cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neurotransmitter release in an arterial preparation and the action of alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists.

1 This study examined the potentiating effects of competitive antagonists of the adrenergic alpha 2 receptors and of phenoxybenzamine (POB) an irreversible antagonist, on the stimulation-induced efflux of [ 3 H]-noradrenaline in arterial tissue of rabbit. This was done to determine if the lack of concordance of efflux potentiation by antagonists with the expectations of presynaptic negative feedback theory can be attributed to increasingly successful competition from rising perineuronal transmitter concentrations, when stimulation parameters are increased, in the presence of a fixed concentration of competitive antagonist. 2 Tissues were stimulated with a fixed pulse number and frequency, to rule out confounding factors, and major alterations in the concentration of released transmitter were achieved through variations in the pulse duration. 3 Rauwolscine potentiated transmitter release less at the longest, rather than at the shortest pulse duration, and showed a potentiation of release that was indifferent to the quantities of released transmitter. This was also seen with POB although it binds covalently to the presynaptic receptor. 4 Noradrenaline inhibited stimulation-induced transmitter release confirming the presence of presynaptic alpha inhibitory sites. 5 Yohimbine potentiated transmitter release the same as did rauwolscine and POB, and protected the relevant sites against POB potentiation, confirming site identity. The combination of POB and rauwolscine had no greater effect than did either alone certifying that they acted similarly and that maximally effective concentrations of each were used. 6 Consequently, noradrenaline breakthrough of presynaptic receptor blockade does not explain the non-conforming observations made with competitive antagonists in tests of presynaptic theory.
Acute gonadal vein thrombosis secondary to terminal ileitis and thrombophilia.

A40-year-old white male presented with severe abdominal pain 4 days after undergoing left hip replacement which increased and localized to the right lower quadrant and radiated to the right testicle. He experienced no nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or anorexia, and had no change in bowel habits. History was significant for protein S deficiency, venous thrombosis, Crohn’s disease and avascular necrosis of both hips. Medications included warfarin, oxycodone, steroid pulses and Remicade®. Vital signs were stable. On physical examination the right lower quadrant was tender on deep palpation and the right spermatic cord was tender throughout its palpable length. The testes were normal size and symmetrical with some tenderness on the right side. Most significantly during deep palpation of the right spermatic cord the patient reported sudden relief from pain, presumably as the clot was milked from the venous system. Hemoglobin/hematocrit was 11.2/42, white blood cell count was 12.7 with a left shift and an international normalized ratio of 3.0. Computerized tomography of the abdomen and pelvis without and with contrast medium revealed bilateral small intrarenal calcifications, appendicolith, a dilated right testicular vein and cord extending to the scrotum, and inflammation in an adjacent terminal ileal loop with its mesentery extended to the testicular vein (see figure). Scrotal ultrasound demonstrated symmetric size and normal flow in both testes. Treatment consisted of intravenous Toradol® for pain control and antiplatelet effect, intravenous fluids and ibuprofen. Review of the literature revealed reports of gonadal vein thrombosis in concert with thrombophilia and gastrointestinal inflammation. 1 This case illustrates an interesting juxtaposition of the 2 conditions. Thrombosis was treated with ongoing warfarin anticoagulation, antiplatelet therapy and periodic manual compression. The patient recovered fully with this conservative approach.
ROLE OF PITUITARY IN COLD-INDUCED BRAIN HYPEREXCITABILITY.

SummaryThe increased brain excitability observed in cold-exposed, intact rats is not mediated through pituitary hyperfunction, because hypophysectomy increases this effect rather than hindering it. In hypophysecto-mized, cold-exposed rats, the lowering effects on electroshock seizure threshold of absence of ACTH and mineralocorticoids predominate over the opposite effects of hypothermia and absence of thyroid and glucocorticoid hormones.
Localization of dislocation creep in the lower mantle: Implications for the origin of seismic anisotropy

Recent seismological observations reveal the presence of seismic anisotropy in localized regions at the base of the mantle within an otherwise isotropic lower mantle. These regions can be placed in a tectonic context, corresponding to locations of paleosubduction and plume upwelling. This project works toward determining whether the observed seismic anisotropy may be explained by the development of a mineral fabric by lattice-preferred orientation (LPO). Numerical modeling is used to explore whether the conditions at the base of upwelling and downwelling regions are consistent with those required for fabric development. Specifically, we examine whether dislocation creep dominates these regions within a background mantle that flows primarily by diffusion creep. The key to our study is the use of a composite rheology that includes both mechanisms of diffusion and dislocation creep and is based on mineral physics experiments. Results show that it is possible to produce a localization of dislocation creep near slabs within a background mantle dominated by diffusion creep. In contrast, upwelling regions are characterized by a domination of diffusion creep. These results indicate that LPO may be the cause of lowermost mantle seismic anisotropy near paleoslabs, but other mechanisms such as shape-preferred orientation may be required to produce the anisotropy observed near upwellings. fl 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Impaired cell division and sporulation of a Bacillus subtilis strain with the ftsA gene deleted.

