cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NMDA receptor antagonists suppress behaviors but not norepinephrine turnover or locus coeruleus unit activity induced by opiate withdrawal.

Pretreatment with the non-competitive NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) antagonist MK801 (0.5, 1.0 mg/kg, s.c.) suppressed the behavioral signs of withdrawal in morphine-dependent rats. However, the same doses of MK801 that suppressed morphine withdrawal also simultaneously produced phencyclidine (PCP)-like behaviors. Pretreatment with the competitive NMDA antagonist LY274614 (25, 50, 100 mg/kg i.p.) also suppressed the behavioral signs of withdrawal in morphine-dependent rats but did not produce PCP-like behavioral effects. Single unit recordings were made from noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) and, at doses that suppressed morphine withdrawal behaviors, neither MK801 nor LY274614 blocked the withdrawal-induced activation of LC neurons. Biochemical analysis indicated that, at the same behaviorally relevant doses, neither MK801 nor LY274614 blocked the withdrawal-induced increase in norepinephrine turnover in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, or hypothalamus. These results indicate that NMDA antagonists attenuate the behavioral signs of morphine withdrawal without blocking the withdrawal-induced increase in norepinephrine turnover or the withdrawal-induced increase in LC unit activity. In addition, non-competitive NMDA antagonists, like MK801, may not be useful to alleviate opiate withdrawal symptoms in man because of their PCP-like side effects. However, competitive NMDA antagonists, like LY274614, could be of great benefit for alleviating opiate withdrawal symptoms in man.
Characterization and outcome following excision of masses in the nictitating membranes of horses: 50 cases (1998–2012)

Objective—To determine the histologic findings associated with masses in the nictitating membranes (third eyelids) of horses and to identify prognostic factors associated with recurrence and the outcome. Design—Retrospective case series. Animals—50 horses with masses in a third eyelid. Procedures—Medical records of horses with partial or complete excision of a third eyelid and submission for histologic evaluation between September 1998 and November 2012 were reviewed. Horses were included if follow-up information for at least 1 year after surgery was available. Information regarding signalment and treatment was obtained from the medical records. Histopathology reports were examined to determine surgical margins and vascular invasion. Data were analyzed by means of a χ2 test to determine the association between recurrence and type of excision (partial or complete), surgical margins, vascular invasion, and use of chemotherapy as well as the association between partial excision of a third eyelid prior to referral and outcome. Results—Squamous cell carcinoma was the predominant tumor type of the third eyelid. There was recurrence in 10 of 50 (20%) horses; recurrence was at a mean of 2.25 years and median of 1.5 years after excision. Partial excision prior to referral was associated with outcome. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—In horses with masses in a third eyelid, recurrence and mortality rates were high, which suggested that long-term monitoring is important for all patients in which partial or complete third eyelid excision is performed.
A two-queue model with exhaustive and limited service disciplines

In this paper, we analyze a single server model with two queues. The server serves customers in one queue according to an exhaustive discipline and serves the other queue according to a limited discipline. We study the embedded Markov chain at departure epochs and obtain the transforms of the queue length and sojourn time distributions. We also present a light traffic analysis and a heavy traffic limit analysis for this model. We show that when the system approaches saturation, the two queues become independent
United States epidemiology of hepatitis A: influenced by immigrants visiting friends and relatives in Mexico?

Among the industrialized nations, the United States annually receives the greatest number of immigrants as permanent residents. Immigrants from Mexico have represented the largest segment of the foreign-born population in recent decades, and continued growth of Mexican immigration is predicted for the decades ahead. The changing demographics of this population, including the emergence of new immigrant growth centers, will influence the future epidemiology of hepatitis A virus transmission in the United States. Travel home to the place of origin to visit friends and relatives (VFR) by both newly arrived and established Mexican immigrants constitutes a new group of travelers that now include intergenerational family units. Asymptomatic pediatric travelers—who acquire hepatitis A abroad and are infectious on return to American communities—contribute to the silent transmission of hepatitis A to playmates, caretakers, and contacts in households, daycare facilities, and elementary schools. Considering the expanded geographic distribution of Mexican immigrant settlement, the predicted increased diversity of pediatric populations in the United States over time, and the continued growth of VFR travel, a universal pediatric vaccine recommendation for hepatitis A immunization can help to prevent hepatitis A transmission in this country in the future.
Exciton and Polaron Quenching in Doping‐Free Phosphorescent Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes from a Pt(II)‐Based Fast Phosphor

