cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dedicated robotics team reduces pre-surgical preparation time.

Context: Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy (RALRP) requires significant preoperative setup time for the room, staff, and surgical platform. The utilization of a dedicated robotics operating room (OR) staff may facilitate efficiency and decrease costs. Aims: We sought to determine the degree to which preoperative time decreased as experience was gained. Materials and Methods: A total of 476 patients with a mean age of 60.2 years were evaluated (11/2006 to 1/2010). Data was assimilated through an institutional review board approved blinded, prospective database. Utilizing time from patient arrival in the OR to robot docking as preoperative preparation, our experience was evaluated. Age, body mass index (BMI), and American Society of Anesthesiologists risk scores (ASA) were compared. Statistical Analysis Used: Analysis of variance; Two-sample t-test for unequal variances. Results: The first and last 100 cases were found to have similar age (P=0.27), BMI (P=0.11), and ASA (P=0.09). The average preoperative times were 66. 4 and 53.4 min, respectively (P Conclusions: From the time of patient arrival a number of tasks are accomplished by the non-physician operating room staff during RALRP. The use of a consistent staff can decrease preoperative setup times and, therefore, the overall length of surgery.
Electrical impedance studies on a culture of a newly discovered strain of Streptomyces

Abstract Electrical impedance studies were performed in the frequency range of 10 Hz–13 MHz on a culture of a newly discovered strain of Streptomyces. Data obtained in low conductivity media using concentrated bacterial suspensions in water showed the existence of two dispersions for both the conductivity and permittivity: the low-frequency α-dispersion, ascribed to the ions in the diffuse layer of the cellular wall and the high frequency β-dispersion, ascribed to charging of the cytoplasmic membrane. It is in the “low-frequency range” of the β-dispersion that the conductance and capacitance measurements can provide biomass-selective information. From experiments performed in the culture broth, it was found that in the audio-frequency range, the capacitance of the suspension is dominated by the polarization term, and its modification with the incubation time is indicative of the changes in the growth medium due to the metabolic process. The changes of macroscopic electrical properties of the medium capacitance (measured in the audio-frequency range) and conductance (measured in the low radio-frequency range) vs. the incubation time were found to parallel the growth curve obtained by dry weight measurements. Direct information on biomass increase during fermentation was obtained from two types of measurements in the low RF frequency: the capacitance in the low RF range and the difference between the conductance of the growth medium and that of the suspension.
Power in Paradise: The Political Implications of Santos's Utopia

When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary. —Thomas Paine, Common Sense Common sense creates the folklore of the future, a relatively rigidified phase of popular knowledge in a given time and place. Antonio Gramsci, Selections
The Receptor-associated Coactivator 3 Activates Transcription through CREB-binding Protein Recruitment and Autoregulation *

Transcriptional coactivators are involved in gene activation by nuclear hormone receptors. The receptor-associated coactivator 3 (RAC3) was recently identified to be highly related to the steroid receptor coactivator-1 and transcriptional intermediate factor 2, thereby establishing a novel family of nuclear receptor coactivators. In this study, we identified a RAC3 fragment containing three LXXLL motifs conserved among this family, which is sufficient to mediate nuclear receptor interaction in vivo and in vitro. Point mutations that disrupt ligand-dependent activation function of the receptor inhibited the interaction. We found that a 162-amino acid fragment of RAC3 conferred transcriptional activation and recruited the CREB-binding protein and that three distinct LXXLL motifs mediated the transcriptional activation. A trimeric far Western analysis demonstrated the formation of a ternary complex containing CREB-binding protein, RAC3, and the receptor. In addition, we showed that RAC3, transcriptional intermediate factor 2, and steroid receptor coactivator-1 are expressed in specific tissues and cancer cells and that RAC3 transcript is directly up-regulated by retinoid treatment. These results suggest that RAC3 may contribute to amplified transcriptional responses through both recruitment of additional coactivators and autoregulation by the receptor-coactivator complex.
When proportion consensus scoring works

Abstract Most objectively scored tests use items with easily identifiable correct answers. When such veridical scoring keys cannot be constructed, researchers sometimes use proportion consensus scoring (PCS) to identify the best answers. To determine if PCS identifies the best answers, we scored a test using both PCS and veridical scoring. Among 353 undergraduates, regular PCS, two-stage PCS, and expert PCS all had high correlations for easy items, but no PCS methods had high correlations for difficult items. Thus, PCS cannot reliability identify the best answers to individual items. However, PCS worked well for total scores. For easy items, total scores had correlations above .99 for all PCS methods. For difficult items, expert and two-stage PCS had correlations of .92 and .82 for the 60-item test. Thus, expert and two-stage PCS can be justified (even for difficult items) if the scoring key is based upon people who truly possess some degree of expertise and if scores are summed over many items.
Radon in the environment—Opportunities and hazards

