cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bradycardic responses to vagally mediated bedside maneuvers in healthy volunteers

Purpose To determine the relative potency in healthy individuals of the vagally mediated reflexes used clinically to inhibit sinoatrial and atrioventricular node function. Subjects and methods Twenty healthy volunteers with no history of heart disease performed face immersion in cold water and the Valsalva maneuver twice, to maximum endurance and to the subjective point of first discomfort, and face immersion in warm water and the Muller maneuver to maximum endurance only. Right and left carotid massage and left, right, and bilateral eyeball compression were each performed for 15 seconds. Change in heart rate was taken as baseline minus the rate over the slowest three consecutive QRS cycles elicited by each maneuver. Fisher's least-significant-difference multiple comparison procedure was used to analyze heart rate responses. Significance was defined as p ≤0.05. Results Maximum pulse decrements from baseline and 95% confidence intervals in beats/ minute were as follows: cold-water face immersion to maximum endurance 15.5 (12.3 to 18.5), cold-water face immersion to first discomfort 10.1 (6.7 to 13.1), Valsalva maneuver to maximum endurance 9.2 (6.3 to 12.4), Valsalva maneuver to first discomfort 8.3 (5.0 to 11.3), right carotid massage 7.3 (4.3 to 10.3), left carotid massage 5.2 (2.3 to 8.4), right eyeball compression 6.0 (3.1 to 9.2), left eyeball compression 6.6 (3.6 to 9.5), bilateral eyeball compression 6.0 (3.1 to 9.2), warmwater face immersion 7.0 (3.2 to 9.8), and Muller maneuver 1.6 (−1.3 to 4.9). Bradycardia was significantly greater for cold-water immersion of the face performed to maximum endurance than for all other maneuvers. Conclusion In healthy subjects, the diving reflex is the most potent of the vagally mediated reflexes utilized in clinical practice. Immersion of the face in cold water may prove effective at the bedside when other maneuvers fail to augment vagal tone adequately.
Determination of the “enantiomeric excess” of hexahelicene and its methyl-substituted derivatives by high-performance liquid chromatography

Abstract Resolution of the enantiomers of hexahelicene and several of its derivatives using an improved high-performance liquid chromatographic technique is described. The procedure allows the determination of a less than 0.5% enantiomeric excess with an high accuracy and reproducibility within a short elution time. (20 min for hexahelicene). The results of the resolution of substituted hexahelicenes are discussed. Two types of columns are described which are capable of the partial resolution of helicene enantiomers on a larger scale. The columns are also suitable for the separation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This is illustrated by the analysis and separation of a distillation fraction of creosote containing several polycyclic aromatic components.
Angiographic frequency of blunt cerebrovascular injury in patients with carotid canal or vertebral foramen fractures on multidetector CT.

Abstract Purpose Blunt carotid injuries (BCI's) and blunt vertebral artery injuries (BVI's), known jointly as BCVI's, are common in “high risk” patients. The purpose is to evaluate the rate of occurrence of BCI/BVI in patients screened purely by the radiologic criteria of fracture through the carotid canal or vertebral transverse foramina, or significant cervical subluxation, noted by multidetector CT. Methods Seventy-one patients with 108 catheterized vessels were included over a 13-month interval. The angiographic examinations were prompted by current hospital protocol, solely by the presence of fractures involving/adjacent to the carotid canal, cervical fractures involving/adjacent to the foramen transversarium, or cervical fractures with significant subluxation. The incidence of each grade of blunt injury was calculated after review of the CT scans and catheter angiograms by two neuroradiologists. Results Two thousand and seventy-three total blunt trauma admissions occurred during the time period, with a BCVI rate of 0.92–1.0% (depending on the reviewer), similar to previous studies. Mean time to catheter angiography was 16.6 h. Of the 71 included patients, there were 11–12 BCI's and 10–12 BVI's, an overall rate of 27–30% of BCVI in the patients with foraminal fractures. Interobserver agreement in reviewing the catheter angiograms was excellent (Kappa 0.795). Of note, three internal carotid pseudoaneurysms resolved spontaneously after anticoagulation or aspirin. Conclusion This study confirms that there is a high rate of BCVI in the presence of carotid canal or vertebral foramen fractures that are noted by multidetector CT. Utilization of purely radiologic criteria of foraminal involvement may be a significant screening tool in the decision of whether to evaluate these patients acutely by catheter or CT angiography, and for early detection of patients at risk for symptomatology, to initiate prompt, prophylactic treatment.
Recreational choices and environmental preference.

