cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantum mathematical cognition requires quantum brain biology: the "Orch OR" theory

The "Orch OR" theory suggests that quantum computations in brain neuronal dendritic-somatic microtubules regulate axonal firings to control conscious behavior. Within microtubule subunit proteins, collective dipoles in arrays of contiguous amino acid electron clouds enable "quantum channels" suitable for topological dipole "qubits" able to physically represent cognitive values, for example, those portrayed by Pothos & Busemeyer (P&B) as projections in abstract Hilbert space.
Non-adiabatic rapid passage

Experimental verification is presented of recent theoretical predictions of spin inversion schemes that rely on temporal interferences during the sweep. The experiments were carried out using liquid state NMR. It is shown how under non-adiabatic conditions, both complete inversion and complete non-inversion can be achieved, due to slight but easily reproducible alteration of one control parameter. The implications of this scheme for quantum computing are discussed.
Cell cycle-dependent gene expression in V point-arrested BALB/c-3T3 cells

Density-arrested BALB/c-3T3 cells stimulated to proliferate in an amino acid-deficient medium arrest in mid-G1 at a point termed the V point. Cells released from V point arrest require 6 hr to traverse late G1 and enter S phase. As data presented here show that mRNA synthesis is needed for 2–3 hr after release of cells from the V point, after which inhibition of mRNA synthesis does not prevent entry into S phase, we used this mid-G1 arrest protocol to analyze gene expression in late G1. We found that although stimulation of cells in amino acid-deficient medium did not inhibit the induction of genes expressed in early G1, genes normally expressed in late G1 were expressed only after release from the V point. The expression of late G1 genes in cells released from the V point was temporally similar, in respect to G1 location, as was seen in stimulation of quiescent Go cells. As this protocol effectively divides gene expression into early (pre-V point) and late (post-V point) categories, it should be useful in studies of growth factor-modulated events that regulate traverse of late G1 and commitment to DNA synthesis. In addition, we used c-myb antisense oligonucleotides to show that c-myb expression, which occurs in late G1, is required for BALB/c-3T3 fibroblasts to traverse late G1 and initiate DNA synthesis. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Immunohistochemical localization of substance-P, somatostatin, and methionine-enkephalin in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia of the North American opossum, Didelphis virginiana

The occurrence and distribution of substance-P (SP), somatostatin (SOM), and enkephalin (ENK) were studied in the North American opossum, a generalized marsupial. Substance-P immunoreactivity was present in the tract of Lissauer as well as within lamina I, the outer part of lamina II, the lateral portion of laminae III through VII, and lamina X at all spinal levels. Although present, it was very spare in the ventral horn. Substance-P was also localized within autonomic areas of the thoracolumbar cord. ENK immunoreactivity was present in laminae I-III and laminae VII-X, as well as within autonomic areas. There was more ENK immunoreactivity in the ventral horn than SP. The densest aggregates of ENK, however, were found within the outer part of lamina II. In contrast, SOM could not be localized within the spinal cord of the opossum. (See NOTE ADDED IN PROOF).
Non-local statistical label fusion for multi-atlas segmentation

Multi-atlas segmentation provides a general purpose, fully-automated approach for transferring spatial information from an existing dataset (“atlases”) to a previously unseen context (“target”) through image registration. The method to resolve voxelwise label conflicts between the registered atlases (“label fusion”) has a substantial impact on segmentation quality. Ideally, statistical fusion algorithms (e.g., STAPLE) would result in accurate segmentations as they provide a framework to elegantly integrate models of rater performance. The accuracy of statistical fusion hinges upon accurately modeling the underlying process of how raters err. Despite success on human raters, current approaches inaccurately model multi-atlas behavior as they fail to seamlessly incorporate exogenous intensity information into the estimation process. As a result, locally weighted voting algorithms represent the de facto standard fusion approach in clinical applications. Moreover, regardless of the approach, fusion algorithms are generally dependent upon large atlas sets and highly accurate registration as they implicitly assume that the registered atlases form a collectively unbiased representation of the target. Herein, we propose a novel statistical fusion algorithm, Non-Local STAPLE (NLS). NLS reformulates the STAPLE framework from a non-local means perspective in order to learn what label an atlas would have observed, given perfect correspondence. Through this reformulation, NLS (1) seamlessly integrates intensity into the estimation process, (2) provides a theoretically consistent model of multi-atlas observation error, and (3) largely diminishes the need for large atlas sets and very high-quality registrations. We assess the sensitivity and optimality of the approach and demonstrate significant improvement in two empirical multi-atlas experiments.
Constraints That Nursing Program Administrators Encounter in Promoting Faculty Change and Development.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the constraints that nursing program administrators encounter in promoting faculty change and development. The underlying theoretical framework was based on the concepts of change and innovation presented by Lunde and Hartung, Downs and Mohr, and Kanter. Administrators of baccalaureate schools of nursing (n = 271) who were members of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing participated in this study. All participants answered a questionnaire on types of development activities provided, beliefs regarding faculty development, and constraints in providing faculty development. Descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation, and regression analysis were used to analyze data. Development activities reported ranged from sabbaticals to providing centers for faculty development. Lack of research skills in master's degree-prepared faculty was determined to be the greatest perceived limitation. Available resources, perceived faculty responsibility for own development, and perceived faculty interest were found to be predictive of provision of development activities. Results of this study suggest that availability of resources affects faculty development as does the perception by administration that faculty need to show interest and assume personal responsibility for professional development.
Osteomyelitis complicating Mohs' chemosurgery