By introducing a neat Pt(II)-based phosphor with a remarkably short decay lifetime, a simplifi ed doping-free phosphorescent organic light-emitting diode (OLED) with a forward viewing external quantum effi ciency (EQE) and power effi ciency of 20.3 ± 0.5% and 63.0 ± 0.4 lm W − 1 , respectively, is demonstrated. A quantitative analysis of how triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) and tripletpolaron annihilation (TPA) affect the device EQE roll-off at high current densities is performed. The contributions from loss of charge balance associated with charge leakage and fi eld-induced exciton dissociation are found negligible. The rate constants k TTA and k TPA are determined by time-resolved photoluminescence experiments of a thin fi lm and an electrically-driven unipolar device, respectively. Using the parameters extracted experimentally, the EQE is modeled versus electric current characteristics of the OLEDs by taking both TTA and TPA into account. Based on this model, the impacts of the emitter lifetime, quenching rate constants, and exciton formation zone upon device effi ciency are analyzed. It is found that the short lifetime of the neat emitter is key for the reduction of triplet quenching.
ACCURACY IN SELF-APPRAISAL OF BODY-FRAME SIZE

A decision as to whether one is overweight is usually obtained by looking at height and weight tables which require a knowledge of sex, height, and body-frame size to determine ideal weight. These tables have been criticized because they have not included an objective procedure for determining body-frame size (1, 3). Tkis lack has been addressed in the 1983 Metropolitan Height and Weight tables by providing individuals with an objective means of estimating body-frame size. Recent mass media presentations of the 1983 tables, however, do not include the recommended procedure for determining body-frame size. It appears that people will continue to make subjective judgments regarding their body-frame size when determining their ideal weights with these tables. This study assessed the accuracy with which people estimate body-frame size when they are not provided an objective means of measurement. Subjects were 85 individuals recmited at a local shopping mall. Forty-five men with a mean age of 30 yr. (SD = 13.66 yr.) and 40 women with a mean age of 31 yr. (SD = 16.55 yr.) were asked to select their ideal weight by examining the 1983 Metropolitan Height and Weight tables. Their selections ~rovided the researchers with a subiective assessment of the subjects' body-frame size. The subjects were then objectively assessed for body-frame size by placing a soft measuring tape around the smallest circumference of the wrist, distal to styloid process of radius and ulna, a procedure developed by Lindner (2). Results indicated only 32 of 85 subjects correctly estimated body-frame size. When the data were examined according to sex, responses of 18 of 45 men and of 14 of 40 women agreed with the Linder criterion. Of the 40 men and 18 women whose data made it possible to underestimate body-frame size, i.e., those subjects with objectively determined medium and large body-frame sizes, 57% of the men and 61% of the women underestimated their body-frame size. As underestimating body-frame size may lead people to believe they are overweight when in fact they may not be, the incidence of underestimating observed here may help explain surveys which yield a much higher incidence of subjective feelings of being "too fat" than would be warranted by objective estimates.
Inhibition of Lymphocyte Activation by Antisera to Embryonic Antigens Shared With Human Placental Trophoblast

: In order to further examine the inhibition of lymphocyte activation reported with conventional antisera to human trophoblast membranes, we studied their effects on cells stimulated by antigen in mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) and by the mitogen phytohemagglutinin. The results were compared with the effects of antisera known to recognize intrinsic membrane determinants on activated T cells (DR antigens and placental alkaline phosphatase) and with those of antisera to normal human serum components such as transferrin which may bind to the activated lymphocyte membrane. The results indicated that antibodies to placental alkaline phosphatase, which constitutes the predominant specificity of conventional trophoblast membrane antisera, caused inhibition both of MLC response and, to a lesser extent, of activation induced by mitogen. Similar inhibition was obtained with antisera to human DR antigens, while antisera to normal human serum and transferrin were not suppressive. These findings, together with time course studies and immunocytochemical studies of the homologous antigens, suggest that these antisera mediate their inhibitory effects in part through binding to antigens which appear on cells as they undergo activation.
Classical sequential growth dynamics for causal sets

Starting from certain causality conditions and a discrete form of general covariance, we derive a very general family of classically stochastic, sequential growth dynamics for causal sets. The resulting theories provide a relatively accessible ``halfway house'' to full quantum gravity that possibly contains the latter's classical limit (general relativity). Because they can be expressed in terms of state models for an assembly of Ising spins residing on the relations of the causal set, these theories also illustrate how nongravitational matter can arise dynamically from the causal set without having to be built in at the fundamental level. Additionally, our results bring into focus some interpretive issues of importance for a causal set dynamics and for quantum gravity more generally.
Another step toward quantifying spontaneous mutation

Spontaneous mutation, the occurrence of random changes in the nucleotide sequences, is an unavoidable result of the basic laws of nature and the key property of DNA. Together with natural selection, mutation is a sine qua non of evolution, and the genome of a species can be thought of as a record of mutations, beneficial, neutral, or very slightly deleterious, that became fixed, over a very long time, in an evolving lineage. Moreover, at the level of complete genomes, spontaneous mutations are quite common. A eukaryotic genome may acquire, on average, one or more new mutations each generation, and the genotype of an individual carries a number mutations, some of them substantially deleterious, that occurred in its not-too-distant ancestors. Still, at the level of individual nucleotides, and even of individual loci, mutations are very rare. Thus, quantitative studies of mutation should naturally be performed at the genome level, but up to now, this had been technically impossible. Fortunately, this is no longer the case, and, in this issue of PNAS, Lynch et al. (1) report the first successful application of whole-genome sequencing to detection of de novo mutations.
Slag Metal Reactions during Submerged Arc Welding of Alloy Steels

