cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel Minimally Invasive, Intrapericardial Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Coil System: A Useful Approach to Arrhythmia Therapy in Children

Background Current approaches to implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation in children remain challenging. Transvenous access may be limited due to patient size or anatomy, while epicardial patches require sternotomy or thoracotomy. We present an alternative approach; minimally invasive placement of a transvenous ICD coil within the pericardial space with active fixation. Methods Between August 2005 and October 2008, 7 children meeting indications for ICD therapy for ventricular tachyarrhythmias underwent intrapericardial placement of an ICD coil system. Median age was 5 years (range, 1 to 17), weight was 14 kg (range, 8 to 46), and 4 patients weighed less than 20 kg. The ICD system was composed of a single or dual defibrillation coil, an active can, and either ventricular or dual chamber epicardial sense-pace leads. All implantations were performed through a small subxiphoid incision and pericardial window without sternotomy. The coil lead was actively fixated in the transverse sinus under fluoroscopic guidance, and the generator placed in a subrectus pocket in the upper abdomen through the same incision. Results There were no perioperative complications, and no early or late deaths. All implants had acceptable defibrillation energies (range, 5 to 15 J) that were successfully tested intraoperatively, and none required energy increase or lead revision during follow-up (range, 1 to 39 months; median, 20 months). Impedance between the active can and the defibrillation coil remained stable in all. There were no inappropriate discharges. Thirty-six successful ICD discharges in 4 patients were recorded. Two patients underwent subsequent orthotopic heart transplantation and ICD system removal. Conclusions Intrapericardial placement of an ICD coil system can be safely and successfully carried out through a minimally invasive subxiphoid approach in small infants and children. This novel ICD configuration demonstrates excellent performance, and provides a particularly efficacious approach to ventricular tachyarrhythmia therapy in pediatric patients.
Study of the Beneficiation Technology for Low-Grade Bauxite

With the decreasing of aluminum/silicon ratio in bauxite, the original technical process make Ore dressing-Bayer process used for producing alumina lost competitiveness. In this experiment, the low-grade bauxite with A/S ratio of about 4 is used as raw material and its composition and dissemination characteristics are analyzed. The selective grinding study shows that the separation by the particle size classification is difficult to improve the A/S ratio of concentrate mineral. Through the flotation experiments, the technological condition for improving the A/S ratio of diaspore by direct--flotation was discussed; the technological and economic indicators of the different beneficiation process were also compared.
Design considerations for high-speed optical modulator driver amplifiers using HBTs

To implement high-bandwidth optical analog or digital communication links based on optical modulators, ultrahigh performance modulator driver amplifiers are required. Design considerations for such amplifiers are discussed here. Designs are significantly different than for laser driver amplifiers. For modulator drivers, an emitter follower output stage is appropriate. Active pull-down circuitry is beneficial to reduce power dissipation in a digital driver. Inductive tuning is beneficial to extend frequency response. Flip-chip mounting is beneficial to reduce bonding parasitic capacitance. Examples are given for driver designs for 10Gbit/s digital applications, and for 20GHz analog links, employing GaAs/AlGaAs HBT technology.
The Lombard Sign as a Function of Age and Task

The Lombard sign was investigated as a function of age and task. Twenty adults and 20 5-year-old children spoke in quiet and in the presence of a 90-dB SPL noise. Half the subjects labelled a serie...
Analysis of the DNA-binding affinity, sequence specificity and context dependence of the glucocorticoid receptor zinc finger region

The glucocorticoid receptor binds with high affinity to glucocorticoid response elements (GREs), which commonly consist of imperfect DNA palindromes with hexameric core binding motifs separated by three base-pairs; the receptor dimerizes upon binding to these sequences, with one monomer occupying each core motif. To examine quantitatively the receptor-DNA interaction, and to characterize the effects of single base-pair mutations and sequence context on this interaction, we have studied the binding of a purified glucocorticoid receptor fragment, T7X556, to a 30 bp oligonucleotide containing a complex arrangement of potential receptor binding sites (RBS): two consensus core motifs, RBSo and RBSa reside in the same orientation and overlap by one base-pair, and a third site, RBSb, a partial match to the consensus separated by three base-pairs and in opposite orientation from RBSa. Using four different footprinting reagents, we detected a receptor dimer bound to one face of the DNA double helix, making close contacts with two adjacent major grooves. One monomer bound with high affinity to RBSa and the other bound with lower affinity to RBSb; transfection studies revealed that both binding sites were necessary for GRE activity in vivo. We measured the affinity of the receptor interaction with RBSa, RBSb and non-specific sites, and showed that protein binding at RBSb was improved approximately 150-fold by cooperativity with RBSa. Remarkably, T7X556 failed to bind to the consensus RBSo sequence, even when it was mutated to match exactly RBSa; the preference for RBSa over RBSo was due neither to the presence of RBSb, nor to occlusion of RBSo by protein bound at RBSa. To examine the relative contribution of each core nucleotide to the binding reaction, we saturated RBSo and RBSa with point mutations. The results implied that four RBSa nucleotides, (or 5'- x G x ACA-3'), may make specific contacts with the protein, as certain mutations at these positions reduced binding drastically. Consistent with the footprinting and transfection assays, equivalent mutations in RBSo had no effect on protein binding. Thus, these findings indicate that the consensus core motif alone is not sufficient to specify a functional RBS, and that flanking sequences create an appropriate context for protein binding.
The effects of photoperiod on gametogenesis in the tropical sea urchin Eucidaris tribuloides (Lamarck) (Echinodermata: Echinoidea)

