cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Ca2+ on in vitro astrocyte injury.

Current literature suggests that a massive influx of Ca 2+ into the cells of the CNS induces cell damage associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Using an in vitro model for stretch-induced cell injury developed by our laboratory, we have investigated the role of extracellular Ca 2+ in astrocyte injury. The degree of injury was assessed by measurement of propidium iodide uptake and release of lactate dehydrogenase. Based on results of in vivo models of TBI developed by others, our initial hypothesis was that decreasing extracellular Ca 2+ would result in a reduction in astrocyte injury. Quite unexpectedly, our results indicate that decreasing extracellular Ca 2+ to levels observed after in vivo TBI increased astrocyte injury. Elevating the extracellular Ca 2+ content to twofold above physiological levels (2 mM) produced a reduction in cell injury. The reduction in injury afforded by Ca 2+ could not be mimicked with Ba 2+ , Mn 2+ , Zn 2+ , or Mg 2+ , suggesting that a Ca 2+ -specific mechanism is involved. Using 45 Ca 2+ , we demonstrate that injury induces a rapid influx of extracellular Ca 2+ into the astrocyte, achieving an elevation in total cell-associated Ca 2+ content two- to threefold above basal levels. Pharmacological elevation of intracellular Ca 2+ levels with the Ca 2+ ionophore A23187 or thapsigargin before injury dramatically reduced astrocyte injury. Our data suggest that, contrary to popular assumptions, an elevation of total cell-associated Ca 2+ reduces astrocyte injury produced by a traumatic insult.
Effect of Mineral Oil Ingestion on Growth and Liver Lipid Composition in the Rat.

SummaryThe effect of paraffin, transformer, spindle and the respective oxidized oils on growth rate and percentage composition of liver lipid in rats was studied for a period of 4 weeks. The results indicated that transformer, spindle, oxidized transformer and oxidized spindle oils significantly depressed growth rate in rats. A decreased percentage in phospholipids and an increased percentage in triglycerides was noted in the liver lipids from these animals. Paraffin oil and oxidized paraffin oils decreased the growth rate per week slightly; there was no change in the percentage of the various lipid classes in the liver in these animals. Increased levels of palmitoleic acid were found in the cholesterol esters fraction of rats fed paraffin, transformer, oxidized paraffin and transformer oils. More oleic acid was detected in free fatty acids and triglycerides of rats fed transformer, spindle, oxidized paraffin, transformer and spindle oils.
ABCDEs of ICU: Awakening.

UNLABELLED Critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) who require mechanical ventilation often require continuous sedation infusions. These 2 interventions are associated with adverse outcomes such as increased duration of mechanical ventilation, increased length of stay in both the ICU and the hospital, and significant physiological and psychological complications. Daily sedation interruption (DSI) can reduce these adverse effects thereby improving long-term outcomes after critical illness. CONCLUSION DSI is safe, practical, cost-effective, and results in positive outcomes for patients; however, there are barriers to implementing and incorporating DSI into daily practice. Further research is required to provide additional evidence and promote more widespread utilization.
Safety of Same-Day Coronary Angiography in Patients Undergoing Elective Valvular Heart Surgery

OBJECTIVE To maximize patient convenience, we developed a protocol for coronary angiography the same day as elective valvular surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS We analyzed the medical records from a single surgical service of 226 consecutive patients who had undergone cardiac catheterization on the day of elective valvular repair or replacement between August 1, 2000, and August 30, 2004. The rates of renal failure (creatinine >2.0 mg/dL and 2 times the preoperative level), hemodialysis, continuous renal replacement therapy, and mortality were evaluated. RESULTS Patients undergoing same-day angiography had a mean age of 65.6±12.1 years, and 33% were female. Of the study patients, 11.1% were diabetic, with a mean ejection fraction of 61%±10%, and 28.3% had coronary artery disease severe enough to require bypass grafting. One patient died within 30 days of surgery; the overall mortality was 0.4%. Postoperatively, serum creatinine levels increased an average of 0.1 mg/dL ( P CONCLUSION In properly selected patients, same-day coronary angiography is safe and has little impact on renal function. This protocol offers a simple way to reduce the number of hospital visits required by patients undergoing elective valvular surgery.
Ice-forming nuclei of maritime origin

Abstract Aerosol particles collected over the Pacific Ocean between 14 February and 7 May 1984 were examined for their ability to nucleate ice by freezing, sorption, and condensation-followed-by-freezing. Aerosol particles nucleating ice by freezing in the temperature range from −7.3° to −11.1°C along the western coast of North America were in the size range from 6 to 8 μm in diameter. A very low concentration of particles smaller than 0.5 μm nucleating ice at −12°C was present over the South Pacific. No ice-forming nuclei, active by sorption in the temperature range between −5 and −17°C, were found. Concentrations of IFN active by condensation-followed-by-freezing were 100 m −3 at −3.3°C and 3 × 10 4 m −3 (301. −1 ) at and below −4.0°C. These concentrations were found to be independent of temperature for the temperature range from −4° to −14°C. The fraction of the aerosol population nucleating ice below −4°C was ∼ 10 −3 . Aerosol particles supplying IFN were below 0.5 μm in diameter and seemed to consist mostly of organic matter. They were present only over the South Equatorial Current and were associated with biological activity in that current. The formation of frozen droplets by condensation-followed-by-freezing in clouds is time-dependent and consequently depends on the evolution of clouds.
Responders and nonresponders to chlordiazepoxide and placebo: a discriminant function analysis.