The transfer of Cr, Si, Mn, P, S, C, Ni, and Mo between the slag and the weld pool has been studied for submerged arc welds made with calcium silicate and manganese silicate fluxes. The results show a strong interaction between Cr and Si transfer but no interaction with Mn. The manganese silicate flux produces lower residual sulfur while the calcium silicate fluxes are more effective for removal of phosphorus. The effective oxygen reaction temperature lies between 1700 and 2000 °C for all elements studied. Evidence of Cr and Mn loss by metal vaporization is also presented.
Variant euchromatic band within 16q12.1

The enlarged short arm of chromosome 16 resulting in an additional euchromatic band has been regarded as a variant. We present an unreported case with an unusual variant of chromosome 16, where the mother and daughter both have an additional band (q12.1) in the long arm. Its origin is chromosome 16, as revealed by FISH-technique, and its familial nature suggests that it has no clinical significance.
High Temperature Thermodynamic Properties of ZnTe(s)

We have gathered the partial pressure, Knudsen cell, and emf measurements on ZnTe(s) from which the Gibbs energy of formation can be calculated. Published partial pressures of diatomic tellurium have been adjusted to take account of a subsequently published third law analysis of tellurium. The equation used to calculate the total pressure from the rate of mass loss from an extensive set of Knudsen cell measurements has been corrected to give a 5% increase in total pressure and the Gibbs energy of formation has been recalculated. A high temperature heat capacity for ZnTe(s) has been selected from the published data. The Gibbs energies of formation as a function of temperature have then been fit using a third law analysis to give two essentially equally good but extreme fits. In the first, the standard enthalpy of formation agrees with the calorimetric value of −119 kJ/mol but the standard entropy of ZnTe(s) is low by 2-3 J/mol K. In the second, the standard enthalpy of formation is more positive than the calorimetric values by about 3 kJ/mol but the standard entropy of ZnTe(s) is 82 J/mol K and close to the value from low temperature heat capacity measurements. We select values of −119.49 kJ/mol for the standard enthalpy of formation and 78.23 J/mol K for the standard entropy.
Changes in early-onset group B beta hemolytic streptococcus disease with changing recommendations for prophylaxis.

Changes in Early-Onset Group B Beta Hemolytic Streptococcus Disease With Changing Recommendations For Prophylaxis
Effects of olfactory bulb ablation on dominance-related behaviors of male Mongolian gerbils.

Abstract Male gerbils showed persistent high levels of marking when tested in pairs after olfactory bulbectomy. Frequencies of mouthing and grooming self and opponent were depressed and the highly dominance-related behavior of crawling over an opponent was eliminated. Boxing was initially high, but declined over trials. Ablated animals defecated less in the test situation. The data are interpreted to mean that dominance relationships do not develop in the absence of olfactory stimulation.
Age, model for end-stage liver disease score, and organ functioning predict posttransplant tacrolimus neurotoxicity

Calcineurin-inhibiting immunosuppressive medications are the mainstay of posttransplant immunosuppression. Although these highly beneficial drugs are critical for posttransplant survival, significant numbers of transplant recipients experience side effects, some requiring a switch to a different immunosuppressive regimen. Neurotoxicity is one of the most debilitating side effects because of its impact on mental status and cognition. As our center uses tacrolimus as the initial immunosuppressant for all liver transplant (LTX) recipients, we were interested in those patients who required a switch because of neurotoxic side effects. Over a 5-year period, 827 adult LTX recipients received their first graft at our center. Ninety-four patients were no longer on tacrolimus by 2 months post-LTX (86 switched because of concerns over neurotoxicity, and 8 switched because of renal function concerns). Of those experiencing neurotoxic side effects, the majority (64%) had altered mental status, and 26% had seizures (first onset post-LTX). On the basis of our prior work, we hypothesized that patients with a pre-LTX history of excessive alcohol use would be at higher risk for neurotoxic effects. We also hypothesized that the elderly and those who had more advanced illness (that is, higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores) at LTX would be at risk as well. We found that patients with a pre-LTX diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease were not more likely to be switched from tacrolimus. Furthermore, we found that in addition to older age and higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores, poorer hepatic functioning was significantly associated with a switch from tacrolimus. We discuss the implications of these findings and the relevance for future clinical care in these high-risk patients.
MONITORING OF AXILLARY ARTERIAL PRESSURE IN A PATIENT WITH BUERGER'S DISEASE REQUIRING CLIPPING OF AN INTRACEREBRAL ANEURYSM

