cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Penile prosthesis: a new device for corpus cavernosal dilation.

Although Hegar cervical dilators have been the most commonly used instruments for corpus cavernosal dilation during penile prosthetic surgery they have certain disadvantages when used as corporeal dilators. In spite of being long enough for most corporeal dilations, they freyuently are too short and too straight to allow adequate grasp and control during the dilation process. Also, because the diameter of each dilator is constant throughout its entire length, there is significant friction and resistance when the dilator is advanced through the spongy tissue. particularly if corporeal scarring exists. As greater force is exerted, the Hegar dilators become increasingly more difficult to control, and there is an increased possibility of perforating the tunica albuginea and urethra. My own experience with injuries to the tunica albuginea and urethra during attempts to dilate severely scarred corpora, led to an idea for a new guided corporeal dilator. In conjunction with Robert Bley, an engineer with the Mentor Corporation, * this new guided dilator was developed (Fig. 1). It is made of stainless steel with a l-in long dilating head attached in an offset position to a cylinder handle by a formed shaft. The dilating head has a blunt tip with a 0.050 in (1.24 mm) diameter hole passing longitudinally through its center. The hole allows standard dilation to be carried out over a guide wire with dilating heads ranging in diameter from 8 mm to 14 mm in l-mm increments. Passage of the guide wire is accomplished by first passing a 7-in long, disposable 18-gauge Turner biopsy needle 5, or a similar but stronger and more rigid 17-gauge trocar point needle, into the corpus cavernosum through an incision made in the tunica albuginea. The needle is then advanced distally through the center of the scarred corporeal t:issue and out through the glans penis (Fig. 2A), The stylet is then removed and a guide wire is passed through the needle (Fig. 2B). Following this, the needle is removed, leaving the guide wire entering through the corporotomv and exiting through the glans penis. The guide wire is then pulled taut while progressively larger dilators are passed over it (Fig. 2C). A 0.38-in Tefloncoated guide wire or a 0.38-in Lunderquist exchange wire 5 is used.
Psyllium Lowers Blood Glucose and Insulin Concentrations in Horses

A total of 16 mature healthy horses (body weight: 515.3 � 37 kg (meanSD)) were used in two experiments to determine (1) how psyllium affects postprandial blood glucose and insulin concentrations, and (2) how psyllium affects blood glucose and insulin concentrations after an intravenous glucose infusion. Psyllium was fed along with a grain and hay ration (given twice daily) for 60 days. Treatments were as follows: (1) 90 g psyllium/d, (2) 180 g psyllium/d, (3) 270 g psyllium/d, (4) an isocaloric, no supplemental psyllium control. Pre- and postprandial blood samples were collected on day 60 for experiment 1, and blood samples collected before and after intravenous glucose infusion were analyzed for experiment 2. In experiment 1, horses fed with psyllium for 60 days had lower (P < .01) mean postprandial blood glucose concentrations and there was a treatmenttime effect for glucose (P < .001) and insulin (P ¼ .03). Plasma glucose was lower at 90 minutes (P ¼ .05) and 120 minutes (P < .001) after a meal in horses fed with psyllium as compared with an isocaloric control. Postprandial serum insulin concentrations were lower at 90 minutes (P ¼ .002) and 300 minutes (P < .001) after a meal in horses fed with psyllium as compared with an isocaloric control. In experiment 2, peak glucose concentrations were lower (P ¼ .01) in horses fed with psyllium for the previous 60 days compared with untreated horses and there was a treatment by time effect for glucose (P ¼ .05). Peak blood glucose response was lower (P ¼ .01) in horses fed with psyllium as compared with an isocaloric control after intravenous glucose infusion, whereas peak insulin concentrations and average insulin concentrations remained similar. Psyllium fed daily for 60 days alters post- prandial glycemia and insulinemia in normal, nonobese, and unexercised horses.
New contralateral vesicoureteral reflux after unilateral ureteral reimplantation: predictive factors and clinical outcomes.