We report a case of osteomyelitis complicating Mohs' surgery for recurrent basal cell carcinoma of the forehead. The need for immediate versus delayed repair after this type of surgery is discussed. It is evident that open, bone-exposed defects allowed to heal by secondary intention require meticulous wound care and follow-up.
Surgical Management of Congenital Cystic Lung Malformations in Older Patients

Background Congenital cystic malformations of the lung often go unrecognized in childhood. It is controversial whether surgical management in older patients requires more extensive lung resection. The aim of our study was to analyze the outcomes of surgical management in older patients. Methods A retrospective review was made of all patients treated surgically for congenital cystic lung lesion between 1994 and 2009. Results One hundred two patients (65 women, 37 men) underwent surgery for a congenital cystic lung lesion. Median age was 47 years (range, 4 to 80 years). Surgical approach was through a thoracotomy in 70 patients, thoracoscopy in 21, sternotomy in 5, mediastinoscopy in 4, and laparoscopy and cervical in 1 each. Simple enucleation of the cyst was done in 67 patients, but 35 required more extensive pulmonary resection: lobectomy in 20, segmentectomy in 8, wedge in 6, and bilobectomy in 1. There was no significant difference between these groups with respect to age, sex, or postoperative outcomes. Univariate analysis revealed pneumonia, complex cysts, male sex, left-sided lesions, and bronchogenic cysts as predictors of a concomitant pulmonary resection being necessary during removal of the lesions. In a multivariable model, pneumonia and bronchogenic cysts persisted as predictors of the need for a more extensive pulmonary resection. Conclusions A cystic malformation can be resected by simple resection, but in approximately one third of cases, a more extensive pulmonary resection is required. Patients with bronchogenic cysts who present with recurrent pneumonia are more likely to require a more extensive pulmonary resection.
Percolative aspects of diffusion in binary alloys

We discuss the diffusion of a species $C$ in an $A\ensuremath{-}B$, disordered, substitutional, binary alloy. When the diffusivity of $C$ in one pure phase is much larger than that in the other pure phase, the problem can take on percolative aspects. We construct a simple model of diffusion in the alloy for this case, and treat it both analytically in an approximate effective-medium theory, and numerically using a random-resistor-network approach. This work was prompted by recent experiments on the substitutional alloy ${\mathrm{Ge}}_{x}{\mathrm{Si}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$, and detailed comparisons to that system are made throughout. The model is surprisingly successful in explaining the detailed behavior of the activation energy for diffusion and the exponential prefactor as a function of composition in the Ge-Si binary.
Molecular mechanism of ATP binding and ion channel activation in P2X receptors

P2X receptors are trimeric ATP-activated ion channels permeable to Na+, K+ and Ca2+. The seven P2X receptor subtypes are implicated in physiological processes that include modulation of synaptic transmission, contraction of smooth muscle, secretion of chemical transmitters and regulation of immune responses. Despite the importance of P2X receptors in cellular physiology, the three-dimensional composition of the ATP-binding site, the structural mechanism of ATP-dependent ion channel gating and the architecture of the open ion channel pore are unknown. Here we report the crystal structure of the zebrafish P2X4 receptor in complex with ATP and a new structure of the apo receptor. The agonist-bound structure reveals a previously unseen ATP-binding motif and an open ion channel pore. ATP binding induces cleft closure of the nucleotide-binding pocket, flexing of the lower body β-sheet and a radial expansion of the extracellular vestibule. The structural widening of the extracellular vestibule is directly coupled to the opening of the ion channel pore by way of an iris-like expansion of the transmembrane helices. The structural delineation of the ATP-binding site and the ion channel pore, together with the conformational changes associated with ion channel gating, will stimulate development of new pharmacological agents.
The Group I Strain of Streptococcus mutans, UA140, Produces Both the Lantibiotic Mutacin I and a Nonlantibiotic Bacteriocin, Mutacin IV