A 45-yr-old male with advanced Buerger's disease required surgical clipping of an intracerebral aneurysm. This case report emphasizes considerations of arterial pressure monitoring in a patient with advanced Buerger's Disease requiring a major surgical intervention.
Estimation of reservoir porosity and saturations using multiple sources of geophysical data

Abstract This paper is aimed at developing a technique for estimation of porosity and saturations of up to two phases by using several sources of geophysical data. The method is based on the use of four sources of geophysical information, namely, inversion of normal incidence reflection seismology data, high resolution velocity analysis, well-log methods, and ultra-sonic well-log estimates of P and S velocities in boreholes. It is assumed that the relationship between porosity and measured geophysical parameters are described by a model belonging to a predefined set of models. The model-related functions of measured geophysical parameters are approximated by a combination of predefined porosity-saturation functions. The results of these approximations are then used for the prediction of porosity when several measured geophysical parameters are available. In the case of two-phase media, a relative volume of each phase may be derived using acoustic impedance 1 or estimates of velocities or densities based on the use of a system of balance equations. For a three-phase medium, estimates of P and S velocities (or acoustic impedances) and densities may be used jointly to estimate relative volumes of all three components.
Method development for the determination of wood preservatives in commercially treated wood using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Abstract Fungicides and insecticides are commonly used preservatives to protect wood products against microbiological degradations. Currently, there is a lack of analytical methods addressing the quantitative determination of a wide range of wood preserving species in wood matrices. In this study, a reliable method was developed for the determination of a mixture of wood preserving agents with differing chemical structures (i.e., properties), including tebuconazole (TAZ), propiconazole (PAZ), 3-iodo-2-propynyl butylcarbamate (IPBC), and permethrin (PER), in pine wood. The analyte recoveries obtained by Soxhlet and multiple-stage sonication extractions were compared. While both extraction methods yielded similar results (80–100%), Soxhlet extraction was found to be less labor-intensive and thus preferred providing also lower RSDs of 1–6%. In comparison to methanol, commonly used as an extraction solvent for triazoles, acetone yielded similar extraction efficiencies for all analytes while reducing the time of sample concentration. The solid phase extraction method for triazoles was adapted to allow for a separation of IPBC and PER from the wood matrix. As opposed to previous studies, three recovery standards were employed, which enabled the correction of individual analyte losses during the sample preparation. The matrix-affected limits of detection (LODs) using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection were nearly the same for triazoles 0.07 and 0.21 ng g −1 for PAZ and TAZ in sapwood and 0.18 and 0.21 ng g −1 in heartwood, respectively. Higher LODs were observed for IPBC and PER: 3.9 and 1.7 ng g −1 in sapwood, and 2.0 and 6.0 ng g −1 in heartwood, respectively. The recoveries in the wood submitted to commercial sample treatment showed gradient distribution of analytes depending on the penetration of the treatment.
Quality of Life of Cancer Patients in Underserved Populations in South Africa

The majority of studies on the relationship between cancer and well-being have been conducted in the United States and other Western countries. Consequently, a bias might exist that ignores the influence of cultural factors on perceptions of cancer, its etiology, and treatment. This investigation, a pilot study using African languages, attempted to explore the impacts of culture on health-related quality of life by using Cella's FACT-G scales to study rural Zulu, Pedi, and Tswana patients of extremely low socioeconomic status. Results suggest that cultural factors may exert a significant influence on the experience of FACT-G measured quality-of-life issues for cancer patients. Specifically, cultural attitudes toward accepting fate, a high level of trust and deference to healers, and a highly collectivistic orientation surrounding treatment decisions and procedures may have had an impact on the patient's scores on all four FACT-G subscales.
Dynamics of open bosonic quantum systems in coherent state representation

We consider the problem of decoherence and relaxation of open bosonic quantum systems from a perspective alternative to the standard master equation or quantum trajectories approaches. Our method is based on the dynamics of expectation values of observables evaluated in a coherent state representation. We examine a model of a quantum nonlinear oscillator with a density-density interaction with a collection of environmental oscillators at finite temperature. We derive the exact solution for dynamics of observables and demonstrate a consistent perturbation approach.
North Atlantic warming during global cooling at the end of the Cretaceous

Differences in regional responses to climate fluctuations are well documented on short time scales (e.g., El Nino–Southern Oscillation), but with the exception of latitudinal temperature gradients, regional patterns are seldom considered in discussions of ancient greenhouse climates. Contrary to the expectation of global warming or global cooling implicit in most treatments of climate evolution over millions of years, this paper shows that the North Atlantic warmed by as much as 6 °C (1.5‰ decrease in δ18O values of planktic foraminifera) during the Maastrichtian global cooling interval. We suggest that warming was the result of the importation of heat from the South Atlantic. Decreasing North Atlantic δ18O values are also associated with increasing gradients in planktic δ13C values, suggesting increasing surface-water stratification and a correlated strengthening of the North Atlantic Polar Front. If correct, this conclusion predicts arctic cooling during the late Maastrichtian. Beyond implications for the Maastrichtian, these data demonstrate that climate does not behave as if there is a simple global thermostat, even on geologic time scales.
Impact of cloud microphysical processes on hurricane intensity, part 2: Sensitivity experiments