The ftsZ and ftsA genes of Bacillus subtilis are organized in a simple operon expressed from promoter sequences immediately upstream of ftsA. The promoter-distal ftsZ gene is an essential septation gene. In this report, it is shown that the promoter-proximal ftsA gene can be deleted in a previously constructed strain in which the essential gene, ftsZ, is under the control of the inducible spac promoter. Absence of the ftsA gene product resulted in a very filamentous morphology indicating an important role for ftsA in cell division. Also, growth was severely impaired, and viability and sporulation were reduced. The defective sporulation phenotype correlated with a deficiency in the processing of pro-sigma E to its active form. Images
Identification of Nuclear Receptor Ligands using Differential Scanning Fluorimetry

Identification of ligands that interact with nuclear receptors (NRs) is both a major biological problem and an important initial step in drug discovery. Several in vitro and in vivo techniques are commonly used to screen ligand candidates against nuclear receptors, however none of the current assays allow screening without modification of either the protein and/or the ligand in a high-throughput fashion. Differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) allows unmodified potential ligands to be screened as 10μL reactions in 96-well format against partially purified protein, revealing specific interactors. As a proof of principle, we used a commercially available NR ligand candidate chemical library to identify interactors to several well characterized human NRs. Compounds that interact specifically with NR Ligand Binding Domains stabilize the protein and result in an elevation of the thermal denaturation point as monitored by the environmentally sensitive dye SYPRO orange. We present results validating DSF as a new tool for identifying NR ligands and screening candidate compounds and also present results of orphan NRs currently under investigation.
Longitudinal relationships between lexical and grammatical development in typical and late-talking children.

Purpose This study examined the longitudinal relationships between lexical and grammatical development in typically developing (TD) and late-talking children for the purposes of testing the single-...
Measurement of Action Potential-Induced Presynaptic Calcium Domains at a Cultured Neuromuscular Junction

Spatially localized Ca(2+) domains are thought to play a key role in action potential (AP)-evoked neurotransmitter release at fast synapses. We used a stage-scan confocal spot-detection method and the low-affinity Ca(2+) indicator Oregon Green 488 BAPTA-5N to study the spatiotemporal profile of presynaptic AP-induced Ca(2+) domains. Families of scanned AP-induced fluorescence transients were detected from spot locations separated by 200-300 nm, within the vicinity of Ca(2+) entry sites. Typically, the largest transient in a particular scan peaked within approximately 1 msec and decayed with rapid (tau(1) of 1.7 msec) and slow components (tau(2) of 16 msec, tau(3) of 78 msec). As the spot was incrementally displaced, transients progressively exhibited a slowing in their time-to-peak and a loss of the fast decay component. Three-dimensional graphs of fluorescence versus time and spot displacement revealed the presence of AP-induced fluorescence domains that dissipated within approximately 7 msec. The size of fluorescence domains were estimated from the full-width at half-maximum of gaussian fits to isochronal DeltaF/F plots and ranged from 0.6 to 3.0 micrometer, with a mean +/- SD of 1.6 +/- 0.6 micrometer. Model simulations of a localized Ca(2+) entry site predicted the major features of the fluorescence transients and suggested that, within approximately 1 msec of the initiation of the Ca(2+) current, both the fluorescence domain and the underlying Ca(2+) domain do not extend significantly beyond the site of entry. Consistent with this prediction, the intracellular addition of EGTA (up to 2 mM) accelerated the decay of the measured transients but did not affect the domain size.
A fast simultaneous input vector generation and gate replacement algorithm for leakage power reduction

Input vector control (IVC) technique is based on the observation that the leakage current in a CMOS logic gate depends on the gate input state, and a good input vector is able to minimize the leakage when the circuit is in the sleep mode. The gate replacement technique is a very effective method to further reduce the leakage current. In this paper, we propose a fast algorithm to find a low leakage input vector with simultaneous gate replacement. Results on MCNC91 benchmark circuits show that our algorithm produces $14 %$ better leakage current reduction with several orders of magnitude speedup in runtime for large circuits compared to the previous state-of-the-art algorithm. In particular, the average runtime for the ten largest combinational circuits has been dramatically reduced from 1879 seconds to 0.34 seconds.
An efficient methodology for building macromodels of IC fabrication processes

An efficient macromodeling approach for statistical IC process design based on experimental design and regression analysis is described. Automatic selection of the input variables is done as part of the model-building procedure to reduce the problem dimension to a manageable size. The resulting macromodels are simple analytical expressions describing the device characteristics in terms of the fundamental process variables. The validity and efficiency of the macromodels obtained by the approach are illustrated through their use in an IC process design centering example. Although the approach has only been applied to the IC fabrication process level, the underlying methodology can also be used to obtain circuit-level macromodels. >
Has your cat gone phishing? [Microwave Surfing]