Strains of Streptococcus mutans produce at least three mutacins, I, II, and III. Mutacin II is a member of subgroup AII in the lantibiotic family of bacteriocins, and mutacins I and III belong to subgroup AI in the lantibiotic family. In this report, we characterize two mutacins produced by UA140, a group I strain of S. mutans. One is identical to the lantibiotic mutacin I produced by strain CH43 (F. Qi et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66:3221-3229, 2000); the other is a nonlantibiotic bacteriocin, which we named mutacin IV. Mutacin IV belongs to the two-peptide, nonlantibiotic family of bacteriocins produced by gram-positive bacteria. Peptide A, encoded by gene nlmA, is 44 amino acids (aa) in size and has a molecular mass of 4,169 Da; peptide B, encoded by nlmB, is 49 aa in size and has a molecular mass of 4,826 Da. Both peptides derive from prepeptides with glycines at positions -2 and -1 relative to the processing site. Production of mutacins I and IV by UA140 appears to be regulated by different mechanisms under different physiological conditions. The significance of producing two mutacins by one strain under different conditions and the implication of this property in terms of the ecology of S. mutans in the oral cavity are discussed.
African American HMO Enrollees Their Experiences with Partner Abuse and its Effect on their Health and Use of Medical Services

Intimate partner violence has been demonstrated to be a significant public health problem among African American women. This study provided an opportunity to examine prevalence of intimate partner violence and health consequences among a group of primarily middle-class, employed African American women enrolled in a privately insured HMO (n = 109 abused and 97 never-abused women). Significantly more abused African American women were divorced or widowed and had incomes less than $50,000 a year. Abused women had more health problems (central nervous system, gynecological, STDs, gastrointestinal), more health problems per medical visits, and more emergency room visits (p < .05) compared to never-abused women. The health consequences of abuse and its association with health disparities are discussed.
Crack-tip stress fields in functionally graded materials with linearly varying properties

Abstract Crack-tip stress fields for a stationary crack along or inclined to the direction of property gradation in functionally graded materials (FGMs) are obtained through an asymptotic analysis coupled with Westergaard’s stress function approach. The elastic modulus of the FGM is assumed to vary linearly along the gradation direction. The first six terms for a crack along the direction of property variation and first four terms for a crack inclined to the direction of property variation in the expansion of the stress field are derived to explicitly bring out the influence of nonhomogeneity on the structure of the stress field. Using these stress fields, contours of constant maximum shear stress and constant out of plane displacement are generated and the effect of inclination of property gradation direction on these contours is discussed. The strain energy density criterion is applied to obtain critical conditions for crack initiation and the effect of property gradation is discussed. It is shown that the materials with varying properties can offer more resistance to crack propagation and will suppress crack growth in some situations.
Structural origins of amino acid selection without editing by cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase

Cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase (CysRS) is highly specific for synthesis of cysteinyl adenylate, yet does not possess the amino acid editing activity characteristic of many other tRNA synthetases. To elucidate how CysRS is able to distinguish cysteine from non-cognate amino acids, crystal structures of the Escherichia coli enzyme were determined in apo and cysteine-bound states. The structures reveal that the substrate cysteine thiolate forms a single direct interaction with a zinc ion bound at the base of the active site cleft, in a trigonal bipyramidal geometry together with four highly conserved protein side chains. Cysteine binding induces movement of the zinc ion towards substrate, as well as flipping of the conserved Trp205 indole ring to pack on the thiol side chain. The imidazole groups of five conserved histidines lie adjacent to the zinc ion, forming a unique arrangement suggestive of functional significance. Thus, amino acid discrimination without editing arises most directly from the favorable zinc–thiolate interaction, which is not possible for non-cognate substrates. Additional selectivity may be generated during the induced-fit conformational changes that help assemble the active site.
Mach-Zehnder based balanced optical microwave phase detector

A complementary dual output Mach-Zehnder modulator together with a balanced photoreceiver are used as a phase detector in an optoelectronic PLL to lock a 10.2 GHz voltage controlled oscillator to a 509 MHz mode-locked laser.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of laparoscopic gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding, and nonoperative weight loss interventions

Abstract Background Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) are the two most commonly performed bariatric procedures. Although both procedures likely reduce healthcare expenditures related to the resolution of co-morbid conditions, they have different rates of perioperative risks and different rates of associated weight loss. We designed a model to evaluate the incremental cost-effectiveness of these procedures compared with nonoperative weight loss interventions and with each other. Methods We used a deterministic, payer-perspective model comparing the lifetime expected costs and outcomes of LAGB, LRYGB, and nonoperative treatment. The major endpoints were survival, health-related quality of life, and weight loss. Life expectancy and lifetime medical costs were calculated across age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) strata using previously published data. Results For both men and women, LRYGB and LAGB were cost-effective at 2 ), the incremental cost-effectiveness was $11,604/QALY for LAGB compared with $18,543/QALY for LRYGB. For base-case scenarios in women (age 35 y, BMI 40 kg/m 2 ), the incremental cost-effectiveness was $8878/QALY for LAGB compared with $14,680/QALY for LRYGB. Conclusion The modeled cost-effectiveness analysis showed that both operative interventions for morbid obesity, LAGB and RYGB, were cost-effective at
Running in Cyberspace O. J. Simpson Web Sites and the (De)Construction of Crime Knowledge