Abstract One of the many subjects that particle track etching has been applied to is radon, and radon in turn is of interest in many contexts. It is ubiquitous hazard to human health, concentrated in certain geological settings and further intensified by certain home-construction practices. Radon also acts usefully as a tracer for minerals, underground fluid flow, and stresses within the earth. Track methods of radon and radon-daughter measurements are surveyed. Applications are given to measurements of both indoor and outdoor radon for health physics, and an approach is noted to the knotty problems of retrospective studies of individual exposures. Numerous results show evidence of fluid flow through pore spaces in the ground. This flow transports radon and leads to other applications, such as locating subsurface uranium ore, and oil and natural gas deposits. Examples of premonitory radon signals from seismic events are also given.
1D fluid simulations of a helium-xenon filled AC plasma display panel

Summary form only given, as follows. A one dimensional multi-species fluid model has been developed to analyze the operation of an ac plasma display panel (AC PDP) that is filled with a helium-xenon Penning mixture. The AC PDP is a promising candidate in the flat panel display industry especially for information displays having large screen areas. A PDP consists of a matrix of gas cells operating at pressures of several hundred Torr. In each cell a micro discharge is initiated using special driving circuitry that typically have address, sustain and erase pulse wave forms. The AC PDP has a memory characteristic which eliminates the need for a refresh pulse once a cell has been addressed. To ensure that a single sustain pulse can maintain a cell in the ON or OFF state, a large memory margin is essential. The model includes continuity equations for helium metastables, decaying helium excited species, helium ions, xenon metastable species, decaying xenon excited species, xenon ions, xenon dimers and electrons, a wall charge equation, Poisson's equation and a circuit equation. The model is used to calculate the voltage transfer curves, maximum sustain voltage, minimum sustain voltage and the bi-stable margin for the panel. The voltage transfer curves yield the first on and first off voltages from which the operation of the panel can be systematically described. Using a fully implicit method allows multi-pulse calculations to be performed in a reasonable amount of time and give the same values for first on and first off voltages in the He/Xe mixture calculations. In a multi-pulse simulation of the first on voltage, the model predicts the growth in wall charge until the panel turns on as has been observed in experiments. The advantage of using a fluid description which uses the local field approximation (LFA) to calculate the collisional electron driven excitation and ionization rates, is that it is computationally fast and yields results that are relatively good when compared to experiment The disadvantage of LFA is that the bi-stable margin obtained is wider, for example, by about 40% in a helium filled panel as compared to experiment. The model can be used for parametric studies to observe the effects of variations in pressure, gap width, and percentage of xenon on the first on and first off voltages, bi-stable margin and on xenon metastable and dimer populations. We will present results of such parametric variations and comparisons with experiments.
A JAK2 Interdomain Linker Relays Epo Receptor Engagement Signals to Kinase Activation

JAK2 (Janus kinase 2) is essential for cytokine receptor signaling, and several lines of evidence support a causal role of an activating JAK2 mutation in myeloproliferative disorders. JAK2 activity is autoinhibited by its pseudokinase domain in the basal state, and the inhibition is released by cytokine stimulation; how engagement of the cognate receptor triggers this release is unknown. From a functional screen for gain-of-function JAK2 mutations, we discovered 13 missense mutations, nine in the pseudokinase domain and four in the Src homology 2 (SH2)-pseudokinase domain linker. These mutations identified determinants for autoinhibition and inducible activation in JAK2. Two of the mutants, K539I and N622I, resulted in erythrocytosis in mice. Scanning mutagenesis of the SH2-pseudokinase domain linker indicated that its N-terminal part was essential for interaction of JAK2 with the Epo receptor, whereas certain mutations in the C-terminal region conferred constitutive activation. We further showed that substitutions for Glu543-Asp544 in this linker or Leu611, Arg683, or Phe694 in the hinge proximal region of the pseudokinase domain resulted in activated JAK2 mutants that could not be further stimulated by Epo. These results suggest that the SH2-pseudokinase domain linker acts as a switch that relays cytokine engagement to JAK2 activation by flexing the pseudokinase domain hinge.
An exploration of the demographic and social correlates of criminal behavior among adolescent males

Purpose: This paper describes an investigation into the demographic and sociologic characteristics of male adolescent ages 15–18 years in a youth detention center as a result of delinquent behaviors. The intent of the study was to determine which characteristics were correlated with a high severity of criminal behaviors. Methods: A descriptive survey research design was used with self-scored questionnaires distributed to 201 adolescent males in a youth detention center in a metropolitan southeastern city with a population of 907,000. Subgroups were created based on the severity of crime committed and whether or not the adolescent was a gang member. Chi-square and Student's t-tests were used to examine differences in the demographic and sociologic characteristics of subgroups. Results: When demographic and social characteristics were assessed, adolescents who reported committing more serious crimes also reported more problem behaviors ( p = .001) than those who committed less serious crimes. Adolescents who reported a higher number of arrests also reported more school, social, personal, and family problems. Those who were gang members reported more school problems, were arrested more often, and committed more serious crimes than nongang members. Conclusions: Given the current emphasis on prevention, findings from this study indicate intervention programs must be directed at a combination of demographic and sociologic risk factors. Exploration of whether gang membership might be used for constructive purposes is justified.
Genitourinary dysfunction in a geriatric outpatient population.