A radio frequency identification (RFID) system has two parts: a (usually portable) reader and a tiny transponder (radio tag, RFID chip), which is embedded in or attached to the tracked object (such as a piece of baggage on an airport conveyor belt or a pet). Researchers from Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam demonstrate in (M. Rieback et al, 2006) how these tiny RFID tags can be used to spread malicious computer code. Since the tags have a very limited memory (typically less than 1,024 b), it had been generally assumed that they were unsuitable vectors for introducing viruses into computers connected to RFID readers (W. Knight, 2006).
A Parenting Competency Model

SYNOPSISDecades of research show a significant link between parenting quality and outcomes in children. Whereas many professional caregiving groups are developing competency models for training and evaluation purposes, formation of a parenting competency model has been hindered by a lack of universally accepted standards for and the complexity of parental functioning. This article advances a consensus on the dimensions of effective childrearing and assembles a model of parenting competency based on empirically supported beneficial parenting practices and attributes from multiple psychological and health disciplines. Formed using existing professional competency development guidelines, and based on an interactive, cross-disciplinary, contextual conceptualization of competent parenting, the proposed model consists of three foundational and five functional core competencies of parenting along with subcompetencies which operationalize them. Recognizing that different levels of competency exist, preliminary be...
Multiple resonances in the double-flash effect

When a single brief light pulse follows the offset of an inducer light field, the single pulse is seen as two (or more) flashes: this is the double-flash effect. Measurements of the strength of the effect as a function of the frequency of a flickering inducer field have revealed a high illuminance threshold and a strongly bandpass complex structure containing several peaks [ J. Opt. Sci. Am. A4, 746– 755 ( 1987)]. A linear-oscillator model may account for one peak but not for multiple peaks; furthermore, the high illuminance threshold is expected to introduce nonlinearity. We therefore base our analysis of the resonance structure on a nonlinear-oscillator model, and we argue that its leading term is cubic. The model accounts in a parsimonious way for all the double-flash results, it correctly predicts a shift in peak frequencies from ordinary threshold flicker effects, and, finally, it corroborates claims that the response of the visual system to suprathreshold stimuli is oscillatory rather than biphasic.
Mechanisms of Transport through Reverse Osmosis Membranes

Abstract Reverse osmosis membrane transport mechanisms are briefly reviewed. There are several approaches which basically involve pore flow and/or diffusive flow. At one extreme, as in the solution-diffusion model, there is no clear-cut route for the transport, while others, like the preferential sorption-capillary flow mechanism, invoke definite pores and capillaries. The fundamental concept of interfacial adsorption combined with mass transport through the capillaries, which led to the development of asymmetric porous membranes, are the prominent features of the latter mechanism. This has been developed further to enable specification and prediction of performance of a membrane in terms of average pore size and its distribution. A quantitative description of penetrant solution and diffusion in microheterogeneous media as described by the dual sorption theory and a mechanism based on irreversible thermodynamics are also discussed. The usefulness and limitations of various approaches are pointed out.
Collaborative sparse signal recovery in hierarchical wireless sensor networks

This paper investigates the design choices and implementation schemes for information fusion among cluster heads in a large-scale hierarchical wireless sensor network. Two main issues addressed are: whether to choose centralized processing with aid of a fusion center or decentralized collaboration among cluster heads, and for the latter choice, how to collaborate. Based on a sparse signal recovery problem arising from an environmental monitoring application, we propose a decentralized collaborative decision-making algorithm for cluster heads, and compare it with the centralized scheme. Our observation is: when the number of sensors within each cluster is quite large to induce a large amount of data, and the cluster heads are subject to multi-hop communications due to limited communication range, the collaborative algorithm is superior to the centralized one in terms of communication load and energy efficiency.
Parallel basal ganglia circuits for voluntary and automatic behaviour to reach rewards

The basal ganglia control body movements, value processing and decision-making. Many studies have shown that the inputs and outputs of each basal ganglia structure are topographically organized, which suggests that the basal ganglia consist of separate circuits that serve distinct functions. A notable example is the circuits that originate from the rostral (head) and caudal (tail) regions of the caudate nucleus, both of which target the superior colliculus. These two caudate regions encode the reward values of visual objects differently: flexible (short-term) values by the caudate head and stable (long-term) values by the caudate tail. These value signals in the caudate guide the orienting of gaze differently: voluntary saccades by the caudate head circuit and automatic saccades by the caudate tail circuit. Moreover, separate groups of dopamine neurons innervate the caudate head and tail and may selectively guide the flexible and stable learning/memory in the caudate regions. Studies focusing on manual handling of objects also suggest that rostrocaudally separated circuits in the basal ganglia control the action differently. These results suggest that the basal ganglia contain parallel circuits for two steps of goal-directed behaviour: finding valuable objects and manipulating the valuable objects. These parallel circuits may underlie voluntary behaviour and automatic skills, enabling animals (including humans) to adapt to both volatile and stable environments. This understanding of the functions and mechanisms of the basal ganglia parallel circuits may inform the differential diagnosis and treatment of basal ganglia disorders.
Frequency tunable microstrip patch antenna using ferroelectric thin film varactor