Seven different microphysical sensitivity experiments were designed with an objective to evaluate their respective impacts in modulating hurricane intensity forecasts using mesoscale model MM5. Microphysical processes such as melting of graupel, snow and cloud ice hydrometeors, suppression of evaporation of falling rain, the intercept parameter and fall speed of snow and graupel hydrometeors are modified in the existing NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) microphysical parameterization scheme. We studied the impacts of cloud microphysical processes by means of track, intensity, precipitation, propagation speed, kinematic and thermodynamic vertical structural characteristics of hurricane inner core. These results suggest that the set of experiments where (a) melting of snow, graupel and cloud ice were suppressed (b) melting of snow and graupel were suppressed and (c) where the evaporation of rain water was suppressed all produced most intense storms. The major findings of this study are the interconversion processes such as melting and evaporation among hydrometeors and associated feedback mechanism are significantly modulate the intensity of the hurricane. In particular an experiment where the melting of graupel, snow and cloud ice hydrometeors was eliminated from the model parameterization scheme produced the most explosively intensified storm. In the experiment where rain water evaporation was eliminated from the model, it produced a stronger storm as compared to the control run but it was not as strong as the storms produced from absence of melting processes. The impact on intensity due to variations made in intercept parameters of the hydrometeors (i.e., snow and graupel) were not that evident compared to other experiments. The weakest storm was noted in the experiment where the fall speeds of the snow hydrometeors were increased two fold. This study has isolated some of the factors that contributed to a stronger hurricane and concludes with a motivation that the findings from this study will help in further improvement in the design of sophisticated explicit microphysical parameterization for the mesoscale non-hydrostatic model for realistic hurricane intensity forecasts.
Upper-mantle seismic discontinuities and the thermal structure of subduction zones

The precise depths at which seismic velocities change abruptly in the upper mantle are revealed by the analysis of data from hundreds of seismometers across the western United States. The boundary near 410km depth is locally elevated, that near 660 km depressed. The depths of these boundaries, which mark phase transitions, provide an in situ thermometer in subduction zones: the observed temperature contrasts require at least moderate thickening of the subducting slab near 660 km depth. In addition, a reflector near 210 km depth may mark the bottom of the aesthenosphere.
Information technology in a transnational environment

Information technology (IT) has substantially altered societies, economies, and politics, and in the process has transcended state boundaries to form a global environment. Based on an extensive literature review, this paper examines the specific character of IT in a transnational environment and its effects on different societal units in order to understand IT-related issues and their resolution by means of national and international policy. Three dimensions of IT are proposed: the characteristics dimension, the effects dimension, and the issue area and policy dimension. The characteristics dimension refers to the salient characteristics of IT; the effects dimension considers the impact of IT on the individual, the transnational organization, and the state. The interaction of the above two dimensions create different issue areas and a demand for regulation and public policy; this is referred to as the issue area and policy dimension. Finally, harmonizing the differences in national policies is accomplished through bilateral, regional, or multilateral negotiations. >
Ant Diversity and Distribution in Acadia National Park, Maine

Exotic ant species are a primary threat to ant biological diversity, posing a negative impact to native ant communities. In this study, we examine species richness of ants (family Formicidae) in Acadia National Park, ME, as a fundamental step toward understanding the present impact of the exotic species Myrmica rubra on native ant species. Twelve habitat types were sampled, along six transects, with pitfall traps, visual searching, bait traps, and leaf litter extraction, and the aid of 34 volunteers. We report 42 species of ants in Acadia National Park, comprising five subfamilies (Amblyoponinae, Dolichoderinae, Formicinae, Myrmicinae, and Ponerinae) and 15 genera; the cataloged species represents 75% of the species originally recorded in the area by Procter (1946). Our findings suggest M. rubra is currently not a dominant species throughout the entire island. However, where this species has invaded locally, few competing native species coexist. The species Lasius alienus, Formica subsericea, Myrmica detritinodis, Camponotus herculeanus, Formica argentea, Formica aserva, and Tapinoma sessile occurred most often in our survey. We report the ant species Amblyopone pallipes and Dolichoderus mariae as two new records for the state of Maine.
Parallel Thinking: A Technique for Group Interaction and Problem Solving

If we want students to develop into good problem solvers and to be able to interact in decision-making groups, then we have to teach them techniques for thinking. The education system has generally...
Infusion of donor leukocytes to induce tolerance in organ allograft recipients