Purpose: Although unilateral ureteral reimplantation for vesicoureteral reflux is highly successful, new contralateral reflux will develop postoperatively in some patients. We examined predictors and clinical outcomes of postoperative contralateral vesicoureteral reflux.Materials and Methods: We reviewed patients who underwent nontapered unilateral reimplantation for primary vesicoureteral reflux graded on a 3-point scale at our institution from January 1990 to December 2002, and identified those with subsequent contralateral vesicoureteral reflux. We analyzed the association of patient/procedure characteristics with incidence, and time to resolution of contralateral reflux and postoperative urinary tract infection. Multivariable models controlled for variables associated with incidence and time to resolution of contralateral reflux.Results: A total of 395 patients (77.2% female, median age 5.3 years) underwent ureteral reimplantation for vesicoureteral reflux. Preoperative reflux was grade 1 in 2.8% of p...
The Enhancement of Phototropin-Induced Phototropic Curvature in Arabidopsis Occurs via a Photoreversible Phytochrome A-Dependent Modulation of Auxin Responsiveness

The induction of phototropism in etiolated (dark-grown) seedlings exposed to an unidirectional pulse or extended irradiation with low fluence rate blue light (BL) requires the action of the phototropin (nph1) BL receptor. Although cryptochromes and phytochromes are not required for phototropic induction, these photoreceptors do modulate the magnitude of curvature resulting from phototropin activation. Modulatory increases in the magnitude of phototropic curvature have been termed “enhancement.” Here, we show that phototropic enhancement is primarily a phytochrome A (phyA)-dependent red/far-red-reversible low fluence response. This phyA-dependent response is genetically separable from the basal phototropin-dependent response, as demonstrated by its retention under extended irradiation conditions in the nph4 mutant background, which normally lacks the basal BL-induced response. It is interesting that the nph4 mutants fail to exhibit the basal phototropin-dependent and phyA-dependent enhancement responses under limiting light conditions. Given that NPH4 encodes a transcriptional activator, auxin response factor 7 (ARF7), we hypothesize that the ultimate target(s) of phyA action during the phototropic enhancement response is a rate-limiting ARF-containing transcriptional complex in which the constituent ARFs can vary in identity or activity depending upon the irradiation condition.
High-performance bidirectional repeaters

In this paper, we present high-performance bidirectional repeaters that recondition the signal waveform and reduce the signal degradation. We also present the application of these repeaters to the design of high-performance bidirectional busses. SPICE simulation results for long bidirectional interconnects show an almost linear increase in delay with repeaters compared to a quadratic increase in delay without repeaters. These repeaters are also applied to improve the performance of long AND domino gates. SPICE simulation results show a significant reduction in the delay of long AND domino gate with repeaters.
Interstellar processes: Ortho/para conversion, radiative association, and dissociative recombination

The study of the ortho-to-para ratio of assorted gas-phase interstellar molecules such as H2 ,H 2O, NH3 ,a nd H2O + has gained interest in recent years, based partially on new spectral observations of light hydrides by the Herschel Space Observatory. Although these ratios can yield valuable information about the thermal history of the interstellar cloud where the molecules are found, an understanding of how the ratios are determined involves a number of often poorly studied processes, which can include both gas-phase and grain-surface reactions. In this article, we consider the processes that determine the ortho-to-para ratio of the molecular ion H2O + in diffuse interstellar clouds and attempt to reproduce an unusual observed ratio for this ion. In addition to the study of ortho-to- para ratios, we look carefully at current uncertainties in the gas-phase formation of large neutral molecules in cold dense interstellar clouds via ion-neutral radiative association and dissociative recombination, among other processes.
Route-dependent effect of nutritional support on liver glucose uptake

The liver is a major site of glucose disposal during chronic (5 day) total parenteral (TPN) and enteral (TEN) nutrition. Net hepatic glucose uptake (NHGU) is dependent on the route of delivery when...
Impaired Left Ventricular Mechanics in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Identification of a Cohort at High Risk