Abstract This paper addresses questions concerning a college-age cohort's preferences for specific physical environment types for high quality recreational experience. A sample of college students ranked seashore and mountains as most preferred and second most preferred, and plains and desert as second least and least preferred, respectively. The length of time one resides in an environment appears related to higher ranking of that environment for recreational opportunity. People in this age cohort have different reasons for preferring one environment over another. Respondents preferred seashores because of the qualities of their physical environment. Lake environments, on the other hand, were ranked high because of the variety of activities one could pursue; and mountain landscapes received high preference because of their appeal to the aesthetic senses.
Abstract LB-69: Novel WBC gene expression assay for prostate cancer detection.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC In recent studies, we showed that several oncogenes and cancer-associated genes and proteins are differentially expressed in phagocytic WBCs of tumor-bearing mice (colon, lung, melanoma, and prostate), compared to non-phagocytic WBCs from the same mice as well as to phagocytic WBCs obtained from non-tumor-bearing mice. Prompted by the translational potential of these findings, we carried out whole genome microarray analysis of total RNA samples isolated from peripheral blood phagocytic (macrophages and neutrophils) and nonphagocytic (T cells) WBCs of prostate cancer patients (n = 58) and blood donors (n = 36). Comparison of the genomic expression profiles of macrophages vs. T cells or neutrophils vs. T cells of these patients to those identified in blood donors revealed the presence of gene signatures that are unique to the patient population. These differentially expressed genes were used to generate receiver operating characteristic curves. The area under the curve was 1.000 for macrophages and 0.980 for neutrophils, indicating the high accuracy of the assay. While the PSA cutoff of 4 ng/mL failed to identify 14 of the 58 patients, the assay reported herein correctly identified 57 out of the 58 patients and all 36 controls (sensitivity = 0.983; specificity = 1.000) when macrophages were used; with neutrophils, there were 7 false negatives (sensitivity = 0.879; Specificity = 1.000). These promising results suggest that the approach lays the foundation for a next generation diagnostic blood test for prostate-cancer. Citation Format: Amin I. Kassis, Qi Wu, Maliackal Poulo Joy, Pichumani Balagurumoorthy, Massimo Loda, Carolyn Evan, Gillian Petrozziello, Philip W. Kantoff, S. James Adelstein. Novel WBC gene expression assay for prostate cancer detection. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-69. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-LB-69 Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 because the presenter was unable to attend.
The Psychological Importance of Self Definition and Labeling: Black Versus African American

The term African American is currently being used interchangeably with the term Black and is increasingly being advanced as a self referent for Americans of African descent. As Black Americans deliberate and undergo this semantic metamorphosis, it is important to understand the reason, rationale, and significance of this name change for psychological self affirmation, cultural identity, and the collective progress of Americans of African descent. This paper explores a variety of issues related to self labeling and provides a theoretical argument supporting the conceptual shift from Black to African American. Finally the two terms are compared and evaluated in reference to contemporary psychological theories on self identity and mental health.
Time-resolved measurements of luminescence

Abstract Luminescence sensing and imaging has become more widespread in recent years in a variety of industries including the biomedical and environmental fields. Measurements of luminescence lifetime hold inherent advantages over intensity-based response measurements, and advances in both technology and methods have enabled their use in a broader spectrum of applications including real-time medical diagnostics. This review will focus on recent advances in analytical methods, particularly calculation techniques, including time- and frequency-domain lifetime approaches as well as other time-resolved measurements of luminescence.
The Decade of Ideas Leading to a Cure for Rickets

All rights reserved. 10.1016/j.jpeds.2011.10.031 A t various intervals in human history, a great leap forward transpires, with novel concepts emerging in a relatively short period. An example is Greece in the 5th century BCE, when the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, and drama expanded exponentially. In a 50year period, the Renaissance burst forth in Tuscany. In a generation, theGreek concept of democracy became a reality in America and France. Between 1850 and 1920, the discipline of child health specialists, or pediatricians, emerged in Europe and North America. These physicians were engaged in scientific inquiry concerning the major disorders of the era, including infantile diarrhea and acidosis, tuberculosis, malnutrition, contagious diseases, and rickets. The latter was found in 60%-90% of children aged <4 years in northern urban environments in both Europe and North America. In this commentary, I posit that a group of events occurred and concepts emerged over the 13-year period from 1883 to 1896 that led to an understanding of the etiology, pathogenesis, improved diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of rickets. All of these components taken together led to the discovery of vitamin D as a distinct compound in 1922, and the subsequent identification of its role in the prevention and cure of rickets. In August 1883, a volcano on the Indonesian island of Krakatoa erupted and then exploded, releasing a plume of ash and magma a distance of 80 km into the stratosphere and causing a blast heard 6600 km away. The explosion resulted in a deadly tsunami and led to a dimming of light in the sky that lasted until 1889. During the day a so-called ‘‘Bishop’s ring’’ was visible. This brown, blue, or purple halo appearing around the sun after volcanic eruptions due to aerosolized sulfur compounds, was named for the Reverend Sereno Bishop from Honolulu, who first described the phenomenon after the explosion of Krakatoa. High levels of sulfur dioxide were released into the stratosphere, which enhanced cloud reflectivity (ie, albedo), limiting the amount of the sun’s rays that struck the earth. Compounded with the smoke and smog arising from the massive consumption of coal and coke as fuels in urban industrialized regions and the diminished hours of sunshine in late fall to spring in northern latitudes, many children received scant sunlight exposure. Observations later in the decade pertain to this atmospheric haze. In 1883, the Imperial Japanese Navy physician Takaki Kanehiro grew concerned about the extremely high prevalence of beriberi in the crews of Japanese warships. Western navies did not experience the disorder, nor did the Japanese officers who consumed a diet of meat and vegetables. The crew essentially ate only white rice, however, and in an 1883 training voyage of 9 months, 169 of 336 crewmembers sustained beriberi, resulting in 25 deaths. Takaki petitioned
The morphology of crazes in polycarbonates from 77 to 375 K in various gaseous environments