Abstract 1. 1. Data from 356 anxious outpatients treated with either chlordiazepoxide or placebo in 4 week double-blind drug trials were analyzed in an attempt to determine predictors of treatment response using extreme groups and discriminant function analysis. 2. 2. Chlordiazepoxide response was found to be greater in younger female patients with lower levels of initial depression and a more favorable prognosis. 3. 3. Placebo response was found to be greater in younger, black, previously untreated or favorably drug treated patients and patients with lower initial somatization and depression. 4. 4. Discriminators between drug and placebo response included age, previous drug treatment, race, and initial level of somatic symptomatology.
The textual characteristics of traditional and Open Access scientific journals are similar

Background Recent years have seen an increased amount of natural language processing (NLP) work on full text biomedical journal publications. Much of this work is done with Open Access journal articles. Such work assumes that Open Access articles are representative of biomedical publications in general and that methods developed for analysis of Open Access full text publications will generalize to the biomedical literature as a whole. If this assumption is wrong, the cost to the community will be large, including not just wasted resources, but also flawed science. This paper examines that assumption.
Enthalpy and volume changes accompanying electron transfer from P-870 to quinones in Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides reaction centers.

Abstract A capacitor microphone was used to measure the enthalpy and volume changes that accompany the electron transfer reactions, PQ A → hv P + Q − A and PQ A Q B → hv P + Q A Q − B , following flash excitation of photosynthetic reaction centers isolated from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides. P is a bacteriochlorophyll dimer (P-870), and QA and QB are ubiquinones. In reaction centers containing only QA, the enthalpy of P+Q−A is very close to that of the PQA ground state (ΔHr = 0.05 ± 0.03 eV). The free energy of about 0.65 eV that is captured in the photochemical reaction evidently takes the form of a substantial entropy decrease. In contrast, the formation of P+QAQ−B in reaction centers containing both quinones has a ΔHr of 0.32 ± 0.02 eV. The entropy change must be near zero in this case. In the presence of o-phenanthroline, which blocks electron transfer between Q−A and QB, ΔHr for forming P+Q−AQB is 0.13 ± 0.03 eV. The influence of flash-induced proton uptake on the results was investigated, and the ΔHr values given above were measured under conditions that minimized this influence. Although the reductions of QA and QB involve very different changes in enthalpy and entropy, both reactions are accompanied by a similar volume decrease of about 20 ml/mol. The contraction probably reflects electrostriction caused by the charges on P+ and Q−A or Q−B.
Recording of Specialized Conducting Fibers (A-V Nodal, His Bundle, and Right Bundle Branch) in Man Using an Electrode Catheter Technic

Extracellular action potentials of the A-V node (N), His bundle (H), and right bundle branch (RB) were recorded in subjects with an electrode cardiac catheter which was fluoroscopically positioned across the tricuspid valve. The N potential is a slow diphasic wave occurring between the atrial electrogram (P) and the H potential. It is characterized by slurring or notching on the upstroke. The H potential, as previously described, is a biphasic or triphasic wave of 15 to 20-msec duration. The RB potential is a fast biphasic wave of 10 to 20-msec duration occurring between the H potential and the Q wave. During single atrial pacing and premature atrial stimulation, the A-V conduction delay could be localized to the N-H interval. Evidence suggests that during aberrant ventricular conduction of the right bundle-branch block type the impulse was blocked proximally in the right bundle. During concealed conduction the nonconducted impulse was completely blocked within the A-V node or the N-H interval.
Travels through perovskite space

Abstract Perovskite and perovskite-related structures are organized in a diagrammatic form called Perovskite Space. The principal axes show variable oxygen content, variable A/B ratio, and compensated substitutions on either the A or B sites. In many cases, large excesses or deficiencies of a component relative to the ideal perovskite composition are accommodated in uniformly spaced layers separated by two-dimensional slabs of perovskite structure of various thicknesses. The defect chemistry of compositions along the axis of variable oxygen content is discussed in detail. There are homologous series of structures in the oxygen-deficient direction with the generic formula A n B n O3n-1, and in the oxygen-excess direction with the generic formula A m B m O3n+2. The defect chemistry is discussed in terms of the effects of forming ordered structures vs. the dispersal of the oxygen-excess or deficiency as randomly distributed point defects in the perovskite structure.
The nesting behavior of the Green Iguana, Iguana iguana, in the llanos of Venezuela

The dispersion of nests and the migratory movements of female iguanas, Iguana iguana, were examined in the central llanos of Venezuela. In an area of extensive sandy soil, nests were dispersed, while at two other sites, where soft soil was scarce, the iguana nests were aggregated in small (<25 m dia.) sandy patches. Four radiotelemetered females used moderately straight terrestrial paths to reach nest sites 0.8 to 1.5 km from their home sites, and they returned along nearly identical paths after about 7 days at the nest site. Females sharing a mating territory were observed to nest at sites 2.0 km apart, indicating probable gene flow between isolated nesting areas.
Mitochondrial association of myocilin, product of a glaucoma gene, in human trabecular meshwork cells.

