cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of passive anti-roll tanks for roll stabilization in the nonlinear range

Abstract The best way of reducing roll motion is by increasing roll damping. Bilge keels are the most common devices for increasing roll damping. If more control is required, anti-roll tanks and fins are used. Tanks have the advantage of being able to function when the ship is not underway. Our objective is to develop design procedures for passive tanks for roll reduction in rough seas. This paper focuses on the design of passive U-tube tanks. The tank-liquid equation of motion is integrated simultaneously with the six-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) equations of the ship motion. The coupled set of equations is solved by using the Large Amplitude Motion Program ‘LAMP’, which is a three-dimensional time-domain simulation of the motion of ships in waves. The unstabilized and stabilized roll motions of a S60-70 ship with forward speed and beam waves have been analyzed. For high-amplitude waves, the unstabilized roll angle exhibits typical nonlinear phenomena: a shift in the resonance frequency, multi-valued responses, and jumps. The performance of a S60-70 ship with a passive tank is investigated in various sea states with different encounter wave directions. It is found that passive anti-roll tanks tuned in the linear or nonlinear ranges are very effective in reducing the roll motion in the nonlinear range. The effect of the tank damping, frequency, and mass on the tank performance is studied. Also, it is found that passive anti-roll tanks are very effective in reducing the roll motion for ships having a pitch frequency that is nearly twice the roll frequency in sea states 5 and 6.
Modeling Flash Mobs in Cybernetic Space: Evaluating Threats of Emerging Socio-Technical Behaviors to Human Security

Since the occurrence of the first 'Flash Mob' organized by Bill Wasik in Manhattan in 2003, flash mob phenomenon has become widespread. Recent journalistic accounts have reported that this form of public engagement has the potential to pose considerable amounts of risks to civil, political, social, and economic stability of a region. This raises the importance of systematically studying such behaviors. Modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) provide affordable and easy to use means of communications (such as social network platforms, viral emails, and SMS) that facilitates the process of recruiting, training, and looking for a specific sector of the society (specific gender, age, political affiliation, interest, and cultural background) easier than it was before. This in turn has led to an increase in the occurrences of emerging socio-technical behaviors, including parkour, flash mobs, campaigns, and social or mass movements. This research is an attempt to bridge social and computational sciences that would help analyze and explain manifestations of emerging socio-technical behaviors, especially the flash mobs.
Research Methods in the Leading Small Business–Entrepreneurship Journals: A Critical Review with Recommendations for Future Research**

Small business and entrepreneurship scholars have made significant progress toward advancing the field and gaining recognition as an important domain of scientific inquiry. However, the authors sug...
The Impact of Hepatitis C Virus Entry on Viral Tropism

Uptake of hepatitis C virus (HCV) into hepatocytes is an orchestrated process, involving numerous host factors, virion-associated lipoproteins, and a growing number of cell-associated factors. Several of these factors likely contribute to the hepatotropism and limited host range of this virus. Discerning the minimal set of human-specific factors required for viral uptake into nonhuman cells has facilitated the development of small animal models with inheritable HCV susceptibility. This review summarizes current knowledge of host factors required for HCV entry, the molecular mechanisms underlying HCV entry into hepatocytes, and aspects of viral entry contributing to HCV host tropism.
Addition of nucleotides to parental DNA early in infection by bacteriophage T4

Tritiated thymidine is incorporated into acid-insoluble material within the first five minutes after infection of Escherichia coli with bacteriophage T4, a time well before normal replication has commenced. The nature of this early-incorporated material is explored in this paper. The material, which cosediments with DNA from mature phage in sucrose gradients, is formed by wild-type T4 and by several DNA-negative amber mutants. It is phage-specific, as judged by its failure to be detected in uninfected cells, its pyrimidine base composition, and its ability to hybridize with another, well-characterized (Frankel, 1966) replicative intermediate formed later in infection. The material exists largely, but not completely, in a duplex structure. The amount of material formed per cell is dependent upon the multiplicity of infection and occurs, on an average basis, to the extent of about 8000 molecules of thymidine incorporated per parental molecule, containing about 124,000 molecules of thymidine. For this reason, and because the early material assumes the density of parental DNA in a bromouracil-labeling experiment, we believe that the early incorporation of DNA precursors represents addition of nucleotides to parental DNA molecules. The extent of addition is too small to appreciably affect the sedimentation rate under our conditions of zone centrifugation.
Detection of femtomolar concentrations of HF Using an SiO(2) microcantilever.

