. Considerable research into productivity shows that efficiency depends on the context within which it is being measured (National Research Council, 1979). Two critical factors that have been shown to structure context are level of competition and availability of resources. These two factors have obvious symbiotic relationships. Together they determine much of the potential for stability/instability choice. That such stability is a basic human need is seen in experiments where a choice is offered between pursuing a bad whose end is clearly known, or the possibility of a good that has great uncertainty attached to it.
The in vitro effect of trimethoprim on blastogenic transformation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes

Abstract Trimethoprim (TP) at concentrations of 1 × 10 −6 to 1 × 10 −3 M inhibits the incorporation of thymidine, uridine, formate, and leucine by human lymphocytes undergoing blastogenic transformation induced by conconavalin A. TP does not alter cell viability, as measured by trypan blue exclusion, or cell numbers. An effect of TP on dihydrofolate reductase, such as is seen with methotrexate, is insufficient to explain the inhibitory effects of TP since an in vivo estimation of dihydrofolate reductase activity, utilizing deoxyuridine incorporation into deoxyribonucleic acid, is not inhibited. Also the observed inhibition of precursor incorporation is not fully reversed by either folate or folinate. TP did not alter the percentage of cells transforming but reduced the number of autoradiographically-labelled lymphoblasts. Immunosuppression by TP in vivo may be associated with these findings.
Evidence for free radical production by ultrasonic cavitation in biological media

The statement is often made that free radicals will be produced during the violent collapse of transient cavities in liquids, that may result from the passage of ultrasonic waves in the low megahertz frequency range. Evidence for such free radicals is mostly indirect. We have insonated some argon-saturated aqueous solutions of biological molecules (trypsin, Dulbecco's Minimum Essential Medium, fetal bovine serum, and human blood plasma) and whole human blood, all containing a spin trapping compound, at 1 MHz, continuous wave, 6.6 W/cm2 (SPTA) for 15 min at 4-8 degrees C. Electron spin resonance spectra of the samples were recorded 10 and 30 min. after cessation of insonation. The spectra included those of spin adducts formed with .OH and .H radicals, which were absent in the cases of the sham treated controls. Thus, we have demonstrated the formation of the highly reactive .OH and .H radicals in the insonated media, even in the presence of natural radical scavengers in the mammalian derived products.
Preservation of the nerves to the frontalis muscle during pterional craniotomy.

OBJECT There continues to be confusion over how best to preserve the branches of the facial nerve to the frontalis muscle when elevating a frontotemporal (pterional) scalp flap. The object of this study was to examine the full course of the branches of the facial nerve that must be preserved to maintain innervation of the frontalis muscle during elevation of a frontotemporal scalp flap. METHODS Dissection was performed to follow the temporal branches of facial nerves along their course in 5 adult, cadaveric heads (n = 10 extracranial facial nerves). RESULTS Preserving the nerves to the frontalis muscle requires an understanding of the course of the nerves in 3 areas. The first area is on the outer surface of the temporalis muscle lateral to the superior temporal line (STL) where the interfascial or subfascial approaches are applied, the second is in the area medial to the STL where subpericranial dissection is needed, and the third is along the STL. Preserving the nerves crossing the STL requires an under...
The Fatty Acid-binding Protein, aP2, Coordinates Macrophage Cholesterol Trafficking and Inflammatory Activity MACROPHAGE EXPRESSION OF aP2 IMPACTS PEROXISOME PROLIFERATOR-ACTIVATED RECEPTOR γ AND IκB KINASE ACTIVITIES

Fatty acid-binding proteins are cytosolic fatty acid chaperones, and the adipocyte isoform, aP2, plays an important role in obesity and glucose metabolism. Recently, this protein has been detected in macrophages where it strongly contributes to the development of atherosclerosis. Here, we investigated the role of aP2 in macrophage biology and the molecular mechanisms underlying its actions. We demonstrate that aP2-deficient macrophages display defects in cholesterol accumulation and alterations in pro-inflammatory responsiveness. Deficiency of aP2 alters the lipid composition in macrophages and enhances peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ activity, leading to elevated CD36 expression and enhanced uptake of modified low denwsity lipoprotein. The increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ activity in aP2-deficient macrophages is also accompanied by a significant stimulation of the liver X receptor α-ATP-binding cassette transporter A1-mediated cholesterol efflux pathway. In parallel, aP2-deficient macrophages display reduced IκB kinase and NF-κB activity, resulting in suppression of inflammatory function including reduced cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric-oxide synthase expression and impaired production of inflammatory cytokines. Our results demonstrate that aP2 regulates two central molecular pathways to coordinate macrophage cholesterol trafficking and inflammatory activity.
Ethnic skin: Overview of structure and function

Racial variability in skin function is an area in which data often conflict. Understanding and quantifying racial differences in skin function are important for skin care and the prevention and treatment of skin diseases. A key feature that characterizes race is skin color: Is deeply pigmented skin different from fair skin in terms of responses to chemical and environmental insults? Is skin care the same? Are there different risks among racial groups of developing a skin disease after exposure to the same insults? The interpretation of pathophysiologic phenomena should consider not only anatomic and functional characteristics of ethnic groups but also socioeconomic, hygienic, and nutritional factors. This article reviews and discusses recent findings.
Relationship between meconium staining and amniotic fluid volume in term pregnancies.