The trabecular meshwork (TM), an ocular tissue next to the cornea, is a major site for regulation of the aqueous humor outflow. Malfunctioning of this tissue is believed to be responsible for development of glaucoma, a major blinding disease. Myocilin is a gene directly linked to the most common form of glaucoma. Its protein product has been localized to both intra- and extra-cellular sites in TM cells. This study was to investigate the association of myocilin with mitochondria in TM cells. In vitro mitochondrial import assays showed that myocilin was imported to the TM mitochondria, targeting to mitochondrial membranes and/or the intermembrane space. The targeting was mediated mostly via the amino-terminal region of myocilin. When myocilin expression was induced either by treatment with dexamethasone or transfection with a myocilin construct, the mitochondrial membrane potential in TM cells, as assessed by JC-1 staining, was lowered. Subcellular fractionation and Western blot analyses confirmed that a portion of myocilin sedimented with the mitochondrial fractions. Upon anti-Fas treatment to provoke apoptosis, an increase of myocilin distribution in cytosolic fraction was observed, suggesting that myocilin was partially released from mitochondrial compartments. These results confirmed the association of myocilin with TM cell mitochondria and indicated that myocilin may have a proapoptotic role in TM cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 213:775–784. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Federal labor relations 2000: Introduction to the symposium

Numerous problems confront federal labor management relations as we approach the year 2000. The legal structure, Title VII of the CSRA of 1978, is under heavy fire from the unions and other quarters. The perennial federal fiscal crisis has regularized retrenchment strategies and damaged the economic standing of unions and their members. The highly restricted scope of bargaining with most of the federal sector and the continuing push for contracting out also grieves the unions. Yet change comes slowly, if at all. This symposium addresses the calls for reform of the legal framework for federal labor relations.
Nickel and lead sequestration in manganese oxide-coated montmorillonite.

Abstract Amorphous hydrous manganese oxide (HMO) is an important mineral in soils and sediments influencing the mobility and bioavailability of metal contaminants. In this study, nickel and lead sorption to discrete HMO and HMO-coated montmorillonite was investigated mechanistically. The effect of pH and concentration revealed that when normalized to the mass of oxide present, the HMO-coated montmorillonite behaved similarly to the discrete Mn oxide, where both ions sorbed onto HMO-coated montmorillonite as inner-sphere complexes. Ni coordinated to the vacancy sites in the Mn oxide structure, while Pb formed bidentate corner-sharing complexes. These coordination environments were observed not only as a function of loading, pH, and ionic strength, but also in long-term studies where sorption increased by as much as 100% (from 6 × 10 −4 to 1.2 × 10 −3 mol Ni / g HMO-coated montmorillonite). In this slower sorption process, intraparticle diffusion, the internal surface sites along microporous walls appear to be no different than external ones. Best fit diffusivities ranged from 10−12 to 10 −13 cm 2 / s for Ni and 10−17 to 10 −20 cm 2 / s for Pb. The significant difference in the diffusivities for the two ions is consistent with site activation theory, where theoretical surface diffusivities were predicted and given their error were in agreement with experimental results. Mn oxides sequester heavy metals in the environment.
Hemispheric dominance in recall and recognition

The present study, using the concept of hemispheric dominance, a differential facility in using the specialized functions of one hemisphere as opposed to the other hemisphere has shown that retention in verbal learning is related to this factor. Of most importance was the finding that auditory presentation was related to left-hemispheric domiance while visual presentaiton was related to right-hemispheric dominance.
Measurement and Combination of Red Flags to Assess the Risk of Management Fraud: A Fuzzy Set Approach

Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 53 requires that the audit be designed to provide a reasonable assurance of detecting management fraud. Traditionally auditors have utilized personal, business, and economic red flags in risk analysis and audit planning. Touche Ross (1974), Coopers and Lybrand (1977), Price Waterhouse (1985), and SAS Nos. 6, 16, 17, and 53 discuss various red flags associated with management fraud. However, the authoritative literature does not provide any guidance on how to measure and combine red flags. The extant literature primarily measures red flags as “yes” or “no” type binary variables. However, red flags are fuzzy in nature and fuzzy set approach can be used to measure and combine red flags. The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for the application of the theory of fuzzy sets to the problem of assessing the risk of management fraud using red flags. This approach can be used to capture the beliefs of one or several auditors concerning red flags and combine these beliefs to estimate the risk of management fraud. This approach can be extended to build fuzzy reasoning systems that assess the risk of management fraud.
Influence of silver addition on the catalytic behavior of cobalt