Femtomolar concentrations of hydrogen fluoride, a decomposition component of nerve agents, were detected using a SiO2 microcantilever. The microcantilever underwent bending due to the reaction of HF with SiO2. The microcantilever deflection increased as the concentration of HF increased. Other acids, such as HCl, had no effect on the deflection of the cantilever. The mechanism of reaction-induced bending and the correlation of microcantilever deflection with the HF concentration are discussed. The deflection in response to HF of a commercially available silicon cantilever was also studied, and its response was compared with that of the SiO2 cantilever. Much less bending amplitude and sensitivity were observed for the silicon cantilever.
Do honey bees average directions in the waggle dance to determine a flight direction

The waggle dance of the honey bee is a recruitment behavior used to communicate the location of a resource to a nest mate. There is, however, significant imprecision communicating the direction across waggle runs in a single dance. In this study, we ask whether honey bee recruits determine the direction of their flight based on an average of many waggle runs, or on a single waggle run. We show that the distribution of recruit flight directions is narrower than the distribution of directions indicated in the dance. We also show that there is a better fit between observed flight directions and the prediction of a multiple-waggle-run-averaging model than a last-waggle-run or other single-waggle-run models. These findings substantially weaken hypotheses about the adaptive nature of imprecision in honey bee recruitment.
Cervical puncture and perimedullary cistern shunt placement for idiopathic intracranial hypertension: An alternative to lumbar cistern or cerebral ventricular catheter placement a report of two cases

Objective: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a syndrome characterized by increased intracranial pressure (ICP) in the absence of an identifiable cause, and if untreated, can result in permanent vision loss. In symptomatic IIH patients, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion can lower ICP and protect vision; however, currently used CSF diversion systems are prone to malfunction in this population. Materials and Methods: In two IIH patients with histories of numerous prior shunt revisions that presented with proximal ventriculoperitoneal shunt malfunction, ICP reduction was achieved by an alternative surgical cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion technique: Fluoroscopically guided, percutaneous placement of a catheter in the premedullary cistern and subsequent connection to the valve and distal shunt system. Results: Postoperatively, both patients' papilledema resolved, headaches improved, and the shunts were working well at 3-month follow-up. At 1-year follow-up, one patient was well without papilledema or symptom recurrence, and the second patient had the shunt system removed by an outside surgeon. Conclusion: This technique may hold promise as an alternative shunting strategy in IIH patients with numerous proximal shunt failures or who are poor candidates for ventricular and lumbar shunts.
Bilingual Speakers of English and Korean and Code Switching Practice

The focus of this paper is to further understand the sociological tradition of language through the analysis of language alternation behaviors among bilingual speakers, namely Korean-Eng lish conversational code-switching. The paper investigates how and in what ways the code-s witches are used as a linguistic resource to accomplish particular social and communicative f unctions as well as how and in what ways cultural-social meanings, such as social hierarchy, are both conditions for and reproduced in code-switches. The goal of this study is to look bey ond the boundaries of a particular communicative event and study the affordances that bring t he particular code-choices to the present moment. The paper also explores, through the analys is of particular micro-events, that within the constraints and prefabrications in which each par ticipant operate, the possibility that people have of re-fabricating and re-synthesizing the preconditions that they are socialized into as they engage in an active and creative process of lan guage practices production.
The Lifespan as a Feminist Context: Making Developmental Concepts Come Alive in Therapy

A central tenet of feminist therapy is that it is necessary to see and understand women in context. All people live their lives within a developmental context; but, curiously, this powerful aspect of their context is often overlooked. This brief article draws explanatory concepts from five major developmental theories—those of Erikson, Gilligan, Jung, Levinson and Loevinger. To teach women trainees to fully grasp the relevance of the developmental context, they learn to apply these concepts to their own lives. Women therapists can use developmental understandings to enlarge their empathic connection with clients, and to underscore and normalize the necessity of change.
An evaluation of combined flame surface density and mixture fraction models for nonisenthalpic premixed turbulent flames

Abstract A computational study of a nonisenthalpic premixed turbulent jet flame is described. The flame burns a homogeneously premixed stoichiometric methane–air mixture injected into a coflow of air. The enthalpy (chemical + sensible) varies because of mixing between the jet fluid and the coflow. The performance of the Bray–Moss (BM) model and three flame surface density (FSD) models is evaluated by comparing the predictions of mean velocity and temperature profiles with recent experimental data. The reaction progress variable approach, which is established for isenthalpic flames, is extended to the present nonisenthalpic flames by including mean and mean square mixture fraction equations. The joint probability density function (PDF) of the reaction progress variable and the mixture fraction is modeled in terms of two statistically independent PDFs. The time-averaged reaction rate term is modeled using the BM and the FSD models. The effects of mixing with the coflow air were found to be unimportant in the evaluation of the flame speed required for modeling the mean reaction rate term. All models yielded reasonable predictions of mean velocity. Predictions of time-averaged temperatures agree better with the thin filament pyrometry data than those of Favre-averaged temperatures. The BM and MB models provided the best agreement with the mean temperature data but the other FSD models with slight tuning of the constants could provide similar agreement as well. The results show that a simple extension of the FSD models is promising for the treatment of nonisenthalpic flames. It appears that the differences in the conceptual framework of the FSD models disappear in their implementation using basically the same turbulence properties of kinetic energy and dissipation rates.
Functional intestinal obstruction in the premature newborn infant