Abstract Optical micrographs of the various types of crazes that occur in PC are presented. Unusual wavy crazes were observed in a CO2 environment. H2O was found not to produce crazes. The value of the yield point extrapolated to O K is 0.054 times Young's Modulus.
Nonlinear Observer Design for Smooth Systems

Recently Kazantzis-Kravaris and Kreisselmeier-Engel have suggested two apparently difierent approaches to constructing observers for nonlinear systems. We show that these approaches are closely related and lead to observers with linear error dynamics in transformed variables. In particular we give su-cient conditions for the existence of smooth solutions to the Kazantzis-Kravaris PDE.
Development of a Yeast Assay for Rapid Screening of Inhibitors of Human-Derived Pneumocystis carinii Dihydrofolate Reductase

Human-derived Pneumocystis carinii dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) was expressed in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain whose growth depends on complementation by this enzyme. We utilized a quantitative assay to measure the sensitivity of this yeast strain to DHFR inhibitors. This assay should be useful for identifying new inhibitors of human-derived P. carinii DHFR.
Tautomeric Forms of Metarhodopsin

Light isomerizes the chromophore of rhodopsin, 11-cis retinal (formerly retinene), to the all-trans configuration. This introduces a succession of unstable intermediates-pre-lumirhodopsin, lumirhodopsin, metarhodopsin -in which all-trans retinal is still attached to the chromophoric site on opsin. Finally, retinal is hydrolyzed from opsin. The present experiments show that metarhodopsin exists in two tautomeric forms, metarhodopsins I and II, with lambda(max) 478 and 380 mmicro. Metarhodopsin I appears first, then enters into equilibrium with metarhodopsin II. In this equilibrium, the proportion of metarhodopsin II is favored by higher temperature or pH, neutral salts, and glycerol. The change from metarhodopsin I to II involves the binding of a proton by a group with pK 6.4 (imidazole?), and a large increase of entropy. Metarhodopsin II has been confused earlier with the final mixture of all-trans retinal and opsin (lambda(max) 387 mmicro), which it resembles in spectrum. These two products are, however, readily distinguished experimentally.
Potential confounding still clouds the possible association of maternal caffeine intake and low birth weight

Commentary on : Chen LW, Wu Y, Neelakantan N, et al. Maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy is associated with risk of low birth weight: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. BMC Med 2014;12:174.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] The possible association of maternal caffeine intake to a variety of pregnancy outcomes (eg, low birth weight (LBW), fetal growth restriction, preterm delivery) is important because of widespread exposure to caffeine. If caffeine were causally related to these outcomes, it would be amenable to risk reduction through caffeine reduction or abstention. This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective observational studies of maternal caffeine exposure and LBW. The Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines were followed. Acceptable standards for literature searching, study selection and data extraction were adhered … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DBMC%2BMed%26rft.volume%253D12%26rft.spage%253D174%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1186%252Fs12916-014-0174-6%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F25238871%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1186/s12916-014-0174-6&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=25238871&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F20%2F1%2F37.atom
The Effect of Brief Microwave Treatment on Numbers of Bacteria in Fresh Chicken Patties

Abstract Fresh, raw chicken patties were exposed to microwaves for 0, 10, 20, or 40 sec, then tested immediately for total count and coliforms. The work was repeated four times. Briefly exposing chicken patties to microwaves reduced their total count from 104 to 6 × 103 after 10 sec, to 103 after 20 sec, and to nearly 102 after 40 sec. The 40-sec. treatment had some effect on meat color (partially cooked). Coliforms were less affected than was total count, the MPN dropped from 100/10 g. in the untreated meat to 50/10 g. after the meat had been exposed to microwaves for 40 sec. It is suggested that microwaves might be used to pasteurize raw meat products without changing other quality characteristics of the meat.
Bayesian shared frailty models for regional inference about wildlife survival

