cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fluid-Structure Interaction Effects on Sac-Blood Pressure and Wall Stress in a Stented Aneurysm

An aneurysm is a local artery ballooning greater than 50% of its nominal diameter with a risk of sudden rupture. Minimally invasive repair can be achieved by inserting surgically a stent-graft, called an endovascular graft (EVG), which is either straight tubular curved tubular or bifurcating. However post-procedural complications may arise because of elevated stagnant blood pressure in the cavity, i.e., the sac formed by the EVG and the weakened aneurysm wall In order to investigate the underlying mechanisms leading to elevated sac-pressures and hence to potentially dangerous wall stress levels and aneurysm rupture, a transient 3-D stented abdominal aortic aneurysm model and a coupled fluid-structure interaction solver were employed. Simulation results indicate that, even without the presence of endoleaks (blood flowing into the cavity), elevated sac pressure can occur due to complex fluid-structure interactions between the luminal blood flow, EVG wall, intra-sac stagnant blood, including an intra-luminal thrombus, and the aneurysm wall. Nevertheless, the impact of sac-blood volume changes due to leakage on the sac pressure and aneurysm wall stress was analyzed as well. While blood flow conditions, EVG and aneurysm geometries as well as wall mechanical properties play important roles in both sac pressure and wall stress generation, it is always the maximum wall stress that is one of the most critical parameters in aneurysm rupture prediction. All simulation results are in agreement with experimental data and clinical observations.
Experimental determination of kinematic coupling repeatability in industrial and laboratory conditions

Abstract While kinematic couplings are frequently used as components of repeatable interfaces in ideal environments, their use in heavily loaded industrial interfaces is less frequent, as previous studies have validated couplings mostly under modest loads and controlled environmental conditions. On the other hand, the performance of heavily loaded industrial equipment, such as robots used in automotive production, could benefit from highly repeatable interfaces for assembly and replacement of modules. A series of tests was conducted to assess the industrial repeatability performance of large kinematic couplings on an ABB 6400R industrial robot. The interfaces for two of the more frequently detached interfaces-the robot base to the factory floor interface and the robot wrist interface-were tested. For both interfaces, replacements for the existing pin joint interfaces were designed using two forms of kinematic couplings-a three-pin coupling and a canoe-ball coupling. During industrial testing, measurements were taken for each coupling form on the base and wrist interfaces. Both laboratory and industrial experiments demonstrated that the installation procedure is almost as important as the form of coupling itself and that properly mounted kinematic couplings can improve the repeatability of machine interfaces by up to 90%. Laboratory measurements provided best-case canoeball coupling repeatability on the order of 0.1 Nm and threepin coupling repeatability of 1 μm. In industrial trials, the canoe-ball coupling repeatability was 0.05 mm for the wrist interface and 0.10 mm for the base interface. The three-pin coupling was capable of 0.11 mm repeatability for the base interface, and limited testing for the wrist interface indicates possible 0.08 mm repeatability.
Determination of elastic constants of composites by time-resolved acoustic microscopy

By using the angular spectrum acoustic microscopy model and the direct global matrix solution for a composite plate, the reflected signal from a time-resolved line focus transducer has been analyzed. The generalized ray solution has been used to decompose the complicated reflected signals into different wave modes. Strategies to determine the elastic constants using time-resolved acoustic microscopy have been discussed. Both the lateral wave and the bulk wave reflected from the bottom surface of a composite plate have been used in the elastic constant determination.
Mealtime Television Viewing and Dietary Quality in Low-Income African American and Caucasian Mother–Toddler Dyads

To examine maternal demographic characteristics and depressive symptoms as predictors of TV viewing during mealtimes, and to investigate how mealtime TV viewing predicts mothers’ and toddlers’ food consumption. A prospective, cross-sectional survey design was employed with 199 African American and 200 Caucasian, low-income, mother–toddler dyads enrolled in eight Early Head Start programs in a Midwestern state. Mothers completed the Toddler–Parent Mealtime Behavior Questionnaire to assess toddler mealtime behavior. Data were analyzed using a three-step multiple regression: (a) step one was to determine what characteristics predicted family TV viewing during mealtime; (b) step two was to determine whether TV viewing during mealtime predicted maternal food consumption, and (c) step three was to determine whether TV viewing during mealtime predicted toddler food consumption. Direct and indirect effects of TV watching were explored via path models. Maternal race, education, and depressive symptoms predicted 8% of the variance in TV viewing during mealtime (P ≤ 0.001). African American mothers and mothers who had fewer years of schooling and exhibited more depressive symptoms tended to watch more TV during mealtime. More TV viewing during mealtime predicted mothers’ intake of ‘more’ unhealthy foods. Mothers’ food consumption was the single best predictor of toddlers’ food consumption, while TV viewing during mealtime had an indirect effect through mothers’ TV viewing. TV viewing practices affect mothers’ food consumption and mealtime behaviors; this, in turn, impacts toddlers’ food consumption. Practical interventions are needed to positively influence the nutritional habits of lower-income mothers. Reducing mothers’ “unhealthy” food consumption while watching TV may offer one effective strategy.
The Elixir System: Data characterization and calibration at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope

The Elixir System at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope performs data characterization and calibration for all data from the wide-field mosaic imagers CFH12K and MegaPrime. The project has several related goals, including monitoring data quality, providing high-quality master detrend images, determining the photometric and astrometric calibrations, and automatic preprocessing of images for queued service observing (QSO). The Elixir system has been used for all data obtained with CFH12K since the QSO project began in 2001 January. In addition, it has been used to process archival data from the CFH12K and all MegaPrime observations beginning in 2002 December. The Elixir system has been extremely successful in providing well-characterized data to the end observers, who may otherwise be overwhelmed by data-processing concerns.
Few changes observed in polysomnographic-assessed sleep before and after completion of chemotherapy

Objective Sleep disturbance is prevalent among patients undergoing chemotherapy and is strongly associated with cancer-related fatigue (CRF). However, little objective evidence has been gathered on the patterns of sleep before and following chemotherapy.
A COST COMPARISON OF MEDICAL MANAGEMENT AND TRANSURETHRAL NEEDLE ABLATION FOR TREATMENT OF BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA DURING A 5-YEAR PERIOD

ABSTRACT Purpose: We performed an analysis comparing the cost of medical management with TUNA® therapy for a 5-year period. Materials and Methods: Published costs for tamsulosin, finasteride, transurethral needle ablation (TUNA®, Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota) and transurethral resection of the prostate were used to construct a cost analysis model comparing medication with TUNA. The model analyzed monotherapy with an α-blocker (tamsulosin) and a 5α-reductase inhibitor (finasteride), combination therapy using both medications, and a mixed scenario using monotherapy and combination therapy. Published data were used to estimate the rate of surgical intervention in patients initially treated with medications or TUNA. Results: Tamsulosin monotherapy was less expensive than TUNA for 5 years ($3,485 for tamsulosin vs $4,811 for TUNA year 5). Finasteride monotherapy reaches a break-even point with TUNA during year 5 ($4,867 for finasteride vs $4,811 for TUNA). Combination therapy reaches a break-even point with TUNA after approximately 2 years 7 months of treatment ($4,515 for combination therapy vs $4,572 for TUNA) and the mixed scenario breaks even with TUNA at approximately year 4 ($4,696 for medical management vs $4,645 for TUNA). Conclusions: The TUNA procedure compares favorably to combination medical therapy for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia on a cost basis. α-Blocker monotherapy is less costly than TUNA while 5α-reductase inhibitor monotherapy is approximately equivalent to TUNA for 5 years. The TUNA procedure is less expensive than combination medical management for 5 years, with a break-even point at approximately 2 years 7 months.
Frequency and severity of desaturation events during general anesthesia in children with and without upper respiratory infections.

Abstract Study Objective: To determine whether anesthesia in the presence of a, mild upper respiratory infection (URI) was associated with episodes of desaturation or reactive airway problems. Design: A prospective study. Setting: Inpatient and outpatient units of a university medical center. Patients: Four hundred two pediatric patients. Interventions: Patients were monitored with continuous recordings of oxygen saturation saturation (SpO 2 ), capnography, and electrocardiogram. A separate anesthesiologist was present throughout each case to observe for complications and interview the anesthesia team. The decision to anesthetize patients with a URI was left to the discretion of the anesthesia team. Measurements and Main Results: Thirty patients with a URI and 372 patients without one were studied. One hundred ninety-six patients were managed with endotracheal intubation and 206 with face mask; 15 in each group had a URI. There was no increase in major desaturation events (SpO 2 of 85%, or less for 30 or more seconds) but minor desaturation events (SpO 2 pf 95% or less for 60 or more seconds) were increased ( p = 0.02). There was no increased frequency of laryngospasm (1 in 30 vs. 22 in 372), but there was a higher frequency of bronchospasm in incubated patients (2 in 15 vs. 1 in 181; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Children with a mild URI have an increased frequency of minor desaturation episodes, and incubated patients with a URI have an increased frequency of bronchospasm. It appears that children with a mild URI may be safely anesthetized, since the problems encountered are generally easily treated and without long-term sequelae.
Beckocoris Knight, Nevadocoris Knight, and Lattinocoris artemisii, New Genus and New Species, Asteraceae Feeding Phylini (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae) from the Interior of Western North America