Summary 1. A case of functional obstruction with fecal impaction in a premature infant and a differential diagnosis has been presented briefly. 2. The patient was operated upon and the fecal concretions evacuated through multiple colotomies. Following primary closure and a stormy convalescence, the patient has done well. 3. The similarity between this patient and others reported with absent ganglion cells in the myenteric plexus of the lower bowel is discussed.
Receptor Variation and Susceptibility to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infection

The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) recently spread from an animal reservoir to infect humans, causing sporadic severe and frequently fatal respiratory disease. Appropriate public health and control measures will require discovery of the zoonotic MERS coronavirus reservoirs. The relevant animal hosts are liable to be those that offer optimal MERS virus cell entry. Cell entry begins with virus spike (S) protein binding to DPP4 receptors. We constructed chimeric DPP4 receptors that have the virus-binding domains of indigenous Middle Eastern animals and assessed the activities of these receptors in supporting S protein binding and virus entry. Human, camel, and horse receptors were potent and nearly equally effective MERS virus receptors, while goat and bat receptors were considerably less effective. These patterns reflected S protein affinities for the receptors. However, even the low-affinity receptors could hypersensitize cells to infection when an S-cleaving protease(s) was present, indicating that affinity thresholds for virus entry must be considered in the context of host-cell proteolytic environments. These findings suggest that virus receptors and S protein-cleaving proteases combine in a variety of animals to offer efficient virus entry and that several Middle Eastern animals are potential reservoirs for transmitting MERS-CoV to humans. IMPORTANCE MERS is a frequently fatal disease that is caused by a zoonotic CoV. The animals transmitting MERS-CoV to humans are not yet known. Infection by MERS-CoV requires receptors and proteases on host cells. We compared the receptors of humans and Middle Eastern animals and found that human, camel, and horse receptors sensitized cells to MERS-CoV infection more robustly than goat and bat receptors. Infection susceptibility correlated with affinities of the receptors for viral spike proteins. We also found that the presence of a cell surface lung protease greatly increases susceptibility to MERS-CoV, particularly in conjunction with low-affinity receptors. This cataloguing of human and animal host cell factors allows one to make inferences on the distribution of MERS-CoV in nature.
Association of age at menarche with adult leg length and trunk height: Speculations in relation to breast cancer risk

AbstractBackground: It seems paradoxical that both increased height and earlier age at menarche (which predicts for shorter stature) are both associated with increased breast cancer risk.Methods: Retrospective data from a parental cohort coupled with prospective interviews with and anthropometric measurements from their daughters were used. Multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted using mixed regression models to account for same-family participants.Results: Controlling for birth weight, maternal height, and birth cohort, and analyzed as a group, a 1—year increase in the age at menarche predicted an increase in standing height, leg length, and trunk height of 0.76, 0.41, and 0.35 cm, respectively. However, when stratifying by birth year (prior to 1966 vs 1966 or after), these relationships were true only for those born prior to 1966.Conclusion: Given the height–breast cancer risk association, the emerging evidence linking breast cell proliferation to hormones associated with growth, and the...
Effectiveness of morphine and ineffectiveness of diazepam and phenobarbital on the motivational properties of hypothalamic self-stimulation behaviour☆

Abstract The actions of diazepam, phenobarbital, and morphine on self-stimulation were investigated to find out whether the site of action of these drugs is in the reward pathway when facilitation or suppression of responding for brain stimulation is observed. The range of doses tested was 1·25–120 mg/kg for diazepam, 1·25–200 mg/kg for phenobarbital and 1·25–5 mg/kg for morphine. A self-stimulation test at a given intensity of stimulation was always initiated with priming stimuli. Diazepam and phenobarbital at doses of 1·25–10 mg/kg increased the rate of self-stimulation; at doses between 10 and 60 mg/kg the drugs increased the rates in some subjects and decreased the rates in others. Very high doses, 120 mg/kg for diazepam and 200 mg/kg for phenobarbital, were needed to produce suppression of self-stimulation behaviour. Sedation was observed at doses of 10 mg/kg or more in the intervals between testing for self-stimulation at the different intensities. Thus, responding for brain reward was maintained with only minor reductions in rates when the tests were initiated with priming stimuli. Morphine did not increase the rate of responding at low doses, and it suppressed the rate of responding at doses that caused depression or sedation. Tests to determine the time-course of the drugs showed that the time of peak action was between 30–45 min after injection, the time when brain stimulation counteracted the sedation produced by diazepam and phenobarbital. The minor effects of diazepam and phenobarbital at high doses were not due to the development of tolerance because similar effects were obtained in subjects not previously treated with the drugs. The main finding was the absence of a strong depressant effect on the rate of self-stimulation after large doses of diazepam and phenobarbital, but the presence of depressant effects on the rate of responding after small doses of morphine. These results indicate the possibility that the first two compounds, at doses that sedate, have minor effects on the motivational properties of hypothalamic stimulation while morphine, at doses that sedate, has major effects on these properties.
Novel Single-Pass Exchange of Circulating Uridine in Rat Liver

