cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scapho-trapezio-trapezoid arthrodesis for treatment of chronic static and dynamic scapho-lunate instability: a 10-year perspective on pitfalls and complications.

Abstract Goals of reducing wrist pain, allowing a stable active wrist range of motion, and retarding degenerative changes make arthrodesis of the scapho-trapezio-trapezoid joint a popular treatment for chronic static and dynamic scapho-lunate instability; however, pitfalls and complications have not been well studied. Forty-seven wrists in 46 patients over a 10-year period revealed a complication rate of 52%. Failure to attain perfect scaphoid reduction consistently resulted in persistent incapacitating pain. Radial styloid-scaphoid impingement, observed after “successful” limited wrist fusion, was effectively treated by simple styloidectomy. Carpal osteomyelitis, lunate avascular necrosis, pin-tract infection, progressive medial carpal translation, and intractable pain without arthrosis complete the spectrum of complications managed in this series. Careful preoperative patient screening and attention to detailed recommendations will assist surgeons in avoiding the many potential problems associated with this procedure.
IDENTIFICATION OF AN ACTIVIN-FOLLISTATIN GROWTH MODULATORY SYSTEM IN THE HUMAN PROSTATE: SECRETION AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY IN PRIMARY CULTURES OF PROSTATIC EPITHELIAL CELLS

AbstractPurpose: To determine if the activin/follistatin system is present in human prostate tissue and primary cultures of prostatic epithelium and if these growth factors play a role in the control of epithelial cell growth.Materials and Methods: Cells derived directly from human prostates were studied to determine: a) if they secrete activin and follistatin, and b) if they are growth inhibited by activin. Primary cell cultures were established from tissues removed from 13 unselected prostate carcinoma patients in order to examine the secretion of activin and follistatin and test the effects of these proteins on cell proliferation.Results: Both primary explant cells and epithelial cells isolated and sub-cultured from explant cultures secreted activin A and follistatin. Treatment of cultured cells with recombinant human activin A resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of thymidine incorporation, with an IC50 of 0.22 nM. Recombinant follistatin neutralized the inhibitory effects of activin A on cell prol...
Discriminative-stimulus effects of morphine in combination with α- and β-noradrenergic agonists and antagonists in rats

Abstract Studies have shown that the noradrenergic system is involved in the analgesic effects of opioids and in the expression and development of physical signs of opioid withdrawal. The purpose of the present experiment was to determine if the noradrenergic system was involved in the discriminative effects of morphine in rats trained to discriminate 5.6 mg/kg morphine from saline under a fixed-ratio schedule of food presentation. A range of doses of morphine (0.3–10.0 mg/kg) produced dose-dependent increases in morphine-appropriate responding without substantial decreases in response rate. Several experiments were conducted to determine whether a number of noradrenergic agonists and antagonists 1) substitute for morphine or 2) alter the discriminative-stimulus effects of morphine when administered concurrently. The α 2 agonist clonidine (0.003–0.1 mg/kg), the α 1 antagonist prazosin (0.1–10.0 mg/kg), the α 2 antagonist yohimbine (0.1–10.0 mg/kg), the β 2 agonist salbutamol (0.03–10.0 mg/kg), and the β antagonist propranolol (1.0–10.0 mg/kg), neither substituted for morphine nor altered the discriminative-stimulus effects of morphine when administered in combination. These data suggest that the noradrenergic system is not involved in the discriminative-stimulus effects of 5.6 mg/kg morphine in rats.
Retrieval of aerosol spectral optical thickness from AVIRIS data

Abstract The ER-2, with the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) onboard, overflew Rapid City, South Dakota, and the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Site, Oklahoma, on 9 August and 15 August 1993, respectively. High contrast natural and artificial surfaces present in the imagery were used as a basis for retrieving aerosol spectral optical depth (SOD) over these two sites. Coincident measurements of spectral optical depth from a surface-based sunphotometer also were obtained and used as a validation of the AVIRIS derived retrievals. The accuracy of the retrievals is discussed as a function of measurement uncertainty and surface contrast. The results indicate that, given sufficiently small sensor errors and spectrally uniform surfaces with a reflectance difference of at least 0.5, aerosol spectral optical depth over clear continental atmospheres can be retrieved from high spatial resolution space-based imagery to an accuracy of approximatel...
Universal ethical principles in a diverse universe: a commentary on Monshi and Zieglmayer's case study.