Clinical and urodynamic findings in 167 women and 96 men, aged 65 years and older evaluated consecutively during a four-year period in an outpatient urodynamic laboratory, are presented and compared with findings from other studies of geriatric populations. Seventy-three percent of the patients (81 % of the women and 60% of the men) presented with symptoms of incontinence, most commonly of the mixed type. Although pathological lesions such as tumors and stones were rare, urodynamic abnormalities were common. Urodynamic evidence of sphincter weakness in women and detrusor motor instability were the most common urodynamic findings among patients who presented with incontinence. Close to 20% of patients who presented without incontinence also had one or more of these findings. Approximately one-third of patients had multiple urodynamic findings, emphasizing the complexity of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of genitourinary dysfunction in many geriatric patients. Despite the long duration of symptoms in most patients, the majority were substantially improved after diagnosis and treatment of the specific genitourinary and urodynamic abnormalities detected. J Am Geriatr Soc 34:507–514, 1986
Treatment With Recombinant Igf-I for Patients With Growth Hormone (Gh) Gene Deletions. 37

Two unrelated patients with severe short stature (initial heights -7.9 and-6.0 SD), lack of GH response to 2 stimulation tests, were homozygous for a 6.7 kb deletion of the GH-1 gene (demonstrated by PCR). Both were treated with GH, with partial and transitory response due to the development of high titer anti-GH antibodies (even using 1/10 of the usual dose to attempt desensitization). Recombinant IGF-1 (Igef®, Pharmacia, Sweden) was started at a dose of 40 μg/Kg/dose, sc, 30 min after breakfast and dinner, daily. Before IGF-I therapy, patient 1 was a prepubertal girl with chronological age(CA) of 10.4 years (y), height age (HA) 3.4 y, bone age (BA) 9 y, height 99.5 cm (-6.7 SD), weight 25 kg and growth velocity (GV) without treatment of 4.5 cm/y. Patient 2 was a prepubertal boy with CA 8.8 y, HA 3.2 y, BA 7 y, height 98.3 cm (-5.7 SD), weight 19.5 kg and a pre-treatment GV of 1.8 cm/y. During the first year of IGF-I therapy. GV in patient 1 was 11.4 cm/y (1st quarter). 7.5 cm/y (2nd quarter). 7.4 cm/y (3rd quarter) and 3.6 cm/y (4th quarter), when she started puberty and IGF-I was increased to 80 μg/kg/dose. GV was 8.8 cm/y (5th quarter) and 8.0 cm/y (6th quarter), when she started LHRH-analog. In Patient 2, GV was 8.6 cm/y (1st quarter) and 6.4 cm/y (2nd quarter) when the IGF-I was increased to 60 μg/Kg/dose. GV was 7.8 cm/y(3rd quarter) and 3.9 cm/y (4th quarter). After that, the IGF-I was increased to 80 μg/kg/dose and GV was 5.2 cm/y (5th quarter) and to 120μg/kg/dose: GV was 3.6 cm/y (6th quarter) and 8.8 cm/y (7th quarter). Before IGF-I therapy, basal levels of IGF-BP3 were low 0.44 mg/L (normal: 1.69-5.9) in Case 1, and 0.42 mg/L (normal: 1.71-4.45) in Case 2, and no significant changes were observed during treatment. Side effects like hypoglycemia, hypokalemia, postural hypotension, headaches, tachycardia or intracranial hypertension did not occur. We conclude that therapy with recombinant IGF-I, 40-120 μg/Kg, twice a day, during 18 to 21 months improved significantly GV in 2 patients with GH gene deletions, without side effects. Effect on final height remains to be established.
Kinetic equilibrium of a periodically twisted ellipse-shaped charged-particle beam

A Vlasov equilibrium of the Kapchinskij-Vladimirskij form is obtained for a periodically twisted ellipse-shaped charged-particle beam in a nonaxisymmetric periodic magnetic focusing field. The single-particle Hamiltonian dynamics is analyzed self-consistently. A constant of motion analogous to the Courant-Snyder invariant is found. The equilibrium distribution function is constructed. The statistical properties of the beam equilibrium are studied. In the zero-temperature limit, the generalized envelope equations derived from the kinetic equilibrium theory recover the generalized envelope equations obtained in the cold-fluid equilibrium theory. Examples of periodically twisted elliptic beam equilibria are presented, and potential applications are discussed. For ribbon-beam amplifier and ribbon-beam klystron applications, the kinetic equilibrium theory predicts that the effect of beam temperature on the beam envelopes is negligibly small.
Stabilization of Noncovalent Intermediates in Enzymatically Catalyzed Reactions