Evidence is presented that the liver effects an essentially complete degradation of plasma uridine in a single pass and replaces it largely from hepatic pools of acid-soluble uridine nucleotides. The concentration of uridine in the hepatic vein of the rat was essentially the same as that in the arterial circulation and portal vein. However, the isolated perfused rat liver degraded more than 90 percent of infused [5-3H]uridine in a single passage. Similar results were found in vivo when tracer amounts of [3H]uridine and [14C]uridine were infused into the portal vein of an intact rat. Furthermore, less than 2 percent of the infused uridine entered the acid-soluble nucleotide pools of the liver after 30 minutes of infusion. Intraperitoneal injection of [3H]orotate allowed selective labeling of liver (and kidney) pyrimidines. After 3 hours, the specific activity of uridine in the hepatic vein was more than three times that in the arterial circulation. This unusual exchange, which is not saturated even at uridine concentrations as high as 50 microM, contributes to the rapid turnover of plasma uridine and explains its inefficient utilization in peripheral tissues.
ABBREVIATED FORMS OF THE STANFORD-BINET, L-M: RELIABILITY AND EFFECTS ON CLASSIFICATION OF INSTITUTIONALIZED MENTALLY RETARDED ADULTS

This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of two abbreviated forms of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, L-M, i.e., vocabulary score, starred-tests method, in predicting the Full Sc...
PARTIAL LIQUID VENTILATION (PLV) AND LUNG INJURY: IS PLV ABLE TO MODIFY PULMONARY VASCULAR RESISTANCE (PVR)? † 1927

PARTIAL LIQUID VENTILATION (PLV) AND LUNG INJURY: IS PLV ABLE TO MODIFY PULMONARY VASCULAR RESISTANCE (PVR)? † 1927
Passively driven integrated microfluidic system for separation of motile sperm

This paper describes a self-contained integrated microfluidic system that can separate motile sperm from small samples that are difficult to handle using conventional sperm-sorting techniques. The device isolates motile sperm from nonmotile sperm and other cellular debris, based on the ability of motile sperm to cross streamlines in a laminar fluid stream. The device is small, simple, and disposable yet is an integrated system complete with sample inlets, outlets, sorting channel, and a novel passively driven pumping system that provides a steady flow of liquid; it requires no external power source or controls. The device fulfills a need in clinical settings where small amounts of sperm need to be sorted. It also opens the way for convenient bioassays based on sperm motility including at-home motile sperm tests.
Visual Receptive Fields in the Cat's Retina: Complications

Visual receptive fields have been mapped with moving patterns in the cat's retinal ganglion cells. A small, general-purpose computer was used to collect a matrix of 2500 data points covering a 25°-by-25° region of space. The analysis of 40 units reveals the existence of many nonconcentric receptive fields and also the presence of line and edge detectors.
Sex Trading Among Hazardously Drinking Jailed Women.

For women involved in sex trading, both alcohol problems and passage through the criminal justice system are highly prevalent. This study is the 1st to conduct a focused examination of factors associated with sex trading among hazardously drinking, pretrial, jailed women. Cocaine use, social support for alcohol abstinence, and more days incarcerated in the 90 days leading up to the index incarceration were significantly associated with sex trading involvement among alcoholic women. Helping incarcerated alcoholic women reduce cocaine use and improve sober support networks during and following an incarceration may minimize sex trading after release.
Impacts of Oyster Reef Restoration on Primary Productivity and Nutrient Dynamics in Tidal Creeks of the North Central Gulf of Mexico

The ability of oysters to remove large quantities of particulates from the water column, thereby potentially improving water quality, has been cited as one of the reasons for oyster reef restoration. However, this ability has not yet been effectively demonstrated in the field. As part of the Alabama Oyster Reef Restoration Project, this study was designed to assess impacts of restored eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) reefs on primary production, nutrient dynamics, and water quality in shallow tidal creeks. Using a Before–After-Control–Impact (BACI) design, we monitored tidal creeks around Dauphin Island, AL, for changes induced by the introduction of oyster reefs. Reef placement resulted in increased ammonium (NH 4 + ) in two of the three experimental creeks. Interestingly, oyster reefs did not seem to reduce water column particulates or have an impact on phytoplankton or microphytobenthic biomass or productivity. We do not believe that our data discount the importance and/or usefulness of oysters in modifying the water column. Rather, we acknowledge that it is difficult to detect these impacts/environmental services in this type of system (i.e., a tidal creek system), because they seem to be very localized and short-lived (i.e., not ecologically relevant on a creek-wide scale). This study highlights the need to consider location and habitat in planning oyster restoration projects. Also, it demonstrates that the types, magnitudes, and spatial extent of changes in ecosystem services that should be expected after reef restoration might need to be re-evaluated.
A sequential quadratic programming approach to concurrent gate and wire sizing