To further enhance chimerism, 229 primary allograft recipients have received perioper- ative intravenous infusion of a single dose of 3 to 6 3 10 8 unmodified donor bone marrow (BM) cells/kg body weight. In addition, 42 patients have been accrued in a concurrent protocol involving multiple (up to three) sequential perioperative infu- sions of 2 3 10 8 BM cells/kg/day from day 0-2 posttransplantation (PTx). Organ recipients (n 5 133) for whom BM was not available were moni- tored as controls. The infusion of BM was safe and except for 50 (18%), all study patients have opti- mal graft function. Of the control patients, allo- grafts in 30 (23%) have been lost during the course of follow-up. The cumulative risk of acute cellular rejection (ACR) was statistically lower in the study patients compared with that of controls. It is inter- esting that, 62% of BM-augmented heart recipients were free of ACR (Grade $ 3A) in the first 6 months PTx compared to controls. The incidence of oblit- erative bronchiolitis was also statistically lower in study lung recipients (3.8%) compared with the contemporaneously acquired controls (31%). The levels of donor cell chimerism were at least a log higher in the peripheral blood of majority of the study patients compared with that of controls. The incidence of donor-specific hyporeactivity, as deter- mined by one-way mixed leukocyte reaction, was also higher in those BM-augmented liver, kidney, and lung recipients that could be evaluated com- pared to controls. J. Leukoc. Biol. 66: 310-314; 1999.
Student evaluations of faculty: A new procedure for using aggregate measures of performance

Abstract This paper investigates the influences of numerous teacher, student, and course characteristics on three aggregate measures of faculty performance using Student Instructional Response (SIR) data from faculty evaluations in the Department of Economics at the University of North Florida. The ordered probit regressions point to differences in the relative importance of faculty characteristics depending on whether the students are evaluating the quality of instruction, the quality of lectures, or the value of the course. The paper also recommends a procedure for comparing SIR scores across faculty members that corrects for those factors beyond the instructor's control, in order to evaluate individual faculty members' teaching more correctly. [JEL A20]
Mutations in the beta-subunit of the epithelial Na+ channel in patients with a cystic fibrosis-like syndrome

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disorder of Cl(-) and Na(+) transport. The vast majority of CF patients have deleterious mutations in an epithelial Cl(-) channel called the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). In contrast, defects in the epithelial Na(+) channel (SCNN1) have been associated with phenotypes dominated by renal disease (systemic pseudohypoaldosteronism type I and Liddle syndrome). We report two non-classic CF patients without CFTR mutations who have novel deleterious mutations in the beta-subunits of SCNN1 in the absence of overt renal disease.
Three dimensional integration and on-wafer packaging of signal centric sensors for ultra wideband systems

Future military and commercial communication systems and sensors will require a new generation of circuits with cognitive, deployable, agile, versatile, survivable and sustainable capabilities. The requirement to accommodate arbitrary-bandwidth signals, poses significant challenges to traditional time-invariant matching networks because of the gain-bandwidth restrictions and their inability to ensure a linear phase response for broadband pulse-based inputs (Bode, 1945). To address this need we propose in this paper a time-variant matching network particularly suited for pulse-based systems that is capable of accommodating high-Q RC loads.
Beyond mind-reading: multi-voxel pattern analysis of fMRI data

A key challenge for cognitive neuroscience is determining how mental representations map onto patterns of neural activity. Recently, researchers have started to address this question by applying sophisticated pattern-classification algorithms to distributed (multi-voxel) patterns of functional MRI data, with the goal of decoding the information that is represented in the subject's brain at a particular point in time. This multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) approach has led to several impressive feats of mind reading. More importantly, MVPA methods constitute a useful new tool for advancing our understanding of neural information processing. We review how researchers are using MVPA methods to characterize neural coding and information processing in domains ranging from visual perception to memory search.
Skin conductance level as a function of time after shock

The effect of time after shock on conductance level of the rat was assessed at 0 sec, 30 sec, 2 min, 15 min, 30 min, and 1 h following shock. The results indicated that, although the time after shock is a significant factor in conductance level, the relationship is not linear, and the greatest increase in conductance is still present 15 min following the termination of the shock.
Effective resistance of Gromov-hyperbolic graphs: Application to asymptotic sensor network problems

The technique of effective resistance has seen growing popularity in problems ranging from escape probability of random walks on graphs to asymptotic space localization in sensor networks. The results obtained thus far deal with such problems on Euclidean lattices, on which their asymptotic nature already reveals that the crucial issue is the large scale behavior of such lattices. Here we investigate how such results have to be amended on a class of graphs, referred to as Gromov hyperbolic, which behave in the large scale as negatively curved Riemannian manifolds. It is argued that Gromov hyperbolic graphs occur quite naturally in many situations. Among the results developed here, we will mention the nonvanishing probability of escape of a random walk to a Cantor set Gromov boundary and the facts that the space localization error of sensors networked in a Gromov hyperbolic fashion grows linearly with the distance to a sensor whose geographical position is known, but would become uniformly bounded in an idealized situation in which the geographical locations of the nodes at the Gromov boundary are known.
An Automatic Focusing Device for Photomicrography with Ultraviolet Light or Light of Any Wave Length

SUMMARYThe microscope is focused on the object using a band of yellow-green light the wave lengths of which differ by only 1.63mμ. The light filter used for this purpose is described. In focusing by this light the apparatus is so adjusted that the rotation of a screw through a few turns between automatic stops brings the microscope automatically into precise focus for the light employed in making the photograph.
Pharmacokinetics of intramuscularly administered biperiden in guinea pigs challenged with soman.