This article considers numerous web sites devoted to the O. J. Simpson case. Reviewing the literature on crime news production, the author argues that there is a dynamic that exists among law enforcement, journalists, and the public. The technology of the internet provided a cyberspace in which individual authors could review and analyze evidence and media discourse to support various claims about the case. While acknowledging that the internet is not a utopian democratic landscape, the author does claim that some decentering of the forces of knowledge production is possible, as evidenced from the web pages that present counterinformation.
Markov chain Monte Carlo data association for general multiple-target tracking problems

In this paper, we consider the general multiple-target tracking problem in which an unknown number of targets appears and disappears at random times and the goal is to find the tracks of targets from noisy observations. We propose an efficient real-time algorithm that solves the data association problem and is capable of initiating and terminating a varying number of tracks. We take the data-oriented, combinatorial optimization approach to the data association problem but avoid the enumeration of tracks by applying a sampling method called Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). The MCMC data association algorithm can be viewed as a "deferred logic" method since its decision about forming a track is based on both current and past observations. At the same time, it can be viewed as an approximation to the optimal Bayesian filter. The algorithm shows remarkable performance compared to the greedy algorithm and the multiple hypothesis tracker (MHT) under extreme conditions, such as a large number of targets in a dense environment, low detection probabilities, and high false alarm rates.
Suppression of cell-mediated immunocompetence after subchronic exposure to diethylstilbestrol in female B6C3F1 mice.

The effect of the nonsteroidal estrogenic compound, diethylstilbestrol (DES) on cell-mediated immunocompetence in the mouse has been assessed. Adult female B6C3F1 mice were injected (s.c.) with 0.2, 1.0 and 4.0 mg/kg of DES daily for 14 days. All immunological tests and toxicological parameters were determined at least 24 hr after the last exposure. Thymic involution and hepatomegaly were noted at the lowest dose of DES. The most sensitive indicator of immunosuppression by DES was the delayed hypersensitivity response (DHR) to keyhole limpet hemocyanin in mice sensitized without adjuvant. The lowest dose of DES produced a 93% decrease, compared with a 39% decrease for the same DHR model in mice sensitized to keyhole limpet hemocyanin plus adjuvant and a 63% decrease for the DHR to sheep erythrocytes. A 35% decrease of the acute inflammatory response to carrageenin was produced by the lowest dose of DES. Day 2 proliferative responses to both concanavalin A and phytohemagglutinin (T-cell mitogens) were depressed by the lowest dose of DES, whereas significant suppression of the response to lipopolysaccharide (B-cell mitogen) was only noted at the highest dose of DES. The effects of DES on Day 3 proliferative responses were less dramatic. The mixed lymphocyte response was significantly suppressed by 1.0 and 4.0 mg/kg of DES on all days in culture. The reversibility of the DES effects was studied by resting the mice for 30 days between exposure and measuring a given parameter. All effects on organ weights and the depression of both the sheep erythrocytes DHR and the carrageenin inflammatory response were reversed.
Tunicamycin increases intracellular calcium levels in bovine aortic endothelial cells

Tunicamycin is a nucleoside antibiotic that inhibits protein glycosylation and palmitoylation. The therapeutic use of tunicamycin is limited in animals because of its toxic effects, particularly in cerebral vasculature. Tunicamycin decreases palmitoylation of the endothelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase, stimulates nitric oxide synthesis, and increases the concentration of intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) in bovine aortic endothelial cells (B. J. Buckley and A. R. Whorton.FASEB J. 11: A110, 1997). In the present study, we investigated the mechanism by which tunicamycin alters [Ca2+]iusing the Ca2+-sensitive dye fura 2. We found that tunicamycin increased [Ca2+]iwithout increasing levels of inositol phosphates. When cells were incubated in the absence of extracellular Ca2+, [Ca2+]irapidly rose in response to tunicamycin, although a full response was not achieved. The pool of intracellular Ca2+ mobilized by tunicamycin overlapped with that mobilized by thapsigargin. Extracellular nickel blocked a full re...
Genetic Study of Nonavoidance of a Pyrethroid Residue by German Cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae)

Pyrethroid-resistant German cockroaches settled on papers containing residues of a pyrethroid insecticide, Tempo 2. Insecticide-susceptible cockroaches, including nymphs of a field-collected strain (Navy 3), prowing nymphs, and curly-wing adult males, avoided the treated papers. Crosses between resistant and susceptible strains indicated that nonavoidance was inherited as a partially dominant trait. Data from crosses of F 1 progeny with the susceptible Navy 3 strain fit a hypothesis of control by a single major gene. Segregation with Pw was indicative of linkage, but not of close linkage. Tests with Cu fit a hypothesis of independent segregation.
A simple method for preparation of highly purified vasopressin.