Monshi and Zieglmayer's case study presents Sri Lankan participants as having views on the privacy of health information that differ radically from those commonly found in Western nations. This article explores 2 questions that their case study raises for the ethical review of research in international settings: First, are allegedly universal ethical principles—of the sort promulgated in the Belmont Report (National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, 1978)—useful in international settings?, and second, how should research oversight bodies address the challenges that arise in international behavioral and social science research?
Weighing Up the Factors: Moral Reasoning and Culture Change in a Samoan Community

The study of moral thought has become an interdisciplinary endeavor, addressed by the fields of theology, philosophy, literature, history, psychology, and anthropology. An anthropological approach to the study of morality relates the individual's moral thought to sociocultural factors that affect people's modes of reasoning (Douglas 1970, 1982; Edwards 1975, 1985, 1987; Geertz 1973; Graves and Graves 1978; Harkness, Edwards, and Super 1981; Kearney 1984; Much and Shweder 1978; Read 1955; Reid 1984, 1988; Shore 1981, 1982; Shweder 1982a, 1984; Shweder and Bourne 1984; Shweder, Mahapatra, and Miller 1987; Shweder and Much 1987). As Geertz (1973) pointed out, the moral domain is one in which the interplay of ethos, the evaluative aspect of culture, and world view, the cognitive mapping of the social world, produces the normative regulation of behavior. In this paper I propose that world view mediates the individual's developmental process with regard to moral thought, and I examine the effects of two contrasting world
Inhibition by dopamine of (Na(+)+K+)ATPase activity in neostriatal neurons through D1 and D2 dopamine receptor synergism.

THE (Na+ + K+)ATPase, an integral membrane protein located in virtually all animal cells, couples the hydrolysis of ATP to the countertransport of Na+ and K+ ions across the plasma membrane1,2. In neurons, a large portion of cellular energy is expended by this enzyme to maintain the ionic gradients that underlie resting and action potentials. Although neurotransmitter regulation of the enzyme in brain has been reported3,4, such regulation has been characterized either as a nonspecific phenomenon5,6 or as an indirect effect of neurotransmitter-induced changes in ionic gradients7. We report here that the neurotransmitter dopamine, through a synergistic effect on D1 and D2 receptors, inhibits the (Na+ + K+)ATPase activity of isolated striatal neurons. Our data provide unequivocal evidence for regulation by a neurotransmitter of a neuronal ion pump. They also demonstrate that synergism between D1 and D2 receptors, which underlies many of the electrophysical and behavioural effects of dopamine in the mammalian brain8, can occur on the same neuron. In addition, the results support the possibility that dopamine and other neurotransmitters can regulate neuronal excitability through the novel mechanism of pump inhibition.
The influence of mineralogy and solution chemistry on the attachment of bacteria to representative aquifer materials

Abstract The rate and extent of bacterial attachment to mineral surfaces (chips of quartz, muscovite, limestone, and Fe-hydroxide-coated quartz and muscovite) was investigated by counting the numbers of bacterial cells (Lula-D, an indigenous groundwater organism) associated with each surface over time. The degree of attachment of cells to mineral surfaces was correlated with the sign of the surface charge as estimated from literature values for the isoelectric point; attachment of the negatively charged bacteria was much greater to the positively charged surfaces of limeston, Fe-hydroxide-coated quartz, and Fe-hydroxide-coated muscovite than to the negatively charged surfaces of clean quartz and clean muscovite. Batch experiments determined that the numbers of bacteria attached to the clean muscovite increased with increasing ionic strength of the solution, and the numbers attached to clean quartz were greater at pH 5 than at pH 7. In columns of clean quartz sand under saturated flow conditions, bacteria initially broke through at 1 pore volume but continued to elute for at least 7 pore volumes. Columns of Fe-hydroxide-coated sand retained more of the bacteria added to the columns (99.9% vs 97.4%), and the elution of cells ceased after the primary breakthrough. The results indicate that surface interactions between the mineral grains in an aquifer and the bacterial cells must play an essential role in determining the movement of bacteria through saturated porous media.
An internalizing pathway to alcohol use and disorder.

Research emanating from the field of developmental science indicates that initial risk factors for substance use disorder can be evident in early childhood. One dominant developmental pathway connecting these initial risk factors with subsequent substance use disorders focuses on the central role of disinhibited or externalizing behaviors. In the current paper, we delineate a second pathway that focuses on problems with emotion regulation associated with internalizing symptomatology. Several studies indicate that internalizing symptoms in early and middle childhood predict substance involvement in adolescents and young adulthood. We describe a risk model that traces the potential developmental markers of this internalizing pathway to substance use disorders and that identifies a population potentially vulnerable to this risk process, namely children of alcoholic parents. We consider the relation between the internalizing pathway and the more widely researched externalizing pathway. We then conclude with a discussion of the implications of this model for prevention efforts. In this manner, we strive for a translational goal, linking our existing understanding of internalizing processes and substance use disorders with our efforts to develop effective prevention programs.
A Review of Two-Phase Forced Cooling in Three-Dimensional Stacked Electronics: Technology Integration