Objective: Our purpose was to evaluate the relationship between meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MEC-AF) and amniotic fluid volume (AFV) and their impact on the risk of cesarean delivery for fetal indications in term pregnancies. Methods: 1,655 live-born singleton gestations delivering at ≧37 weeks within 7 days of sonographic assessment of the amniotic fluid index (AFI) were studied. AFI was categorized as: oligohydramnios (≤5.0 cm); decreased (5.1–8.0 cm); normal (8.1–18.0 cm); increased (18.1–23.9 cm), and polyhydramnios (≧24.0 cm). Frequencies of MEC-AF for each AFV category were stratified by gestational age (GA) and rates of cesarean delivery for fetal indications compared between patients with clear amniotic fluid and those with MEC-AF. Stepwise logistic regression analyses were performed for determinants of MEC-AF and the need for cesarean delivery for fetal indications. Results: The frequency of MEC-AF at birth in term pregnancies was not related to AFV: oligohydramnios (16.7%); decreased (16.7%); normal (20.1%); increased (24.4%), and polyhydramnios (22.1%). The only factor associated with the occurrence of MEC-AF was increasing GA at delivery (p Conclusions: MEC-AF does not appear to be related to AFV in term pregnancies, and its presence increases the risk of cesarean delivery for fetal distress independent of AFV and neonatal ponderal index.
Structural, bonding, and electronic properties of IIA-IV antifluorite compounds.

We have studied the electronic and structural properties of the antifluorite compounds ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$X (X=Si, Ge, Sn), ${\mathrm{Be}}_{2}$C, and hypothetical compounds ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$C and ${\mathrm{Be}}_{2}$Si using the first-principles pseudopotential total energy method. Five of the compounds are small-gap semiconductors, while ${\mathrm{Be}}_{2}$Si is a metal. Calculated lattice constants agree well with experiment for the four known compounds, but are consistently a few percent smaller than the reported values. The bulk moduli of this group of materials follow a semiempirical formula for ${\mathit{B}}_{0}$ to within \ensuremath{\sim}5%. Bulk moduli calculated from first principles, corrected for the underestimation of the lattice constant, agree well with the available experimental values.
Skills and procedures in emergency medicine: Room for controversy

To examine patterns of consensus and divergence of opinion about whether, and under what conditions, residency-trained emergency physicians use certain skills and perform procedures, directors of 35 emergency medicine, 28 surgery and 30 internal medicine residency programs were surveyed. The directors reacted to a list of 30 skills modified from the condition/skills list compiled by the Certification Task Force of the American College of Emergency Physicians representing a consensus on the core-knowledge for emergency medicine, as determined by both practicing and university-based emergency physicians. The responses indicate a wide variation of opinion about which skills are within the realm of residency-trained emergency physicians, and under what circumstances a procedure should be performed. The skills of greatest concern among emergency medicine directors include axillary and intravenous lidocaine blocks, bronchoscopy, burr holes, closed reduction of dislocated hips, Swan-Ganz catheterization, and cardiopulmonary by-pass. In contrast, slightly more than one third of the procedures on the modified list were clearly agreed upon by over 80% of the directors as procedures performed by trained emergency physicians.
Wave front reconstruction using a second-order model for Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor measurements

Many adaptive optics systems rely on a Shack-Hartmann wave front sensor (WFS) coupled with a traditional least squares reconstructor to estimate the aberrations in the incident wave front. Unfortunately, the performance of this approach degrades in the presence of strong scintillation because, when there are intensity fluctuations in the wave front, the WFS does not measure the average phase gradient within each subaperture as assumed by the reconstruction algorithm. As scintillation increases, branch points in the wave front increase the disparity between what the WFS measures and what the reconstruction algorithm expects. A reconstruction algorithm is presented that attempts to mitigate the branch point problem by using a more realistic model for the Shack-Hartmann WFS measurements. Wave optics simulations over a variety of atmospheric conditions are used to compare the performance of this algorithm against a least squares reconstructor and a complex exponential reconstructor.
Residence Time of Milk Products in Holding Tubes of High-Temperature Short-Time Pasteurizers