SummaryBoth arginine and lysine vasopressin have been obtained in a high degree of purity by means of chromatography on carboxymethyl cellulose using ammonium acetate as a volatile buffer and differential elution gradients. Conditions for the resolution of LVP and AVP by chromatography on this same exchanger are described. By combining efficient recovery of activity, high flow rates for the chromatography, and rapid removal of buffers by lyophilization, a simple means of purifying vasopressin is proposed.
Aerodynamic performance computations for an S809 airfoil with aileron controls

The flow about an S809 airfoil with 40% chord unvented and vented aileron control surfaces was investigated with the incompressible and compressible Navier-Stokes equations. All computations presented in this paper are for fully turbulent flow and were conducted with the one-equation turbulence models of Baldwin-Barth and Spalart-AEmaras. Flow conditions included Mach number of 0.10, Reynolds number of 1 rnihion based on airfoil chord and angles of attack of 12, 18, 27, 35 and 45 degrees. Control deflections for this study were -57”, -87” for the unvented aileron and -6O”, -90” for the vented aileron. For the angles of attack and control deflections selected, the flow about the airfoil and control surfaces was unsteady with extensive regions of flow separation. Computed force, moment and pressure coefficients were compared with available wind tunnel data. In many cases, the magnitudes of the computed aerodynamic coefficients did not correlate well with the experimental results. Strouhal number computations were found to be within the experimentally established range for bluff bodies.
Challenges in Behavioral Code Clone Detection

When software engineering researchers discuss "similar" code, we often mean code determined by static analysis to be textually, syntactically or structurally similar, known as code clones (looks alike). Ideally, we would like to also include code that is behaviorally or functionally similar, even if it looks completely different. The state of the art in detecting these behavioral clones focuses on checking the functional equivalence of the inputs and outputs of code fragments, regardless of its internal behavior (focusing only on input and output states). We argue that with an advance in dynamic code clone detection towards detecting behavioral clones (i.e., those with similar execution behavior), we can greatly increase the applications of behavioral clones as a whole for general program understanding tasks.
Aging causes decreased resistance to multiple stresses and a failure to activate specific stress response pathways

In this work, we examine the relationship between stress resistance and aging. We find that resistance to multiple types of stress peaks during early adulthood and then declines with age. To dissect the underlying mechanisms, we use C. elegans transcriptional reporter strains that measure the activation of different stress responses including: the heat shock response, mitochondrial unfolded protein response, endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response, hypoxia response, SKN-1-mediated oxidative stress response, and the DAF-16-mediated stress response. We find that the decline in stress resistance with age is at least partially due to a decreased ability to activate protective mechanisms in response to stress. In contrast, we find that any baseline increase in stress caused by the advancing age is too mild to detectably upregulate any of the stress response pathways. Further exploration of how worms respond to stress with increasing age revealed that the ability to mount a hormetic response to heat stress is also lost with increasing age. Overall, this work demonstrates that resistance to all types of stress declines with age. Based on our data, we speculate that the decrease in stress resistance with advancing age results from a genetically-programmed inactivation of stress response pathways, not accumulation of damage.
Protein and quality analyses of accessions from the USDA soybean germplasm collection for tofu production.

Abstract Food-grade soybeans with large seed size, uniformity, clear hilum and a high 11S/7S ratio are favoured by the food industry for making tofu. In order to search for soybean lines with desirable characteristics for making foods, 22 soybean lines were selected from the USDA-Soybean Germplasm Collection, were grown in Stoneville, MS for biochemical analysis and tofu texture and sensory quality tests. Eight lines were identified, from 22 lines harvested in 2014, to be suitable for tofu making, as judged by chemical composition and sensory quality of pressed tofu. In the filled tofu making and texture analysis study, the correlation between A3 subunit content and filled tofu firmness was significant (N = 22, r = 0.77, P
Crisis Intervention Programs: Can They be Demarketed?

Crisis centers have begun to express an interest in nonprofit marketing. Before they begin to market their services, though, some basic product questions need to be addressed. Is a crisis center the best product offering for the market, or should alternate products be developed? Though some crises are the result of events beyond the control of individuals, there are many crises that could be averted by alternate, preventive care. After the decision concerning appropriate product is resolved, the remainder of the marketing mix should emphasize ease of access from potential clients, low nonmonetary costs, and clear, direct communications.
Genotype differences in anxiety and fear learning and memory of WT and ApoE4 mice associated with enhanced generation of hippocampal reactive oxygen species.

Apolipoprotein E (apoE), involved in cholesterol and lipid metabolism, also influences cognitive function and injury repair. In humans, apoE is expressed in three isoforms. E4 is a risk factor for age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease, particularly in women. E4 might also be a risk factor for developing behavioral and cognitive changes following (56) Fe irradiation, a component of the space environment astronauts are exposed to during missions. These changes might be related to enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we compared the behavioral and cognitive performance of sham-irradiated and irradiated wild-type (WT) mice and mice expressing the human E3 or E4 isoforms, and assessed the generation of ROS in hippocampal slices from these mice. E4 mice had greater anxiety-like and conditioned fear behaviors than WT mice, and these genotype differences were associated with greater levels of ROS in E4 than WT mice. The greater generation of ROS in the hippocampus of E4 than WT mice might contribute to their higher anxiety levels and enhanced fear conditioning. In E4, but not WT, mice, phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-treated hippocampal slices showed more dihydroxy ethidium oxidation in sham-irradiated than irradiated mice and hippocampal heme oxygenase-1 levels were higher in irradiated than sham-irradiated E4 mice. Mice with apolipoprotein E4 (E4), a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, have greater anxiety-like and conditioned fear behaviors than wild-type (WT) mice. Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS, in red) 3 months following (56) Fe irradiation, a component of the space environment astronauts are exposed to, is more pronounced in the hippocampus of E4 than WT mice. In E4, but not WT, mice, hippocampal levels of the oxidative stress-relevant marker heme oxygenase-1 are higher in irradiated than sham-irradiated E4 mice.
Human embryo and fetus