A variety of experimental techniques including flow reactor studies, temperature-programmed oxidation, and transmission electron microscopy have been used to investigate the manner by which silver modifies the catalytic behavior of cobalt. For this purpose the growth of filamentous carbon along with the gas phase product distribution resulting from the decomposition of ethylene over cobalt and cobalt−silver particles at 600 °C has been used as a probe reaction. It was found that the incorporation of as little as 1% of silver into cobalt caused a increase of over an order of magnitude in the amount of carbon filaments produced compared to that formed on pure cobalt under the same experimental conditions. It is suggested that some of the observed enhancement in catalytic activity could be due to the existence of electronic perturbations of cobalt induced by the presence of silver that are manifested in modifications in the adsorption and subsequent decomposition characteristics of ethylene on the bimetallic...
Dynamically Balanced Synchronization-Avoiding LU Factorization with Multicore and GPUs

Graphics processing units (GPUs) brought huge performance improvements in the scientific and numerical fields. We present an efficient hybrid CPU/GPU approach that is portable, dynamically and efficiently balances the workload between the CPUs and the GPUs, and avoidsdata transfer bottlenecks that are frequently present in numerical algorithms. Our approach determines the amount of initial work to assign to the CPUs before the execution, and then dynamically balances workloads during the execution. Then, we present a theoretical model to guide the choice of the initial amount of work for the CPUs. The validation of our model allows our approach to self-adapt on any architecture using the manufacturer's characteristics of the underlying machine. We illustrate our method for the LU factorization. For this case, we show that the use of our approach combined with a communication avoiding LU algorithm is efficient. For example, our experiments on a 24 cores AMD opteron 6172 show that by adding one GPU (Tesla S2050) we accelerate LU up to 2.4× compared to the corresponding routine in MKL using 24 cores. The comparisons with MAGMA also show significant improvements.
I don’t believe in hantu (Ghosts), but they do exist: Malay syncretic talk-in-interaction

Syncretic beliefs prevail for many cultural groups in Malaysia. In recent years, however, Malaysia's Islamic leaders have criticized the Muslim Malay community's tolerance for syncretism. This article explores how syncretic beliefs are associated with everyday communicative activity: Malays do not find syncretic talk problematic as long as claims for religious competency—being a good Muslim—are interactively maintained. Full participant observation and ethnomethodology (Garfinkel, 1967; Wieder, 1974) is used to explain how negotiations of religious faithfulness occur not only around particular gestures, but also how those gestures and other related behaviors are made visible and recognizable to interactants as organizing constituents of syncretic talk.
Vertical migration of 134Cs bearing soil particles in arid soils: implications for plutonium redistribution.

Abstract Vertical migration of plutonium in soils at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) was evaluated based on observed 134 Cs migration in soil column experiments. After applying 134 Cs-labeled soil particles to the surfaces of large, undisturbed soil cores collected from each site, resulting soil columns were subjected to experimental cycles of irrigation plus drying (treatment columns) or to cycles of irrigation only (control columns). Mean losses of 134 Cs inventory from soil surfaces were 3.1 ± 0.6% cycle −1 and 0.7 ± 0.6% cycle −1 respectively for RFETS treatment and control columns. WIPP columns had mean respective losses of 1.3 ± 1.2% cycle −1 and 0.5 ± 0.2% cycle −1 . Bulk transport of labeled soil particles through soil cracks was an important process in RFETS soils, accounting for 64–86% of total 134 Cs migration. Colloidal transport processes governed migration in WIPP soils.
From machine-theory to entelechy: Two studies in developmental teleology

The 1880's and 1890's were exciting decades for a young embryologist. At the outset, Wilhelm Roux announced his program of Developmental Mechanics (Entwickelungsmechanik ) ,' designed to seduce investigation away from endless comparative descriptions of embryos into an experimental analysis of developmental events. Eduard Pfluger, Gustav Born, and Oscar Hertwig, to name a few, championed the same experimental approach in embryology at nearly the same time. By the 1890's the ranks of experimenters had swelled to include Hans Driesch, Curt Herbst, T. H. Morgan, and many others. It was a time when certain techniques developed in plant physiology and cytology converged onto embryology to broach questions about the activities within the cleaving egg -questions, more specifically, about the role of the nucleus in heredity and development, about the formative influences exerted by some cells upon other cells or by external stimuli, and about the regenerative capacities of experimentally altered embryos. Amphibians and echinoderms were the chief martyrs in these quests, but roundworms, gastropods, even protozoa, served embryology too. There were almost as many explanations of development and heredity as experimental animals, and often the choice of the latter determined the tenets of the former. Yves Delage, at the turn of the century, described over thirty general theories of heredity, most of them contemporary and many of them arising directly from experimental embryology.2
Bicuculline and picrotoxin blockade of positive dorsal root potentials.