Abstract Holding tubes are sized by performing the salt conductivity test on water flowing at pasteurization temperature. Because dairy products have a higher viscosity than water, the fastest product particles could be held for shorter times than predicted by the salt test. A study was done to determine the error attributable to this practice. A high-temperature short-time pasteurizer unit was operated at 1,130 liters/hour at pasteurization temperature, and residence times were determined by measuring the time required for an injection of radio-active iodine to traverse the holding tube. Residence times of milk products were 21.9 and 23.5 sec, respectively, for 16.5 and 10% milk-fat ice cream mix, 22.7 sec for cream (40% milk fat), and 17.2 sec for condensed skimmilk (40% solids) flowing in a tube sized for 26 sec by salt injection; and 15.8 and 15.5 sec, respectively, for milk and chocolate milk flowing in a 16-sec tube. Sizing holding tubes by the salt test is satisfactory for milk and chocolate milk; however, to ensure proper holding times for ice cream mix, cream, and condensed skimmilk, tubes should be sized by calculating fastest particle velocity of product in laminar flow.
The Army Research Laboratory ultra wideband BoomSAR

This paper describes a mobile radar testbed that provides airborne-like collection geometries. The radar is a low frequency, ultra-wideband, synthetic aperture radar intended to provide a resource for the analysis of foliage and ground penetration phenomenology.
A comparison between the sulfhydryl reductants tris(2- carboxyethyl)phosphine and dithiothreitol for use in protein biochemistry

The newly introduced sulfhydryl reductant tris(2carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP) is a potentially attractive alternative to commonly used dithiothreitol (DTT). We compare properties of DTT and TCEP important in protein biochemistry, using the motor enzyme myosin as an example protein. The reductants equally preserve myosin’s enzymatic activity, which is sensitive to sulfhydryl oxidation. When labeling with extrinsic probes, DTT inhibits maleimide attachment to myosin and must be removed before labeling. In contrast, maleimide attachment to myosin was achieved in the presence of TCEP, although with less efficiency than no reductant. Surprisingly, iodoacetamide attachment to myosin was nearly unaffected by either reductant at low (0.1 mM) concentrations. In electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy utilizing nitroxide spin labels, TCEP is highly advantageous: spin labels are two to four times more stable in TCEP than DTT, thereby alleviating a long-standing problem in EPR. During protein purification, Ni 21 con
Neuromodulatory Drugs in a Radical Pelvic Surgery Patient

Since the introduction of the nerve sparing prostatectomy by Dr. Patrick Walsh in 1983 it has been recognized in multiple analyses that cavernous nerve preservation is quantitatively related to the recovery of erectile function. It is well appreciated that both spontaneous and PDE5 inhibitor response is heavily predicated upon the nerve sparing status with bilateral nerve sparing patients faring better than unilateral nerve sparing patients. Besides cavernous nerve status, other factors identified by Rabbani in the Memorial Sloan Kettering analysis of predictors of erectile function recovery include preoperative erectile function and patient age. A number of authorities have suggested that postoperative alterations in erectile hemodynamics is important and there is evidence to suggest that accessory pudendal artery injury with postoperative arteriogenic arterial insufficiency may have a negative long term impact on erectile function. Likewise, structural damage leading to venous leak is a poor prognostic indicator. There is little data on the role of vascular comorbidities, however, most authorities believe that the presence and severity of vascular comorbities is likely to have a negative impact upon long term erectile function recovery. The term “never-sparing” essentially means that the surgeon, using his/her experience and expertise defines if the nerves are anatomically (macroscopically) intact. This may have less than perfect correlation with the function of the cavernous nerves on either side. While intra-operative nerve stimulation may help in this regard there are concerns about false positive and false
Factors in Marital Orgasm

The search for successful strategies for the treatment of female orgasmic dysfunction has led to an investigation of the factors that correlate with orgasm in women. In this chapter Gehhard goes hack to some data collected by Kinsey and his co-workers on the frequency of marital orgasm. Gebhard focuses on three variables: the woman’s self-report of marital happiness, the duration of foreplay, and the duration of coitus. The findings show that women who are very unhappy in their marriages are unlikely to reach orgasm during coitus. It is doubtful that those briefer forms of sex therapy that largely focus on the sexual aspect of a couple’s relationship would affect the coital orgasm rate of such women. As was suggested by Lobitz in Part II, Chapter 5, assessment of such cases is extremely important and referral for marriage therapy might be suggested. Some cases will need marital therapy, while in those cases where the sexual problem is the major cause of marital unhappiness, sex therapy is indicated.
On the design of a transversal filter bank for parallel processing multiple image lines in real-time acoustic imaging

We present a new method for designing a transversal filter bank for parallel processing echo data in real-time active acoustic imaging. The method is based on a discretized linear spatio-temporal formulation of an imaging system which uses transmitter arrays with coded-excitation. The filter coefficients are derived from a pseudo-inverse operator which not only decouples echoes from different image lines, but also provides pulse compression along the range direction. The new method, together with the proposed coded-excitation imaging modality, may find many applications in sonar, NDE and biomedical imaging areas.
Emerging Subspecialties in Neurology: Telestroke and teleneurology

In 2013, Dall et al.1 projected that by 2025, the societal need for neurologists will exceed availability by 19%. This number failed to account for the disproportionate number of neurologists practicing in urban and academic centers, likely underestimating the gap in rural populations. In a recent effort to improve access to neurologic services in these areas, telestroke and teleneurology networks have being championed as the solution. With the emergence of these networks come unique challenges and opportunities in the distribution and breadth of neurologic care that fellows and residents will need to understand to optimally incorporate this tool into their future practices.
Apparent lisinopril overdose requiring hemodialysis.