The few existing SEM studies of developing human tissues deal mainly with older fetal stages (Gondos et al., 1978; Waterman, 1979; Blick, 1979). Examination of early embryonic stages is restricted in part by their limited availability, and by the desire to maximize recovery of information by embedding and serial sectioning. The circumstances resulting in spontaneous abortion and the methods used for surgical interruption of pregnancy (for example: suction curettage, saline injection, prostaglandin infusion) may also introduce pre-fixation artifact and often preclude recovery of intact specimens making accurate staging (O’Rahilly, 1973; Shepard, 1975; Gasser, 1975; Corliss, 1976; Moore, 1977), and assessment of normality, difficult. In addition, the fixative used initially in the clinical setting may not be the most appropriate for ultrastructural preservation, and although smaller stages or fragments may be adequately preserved by immersion in a fixative solution, organs of larger embryos and fetal stages may suffer from lack of perfusion of fixative through the vascular system (Waterman, 1980). In spite of these difficulties, SEM observations are of proven value in visualizing the three-dimensional architecture of organs and tissues in developing organisms.
Association between Continuity of Care and Health-Related Quality of Life.

Background Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are considered potential quality metrics for patients with multiple chronic medical conditions (MCC). Although continuity of care (COC) is an essential MCC care process, the association between common PROs and COC is unknown. Methods We assessed baseline and two-year follow-up self-reported health status, physical, and emotional well-being, and COC in seniors with MCC. Using mixed effects models with repeated measures adjusting for age, gender, and morbidity, we assessed each outcome as a function of COC. Results Of 2,078 seniors, 961 completed the initial survey and 806 completed follow-up. On a 0-100 scale, mean (sd) baseline self-reported health status, physical well-being, and emotional well-being were 48.7 (22.0), 36.4 (11.4), and 54.8 (9.0). On a 0 to 1 scale, mean baseline and 2-year COC were 0.24 (sd 0.22) and 0.22 (0.18). Follow-up self-reported health status, physical well-being, and emotional well-being were 48.8 (23.1), 36.5 (11.5), and 55.3 (8.8). In adjusted primary and secondary analyses using all available data, there were no associations between any outcomes and COC. Conclusion Given the measurement burden of quality assessment, negative associations between potential quality metrics and care processes are informative. Systematic assessment of PROs can inform patient-centered MCC care. However, PRO scores should be used with caution as quality measures.
Use of Data from Surgical Registries to Improve Outcomes

Data from surgical registries may serve multiple purposes including the assessment of outcomes, the improvement of quality of healthcare, and the enhancement of patient safety. The increasing sophistication and analytic capabilities of clinical registries and databases contribute considerably in all of these domains due to their use of accurate, credible, risk adjusted, and concurrent clinical data which is acquired for these specific purposes and not simply for generating financial claims for reimbursement. In order to perform meaningful multi-institutional analyses of outcomes, any database must incorporate the following seven essential elements: (1) Use of a common language and nomenclature, (2) Use of a database with an established uniform core dataset for collection of information, (3) Incorporation of a mechanism of evaluating case complexity, (4) Availability of a mechanism to assure and verify the completeness and accuracy of the data collected, (5) Collaboration between medical and surgical subspecialties, (6) Standardization of protocols for lifelong follow-up, and (7) Incorporation of strategies for quality assessment and quality improvement.
Generation and Long-term Maintenance of Nerve-free Hydra

The interstitial cell lineage of Hydra includes multipotent stem cells, and their derivatives: gland cells, nematocytes, germ cells, and nerve cells. The interstitial cells can be eliminated through two consecutive treatments with colchicine, a plant-derived toxin that kills dividing cells, thus erasing the potential for renewal of the differentiated cells that are derived from the interstitial stem cells. This allows for the generation of Hydra that lack nerve cells. A nerve-free polyp cannot open its mouth to feed, egest, or regulate osmotic pressure. Such animals, however, can survive and be cultured indefinitely in the laboratory if regularly force-fed and burped. The lack of nerve cells allows for studies of the role of the nervous system in regulating animal behavior and regeneration. Previously published protocols for nerve-free Hydra maintenance involve outdated techniques such as mouth-pipetting with hand-pulled micropipette tips to feed and clean the Hydra. Here, an improved protocol for maintenance of nerve-free Hydra is introduced. Fine-tipped forceps are used to force open the mouth and insert freshly killed Artemia. Following force-feeding, the body cavity of the animal is flushed with fresh medium using a syringe and hypodermic needle to remove undigested material, referred to here as "burping". This new method of force-feeding and burping nerve-free Hydra through the use of forceps and syringes eliminates the need for mouth-pipetting using hand-pulled micropipette tips. It thus makes the process safer and significantly more time efficient. To ensure that the nerve cells in the hypostome have been eliminated, immunohistochemistry using anti-tyrosine-tubulin is conducted.
Study of chameleon nylon and polyester fabrics using photochromic ink