Reactive intermediate enzyme complexes are difficult to study directly and the use of physical methods requiring observation periods of more than a second has not been possible heretofore. Here we introduce a simple approach, the "Le Chatelier forcing method" which does for the first time produce significant concentrations of such kinetically competent central intermediates observable for extended periods of time. The method involves only the forcing of the accumulation of intermediate complexes at thermodynamic equilibrium by the use of high reactant concentrations working against a high concentration of a product, combined with a valid and applicable method of analysis. We demonstrate this approach using the glutamate dehydrogenase catalyzed reaction with the reaction product ammonia as a "dam" to oppose the forward driving force of NADP and l-glutamate. We demonstrate the accumulation of substantial amounts measurable amounts of stable enzyme-NADPH-alpha-carbinolamine and alpha-iminoglutarate complexes in three different alpha-amino acid dehydrogenases. We describe the manipulation of such Le Chatelier forced equilibria to increase the prominence of particular species and discuss the implications of these findings for previously unattainable experimental approaches.
THE INVISIBLE MONSTER HAS TWO FACES: OBSERVATIONS OF ϵ AURIGAE WITH THE HERSCHEL SPACE OBSERVATORY

We present Herschel Space Observatory photometric observations of the unique, long-period eclipsing binary star Є Aurigae. Its extended spectral energy distribution is consistent with our previously published cool (550 K) dust disk model. We also present an archival infrared spectral energy distribution of the side of the disk facing the bright F-type star in the binary, which is consistent with a warmer (1150 K) disk model. The lack of strong molecular emission features in the Herschel bands suggests that the disk has a low gas-to-dust ratio. The spectral energy distribution and Herschel images imply that the 250 GHz radio detection reported by Altenhoff et al. is likely contaminated by infrared-bright, extended background emission associated with a nearby nebular region and should be considered an upper limit to the true flux density of Є Aur.
O2-Hb reaction kinetics and the Fåhraeus effect during stagnant, hypoxic, and anemic supply deficit.

We modified our previous computer model of O2 and CO2 transport in the cerebral microcirculation to include nonequilibrium O2-Hb kinetics and the Fahraeus effect (reduced tube hematocrit in small microvessels). The model is a steady-state multicompartmental simulation which includes three arteriolar compartments, three venular compartments, and one capillary compartment. Three different types of oxygen deficits (stagnant, hypoxic, and anemic conditions) were simulated by respectively reducing blood flow, arterial O2 saturation, and systemic hematocrit to one half of normal. Microcirculatory distributions for PO2, PCO2, O2 saturation and deviations from equilibrium, and the O2 and CO2 fluxes for each compartment were predicted for the three O2 supply deficits. Differences were found for O2 extraction ratios and relative contributions of arteriolar, venular, and capillary gas fluxes for each type of deficit. The Fahraeus effect and O2-Hb kinetics reduced O2 extraction in all cases and altered microcirculatory gas distributions depending on the specific type of O2 supply deficits. The modified model continues to predict that capillaries are the major site where gas exchange takes place, and demonstrates that the Fahraeus effect and nonequilibrium O2-Hb kinetics are important mechanisms that should not be neglected in O2 and CO2 transport modeling. While this model provides useful insight regarding the influence of the Fahraeus effect and O2-Hb kinetics under steady state, the addition of a distributed and dynamic simulation should further elucidate the effects of the brain's heterogeneous properties and transient behavior.
Cryopreservation of the Mammalian Kidney. I. Transplantation of Rabbit Kidneys Perfused with EC and RPS-2 at 2-4°C

Abstract The requirements of organ cryopreservation differ from those of conventional organ preservation. The encouraging results of Karow's group with dog kidneys transplanted after perfusion with more than 4 M dimethyl sulfoxide were based on an RPS-2 (renal preservation solution 2) vehicle solution, but transplantation of rabbit kidneys after perfusion with RPS-2 has not been reported. We evaluated RPS-2 in comparison to Euro-Collins solution (EC) using a modified technique for rabbit kidney autotransplantation and a computer-based organ perfusion machine designed for the introduction and removal of cryoprotective agents. Consistent success in rabbit kidney transplantation was found to depend on the anesthetic used, the hydration volumes administered, and direct ureter-to-ureter anastomosis. RPS-2 was found to be equivalent to EC for short-term (about 5 h) preservation by either perfusion or simple cold storage. However, good results with EC were associated with perfusion at 4°C, recovery being significantly worse at 2°C. In addition, we found that the solitary rabbit kidney is not able to fully compensate for the loss of the contralateral kidney, the result being persistent (to 3 weeks) mild elevation of serum creatinine, potassium, and calcium and persistent moderate reduction of serum phosphate. These results establish perfusates, perfusion conditions, transplantation techniques, computer-based perfusion control techniques, and a general clinical baseline that are permissive of further direct experiments on cryoprotectant introduction and removal.
Nonspherocytic haemolytic anaemia with increased red cell adenine nucleotides, glutathione and basophilic stippling and ribosephosphate pyrophosphokinase (RPK) deficiency: studies on two new kindreds.