Purpose A case of apparent overdose of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors requiring hemodialysis is reported. Summary A 51-year-old white man (weight, 85 kg; height, 178 cm; body mass index, 28) with a history of hypertension, low back pain, and anxiety apparently took 27 lisinopril 10-mg tablets (3.18 mg/kg body weight) over a period of 3 or fewer days. The friend who brought him to the emergency department reported that the patient was hard to rouse and was speaking incoherently on the day of admission. Over the previous few days, the patient reportedly had visual hallucinations, incoherence, and inarticulate speech. Laboratory tests, electrocardiography, and computed tomography were performed. The patient was judged to have high-anion-gap metabolic acidosis, acute kidney injury, severe hyperkalemia, and rhabdomyolysis. He was given three doses of albuterol via a nebulizer, three doses of calcium gluconate 1 g i.v., two doses of sodium bicarbonate 100 meq i.v., two doses of sodium polystyrene sulfonate 30 g orally, three doses of insulin 10 units i.v., and three doses of dextrose 25 g (as 50% dextrose injection) i.v. He then underwent emergent hemodialysis and was admitted to the intensive care unit. The patient’s confusion abated, kidney function improved, and acid–base and electrolyte imbalances resolved. The patient was discharged after 15 days. Conclusion A man who had evidently taken an overdose of lisinopril had multiorgan dysfunction in the absence of hypotension. The abnormalities resolved after he was treated for acidosis and hyperkalemia and received hemodialysis to remove the lisinopril.
Individual recognition of human infants on the basis of cries alone

Human parents were asked to identify their infants on the basis of tape-recorded cries that they had not previously heard. The cries of twenty 30-day-old infants were recorded just prior to a feeding, then rerecorded onto a test tape containing cries from three other infants. Eighty percent of mothers were able to recognize their infants' cries, as were 45% of fathers. An additional 140 adults (non-parents) were tested in order to determine if the process of dubbing cries onto test tapes had left extraneous auditory cues to infants' identities and if the foil infants were equally discriminable. The results indicated that parents' recognition was not based on extraneous cues and that, overall, the foils were appropriate distractors in the parents' task. Thus, the majority of parents can recognize their 30-day-old infants on the sole basis of acoustic cues contained in the infants' cries. The acoustic features that underlie this recognition are now being investigated.
Protomagalhaensia vipera n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida: Blabericolidae), a new Gregarine Parasitizing the Orange-Headed Cockroach, Eublaberus posticus (Dictyoptera: Blaberidae)

ABSTRACT: Protomagalhaensia vipera n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida: Blabericolidae) is described from the orange-headed cockroach, Eublaberus posticus (Dictyoptera: Blattaria: Blaberidae: Blaberinae). The oocysts of P. vipera bear extended polar plates or apical corner spines similar to those of Protomagalhaensia granulosae, Protomagalhaensia wolfi, and Protomagalhaensia blaberae. In contrast, the oocysts of Protomagalhaensia richardsoni possess only slight or vestigial apical spines, and apical spines are absent entirely from the oocysts of Protomagalhaensia cerastes. The oocysts of P. vipera are shorter than those of P. wolfi and P. blaberae, but longer than those of P. granulosae (external oocyst length 7.29 µm vs. 7.56 µm, 7.42 µm, 6.87 µm, respectively). The sporozoite bearing cavity of P. vipera oocysts is significantly shorter than any other known species of Protomagalhaensia (internal oocyst length 5.62 µm). All 6 species are also distinguished by unique oocyst length/width ratios. The oocysts ...
Correlation of Vectorcardiographic Criteria for Myocardial Infarction with Autopsy Findings

One hundred eight patients who had had vectorcardiograms and electrocardiograms recorded were followed to autopsy, and their hearts were carefully studied postmortem. Vectorcardiographic criteria previously proposed using the Frank corrected lead system were tested against the anatomic findings. These criteria correctly predicted the presence of infarction in 49 (92%) of 53 hearts and correctly localized the infarct in 39 (74%). In four hearts (8%) infarction could not be identified. In 18 (32%) of 55 hearts in which infarcts were not present, these criteria falsely indicated infarction. The reasons for the false positive predictions are discussed. The criteria tested will prove useful in the diagnoses and localizations of myocardial infarcts when the pitfalls of deformities of the vectorcardiogram produced by ventricular hypertrophy and bundle-branch block are avoided.
Warfarin-associated calciphylaxis in a patient with normal renal function.