Background— Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling and right heart failure. The right (RV) and left ventricles (LV) do not function in isolation, sharing a common pericardial sac and interventricular septum. We sought to define the clinical and prognostic significance of ventricular interdependence in PAH and its association with LV filling patterns through speckle-tracking strain echocardiography. Methods and Results— Echocardiography was performed in 71 adults with a new diagnosis of PAH. To analyze LV and RV function separately, we measured peak systolic longitudinal and circumferential strain of the LV and RV. Survival was assessed >2 years. Patients had dilated right-sided chambers (right atrial volume index, 44±19 mL/m2; RV end-diastolic area, 34±9 cm2), and reduced RV function (RV fractional area change, 28±12%). Speckle-tracking echocardiography revealed significant reductions in RV free wall peak systolic strain (−15±3%). Despite normal LV size and normal conventional measures of LV systolic function (end-diastolic dimension, 42±6 mm; ejection fraction, 65±8%; cardiac index, 2.6±0.8 L/min per m2), patients had reduced LV free wall systolic strain (−15±3%). Decreased LV free wall systolic strain was associated with a delayed relaxation mitral inflow Doppler pattern, P =0.0002. During 2-year follow-up, 19 patients (27%) died. LV strain was associated with increased mortality (unadjusted hazard ratio, 2.40 per 5% decrease in LV free wall strain, 1.22–4.68), which remained significant when adjusted for age, sex, World Health Organization functional class, and PAH pathogenesis (hazard ratio, 3.11, 1.38–7.20). Conclusions— The pressure loading in PAH results in geometric alterations and functional decline of the RV, with marked reduction in RV systolic strain. Despite preservation of LV ejection fraction, LV systolic strain was also reduced and associated with early mortality, highlighting the significance of ventricular interdependence in PAH.
Ageostrophic instabilities in a horizontally uniform baroclinic flow along a slope

The normal modes of a horizontally uniform, vertically sheared flow over a sloping bottom are considered in two active layers underneath a deep motionless third layer. The variations of the layer thickness are assumed to be small to analyse the sixth-order eigenvalue problem for finite-Froude-number typical for oceanic currents. The dispersion curves for the Rossby waves and the Poincare modes of inertia-gravity waves (IGW) are investigated to identify the different types of instabilities that occur if there is a pair of wave components which have almost the same Doppler-shifted frequency related to crossover of the branches when the Froude number increases. Simple criteria for ageostrophic instabilities due to a resonance between the IGW and the Rossby wave because of the thickness gradient in either the lower or middle layer, are derived. They exactly correspond to violation of sufficient Ripa's conditions for the flow stability. In both cases the growth rate and the interval of unstable wavenumbers are shown to be proportional to the square root of the corresponding gradient of the layer thickness. These types of ageostrophic instability can coexist (and with Kelvin-Helmholtz instability). However, their role in generating unbalanced motions and mixing processes in geophysical fluids appears limited due to small growth rates and narrow intervals of the unstable wavenumbers in comparison to Kelvin-Helmholtz instability.
Interactive relationships between hospital patients' noise-induced stress and other stress with sleep.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that hospital noise-induced subjective stress would interact with other subjective environmental and personal stress in a relationship with poorer patient sleep. Methods: A secondary data analysis was done using correlations and hierarchical multiple regression. Ninety-seven cardiac patients participated after transfer from critical care to a general unit. The independent variables were assessed with Topf’s 24-item Disturbance Due to Hospital Noise Scale and 5-point items for other environmental stress (ie, bed, lights) and personal stress (ie, pain, anxiety). Sleep was evaluated with the Verran and Snyder-Halpern Sleep Scale. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression led to a multiple R of 0.435 (P <.01). An interaction term, subjective noise stress × subjective bed stress × subjective pain × subjective anxiety accounted for a significant amount of sleep variance (12%, F = 13.63, P =.000). Subjective bed stress × subjective pain accounted for an additional 5% (F = 6.4, P =.013). Conclusions: Studies using research designs that assess relationships between multiple patient stress variable interactions and sleep or other stress-related outcomes may produce more accurate results than studies on the independent effects of different types of stress. (Heart Lung® 2001;30:237-43.)
Victimization history and victim-assailant relationship as factors in recovery from sexual assault

The present study investigated the psychological aftermath of sexual assault in a probability sample of university women, with an emphasis on how various aspects of a victim's lifetime sexual assault history and their relationship with their assailant(s) mediate posttraumatic recovery. Victims were almost twice as likely as nonvictims to meet given criteria for a psychiatric case. Surprisingly, date rape victims were as distressed as victims of chronic childhood assault, possibly because of the ambiguous nature of the assault circumstance. Also, repeated victimization was related to denial, a symptom of posttraumatic stress. Denial was discussed in regard to the likelihood of its increasing the risk of revictimization.
Effects of a home exercise programme on shoulder pain and functional status in construction workers