AbstractBiperiden is an anticholinergic compound that has demonstrated effectiveness for treating organophosphate-induced seizure/convulsions. The plasma levels of biperiden associated with this efficacy have not yet been defined. In this study, the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of biperiden after intramuscular administration of 0.5 mg/kg were conducted while monitoring pharmacodynamic (electroencephalographic) data in soman-exposed guinea pigs. Overall, 59% of the animals had seizures terminated within 30 min of the biperiden administration. The mean time to seizure termination was 15.9 min. The pharmacokinetics of biperiden after im administration to guinea pigs were best described by a one-compartment model with first-order absorption and elimination. The maximal plasma biperiden concentration (34.4 ng/mL) in seizure-terminated animals occurred at 26.3 min. Extensive partitioning into peripheral tissues was noted supporting the relatively large volume of distribution observed. Maximal biperi...
CHARACTERIZATION OF HIGHLY ORIENTED (110) TIN FILMS GROWN ON EPITAXIAL GE/SI(001) HETEROSTRUCTURES

The characteristics of epitaxial growth of titanium nitride films on Ge/Si(001) have been studied. The growth of titanium nitride and germanium films on (001)Si was carried out in situ in a high vacuum chamber (<10−7 Torr) using a multitarget stage in a pulsed laser deposition system. Electrical resistivity, stoichiometry, crystallinity, and epitaxial relationships as a function of deposition temperature have been studied. Electrical resistivity of the titanium nitride films grown at deposition temperatures in the range of 450 °C–750 °C was measured using a four-point probe. The stoichiometry of these films was investigated using Auger electron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The crystalline quality and epitaxial nature of TiN films grown at different substrate temperatures were characterized using x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Highly oriented titanium nitride films with (110) orientation were obtained on Ge(001) film when the substrate temperature was maintained between 550 °C and 650 °C. The epitaxial growth of the titanium nitride films was found to be a function of two-dimensional or three-dimensional growth mode of germanium film on silicon (001) substrate. Titanium nitride films grown at a substrate temperature of 650 °C exhibited the lowest room temperature resistivity (26 μΩ-cm), highest nitrogen content (close to stoichiometry), and the best epitaxiality with the Ge(001) films on Si(001). The epitaxial relationships for the TiN/Ge/Si(001) heterostructure are found to be [001]TiN‖ [110]Ge‖ [110]Si and [110]TiN‖ [110] Ge‖ [110]Si. To explain the epitaxial growth in a large mismatch system (∼28%) such as TiN/Ge(001), the domain matching mechanism is proposed. Domains of size four (001)TiN by seventeen (220)TiN in the titanium nitride film match closely with domains of size three (220)Ge by sixteen (220)Ge in the germanium film, respectively. The lattice matching epitaxy involving a 4% mismatch between Ge and Si provides a mechanism for epitaxial growth of Ge on Si(001).
Circumstances of witnessed drug overdose in New York City: implications for intervention

Drug users frequently witness the nonfatal and fatal drug overdoses of their peers, but often fail to intervene effectively to reduce morbidity and mortality. We assessed the circumstances of witnessed heroin-related overdoses in New York City (NYC) among a predominantly minority population of drug users. Among 1184 heroin, crack, and cocaine users interviewed between November 2001 and February 2004, 672 (56.8%) had witnessed at least one nonfatal or fatal heroin-related overdose. Of those, 444 (67.7%) reported that they or someone else present called for medical help for the overdose victim at the last witnessed overdose. In multivariable models, the respondent never having had an overdose her/himself and the witnessed overdose occurring in a public place were associated with the likelihood of calling for medical help. Fear of police response was the most commonly cited reason for not calling or delaying before calling for help (52.2%). Attempts to revive the overdose victim through physical stimulation (e.g., applying ice, causing pain) were reported by 59.7% of respondents, while first aid measures were attempted in only 11.9% of events. Efforts to equip drug users to manage overdoses effectively, including training in first aid and the provision of naloxone, and the reduction of police involvement at overdose events may have a substantial impact on overdose-related morbidity and mortality.
The Acquisition of Spanish Copula Choice and Its Relationship to Language Change.