Abstract Beckocoris Knight, 1968, is revised and redescribed; three new species—B. brendae, B. inventarium, and B. lattini—are described; and Nevadocoris bullatus Knight, 1968, is transferred to Beckocoris, n. comb. All species of Beckocoris are recorded breeding on species of Tetradymia (Asteraceae) with additional records from Chrysothamnus spp. (Asteraceae) and “Dalea” (Fabaceae: Papilionoideae). Nevadocoris Knight, 1968, is revised, redescribed, and two new species—N. lattini and N. tetradymii—are described; all species are recorded breeding on Tetradymia spp., with additional records from Chrysothamnus spp., “Dalea” and Phlox (Polemoniaceae). Species within each genus have largely allopatric distributions within the Great Basin, including most of the Mojave Desert in the south, as well as parts of eastern Utah. Lattinophylus artemisii, new genus and new species, is described as breeding on Artemisia spp., primarily A. tridentata (Asteraceae), with a range largely coterminous with species of Beckocori...
A hardware and software interface for sensing changes in rotary position with an Apple II microcomputer

A design for an Apple II interface that senses relative rotary position and/or motion via a digital potentiometer is presented. A thorough discussion of the circuit’s theory of operation and a fully commented BASIC software listing are included. Suggested applications include an infinite-turn rotary device for psychophysical methods of adjustment, the sensing of rotary translations of a steering wheel in a driving simulator, and a digital tachometer/odometer for tracking performance on stationary exercise bicycles and treadmills.
Abstract 3396: Dual lineage inhibition of ETV1 and KIT disrupts the ETV1-KIT feed forward circuit and potentiates imatinib antitumor effect in GIST oncogenesis

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) is one of the most common types of human sarcoma and is primarily defined by activating mutations in the KIT or PDGFRA receptor tyrosine kinases. Despite the initial clinical success of imatinib that specifically target mutant KIT and PDGFRA, imatinib resistance has become the biggest challenge in the management of advanced GIST patient. Novel therapeutics that can improve the efficacy of first line imatinib therapy and/or prevent and overcome imatinib resistance is imperative. The ETS family member, ETV1, has been previously identified as a lineage-specific survival factor that cooperates with mutant KIT by ETV1 protein stabilization by active MAP kinase signaling downstream of KIT signaling in GIST oncogenesis. Here we demonstrate that ETV1 is required for GIST initiation and maintenance in vivo using compound genetically engineered mouse models (GEMM). We further identified that ETV1 forms a feed forward circuit in GIST oncogenesis where the ETV1 protein is stabilized by active MAP kinase signaling downstream of KIT and stabilized ETV1enhances KIT expression through direct binding to the KIT enhancer regions in both GIST mouse models and human GIST cell lines. The dual lineage targeting of KIT by imatinib and ETV1 by MEK162 (an MEK inhibitor) disrupts the ETV1-KIT feed forward circuit and induces more apoptosis than single agent imatinib or MEK162 in human GIST cells. The combination therapy resulted in complete tumor regression whereas single agent imatinib or MEK162 resulted in stabilization of disease in human GIST xenograft studies. Moreover, the combination therapy also induced more tumor fibrosis than single agent imatinib or MEK162 in GIST GEMM. These observations demonstrate the in vivo role of ETV1 in GIST oncogenesis and the feasibility of targeting ETV1 protein stability by inhibiting MAP kinase signaling. They also suggest that the dual lineage targeting of ETV1 and KIT by the combination therapy may provide a more effective therapeutic strategy than imatinib alone in GIST management. Citation Format: Leili Ran, Inna Sirota, Zhen Cao, Devan Murphy, Shipra Shukla, Ferdinando Rossi, John Wongvipat, William D. Tap, Peter Besmer, Cristina R. Antonescu, Yu Chen, Ping Chi. Dual lineage inhibition of ETV1 and KIT disrupts the ETV1-KIT feed forward circuit and potentiates imatinib antitumor effect in GIST oncogenesis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3396. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3396
Increasing the rate of energy transfer between the LHI antenna and the reaction center in the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Energy transfer from Rhodobacter sphaeroides light-harvesting complex I (LHI) to the reaction center (RC) was investigated with steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Chromatopho...
Hypercholesterolemia in rats: Combined effect of high cholesterol diet and female sex steroids

The influence of estradiol and a contraceptive steroid combination on plasma cholesterol was studied in female rats on both normal and high-cholesterol diets which did not contain thiouracil. The high-cholesterol diet resulted in moderate hypercholesterolemia without weight loss, even with prolonged feeding. Hypercholesterolemia was markedly accentuated in the presence of either endogenous or exogenous sex hormones.
Economic land evaluation : why and how

Economic land evaluation is a method for predicting the micro-economic value of implementing a given land-use system on a given land area. This is a more useful prediction of land performance than a purely physical evaluation, since many land-use decisions are made on the basis of economic value. Measures of economic suitability include the gross margin, net present value, internal rate of return, benefit :cost ratio, and utility functions based on these. The economic value of the in-situ resource quality of a land area may be inferred directly from land characteristics or from Land Qualities which, when less than optimum, result in decreased yields or increased costs. The economic value of geographic land characteristics may be determined by spatial analysis. Single or multi-criteria economic optimization and risk analysis can extend the economic land evaluation from a natural resource or management unit to a production or planning unit. Computerized tools may be used to assist in economic land evaluation.
THE EVOLUTION OF FORM AND FUNCTION: MORPHOLOGY AND LOCOMOTOR PERFORMANCE IN WEST INDIAN ANOLIS LIZARDS.