Background: Repetitive or sustained elevated shoulder postures have been identified as a significant risk factor for occupationally related shoulder musculoskeletal disorders. Construction workers exposed to routine overhead work have high rates of shoulder pain that frequently progresses to functional loss and disability. Exercise interventions have potential for slowing this progression. Aims: To evaluate a therapeutic exercise programme intended to reduce pain and improve shoulder function. Methods: Construction worker volunteers were screened by history and clinical examination to test for inclusion/exclusion criteria consistent with shoulder pain and impingement syndrome. Sixty seven male symptomatic workers (mean age 49) were randomised into a treatment intervention group (n = 34) and a control group (n = 33); asymptomatic subjects (n = 25) participated as an additional control group. Subjects in the intervention group were instructed in a standardised eight week home exercise programme of five shoulder stretching and strengthening exercises. Subjects in the control groups received no intervention. Subjects returned after 8–12 weeks for follow up testing. Results: The intervention group showed significantly greater improvements in the Shoulder Rating Questionnaire (SRQ) score and shoulder satisfaction score than the control groups. Average post-test SRQ scores for the exercise group remained below levels for asymptomatic workers. Intervention subjects also reported significantly greater reductions in pain and disability than controls. Conclusions: Results suggest a home exercise programme can be effective in reducing symptoms and improving function in construction workers with shoulder pain.
Microbiota-Dependent Priming of Antiviral Intestinal Immunity in Drosophila

Enteric pathogens must overcome intestinal defenses to establish infection. In Drosophila, the ERK signaling pathway inhibits enteric virus infection. The intestinal microflora also impacts immunity but its role in enteric viral infection is unknown. Here we show that two signals are required to activate antiviral ERK signaling in the intestinal epithelium. One signal depends on recognition of peptidoglycan from the microbiota, particularly from the commensal Acetobacter pomorum, which primes the NF-kB-dependent induction of a secreted factor, Pvf2. However, the microbiota is not sufficient to induce this pathway; a second virus-initiated signaling event involving release of transcriptional paused genes mediated by the kinase Cdk9 is also required for Pvf2 production. Pvf2 stimulates antiviral immunity by binding to the receptor tyrosine kinase PVR, which is necessary and sufficient for intestinal ERK responses. These findings demonstrate that sensing of specific commensals primes inflammatory signaling required for epithelial responses that restrict enteric viral infections.
Receive Diversity Revisited: Correlation, Coupling and Noise

Previous studies of receive diversity have carefully modeled the impact of spatial correlation and antenna coupling on the signal component at the receiver. By contrast, relatively little attention has been paid to noise. In this paper we introduce a receive diversity model that articulates the dominant physical noise sources and relates their spatial correlation to the properties of the antennas, front-end amplifiers and matching networks. We then derive an optimal receiver as well as a formula for the resulting outage probability in terms of these noise sources. Numerical results are presented which suggest that different noise sources can impact performance in profoundly different ways.
Tooth Surface Error Correction for Face-Hobbed Hypoid Gears

Face-hobbing is a continuous generating process employed in manufacturing spiral bevel and hypoid gears. Due to machining dynamics and tolerances of machine tools, the exact tooth surface geometry may not be obtained from the machining process using theoretical machine tool settings. Repeatable tooth surface geometric errors may be observed. The tooth surface errors will cause unfavorable displacement of tooth contact and increased transmission errors, resulting in noisy operation and premature failure due to edge contact and highly concentrated stresses. In order to eliminate the tooth surface errors and ensure precision products, a corrective machine setting technique is employed to modify the theoretical machine tool settings, compensating for the surface errors. This paper describes a method of correcting tooth surface errors for spiral bevel and hypoid gears generated by the face-hobbing process using computer numerically controlled hypoid gear generators. Polynomial representation of the universal motions of machine tool settings is considered. The corrective universal motion coefficients are determined through an optimization process with the target of minimization of the tooth surface errors. The sensitivity of the changes of the tooth surface geometry to the changes of universal motion coefficients is investigated. A numerical example of a face-hobbed hypoid pinion is presented.
On the Anomalous Silicate Absorption Feature of the Prototypical Seyfert 2 Galaxy NGC 1068