Three-dimensional (3D) stacked electronics present significant advantages from an electrical design perspective, ranging from shorter interconnect lengths to enabling heterogeneous integration. However, multitier stacking exacerbates an already difficult thermal problem. Localized hotspots within individual tiers can provide an additional challenge when the high heat flux region is buried within the stack. Numerous investigations have been launched in the previous decade seeking to develop cooling solutions that can be integrated within the 3D stack, allowing the cooling to scale with the number of tiers in the system. Two-phase cooling is of particular interest, because the associated reduced flow rates may allow reduction in pumping power, and the saturated temperature condition of the coolant may offer enhanced device temperature uniformity. This paper presents a review of the advances in two-phase forced cooling in the past decade, with a focus on the challenges of integrating the technology in high heat flux 3D systems. A holistic approach is applied, considering not only the thermal performance of standalone cooling strategies but also coolant selection, fluidic routing, packaging, and system reliability. Finally, a cohesive approach to thermal design of an evaporative cooling based heat sink developed by the authors is presented, taking into account all of the integration considerations discussed previously. The thermal design seeks to achieve the dissipation of very large (in excess of 500 W/cm2) background heat fluxes over a large 1 cm × 1 cm chip area, as well as extreme (in excess of 2 kW/cm2) hotspot heat fluxes over small 200 μm × 200 μm areas, employing a hybrid design strategy that combines a micropin–fin heat sink for background cooling as well as localized, ultrathin microgaps for hotspot cooling.
Rumen Ammonia Concentration as Influenced by Storage Time, Freezing and Thawing, Acid Preservative, and Method of Ammonia Determination

Abstract Twenty-five milliliters of rumen fluid from five cows on a variety of diets were added to either 25ml .1N HCl, 5ml 25% metaphosphoric acid, 5ml 20% trichloroacetic acid, 5ml 3N H 2 SO 4 , or no preservative. Replicate samples were stored at −20°C until analyzed. One replicate set was analyzed at 7 d, refrozen and analyzed at 35 d, refrozen, thawed, and reanalyzed at 65 d. Another set was thawed and analyzed at 35 d and yet another set kept frozen until analyzed at 65 d. Fresh and frozen samples were quantitated for ammonia by Conway microdiffusion and phenol-hypochlorite reaction. Ammonia recoveries were 93.8 and 94.1% for the Conway and phenolhypochlorite methods. Storage time and refreezing and thawing had a variable effect on ammonia concentration. Samples with no preservative yielded higher ammonia than those with preservative; ammonia was accentuated by refreezing and thawing up to 65 d. Hydrochloric acid samples had lower ammonia than other acids, especially for the phenolhypochlorite method. Overall, the Conway method resulted in higher ammonia for frozen samples than the phenolhypochlorite method (10.4 vs. 9.0 mg/dl); however, this varied depending on acid. When rumen fluid samples are to be stored with an acid preservative, .1N HCl is not recommended. Repeated freezing and thawing of rumen samples used for ammonia analysis should be avoided because of variable results.
Peaceful Intentions: the First British Trade Commission in China, 1833–5

This interpretation, resting on heretofore unexamined documents, directly challenges the prevailing interpretations of Anglo-Chinese relations which argue that after 1834 Britain embarked on a new forward policy designed to force the Chinese to expand British trading privileges. Evidence from the private papers of British officials and from unpublished Foreign Office records shows that the government in London resisted demands from British merchants to demand aggressively access to the Chinese market. Instead the Grey ministry sought to create and maintain a passive policy toward China after the abolition of the East India Company's monopoly.
Diagnosis of Midface Fractures with CT: What the Surgeon Needs to Know

Computed tomography is commonly used to evaluate patients with blunt facial trauma. With the high definition of the current scanners, even small fractures of the facial skeleton can be visualized. In complex midface injuries, it can be difficult for the radiologist to know which fractures are important to point out to the surgeon. An understanding of the anatomically relevant and surgically accessible craniofacial buttresses is critical for management of these injuries. Naso-orbitoethmoid fractures are classified according to the degree of injury to the medial canthal attachment. If the nasofrontal ducts are disrupted, surgical obliteration of the frontal sinus is needed to prevent formation of a mucocele. Displaced fractures of the zygomaticomaxillary complex often increase orbital volume due to angulation of the lateral orbital wall at the zygomaticosphenoid suture. If the zygomatic arch is severely comminuted or angulated, surgical exposure is indicated. In orbital fractures, the position and shape of the medial and inferior rectus muscles can indicate whether entrapment and diplopia are likely. Pediatric "trapdoor" orbital fractures and fractures of the orbital apex associated with decreasing vision represent surgical emergencies. Le Fort fractures involve disruption of the pterygoid plates from the posterior maxilla; any combination of Le Fort I, II, and III patterns can occur.
The relationship between cerium and manganese oxidation in the marine environment

The microbially mediated oxidation of Ce(II1) and Mn(I1) in surface waters of Vineyard Sound, Massachusetts, has been studied to evaluate the relationship between these two processes under different experimental conditions. These data, combined with earlier observations showing that Ce(II1) and Mn(I1) specific oxidation rates covary over a wide range of environments, suggest a close mechanistic relationship between the two processes which contributes to the marked similarities in the geochemistry of each element. Oxidation of Ce(II1) and Mn(I1) at different oxygen concentrations, pH, and concentrations of Mn(II), Ce(III), and Pr(II1) was studied with radiotracers. For both elements, oxidation was inhibited in the absence of oxygen. Ce(II1) oxidation was inhibited by Mn(I1) and vice versa, probably due to competitive inhibition within a common oxidative pathway. Pr(III), a nonredox analog of Ce(III), did not inhibit Mn(I1) oxidation nearly as effectively as Ce(II1) did, indicating that inhibition was not exclusively due to competition at a common binding site but that a redox step must also be involved. Both reactions exhibited a modest dependence on pH which was much smaller than would be expected for nonbiological oxidation. The results are consistent with a common oxidative pathway for Ce and Mn and indicate that an alternative process, nonbiological Ce oxidation on freshly formed Mn oxides, is unlikely. The results also illustrate the potential usefulness of Ce(II1) and Pr(II1) as probes of Mn uptake and redox transformations in biological systems.
Traveling With a Pain Medication Pump