A 61-year-old woman with a history of diabetes and hypothyroidism presented with extensive necrotic skin lesions that had started as tender subcutaneous nodules in her thighs, buttocks, distal legs, and abdominal wall 5 months prior to presentation and 15 months after having been started on warfarin for pulmonary hypertension. The nodules had become confluent and ulcerated, with black eschar formation and intermittent pus drainage (Panel A). Warfarininduced skin necrosis had initially been suspected and warfarin was discontinued 3 months prior to presentation; however, the ulcers continued to worsen over this period. She later developed necrotic lesions in her fingertips, and hand radiographs revealed extensive arterial calcification (Panel B). A deep excisional biopsy of a subcutaneous nodule in the abdominal wall showed extensive fat necrosis and marked calcium deposition in the walls of multiple arterioles (Panel C). Vessel lumen were narrowed or occluded by endothelial cell proliferation and fibrin thrombi. No vasculitic changes or extravascular calcium deposition were present. Laboratory investigation revealed normal levels of serum creatinine (estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥60 mL/min), calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, and vitamin D. An extensive thrombophilia work-up was negative. A diagnosis of calciphylaxis was made. Calciphylaxis is an uncommon condition characterized by calcification of small arterioles that can lead to luminal obstruction and skin ischemia with ulcerations and necrosis. This case is unusual in that calciphylaxis usually occurs in the setting of end-stage renal disease and hyperparathyroidism. It can be triggered or worsened by vitamin K antagonist therapy, possibly due to a decrease in the vitamin K-dependent gamma-carboxylation of matrix Images in Vascular Medicine
Migration of endpoints of two genes relative to boundaries between regions of the plastid genome in the grass family (Poaceae)

Overlapping genes occur widely in microorganisms and in some plastid genomes, but unique properties are observed when such genes span the boundaries between single-copy and repeat regions. The termini of ndhH and ndhF, situated near opposite ends of the small single-copy region (SSC) in the plastid genomes of grasses (Poaceae), have migrated repeatedly into and out of the adjacent inverted-repeat regions (IR). The two genes are transcribed in the same direction, and the 5' terminus of ndhH extends into the IR in some species, while the 3' terminus of ndhF extends into the IR in others. When both genes extend into the IR, portions of the genes overlap and are encoded by the same nucleotide positions. Fine-scale mapping of the SSC-IR junctions across a sample of 92 grasses and outgroups, integrated into a phylogenetic analysis, indicates that the earliest grasses resembled the related taxa Joinvillea (Joinvilleaceae) and Ecdeiocolea (Ecdeiocoleaceae), with ca. 180 nucleotides of ndhH extending into the IR, and with ndhF confined to the SSC. This structure is maintained in early-diverging grass lineages and in most species of the BEP clade. In the PACMAD clade, ndhH lies completely or nearly completely within the SSC, and ca. 20 nucleotides of ndhF extend into the IR. The nucleotide substitution rate has increased in the PACMAD clade in the portion of ndhH that has migrated into the SSC.
Depletion of retinal dopamine does not affect the ERG b-wave increment threshold function in goldfish in vivo.

Increment threshold functions of the electroretinogram (ERG) b–wave were obtained from goldfish using an in vivo preparation to study intraretinal mechanisms underlying the increase in perceived brightness induced by depletion of retinal dopamine by 6–hydroxydopamine (6–OHDA). Goldfish received unilateral intraocular injections of 6–OHDA plus pargyline on successive days. Depletion of retinal dopamine was confirmed by the absence of tyrosine-hydroxylase immunoreactivity at 2 to 3 weeks postinjection as compared to sham-injected eyes from the same fish. There was no difference among normal, sham-injected or 6–OHDA-injected eyes with regard to ERG waveform, intensity-response functions or increment threshold functions. Dopamine-depleted eyes showed a Purkinje shift, that is, a transition from rod-to-cone dominated vision with increasing levels of adaptation. We conclude (1) dopamine-depleted eyes are capable of photopic vision; and (2) the ERG b–wave is not diagnostic for luminosity coding at photopic backgrounds. We also predict that (1) dopamine is not required for the transition from scotopic to photopic vision in goldfish; (2) the ERG b–wave in goldfish is influenced by chromatic interactions; (3) horizontal cell spinules, though correlated with photopic mechanisms in the fish retina, are not necessary for the transition from scotopic to photopic vision; and (4) the OFF pathway, not the ON pathway, is involved in the action of dopamine on luminosity coding in the retina.
ENDOGENOUS AND EXOGENOUS PLUTONS: THE INFLUENCE OF EMPLACEMENT STYLE ON CONTAMINATION OF GRANITIC MAGMA