The first detection of the silicate absorption feature in AGNs was made at 9.7�m for the prototypical Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068 over 30 years ago, indicating the presence of a large column of silicate dust in the line-of-sight to the nucleus. It is now well recognized that type 2 AGNs exhibit prominent silicate absorption bands, while the silicate bands of type 1 AGNs appear in emission. More recently, using the MidInfrared Interferometric Instrument on the Very Large Telescope Interferometer, Jaffe et al. (2004) by the first time spatially resolved the parsec-sized dust torus around NGC 1068 and found that the 10�m silicate absorption feature of the innermost hot component exhibits an anomalous profile differing from that of the interstellar medium and that of common olivine-type silicate dust. While they ascribed the anomalous absorption profile to gehlenite (Ca2Al2SiO7, a calcium aluminum silicate species), we propose a physical dust model and argue that, although the presence of gehlenite is not ruled out, the anomalous absorption feature mainly arises from silicon carbide.
Development of a genetic system for Eikenella corrodens: transfer of plasmids pFM739 and pLES2.

Abstract Eikenella corrodens is a Gram-negative microaerophilic rod which is emerging as an important human pathogen. Elucidation of the mechanisms by which it causes disease require efficient methods for the transfer of DNA to E. corrodens . Plasmids pFM739 and pLES2 have been transferred by conjugation from Escherichia coli S17-1 to E. corrodens ATCC 23834 at frequencies of 2.5 × 10 -7 and 2.42 × 10 -7 , respectively. In addition, both plasmids could be transferred to four additional, clinical strains of E. corrodens at a similar frequency. The use of bacteriophage T4 as a counterselecting agent is also described.
Microscopic Origin of the Composition-Dependent Change of the Thermal Conductivity in Boron Carbides

Large grain polycrystalline boron carbides have a high-temperature thermal conductivity which changes from being characteristic of a crystal to being glass-like as the carbon content is reduced from its maximal value. We relate this phenomenon, to compositional changes within the three-atom intericosahedral chains. With a reduction of the carbon concentration from its maximal concentration (20 %), a carbon atom within some of the three-atom (CBC) intericosahedral chains is replaced by a boron atom, thereby producing CBB chains. We estimate that the CBB chains are significantly softer than the CBC chains. Thus, with this reduction of carbon content the intericosahedral chains are inhomogeneously softened. This suppresses the coherent transport of heat through the chains. The remaining thermal transport occurs incoherently through vibrationally inequivalent structural units, i.e. “phonon hopping.”
Computational topology for shape modeling

Expands the role of the new field of computational topology by surveying methods for incorporating connectedness in shape modeling. Two geometric representations in particular-recurrent models and implicit surfaces-can (often unpredictably) become connected or disconnected based on typical changes in modeling parameters. Two methodologies for controlling connectedness are identified: connectedness loci and Morse theory. The survey concludes by identifying several open problems remaining in shape modeling for computational topology to solve.
Moral Minority: The Evangelical Left in an Age of Conservatism David R. Swartz. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012.