I tested biomechanical predictions that morphological proportions (snout-vent length, forelimb length, hindlimb length, tail length, and mass) and maximal sprinting and jumping ability have evolved concordantly among 15 species of Anolis lizards from Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Based on a phylogenetic hypothesis for these species, the ancestor reconstruction and contrast approaches were used to test hypotheses that variables coevolved. Evolutionary change in all morphological and performance variables scales positively with evolution of body size (represented by snout-vent length); size evolution accounts for greater than 50% of the variance in sprinting and jumping evolution. With the effect of the evolution of body size removed, increases in hindlimb length are associated with increases in sprinting and jumping capability. When further variables are removed, evolution in forelimb and tail length exhibits a negative relationship with evolution of both performance measures. The success of the biomechanical predictions indicates that the assumption that evolution in other variables (e.g., muscle mass and composition) did not affect performance evolution is probably correct; evolution of the morphological variables accounts for approximately 80% of the evolutionary change in performance ability. In this case, however, such assumptions are clade-specific; extrapolation to taxa outside the clade is thus unwarranted. The results have implications concerning ecomorphological evolution. The observed relationship between forelimb and tail length and ecology probably is a spurious result of the correlation between these variables and hindlimb length. Further, because the evolution of jumping and sprinting ability are closely linked, the ability to adapt to certain microhabitats may be limited.
Treatment of Travelers' Diarrhea: Fluid and Dietary Management

Travelers' diarrhea is associated with a mild or moderately severe loss of fluid and electrolytes. Severe fluid deficits are encountered only rarely. Mortality associated with fluid deficits is very rare; significant morbidity occurs only in older adults or in patients with chronic intestinal diseases or other chronic diseases (cardiac, pulmonary, or renal). Treatment of fluid and electrolyte deficits may be effectively achieved by rehydration with oral rehydration solution (World Health Organization) or with a commercial solution of similar composition. Dietary recommendations should emphasize the necessity of resuming a normal diet once a reduction in symptoms makes this feasible. Eating small portions frequently and omitting caffeine and lactose-containing food and drink may be advantageous.
The Evolutionary History of Humans in Australasia from an Environmental Perspective

Attempts to understand the evolution within the genus Homo in Australasia have relied on two main theories. The Multiregional scenario suggests that cranial morphology reveals a long-standing continuity between fossil and recent hominids in the region. Out of Africa theorist have favoured the idea that Homo sapiens evolved in Africa, migrated outward, and replaced archaic hominids, such as Homo erectus in Australasia. Neither Multiregionalists nor Out of Africans have factored (seriously) in the unique geographic and ecological context in which variation in Australasian members of the genus Homo evolved. Nonetheless, the mammalian faunas of this region have been strongly shaped by the existence of zoogeographic barriers and different ecological zones. Taking an environmental perspective on the evolutionary history of the human lineage in this region leads to an third and possibly more plausible scenario in which both local evolution and replacement play a role. The continuing importance of the zoogeography of Australasia is evidenced in the cranial variations seen within modern humans of this region, which can be divided into a Sunda (“Asian”) and a Sahul (“Australo-Melanesian”) cranial pattern.
FABRICATION AND FUTURE OF METALLIC SUPERLATTICES

Revue generale sur les recherches conduites dans le domaine des multicouches et superreseaux metalliques. Description de certaines structures de multicouches et des techniques de preparation: evaporation, epitaxie par faisceau moleculaire, pulverisation
CLIP-EZ: a computational tool for HITS-CLIP data analysis

Background Mapping the binding regions of mRNA-binding proteins is critical to the understanding of their regulatory roles in cellular processes. Recent development in experimental technologies combines high throughput sequencing with crosslink immunoprecipitation (HITS-CLIP), which has the merit of detecting RNA-protein interaction sites at a high resolution to single nucleotide level. Analysis of such data typically involves many steps, and teasing out true signals from noise requires crosslink induced mutations (CIMS) analysis, peak identification, integration of the two signal types, and some downstream analysis such as motif finding and conservation evaluation. To our knowledge, there is a lack of a single computational tool that can perform all the tasks as mentioned in an easily accessible manner. Despite the fact that there are several tools available, each performs an individual task.
Special architecture for edge detection using the residue number system

This paper describes a special architecture which detects edges of an image using the Laplacian of Gaussian (LOG) operator. Since edge detection with the LOG operator is a computation bound problem, the special architecture is designed to do parallel processing. The parallel processing is achieved by using the residue number system (RNS) and the systolic concept. The special architecture consists of an output converter, which converts the residue number to the binary number, and eight processing elements, one for each modular number. Both processing elements and output converter are designed as a systolic array. The 2 micrometers CMOS technology is used to layout the basic logic gates. Using the delay times of these gates, the special architecture is simulated with Verilog-XL. As a result of simulation, a 50 MHz clock is selected as the system clock, which is fast enough to detect edges of an image frame in a TV frame time. Hence, the special architecture can be applied to the real-time vision system.
Computational Study on the Conformations of Mitragynine and Mitragynaline