MOUNTING evidence suggests that GABA functions as a transmitter in the pathways mediating presynaptic inhibition in the spinal cord1–10 and cuneate nucleus11–14. In spite of recent attempts to locate a GABA synapse in these multi-synaptic pathways at the axo-axonic terminal4,13,15, the clarification of GABA's role in this system awaits the elucidation of the complex circuits mediating afferent terminal polarization. This complexity may include such features as tonic activity of interneurones and convergence of phasic inputs from different fibre groups. For example, Mendell16, recording spinal cord dorsal root potentials (DRPs), has observed that stimulation of high threshold afferent fibres from muscle nerve generates a positive going DRP, reflecting primary afferent hyperpolarization. From studies of the interactions between positive and negative DRPs he has postulated that the positive DRP results from a phasic inhibition of tonic activity in the pathway for the negative DRP17. This implies that the axoaxonic synapse is common to the pathways for both the positive and negative DRPs. Thus, if the only GABA synapse in this system is located at the axo-axonic junction, antagonists of GABA should block DRPs of both polarities.
Detection, isolation, and capture of circulating breast cancer cells with photoacoustic flow cytometry

According to the CDC, breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer related deaths among women. Metastasis, or the presence of secondary tumors caused by the spread of cancer cells via the circulatory or lymphatic systems, significantly worsens the prognosis of any breast cancer patient. In this study, a technique is developed to detect circulating breast cancer cells in human blood using a photoacoustic flow cytometry method. A Q-switched laser with a 5 ns pulse at 532 nm is used to interrogate thousands of cells with one pulse as they flow through the beam path. Cells which are pigmented, either naturally or artificially, emit an ultrasound wave as a result of the photoacoustic (PA) effect. Breast cancer cells are targeted with chromophores through immunochemistry in order to provide pigment. After which, the device is calibrated to demonstrate a single-cell detection limit. Cultured breast cancer cells are added to whole blood to reach a biologically relevant concentration of about 25-45 breast cancer cells per 1 mL of blood. An in vitro photoacoustic flow cytometer is used to detect and isolate these cells followed by capture with the use of a micromanipulator. This method can not only be used to determine the disease state of the patient and the response to therapy, it can also be used for genetic testing and in vitro drug trials since the circulating cell can be captured and studied.
The Archaelogy of Spirit and the Unique Self: A Husserlian Reading of Conrad-Martius

Although the connections of Hedwig Conrad-Martius’ ontological phenomenology, what she called, “realontology,” to Husserl’s transcendental phenomenology were constant concerns that usually remained in the background of her work, on occasion they became foreground. Similarly the problems surrounding the individuation of the person and spirit were persistent but rather marginal in her writings. In this paper I want first to review some of the issues as they are connected to ontological and transcendental phenomenology. Then I want to relate them to the cosmological and theological issues that were no less important for Conrad-Martius.
Low carbohydrate, high fat diet increases C-reactive protein during weight loss.

Objective: Chronic inflammation is associated with elevated risk of heart disease and may be linked to oxidative stress in obesity. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of weight loss diet composition (low carbohydrate, high fat, LC or high carbohydrate, low fat, HC) on inflammation and to determine whether this was related to oxidative stress.Methods: Twenty nine overweight women, BMI 32.1 ± 5.4 kg/m2, were randomly assigned to a self-selected LC or HC diet for 4 wks. Weekly group sessions and diet record collections helped enhance compliance. Body weight, markers of inflammation (serum interleukin-6, IL-6; C-reactive protein, CRP) oxidative stress (urinary 8-epi-prostaglandin F2α, 8-epi) and fasting blood glucose and free fatty acids were measured weekly.Results: The diets were similar in caloric intake (1357 kcal/d LC vs. 1361 HC, p=0.94), but differed in macronutrients (58, 12, 30 and 24, 59, 18 for percent of energy as fat, carbohydrate, and protein for LC and HC, respectively). Although LC lost ...
Proteoglycan extraction of sized cartilage particles

The relationship between cartilage thickness and proteoglycan extractability was examined. Bovine nasal cartilage slices (20, 100, and 500 micron thicknesses) were extracted with low-ionic-strength buffer and 4 M guanidine hydrochloride. The extractability of proteoglycans with both solutions depended on slice thickness. Thinner slices yielded greater amounts of proteoglycans. Sixty-three percent of the total cartilage uronic acid was extracted from 20-micron cartilage slices with low-ionic-strength buffer while only 7% was extracted for 500-micron slices. Each fivefold increase in cartilage surface area led to a threefold increase in uronic acid extraction with low-ionic-strength buffer. Extraction of proteoglycan aggregates was directly proportional to the cartilage surface area whereas extraction of non-aggregated proteoglycans, per surface area, increased with increasing cartilage thickness. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that proteoglycan aggregates are extracted mainly from the cartilage surface while non-aggregated proteoglycans diffuse from deep within the cartilage. Extraction with low-ionic-strength buffer occurred in two phases. There was an initial rapid loss of proteoglycans in which 1/3 to 1/2 of all proteoglycans eluting over 6 days were extracted during the first 30 min. Subsequent extraction was much slower with decreasing amounts extracted on each consecutive day. The initial rapid loss of proteoglycans was probably due to the steep osmotic-pressure gradient existing when the cartilage was placed in the low-ionic-strength buffer.
Optical interconnect for a ring array of single-instruction-multiple-data processors.