The estimation of survival is an essential but difficult task important for developing rigorous conservation programs. Radio telemetry studies of wildlife survival are often characterized by small sample sizes and high rates of censoring. In cases where multiple radio telemetry studies of a species exist, shared frailty models of survival offer the ability to combine data from multiple studies and improve the precision of survival estimates. We used Bayesian analysis of shared frailty models to examine survival of adult females of the giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) in the Sacramento Valley, California, USA, and to examine the effects of individual and habitat characteristics on daily risk of mortality. Posterior mean annual survival probability of adult females was 0.61 [95% credible interval (CI) = 0.41–0.79]. The daily risk of mortality for adult female giant gartersnakes while in terrestrial habitats was 0.38 (0.09–0.89) times as great as when they inhabited aquatic habitats. Although 95% CIs for hazard ratios of other covariates included one, sites varied substantially in the effect of linear habitats, which appear to have context-dependent effects on survival. Assessing survival with shared frailty models allows the prediction of survival probabilities at novel sites and identifies regional and context-specific mortality risks that can be targeted for conservation action.
RNAseq in the mosquito maxillary palp: a little antennal RNA goes a long way

A comparative transcriptomic study of mosquito olfactory tissues recently published in BMC Genomics (Hodges et al., 2014) reported several novel findings that have broad implications for the field of insect olfaction. In this brief commentary, we outline why the conclusions of Hodges et al. are problematic under the current models of insect olfaction and then contrast their findings with those of other RNAseq based studies of mosquito olfactory tissues. We also generated a new RNAseq data set from the maxillary palp of Anopheles gambiae in an effort to replicate the novel results of Hodges et al. but were unable to reproduce their results. Instead, our new RNAseq data support the more straightforward explanation that the novel findings of Hodges et al. were a consequence of contamination by antennal RNA. In summary, we find strong evidence to suggest that the conclusions of Hodges et al were spurious, and that at least some of their RNAseq data sets were irrevocably compromised by cross-contamination between samples.
(3He, d) population of analog resonances in 93Tc

Abstract Using proton form factors computed with a simple theory of analog resonances, recent data for 92 Mo( 3 He, d) 93 Tc A to three prominent isobaric analog resonances, the d 5 2 at 8.39 MeV excitation, the d 3 2 - g 7 2 triplet at 9.90 MeV, and the h 11 2 (?) at 10.72 MeV, are fitted wi Spectfroscopic factors resulting from the analysis are in reasonable agreement with those obtained from (d, p) to the parent states in 93 Mo and from (d, n) to the same analog resonances.
Unanticipated Educational Consequences of a Positive Parent-Child Relationship.

If today there exists a single transcendent idea about the family-school connection, it is that a positive parent-child relationship improves children's chances of succeeding in school. However, using data from the Texas Higher Education Opportunity Project (N = 5,836), we demonstrate that, although positive parent-child relations are associated with better academic achievement in high school, they also are associated with an increased desire to live at home during college, which in turn decreases students' chances of enrolling in a 4-year college. Furthermore, we replicated some of these associations using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 10,120), demonstrating that positive family dynamics can influence educational outcomes in potentially divergent and unanticipated directions.
AltAlt p : online parallelization of plans with heuristic state search

Despite their near dominance, heuristic state search planners still lag behind disjunctive planners in the generation of parallel plans in classical planning. The reason is that directly searching for parallel solutions in state space planners would require the planners to branch on all possible subsets of parallel actions, thus increasing the branching factor exponentially. We present a variant of our heuristic state search planner AltAlt called AltAltp which generates parallel plans by using greedy online parallelization of partial plans. The greedy approach is significantly informed by the use of novel distance heuristics that AltAltp derives from a graphplan-style planning graph for the problem. While this approach is not guaranteed to provide optimal parallel plans, empirical results show that AltAltp is capable of generating good quality parallel plans at a fraction of the cost incurred by the disjunctive planners.
Epigeal movement of the smoky shrew Sorex fumeus following precipitation in ridgetop and streamside habitats

Epigeal movement of smoky shrewsSorex fumeus (Miller, 1895) following precipitation was examined in two habitats with different moisture conditions. Shrews and invertebrates were collected in pitfall traps over several consecutive nights each month from August to November 1996 and from March to August 1997. Capture rates of smoky shrews significantly increased following rainfall at dry ridgetop sites (p=0.001) but not at moist streamside sites (p=0.335). In mesic environments, favorable conditions on the forest floor not associated with precipitation may increase movements of shrews. Available invertebrate biomass did not increase significantly with rainfall in either habitat type (p=0.121 and 0.368). Increased surface activity by smoky shrews after rain events is probably related more to their ecophysiology than to increased prey availability.
Bayesian Learning in Repeated Games

Abstract This paper studies repeated games with a finite number of players, a finite number of actions, discounted payoffs, and perfect recall. The players′ initial expectations are given by a common prior distribution over player types, a type being a discount rate and payoff matrix. The main result is that Bayesian Nash equilibria have the property that, with probability one, players′ expectations asymptotically approach the set of Nash equilibria for the repeated game specified by the true types. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Number: C72.
Experimental and Numerical Studies of Laser-Assisted Drilling Processes