With an ever-increasing portion of the delay in high-speed CMOS chips attributable to the interconnect, interconnect-circuit design automation continues to grow in importance. By transforming the gate and multilayer wire sizing problem into a convex programming problem for the Elmore delay approximation, we demonstrate the efficacy of a sequential quadratic programming (SQP) solution method. For cases where accuracy greater than that provided by the Elmore delay approximation is required, we apply SQP to the gate and wire sizing problem with more accurate delay models. Since efficient calculation of sensitivities is of paramount importance during SQP, we describe an approach for efficient computation of the RC circuit delay sensitivities.
The Protooncogene bcl‐2 Inhibits Apoptosis in PC12 Cells

: During development, many neuronal populations undergo a process of normal, programmed cell death, or apoptosis. Trophic factors regulate this process, but the mechanism by which they suppress apoptosis remains unclear. In the immune system, recent studies have implicated the protooncogene bcl-2 in the lymphocyte survival response to growth factors. To determine whether a similar survival pathway exists in a neuroendocrine cell type, we have expressed bcl-2 in the rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cell line and found that it abrogates the requirement for stimulation by growth factors to survive. bcl-2 expression also substantially delays the onset of injury by the calcium ionophore A23187.
It's More than Just Use: An Investigation of Telemedicine Use Quality

Many information systems (IS) studies portray use as an indicator of system success. However, "simply saying that more use will yield more benefits without considering the nature of this use, is clearly insufficient" [1 p. 16]. Researchers are also urged to address the study context in defining components of IS success. Our research specifies the use quality construct in the context of a mission critical system deployment, namely, the use of medical video conferencing for patient examinations. This type of telemedicine encounter provides an interesting context of system use as people in various roles interact with each other and with technology. We use a multi-method field study to collect and interpret a rich set of data on telemedicine encounters. We analyze the data from the perspectives of both patients and providers in the encounter. The result of this field study is a socio-technical framework of use quality for telemedicine service encounters in which the individual use quality attributes are identified, discussed, and compared via provider and patient perspectives.
Comparison of Endovenous Radiofrequency Versus 810 nm Diode Laser Occlusion of Large Veins in an Animal Model

Background Endovenous occlusion using radiofrequency (RF) energy has been shown to be effective for the elimination of sapheno-femoral reflux and subsequent elimination of varicose veins. Recently, endovenous laser occlusion has been introduced with initial clinical reports indicating effective treatment for varicose veins. However, in our practice we note increased peri-operative hematoma and tenderness with the laser. Little is known regarding the mechanism of action of this new laser vein therapy. Objective To better understand the mechanism of action of endovenous laser vs. the endovenous RF procedure in the jugular vein of the goat model. Methods A bilateral comparison was performed using 810 nm diode laser transmitted by a bare-tipped optical fiber vs. the RF delivery by engineered electrodes with a temperature feedback loop using a thermocouple (Closure procedure) in three goat jugular veins. Immediate and one-week results were studied radiographically and histologically. Temperature measurements during laser treatment were performed by using an array of up to five thermocouples, spaced 2 mm apart, placed adjacent to a laser fiber tip during goat jugular vein treatment. Results Immediate findings showed that 100% of the laser-treated veins showed perforations by histologic examination and immediate contrast fluoroscopy. The RF-treated side showed immediate constriction with maintenance of contrast material within the vein lumen and no perforations. The difference in acute vein shrinkage was also dramatic as laser treatments resulted in vein shrinkage of 26%, while RF-treated veins showed a 77% acute reduction in diameter. At one week, extravasated blood that leaked into the surrounding tissue of laser treated veins acutely, continued to occupy space and impinge on surrounding structures including nerves. For the laser treatment, the highest average temperature was 729 degrees C (peak temperature 1334 degrees C) observed flush with the laser fiber tip, while the temperature feedback mechanism of the RF method maintains temperatures at the electrodes of 85 degrees C. Conclusion Vein perforations, extremely high intravascular temperatures, failure to cause significant collagen shrinkage, and intact endothelium in an animal model justify a closer look at the human clinical application of the 810 nm endovenous laser technique. Extravasated blood impinging on adjacent structures may theoretically lead to increased peri-operative hematoma and tenderness. Further study and clinical investigation is warranted.
Scheduling soft real-time jobs over dual non-real-time servers

In this paper, we consider soft real-time systems with redundant off-the-shelf processing components (e.g., CPU, disk, network), and show how applications can exploit the redundancy to improve the system's ability of meeting response time goals (soft deadlines). We consider two scheduling policies, one that evenly distributes load (Balance), and one that partitions load according to job slackness (Chop). We evaluate the effectiveness of these policies through analysis and simulation. Our results show that by intelligently distributing jobs by their slackness amount the servers, Chop can significantly improve real-time performance.
Molecular Mechanism of Adaptation in Vertebrate Rods

Steady background light and bright bleaching illumination produce changes in rod photoreceptor sensitivity and response waveform that are collectively known as adaptation. In this chapter, we review the phenomenology of both background and bleaching adaptation. We then describe the evidence for our present understanding of the molecular mechanisms of adaptation in vertebrate rods to both background light and bleaching, including the role of Ca2+ as a second messenger and modulation of guanylyl cyclase and phosphodiesterase. We also describe continuing areas of uncertainty awaiting resolution from future experimentation.
Influence of acute stress and the adrenal axis on regulation of LH and testosterone in the male rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta).