A novel optical interconnect scheme for a ring of single-instruction–multiple-data processing elements is proposed. This unexplored optical interconnect topology promises several important advantages over the conventional rectangular array topology, such as the use of space-invariant elements and identical interconnect latency for implementation.
Absorption of phonons by an electron gas

A study is made of the absorption of acoustic waves in metals considering the interaction of the motion of the ions of the crystal with the plasma formed by the conduction electrons. The attenuation of the sound waves is expressed in terms of the imaginary part of the dielectric constant for longitudinal waves and of the imaginary part of of the magnetic permeability for transverse waves. Expressions for both situations are found. They agree with the results obtained byPippard.
Biases In Trials Involving Defendants Charged With Multiple Offenses1

Under federal and state laws, a defendant who has been charged with more than one offense can be tried for all the offenses in a single “joined” trial. It was predicted that the probabillty a defendant would be convicted would increase as a function of the number of joined offenses. Legal theories, research on memory, and social psychological models of information integration and attribution led to three hypotheses as to why this bias might occur: (1) confusion of evidence, (2) accumulation of evidence, and (3) inference of a criminal disposition. Subjects read and judged written trial summaries presented as joined or single trials. In Study 1, joinder resulted in higher rates of conviction and in confusion of evidence. In Study 2, the conviction results were replicated, and subjects judging joined trials also rated the evidence as more incriminating and made negative attributions about the defendant. These ratings were strongly related to judgments of guilt. A sequential judgment process was also found to affect jurors' judgments.
The diffusional transport of methane in liquid water: method and result of experimental investigation at elevated pressure

The characteristics of and the easy mathematical approach to a recent and simple experimental method, which is designed for the investigation of the diffusional transport of gas molecules in the water phase, especially at reservoir conditions, are described. Numerical values are presented for the diffusion coefficient of methane in liquid water at elevated pressure. The results prove the reliability of the method. They indicate the possibility of high methane transport rates in water at reservoir temperatures. The obvious deviation from the ideal, thermodynamical concentration dependence on the diffusion coefficient points out the possibility of enhanced insight into the formation of gas hydrates in the liquid phase at reservoir conditions.
Brushed-on piezoelectric transducers

Abstract Design considerations and operation of vibration-sensitive transducers that are brushed into place are described. These transducers are made of a slurry of crushed piezoelectric ceramic and a liquid binding material that becomes rigid upon exposure to the air. The resulting hard coating is electroded and polarized in place prior to its use as a vibration-detecting transducer. The parameters for optimum particle size, concentration and electrode shape are determined for transducers that are suitable for detecting vibration. Feasibility of the technique is determined by its use in detecting ultrasonic vibration of small rigid members. The technique permits deposition of coats less than 1mm thick with a particle concentration of up to 77 percent of active material. The sensitivities obtained are compared to those of solid piezoelectric materials.
Strains, Strengths, and Intervention Outcomes: A Critical Examination of Intervention Efficacy for Underrepresented Groups

This chapter offers a critical lens for examining intervention efficacy. It highlights a conceptual framework particularly relevant for understanding the experiences of underrepresented students and illustrates how such framing can explicate the mechanisms that impede or enhance successful intervention outcomes in STEM fields.
Quality of Life: How Do Adolescents With Facial Differences Compare With Other Adolescents?

Abstract Objective: Compare the quality of life (QOL) of youth living with visible facial differences (FDs) with youth living with a visible nonfacial difference (i.e., mobility limitations), an invisible difference (i.e., attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder), or no known difference. Design: An observational study of perceived QOL among adolescents with FDs (n = 56), adolescents with no diagnosed chronic condition (NCC, n = 116), adolescents with mobility limitations (ML, n = 52), and adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD, n = 68). Participants: Adolescents ages 11–18 years with FDs recruited through Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington, participated in this study. Comparison groups were from a previous study of QOL among youth with and without chronic conditions. Main Outcome Measures: The main outcome measure was the Youth Quality of Life Instrument—Research Version, a generic instrument that assesses both perceptual and contextual aspects of QOL in four domains: Sense...
The tumor suppressor LKB1 kinase directly activates AMP-activated kinase and regulates apoptosis in response to energy stress

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a highly conserved sensor of cellular energy status found in all eukaryotic cells. AMPK is activated by stimuli that increase the cellular AMP/ATP ratio. Essential to activation of AMPK is its phosphorylation at Thr-172 by an upstream kinase, AMPKK, whose identity in mammalian cells has remained elusive. Here we present biochemical and genetic evidence indicating that the LKB1 serine/threonine kinase, the gene inactivated in the Peutz-Jeghers familial cancer syndrome, is the dominant regulator of AMPK activation in several mammalian cell types. We show that LKB1 directly phosphorylates Thr-172 of AMPKα in vitro and activates its kinase activity. LKB1-deficient murine embryonic fibroblasts show nearly complete loss of Thr-172 phosphorylation and downstream AMPK signaling in response to a variety of stimuli that activate AMPK. Reintroduction of WT, but not kinase-dead, LKB1 into these cells restores AMPK activity. Furthermore, we show that LKB1 plays a biologically significant role in this pathway, because LKB1-deficient cells are hypersensitive to apoptosis induced by energy stress. On the basis of these results, we propose a model to explain the apparent paradox that LKB1 is a tumor suppressor, yet cells lacking LKB1 are resistant to cell transformation by conventional oncogenes and are sensitive to killing in response to agents that elevate AMP. The role of LKB1/AMPK in the survival of a subset of genetically defined tumor cells may provide opportunities for cancer therapeutics.
SELECT * FROM USER: infrastructure and socio-technical representation