Questions from patients about analgesic pharmacotherapy and responses from authors are presented to help educate patients and make them more effective self-advocates. The topic addressed in this issue is traveling with a pain medication pump with discussion of planning, maintenance, contacts in case of pump emergency, time intervals between refills, symptoms of overdose or withdrawal from the pump medication, and good communication with health care providers.
Microstructure and tensile properties of heavily irradiated 1100-0 aluminum

Microstructural changes and the resulting tensile properties of commercial purity (1100 grade) aluminum were measured after neutron irradiations up to 1.4 x 10/sup 27/ n/m/sup 2/ (E greater than 0.1 MeV) and 2.3 x 10/sup 27/ n/m/sup 2/ (E less than 0.025 eV) at approximately 328/sup 0/K (0.35 T/sub m/) corresponding to displacement levels of 200 dpa and the generation of 5.5 wt percent Si. The material displayed up to about 8 percent swelling. Microstructural features included dislocation tangles, a precipitate of elemental silicon, and heterogeneously distributed voids coated with silicon. Alongside grain boundaries were sheets of large voids. These microstructural features are shown to be responsible for increasing the 0.2 percent flow stress and the UTS at 323/sup 0/K by factors of 5 and 3 to values of 220 and 250 MPa, respectively, and by factors of 6.5 and 3.5 to about 190 MPa at 423/sup 0/K (0.45 T/sub m/). Elongation was reduced at 323/sup 0/K from 32 percent to a plateau at 12 percent in the fluence range 4 x 10/sup 25/ n/m/sup 2/ to 7 x 10/sup 26/ n/m/sup 2/ (greater than 0.1 MeV), followed by a sharp fall to 4 percent at the highest fluences, themore » latter concomitant with a change to intergranular-type fracture. In the 423/sup 0/K tests the elongation declined from 56 percent to 4 percent at the highest fluences where intergranular-type fracture prevailed. Most of this loss in ductility is accountable in terms of dispersion hardening through changes in strain hardening parameters. It is suggested that the apparent intergranular fractures are caused by tearing of sheets of voids adjacent to grain boundaries.« less
An optimized microplate assay system for quantitative evaluation of plant cell wall–degrading enzyme activity of fungal culture extracts

Developing enzyme cocktails for cellulosic biomass hydrolysis complementary to current cellulase systems is a critical step needed for economically viable biofuels production. Recent genomic analysis indicates that some plant pathogenic fungi are likely a largely untapped resource in which to prospect for novel hydrolytic enzymes for biomass conversion. In order to develop high throughput screening assays for enzyme bioprospecting, a standardized microplate assay was developed for rapid analysis of polysaccharide hydrolysis by fungal extracts, incorporating biomass substrates. Fungi were grown for 10 days on cellulose- or switchgrass-containing media to produce enzyme extracts for analysis. Reducing sugar released from filter paper, Avicel, corn stalk, switchgrass, carboxymethylcellulose, and arabinoxylan was quantified using a miniaturized colorimetric assay based on 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid. Significant interactions were identified among fungal species, growth media composition, assay substrate, and temperature. Within a small sampling of plant pathogenic fungi, some extracts had crude activities comparable to or greater than T. reesei, particularly when assayed at lower temperatures and on biomass substrates. This microplate assay system should prove useful for high-throughput bioprospecting for new sources of novel enzymes for biofuel production.
Repair of Rectourinary Fistulas Using a Posterior Sagittal Transanal Transrectal (Modified York-Mason) Approach: An Update

AbstractPurpose: We report our experience with posterior sagittal, transanal, transrectal repair of rectourinary fistulas.Materials and Methods: A total of 16 fistula repairs was done in 15 patients.Results: Of the fistulas 13 occurred after a variety of prostatic procedures, 1 after Y-V plasty and 1 after pelvic trauma (2 repairs were attempted in the latter case). Six patients underwent repair without colostomy. No patient experienced fecal or anal complications and all repairs were successful.Conclusions: Our surgical approach for repair of rectourinary fistulas is simple, effective, associated with minimal morbidity and cost-effective.
Effects of d-α-aminoadipate on excitation of afferent fibers in the lateral line of Xenopus laevis