Abstract The tropical sea urchin Eucidaris tribuloides (Lamarck) was placed under two variable and two fixed photoperiod regimes at a constant temperature of 22 °C for a period of 1 yr. Gametogenic condition was ascertained at time zero (June 1988) and then every 3 months thereafter by scoring the ripeness of the gonads (presence of gametes oozing from gonad, microscopic examination of egg sizes and sperm activity from smears), measuring the gonadal index, and histologically analyzing subsamples of the ovaries and testes. Individuals held under ambient in-phase photoperiod regimes (14L : 10D summer; 10L : 14D winter) developed mature gonads in September 1988 in synchrony with the known annual reproductive cycle of field populations. Individuals held under photoperiod regimes 6 months out-of-phase with ambient photoperiod did not become reproductively mature until March 1989, indicating that gametogenesis had been delayed until the days shortened or nights lengthened during the artificial “winter” photoperiod. Sea urchins held under fixed long days (15L : 9D) delayed gametogenesis over the entire year, developing mature gonads in ≈ 20% of the individuals. Sea urchins held under fixed short days (9L: 15D) were stimulated to produce mature gametes throughout the year, and mature gonads were found in ≈ 60% of the individuals. These observations suggest that short days or long nights enhance and entrain gametic development in E. tribuloides . This is the first documentation of photoperiodic control of gametogenesis in a tropical echinoderm, and indicates that marine invertebrates may be able to cue reproductive events using relatively moderate, but highly predictable, incremental changes in annual photoperiod.
Distribution costs of global climate change

The problem of global climate change links the issues of energy utilization, economic development, environmental degradation, and equity on a planetary scale. Questions concerning the scale and timing of the impact of continuously increasing emissions of greenhouse gases remain. A set of approaches has emerged which claim to objectively demonstrate that nothing or very little should be done to address this problem. These approaches rely on standard economic theory and analytical methods to reach their conclusion that significant worldwide action is unnecessary. In the authors' view, however, these approaches contain biases which place an exceptionally high value on maintaining the status quo of global patterns of resource consumption and distribution of wealth. When utilized to analyze various policy options, this bias results in a determination that equity considerations are too costly and may impede technological and economic progress. As an alternative, the authors propose an approach based on a principle of equity in atmospheric resource utilization. >
Transversality in generalized manifolds

Abstract Suppose that X is a generalized n -manifold, n≥5 , satisfying the disjoint disks property, and M and Q are topological m - and q -manifolds, respectively, 1-LCC embedded in X , with n−m≥3 and n−q≥3 . We define what it means for M to be stably transverse to Q in X . In the metastable range, 3m≤2(n−1) and 3(m+q) , we show that there is an arbitrarily small homotopy of M to a 1-LCC embedding that is stably transverse to Q .
Atypical systolic clicks produced by prolapsing mitral valve masses

Abstract Mid- or late-systolic clicks were originally thought to be extracardiac in origin.1 It was not until the 1960s that these clicks were demonstrated by angiography to be associated with late systolic prolapse of the mitral valve and mitral regurgitation.2 This was subsequently confirmed by intracardiac phonocardiographic recording of clicks and late systolic murmurs in the left (but not the right) atrium.3 Since that time, occasional cases of mid- and late-systolic sounds have been described in the absence of mitral valve prolapse. These include a left ventricular tumor prolapsing into the left atrium,4 a right ventricular tumor prolapsing across the pulmonic valve,5 right atrial myxomas “plopping” in and out of the right ventricle,6 severe aortic regurgitation7 and prolapse of the tricuspid valve.8 The present report reviews a previous case we described of a midsystolic click produced by a prolapsing prosthetic mitral valve vegetation9 and describes 2 additional cases of atypical midsystolic clicks associated with prolapsing mitral valve masses. We propose that the mechanism of sound production was the same in all 3 cases and was associated with abrupt movement of a mitral leaflet toward the left ventricle during “disengagement” of the mass from the mitral valve apparatus, and prolapse into the left atrium.
Circuit mechanisms of acquired epileptogenesis