As use of, and experiences with, social media continue to grow, the systems of representation that underlie their use become increasingly influential. In this paper, we present results from empirical studies of two online communities-Facebook and craigslist Missed Connections-that highlight the ways in which this underlying infrastructure and the user practices on these sites are inherently intertwined. We make particular use of a framework first introduced by Agre that focuses on the influence of eight underlying features of computing practice: ontology, standards, instrumentation, authentication, interpretation, selection, bias, and performance. The results of this analysis indicate how representational systems do more than simply represent the physical world; they are deeply intertwined with the social and material practices of everyday life.
Diagnosis and serial sonography of a proximal fifth metatarsal stress fracture

Objective The purpose of this report is to describe a fifth metatarsal stress fracture that was not detectable using conventional radiographs and was identified with diagnostic ultrasonography (US), confirmed with computed tomography, and followed through symptom resolution with US.
Learning Vector Quantization with adaptive prototype addition and removal

Learning Vector Quantization (LVQ) is a popular class of nearest prototype classifiers for multiclass classification. Learning algorithms from this family are widely used because of their intuitively clear learning process and ease of implementation. They run efficiently and in many cases provide state of the art performance. In this paper we propose a modification of the LVQ algorithm that addresses problems of determining appropriate number of prototypes, sensitivity to initialization, and sensitivity to noise in data. The proposed algorithm allows adaptive addition of prototypes at potentially beneficial locations and removal of harmful or less useful prototypes. The prototype addition and removal steps can be easily implemented on top of many existing LVQ algorithms. Experimental results on synthetic and benchmark datasets showed that the proposed modifications can significantly improve LVQ classification accuracy while at the same time determining the appropriate number of prototypes and avoiding the problems of initialization.
Does Feeling Come First? How Poetry Can Help Readers Broaden Their Understanding of Metacognition.

Assuming that readers' emotional responses can enhance readers' metacognitive experiences and inform literary analysis, this study of 11th-grade poetry readers features instruction that models both cognitive and affective reading processes. The author •Presents a case for more explicit attention to emotion in language arts classrooms •Provides a practical overview of the “think-and-feel-aloud” instruction used in a poetry classroom •Describes the reading strategies students drew on to help them understand poems Analyses of classroom discussions indicated that students used four strategies, which appeared to be driven primarily by sensory and emotional responses rather than cognitive processes alone. These included •Responding to key words and phrases •Visualizing and using the senses •Relating the text to personal experiences •Identifying with the poems' speakers Based on the study's findings, the article provides justification for a more expansive definition of metacognition, which includes “thinking about feeling.”
Soot scattering measurements in the visible and near-infrared spectrum

Scattering to extinction cross-section ratios, {rho}{sub se} were measured using the NIST Large Agglomerate Optics Facility for soot produced from ethene and acetylene laminar diffusion flames. Measurements were performed using light sources at 543.5 nm, 632.8 nm and 856 nm. The average scattering to extinction cross-section ratios for these wavelengths are equal to 0.246, 0.196, and 0.196 for ethene and 0.316, 0.230, and 0.239 for acetylene. The 856 nm measurements represent the longest wavelength for which accurate scattering measurements have been performed for soot. The size distribution and fractal properties of the two soots were determined to assess the effects of limited acceptance angle range, finite size of the sensor, and departure from cosine response on the uncertainty in the measurement of {rho}{sub se} The expanded relative uncertainty (95% confidence level) was found to be {+-}6% at the two visible wavelengths and {+-}8% at 856 nm. Both the magnitude and wavelength dependence of {rho}{sub se} for the present experiments are significantly different from those reported by Krishnan et al. for overfire soot produced using a turbulent flame. The results are compared with the predictions of fractal optics.
Effect of position and alteration in synergist muscle force contribution on hip forces when performing hip strengthening exercises

Background Understanding the magnitude and direction of joint forces generated by hip strengthening exercises is essential for appropriate prescription and modification of these exercises. The purpose of this study was to evaluate hip joint forces created across a range of hip flexion and extension angles during two hip strengthening exercises: prone hip extension and supine hip flexion.
iGrocer: a ubiquitous and pervasive smart grocery shopping system