The effects of D-alpha-aminoadipate (D alpha AA) on excitation of afferent nerve fibers in the Xenopus laevis lateral line were studied in vitro. D alpha AA reversibly suppressed spontaneous activity and excitation induced by water motion at concentrations as low as 0.25-0.5 mM. Higher concentrations (up to 10 mM) caused a greater suppression that was rapidly and fully reversible. L-alpha-Aminoadipate at 0.25-1.0 mM had no suppressive effects. Responses elicited by NMDA (1.0-2.0 mM) were the most sensitive to D alpha AA (0.25-0.5 mM), those elicited by L-aspartate and L-glutamate (1.0-2.0 mM) were less sensitive and similar, and those elicited by kainate (5-15 muM) were the least sensitive. The results provide evidence that the transmitter released by hair cells in the Xenopus lateral line interacts postsynaptically with NMDA-preferring receptors and that the transmitter is an excitatory amino acid, possibly L-glutamate or L-aspartate.
Estimation of Time-Varying Connectivity Patterns Through the Use of an Adaptive Directed Transfer Function

Frequency-derived identification of the propagation of information between brain regions has quickly become a popular area in the neurosciences. Of the various techniques used to study the propagation of activation within the central nervous system, the directed transfer function (DTF) has been well used to explore the functional connectivity during a variety of brain states and pathological conditions. However, the DTF method assumes the stationarity of the neural electrical signals and the time invariance of the connectivity among different channels over the investigated time window. Such assumptions may not be valid in the abnormal brain signals such as seizures and interictal spikes in epilepsy patients. In the present study, we have developed an adaptive DTF (ADTF) method through the use of a multivariate adaptive autoregressive model to study the time-variant propagation of seizures and interictal spikes in simulated electrocorticogram (ECoG) networks. The time-variant connectivity reconstruction is achieved by the Kalman filter algorithm, which can incorporate time-varying state equations. We study the performance of the proposed method through simulations with various propagation models using either sample seizures or interictal spikes as the source waveform. The present results suggest that the new ADTF method correctly captures the temporal dynamics of the propagation models, while the DTF method cannot, and even returns erroneous results in some cases. The present ADTF method was tested in real epileptiform ECoG data from an epilepsy patient, and the ADTF results are consistent with the clinical assessments performed by neurologists.
Controlled adaptive prediction delta modulation in mobile radio voice communications

Controlled adaptive prediction delta modulation (CAPDM) is a median-rate ( approximately 15 kb/s) speech coding scheme which combines the features of one-step looking forward decisions, syllabic companding, instantaneous companding, and adaptive prediction. Its parameters can be adjusted such that it achieves high-quality voice transmission under good channel conditions and achieves communication-quality voice transmission under bursty-type channel errors in mobile radio environments. From the results of large-scale computer simulation and subjective listening tests, it was found that CAPDM performs much better than continuously variable slope delta (CVSD) modulation in a mobile radio fading channel. >
PERFORMANCE IN INTRA- AND EXTRA-DIMENSIONAL SHIFTS AS A FUNCTION OF SOLUTION MODE IN CONCEPT-IDENTIFICATION PROBLEMS

In an initial concept-identification problem with one relevant dimension, subjects learned to respond to 12 stimuli, 4 of which occurred only on nonoutcome trials where feedback was never provided. After criterion or 48 overtraining trials subjects were given a second problem with novel stimuli in which either the initial dimension remained relevant (intra-dimensional shift) or a new dimension became relevant (extra-dimensional shift). Behavior on nonoutcome trials was taken as an indicator of a conceptual or non-conceptual mode of learning. Performance in the two shifts varied as a function of the solution mode subjects attained, while overtraining had no effect on the shift performance of either conceptual or non-conceptual subjects.
Capsaicin sensitization and desensitization on the tongue produced by brief exposures to a low concentration.

The intensity of sensations of burning and stinging produced by repeated exposures to capsaicin (at a nominal concentration of 3 ppm) was measured on a localized area of the tongue as a function of both the number of exposures and the time between them. It was discovered in the initial experiment that stimulation at the rate of 1/min (for up to 25 min) resulted in a monotonic increase in the intensity of burning sensations in a manner consistent with the phenomenon of sensitization. However, the insertion of a 15-min delay in stimulation resulted in a reduction in the intensity of the sensations produced by further stimulation, i.e., desensitization occurred. Desensitization was statistically significant even after exposure to as few as 5 stimuli prior to the delay. A subsequent experiment established that the minimum delay necessary to produce desensitization was between 2.5 and 5 min. Hence, paradoxically, the sensory response to capsaicin on the tongue increased as stimulation continued, then decreased after stimulation had ceased.
Leveraging Performance of Multiroot Data Center Networks by Reactive Reroute

Data center networks (DCNs) usually have a regular topology providing high bandwidth and low latency with multi-paths. In a data-intensive application on DCNs, it is important to be able to use all the available bandwidth. However, this is not easy to achieve because of the locality of congestion information. In this paper, we propose a reactive reroute strategy to incorporate with IEEE 802.1Qau standards on Ethernet-based DCNs so that we can exploit the multipath property of a network to reduce congestion, and hence improve performance. We show by simulation that the throughput is significantly higher and the number of out-of-order packets induced by rerouting is limited.
Endothelin mediates renal vascular memory of a transient rise in perfusion pressure due to NOS inhibition.