The time course of development of spontaneous recurrent seizures is a sigmoid function of time after status epilepticus or perinatal stroke, which reflects underlying mechanisms of epileptogenesis. The increase in recurrent excitation after axon sprouting, along with death of specific γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons, may contribute to this temporal pattern of epileptogenesis. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper's Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, Fourth Edition (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado-Escueta AV, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at www. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books).
Precision of Ellipsometric Measurement

By numerical analysis of the general formulas for standard ellipsometiric measurement, positions of the compensator, polarizer, and analyzer can be found such that the errors of Δ and ψ are minimized. Such optimal conditions can be found for any value of Δ and ψ from plots that are given. The improvement of precision over that of usual methods can be one order of magnitude or better in some Δ, ψ regions.
Rebooting Psychotherapy Research and Practice to Reduce the Burden of Mental Illness

Psychological interventions to treat mental health issues have developed remarkably in the past few decades. Yet this progress often neglects a central goal-namely, to reduce the burden of mental illness and related conditions. The need for psychological services is enormous, and only a small proportion of individuals in need actually receive treatment. Individual psychotherapy, the dominant model of treatment delivery, is not likely to be able to meet this need. Despite advances, mental health professionals are not likely to reduce the prevalence, incidence, and burden of mental illness without a major shift in intervention research and clinical practice. A portfolio of models of delivery will be needed. We illustrate various models of delivery to convey opportunities provided by technology, special settings and nontraditional service providers, self-help interventions, and the media. Decreasing the burden of mental illness also will depend on integrating prevention and treatment, developing assessment and a national database for monitoring mental illness and its burdens, considering contextual issues that influence delivery of treatment, and addressing potential tensions within the mental health professions. Finally, opportunities for multidisciplinary collaborations are discussed as key considerations for reducing the burden of mental illness.
More Social Choice

Chapter 5 dealt with what might be called “concrete social choice theory” in that specific social choice procedures were introduced and analyzed. The present chapter deals with what might be called “abstract social choice theory.” Rather than consider any particular social choice procedures, this chapter establishes some limitations on what kind of “better” procedures can ever be found. These are very striking results. They are not saying that certain kinds of procedures fail to exist in the sense that no one has yet discovered one, they’re saying it is absolutely pointless even to look—one will never be found.
Periodic orbits and unstable manifolds for ordinary differential equations

Consider the unstable manifold of a hyperbolic periodic orbit of an ordinary differential equation under C1 perturbations of the vector field and under approximation by a one-step numerical method, which is at least first order. Trajectories bounded backwards in time near the periodic orbit perturb Hausdorff continuously. This result as applied to numerical perturbations improves on Alouges-Debussche [1], who give only continuity of the unstable maniford, and on Beyn [3], who gives continuity of trajectories only when the periodic orbit is unstable. As a corollary, we find that attractors perturb Hausdorff continuously when the attractor equals a union of locally continuous unstable manifolds of invariant sets
Data and information architectures for large-scale distributed data intensive information systems

The Earth Observing System (EOS) Data and Information System (EOSDIS) is perhaps one of the most important examples of large-scale, geographically distributed, and data intensive systems. The paper presents various facets of a data and information architecture for EOSDIS. EOS data is organized by means of an object-oriented schema, while EOS knowledge is organized through multiple domain-specific thesauri, complemented by domain knowledge and rules. The information holdings are organized into the source data archives, a data warehouse which provides an integrated view of the information holdings, and information marts which generate value-added information products for specialized user communities. Finally a federated client-server architecture is proposed to allow non-EOSDIS systems to become members of the EOSDIS community, allowing them to access EOSDIS holdings, and sharing their own data with EOSDIS.
Optimal Successive Group Decoders for MIMO Multiple-Access Channels

We consider a slow-fading narrowband multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) multiple-access channel (MAC) in which multiple users, each equipped with multiple transmit antennas, communicate to a receiver equipped with multiple receive antennas. The users are unaware of the channel state information (CSI) whereas the receiver has perfect CSI and employs a successive group decoder (SGD). We obtain achievable outage probabilities for the case where an outage must be declared simultaneously for all users (common outage) as well as the case where outages can be declared individually for each user (individual outage). We then derive the optimum successive group decoder (OSGD) that simultaneously minimizes the common outage probability and the individual outage probability of each user, over all SGDs of permissible decoding complexity. For each channel realization, the OSGD is also shown to maximize the error exponent of the decodable set of users. An adaptive SGD is derived which not only retains the outage optimality of the OSGD but also minimizes the expected decoding complexity. Asymptotically tight (in the limit of high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)) affine approximations are then obtained for the weighted sum common and individual outage capacities and the symmetric outage capacity yielded by the OSGD. Limiting expressions for the relevant capacities as the number of users and the number of receive antennas approach infinity are also obtained and it is shown that the OSGD yields symmetric capacity gains commensurate with the decoding complexity allowed. Simulation results with practical low-density parity-check (LDPC) outer codes show that the OSGD offers significantly improved performance at low decoding complexity.
Rrp2, a prokaryotic enhancer-like binding protein, is essential for viability of Borrelia burgdorferi

The Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, exists in two diverse niches (i.e., an arthropod tick vector and mammalian host) during its enzootic life cycle. To effectively adapt to these unique environments, the bacterium alters the expression of numerous genes, including several major outer surface (lipo)proteins that are required for infection and transmission. An enhancer-binding protein (EBP), known as Rrp2, is one identified activator of the RpoN/RpoS alternative sigma factor cascade. Because initial efforts to generate an rrp2 deletion strain were unsuccessful, the role of Rrp2 in the activation of the RpoN/RpoS pathway was first defined using a strain of B. burgdorferi carrying an rrp2 point mutant that was defective in its ability to activate RpoN-dependent transcription. The fact that subsequent attempts to disrupt rrp2 have also been unsuccessful has led investigators to hypothesize that Rrp2 has other undefined functions which are essential for B. burgdorferi survival and independent of its EBP function. We used a lac-based inducible expression system to generate a conditional rrp2 mutant in virulent B. burgdorferi. In this strain, an isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside-inducible copy of the rrp2 gene is expressed in trans from a borrelial shuttle vector. We found that the chromosomal copy of rrp2 could be inactivated only when rrp2 was induced, and the maintenance of rrp2 expression was required for the growth of the mutants. In addition, the overexpression of rrp2 is detrimental to B. burgdorferi growth in a manner that is independent of the RpoN/RpoS pathway. These studies provide the first direct evidence that rrp2 is an essential gene in B. burgdorferi.
An enhanced SOFM method for automatic recognition and identification of digital modulations

This paper enhances the author's previous work with adding memory and other methods to SOFM recognition system to speed up the process and improve the accuracy of the automatically recognition. The focus of this research is the various M-ary QAM and PSK modulated signal formats subjected to data contamination by noise and fading. Distinguish from other studies, the complexity of nonlinear channel situations and certain critical use cases have been considered in the estimation of the unknown constellation. Successful recognition results have been achieved with low SNR for BPSK, QPSK, PSK-16 and QAM-16, and modest SNR from 10 to 20 dB for higher-level QAM schemes up to QAM-256.
INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE AS AN EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS

. I explore the contributions of Ibrahim Moosa, a Muslim legal scholar, to a Muslim-Christian dialogue on religion and science. Moosa begins from the context of Shari'a, Islamic law, and not from the usual issues of the religion-science dialogue. Beginning as it does from a legal tradition, the approach suggests a perspective on science and religion that is particular to Islam and provides insight into how an authentic dialogue between Muslims and Christians would proceed—and thereby an alternative model for a religion-science dialogue.
56 Kbps data transmission across the PSTN. How does it work

On September 10, 1996, Rockwell Semiconductor Systems shocked the communications industry with its announcement of a revolutionary new dial up modem technology for communicating across the public switched telephone network (PSTN) at rates up to 56 Kbps. Since that time, Rockwell's 56 Kbps technology has been supported and adopted by most of the communications related companies in the world as the way to communicate at rates up to 56 Kbps. Prior to this announcement, the modem communications industry had convinced itself that communications across the PSTN were limited by Shannon's theorem to rates below 35 Kbps. Although Rockwell published a white paper describing its 56 Kbps technology shortly after the public announcement, and submitted its technology for standardization to both the ITU and the ANSI TR30 committees, there have been continual requests for an in-depth discussion of how the technology works, with particular emphasis on how this technology gets around the so-called Shannon limit. This paper attempts to address these issues.
Bayesian semiparametric modeling and inference with mixtures of symmetric distributions

We propose a semiparametric modeling approach for mixtures of symmetric distributions. The mixture model is built from a common symmetric density with different components arising through different location parameters. This structure ensures identifiability for mixture components, which is a key feature of the model as it allows applications to settings where primary interest is inference for the subpopulations comprising the mixture. We focus on the two-component mixture setting and develop a Bayesian model using parametric priors for the location parameters and for the mixture proportion, and a nonparametric prior probability model, based on Dirichlet process mixtures, for the random symmetric density. We present an approach to inference using Markov chain Monte Carlo posterior simulation. The performance of the model is studied with a simulation experiment and through analysis of a rainfall precipitation data set as well as with data on eruptions of the Old Faithful geyser.
De Novo Synthesis and Mobilization of Trifoliin A by Clover Seedling Roots

The interaction between legume lectins and the Rhizobium symbiont has been implicated in the specific recognition of these bacteria by host root hairs (Bohlool, Schmidt 1974, Dazzo, Hubbell 1975). The study of the synthesis and transport of lectins has been made easier and more sensitve when labeled amino acids could be incorporated (Crispeels, Bollini 1982, Roberts, Lord 1981). We are studying the synthesis and mobilization of trifoliin A, a white clover lectin which binds R. trifolii, in order to better elucidate the regulation of this system.
Self and other through the prism of AIDS: a literary examination of relationships with patients.