The application of lasers in manufacturing has gained considerable attention recently. The aim of this study is to develop an innovative laser-assisted drilling process through an innovative tool design. Predictive thermal optimization tools will also be developed which will greatly extend the tool life and the keep the machine down time to a minimum. An experimental investigation of a laser assisted drilling process was conducted in this study. Carbon steel (0.1% Carbon content) was used as the ablating material and a CW CO2 laser was employed with the beam formed into a ring shape. Finite Element Method was also used for numerical simulation of the process. Comparison between experimental and numerical results indicates good qualitative agreement between theory and experiment within the limits of the (rather large) uncertainty with which material properties are known to date.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Measurement‐based estimation of the spatial gradient of aerosol radiative forcing

[1] This paper diagnoses the spatial mean and the spatial gradient of the aerosol radiative forcing in comparison with those of well-mixed green-house gases (GHG). Unlike GHG, aerosols have much greater spatial heterogeneity in their radiative forcing. The heterogeneous diabatic heating can modulate the gradient in horizontal pressure field and atmospheric circulations, thus altering the regional climate. For this, we diagnose the Normalized Gradient of Radiative Forcing (NGoRF), as a fraction of the present global heterogeneous insolation attributed to human activity. Although the GHG has a larger forcing (+1.7 Wm � 2 )a s measured than those of aerosol direct (� 1.59 Wm � 2 ) and possible indirect effect (� 1.38 Wm � 2 ) in terms of a spatially averaged top-of-atmosphere value, the aerosol direct and indirect effects have far greater NGoRF values (� 0.18) than that of GHG (� 0.003). Citation: Matsui, T., and R. A. Pielke (2006), Measurement-based estimation of the spatial gradient of aerosol radiative forcing, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L11813, doi:10.1029/2006GL025974.
Does the relationship of ambulatory blood pressure to position and location vary by age, sex, race/ethnicity, or body mass index?

The effects of position and location on ambulatory blood pressure, and the variability in these effects across individuals was examined. The extent to which the variability among individuals could be predicted by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and body mass was also assessed. The data include 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure recordings of 246 subjects from an ongoing worksite study. A random coefficients model yielded estimates of within-person and between-person effects. The position and location of individuals significantly affect their ambulatory blood pressure. As position changes from reclining to sitting to standing, blood pressure increases, after controlling for location. Likewise, blood pressure is typically higher at work than at home, controlling for position. The effects on blood pressure of both position and location vary considerably across persons. Interpersonal variability, measured by the standard deviation, is typically 30-75% as large as the variability in mean levels of blood pressure. There is also an interaction effect of position and location: the difference in blood pressure between standing and sitting down at work is not the same as the corresponding difference at home. Age, sex, race/ethnicity, and body mass index (BMI) predict 17% of the interpersonal variability in average systolic blood pressure while sitting at home, and 6% in diastolic blood pressure. The analysis of whether the effects of position or location vary by age, sex, race/ethnicity or BMI shows that the difference between work and home blood pressures is not significantly related to any of these four factors. However, the difference between awake and sleep diastolic blood pressures can be predicted, in part, by age and perhaps race/ethnicity. As age increases, the drop in diastolic blood pressure during sleep is attenuated. Hispanics also appear to experience a smaller drop in blood pressure during sleep. The drop in blood pressure associated with lying down (while awake) is similarly related to age and race/ethnicity. The increase in blood pressure associated with standing (vs. sitting) while at work is also attenuated in older individuals. Although significant interaction effects were demonstrated, these four major risk factors for hypertension predicted only small percentages of the interpersonal variability in the effects of position and location on blood pressure. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 10:459-470, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Frequency Modulation of Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) during the Luteal-Follicular Transition: Evidence for FSH Control of Inhibin B in Normal Women

To isolate the impact of GnRH pulse frequency on FSH secretion and to examine the effect of differing levels of FSH on inhibin B secretion during the luteal-follicular transition, exogenous GnRH was administered to GnRH-deficient women using one of two regimens, and the results were compared to those in normal women. In the GnRH-deficient women, the GnRH pulse frequency was increased from every 4 h in the late luteal phase to every 90 min on the day of menses to mimic normal cycling women (physiological frequency transition; n = 8 studies) or the GnRH pulse frequency was kept constant at a late luteal phase frequency of every 4 h through the first 6 days of the subsequent early follicular phase of cycle 2 (slow frequency transition; n = 6 studies). The differential rise in FSH secretion induced in these studies allowed us to examine the subsequent contribution of varying levels of FSH to inhibin B secretion. A physiological regimen of GnRH during the luteal-follicular transition resulted in a rise in FSH and inhibin B levels that did not differ from that in normal cycling women and a normal follicular phase length. On the other hand, maintaining a luteal frequency of GnRH for 6 days into the subsequent early follicular phase produced FSH levels significantly lower than those in the physiological transition (P < 0.05), with the greatest difference seen on the day after menses (9.1 +/- 1.0 vs. 16.4 +/- 1.4 IU/L for the slow and physiological transition groups, respectively; P < 0.005), but no difference in LH. This slower rise of FSH secretion in the slow frequency group was associated with significantly lower inhibin B levels (43.3 +/- 21.5 vs. 140.0 +/- 24.4 pg/mL, mean days 1, 3, and 5; P < 0.02), a later doubling of estradiol from baseline (day 9.6 +/- 0.9 vs. day 5.6 +/- 0.1; P < 0.02), and a longer follicular phase length (16.0 +/- 1.4 vs. 11.6 +/- 0.9 days; P < 0.05) compared with those in the physiological transition group. In conclusion, during the luteal-follicular transition, the GnRH pulse frequency contributes to but is not solely responsible for the FSH rise that initiates folliculogenesis. Alteration of FSH dynamics induced by changes in GnRH pulse frequency in GnRH-deficient women provides evidence that FSH stimulates inhibin B production in the human. Timely follicular development indicated by both estradiol and inhibin B secretion appears to be dependent on the pattern of increase in FSH during the luteal-follicular transition.
Ultrasonic thermometry for friction stir spot welding