A conformational search on mitragynine and mitragynaline, natural products isolated from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, was performed using the MMFF94s force field and the quantum mechanical B3LYP method. The main difference for the mitragynine conformers is caused by the position of the lone pair of the nitrogen shared by rings 3 and 4. Specifically, the lone pair can be syn or anti to the exocylic ethyl group on ring 4. Syn was found to be lower in energy than anti, because of less steric hindrance between the ethyl and the methylene group adjacent to the N in ring 3. The geometrical parameters for the lowest energy conformer of mitragynine are in excellent agreement with the published X-ray crystal structure's geometry. Because it has one more double bond, mitragynaline has less conformational freedom than mitragynine. The main possible conformational choice in mitragynaline is for orientational flexibility of a C-C single bond in ring 3. The finding of two low energy conformers of mitragynaline differing in ring 3 conformation matches reported X-ray crystal structural data.
New features of microtubule behaviour observed in vivo.

The microtubule cytoskeleton is thought to be intimately involved in generating and maintaining cell polarity1,2 and can generate many different morphological structures from a few structural elements3. The mechanism by which these structures are generated has been partially elucidated from studies of microtubule polymerization both in vitro4–6 and in vivo7,8. Microtubules in vitro exist in growing (polymerizing) and shrinking (depolymerizing) populations that interconvert infrequently. This behaviour, termed dynamic instability4, permits microtubules in the cell rapidly to explore different arrangements and allows selective stabilization of specific morphologies9,10. To investigate the regulation of these processes, we have implemented techniques for direct observation of fluorescently labelled microtubules11 and developed them to observe the dynamic behaviour of individual microtubules in single living cells. Sammak and Borisy12 recently used this technique to show that the dynamics of microtubules in fibroblasts is explained by dynamic instability. Although we also conclude here that dynamic instability explains much of microtubule behaviour in vivo, we find significant deviations from the properties of tubulin in vitro. These results suggest that local cytoplasmic factors strongly influence microtubule dynamics; such control has important implications for cellular morphogenesis.
Discursive Formation, Ethnographic Encounter, Photographic Evidence: The Centenary of Durkheim's Basic Forms of Religious Life and the Anthropological Study of Australian Aboriginal Religion in His Time

Historical research on the work of Emile Durkheim has often been confined to textual analysis aiming to reconstruct his research in the context of anthropological discourses at the turn of the 20th century. As radical changes in the visual culture of the late 19th century shaped the formation of anthropology as an academic discipline, the ambition of this article is to elaborate the ways Durkheim's use of ethnographic data and visual material formed the foundation of the theoretical and methodological design of his approach to religion. By tracing features in his Basic Forms that emphasize visual material and prioritize religious practice, I submit that the photographic evidence given in Spencer and Gillen's account of Aboriginal religion allowed Durkheim to theorize religion primarily through ritual. Photography, as a visual means of representation, enhanced the study of religion by focusing on ritual without necessarily demanding consideration of its mythical narratives and cosmological accounts. Based ...
MULTIPLE REFERENCE FEEDFORWARD ACTIVE NOISE CONTROL PART II: REFERENCE PREPROCESSING AND EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

Abstract Multiple reference active noise control (MRANC) has been applied to acoustical fields with multiple noise sources to achieve low frequency noise reduction. The traditional control configuration feeds each reference signal into a different control filter. This configuration has been widely adopted due to its potential performance in a general multiple noise source environment. However, it entails the problem of ill conditioning when the reference signals are correlated. In this paper time domain analysis has been carried out to investigate the problem of ill conditioning for MRANC. To cope with the problem of ill conditioning, a reference signal preprocessing step is added to the conventional active noise control process. This preprocessing step essentially constructs a new set of reference signals, which preserve all the information of the original reference, but are uncorrelated with each other. An adaptive decorrelation filter based on the Wiener filter theory and Gram–Schmidt orthogonalization theorem is constructed to implement the reference signal preprocessing stip. Experiments based on sound transmission through a vibrating plate have been conducted and the results presented are consistent with the theoretical analysis.
Continuously infused 2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid antagonizes N-methyl-d-aspartate-induced elevations of cyclic GMP in vivo in multiple brain areas and chemically-induced seizure activity

Abstract The effects of the chronic intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of the potent dicarboxylic amino acid antagonist, 2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid (APH), were examined in female rats as a prelude to the use of this compound in exploring the role of dicarboxylic amino acids in barbiturate dependence and withdrawal. Doses of APH ranging from 2.7 to 54 μg/day were examined for signs of toxicity. Weight loss, decreased water intake and locomotor impairment were found only with the largest dose. No significant changes in consumption of food or body temperature were observed with any dose. The chronic administration of the drug (27 μg/day) blocked the elevation of the content of cyclic guanosine monophosphate induced by N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) in all regions of the brain examined. The chronically-administered drug also blocked wild running behavior induced by the intracerebroventricular administration of two different drugs n -methyl- d -aspartic add and cyclohexylbarbiturate add. However, APH was ineffective in suppressing convulsions induced by the ED 50 dose of pentylenetetrazol given subcutaneously.
Micropropagation of a Casuarina hybrid (Casuarina equisetifolia L. × Casuarina glauca Sieber ex Spreng) following facilitated seed germination.