A novel frequency tunable microstrip patch antenna using ferroelectric BST thin film varactor is presented. The resonant frequency of this reconfigurable antenna is controlled by tuning the capacitance of the RF varactor which is used as part of the antenna feedline in this design. Since the varactor uses the coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission line, tapered microstrip line between the antenna and the varactor are employed to ensure proper transitions. Experimental results demonstrate that a high tuning range can be achieved for the reconfigured microstrip patch antenna with a lower variation of the DC biasing voltage applied on the ferroelectric varactor.
Frequency domain transient stability simulation of power systems: implementation by supercomputer

Summary form only given, as follows. This paper reports the results of performing transient stability simulations of a power system using frequency domain methods and makes comparisons with a standard time domain simulation of the same events, both simulations being run on both a VAX and CRAY machine. Because of their inherent structure. one is usually forced to implement time domain simulations by serial techniques that are not capable of effectively exploiting parallel and vector processing capabilities. Frequency Domain techniques, on one hand are more likely to give rise to vector and matrix operations which are amenable to parallel and vector processing, while on the other hand they are generally less efficient in dealing with nonlinearities. This study is aimed at estimating the relative benefits of one simulation method over the other.
Noninvasive method for estimation of complex elastic modulus of arterial vessels

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is widely used for estimating the stiffness of an artery. It is well-known that a stiffened artery can be associated with various diseases and with aging. Usually, PWV is measured using the "foot-to-foot" method in which the travel time of the wave is measured over a distance. The "foot" of the pressure wave is not clear due to reflected waves and blood noise. Also, PWV is an average indicator of artery stiffness between the two measuring points and, therefore, does not identify local stiffness variations. We propose producing a bending wave in the arterial wall using low-frequency, localized ultrasound radiation force and measuring the wave velocity along the arterial wall. The wave velocity can be measured accurately over a few millimeters. A mathematical model for wave propagation along the artery is developed with which the Young's modulus of the artery can be determined from measured wave velocities. Experiments were conducted on a pig carotid artery cast in a tissue-mimicking gelatin. The wave velocity was measured by the phase change at a known distance for a given frequency. The measured wave velocity is about 3 m/s at 100 Hz and 6.5 m/s at 500 Hz. The real part of complex elastic modulus of the artery is estimated to be 300 kPa.
Hypersomnolence in Prader Willi Syndrome

Background: Children with Prader Willi syndrome (PWS) are at risk of sleep disordered breathing involving central and obstructive components. PWS patients are known to have abnormal responses to hypoxia and hypercapnoea, an increased incidence of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea [OSA] and hypersomnolence when older not explained by obesity alone. As infants, many present with delay in central control of breathing during sleep. Hypersomnolence and indeed narcolepsy have been reported in this group of patients. Modafinil is a wake promoting agent but a pharmacological profile that is distinct from sympathomimetic amines, which increase wakefulness by other mechanisms. Modafinil does not bind to most of the potentially relevant receptors for sleep/wake regulation, including those for noradrenaline, serotonin, dopamine, GABA, adenosine, histamine-3 and benzodiazepines. Methods: Polysomnography (PSG) and multiple sleep latency testing [MSLT] was performed on PWS children attending a multidisciplinary clinic. Children who met criteria for narcolepsy were treated according to narcolepsy guidelines. Those who were hypersomnolent were assessed and three patients were trialed on Modafinil (a novel wake promoting agent). Results: Three children were studied, aged 7–13 years. Two were treated within a placebo controlled cross-over design. There was a significant difference in behavioural parameters as measured by teacher and parent. The other had significant hypersomnolence with a BMI in the obese range. Treatment resulted in a dramatic improvement in behaviour, activity and BMI. Conclusion: Children with Prader Willi syndrome and hypersomnolence may benefit from treatment with modafinil.
In Vivo and In Vitro Development of the Protist Helicosporidium sp.