This article examines how the non-ill, often formal or informal caregivers, structure their relationships with the ill, using as a specific example the disease of AIDS; and as a specific analytic tool selections of fictional writing. An introductory rationale explores why literature may be well-suited to helping us understand value-laden issues such as relationship. Discussion then focuses on how the professional and personal Self is identified and defined in relation to the suffering Other, through the development of concepts such as threat and boundary work. The concluding section suggests alternative relational models derived from more fluid and permeable definitions of Self and Other.
IMPLICATIONS OF RIPARIAN MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ON WOOD IN STREAMS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Riparian forest management plans for numerous regions throughout the world must consider long-term supply of wood to streams. The simulation model OSU STREAMWOOD was used to evaluate the potential effects of riparian management scenarios on the standing stock of wood in a hypothetical stream in the Pacific Northwest, USA. OSU STREAMWOOD simulates riparian forest growth, tree entry (including breakage), and in-channel processes (log breakage, movement, and decomposition). Results of three simulation scenarios are reported. The first scenario assessed total wood volume in the channel from Douglas-fir plantations clearcut to the stream bank using three rotation periods (60, 90, and 120 yr). Without a forested riparian management zone, accumulation of wood in the channel was minimal and did not increase through time. In the second scenario, response of total wood volume to forested riparian management zones of widths between 6 m and 75 m was evaluated. Total wood volume associated with the 6 m wide nonharvest...
Hydrogen bonding in nylon 66 and model compounds

Ever since its discovery [1] almost a century ago, the hydrogen bond, its character, and effect on molecular structure and properties have been the topic of numerous studies [2,3]. The hydrogen bond is unquestionably an essential idea in explaining the structure of natural proteins and synthetic polyamides as well as small molecule association phenomena, intramolecular ring closure, and catalysis.
The contribution of lateral rooting to phosphorus acquisition efficiency in maize (Zea mays) seedlings

Low soil phosphorus availability is a primary constraint for plant growth in many terrestrial ecosystems. Lateral root initiation and elongation may play an important role in the uptake of immobile nutrients, such as phosphorus, by increasing soil exploration and phosphorus solubilisation. The overall objective of this study was to assess the value of lateral rooting for phosphorus acquisition through assessment of the 'benefit' of lateral rooting for phosphorus uptake and the 'cost' of lateral roots in terms of root respiration and phosphorus investment at low and high phosphorus availability. Five recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of maize derived from a cross between B73 and Mo17 with contrasting lateral rooting were grown in sand culture in a controlled environment. Genotypes with enhanced or sustained lateral rooting at low phosphorus availability had greater phosphorus acquisition, biomass accumulation, and relative growth rate (RGR) than genotypes with reduced lateral rooting at low phosphorus availability. The association of lateral root development and plant biomass accumulation under phosphorus stress was not caused by allometry. Genotypes varied in the phosphorus investment required for lateral root elongation, owing to genetic differences in specific root length (SRL, which was correlated with root diameter) and phosphorus concentration of lateral roots. Lateral root extension required less biomass and phosphorus investment than the extension of other root types. Relative growth rate was negatively correlated with specific root respiration, supporting the hypothesis that root carbon costs are an important aspect of adaptation to low phosphorus availability. Two distinct cost-benefit analyses, one with phosphorus acquisition rate as a benefit and root respiration as a cost, the other with plant phosphorus accumulation as a benefit and phosphorus allocation to lateral roots as a cost, both showed that lateral rooting was advantageous under conditions of low phosphorus availability. Our data suggest that enhanced lateral rooting under phosphorus stress may be harnessed as a useful trait for the selection and breeding of more phosphorus-efficient maize genotypes.
Bandwidth efficient modulation for underwater acoustic data-communication

Research in the design of combining coding with bandwidth efficient modulation known as coded modulation has shown that high data rate reliable transmission over a variety of channels is achievable. The application of these coding techniques to the bandlimited underwater vertical channel is examined. A prototype acoustical modem is being developed with emphasis on high data rate, high performance at low power, and low complexity. A statistical model used to simulate the characteristic time and frequency spreading of this vertical underwater channel is presented. >
Skills Are Not Binary: Nuances in the Relationship Between ICT Skills and Employability