Abstract This investigation presents the feasibility of ultrasonic temperature measurement of friction stir spot welding (FSSW). FSSW is an automated solid state joining process. Thermal profiles of the weld zone are crucial for implementing informed process changes to improve weld quality. Ultrasonics present a novel and non-invasive method of monitoring changes in temperature. Ultrasonic time of flight (TOF) measurement method is used to calculate the temperature of Al 6061 as it is heated. Comparisons of the ultrasonic temperature calculations with thermocouple readings confirm the accuracy of the ultrasonic system. The ultrasonic signal is then recorded during spot welding and processed. The results show that ultrasonic technology is a feasible method of monitoring the heating and cooling profiles of the weld zone during welding. The paper also discusses challenges presented by the system as well as recommendations for its future implementation in the friction stir welding manufacturing industry.
The Influence of Self-Instruction on the Comprehension Monitoring Performance of Average and above Average Readers:

Fifth-grade students, classified as either above average or average readers, were tested on their ability to detect errors in short essays prior to, immediately after, and one week after receiving self-instruction or didactic instruction. In the selfinstruction condition (SI), students were taught a self-verbaliza tion routine composed of task-specific statements. Students in the control didactic condition (CD) received equivalent practice and instruction without active self-verbalization. After training, the performance of the SI above average readers was significantly greater than that of the CD above average readers. The average readers displayed a similar although nonsignificant trend favoring the self-instruction strategy training. The results suggest that self-instruction procedures may effectively promote increased comprehension monitoring during reading. Implications of SI for reading instruction and directions for future research are discussed. Recently there has been a growing theoretical and research interest in the development of metacognitive or self-monitoring strategies that guide and control ongoing cognitive processes (Brown, 1978; Flavell, 1979; Paris & Lindauer, 1982) and the important influence of these skills on children's listening and reading comprehension (Baker & Brown, 1981, 1984; Markman, 1981; Myers & Paris, 1978; Wagoner, 1983; Yussen, Mathews, & Hiebert, 1982). A considerable amount of evidence exists that immature and less skillful learners seldom engage in spontaneous comprehension monitoring during listening and reading tasks (Garner, 1981; Garner & Reis, 1981; Markman, 1978, 1979; Markman & Gorin, 1981). This tendency to adopt a passive role in the learning process has been hypothesized to directly contribute to deficient academic performances. Unfortunately, the majority of the empirical evidence amassed in support of this claim has focused on documenting developmental and ability differences without determining whether improvements in children's deficient performances can be obtained.
Effects of recall tests on long-term retention of paired associates

Forty S s were given 5 or 10 paired-presentation training trials on paired-associate items followed immediately by 0, 1, or 5 unreinforced recall tests. The effects of the immediate test trials were to increase substantially long-term retention, as measured either by error frequency or response latency, to increase stereotypy of both correct and incorrect responses, and to reduce the frequency of intrusion relative to confusion errors. These findings were interpreted in terms of a distinction between storage and retrieval processes, the formation of associations being assumed to occur upon training trials and the availability, or retrievability, of the response members of items to increase as a function of occurrences on test trials.
Molecular biology of the nasal airways: how do we assess cellular and molecular responses in the nose?