We describe the discovery and developmental features of a Helicosporidium sp. isolated from the black fly Simulium jonesi. Morphologically, the helicosporidia are characterized by a distinct cyst stage that encloses three ovoid cells and a single elongate filamentous cell. Bioassays have demonstrated that the cysts of this isolate infect various insect species, including the lepidopterans, Helicoverpa zea, Galleria mellonella, and Manduca sexta, and the dipterans, Musca domestica, Aedes taeniorhynchus, Anopheles albimanus, and An. quadrimaculatus. The cysts attach to the insect peritrophic matrix prior to dehiscence, which releases the filamentous cell and the three ovoid cells. The ovoid cells are short-lived in the insect gut with infection mediated by the penetration of the filamentous cell into the host. Furthermore, these filamentous cells are covered with projections that anchor them to the midgut lining. Unlike most entomopathogenic protozoa, this Helicosporidium sp. can be propagated in simple nutritional media under defined in vitro conditions, providing a system to conduct detailed analysis of the developmental biology of this poorly known taxon. The morphology and development of the in vitro produced cells are similar to that reported for the achorophyllic algae belonging to the genus Prototheca.
Development of diluents for domestic fowl semen

Semen diluents are presently being used both for short- and long-term storage of domestic fowl semen. They are being developed to improve the reproductive efficiency of males and to lower the cost ...
Engineering an invasion: classical biological control of the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis , by the egg parasitoid Gonatocerus ashmeadi in Tahiti and Moorea, French Polynesia

The glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis Germar (=H. coagulata Say) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), invaded Tahiti in 1999 and spread rapidly to the main island groups of French Polynesia becoming an important pest. It threatened agriculture, native biodiversity, and created serious social and recreational problems. Further, massive uncontrolled populations on Tahiti presented an elevated invasion threat to other South Pacific nations. In 2004, a classical biological control program against H. vitripennis was initiated in French Polynesia using the highly host-specific egg parasitoid Gonatocerus ashmeadi Girault (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae). After risk assessment studies indicated an acceptably low level of risk to non-target species, 13,786 parasitoids were released at 27 sites in Tahiti between May and October 2005. Here we present the results of G. ashmeadi and H. vitripennis population surveys during the first year of their interaction in French Polynesia (until mid-May 2006). The impact of G. ashmeadi on H. vitripennis was extremely rapid and high. Parasitism of H. vitripennis egg masses by G. ashmeadi has averaged 80–100% in Tahiti since the introduction of the parasitoid, and populations of H. vitripennis nymphs and adults have decreased by more than 90% since December 2005. Populations of H. vitripennis have been successfully maintained at this low level for more than 1 year. The same results were obtained in nearby Moorea where the parasitoid was probably spread by the unregulated transport of plants infested with parasitized H. vitripennis eggs. Population monitoring continues in order to determine if a stable equilibrium between the pest and the parasitoid has been reached.
A Distributed e-Healthcare System Based on the Service Oriented Architecture

Large-scale distributed systems, such as e-healthcare systems, are difficult to develop due to their complex and decentralized nature. The service oriented architecture facilitates the development of such systems by supporting modular design, application integration and interoperation, and software reuse. With open standards, such as XML, SOAP, WSDL and UDDI, the service oriented architecture supports interoperability between services operating on different platforms and between applications implemented in different programming languages. In this paper we describe a distributed e-healthcare system that uses the service oriented architecture as a basis for designing, implementing, deploying, invoking and managing healthcare services. The e-healthcare system that we have developed provides support for physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals, as well as for patients and medical devices used to monitor patients. Multi-media input and output, with text, images and speech, make the system more user friendly than existing e-healthcare systems.
Neuronal death is an active, caspase-dependent process after moderate but not severe DNA damage.

Mild insults to neurons caused by ischemia or glutamate induce apoptosis, whereas severe insults induce non apoptotic death, such as necrosis. The molecular targets that are damaged by these insults and ultimately induce cell death are not fully established. To determine if DNA damage can induce apoptotic or non apoptotic death depending on the severity, neurons were treated with up to 128 Gy of ionizing radiation. Such treatment induced a dose-related increase in DNA single-strand breaks but no immediate membrane disruption or lipid peroxidation. Following moderate doses of 32 Gy, neuronal death had many characteristics of apoptosis including nuclear fragmentation and DNA laddering. Nuclear fragmentation and membrane breakdown after moderate DNA damage could be blocked by inhibition of active protein synthesis with cycloheximide and by inhibition of caspases. In contrast, cell death after doses of > 32 Gy was not blocked by cycloheximide or caspase inhibitors, and membrane breakdown occurred relatively early in the cell death process. These data suggest that cell death after high dose irradiation and severe DNA damage can occur by non apoptotic mechanisms and that blocking apoptotic pathways may not prevent death after severe damage.
Eikonal solver in the celerity domain

SUMMARY A finite-difference method for computing the first-arrival traveltimes by solving the eikonal equation in the celerity domain has been developed. This algorithm incorporates the head and diffraction wave. We also adapt a fast sweeping method, which is extremely simple to implement in any number of dimensions, to obtain accurate first-arrival times in complex velocity models. The method, which is stable and computationally efficient, can handle instabilities due to caustics and provide head wave traveltimes. Numerical examples demonstrate that the celerity domain eikonal solver provides accurate first-arrival traveltimes. This new method is three times accurate more than the second-order fast marching method in a linear velocity model with the same spacing.
Planning to Make Unplanned Purchases? The Role of In-Store Slack in Budget Deviation