In regions with developing or transitioning economies, information and communication technology (ICT) skills are expected to provide potential employees a significant edge in securing comparatively high-paying jobs. However, ICT skills are not binary (i.e., there are ranges and levels of ICT skills), nor are the effects of ICT skills common across all contexts. To plan international development efforts that have the most impact on improving people's employability, we need more information about the relationship between ICT skills and employment, such as which ICT skills and what level of skill are sufficient for improving employability. In this article, we examine ICT skills and employment in the context of a transitioning economy, using the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan as a case study. Findings indicate that while ICT skills can be a predictor of employment and are associated with higher income, the level of ICT skill required to attain these jobs is not as high as one might expect. Skills that are considered basic computer literacy in the developed world are, in many developing and transitioning countries, considered sophisticated skill sets held by small segments of the population. In a developing world context, these skill sets are associated with high prestige jobs, especially when they are combined with other factors, such as higher education. This finding has interesting implications for designing development programs to improve employability, suggesting that training efforts should focus on what are considered advanced ICT skills in the local context.
Bone loss in epilepsy: barriers to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Abstract In epilepsy populations there are multiple barriers to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of metabolic bone disease. This study explored issues that may be unique to inner-city care. We screened 101 consecutive patient charts from our clinic to identify barriers to optimal care. According to the Health Belief Model, when patients view a condition as not severe and their perceived susceptibility is low, they are unlikely to comply with screening and/or adopt preventative behaviors. Despite routine communications to primary care doctors regarding bone health, its importance is still overlooked. In addition, the managed care referral process makes it difficult for a specialist to prevent, screen, and treat a primary care condition with no symptoms. For optimal patient care and to stimulate prevention and screening compliance, a communication style adapted to the patient’s knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes toward antiepileptic drug-induced bone loss is crucial to help reduce barriers against change.
Origin of water on the terrestial planets

We examine the origin of water in the terrestrial planets. We list various geochemical measurements that may be used to discriminate between different endogenous and exogenous sources of water. Late stage delivery of significant quantities of water from asteroidal and cometary sources appears to be ruled out by isotopic and molecular ratio considerations, unless either comets and asteroids currently sampled spectroscopically and by meteorites are unlike those falling to Earth 4.5 Ga ago or our measurements are not representative of those bodies. The dust in the accretion disk from which terrestrial planets formed was bathed in a gas of H, He and O. The dominant gas phase species were H2O, He, H2O, and CO. Thus grains in the accretion disk must have been exposed to and adsorbed H2 and water. We examine the efficacy of nebular gas adsorption as a mechanism by which the terrestrial planets accreted “wet”. A simple model suggests that grains accreted to Earth could have adsorbed 1 - 3 Earth oceans of water. The fraction of this water retained during accretion is unknown, but these results suggest that at least some of the water in the terrestrial planets may have originated by adsorption.
Salination of soil by salts in the irrigation water

This paper is a partial report on the quality of irrigation water. It is principally concerned with the salts of irrigation water which form salines in the soil. A method has been suggested for calculating the potential salinity of water and listed as ‘effective salinity.’ New conversion factors have been listed for changing from milliequivalents to parts per million or pounds of salt per acre foot for the soluble salts of effective salinity. A new standard has been suggested for the total salts of irrigation water based on the effective salinity, followed by a discussion concerning the application of this standard to irrigated agriculture.
Bladder Volume Sensing by Resistance Measurement

The resistance of the urinary bladder, as measured between two electrodes attached to the external bladder wall at frequencies above 100 kHz, is proportional to the bladder volume for properly placed electrodes. The feasibility of using an oscillator, the frequency of which is controlled by the bladder interelectrode resistance, to provide an electrical signal proportional to bladder volume for use in connection with an electronic bladder stimulator is presented. The implications of this result are discussed.
Acute Pancreatitis and Hypoglycemia

Although hyperglycemia is a better rec ognized feature of acute pancreatitis, hypo glycemia may and does occur at times. Cli nicians should be aware of this possibility.These authors add three cases to the lit erature. Two patients died with acute hem orrhagic pancreatitis; the third is alive after an attack associated with mumps.
Decode-amplify-forward (DAF): a new class of forwarding strategy for wireless relay channels

A new class of forwarding strategy, termed decode-amplify-forward (DAF), is proposed for relay channels. By exploiting the coding gain on the inter-user channel and maximizing the data fidelity using soft reliability representation, the proposed DAF strategy has cleverly combined the merits of both decode-forward (DF) and amplify-forward (AF). To fully harness the power promised by the DF-extended schemes such as coded cooperation, we further propose a DAF-DF mixed strategy that blends DAF and DF via time sharing. The considerable gains enabled by the proposed DAF and especially the DAF-DF strategies are demonstrated using mutual information and capacity analysis as well as extensive simulations on fast and slow fading channels.
Sulfentrazone absorption by plant roots increases as soil or solution pH decreases