Summary. The second and third kindreds with hereditary haemolytic anaemia characterized by marked basophilic stippling of the erythrocytes, increased red-cell GSH and adenine nucleotides, and ribosephosphate pyrophosphokinase (RPK, PRPP synthetase) deficiency are reported. In each affected subject increased auto-haemolysis was not corrected by glucose additives in the autohaemolysis test. Despite the clearly hereditary nature of the syndrome, a heterozygous ‘carrier’ state could not be demonstrated in any family members. While autosomal recessive transmission is likely, the genetics remain obscure. The roles of substantial RPK deficiency as either a causative factor or an epiphenomenon is likewise not firmly established.
The classification, distribution, and extent of soils with a xeric moisture regime in the United States

Abstract Soils with cool, moist winters and relatively warm, dry summers, a Mediterranean climate, are recognized as having a xeric moisture regime in Soil Taxonomy. These soils are classified mostly in taxa that use the formative element “xer” in the name. Soil series with eiter a xeric moisture regime or an aridic regime bordering on a xeric moisture regime make up more than 48,640,000 hectares in the western part of the United States. They are classified in the orders of Mollisols (20,080,000 ha). Aridisols (11,200,000 ha), Alfisols (5,320,000 ha), Inceptisols (4,800,000 ha), Entisols (4,400,000 ha), Verticols (1,520,000 ha), Andisols (960,000 ha), and Ultisols (960,000 ha).
Film and Transition Boiling Correlations for Quenching of Hot Surfaces with Water Sprays

Using a miniature gold plated copper disk as target, quenching experiments were performed with water sprays to correlate heat fluxq′’ to surface-to-fluid temperature difference AT, and the local values for the spray hydrodynamic parameters of volumetric fluxQ′’, mean drop velocityUm and Sauter mean drop diameterd32 over a wide range of operating conditions (Q′’ = 0.58 x 10−3−9.96 x 10−3 m3 sec−1/m2,Um = 10.1-29.9 m/sec,d32 = 0.137-1.350 mm), and surface temperatures up to 520° C. Drop diameter was found to have a weak effect on heat transfer in film boiling for all the conditions tested. Two distinct spray cooling regimes were identified, allowing the classification of sprays with respect to volumetric flux, low flux sprays forQ″ 3.5 x 10−3 m3 sec−1/m2. WhileQ″ had a significant influence on film boiling in both regimes, drop velocity was important only for the high flux sprays. A spray quenching test bed was also constructed to simulate, under controlled laboratory conditions, spray quenching of alloys in an industrial environment. The test bed was used to generate temperature-time records for a rectangular aluminum plate during spray quenching. Using the software package ANSYS, the measured temperature response was successfully simulated by utilizing the newly developed boiling correlations in defining boundary conditions for the quenched surface after accounting for spatial variations in the hydrodynamic parameters within the spray field. The effectiveness of this numerical technique for the tested configuration is proof that it may be possible to predict the temperature-time history for quenched parts with complicated shapes provided the spatial distributions of the hydrodynamic parameters are well mapped or predetermined.
A soil‐vegetation‐atmosphere transfer scheme for modeling spatially variable water and energy balance processes

In support of the eventual goal to integrate remotely sensed observations with coupled land-atmosphere models, a soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer scheme is presented which can represent spatially variable water and energy balance processes on timescales of minutes to months. This scheme differs from previous schemes developed to address similar objectives in that it: (1) represents horizontal heterogeneity and transport in a TOPMODEL framework, and (2) maintains computational efficiency while representing the processes most important for our applications. The model is based on the original TOPMODEL-based land surface-atmosphere transfer scheme [Famiglietti and Wood, 1994a] with modifications to correct for deficiencies in the representation of ground heat flux, soil column geometry, soil evaporation, transpiration, and the effect of atmospheric stability on energy fluxes. These deficiencies were found to cause errors in the model predictions in quantities such as the sensible heat flux, to which the development of the atmospheric boundary layer is particularly sensitive. Application of the model to the entire First International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project Field Experiment 1987 experimental period, focusing on Intensive Field Campaigns 3 and 4, shows that it successfully represents the essential processes of interest.
Cortical Blood Flow and Cerebral Perfusion Pressure in a New Noncraniotomy Model of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in the Rat

Background and Purpose Acute cerebral ischemia after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a major cause of morbidity whose precise etiology is unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and cortical blood flow during SAH using a new experimental model in the rat. Methods CPP (mean arterial pressure minus intracranial pressure), cortical laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF), and electroencephalogram were continuously recorded during and after SAH in 16 ventilated rats. SAH was produced by advancing an intraluminal suture from the external carotid artery through the internal carotid artery to perforate the vessel near its intracranial bifurcation. Results Eight rats (50%) died within 24 hours of SAH. In all rats, blood was widely distributed throughout the basal, convexity, and interhemispheric subarachnoid spaces and throughout the ventricular system. CPP decreased after SAH at an initial rate of 1.1±0.2 mm Hg/s, reaching its nadir 59±9 seconds after the onset of SAH. During the same period, LDF fell at a rate of 1.4±0.3%/s ( P =NS vs CPP). After reaching its nadir, CPP rose at a rate of 0.4±0.01 mm Hg/s, but LDF continued to fall at 0.2±0.03%/s ( P <.05 vs CPP) reaching a nadir of 21.7±2.5% significantly later than CPP (189.5±39 s after SAH, P <.05). No correlation was found between peak changes in CPP and LDF. Electroencephalogram activity followed the changes in LDF, reaching nadir values 289±55 seconds after SAH. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that although reduced CPP causes the initial decrease in cortical blood flow after SAH, secondary reductions occurring after CPP has reached its nadir are caused by other factors such as acute vasoconstriction. This noncraniotomy model of SAH in the rat has several advantages over existing models.
Diabetes management in the nursing home: a systematic review of the literature.