In order to determine the mechanism by which stress may affect the secretion and function of luteinizing hormone (LH) in primates, the response of the adrenal and gonadal axes was followed in male rhesus monkeys during brief restraint in primate chairs and during various hormone treatments. To further assess the responsiveness of the gonadal axis, gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) was administered during the experiments. Corticosteroid levels were elevated throughout the first restraint trial as compared to those in subsequent trials. LH was elevated in the first sample of the first trial as compared to that in the following trials. The responses of LH to GnRH were equivalent in all trials, while the testosterone response to GnRH was attenuated in the first trial. A single injection of adrenocorti-cotropin (ACTH, 40 IU), while increasing circulating corticosteroids similarly to that observed during the first restraint trial, failed to cause an acute initial release of LH. However, ACTH did lower the testosterone response to GnRH. Following 5 days of ACTH treatment (40 IU twice daily), basal LH was suppressed, and the testosterone response to GnRH was decreased. Following 5 days of cortisol injections (100 mg twice daily), basal LH and testosterone were suppressed, but again only the testosterone response to GnRH was attenuated. Acute restraint stress, acting by some mechanism other than the activation of adrenal axis, stimulates a transient release of LH. While the stress-stimulated release of corticosteroids failed to affect the LH response following GnRH administration, it did act directly on the testes to prevent the normal release of testosterone. Finally, chronic elevation of corticosteroids, produced by ACTH or cortisol administration, suppressed basal serum LH and attenuated the response of testosterone to GnRH.
X-ray spectroscopy of z-pinches in implosions of wire arrays with combined materials

Time-resolved laser-probe diagnostics and gated x-ray imaging of star-like wire array z-pinch implosions have shown implosion characteristics that are more stable than those of other types of wire arrays on the Zebra generator. Here, we study the plasma conditions achieved in star-like wire arrays implosions using time-integrated and spatially-resolved x-ray spectroscopy. To this end, spectroscopic data have been recorded along a line of sight perpendicular to the z-pinch axis using a convex KAP crystal spectrometer, with a spectral resolution power of 350 in a series of shots performed at the Nevada Terawatt Facility. The target loads were star-like wire arrays comprised of 9 to 15 wires, 7.6–25 microns in diameter each, and driven by the Zebra pulsed-power accelerator. The wire array material combined aluminum with wires made out of titanium, stainless steel, and tungsten. The implosion dynamics in wire arrays was observed with laser probing at wavelengths of 532 and 266 nm and time-gated x-ray pinhole camera. The spectroscopic analysis focuses on the K-shell emission of aluminum, but the total energy radiated in soft and K-shell x-rays was also measured. The observed aluminum K-shell spectra show line transitions in Li-, He- and H-like Al ions; analysis of the spectra using detailed collisional-radiative atomic kinetics and radiation transport calculations yields electron temperature and density in the plasma. We discuss the plasma conditions achieved for several types of star-like wire array configurations, and its connection with soft and K-shell radiated energy.
The Role of Technology Domestication on Texting While Driving

Texting while driving has been researched from numerous disciplines including psychology and safety. This current study examines texting while driving through the lens of technology studies. Rather than look at the behavior and its effect on task performance, the technology of the cell phone and its relationship with the owner is explored. While youth is often associated with texting while driving, this study found that age was not significantly different between those who text while driving and those who don't. Using the domestication approach that was developed in technology studies, our research finds that earlier domestication of a technology (cell phone) affects the behavior of the user when they attempt to use another technology. Drivers who text while driving adopted the cell phone technology younger and often before the age of 16, the traditional age to begin driving. This research highlights the role of technology domestication in task behavior. Language: en
Outcomes of Right- Compared With Left-Side Colectomy

Right colon resections are perceived as less morbid than left colon resections. The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in outcomes between right-and left-side colon resections. We reviewed 420 consecutive open colectomies over 4 years. Patient demographics, surgical indications, intraoperative variables, and outcomes were collected. Two hundred twenty-three right colectomies (RCs) were compared with 197 left colectomies (LCs). RCs were more often required for cancer (111 vs 65, P < .001) and LCs for diverticular disease (10 vs 90, P < .001). LCs were more often performed emergently (36% vs 23%, P = .004) and required longer mean operative times (149 minutes vs 130 minutes, P = .004). Complications and mortality in the two groups were equal statistically. In the emergent colectomy subset, LCs were associated with greater intraoperative blood loss (315 vs 201 mL, P = .02) but fewer complications (11% vs 17%, P = .003).
Luteinizing Hormone Receptor-Stimulated Progesterone Production by Preovulatory Granulosa Cells Requires Protein Kinase A-Dependent Activation/Dephosphorylation of the Actin Dynamizing Protein Cofilin