A suitable protocol for micropropagation of Casuarina hybrid, Casuarina equisetifolia L. × Casuarina glauca Sieber ex Spreng (C. e. × C. g.), was developed. When seeds without seed coats were cultured on 4 germination media, the optimal seed germination percentage (91%) was obtained on 0.8% agar solidified water medium. Shoot multiplication was achieved by culturing 2-cm long epicotyls, excised from germinated seedlings, on MS (Murashige and Skoog 1962) basal medium supplemented with BA (6-benzylaminopurine) at 4.4, 8.8, 17.8 and 35.6 μM. The greatest percentage of axillary bud sproutings (87.5%), mean number of sprouts per explant (3.8), and shoot length (3.2 cm) were achieved on MS medium supplemented with 17.8 μM BA. MS medium supplemented with 4 different concentrations of IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) (4.3, 8.7, 13.0 and 17.4 μM) were used for rooting of in vitro grown shoots. The highest rooting percentage (65.6%), mean number of roots per explant (2.5) and mean length of roots per explant (1.6 cm) was achieved at 13.0 μM IBA. Rooted shoots grew well after transfer to a substrate of peat and pinebark (7:3) in the greenhouse.
Survival improvements for advanced stage nonbronchioloalveolar carcinoma‐type nonsmall cell lung cancer cases with ipsilateral intrapulmonary nodules

BACKGROUND. Survival improvements have been demonstrated for patients with bronchioloalveolar (BAC) nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with intrapulmonary satellite T4 nodules compared with other patients with stage IIIB disease, and for ipsilateral intrapulmonary M1 tumors versus contralateral or distant metastasis. However, it is not known whether these differences are observed in patients with non-BAC NSCLC. METHODS. A case-only analysis of the U.S. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data (1999–2003) was conducted. Overall survival (OS) and lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS) univariate analyses were conducted using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate survival analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards ratios. RESULTS. A total of 27,435 incident cases of histologically confirmed, advanced stage NSCLC were identified. Cases with stage IIIB NSCLC due to multiple lesions in the same lobe (n = 633) had a significantly improved median OS (21 months) and LCSS (31 months) compared with other cases with stage IIIB NSCLC (n = 7695), with an OS of 7 months and an LCSS of 9 months (P < .0001 for both comparisons). Among cases with stage IV NSCLC, those with intrapulmonary nodules (n = 3010) had a significantly improved median OS (9 months) and LCSS (10 months) compared with those with distant metastasis (n = 16,097), with an OS of 4 months and an LCSS of 5 months (P < .0001 for both comparisons). These survival differences persisted after adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, surgery, and radiotherapy. Among cases with stage IV NSCLC, those with ipsilateral intrapulmonary nodules (n = 1120) had improved OS (12 months) compared with those with bilateral intrapulmonary nodules (n = 1890), with an OS of 7 months (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS. Cases with stage IIIB and IV NSCLC with ipsilateral intrapulmonary nodules were found to have improved survival outcomes compared with other cases with stage IIIB and IV disease. The results of the current study add additional support for modifications to the current NSCLC staging system. Cancer 2008. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Analogue circuits for variable-synapse electronic neural networks

Several techniques are proposed for making possible analogue electronic neural networks with variable synapse strengths. The techniques take advantage of the variability of transistor conductance or transconductance with bias, and use capacitors for temporary storage of the required control voltage.
Calling for Participation: Requests, Blocking Moves, and Rational (Inter)action in Survey Introductions

We draw on conversation analytic methods and research to explicate the interactional phenomenon of requesting in general and the specific case of requesting participation in survey interviews. Rece...
Chilling Effect and Significant Choice: A Case Study of the National Cancer Institute and the Screening Mammography Guideline Controversy

(1998). Chilling Effect and Significant Choice: A Case Study of the National Cancer Institute and the Screening Mammography Guideline Controversy. Free Speech Yearbook: Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 118-133.
Simulation-based end-of-life care training during surgical clerkship: assessment of skills and perceptions