PurposeDiabetes mellitus is a disease with debilitating potential. Growing numbers of elderly individuals are being admitted to under-resourced nursing homes with this often complicated, time-intensive, and costly diagnosis. The purpose of this systematic review of the literature was to determine the trends in diabetes management in nursing homes over the last decade including the use of clinical practice guidelines and the evaluation of management outcomes.MethodsTen medical, nursing, psychological, legal, and business databases were searched for articles written in English between 2000 and 2010 addressing diabetes management in nursing homes or long-term care settings. They were analyzed to determine diabetes management characteristics, use of clinical practice guidelines, resident outcomes associated with different regimens, and implications for improved management and outcomes.ResultsA total of 20 studies from 6 countries, primarily the United States, including both qualitative and quantitative design...
Feeding Bread to the Luddites: The Radical Fundamentalist Islamic Revolution in Guerrilla Warfare

This study examines the war that the United States has waged since September 2001 as a global counterinsurgency. Placing the war against al-Qaeda and its allied groups and organizations in the context of a global insurgency also presents implications for doctrine, interagency coordination and military cultural change. The first part of the article offers a distilled analysis of al-Qaeda and its associated networks. The second section examines the US military in the context of the Western way of war, with the attendant military-cultural impediments to adapting to an enemy who embraces a very different approach to war. The third section aims to define and describe the nature of the war that America and its coalition partners are trying to wage. The concluding section offers the most value as it refines and distills the work of several international security and military thinkers to arrive at some imperatives for successfully prosecuting this type of war to its end.
Simple goiter in Colombia.

IN HIS paper of this title, Parra (1) mentioned the recent increase in the incidence of goiter in the Departments of Caldas and Antioquia and stated: “This has been due to the fact that the regional consumption of salt from iodized sources has been almost completely replaced by the use of salt from the large mines near Bogota.” He gave no figures for the iodine content of these salts but in a letter dated March 17, 1949, he stated that the “salts from iodized sources” were from Guaca in Antioquia and from Bella Vista in Choco, and contained 4 and 35 mg. respectively, per 100 Gm. of salt. The iodine content of the salt from “the large mines near Bogota” is said to be “from 2 to 3 tenths milligram per 100 Gm. of salt.” According to this information, the concentration of iodine in the salts from Guaca.and Bella Vista are, respectively, 8 and 70 times as great as the highest previously recorded and are 33 and 292 times as much, in proportion to chloride, as is found in sea-water. (Sea salt contains much less ...
Academic Performance and Perceived Validity of Grades: An Additional Case for Self-Enhancement

The authors investigated the role of academic self-esteem and academic performance in U.S. college students' perceptions of the validity of their grades (overall grade point average [GPA]). A sample of 208 (80 male, 128 female) college students completed a survey that included an academic self-esteem scale and a measure of the perceived validity of grades. The authors assessed academic performance level by the participants' actual overall GPAs. The results of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis supported the weak form of self-enhancement theory (J. S. Shrauger, 1975). Thus, regardless of their self-esteem levels, the students with higher GPAs, compared with those with lower GPAs, tended to see the overall GPA as a more valid indicator of academic ability.
AS23-01 - Travelling with high-speed through the forest of schizophrenia genetics: from GWAS to biology

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been successful in identifying replicable susceptibility loci for schizophrenia. The most replicated GWAS association is at chromosome 6p (MHC). However, identifying the causal gene networks, the specific genes, and functional variants has proven difficult for schizophrenia, just like for most other complex disorders. Since almost all GWAS associated SNPs are either intergenic or intragenic but uncorrelated with obvious candidate functional variation such as missense or nonsense SNPs, it is likely that gene regulation is involved in schizophrenia susceptibility. This suggests that an integrative systems biology approach, one that combines DNA sequence and structural information with functional data, will be useful to study the biological mechanisms underlying the GWAS statistical associations and to identify new disease genes. To this end, we are investigating the genetic etiology of SZ by generating transcriptional profiles under conditions designed to reveal biological mechanisms involved in conferring risk, for example, by using environmental perturbations of etiological and pharmacological relevance on simple cellular models. This strategy, by refocusing transcriptional activity towards targets of specific environmental perturbations, is also useful for testing specific hypotheses of schizophrenia pathophysiology independently of GWAS results. I will be presenting transcriptional profiles at baseline that show association with schizophrenia, and the results of applying a number of external stimuli.
Islamico‐civil “rights talk”: Women, subjectivity, and law in Iranian family court