We investigated the renal responses to NO synthase (NOS) inhibition withN-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMA; 30 mg/kg) in anesthetized rats in which renal perfusion pressure (RPP) to the left kidney was mechanically adjusted. Acutel-NMA increased blood pressure (BP, ∼20%) and renal vascular resistance (RVR) rose (∼50%) in the right kidneys that were always exposed to high RPP. Ingroup 1, the left kidney was exposed to a transient increase (5 min) in RPP which was then normalized, and the rise in RVR was similar to the right kidney. Ingroup 2 the left kidney was never exposed to high RPP, and the rise in RVR was attenuated relative to the right kidney. In group 3, rats were pretreated with the endothelin (ET) receptor antagonist Bosentan, immediately before exposure of the left kidney to a transient increase in RPP, and the rise in RVR was also attenuated relative to the right kidney. NOS inhibition resulted in a natriuresis and diuresis in the right kidneys, and ∼50% of the natriuresis persisted in the left ki...
Signal normalization in surface-coil MR imaging

Postprocessing techniques have been previously shown to improve the signal uniformity in surface-coil images. Despite the potential benefits of such methods, intensity correction introduce artifacts into the image or cause a loss of diagnostic information. We therefore performed a blinded study to determine the benefits and drawbacks of image normalization
Elements of the Random Walk: Introduction to techniques

This entire book is, in one way or another, devoted to a single process: the random walk. As we will see, the rules that control the random walk are simple, even when we add elaborations that turn out to have considerable significance. However, as often occurs in mathematics and the physical sciences, the consequences of simple rules are far from elementary. We will also discover that random walks, as interesting as they are in themselves, provide a basis for the understanding of a wide range of phenomena. This is true in part because random walk processes are relevant to so many processes in such a wide range of contexts. It also follows from the fact that the solution of the random walk problem requires the use of so many of the mathematical techniques that have been developed and applied in contemporary twentieth-century physics. We'll start out simply, but it won't be long before we enounter aspects to the problem that invite – indeed require – intense scrutiny. We begin our investigations by looking at the random walk in its most elementary manifestation. The reader may find that most of what follows in this chapter is familiar material. It is, nevertheless, useful to read through it. For one thing, review is always helpful. More importantly, connections that are hinted at in the early portions of this book will play an important role in later discussion. The simplest walk In the simplest example of a random walk the walker is confined to a straight line. This kind of walk is called, appropriately enough, a one-dimensional walk. In this case, steps take the walker in one direction or the other.
A noteworthy new species of Tovomita (Clusiaceae) from Amazonian white sand forests of Peru and Colombia

Tovomita calophyllophylla, from white sand forests of the Amazonian lowlands of Colombia and Peru, is described. The species is unique by its leaves and petioles which somewhat resemble those of two other genera of Clusiaceae,Calophyllum andGarcinia.
Empathy, creativity, reason

What is the best way to study empathy? In the past, investigators have selected a particular methodology from either the sciences or the humanities and have focused on a restricted class of phenomena taken to be representative. The results have produced little consensus. It would seem that perhaps the class of cases studied was too limited, and that the scope of the investigation should be extended. I propose that one should begin with the widest possible scope and thus situate the study within the context of western civilization.1 The basis for such a move comes from the assumption (which I shall develop in more detail) that empathy is a fundamental, intentional and generic structure at the very heart of the way we attribute meaning and value to selves, groups, and Community.
A fuzzy approach to real-time digital color reproduction of clothing with 3D camera

Digital color reproduction[1][2] is a technique that can change the color appearance of objects shown in an image or video. The technique is utilized in various aspects and scenarios including projection-based appearances editing[3], medical imaging[4] and discrimination improvement for dichromats or anomalous trichromats[5][6]. However, traditional object color reproduction has high computational complexity due to color space transform, temporal color consistency handling and object boundary decision, which makes real-time processing for videos impossible without additional computing power such as GPGPU acceleration[7]. In this paper, a real-time high quality fuzzy rule-based(FRB) color reproduction system for clothing with Intel® Re-alSenseTM SDK and 3D Camera is proposed. By virtue of the SDK and 3D camera, depth image can be used to accelerate the user foreground extraction and clothing boundary decision, which not only provides a high quality reproduction result with better boundary fidelity, but also speeds up the computation to achieve real-time processing capability.
Series introduction: doing the right thing to control health care costs.

Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine initiates its contribution to high-value care with a new series, “Smart Testing.”
External Zn2+ binding to cysteine-substituted cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator constructs regulates channel gating and curcumin potentiation