Abstract Background Assessment of interpersonal and psychosocial competencies during end-of-life care training is essential. This study reports the relationship between simulation-based end-of-life care Objective Structured Clinical Examination ratings and communication skills, trust, and self-assessed empathy along with the perceptions of students regarding their training experiences. Method Medical students underwent simulation-based end-of-life care OSCE training that involved standardized patients who evaluated students' communication skills and physician trust with the Kalamazoo Essential Elements Communication Checklist and the Wake Forest Physician Trust Scale. Students also completed the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy. Pearson correlation was used to examine the relationship between OSCE performance grades and communication, trust, and empathy scores. Student comments were analyzed using the constant comparative method of analysis to identify dominant themes. Results The 389 students (mean age 26.6 ± 2.8 y; 54.5% female) had OSCE grades that were positively correlated with physician trust scores (r = 0.325, P Conclusions We found that simulation-based OSCE training in palliative and end-of-life care can be effectively conducted during a surgery clerkship. Moreover, the standardized patient encounters combined with the formal assessment of communication skills, physician trust, and empathy provide feedback to students at an early phase of their professional life. The positive and appreciative comments of students regarding the opportunity to practice difficult patient conversations suggest that attention to these professional characteristics and skills is a valued element of clinical training and conceivably a step toward better patient outcomes and satisfaction.
Positive psychological effects of space missions

Being in space is a powerful experience that can have an enduring, positive impact on the psychological well-being of astronauts and cosmonauts. We sought to examine the frequency, intensity and distribution of such salutogenic experiences among persons who have flown in space, using a questionnaire we developed based on the scientific literature and first person accounts. All participants reported positive effects of being in space, but the degree of change varied widely, and some experiences were particularly common. Three of our five predicted attitude-behavior relationships were supported by the data. Response patterns did not vary according to demographics or time in space. Cluster analysis yielded two groups of participants. One group was generally more reactive and also placed a higher priority on perceptions of space than did the other group. We conclude that positive experiences are common among space travelers and seem to cluster into meaningful patterns that may be consequential for Mars missions. We consider the possible selection, training, and monitoring issues raised by our findings.
Study of Longitudinal-Joint Construction Techniques in Hot-Mix Asphalt Pavements

There is a need to identify suitable longitudinal-joint construction techniques for multilane, hot-mix asphalt pavements that can minimize or eliminate cracking at the joint and raveling adjacent to the joint. It is believed that the longitudinal cracks result primarily from the density gradient that is usually encountered across the joint. This density gradient can be attributed to low density at the unconfined edge when the first lane is paved and relatively high density at the confined edge when the adjacent lane is paved. Seven different longitudinal-joint construction techniques were used on I-25 in Colorado in 1994, including various rolling procedures to compact the joint, provision of a vertical face with a cutting wheel, and use of rubberized asphalt tack coat on the face of the unconfined edge. Two longitudinal-joint construction techniques were used on I-79 in Pennsylvania in 1994: the conventional technique (control) and the New Jersey—type wedge joint. The latter technique uses a 3:1 taper at...
Studies on the control of the renal tubular transport of p-aminohippurate by the anterior pituitary.

AREDUCTION in the renal clearance of diodrast or p-amino-hippurate (PAH) following hypophysectomy has been described in the dog (White, Heinbecker and Rolf, 1947, 1949a; deBodo and Sinkoff, 1953; Davis, et al., 1954) and in the rat (Boss, Osborn and Renzi, 1952). These changes could be partially reversed by growth hormone (White, Heinbecker and Rolf, 1949b; deBodo and Sinkoff, 1953; Davis, et al., 1954), by the thyrotrophic hormone (TSH) (Davis, et al., 1954) and by adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) (Leaf, et al., 1952; Earle, et al., 1953). These effects of hypophysectomy could be due to changes in the renal hemodynamics and/or changes in the renal transport of these substances. Cross and Taggart (1950) have developed an in vitro method for measuring the transport of PAH which is independent of hemodynamic changes. Farah, Graham and Koda (1952) have shown that hypophysectomy in rats reduced PAH transport in renal slices and that the administration of certain growth
The Changing Bases of Segregation in the United States

The nature and organization of segregation shifted profoundly in the United States over the course of the twentieth century. During the first two-thirds of the century, segregation was defined by the spatial separation of whites and blacks. What changed over time was the level at which this racial separation occurred, as macro-level segregation between states and counties gave way steadily to micro-level segregation between cities and neighborhoods. During the last third of the twentieth century, the United States moved toward a new regime of residential segregation characterized by moderating racial-ethnic segregation and rising class segregation, yielding a world in which the spatial organization of cities and the location of groups and people within them will increasingly be determined by an interaction of race and class and in which segregation will stem less from overt prejudice and discrimination than from political decisions about land use, such as density zoning.
From vicious to virtuous circle: Moralistic trust, diffuse reciprocity, and the American security commitment to Europe