Whether granitic magmas can detach and digest fragments of wallrock or mingle with other magmas depends in large part on the style of magma emplacement. Many composite plutons grow by relatively small pulses of magma, some of which may reach their solidus before injection of the next pulse. Composite “nested” plutons may grow as new pulses of magma invade and displace their predecessors, or “sheeted” plutons may grow as new magma follows contacts between wallrock and older intrusions. Contrary to a common assumption, the innermost parts of a composite intrusion are not necessarily the last to be emplaced or the most fractionated. Emplacement kinematics of some plutons and lava domes are similar. Lava domes grow in two ways. Endogenous domes inflate as new lava ascends and ponds within a cooler lava crust, and exogenous domes accrete as new lava ascends, breaches the lava crust, and spreads over the exterior. Exogenous growth of sheeted plutons offers less opportunity for magma mingling and mixing, but allows more wallrock assimilation (contamination) than endogenous growth of nested plutons.
The sartorius muscle flap: an important adjunct for complicated femoral wounds involving vascular grafts.

Abstract Introduction Femoral wound complications can threaten vascular grafts. Muscle flaps can be used to facilitate soft-tissue coverage and graft salvage. We report a series of sartorius flaps performed by vascular surgeons in the treatment of complicated femoral wounds. Methods Rotational sartorius flaps were performed to attempt salvage of underlying vascular grafts. We reviewed a prospective database to determine the outcomes of sartorius flaps on facilitating wound healing and graft salvage and patency. Results From 2005 to 2008, 21 sartorius flaps were performed in infected or threatened femoral wounds. Original operations included femoral endarterectomy with patch repair in 8, aortofemoral graft in 6, axillofemoral graft in 4, and femoral-distal bypass in 3 patients. Complete wound healing occurred in 18 patients (86%). Primary wound closure was achieved in 7 patients. Secondary wound closure was achieved in 11 patients with mean healing time of 2.3 months. All vascular reconstructions remained patent at the 9.5-month follow-up. Conclusions Sartorius muscle flaps are effective at facilitating complicated femoral wound healing while maintaining graft salvage and patency.
Partial Clutch Predation, Dilution of Predation Risk, and the Evolution of Intraspecific Nest Parasitism

Abstract Distributing eggs among multiple nests may have a selective advantage over laying eggs in one nest when stochastic events, such as predation, affect individuals of the same phenotype differently. However, an earlier analysis revealed that the mean fitness of such an egg-spreading strategy is equal to putting all eggs in one nest when predation destroys entire clutches. However, if predation typically results in partial clutch loss, distributing eggs among multiple nests may provide a selective advantage. We investigated the possibility that partial clutch loss could favor egg-spreading strategies by modeling mean fitness under a variety of egg-distribution strategies with partial nest predation. We found that higher fitness resulted from distributing eggs among multiple nests that contained at least as many eggs as a single nest containing the eggs of one female. The highest fitness resulted when eggs were in large clutches, because of predator-dilution effects. The fitness differences among egg-...
Using active-deformable models to track deformable objects in robotic visual servoing experiments

Presents a model-based approach for visual tracking and eye-in-hand robotic visual servoing. Our approach uses active deformable models to track a rigid or a semi-rigid object in the manipulator's workspace. These deformable models approximate the contour of the object boundary, defined by a set of control points. During tracking, the control points are updated at frame rates by minimizing an energy function involving the relative position of model points, the image data, and the characteristics of figure pixels. When visual servoing is combined with the use of active deformable models, movement of the manipulator can compensate for translations and deformations of the object's image. Experimental results are presented.
Physiological effects of salinity on Delta Smelt, Hypomesus transpacificus

Abiotic factors like salinity are relevant to survival of pelagic fishes of the San Francisco Bay Estuary. We tested the effects of 4 parts per thousand (ppt) salinity increases on Delta Smelt (DS) in a laboratory experiment simulating salinity increases that might occur around the low-salinity zone (LSZ) (<6 ppt). Adult DS, fed 2% body mass per day, starting at 0.5 ppt [freshwater (FW)], were exposed to weekly step-increases of 4 ppt to a maximum of 10 ppt saltwater (SW) over 19 days, and compared to FW controls. DS (n = 12/treatment per sampling) were sampled at 24, 72, and 96 h (1, 3, and 4 days) post-salinity increase for analyses of hematocrit, plasma osmolality, muscle water content, gill chloride cell (CC) Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase (NKA) and apoptosis after being weighed and measured (n = 3 tanks per treatment). No apparent increase in length or weight occurred nor did a difference in survival. Following step-increases in SW, hematocrit increased over time. Other fish responses generally showed a pattern; specifically plasma osmolality became elevated at 1 day and diminished over 4 days in SW. Percent muscle water content (%) did not show significant changes. CCs showed increased NKA, cell size and apoptosis over time in SW, indicating that CCs turnover in DS. The cell renewal process takes days, at least over 19 days. In summary, DS are affected by salinities of the LSZ and ≤10 ppt, though they employ physiological strategies to acclimate.
COMPARISON OF BIOMASS PRODUCTION AND DECOMPOSITION BETWEEN PHRAGMITES AUSTRALIS (COMMON REED) AND SPARTINA PATENS (SALT HAY GRASS) IN BRACKISH TIDAL MARSHES OF NEW JERSEY, USA