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chloride channel is activated by ATP binding-induced dimerization of nucleotide-binding domains, the interaction between the phosphorylated regulatory (R) domain and the curcumin-sensitive interface between intracellular loop (ICL) 1 and ICL4, and the resultant inward-to-'outward' reorientation of transmembrane domains. Although transmembrane helices (TM) 2 and TM11 link the ICL1-ICL4 interface with the interface between extracellular loop (ECL) 1 and ECL6, it is unknown whether both interfaces are gating-coupled during the reorientation. Herein, R334C and T1122C mutations were used to engineer two Zn(2+) bridges near and at the ECL1-ECL6 interface, respectively, and the gating effects of a Zn(2+) disturbance at the ECL1-ECL6 interface on the stimulatory ICL1/ICL4-R interaction were determined. The results showed that both Zn(2+) bridges inhibited channel activity in a dose- and Cl(-) -dependent manner, and the inhibition was reversed by a washout or suppressed by thiol-specific modification. Interestingly, their Cl(-) -dependent Zn(2+) inhibition was weakened at higher Zn(2+) concentrations, their Zn(2+) affinity was stronger in the resting state than in the activated state, and their activation current noises were decreased by external Zn(2+) binding. More importantly, the external Zn(2+) inhibition was reversed by internal curcumin in the R334C construct but not in the T1122C mutant. Therefore, although both Zn(2+) bridges may promote channel closure, external Zn(2+) may disturb the ECL1-ECL6 interface and thus prevent the stimulatory ICL1/ICL4-R interaction and curcumin potentiation via a gating coupling between these two interfaces.
Thermally Selective Formation of Subsurface Oxygen in Ag(111) and Consequent Surface Structure

A long-standing challenge in the study of heterogeneously catalyzed reactions on silver surfaces has been the determination of what oxygen species are of greatest chemical importance. This is due to the coexistence of several different surface reconstructions on oxidized silver surfaces. A further complication is subsurface oxygen (Osub). Osub are O atoms absorbed into the near surface region of a metal, and are expected to alter the surface in terms of chemistry and structure; however, these effects have yet to be well characterized. We studied oxidized Ag(111) surfaces after exposure to gas-phase O atoms to determine how Osub is formed and how its presence alters the surface structure. Using a combination of surface science techniques to quantify Osub formation and the resultant surface structure, we observed that once 0.1 ML of Osub formed, the surface was dramatically, and uniformly, reconstructed to striped structures at the expense of all other surface structures. Furthermore, Osub formation was hin...
Data Management Plans, Institutional Review Boards, and the Ethical Management of Big Data About Human Subjects

This chapter offers investigators a set of decision trees with detailed case examples to help them prepare Data Management Plans (DMP) that address ethical and information protection issues in big data research projects. It opens with an explanation of the 4Rs of big data research that is, reuse, repurposing, recombination and reanalysis. The 4Rs highlight the importance of ethical provence and ethical horizon; that is, the ethical implications of the possibility that investigators using big data for human research will draw their sources from pre-existing data from multiple kinds of sources and that other investigators will use their data in subsequent studies. The DMP decision tree encourages investigators to reflect on the ethical status of any consent provided by the human subjects under consideration, if known or potentially known, for both existing data and data proposed for collection. The decision tree also encourages investigators to reflect on the range of ethical implications of their research, including potential benefits and harms as well as implications for individual and group autonomy, social justice and trust in the institution of science. We offer the DMP decision tree as a tool to help investigators and their organizations become more adept in assessing the privacy and ethical risks of big data research with human subjects and, thus, ensure the public’s acceptance and participation in the projects they plan for the future. Working through the steps of the decision trees also highlights the need for investigators to seek counsel from various institutional resources relevant to protecting human subjects and their information in big data research, particularly their organization’s Institutional Review Board, office of general counsel, and computer security staff. From this perspective, we urge caution against downgrading the role of such organizations in managing human subjects research in big data until the scientific community as a whole has more experience with its complexities.
Role of Axl in T-Lymphocyte Survival in Salt-Dependent Hypertension

Objective—Survival of immune and nonimmune cells relies on Axl, a receptor tyrosine kinase, which is implicated in hypertension. Activated T lymphocytes are involved in regulation of high blood pressure. The goal of the study was to investigate the role of Axl in T-lymphocyte functions and its contribution to salt-dependent hypertension. Approach and Results—We report increased apoptosis in peripheral blood from Axl−/− mice because of lower numbers of white blood cells mostly lymphocytes. In vitro studies showed modest reduction in interferon gamma production in Axl−/− type 1 T helper cells. Axl did not affect basic proliferation capacity or production of interleukin 4 in Axl−/− type 2 T helper cells. However, competitive repopulation of Axl−/− bone marrow or adoptive transfer of Axl−/− CD4+ T cells to Rag1−/− mice showed robust effect of Axl on T lymphocyte expansion in vivo. Adoptive transfer of Axl−/− CD4+ T cells was protective in a later phase of deoxycorticosterone-acetate and salt hypertension. Red...
Validating Sample Average Approximation Solutions with Negatively Dependent Batches

Sample-average approximations (SAA) are a practical means of finding approximate solutions of stochastic programming problems involving an extremely large (or infinite) number of scenarios. SAA can also be used to find estimates of a lower bound on the optimal objective value of the true problem which, when coupled with an upper bound, provides confidence intervals for the true optimal objective value and valuable information about the quality of the approximate solutions. Specifically, the lower bound can be estimated by solving multiple SAA problems (each obtained using a particular sampling method) and averaging the obtained objective values. State-of-the-art methods for lower-bound estimation generate batches of scenarios for the SAA problems independently. In this paper, we describe sampling methods that produce negatively dependent batches, thus reducing the variance of the sample-averaged lower bound estimator and increasing its usefulness in defining a confidence interval for the optimal objective value. We provide conditions under which the new sampling methods can reduce the variance of the lower bound estimator, and present computational results to verify that our scheme can reduce the variance significantly, by comparison with the traditional Latin hypercube approach.
Watertight ray traversal with reduced precision