Activation of the LH receptor (LHR) on preovulatory granulosa cells stimulates the cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) pathway to regulate expression of genes required for ovulation and luteinization. LHR signaling also initiates rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton. Because disruption of the actin cytoskeleton has been causally linked to steroidogenesis in various cell models, we sought to identify the cellular mechanisms that may modulate reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton and to determine whether cytoskeletal reorganization is required for steroidogenesis. Herein we report that LHR signaling in preovulatory granulosa cells promotes rapid dephosphorylation of the actin-depolymerizing factor cofilin at Ser3 that is dependent on PKA. The LHR-stimulated dephosphorylation of cofilin(Ser3) switches on cofilin activity to bind actin filaments and enhance their dynamics. Basal phosphorylation of cofilin(Ser3) is mediated by active/GTP-bound Rho and downstream protein kinases; LHR signaling promotes a decrease in active/GTP-bound Rho by a PKA-dependent mechanism. LHR-dependent Rho inactivation and subsequent activation of cofilin does not involve ERK, epidermal growth factor receptor, or phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathways downstream of PKA. To understand the biological significance of cofilin activation, preovulatory granulosa cells were transduced with a mutant cofilin adenoviral vector in which Ser3 was mutated to Glu (S-E cofilin). Inactive S-E cofilin abolished LHR-mediated reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton and caused a 70% decrease in LHR-stimulated progesterone that is obligatory for ovulation. Taken together, these results show that LHR signaling via PKA activates a cofilin-regulated rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton and that active cofilin is required to initiate progesterone secretion by preovulatory granulosa cells.
Secure Communications With Insecure Feedback: Breaking the High-SNR Ceiling

A multiple-antenna Gaussian wiretap channel in which the number of antennas at the source is not greater than that at the eavesdropper is considered. Without feedback, the secrecy capacity over such a channel generally converges to a constant at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). A half-duplex secure protocol allowing the destination to actively transfer random keys in the form of known interference is proposed. It is shown that using multiple antennas at the destination is instrumental in achieving a secrecy rate that grows linearly with logSNR. The pre-log factor of the secrecy rate, i.e., the number of secure degrees of freedom, is characterized, revealing an interesting interplay between the numbers of antennas at the three communication nodes. The relationship of the achievable secure degrees of freedom to those obtained in the case without feedback is finally discussed.
Studies of potential-dependent metallothionein adsorptions using a low-volume electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance flow cell

Adsorptions of metallothioneins (MTs) onto thin mercury films (TMFs) at potentials more negative or positive than the point of zero charge (pzc) of mercury were quantified for the first time, using a novel electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) flow cell in conjunction with a simple flow-injection system (FI-EQCM). The EQCM flow cell has a low internal volume (ca. 50 l) designed for the investigation of biomolecular attachment to surfaces. Such a cell facilitates in-situ gravimetric measurements of MT adsorption processes at different potentials. The amount of the MT adsorption at − 0.9 V, a potential more negative than the pzc of the TMF, was found to be greater than that attached via simple chemisorption (in an open-circuit configuration). The quantity of metals released by the MT adsorbates, measured by electrochemical inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (EC/ICP-AES), was found to constitute 3.8% of the total mass measured by FI-EQCM. The average number of cysteines per MT molecule involved in the Hg-cysteine thiolate formation was found to be 4.2 1.8. Thus, it appears that about 1–2 metal ions (Cd 2 + ) per MT molecule have been released off the TMF electrode since the stoichiometric ratio between the Cd 2 + and the cysteines in a MT molecule is known to be 1/3. The quantitative measurements by the two hybrid electrochemical methods (FI-EQCM and EC/ICP-AES) help elucidate the electrode reactions of MT adsorbates at TMF surfaces and the MT metal transfer processes. © 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
Bacitracin Methylene Disalicylate in Broiler Breeder Feeds

A 32-week experiment was carried out in floor pens with Cobb X Cobb breeder pullets that were 28 weeks old at initiation. Ten replicate pens, each containing 13 pullets and 2 males, received one of four dietary treatments. These treatments were either an unmedicated feed or 27.5, 55, or 110 mg/kg of bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD). All feeds contained 13.2 mg/kg of hygromycin B. Feed was allocated at a rate of 159 g per day and water was provided continuously. Hen-day egg production was significantly improved by the feeding of 27.5 mg/kg or more of BMD. Egg weights were significantly lower for all groups receiving the drug. Eggs of birds receiving 110 mg/kg were significantly heavier than those produced with 27.5 mg/kg, but neither differed statistically from those of the 55 mg/kg group. Neither final body weight nor overall mortality was significantly related to treatment. Egg fertility was significantly improved by 27.5 mg/kg or more of BMD. Hatchability of fertile eggs was not affected by the drug, but total hatchability was significantly increased through BMD feeding, largely on the strength of improved fertility.
An in vitro technique for measuring the production rate of volatile fatty acids in the rumen under dynamic conditions