We summarize studies herein that relate to use of molecular techniques to assess mechanism of toxicant and carcinogen action on the nasal mucosa. Specifically, we present the results of an in vivo mutagenesis assay with the herbicide alachlor, which causes olfactory mucosal tumors in rats following dietary administration. A positive response was found in olfactory mucosa after 3 mo of treatment. There was no increase in mutant frequency in the adjacent nasal respiratory mucosa or in liver, which are both non-target tissues for alachlor carcinogenesis. We also summarize previous findings of gene expression studies. One on these was a GeneChip experiment aimed at elucidating the mechanism of alachlor olfactory carcinogenesis, wherein we found that oxidative stress and gelatinase genes were upregulated early in the carcinogenic process, while genes consistent with activation of Wnt signaling were activated later in the carcinogenic process. The final example presented summarizes the results of a microarray e...
Theoretical Capacity Analysis for Multi-Hop Backscatter Communication Networks

Traditionally wireless sensor networks (WSNs) employ active RF communication where the RF signal has to be generated at nodes, thus consuming a significant amount of energy. In contrast, employment of passive communication, where nodes backscatter a modulated version of the incident RF signal, offers great advantages including reducing the energy cost of communication. Existing example includes a traditional RFID system with active reader communicating directly with passive tags. However, the proposed approach targets future, more advanced systems that support a generic backscatter communication. However, the inherent asymmetry in communication, reliance on external source of RF signal, and limited energy storage renders the traditional WSN schemes inadequate. Consequently, a novel multi-hop framework for passive backscattering communication is presented and analyzed in this paper. This includes theoretical and simulation study of communication capacity and discussion of performance optimization potentials for routing schemes.
Movements for the Abolition of Fraternity Segregation at Thirty-Three Colleges

This following excerpt from the same questionnaire was used to gain data about the perception each member had of the admission views of his fraternity brothers. Now what would you say about the feelings of the other men in your fraternity on the question of admitting Jews, Negroes or Orientals? Are they thinking pretty much alike in these matters or are they rather divided? As far as you have been able to observe, would you say they tended on the whole to oppose or to favor the admission of people from these minority groups? Please check the statement below that comes closest to your impression of the opinion of your house about admitting Jews, Negroes, or Orientals. Check this Check this Check this column re column re column re Jews Negroes Orientals My house is pretty much agreed to admit individuals from this group My house is pretty much agreed to keep out individuals from this group _ My house is split about half and half about admitting individuals from this group There is a difference of opinion, but the majority would just as soon keep out individuals from this group There is a difference of opinion, but the majority would be willing to admit individuals from this group Most of the men in my house have not thought about this matter one way or another _-
Emerging Areas of Chromatin Research

In the preceding chapters the fundamentals of chromatin have been discussed regarding cellular and developmental events in addition to nuclear process such as transcription and DNA repair. In this chapter I highlight, through specific examples, chromatin functions that interface with other cellular processes. These include extracellular signaling, metabolism, and aging which govern the function of histone modification. I also present examples of the interface between chromatin and the other “epigenetic” regulatory processes of noncoding RNAs and DNA methylation. While many of these areas of research are relatively new (e.g., noncoding RNAs), others have a rich history of studies (e.g., signaling and DNA methylation). What is emphasized here is how these processes interface with chromatin and to illustrate that these are not distinctive processes but rather a continuum of nuclear and cellular functions that cut across more traditional fields of research. Thus, while the other processes are not necessarily “emerging,” their interactions with chromatin are becoming increasingly important. Hence, the interface of these cellular processes with chromatin represent emerging areas of chromatin research.
Agronomic Management System and Precipitation Effects on Soybean Oil and Fatty Acid Profiles

riginating in East Asia, soybean ( max (L.) Merr.) has been grown as an essential dietary component because of its high grain protein (25.5-58.9%) and oil (12.0-23.0%) content. It is grown widely throughout the world but primarily in the United States (32%), Brazil (28%), Argentina (21%), China (7%), and India (4%) (soystat, 2008). The oil extracted from soybean is widely used ABSTRACT This study investigated long-term agronomic management systems and precipitation level effects on soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) total oil content and fatty acid composition. Man- agement systems evaluated included conven- tional (CT), no-till (NT), low chemical input (LI), and zero chemical input (ORG). Total oil content and major fatty acids profi les were analyzed by accelerated solvent extractor (ASE 200) and gas chromatography with fl ame ionization detector (FID). The results showed these four manage- ment systems have limited infl uence on soy- bean grain total oil content and oleic acid (O) and linoleic acid (L) compositions. The NT man- agement system signifi cantly improved soy- bean oil yield on a land-area basis as a result of higher annual grain yields. Soybeans grown under the NT management system had as high or higher palmitic acid (P) composition than the other three management systems; similarly, the CT treatments had as low or lower linolenic acid (LN) composition in soybean when compared with the other three management systems. The levels of stearic acid (S), O, L, and LN had a sig- nifi cant quadratic relationship (R 2 = 0.64-0.75) with total (July-September) precipitation. The oil quality ratio of O/(L + LN) had a quadratic rela- tion with precipitation.
Multinational Corporations and Their Impact on Educational Policies of a State A Case Study of India