Reduced precision bounding volume hierarchies and ray traversal can significantly improve the efficiency of ray tracing through low-cost dedicated hardware. A key approach to enabling reduced precision computations during traversal is to translate the ray origin closer to the bounding volume hierarchy node after each traversal step. However, this approach precludes sharing of intersection computations between a parent node and its two children, which is an important optimization. In this paper, we introduce a novel traversal algorithm that addresses this limitation and achieves a significant reduction in the computational complexity of traversal compared to previous approaches. We also include an analysis that shows how our algorithm guarantees watertight intersections which is a key requirement for robust image quality, especially with reduced precision traversal where numerical errors can be large.
Geochemical Recharge Estimation and the Effects of a Declining Water Table

The High Plains aquifer (HPA) is one of the largest aquifers in the world and is critical for agricultural production in the United States. In Kansas, irrigation using the HPA has resulted in steep groundwater declines. Unexpected water-level response to pumping recovery in the northwestern Kansas portion of the HPA was recently observed, indicating a previously unknown source of recharge. The goal of this research was to investigate water movement and vadose zone chemical inventories to constrain recharge pathways and rates to the aquifer. Detailed geochemical profiles at a cored site indicated displaced chloride, bromide, nitrate–nitrogen (NO 3 –N), and sulfate reservoirs—likely mobilized by the onset of on-site irrigation—believed to have commenced in 1984. Water in the vadose zone beneath the predevelopment water table (36–63 m below ground surface) is remnant groundwater left as the water table declined. Thus, assumptions of a chloride mass balance are not valid in this zone. These results indicate irrigation return flow has yet to travel through the vadose zone to recharge the aquifer at this location. Calculated chemical transit times through the profile to the predevelopment water table exceed the start of irrigation at the site, and groundwater radiocarbon ages on the order of 3000 yr BP provide further evidence against substantial irrigation return to the aquifer. These data establish evidence for complicated flow paths through the vadose zone to the aquifer and argue against broad, diffuse recharge to the aquifer. Future studies in the area should investigate focused recharge pathways to identify recharge sources.
Detachment-induced autophagy in three-dimensional epithelial cell cultures.

Integrin‐mediated cell adhesion to extracellular matrix (ECM) is critical for normal epithelial cell survival; cells deprived of ECM contact rapidly undergo apoptotic cell death, termed anoikis. Recent work demonstrates that ECM detachment also robustly induces autophagy, which protects epithelial cells from the stresses of matrix detachment, allowing them to survive provided they can reattach in a timely manner. This chapter details the methods used to measure and manipulate detachment‐induced autophagy during lumen formation in three‐dimensional in vitro glandular epithelial cultures as well as in traditional substratum detachment assays employed to study anoikis.
Accommodating State Shifts within the Conceptual Framework of the Wetland Continuum

The Wetland Continuum is a conceptual framework that facilitates the interpretation of biological studies of wetland ecosystems. Recently summarized evidence documenting how a multi-decadal wet period has influenced aspects of wetland, lake and stream systems in the southern prairie-pothole region of North America has revealed the potential for wetlands to shift among alternate states. We propose that incorporation of state shifts into the Wetland Continuum, as originally proposed or as modified by Hayashi et al., is a relatively simple matter if one allows for shifts of wetlands along the horizontal, groundwater axis of the framework under conditions of extreme and sustained wet or dry conditions. We suggest that the ease by which state shifts can be accommodated within both the original and modified frameworks of the Wetland Continuum is a testament to the robustness of the concept when it is related to the alternative-stable-state concept.
Mindfulness in education

For almost 20 years our research has focused on the role of expressed emotions during teaching and learning – predominantly in high school science classes (Roth & Tobin, 2010). The research was sit...
Counseling and the Clergy: Perceptions of Roles:

Two separate studies were undertaken simultaneously, in an effort to clarify the nature of the perceptions which clergy have regarding their counseling roles. In the first study a pastoral counseli...
Chemical Signals in Alarm Behavior of Deer

Alarm pheromones in the widest sense are chemical signals emitted by animals that induce, maintain or enhance in conspecifics a state of alertness or alarm which in turn may result in defense, avoidance, or escape behavior.
Fractionation and characterization of extracts of chicken fat obtained with supercritical carbon dioxide

Abstract Cooked chicken fat was fractionated using supercritical CO2 at 40°C and each of three pressures, 10.3 MPa, 20.7 MPa, and 31.0 MPa. Fatty acid and volatile profiles were obtained via capillary gas chromatography and GC-mass spectrometry. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations (mg/g extract) increased with increasing extraction pressure. Total volatiles (ppm) increased with decreasing extraction pressure. The concentrations of branched hydrocarbons, enals, ketones, alcohols/phenols, and lactones were influenced by extraction pressure.