Abstract Sulfentrazone is a herbicide that has been observed to injure crops in an unpredictable manner. Therefore, experiments were conducted to determine whether root absorption of sulfentrazone was dependent on the pH of the rooting medium. Studies were initiated to examine sulfentrazone uptake of whole plants from soil and hydroponic solution, as well of excised roots in solution. These experiments demonstrated that transpiration decreased as soil pH decreased and herbicide rate increased; it was our intention to use this measure as a description of herbicide injury. Likewise, plants grown for 24 h in 14C-sulfentrazone hydroponic solution accumulated a greater herbicide concentration in roots as solution pH decreased below 6.5. This trend of increased absorption with reduced solution pH was again demonstrated when excised cotton roots were placed for durations of 10 to 120 min in hydroponic solution containing 14C-sulfentrazone. However, when excised roots were placed in solution containing the weak a...
A Multi-Index GEM Technique and its Application to the Southwestern Japan/East Sea

Abstract This paper demonstrates a new gravest empirical mode (GEM) technique that constructs multi-index lookup tables of temperature (T) and specific volume anomalies (δ) using historical hydrocasts as a function of three indices: round-trip travel time (τ) from sea floor to the surface, sea surface temperature, and pressure. Moreover, the historical hydrocasts are separated into non-mixed-layer (NML) and mixed-layer (ML) groups, and a single GEM field is constructed for each group. This is called the MI-GEM technique. The appropriate dates for MI-GEM fields are determined by the monthly distribution of the number of NML and ML profiles in the historical hydrocasts, which are also well correlated with the strength of the winds during the 2 yr of observations. The T and δ profiles that are determined by this MI-GEM technique capture 92% and 88% of the T and δ variances in the depth range of 0–200 db. These values reduce by about one-third of the unexplained error variance of the residual GEM, which was r...
Nitric oxide inhibits ADH-stimulated osmotic water permeability in cortical collecting ducts.

Nitric oxide (NO) reduces blood pressure in vivo by two mechanisms, vasodilation and increasing urinary volume: however, the exact mechanism by which it increases urinary volume is not clear. We hypothesized that NO inhibits antidiuretic hormone (ADH)-stimulated fluid reabsorption (J(r)) by the isolated rat cortical collecting duct (CCD) by decreasing water permeability (Pf) and sodium reabsorption (Jna). In the presence of 10(-11) MADH, Jv was 0.15 +/- 0.04 nl.min-1.mm-1; after 10(-6) M spermine nonoate (SPM) was added to the bath. Jv decreased to 0.06 +/- 0.03 nl.min-1.mm-1 (P < 0.03). To investigate whether the inhibition of Jv was the result of decreased Pf and/or Jna, we first tested the effect of SPM on ADH-stimulated Pf. Basal Pf was stimulated to 289.2 +/- 77.3 microns/s after 10(-11) M ADH was added to the bath (P < 0.01). SPM decreased Pf to 159.8 +/- 45.0 microns/s (P < 0.05). To ensure that this effect on Pf was due to NO release, we used another NO donor, nitroglycerin (NTG). Pf was initially -25.8 +/- 18.3 microns/s and increased to 133.9 +/- 30.5 microns/s after addition of 10(-11) M ADH (P < 0.002). NTG, 20 microM, lowered Pf to 92.4 +/- 18.4 microns/s (P < 0.02). In the presence of 10(-9) M ADH, NTG also decreased Pf(P < 0.04). Next we investigated the effect of SPM on ADH-stimulated JNa. In the presence of ADH, JNa was 37.8 +/- 7.3 pmol.min-1.mm-1. After SPM was added, it dropped to 24.3 +/- 5.1 pmol.min-1.mm-1 (P < 0.05). Time controls exhibited no change in ADH-stimulated Jv, Pf, or Jna. We concluded that 1) NO decreases ADH-stimulated water and sodium transport in the isolate CCD, and 2) water reabsorption is inhibited by a primary effect on Pf. A direct effect of NO on the CCD may explain its natriuretic and diuretic effects observed in vivo.
Iron status in association with cardiovascular disease risk in 3 controlled feeding studies

BACKGROUND The role of body iron stores in free radical-induced peroxidation and cardiovascular disease risk has been debated, but controlled feeding studies using measurements of non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI) and LDL oxidation have not been conducted. OBJECTIVE We tested the hypothesis that NTBI and other measures of iron status do not affect oxidative susceptibility in healthy subjects with normal iron status. DESIGN Plasma samples were analyzed from 77 healthy men and women aged 20-65 y who participated in 3 controlled feeding studies in which the type and amount of dietary fat were controlled. Iron status and in vitro LDL oxidation were assessed at baseline and at the end of each feeding period (4-8 wk). RESULTS No significant relations were found between any measure of iron status (ferritin: 83 +/- 8.9 micro g/L; iron: 20.9 +/- 5.4 micro mol/L; TIBC: 74.4 +/- 11.0 micro mol/L; NTBI: 0.184 +/- 0.15 micro mol/L) and the in vitro measures of LDL oxidation (total dienes: 485 +/- 55 micro mol/mg LDL protein; lag time: 51.7 +/- 15.9 min; and rate of oxidation: 25.4 +/- 6.8 micro mol dienes.min(-1).g LDL protein(-1)). Equal-iron peanut butter-based diets were associated with higher plasma iron in men (22.4 +/- 3.8 micro mol/L) than was the olive oil diet (17.7 +/- 4.5 micro mol/L) (P = 0.02), but this slight elevation did not alter LDL oxidation. CONCLUSIONS Diet composition may affect plasma iron in men, but LDL oxidative susceptibility is unaffected by the subtle variation in iron status. Thus, the results do not support a relation between iron status and LDL oxidative susceptibility, a possible risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Wing-Shape Variation and Differential Timing of Migration in Dark-Eyed Juncos