Soon after the 1979 Iranian revolution, women's appeals for equal protection of their rights were deemed by supporters of the new government to be remnants of European–U.S. imperialism. Over two decades later, Iranian women are at the vanguard of reform, calling for their civil rights once again. Now, with republican ideals authenticated by Islam through Iran's innovative state, an Islamic republic, women push for tangible procedural process in reformulated Islamico-civil family courts that position them as individual rights-bearing citizens.
Radiofrequency Ablation for Barrett Esophagus With Confirmed Low-Grade Dysplasia

The incidence of Barrett adenocarcinoma is increasing substantially and was estimated at 2.8 cases per 100 000 people in the United States in 2010.1 Given the premalignant potential of Barrett intestinal metaplasia, it would be logical to simply eliminate preneoplastic tissue. Indeed, if Barrett esophagus was a focally localized, raised, and easily recognizable lesion (ie, polyp), endoscopic removal would be a relatively easy task, and there would be no discussion about how to prevent neoplastic progression in these patients.
Hard Probes are the “Meridian Line”, sQGP is the Forbidden City

Abstract Relativistic heavy-ion collisions at BNL/RHIC have created a hot and dense nuclear matter, the strongly interacting Quark-Gluon Plasma (sQGP). Hard probes, high transverse momentum particles and jets, interact with the sQGP medium and lose energy. The interactions modify the properties of the hard probes; the medium responds to the energy loss of those probes in a collective way. Many properties of the sQGP have been learned from the modifications to the probes and the medium responses. I will review jet-like correlation results from RHIC, especially those measured by three-particle correlations, and discuss some of the fascinating physics.
Heat Flow and the Geothermal Potential of Egypt

Preliminary heat flow values ranging from 42 to 175 mW m−2 have been estimated for Egypt from numerous geothermal gradient determinations with a reasonably good geographical distribution, and a limited number of thermal conductivity determinations. For northern Egypt and the Gulf of Suez, gradients were calculated from oil well bottom hole temperature data; east of the Nile, and at three sites west of the Nile, gradients were calculated from detailed temperature logs in shallow boreholes. With one exception, the heat flow west of the Nile and in northern Egypt is estimated to be low, 40–45 mW m−2, typical of a Precambrian Platform province. A local high, 175 mW m−2, is probably due to local oxidational heating or water movement associated with a phosphate mineralized zone. East of the Nile, however, including the Gulf of Suez, elevated heat flow is indicated at several sites, with a high of 175 mW m−2 measured in a Precambrian granitic gneiss approximately 2 km from the Red Sea coast. These data indicate potential for development of geothermal resources along the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez coasts. Water geochemistry data confirm the high heat flow, but do not indicate any deep hot aquifers. Microearthquake monitoring and gravity data indicate that the high heat flow is associated with the opening of the Red Sea.
Photoreceptor cell counting in adaptive optics retinal images using content-adaptive filtering

Automated counting of photoreceptor cells in high-resolution retinal images generated by adaptive optics (AO) imaging systems is important due to its potential for screening and diagnosis of diseases that affect human vision. A drawback in recently reported photoreceptor cell counting methods is that they require user input of cell structure parameters. This paper introduces a method that overcomes this shortcoming by using content-adaptive filtering (CAF). In this method, image frequency content is initially analyzed to design a customized filter with a passband to emphasize cell structures suitable for subsequent processing. The McClellan transform is used to design a bandpass filter with a circularly symmetric frequency response since retinal cells have no preferred orientation. The automated filter design eliminates the need for manual determination of cell structure parameters, such as cell spacing. Following the preprocessing step, cell counting is performed on the binarized filtered image by finding regional points of high intensity. Photoreceptor cell count estimates using this automated procedure were found to be comparable to manual counts (gold standard). The new counting method when applied to test images showed overall improved performance compared with previously reported methods requiring user-supplied input. The performance of the method was also examined with retinal images with variable cell spacing.
γ-glutamyltransferase in human diploid fibroblasts and other mammalian cells

γ-Glutamyltransferase was determined in WI-38 human diploid fibroblasts and compared to enzyme levels determined in several other mammalian cell lines including: fibroblast-like cells from human skin, tibia and foreskin; epithelial-like cells from human, bovine and monkey kidney; and transformed cells (Chinese hamster ovary, HeLa S3 and SV-40 transformed WI-38). Transformed cells had the lowest activity found followed in increasing order by fibroblasts, human and bovine epithelial cells and monkey kidney epithelial cells. The enzyme isolated from the plasma membrane of WI-38 cells, like the enzyme from kidney and brain, was found to be irreversibly inhibited by iodoacetamide, reversibly by serine-borate, and had a strong specificity for certain amino acids. The possibility exists that γ-glutamyltransferase could be involved in transport of amino acids into cells in culture; and glutamine, used in media, is an excellent substrate for the enzyme.
On the use of nonlinear solitary waves for energy harvesting