We propose that consumers have mental budgets for grocery trips that are typically composed of both an itemized portion and in-store slack. We conceptualize the itemized portion as the amount that the consumer has allocated to spend on items planned to the brand or product level and the in-store slack as the portion of the mental budget that is not assigned to be spent on any particular product but remains available for in-store decisions. Using a secondary data set and a field study, we find incidence of in-store slack. Moreover, we find support for our framework predicting that the relationship between in-store slack and budget deviation (the amount by which actual spending deviates from the mental trip budget) depends on factors related to desire and willpower.
Environmental Effects on RFL Adhesion

Abstract Adhesion deterioration of RFL-dipped tire cord resulting from environmental factors such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide, humidity, ultraviolet light, and heat was investigated to quantify the amount of adhesion loss and to establish the mode of adhesion failure. It was found that ozone, humidity, and ultraviolet light cause substantial adhesion deterioration, especially during the initial hours of exposure. Synergistic effects of ozone/humidity were noted. Less pronounced was the detrimental effect of heat. Adhesion loss because of nitrogen dioxide or synergistic effects of nitrogen dioxide/humidity was not seen. Adhesion loss occurred most rapidly during the first six hours of ozone/humidity exposure, regardless of fiber or adhesive system used. Adhesive treated cords of nylon, polyester, and “Kevlar” aramid showed loss in adhesion; however, no correlation between type of fiber and extent of adhesion deterioration was found. The extent of adhesion deterioration was primarily dependent upon the speci...
Consumer Neuroscience: Advances in Understanding Consumer Psychology

While the study of consumer behavior has been enriched by improved abilities to generate new insights, many of the mechanisms underlying judgments and decision-making remain difficult to investigate. In this review, we highlight some of the ways in which our understanding of consumer psychology has been, and can be, advanced through the use of neurophysiological methods. In particular, we outline some of the common neural circuitry that is involved in affective processing, subjective value, persuasion, and attention. We discuss how an understanding of these mechanisms can be used to better elucidate various elements of consumer psychology. We show how recent findings have produced a deeper understanding of decision-making, and suggest directions for future research.
Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Design Strategies and Applications

Configurable custom computing became practical with the introduction of in-circuit re-programmable devices such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). FPGAs provide fine-grained logic and interconnection elements whose function users can program to meet an applications needs. FPGAs are popular because of their adaptable capabilities, however, compared to application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) they have been found to be 40 times greater in area, three to four times greater in critical path delay, and 12 times greater in power consumption. This survey paper discusses design strategies such as using pre-computed tables characterizing specific FPGAs to estimate and regulate power consumption. Design strategies for FPGA architecture, routing algorithms, digital filters, and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) are also discussed. FPGA applications include real-time video processing for space based processors, complex signal processing algorithms and Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) flight control systems.
Towards Efficient, Unsteady, Three-Dimensional Rotating Detonation Engine Simulations

Rotating detonation engines (RDEs) represent an alternative to the extensively studied pulse detonation engines (PDEs) for obtaining propulsion from the high efficiency detonation cycle. Numerical simulations play an important role in understanding the basic physics of the RDE and will be important in optimizing the geometry and flow-field conditions for an RDE, but are necessarily unsteady and three-dimensional. The current paper describes efforts to develop a new code, Propel, for simulating complex engine designs. Propel has support for structured and unstructured meshes, several different numerical algorithms and limiters, and can be run on both CPUs and GPUs in HPC to laptop environments. This paper compares two and three dimensional solutions using Propel for a detonation tube and baseline RDE with our current RDE simulation tool. As an example of the capabilities of the new Propel code, we examine some preliminary calculations of the expansion flow region of a Rotating Detonation Engine as the expansion geometry of the combustion chamber is modified.
Overcoming Regulatory Hurdles: A Global Analysis of Venture Innovativeness and VC Experience

There is empirical evidence that Venture capital (VC) firms foster innovation in the U.S. As a result, many foreign governments have provided incentives to VC investments in the hope that this will...
Building Alliances:: General Education and Library Skills in a Community College

College librarians are convinced that using the library is an essential part of a college education, a conviction not necessarily shared by faculty. Integrating library research into courses can be especially difficult at community colleges where faculty have heavy course loads and the curricula are very practical. However, at Hudson Valley Community College, library skills are now part of the College Objectives as well as the English Composition syllabus. Library assignments occur in most general education courses and are the means for adding general education concepts to courses in technology, sciences, business, etc. The librarians have found that by building alliances with the faculty, they can take advantage of opportunities to build library skills into the curricula.
Prevention of the development of renal hypertension by anteroventral third ventricular tissue lesions