Constructivists maintain that a shared identity was crucial for explaining the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the multilateral form that it took. I challenge this view, arguing instead that the alliance was based on moralistic trust, the belief that others will live up to their moral obligations. Moralistic trust facilitates the initiation of cooperation, so that states can begin a virtuous circle of trust, collaboration, and enhanced trust. It is also the foundation of the diffuse reciprocity inherent to multilateralism. In two case studies of the domestic politics in the United States of making a multilateral security commitment to Europe, the first being the League of Nations, I demonstrate that identity was not a prominent consideration and did not lead individuals to embrace multilateralism. This social-psychological account improves upon constructivism and rationalism by offering a way to embed ideational variables in studies of strategic interaction.
The development and use of a footwear assessment score in comparing the fit of children's shoes

Abstract Using a footwear assessment score, this study looked at the fit of the footwear of 50 children. It was found that there was no correlation between footwear assessment score and age (rs 0.220 χ 2 0.91 P
Solenopsis invicta transferrin: cDNA cloning, gene architecture, and up-regulation in response to Beauveria bassiana infection.

Transferrin genes from several insects have been shown to be induced in response to bacterial or fungal infection. We were interested to know whether transferrin genes in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, are similarly induced by microbial challenge. Hence, the cDNA and structure of a gene exhibiting significant homology to insect transferrins were elucidated for S. invicta. The cDNAwas comprised of 2417 nucleotides, excluding the poly(A) tail, with a large open reading frame of 2106 nucleotides. The predicted translation product of the S. invicta tranferrin (SiTf) gene was a 702 amino acid polypeptide with an estimated molecular mass of 77.3 kDa and a pI value of 5.66, characteristics consistent with transferrin proteins. Comparative analysis of genomic and cDNA sequences revealed that the SiTf gene was comprised of 8 exons. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to examine the expression of SiTf. Expression of SiTf was induced in worker ants exposed to Beauveria bassiana conidia. Autoclave-killed conidia did not elicit a SiTf induction response from worker ants. Genes, like SiTf, responding to microbe attack or infection may provide a unique approach to assist in the discovery of microbial control organisms for the target insect pest. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Psychological aspects of genetic counseling: VI. A critical review of the literature dealing with education and reproduction

The post-1979 literature dealing with the educational and reproductive outcome and process of genetic counseling is reviewed. Despite methodological difficulties, recent publications strongly suggest that genetic counseling is successful in educating counselees about diagnostic and risk information. In general, investigators suggest that there is room for improvement and the factors leading to imperfect recall of information need to be elucidated. Process studies suggest that the educational priorities of counselors and counselees may not always be consistent. The contribution of these inconsistencies to outcome measures needs further study. Also, it appears that differing counseling approaches may be equally effective in achieving educational goals. Studies on the reproductive outcome of genetic counseling show no strong impact of counseling; there appears to be a net increase of desire for more children following counseling. Precounseling reproductive intentions, rather than counseling, were found to be a major factor in determining postcounseling outcome. Process studies suggest that although many counselees say that they were influenced by genetic counseling, it is uncertain what they mean, since for many counselees, reproductive decisions seem to have been made prior to counseling.
Disparities in Debt Parents’ Socioeconomic Resources and Young Adult Student Loan Debt

In an era of rising college costs and stagnant grant-based student aid, many young adults rely on their parents’ resources and student loans to pay for their postsecondary education. In this study I ask how parents’ income and education are linked to young adults’ student loan debt. I develop and test two perspectives regarding the functional form of the association between parents’ income, parents’ education, and student loan debt. I have four key findings. First, the relationship between parents’ income and student loan debt is nonlinear, such that young adults from middle-income families have a higher risk for debt than do those from low- and high-income families. Second, young adults from college-educated and high-income families are relatively protected from debt. Third, the association between parents’ socioeconomic status (SES) and debt is modified by postsecondary institutional characteristics and is strongest at private and high-cost institutions. Finally, the effect of parents’ SES on debt varies across the debt distribution. Parents’ SES is strongly predictive of entry into debt, but there are few differences conditional on going into debt. This suggests that socioeconomic disparities in debt are primarily driven by the probability of going into debt rather than differences among debtors. However, compared to their more advantaged counterparts, young adults from low-SES backgrounds have a higher risk of accruing debt burdens that exceed the national average.
Multiplierless filter Bank design: structures that improve both hardware and image compression performance

Design techniques for high-performance, fixed-point, multiplierless filter banks are presented. Image compression using the biorthogonal 9/7 discrete wavelet transform provides a motivating example. Image compression and hardware performance of two commonly used filter structures, direct and cascade, and two known filter bank structures, nonpolyphase and polyphase, are compared. A technique is shown for designing a fixed-point polyphase filter structure, which is highly efficient from a hardware standpoint, such that image-compression quality is not significantly deteriorated by the use of fixed-point mathematics. The result is a polyphase structure with about twice the throughput rate of nonpolyphase structures, and peak signal-to-noise ratio values for lossy compression within 0.2 decibels of those achieved using floating-point filters.
Marxism and the Three Movements of Neoliberalism

This article proposes a Marxian conceptual and empirical framework for understanding the disparate research on neoliberalism. In so doing, it examines the logic and processes of neoliberal transfor...