Emerging Smart phones are poised to give a whole new dimension to the way we shop, bank, and go about many of our everyday activities. iGrocer is a smart grocery shopping assistant, that re-defines grocery shopping. It is capable of maintaining nutrition profiles of its users. Particularly useful for elders and disabled shoppers, iGrocer can aid and advice users on what products to buy and what to avoid based on nutrition criteria and price constraints. Implemented on a smart phone with a barcode scanner accessory, iGrocer has a number of killer features that include: (1) ubiquitous shopping list: adding items to the shopping list by different means (e.g. simply scanning them when near empty, scanning and storing manufacturer coupons, planning the weekly menu right on the phone or through the web, and shopping for the necessary ingredient of a particular recipe, (2) quick and assisted in-store shopping: while shopping in the grocery store, iGrocer maps out the shortest shopping path with a map indicating the location of the next item on the list, and (3)automated check-out: iGrocer is capable of acting on behalf of the store and the customer to perform a trusted queue-less checkout. In this "application-oriented" paper, we present the iGrocer concept and give details of its architecture and implementation. We also summarize the lessons learnt throughout its development and testing phases.
Two-phase sound in superfluid 3He4He mixtures

Abstract In two-phase sound measurements with 3 He 4 He mixtures, the vapor sound and second sound are found to propagate as independent modes. This result can be traced to a boundary condition of conservation of 3 He atoms at the liquid-vapor interface.
Obstetric and Perinatal Events The Accuracy of Maternal Report

Physicians commonly rely on maternal recall of events during pregnancy, delivery, and the perinatal period. Investigators who are doing research in the reproductive and perinatal areas also rely on maternal recall. However, there is little information regarding its accuracy. This study evaluates the accuracy of maternal knowledge of events during pregnancy, delivery, and the perinatal period by comparing maternal report with information recorded on the medical records of the mother-infant pair. Results are presented as sensitivity, specificity, and chance-corrected agreement. Mothers demonstrated poor knowledge of pregnancy and delivery-room events. Agreement between maternal reports and hospital records was excellent for infant birth weight and type of delivery, and good for infant jaundice. However, other important areas of the infant's history, such as an evaluation for sepsis, were poorly recalled. The implications of these results are both medical- and research-specific. Physicians must be aware of possible inaccuracies in the mother's history and make every attempt to obtain the nursery discharge summary. In addition, researchers must verify the results of their data when relying on maternal recall, with the exception of infant birth weight and method of delivery.
New degree four networks: properties and performance

Two-dimensional tori, or its variants such as the midimew networks, are the most popular degree-four interconnection networks. However, the number of nodes interconnected by two-dimensional tori or the midimew networks grows as a square of their diameters. The authors discuss two different types of degree-four interconnection networks, the starcake networks and the k-ary 2-cliques. These graphs are regular, vertex-symmetric, maximally fault-tolerant and have a better diameter than the popular degree-four networks. They discuss the construction and routing of these networks and compare them with other interconnection networks. A preliminary performance comparison indicates that the proposed networks offer better throughput-delay characteristics than tori and midimew networks. >
Cochlear Flux Motion and Arterial Pressure Reduction in Guinea Pig

Vasomotion, as a fundamental phenomenon of microvessels, exists in the cochlea of guinea pig. In the current study, the vasomotion and its relation to arterial pressure reduction was studied in the guinea pig cochlea, using laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF). Blood pressure (BP) in 25 guinea pigs was manipulated by a mechanical occluder placed around the descending aorta or the inferior vena cava. Before thoractomy and artificial respiration, BP was 55.5 ± 10.9 mmHg and no flux motion occurred. Vasomotion became evident when BP was significantly lower (28.2 ± 7.2 mmHg) than the mean BP after thoracotomy (37.3 ± 8.3 mmHg) (t = 4.1536, p < 0.05). Vasomotion appeared during both continuous hypotension and brief BP decreases caused by mechanical occlusion. During periods of continuous flux motion, both increase and decrease in BP could weaken or abolish it. The pressure provoking the vasomotion was different for each animal but the pressure range for a given animal was relatively stable. Mean frequency and amplitu...
Cold-induced alterations in uncoupling protein and its mRNA are seasonally dependent in ground squirrels

We were interested in determining whether season affects the ability of cold exposure to increase brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenic function in 13-lined ground squirrels after acute and chronic cold (4 degrees C) exposure. Tissues were collected from animals in April and September after cold exposure for 12, 24, or 48 h. Animals chronically exposed to the cold (10 days) were killed in early May and mid-August. We found that mitochondrial uncoupling protein (UCP) concentrations varied seasonally, with concentrations in control animals (at 23 degrees C) higher in late summer (mid-August and September) than in the spring (April and early May). Cold exposure in late summer did not induce further increases in UCP concentrations. In contrast, when animals were cold exposed in the spring, UCP concentrations and total UCP increased. Surprisingly, 10 days at 4 degrees C did not cause a greater increase in UCP concentrations than did 24 h at 4 degrees C. Chronic cold exposure increased the UCP mRNA-to-beta-actin mRNA ratio 48% in May, whereas a fivefold increase occurred in August. GDP binding was increased after 12 h at 4 degrees C in April; in contrast, animals attempted to hibernate when placed in the cold in September, and no increase in GDP binding was observed. Chronic cold exposure caused GDP binding to increase at both times. These results indicate that mitochondrial UCP concentrations are seasonally regulated in the 13-lined ground squirrel.