Moral Minority: The Evangelical Left in an Age of Conservatism David R. Swartz. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012.In 1973 the Washington Post suggested that the evangelical left could "shake both political and religious life in America" (1). Ultimately, it did not. David R. Swartz's work Moral Minority explains the unfulfilled aspirations of the evangelical left while complicating deterministic narratives of an ascending religious right. In short, the author questions the inevitability of the Moral Majority's mobilizing behind conservative doctrine. Instead he offers a portrait of a movement "politically up for grabs" (2) in the postcivil rights era and, in doing so, charts how and why the evangelical left became the moral minority-rather than the majority-in an age of burgeoning conservatism.There is no historical reason why evangelicalism should identify with a single political orientation. Viewing evangelicalism as far from monolithic, Swartz argues that evangelicalism and its political machinations are and were "fundamentally fragmented" (8). Why then, he asks, has evangelicalism been so closely linked with conservative rather than progressive politics? In answering his primary research question, Swartz demonstrates that evangelicalism held more than one response to civil rights fatigue, the "liberal" Warren Court, and the various social and cultural changes of the period. Moreover, Swartz illuminates the often obscured role of the evangelical left.Much like its historical subjects, Moral Minority is also fragmented. Three distinct chronological sections follow the general arc of the movement. Each section follows specific individuals whom Swartz uses to explore broader narratives. Section One follows the emergence and politicization of American evangelicals. Carl Henry, John Alexander, and Jim Wallis help to explain the movement's evolving positions on social engagement, racial justice, and Vietnam respectively. Swartz's use of imbricated biographical portraits reveals rich, textured accounts of figures many scholars know little about. However, much like second-gene ration civil rights histories, the author risks losing the forest through the trees. Readers will come away with a nuanced understanding of select individuals as well as their intellectual, political, and spiritual development. This tells us less, though, about how the evangelical left developed nationally and globally.Section Two helps to explain the social awakening of the evangelical left through what Swartz labels as the "global reflex." Swartz shines here, rightly unpacking evangelicalism as an expression of transnational interconnected movement. The influence of evangelicals outside the United States significantly altered the course of the evangelical left and, for that matter, evangelicalism as a whole. …
Characterization of Carbon Nanotube Forest Interfaces Using Time Domain Thermoreflectance

Forests comprised of nominally vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are excellent candidates for thermal interface materials (TIMs) due to their theoretically predicted outstanding thermal and mechanical properties. Unfortunately, due to challenges in the synthesis and characterization of these materials reports of the thermal conductivity and thermal contact resistance of CNT forests have varied widely and typically fallen far short of theoretical predictions. In particular, the micro- and nano-length scales characteristic of the heat transfer in CNT forests pose significant challenges and may lead to misreported results. Here we examine the ability of a popular and well-established thermal metrology technique, time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR), to resolve the properties of CNT forest TIMs. The characteristic heating frequencies of TDTR (1–10 MHz) are used to probe heat transfer at length scales spanning ∼0.1–1 μm, applicable for measuring the contact resistance between the CNT forest free tips and an opposing substrate. We identify the range of CNT forest-opposing substrate interface resistances that can be resolved with TDTR, and simultaneously demonstrate the effectiveness of several processes developed to reduce the resistance of these interfaces. The limitations of characterizing CNT forests with TDTR are discussed in terms of uncertainty and sensitivity to parameters of interest.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Pregnancy and estradiol decrease GTPase activity in the guinea pig uterine artery.

The mechanisms by which pregnancy redistributes cardiac output in an organ-specific manner are poorly understood. We propose that it is consequential to estrogen-mediated alterations in G protein-m...
Diaphragm capillarity and oxidative capacity during postnatal development

In the cat diaphragm, fiber capillarity, cross-sectional area, and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity were measured across the first 6 wk of postnatal development. Fibers were classified as type I, IIa, IIb, or IIc on the basis of staining for myofibrillar adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase). Capillaries were identified in sections stained for ATPase at pH 4.2. Fiber cross-sectional areas and SDH activities were quantified using an image-processing system. During postnatal development, the proportions of type I fibers increased while type II fibers decreased. At birth, all type II fibers were IIc. From the 1st to the 2nd postnatal wk, the proportion of type IIc fibers decreased while the numbers of IIa and IIb increased. Thereafter the proportion of type IIb fibers continued to increase while the number of IIa steadily declined. At birth, capillarity, cross-sectional areas, and SDH activities of type I and II fibers were low compared with other postnatal age groups. Fiber cross-sectional areas increased progressively with age. The number of capillaries surrounding type I and II fibers increased markedly by the 2nd wk and then continued to increase at a slower rate. The number of capillaries per fiber area reached a peak by the 2nd wk and then declined as fiber cross-sectional area increased. Postnatal changes in capillarity depended on fiber type, being greatest in IIb. SDH activities of type I and II fibers were initially low during the first 2 postnatal wk and then peaked by the 3rd wk. After the 6th wk, fiber SDH activities decreased to adult values. Among the type II fibers, IIb showed the greatest change in SDH activity during early postnatal development.
Filter flow