Several reports have suggested that a central action of the renin-angiotensin system plays a role in the development of renal hypertension. Based on the identification of the anteroventral thrid ventricle (AV3V) as a site of central angiotensin dipsogenic and pressor mechanisms, the present study examined the effect of electrolytic lesions in the AV3V region on the development of renal hypertension in rats. Lesioning alone produced a temporary but profound adipsia and, in one-half of the rats, a substantial transient elevation in arterial pressure. After lesioned rats had recovered normal drinking and blood pressure, unilateral nephrectomy with figure-of-eight wrapping of the remaining kidney failed to produce the hypertension and increased drinking observed after renal wrapping in shamlesioned rats. The possibility that the failure of lesioned rats to increase water intake after wrapping prevents hypertension development was ruled out by experiments demonstrating that normal rats exhibited identical rises in arterial pressure after wrapping regardless of whether or not they were allowed to increase water intake. The fact that unanesthetized lesioned rats exhibit attenuated drinking and pressor responses to systemically administered angiotensin suggests this mechanism as a possible explanation for the failure of AVV-lesioned rats to increase drinking and blood pressure after renal wrapping.
Complications of bacterial infection of the ears, paranasal sinuses, and oropharynx in adults

Early recognition of potentially fatal complications of bacterial infections of the ears, sinuses, and pharynx is important for successful therapy. The clinical presentations of these infections are reviewed in this article, and the approach to initial diagnostic tests is outlined. Treatment recommendations are briefly discussed, with emphasis placed on early antibiotic therapy and indications for consultations from surgical colleagues.
Gender Identities on the World Wide Web

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with the mutual relationship of gender and virtual social interaction, particularly, on the Web. Psychologists use the phrase “doing gender” to mean that gender is constructed through social interactions. In other words, gender is not a quality that resides within a person, but rather it is a set of behaviors and role relationships that are setting dependent. If gender is “constructed” as people interact, then it can surely become something new and different in cyberspace. The opposing, more pessimistic view is that traditional gender roles and hierarchical status relations are not just being duplicated but even magnified in virtual encounters. The anonymity of virtual interactions leads to depersonalized perceptions of the self and others. Because little individuating information is available in many online interactions, people respond to others as representatives of salient social categories. A person's sex is a particularly salient category in many virtual spaces. The chapter discusses virtual social interaction, which means social interaction that is mediated over a computer network.
The Role of Care Management as a Population Health Intervention to Address Disparities and Control Hypertension: A Quasi-Experimental Observational Study

Objective: We studied whether care management is a pragmatic solution for improving population blood pressure (BP) control and addressing BP disparities between Blacks and Whites in routine clinical environments. Design: Quasi-experimental, observational study. Setting and Participants: 3,964 uncontrolled hypertensive patients receiving primary care within the last year from one of six Baltimore clinics were identified as eligible. Intervention: Three in-person sessions over three months with registered dietitians and pharmacists who addressed medication titration, patient adherence to healthy behaviors and medication, and disparities related barriers. Main Measures: We assessed the population impact of care management using the RE-AIM framework. To evaluate effectiveness in improving BP, we used unadjusted, adjusted, and propensity-score matched differences-in-differences models to compare those who completed all sessions with partial completers and non-participants. Results: Of all eligible patients, 5% participated in care management. Of 629 patients who entered care management, 245 (39%) completed all three sessions. Those completing all sessions on average reached BP control (mean BP 137/78) and experienced 9 mm Hg systolic blood pressure (P<.001) and 4 mm Hg DBP (P=.004) greater improvement than non-participants; findings did not vary in adjusted or propensity-score matched models. Disparities in systolic and diastolic BP between Blacks and Whites were not detectable at completion. Conclusion: It may be possible to achieve BP control among both Black and White patients who participate in a few sessions of care management. However, the very limited reach and patient challenges with program completion should raise significant caution with relying on care management alone to improve population BP control and eliminate related disparities. Ethn Dis. 2016;26(3):285-294; doi:10.18865/ed.26.3.285
Organerhaltende Techniken bei Milz- und Leberruptur