The recent expansion of Phragmites australis (common reed) from the marsh-upland interface into high marsh zones provides an opportunity to assess the impact of individual plant species on biomass production and decomposition in salt marshes. Seasonal harvests of aboveground and belowground biomass demonstrate that annual production of P. australis is approximately three times greater for aboveground biomass, two times greater for belowground biomass, and 30% lower in root: shoot ratio than neighboring populations of S. patens. Whole-plant litter (stems and leaves) also decomposes at a much slower annual rate for P. australis (k=0.25) than S. patents litter (k=0.57). By crossing litter type with site of litter decomposition, I found these plant species to influence decay rates through litter type and not through their effects on marsh surface conditions (e.g., temperature, sedimentation rates). Based on these calculations, annual rates of carbon accumulation in the peat of high marshes are likely to increase 5-fold once P. australis becomes established due to its greater rates of biomass production and residence time in infrequently flooded brackish marshes.
Effect of charge ratio on lipoplex-mediated gene delivery and liver toxicity.

Background: The vast majority of studies investigating gene delivery have utilized cationic delivery vehicles, but anionic nanoparticles can also possess high transfection activity, and offer significant benefits in terms of ease of preparation and reduced toxicity. Results: Our study on lipoplexes possessing cholesterol nanodomains demonstrates that in vitro transfection after exposure to serum can be high at anionic charge ratios, and that this effect is also evident in studies assessing delivery to tumors in vivo, despite reduced circulation times. In addition, accumulation in the liver and lungs is reduced as compared with lipoplexes formulated at cationic charge ratios. Conclusion: Lipoplexes prepared at anionic charge ratios offer comparable tumor delivery and reduced liver toxicity despite shorter circulation times.
Correlation analysis of subjective and objective measures for speech quality

This paper presents the results of a statistical correlation study between a data base of subjective speech quality measures and a data base of objective speech quality measures. Both data bases are derived from approximately 18 hours of coded and distorted speech. The subjective test used was the Diagnostic Acceptability Measure (DAM), a parametric speech quality test developed at the Dynastat Corporation. The objective measures included approximately 1500 parametric variations of many commonly suggested objective measures. This paper summarizes the performance of the objective measures in predicting the subjective results.
Isothermal Titration Calorimetry Can Provide Critical Thinking Opportunities

College chemistry faculties might not have considered including isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) in their majors’ curriculum because experimental data from this instrumental method are often analyzed via automation (software). However, the software-based data analysis can be replaced with a spreadsheet-based analysis that is readily accessible to undergraduate students. This article describes a three-phase study (three lab periods) of cation–hexametaphosphate complexation via ITC, including the asymptote method by which students perform their own ITC data analysis, to demonstrate how ITC experiments can provide students with critical thinking opportunities comparable to other data-analysis-intensive physical-analytical experiments.
U-Series Nuclides as Tracers in Groundwater Hydrology

The occurrence of the heavy radionuclides in the hydrosphere has become increasingly important in the context of today’s emphasis on the measurement of quality and quantity of water resources. The study of the natural aqueous behaviour of uranium, radium, and the shorter-lived daughters serves both as a background for radioactivity pollution studies, and also as a widely applicable method of tracing movements of the groundwater itself.
ISABELLE Quadrupoles

Each of the regular lattice quadrupoles for ISABELLE has three types of superconducting windings. The main windings are similar in design to the dipole coils and produce the principal focusing component. A set of quadrupole coils of much smaller radial thickness are situated just inside the main winding and provide a means for gradient trimming. A third set of windings is incorporated in the bore tube and consist of discrete multipoles which are used to control the "working line" of the storage ring. Construction details and performance data for the first full-scale model magnet are given in this report.
Recovery of Syrian hamster hippocampal signaling following its depression during oxygen-glucose deprivation is enhanced by cold temperatures and by hibernation