The filter flow problem is to compute a space-variant linear filter that transforms one image into another. This framework encompasses a broad range of transformations including stereo, optical flow, lighting changes, blur, and combinations of these effects. Parametric models such as affine motion, vignetting, and radial distortion can also be modeled within the same framework. All such transformations are modeled by selecting a number of constraints and objectives on the filter entries from a catalog which we enumerate. Most of the constraints are linear, leading to globally optimal solutions (via linear programming) for affine transformations, depth-from-defocus, and other problems. Adding a (non-convex) compactness objective enables solutions for optical flow with illumination changes, space-variant defocus, and higher-order smoothness.
A Multi-Level Modularized System Architecture for Mobile Robotics

This paper describes a modular system architecture for mobile robotics. It presents the view of an individual robot as a collection of many small pieces of hardware and software grouped into functional subsystems. A set of robots can then join together to form a larger system. The goal of this work is to describe a software design philosophy and architecture that is flexible yet robust enough to meet the challenges of the mobile robotics domain. The guiding design principle is bottom-to-top modularization, from individual algorithms, to software executables, to functional groupings of executables. These functional groupings are presented as canonical subsystems for collaborative robotics, applicable to a wide range of robotics systems. A multi-agent multi-user UAV application is presented as a case study and proof of the generality of the design philosophy.© 2010 ASME
Esophagitis in dogs following operations employed in the treatment of mega-esophagus.

SummaryDogs subjected to the Wendel operation for mega-esophagus developed severe esophagitis, whereas dogs with the Heller operation did not. 2. Daily injections of histaminme resulted in severe esophagitis in dogs with both the Heller and Wendel operations. 3. Vagotomy alone did not prevent development of esophagitis following the Wendel procedure when the animals recevied histamine. 4. Vagotomy and Pyloroplasty to gether were effective in preventing esophagitis in dogs with the Wendel procedure receiving histamine injections.
Hyperkinesis and learning disabilities linked to artificial food flavors and colors.

Hyperkinesis and learning disabilities (H-LD) affect millions of children throughout the world. Hyperkinesis (hyperactivity) is not a precise and distinct clinical entity but, rather, a constellation of signs and symptoms. While there are many characteristics of this behavioral disorder, the disturbance is commonly labeled the "hyperkinetic syndrome" or the "hyperkinetic impulse syndrome," since hyperactivity is usually the dominant feature. Some children, however, are not
ATPS-07NEO214, ROLIPRAM CONJUGATED TO PERILLYL ALCOHOL, IS A NOVEL DRUG CYTOTOXIC FOR GLIOMAS BY TARGETING THE DEATH RECEPTOR MEDIATED TRAIL PATHWAY

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a primary brain tumor with a poor prognosis. Treatment with temozolomide (TMZ) usually results in drug resistance and tumor recurrence. This study shows that NEO214, rolipram conjugated to perillyl alcohol, is cytotoxic for a wide range of different TMZ-resistant glioma cells. This conjugate is significantly more effective than either rolipram, perillyl alcohol or the mixture of these agents, demonstrating that NEO214 is a novel entity. NEO214 is effective for drug resistant tumor cells, but not toxic to normal astrocytes or endothelial cells. To identify the mechanism of cell death, effects of NEO214 on death receptor (DR)5 expression were examined. The results show that NEO214 significantly increased the expression of DR5 in both TMZ-sensitive and TMZ-resistant glioma cells. In addition, tumor cells treated with NEO214 and immunostained for DR5 demonstrated over 90% positivity. To show that DR5 receptors were functional, the interaction with the receptor ligand, TRAIL, with NEO214 was tested. The results showed that NEO214 plus TRAIL induced a dramatic increase in cell death. TRAIL alone was not cytotoxic to cells. The combination of NEO214 plus TRAIL resulted in a 60–80% decrease in cell survival. NEO214-treated glioma cells also exhibited an increase in CHOP, marker for ER stress activation. Downregulation of CHOP expression correlated with DR5 expression suggesting that ER stress may be involved in stimulating DR5 expression. To determine effects of NEO214 in vivo, glioma cells were implanted subcutaneously into animals, and treated with NEO214 or vehicle. Results showed that NEO214 caused a significant delay in tumor growth. These results demonstrate that NEO214 is an effective drug against a wide range of different TMZ- resistant gliomas, the combination of NEO214 and TRAIL is very effective in enhancing tumor cytotoxicity, and NEO214 is active in vivo causing significant delays in tumor progression.
Examining How Media Literacy and Personality Factors Predict Skepticism Toward Alcohol Advertising