Abstract A one-year-old wether fitted with a permanent ruminal cannula was used to examine an in vitro techniques potential for estimating the rate of VFA production in the rumen. Ruminal contents were sampled 4-h post-feeding and incubated under anaerobic conditions for 0, 10, 15, 20, 30, 70, 110, 160, and 240 min. The rate of VFA production was calculated from the incremental increases in acid concentration occurring over time. An exponential model, Y=a−b exp −ct (where Y is the concentration of VFA at time t, a the asymptote, b the fermentation potential, exp the base of natural logarithms, c the fractional rate of fermentation or rate constant and t the time) was used to describe VFA production in vitro. It was assumed that the rate of in vitro VFA production at time zero was equivalent to the rate of in vivo VFA production at the time the sample was removed. To ensure that the incubation intervals used in this study were appropriate, sampling times were estimated for future studies. The average coefficient of multiple determinations for the model used to describe in vitro VFA production was 0.96 and 0.93, respectively, for the high concentrate and high forage diets which suggests that it was appropriate. Estimates of daily VFA production for the high concentrate diet averaged 7.0±1.87 mol/day while estimates for the high forage diet averaged 4.0±0.5 mol/day. Rates of VFA production from both diets were similar to rates reported in vivo from sheep feed similar diets using isotope techniques. Estimation of appropriate sampling times using data from the present study indicated that the in vitro fermentation times for the high forage diet should be extended to 4.5 h using sampling intervals of 0, 15, 30, 50, 75, 100, 135, 185, and 275 min. In vitro fermentation for 3 h at 0, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 85, 115, and 170 min appeared appropriate for the high concentrate diet. An in vitro procedure and mathematical approach were applied to estimate ruminal VFA production in vivo. This method provides a practical technique to measure the effect of different diets on ruminal fermentation.
Skin-to-Skin Contact Is Analgesic in Healthy Newborns

Objectives. To determine whether skin-to-skin contact between mothers and their newborns will reduce the pain experienced by the infant during heel lance. Design. A prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Setting. Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts. Participants. A total of 30 newborn infants were studied. Interventions. Infants were assigned randomly to either being held by their mothers in whole body, skin-to-skin contact or to no intervention (swaddled in crib) during a standard heel lance procedure. Outcome Measures. The effectiveness of the intervention was determined by comparing crying, grimacing, and heart rate differences between contact and control infants during and after blood collection. Results. Crying and grimacing were reduced by 82% and 65%, respectively, from control infant levels during the heel lance procedure. Heart rate also was reduced substantially by contact. Conclusion. Skin-to-skin contact is a remarkably potent intervention against the pain experienced during heel stick in newborns.
The impact of the modified Atkins diet on lipid profiles in adults with epilepsy

Objectives: The modified Atkins diet (MAD) is a high fat, low carbohydrate ketogenic diet used to treat intractable seizures in children and adults. The long-term impact on fasting lipid profiles (FLPs) remains unknown. This study was designed to detect significant lipid changes in adults on MAD.Methods: Patients were observed prospectively. A FLP was obtained in all patients at the first visit then serially. Patients were started on a 20 g per day net carbohydrate limit MAD. They were screened for risk for coronary heart disease and counseled to reduce saturated fats by a registered dietitian if deemed at risk. Patients that remained on MAD for 3 or more months with one or more follow-up FLP were included.Results: Thirty-seven patients (14 male), mean age 33 years (SD 13, range 18–59) met study criteria. Median diet duration was 16 months (range 3–41). Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) increased significantly over the first 3 months of MAD (P = 0.01 and 0.008, respectively), but were no...
CONCENTRATION GRADIENTS FOR RADIOIODIDE IN UNBLOCKED THYROID GLANDS OF RATS: EFFECTOF PERCHLORATE1

THE iodide-trapping mechanism of the thyroid provides a concentrated substrate for subsequent organic iodinations within the gland. Obliteration of this function, by anions such as thiocyanate or perchlorate, results in diminished formation of hormone, goiter, and myxedema (Barker, 1936; Astwood, 1943; Rawson, Tannheimer and Peacock, 1944; Wolff et al., 1946; VanderLaan and VanderLaan, 1947; Wyngaarden, Wright, and Ways, 1952). Under conditions of blockade to organic binding, external counting techniques in man have repeatedly demonstrated within the gland concentrated radioiodide which can readily be discharged by thiocyanate or perchlorate (Stanley and Astwood, 1948; Stanbury and Wyngaarden, 1952). Similar attempts to demonstrate dischargeable thyroidal radioiodine have met with variable succees when organic-binding has been allowed to proceed (Kirkland, 1954; Berson and Yalow, 1955; Ingbar, 1955; VanderLaan, 1955). Several investigators, having been unable consistently to demonstrate dischargeable radi...
TROLLEY, TRANSPLANT AND CONSENT

Analyse de l'argument du trolley et de l'argument de la transplantation d'organes developpes par J. J. Thomson dans son ouvrage intitule «The realm of rights» (1990). L'A. montre que la solution que Thomson apporte a ces problemes sous-estime le role du consentement dans le raisonnement moral