Wing shape among Dark-eyed Juncos, Junco hyemalis, (as described by principal components analysis of eight wing measurements) varied significantly with capture date during the fall migration in southwestern Pennsylvania. We assessed the relationship between this variation and the differential timing of migration among and within age/sex classes in a sample of 463 juncos. Differential timing of migration among morphologically distinct age/sex classes accounted for most of the temporal variation in wing shape. Adult juncos tended to migrate earlier than immatures and females tended to precede males. Significant variation remained, however, even after accounting for differential timing of age/ sex classes. Specifically, wing shape varied with capture date among adult males and among immature males. Although some components of wing shape were correlated with body mass in juncos, body mass did not vary with capture date. Temporal variation in wing shape among Dark-eyed Juncos caught during fall migration seems to be the complex result of differential timing of migration both among and within age/sex classes. Variation in the distance migrated and/or timing of prebasic molt may contribute to these differences in migratory timing.
Dynamical analysis of low-energy-electron-diffraction intensities from GaP(110)

An analysis of the structure of the (110) surface of GaP is performed by comparing dynamical calculations of elastic low-energy electron diffraction (ELEED) intensities with those measured at $T=300$ K. Prior analyses of ELEED intensities from compound semiconductor surfaces are extended by considering both energy-independent (Slater) and energy-dependent (Hara) models of the exchange potential and by utilizing $R$-factor methods to assess the quality of the description of the measured intensities by the calculated ones. A description of the measured intensities is achieved which is as good as the best obtained earlier for analogous surfaces of other compound semiconductors: i.e., GaAs(110), InSb(110), InP(110), and ZnTe(110). The resulting best-fit structures consist of single-layer reconstructions characterized by a rotation angle of ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{1}=25\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ and a relaxation of the rotated top layer toward the substrate by 0.1 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.05 \AA{}. The top layer reconstruction is essentially identical to that for GaAs(110) and InSb(110), but relaxed 0.05 \AA{} closer to the substrate. In contrast to these two surfaces, however, no evidence is obtained for second-layer reconstructions on GaP(110), a result which may be due to the fact that the ELEED intensity data for GaP(110) were acquired at $T=300$ K, whereas those for GaAs(110) and InSb(110) were obtained at $T=150$ K.
A problem-solving approach to the treatment of insomnia: selected case histories.

The author presents case histories that demonstrate an approach to a spectrum of clinical scenarios that have common to them the complaint of insomnia. In the first, the physician is faced with an acute problem with an easily apparent, but superficial, etiology. The use of a benzodiazepine in this instance would be relatively noncontroversial. Its usage, without an exploration of the patient's perceptual frame, including psychosocial factors, would miss potentially important underlying problems
Counseling via Avatar: Professional Practice in Virtual Worlds

Professional counselors (n = 5) from the United States (2), Australia, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands were interviewed about the provision of counseling services in the multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) Second Life (SL). Using Strauss and Corbin’s (1998) method, qualitative data analysis yielded four themes: (i) encapsulating the immersive experience inherent in virtual worlds, (ii) contributions to successful avatar-based counseling, (iii) the practice of MUVE counseling, and (iv) practitioners’ pioneering spirit. This study contributes to distance counseling knowledge and lays the foundation for future avatar-based counseling research and practice.
Transcriptional control of amyloid β-protein precursor expression

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the transcriptional control of amyloid β-protein precursor (APP) expression. The level of APP transcripts or the level of APP may be secondarily affected by the pathological condition. The increase in the level of APP transcripts in nucleus basalis and locus ceruleus neurons is found to be attributable to the APP transcript lacking the Kunitz domain. It is suggested that APP gene expression is subject to regulation both in a cell- and tissue-specific manner and in response to external activating factors. It is found that the APP promoter region per se contributes prominently to the regulation of APP gene expression was obtained in transgenic mice. It is found that when the binding and nonbinding mutations across domain APBβ were analyzed by transient transfection, the results showed that the effect on APP promoter activity correlated with in vitro binding activity. The nonbinding mutations showed the same promoter activity as a deletion at position −77, whereas mutations that do not affect binding in vitro show the same promoter activity as the deletion at position −94. These results suggested that the nuclear factor that binds to APBβ is the primary contributor to APP promoter activity.