In den vergangenen 7 Jahren (01. 01.1986–31. 12.1993) wurden in unserer Klinik 203 Patienten wegen eines Abdominaltraumas behandelt, davon erlitten 153 Pat. (75 %) eine Milz- und/oder Leberverletzung. Die Mehrheit dieser Patienten (143 = 70 %) waren polytraumatisiert (Letalitat 16 %), bei den ubrigen 58 Pat. handelte es sich um ein isoliertes Bauchtrauma (Letalitat 0). Leberverletzungen: Alle Pat. wurden nach Moore klassifiziert, bei der grosen Mehrzahl dieser Patienten (Grad I – III) konnte die definitive Blutstillung durch Thermokoagulation, in den meisten Fallen durch Infrarot erreicht werden. 28 Pat. (32%) wurden per Tamponade („Packing”) versorgt, nur bei 5 Pat. war ein Resektionsverfahren erforderlich. Bei 11 Pat. wurde Bluttrockenheit durch einfache Nahte erreicht, bei 2 Pat. konnte der Cavashunt erfolgreich eingesetzt werden. Milzverletzungen: 101 Pat. zeigten eine Milzverletzung (Klassifikation nach Shackford), 65 (66 %) dieser Patienten wurden splenektomiert. Organerhalt war bei 36 Pat. (35 %) moglich, davon bei 15 mit Hilfe des resorbierbaren Vicrylnetzes. Das einfachste und sicherste Verfahren bei der schweren Leberverletzung (Grad IV und V nach Moore) ist sowohl als Sofortmasnahme als auch zur definitiven Therapie die Tamponade. Alle anderen Behandlungsmasnahmen wie Ligatur der A. hepatica propria, Pringle-Manover, Cavashunt und Transplantation sind speziellen Indikationen vorbehalten. Der Organerhalt bei der Milzruptur ist, wenn immer moglich, anzustreben. Kontraindikationen des Organerhalts wie instabile Hamodynamik, Hilusabris und nicht zuletzt auch mangelnde Erfahrung des Chirurgen in der Handhabung organerhaltender Techniken sind zu beachten.
Orthotopic Metastatic Mouse Models of Prostate Cancer

Orthotopic metastatic models of prostate cancer are reviewed here. Emphasis is placed on surgical orthotopic implantation models in nude mice. The advantages of surgical orthotopic implantation of tissue fragments are discussed with regard to resulting metastasis which reflect the clinical pattern of prostate cancer. The use of green Cancer statistics, luorescent protein and red fluorescent protein to image primary tumor growth and metastasis, including whole-body imaging of prostate cancer, is discussed. The application of the models for gene expression studies, drug discovery, and gene therapy is also reviewed.
What to eat in a warming world: do increased temperatures necessitate hazardous duty pay?

Contemporary climate change affects nearly all biomes, causing shifts in animal distributions and resource availability. Changes in resource selection may allow individuals to offset climatic stress, thereby providing a mechanism for persistence amidst warming conditions. Whereas the role of predation risk in food choice has been studied broadly, the extent to which individuals respond to thermoregulatory risk by changing resource preferences is unclear. We addressed whether individuals compensated for temperature-related reductions in foraging time by altering forage preferences, using the American pika (Ochotona princeps) as a model species. We tested two hypotheses: (1) food-quality hypothesis—individuals exposed to temperature extremes should select higher-quality vegetation in return for accepting a physiologically riskier feeding situation; and (2) food-availability hypothesis—individuals exposed to temperature extremes should prioritize foraging quickly, thereby decreasing selection for higher-quality food. We quantified the composition and quality (% moisture, % nitrogen, and fiber content) of available and harvested vegetation, and deployed a network of temperature sensors to measure in situ conditions for 30 individuals, during July–Sept., 2015. Individuals exposed to more extreme daytime temperatures showed increased selection for high-nitrogen and for low-fiber vegetation, demonstrating strong support for the food-quality hypothesis. By contrast, pikas that experienced warmer conditions did not reduce selection for any of the three vegetation-quality metrics, as predicted by the food-availability hypothesis. By shifting resource-selection patterns, temperature-limited animals may be able to proximately buffer some of the negative effects associated with rapidly warming environments, provided that sufficient resources remain on the landscape.
Helmets matter: Kentucky motorcycle crash victims seen at a Tennessee trauma center

OBJECTIVES Motorcycle helmet laws vary by state, with Kentucky requiring helmets only for younger riders. We hypothesized that motorcyclists injured in Kentucky and seen at a Tennessee trauma center would be more likely to be unhelmeted, have more severe head injuries, and sustain more fatal injuries than those injured in Tennessee or Virginia. METHODS A Trauma Registry review of 729 injured motorcyclists from January 2005 through June 2015 examined state location of crash, demographics, helmet use, and clinical outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression analysis evaluated predictors for head injury severity and death. RESULTS Unhelmeted motorcycle rider status predicted more severe head injuries (relative risk 15.3, P < 0.001) and death (relative risk 4.2, P < 0.001). Motorcyclists injured in the state of Kentucky were more likely to be unhelmeted, require an operative procedure, have more severe head injuries, have longer lengths of stay, and sustain more fatal injuries (all with < 0.001) than motorcyclists injured in Tennessee or Virginia. CONCLUSIONS This study lends support for maintaining and enforcing current universal motorcycle helmet laws for all ages in states where they are in effect and for upgrading helmet laws that apply only to some riders.