This paper argues that crossing the boundaries between sociolinguistics and second language acquisition (SLA) is essential to both fields of study (Giacalone Ramat, 1995; Preston, 1993). Specifically, data collected in an investigation of the SLA of copula choice by 77 English-speaking learners of Spanish are examined in terms of similarities to data collected in studies of language change (Gutierrez, 1992; Silva-Corvalan, 1994). The variables used to analyze these data, Frame of Reference and Susceptibility to Change, have been shown to be useful for examining the process of the extension of estar to new [copula + adjective] contexts from a sociolinguistic perspective. The application of these variables to SLA data allows an investigation of the mirror-image relationship predicted to exist between the process of language loss and the process of language acquisition.
Modeling of the electrostatic corona discharge reactor

A model is presented for the electrostatic corona discharge reactor (ECDR) in a pin-plate configuration. The main objective is to describe the fundamental chemistry and physics governing the discharge behavior and to predict the ECDR performance under various operating conditions. The electric field strength is estimated assuming a space-charge-free field. A two-term spherical harmonic expansion is used to solve the Boltzmann equation for the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) and calculate the electron-molecule reaction rates using collision cross-section data. Species continuity equations are solved for the dry and wet air systems to predict ozone and NO/sub x/ at various feed flow rates (1630, 4890, 14, 670 cm/s) and an applied voltage of 10 kV. Among the various results reported, it is noted that the calculations indicate the Maxwell EEDF cannot be used because it overpredicts the electron-molecule rate coefficients by several orders of magnitude. >
Reverse Genetics System for Porcine Enteric Calicivirus, a Prototype Sapovirus in the Caliciviridae

A porcine enteric calicivirus (PEC), strain Cowden in the genus Sapovirus of the Caliciviridae family, can be propagated in a porcine kidney continuous cell line (LLC-PK) in the presence of bile acids in the cell culture medium. A full-length cDNA copy of the Cowden PEC genome was cloned into a plasmid vector directly downstream from the T7 RNA polymerase promoter, and capped RNA transcripts derived from this clone were infectious when transfected into LLC-PK cells. The recovery of PEC after transfection of RNA transcripts was dependent on the presence of bile acids, consistent with our recent identification of a bile acid-mediated signaling pathway required for PEC replication (Chang et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101:8733-8788, 2004). Recovery of virus was verified by detection of PEC antigen in transfected cells by immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, direct observation of recovered viral particles by electron microscopy, and partial sequence analysis of their genomes (first 1,070 nucleotides) to differentiate them from tissue culture-adapted parental virus. The recovered virus retained its ability to infect piglets when administered by the oral route and showed an attenuated phenotype similar to that of the tissue culture-adapted parental virus. This reverse genetics system for PEC provides a new tool to study the molecular basis of replication and pathogenesis for caliciviruses associated with diarrheal disease.
ABSORPTION OF ARSENIC FOLLOWING INTRA-MUSCULAR INJECTIONS OF SALVARSAN AND NEOSALVARSAN

Intramuscular injection of salvarsan and neosalvarsan in rabbits always produces necrosis of the muscles. A much more intense reaction is produced by salvarsan than by neosalvarsan. The rate of absorption of arsenic following intramuscular injections of salvarsan is very slow, while following intramuscular injections of neosalvarsan between 75 and 85 per cent of the arsenic is absorbed during the first week. The subsequent absorption is quite slow.
Modeling real-world control systems: beyond hybrid systems

Hybrid system modeling refers to the construction of system models combining both continuous and discrete dynamics. These models can greatly reduce the complexity of a physical system model by abstracting some of the continuous dynamics of the system into discrete dynamics. Hybrid system models are also useful for describing the interaction between physical processes and computational processes, such as in a digital feedback control system. Unfortunately, hybrid system models poorly capture common software architecture design patterns, such as threads, mobile code, safety, and hardware interfaces. Dealing effectively with these practical software issues is crucial when designing real-world systems. This paper presents a model of a complex control system that combines continuous-state physical system models with rich discrete-state software models in a disciplined fashion. We show how expressive modeling using multiple semantics can be used to address the design difficulties in such a system.
Medication use and associated risk of falling in a geriatric outpatient population

BACKGROUND:Studies have shown that approximately one third of community-dwelling people aged 65 years and older will experience a fall each year. Many studies indicate that use of multiple medications may put patients at an increased risk of falling, but few studies have been conducted to correlate the number of medications with the risk of falls.OBJECTIVE:To determine the medications most frequently used in patients aged 65 years or older who have experienced a fall within the past year, with particular attention to type or number of medications most commonly associated with multiple falls or a fall with injury.METHODS:We conducted a chart review in an outpatient internal medicine clinic over a 13-month period. A total of 118 patients 65 years of age or older who were taking 4 or more medications and had experienced at least 1 fall in the previous 12 months were included. Data relating to sex, age, race, diagnoses, medications, and number and type of falls were obtained during the chart review. The prima...