AbstractThere is a growing interest in the development of chameleon textiles using chromic dyes (inks) for several uses, such as brand protection, responsive camouflage, ultraviolet (UV) sensors, and fashion apparel. However, their use is limited to very few colors and responsivity to color change in the spectral range. This investigation used two photochromic inks: magenta and turquoise. These inks change color when exposed to certain wavelengths of light. The magenta and turquoise photochromic inks belong to the naphthopyran and spironaphthoxazine classifications of dye, respectively. These plastisol inks were applied on the nylon and polyester fabrics using a screen-printing technique. The color-changing behavior of the printed fabrics was studied using a Hunter Lab Color Spectrophotometer after exposure to tungsten, fluorescent, UV, and sunlight. Each sample was subjected to five fade cycles to study the fading effects. The effects on the color changes of the magenta ink-printed fabrics were most inte...
Preparing Mainstream Classroom Teachers of English Learner Students: Grounding Practice-Based Designs for Teacher Learning in Theories of Adaptive Expertise Development

Preparing classroom teachers to teach English Learner (EL) students continues to challenge teacher educators. This article argues for EL teaching work to be situated within theories of professional...
When staff members won't stop texting.

Q I continue to struggle with nursing staff and physicians using text messaging on their personal devices to communicate information about patients and their families. I feel like I'm the only leader who enforces the no texting policy. What advice do you have to help?As texting, e-mail, and othe
Vegetative characteristics of urban land covers in metropolitan Tucson

In this study we developed a methodology that associated land cover categories to aerial photographs. We selected 4, 42-mile (10 km2) study sites within metropolitan Tucson, Arizona for our pilot study. Land uses within these sites covered the range of landscapes found within Pima County, Arizona, although not necessarily in proportions representative of the metropolitan area. We designated land cover categories within the pilot sites based on recent (March, 1990) aerial photographs and developed a geographical information system (GIS) database of these land cover categories. We measured vegetation attributes on randomly selected samples within each land cover category and classified vegetation occurring on specific land cover categories according to the Brown et al. (1979) system. Our land cover classification system was nominal with a hierarchical structure, facilitating organization and providing flexibility for adding new categories. Our results showed that although neighborhood parks contained the greatest vegetated areas within our four study plots, very low density housing (≥4 acres/house), rivers whose banks were partially stabilized, naturally occurring washes (with no bank stabilization), and natural open space contained the highest percentage of native vegetation. Within our four study sites, low density housing (≥4 acres/house), rivers with partially stabilized banks, naturally occurring washes (no bank stabilization), and natural open space land cover categories contained the most area that was covered with vegetation providing escape cover.
H1N1 and institutions of higher education.

Objective: Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) have been preparing for the likely resurgence of Influenza A (H1N1) virus this Fall. Amongst the multitude of factors affecting their preparatory efforts, medical considerations and evidence serve to provide the foundation for many planning decisions. Design: The authors reviewed the relevant medical literature for evidence of effective measures to mitigate the consequences of H1N1. Evidence was reviewed as it pertains to IHE.The authors opted to focus on vaccination, antiviral medications, masks, hand washing, environmental cleaning, and isolation and quarantine. Results: Despite the limited evidence found for the IHE setting, recommendations were made to encourage vaccination, deemphasize the role of antivirals in most IHE students, and provide surgical masks for ill students, as they may leave their living environment, while simultaneously stressing self isolation without quarantine. Additionally, frequent hand washing and high traffic fomite cleaning should be encouraged. Conclusion: Preparation for pandemic influenza in the IHE context is very complex and all decisions should be based on the best evidence available.
Extraction of Teichoic Acid

The so-called teichoic acids, discovered by Baddiley and associates, can be found in Gram-positive bacteria. This material is one of the components of the bacterial cell wall and its composition varies. The backone of these polymers is either polyribitol or polycerol joined together through phosphodiester bridges. Certain carbohydrates may be attached to the polyols, and D-alanine may also be esterified to the hydroxyl groups of the backbone. The presence of the intracellular glycerol teichoic acids in the Gram-positive bacteria seems to be uniform. Although the cell walls frequently contain glycerol or ribitiol teichoic acids, they are not universally present in each Gram-positive strain. The extraction procedure used in this experiment follows the outlines given in the paper by Armstrong et al. (1958) with some modifications (Baddiley, 1964).
Large Ejecta Fragments from Asteroids