The spread of the forces of globalization have significantly affected the modern world. Thus, in this article, I attempt to identify how globalization has negatively influenced development of tertiary or higher educational policies in underdeveloped countries. Using the case study of India, I observe that the liberalization of the Indian economy resulted in a large inflow of foreign direct investment which in turn influenced the emergence of a new higher education policy, in order to meet the manpower requirements of multinational corporations. Such a policy has increased social dissatisfaction within the society due to the dichotomy between the needs and wants of the citizens, resulting in growth of social conflict.
Art, Passion, and Neurosurgery: The Role of the Society of Neurological Surgeons in Academic Neurosurgery

Neurosurgery is at a crossroads in a time of economic uncertainty. It is also a time of remarkable potential for innovation resulting in dramatic improvement in the way neurosurgeons care for patients and the quality of outcomes. Analysis of this key time point of neurosurgical history is drawn from reflections for a presidential address to the Society of Neurological Surgeons. It is the author's opinion that the best of academic neurosurgery must and will accept this challenge by developing not only the research but also the creativity and art of what neurosurgeons do for maximal patient benefit in research, educational, and clinical missions.
QoE preserving resource scheduling for M2M terminals and human users in LTE networks

We study in this paper the impact of supporting a large number of machine to machine M2M communication terminals in the 4th generation 4G long term evolution LTE wireless networks. Our main focus in the study is on how to accommodate the large number of M2M devices without negatively impacting the human subscribers' quality of experience QoE. We propose dividing the available radio resources between human users and M2M devices such that human users' QoE is preserved. Our proposal adds new M2M-specific quality of service QoS class indicators QCIs for classifying M2M traffic bearers. We use the new classes in a new priority-based scheduler to allocate radio resources to preserve human users' QoE and fairly fulfil M2M terminals' communication requests.
Analysis of Tort Damages: A Survey

Tort liability rules cannot be efficient unless damage rules are efficient. Designing optimal damage awards is remarkably difficult, however. Contrary to conventional wisdom, optimal damage awards do not necessarily fully compensate victims for their losses. Moreover, the issue of what is full compensation is more complex than it might at first appear. This article surveys the literature on tort damages, including damages for serious physical injury and death. Section II discusses the efficiency criteria. Section III presents the basic analysis of tort damages for injuries to replaceable commodities, focusing on the relationship between liability rules and optimal damage rules. Section IV discusses damages for physical injury and death, examining, among other issues, the deterrence and insurance values of life. Section V examines special topics, such as optimal liability when corporations are defendants, whether recovery should depend on defendants' wealth, economic and nonpecuniary losses, and the calculation of damages. An exhaustive bibliography is attached at the end.
Δ 9 -Tetrahydrocannabinol-like effects of novel synthetic cannabinoids in mice and rats

Novel cannabinoid compounds continue to be marketed as “legal” marijuana substitutes, even though little is known about their molecular and behavioral effects. Six of these compounds (ADBICA, ADB-PINACA, THJ-2201, RCS-4, JWH-122, JWH-210) were tested for in vitro and in vivo cannabinoid-like effects to determine their abuse liability. Binding to and functional activity at CB1 cannabinoid receptors was tested. Locomotor activity in mice was tested to screen for behavioral activity and to identify behaviorally active dose ranges and times of peak effect. Discriminative stimulus effects of the six compounds were tested in rats trained to discriminate Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC). ADBICA, ADB-PINACA, THJ-2201, RCS-4, JWH-122, and JWH-210 showed high affinity binding at the CB1 receptor at nanomolar affinities (0.59 to 22.5 nM), and all acted as full agonists with nanomolar potencies (0.024 to 111 nM) when compared to the CB1 receptor full agonist CP 55940. All compounds depressed locomotor activity below 50 % of vehicle responding, with depressant effects lasting 1.5 to nearly 4 h. All compounds fully substituted (<80 % Δ9-THC-appropriate responding) for the discriminative stimulus effects of Δ9-THC. 3,4-Methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) was tested as a negative control and did not substitute for Δ9-THC (11 % Δ9-THC-appropriate responding). All six of the compounds acted at the CB1 receptor and produced behavioral effects common to abused cannabinoid compounds, which suggest that these compounds have substantial abuse liability common to controlled synthetic cannabinoid compounds.
Ohio Incentives Decision Revisited

The author says the U.S. Sixth Circuit's decision in Cuno v. DaimlerChrysler, which struck down Ohio's investment tax credit as unconstitutional, did not make sense as a matter of tax policy or Commerce Clause doctrine. He also criticizes the decision's supporters, saying they have an unhealthy distrust of Democratic government. But he says the most beneficial impact of the decision in Cuno will be to provide broader debate about subsidies for corporations.
From Commands To Conversations: Identity In The Coming Organizational Culture

With the rapid and ever accelerating pace of global change, the traditional command and control organization becomes less effective. When we understand the organization not as a rationally constructed machine, but a sea of conversation, the door is opened to new and more effective forms of practice. No longer is individual identity based on one’s role in the machine, but on one’s participation in the conversation. Ideally this will enable the individual to give expression to the multiplicities he or she brings to the organization. Identity will not be circumscribed.