In the last decade there has been an increasing attention on the use of highly- and weakly- nonlinear solitary waves in engineering and physics. These waves can form and travel in nonlinear systems such as one-dimensional chains of spherical particles. One engineering application of solitary waves is the fabrication of acoustic lenses, which are employed in a variety of fields ranging from biomedical imaging and surgery to defense systems and damage detection. In this paper we propose to couple an acoustic lens to a wafer-type lead zirconate titanate transducer (PZT) to harvest energy from the vibration of an object tapping the lens. The lens is composed of a circle array made of chains of particles in contact with a polycarbonate material where the nonlinear waves coalesce into linear waves. The PZT located at the designed focal point converts the mechanical energy carried by the stress wave into electricity to power a load resistor. The performance of the designed harvester is compared to a conventional cantilever beam, and the experimental results show that the power generated with the nonlinear lens has the same order of magnitude of the beam.
Genetic background influences cortical bone response to ovariectomy.

Peak bone mass is genetically determined, but little is known about the heritability of bone loss. Inbred mice were ovariectomized at 16 weeks of age and killed at three time-points after surgery. We found that the variation in estrogen deficit-related cortical bone loss is genetically determined. Introduction: Variability in adult bone morphology and composition among three inbred mouse strains—A/J, C57BL/6J (B6), and C3H/HeJ (C3H)—suggests that they gain bone in different ways during growth. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that these strains would also lose bone differently after estrogen deprivation. Materials and Methods: Female A/J, B6, and C3H mice (N = 70/strain) were either ovariectomized (OVX) or sham-operated at 16 weeks of age and killed at 4, 8, and 16 weeks after surgery. Cortical bone histomorphometry was performed on right femoral mid-diaphyseal cross-sections. Mechanical properties were determined by loading left femoral mid-diaphyses to failure in four-point bending. Results: Both OVX-A/J and OVX-B6 mice showed a 7–8% decrease in cortical area and width because of an 8–10% marrow expansion at 16 weeks after OVX. This bone loss did not affect mechanical properties in OVX-A/J femurs, but maximum load and stiffness in OVX-B6 decreased slightly (9%) at 4 and 8 weeks, and markedly (14–19%) at 16 weeks after OVX. In contrast, OVX-C3H showed a significant decrease in cortical area and width (6–7%) at 4 weeks after OVX and a slight decrease in the subperiosteal area (4%) at 8 weeks after OVX, although marrow area remained unchanged. Surprisingly, intracortical resorption spaces, which were present in sham-C3H mice, were greatly increased (+195%) in OVX-C3H mice at 8 weeks after OVX. Bone strength and stiffness in OVX-C3H mice decreased markedly (12–14%) at 4 weeks but slightly (8–10%) at 8 weeks after OVX. All indices except intracortical pore area in OVX-C3H mice returned to sham levels at 16 weeks after OVX. Conclusions: The magnitude, timing, and location of cortical bone loss after OVX varied significantly among A/J, B6, and C3H mice. The subsequent changes in mechanical properties after OVX depended on the variable bone patterns as well as the size and shape of the adult bone. Our results suggest that patterns of estrogen deficit-associated cortical bone loss are genetically determined.
Synergy of photoacoustic and fluorescence flow cytometry of circulating cells with negative and positive contrasts

In vivo photoacoustic (PA) and fluorescence flow cytometry were previously applied separately using pulsed and continuous wave lasers respectively, and positive contrast detection mode only. This paper introduces a real-time integration of both techniques with positive and negative contrast modes using only pulsed lasers. Various applications of this new tool are summarized, including detection of liposomes loaded with Alexa-660 dye, red blood cells labeled with Indocyanine Green, B16F10 melanoma cells co-expressing melanin and green fluorescent protein (GFP), C8161-GFP melanoma cells targeted by magnetic nanoparticles, MTLn3 adenocarcinoma cells expressing novel near-infrared iRFP protein, and quantum dot-carbon nanotube conjugates. Negative contrast flow cytometry provided label-free detection of low absorbing or weakly fluorescent cells in blood absorption and autofluorescence background, respectively. The use of pulsed laser for time-resolved discrimination of objects with long fluorescence lifetime (e.g., quantum dots) from shorter autofluorescence background (e.g., blood plasma) is also highlighted in this paper. The supplementary nature of PA and fluorescence detection increased the versatility of the integrated method for simultaneous detection of probes and cells having various absorbing and fluorescent properties, and provided verification of PA data using a more established fluorescence based technique.
Diagnosing and treating sleep disorders in the older adult.

Although the sleep of adults becomes lighter with age, disturbed sleep is not an inevitable part of aging. The sleep difficulties seen in the older adult are often a result of medical illness, medication use, circadian rhythm disturbances, specific sleep disorders, and behavioral problems. Treatment of these disorders should always begin with identifying the etiology, followed by a combined treatment of behavioral therapy and, if indicated, pharmacologic therapy.