The asteroid 4 Vesta, with its unique basaltic crust, remains a key mystery of planetary evolution. A localized olivine feature suggests excavation of subcrustal material in a crater or impact basin comparable in size to the planetary radius (R(sub vesta) is approximately = 280 km). Furthermore, a 'clan' of small asteroids associated with Vesta (by spectral and orbital similarities) may be ejecta from this impact 151 and direct parents of the basaltic achondrites. To escape, these smaller (about 4-7 km) asteroids had to be ejected at speeds greater than the escape velocity, v(sub esc) is approximately = 350 m/s. This evidence that large fragments were ejected at high speed from Vesta has not been reconciled with the present understanding of impact physics. Analytical spallation models predict that an impactor capable of ejecting these 'chips off Vesta' would be almost the size of Vesta! Such an impact would lead to the catastrophic disruption of both bodies. A simpler analysis is outlined, based on comparison with cratering on Mars, and it is shown that Vesta could survive an impact capable of ejecting kilometer-scale fragments at sufficient speed. To what extent does Vesta survive the formation of such a large crater? This is best addressed using a hydrocode such as SALE 2D with centroidal gravity to predict velocities subsequent to impact. The fragmentation outcome and velocity subsequent to the impact described to demonstrate that Vesta survives without large-scale disassembly or overturning of the crust. Vesta and its clan represent a valuable dataset for testing fragmentation hydrocodes such as SALE 2D and SPH 3D at planetary scales. Resolution required to directly model spallation 'chips' on a body 100 times as large is now marginally possible on modern workstations. These boundaries are important in near-surface ejection processes and in large-scale disruption leading to asteroid families and stripped cores.
Managing urban wetlands for multiple use: research, restoration, and recreation

Conservation of urban wetland habitat is challenging, because multiple uses must coexist. We use examples from California and Wisconsin to describe potential synergies among recreation, restoration and research activities (the 3 R's). Allowing passive recreation is often essential to garner public support for habitat protection, restoration, and research. In turn, restoration activities can improve the appearance of degraded sites, and designing the work as a research experiment can serve the scientific community. Two projects at Tijuana Estuary support the 3 R's. (1) Oneonta Tidal Linkage is a 0.7-ha tidal channel and salt marsh that was excavated from disturbed upland to bring wetland habitat closer to the Visitor Center (thereby reducing visitor intrusion into natural marsh habitat, where endangered species would be disturbed). It supports an ambitious field experiment that is testing the importance of species diversity in restoration; it also includes a bridge that serves the interpretive program, and it adds 0.7 ha of wetland habitat that helps restore regional biodiversity. (2) A larger excavation (8 ha) of former tidal wetland will soon add wetland habitat, while testing the importance of tidal creek networks in ecosystem functioning and offering views and interpretive opportunities. A third situation, at the 485-ha University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum, concerns restored wet prairies, which provide habitat for native species and serve many hikers. Urban stormwater flows into and degrades the Henry Greene Prairie, allowing aggressive plants to invade. Research and restoration efforts are planned to sustain the habitat and recreation functions. These three models suggest that recreation, restoration, and research are compatible uses of urban wetland habitats.
A new measuring system for quantum efficiency measurements of luminescent substances

We describe an integrating measuring head for the relatively simple and quick measurement of the quantum efficiency of luminescent substances. The quantum efficiencies of some crystal phosphors were determined by comparing them to materials of known quantum efficiencies.
History of and Current Systems in Robotic Surgery

Robots are machines programmed by computers that are capable of producing predesignated movements autonomously. Amid the mid-twentieth century, this technology was designed to aid people in performing physically demanding, intricate, or even dangerous tasks. They increased safety and work efficiency in cases such as manufacturing-type labor, transportation to hostile environments, and also now in medicine. Robots are classified into three categories of essential functions and methods of interaction with the operating surgeon: supervisory, telesurgical, and shared-control systems. The first known surgical robot was the Arthrobot, which was developed to improve accuracy of orientation when preparing a femur for total hip arthroplasty. In modern medicine, multifunctional telemanipulators, such as the da Vinci™ Surgical System, have proliferated in institutions worldwide and are used to perform various surgical procedures. This chapter provides an insight to the history and evolution of robots from simple equipments that provide stability or act as a camera holder to highly sophisticated, interactive, and multifunctional machines capable of performing complex or nearly microscopic tasks, including cauterization and maneuvering of tissues through small incisions into the body, which would otherwise be difficult with human hands.
The Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization rule and the Weyl correspondence

With the use of the Weyl correspondence between quantum mechanical operators and classical dynamical functions, an exact quantization rule is derived for a system with one degree of freedom and arbitrary Hamiltonian. In the semiclassical limit of small Planck's constant, this reduces to the Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization rule as derived by the WKB approximation. Higher order terms are also derived. It is further proven that for a simple harmonic oscillator the Bohr-Sommerfeld rule must give the exact energy eigenvalues for all states.