Signal transmission over a hippocampal network of CA3 and CA1 neurons in Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), facultative hibernators, has not been fully characterized in response to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). We hypothesized that during OGD, hippocampal signal transmission fails first at the synapse between CA3 and CA1 pyramidal neurons and that recovery of signal processing following OGD is more robust in hippocampal slices at cold temperature, from hamsters vs. rats, and from hibernating vs. non-hibernating hamsters. To test these hypotheses, we recorded fEPSPs and population spikes of CA1 neurons at 25°C, 30°C, and 35°C in 400μm slices over a 15min control period with the slice in oxygenated aCSF containing glucose (control solution), a 10min treatment period (OGD insult) where oxygen was replaced by nitrogen in aCSF lacking glucose, and a 30min recovery period with the slice in the control solution. The initial site of transmission failure during OGD occurred at the CA3-CA1 synapse, and recovery of signal transmission was at least, if not more (depending on temperature), complete in slices from hibernating vs. non-hibernating hamsters, and from non-hibernating hamsters vs. rats. Thus, hamster neuroprotective mechanisms supporting functional recovery were enhanced by cold temperatures and by hibernation.
Geometry and Empirical Science

(1945). Geometry and Empirical Science. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 7-17.
The Germicidal Effect of Lactic Acid in Milk

Reference to the germicidal effect of sour milk or buttermilk on pathogenic bacteria is occasionally found in the literature. It has been intimated that lactic-acid-producing bacteria are a protection against infectiousness of contaminated milk, inasmuch as the acid produced by these bacteria is said to destroy pathogenic bacteria. There is however little positive evidence to show whether this assumption is true or not. Earlier work by Barthel,1 Bassenge,2 and Behla3 is contradictory. An investigation by Northrup4 as to the fate of typhoid bacilli in milk and in lactose broth, acidified by cultivation of lactic acid bacteria and filtered through a Chamberland filter, seems to show that acid produced by different lactic acid organisms varies in degree of germicidial action. While one strain of "Bacterium lactis acidi" destroyed typhoid bacilli when 0.33 percent acid (as lactic acid) was present, other strains, including the bacillus bulgaricus, had the same effect only when nearly twice as much acid was present. Krumwiede and Noble5 determined the longevity of typhoid bacilli in sour cream. The authors make the following deductions from their work:
Effect of Temperature, light, and Date of Collection on the Feeding Rate of the Sweet clover Wleevil

Feeding rates of adult Sitona cylindricollis Fahraeus collected at different seasons and maintained at different temperatures and light regimes were compared in the laboratory. Feeding rates were highest for Weevils collected in fall and lowest for those collected in midsummer. Weevils collected in spring and summer ate more when the temperature was 75°F, and fall-collected weevils ate more when the temperature was between 75° and 90°F. Weevils when exposed to complete darkness, but newly emerged weevils collected in July fed significantly more in the dark than in the light. These responses to light corresponded also with their daily period of activity in the field. Results of this study will be applied in the search for resistance in sweet lover.
Personal, anticipated information need

Background. The role of personal information collections is a well known feature of personal information management. The World Wide Web has introduced to such collections ideas such as filing Web pages or noting their existence in 'Bookmarks' and 'Favourites'. Argument. It is suggested that personal information collections are created in anticipation of some future need for that information-personal, anticipated information need, which also underlies the design of formal information systems. Elaboration. Examination of the literature of information needs and information seeking behaviour leads to the formulation of five propositions that elaborate the concept of personal, anticipated information need. These propositions draw upon concepts such as uncertainty, predictability, sensitivity and the valuation of information sources. Conclusion. An individual's understanding of personal, anticipated information need and how this understanding guides the acquisition and management of personal information will determine the effectiveness of that collection.
Eponymic fractures of the ankle.

Abstract The author summarizes the most well-known eponymic fractures of the ankle, with emphasis on their radiographic appearance. Interestingly, the injuries described by Dupuytren, Maisonneuve, Pott, and Tillaux all share a common mechanism.
On the Zampone Trail

This article explores a renowned Italian salume (cured meat product) made of many different pork oddments that give it a complex but melting texture. It is usually found in one of two forms, cotechino or—the chief focus of the article—the more demanding zampone . Both are associated with the Christmas-New Year9s holiday season throughout the Emilia-Romagna region. For cotechino, a mixture of pork meat, tendons, rind, and bits of snout and jowl is filled into hog casings just as for other sausages; for the more demanding zampone, a similar mixture is stuffed into an almost completely deboned pig9s foot. The article traces the history of zampone from Renaissance Modena to modern commercial versions; it then recounts the author9s attempt to make it from scratch, as was done in his childhood in the Cape Cod village of Sagamore, a community of immigrants from Emilia-Romagna who long preserved traditions of home butchering and sausage-making.
Quantitative Analyses of Molecular Surface Electrostatic Potentials in Relation to Hydrogen Bonding and Co-Crystallization

The important role that electrostatic potentials computed on molecular surfaces can have in designing new materials via co-crystallization is discussed and illustrated. The locally most positive and most negative values of the surface electrostatic potential identify and rank sites for hydrogen bonding (complementing Etter’s rules), halogen bonding, and other types of noncovalent interactions. It is shown that the primary interactions are often better viewed as involving small regions rather than specific atoms. Recent applications of cocrystallization as a means of reducing the hazard associated with energetic materials are briefly examined.