To examine the potential effectiveness of media literacy education in the context of well-established personality factors, a survey of 472 young adults, focused on the issue of alcohol marketing messages, examined how individual differences in personality associate with constructs representing aspects of media literacy. The results showed that need for cognition predicted social expectancies and wishful identification with media portrayals in alcohol advertising only through critical thinking about media sources and media content, which are foci of media literacy education. Need for affect did not associate with increased or diminished levels of critical thinking. Critical thinking about sources and messages affected skepticism, represented by expectancies through wishful identification, consistent with the message interpretation process model. The results support the view that critical thinking about media sources is an important precursor to critical thinking about media messages. The results also suggest that critical thinking about media (i.e., media literacy) reflects more than personality characteristics and can affect wishful identification with role models observed in media, which appears to be a key influence on decision making. This adds support to the view that media literacy education can improve decision making across personality types regarding alcohol use by decreasing the potential influence of alcohol marketing messages.
Peptidergic Regulation of Feeding

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the role of peptides as the regulators of food intake. Peptides, besides acting as neurotransmitters within the central nervous system, can also be released into the bloodstream and circulate, thereby acting as classical hormones. In addition, peptides can be released from nonneuronal cells in the periphery and produce an effect on neighboring cells, which is the so-called paracrine system. It would appear that all three of these modes of action of peptides are involved in the regulation of food intake. To understand the interactions of the multiple neurotransmitters involved in the regulation of feeding, a hypothetical model utilizing a matchstick diagram, from which further experiments can be designed to probe the mysteries of appetite regulation, was developed. The model originally proposed that the hypothalamus acts as a neuroendocrine transducer with the control of food intake involving a balance between a number of neuropeptides and monoamines.
Non-ionotropic signaling by the NMDA receptor: controversy and opportunity

Provocative emerging evidence suggests that the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor can signal in the absence of ion flux through the receptor. This non-ionotropic signaling is thought to be due to agonist-induced conformational changes in the receptor, independently of channel opening. Non-ionotropic NMDA receptor signaling has been proposed to be sufficient to induce synaptic long-term depression (LTD), directly challenging the decades-old model that prolonged low-level calcium influx is required to induce LTD. Here, we briefly review these recent findings, focusing primarily on the potential role of non-ionotropic signaling in NMDA receptor-mediated LTD. Further reports concerning additional roles of non-ionotropic NMDA receptor signaling are also discussed. If validated, this new view of NMDA receptor-mediated signaling will usher in an exciting new era of exploring synapse function and dysfunction.
Exercise Counters the Changes in Nutrient Sensing Gene Expression after Caloric Restriction and the Loss of Ovarian Function in Obesity-prone Rats

BackgroundExercise counters the biological drive to regain weight after weight loss, both by reducing the drive to overfeed and by increasing expended energy beyond the cost of the exercise bout. W...
Irritant-Induced Asthma and Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS)

Irritant-induced asthma affects about one-fifth of workers with the diagnosis of 'occupational asthma'. There are believed to be two types of irritant-induced asthma. Single exposure-type of irritant-induced asthma occurs when a person inhales a very high concentration of an irritant gas, vapor or fume to manifest newly-developed asthma symptoms plus nonspecific airway hyperresponsiveness within 24-hours following the exposure. In contrast, repeated exposure irritant-induced asthma evolves when a purportedly genetically predisposed individual is repeatedly exposed to non-massive levels of an irritant gas, vapor or fume (or as a mixture) over a few days, weeks or months and eventually develops clinical asthma. The treatment of RADS is similar to the treatment afforded patients suffering from an acute inhalational injury. Aerosolized bronchodilators are essential for treating acute bronchoconstriction. Likely, oral corticosteroids are not effective. There is no human study showing efficacy of oral corticosteroids in the treatment of RADS. Inhaled steroids have been found effective in reducing airway hyperresponsiveness in a case considered to be RADS.
Autism spectrum disorder prevalence and associations with air concentrations of lead, mercury, and arsenic

Lead, mercury, and arsenic are neurotoxicants with known effects on neurodevelopment. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder apparent by early childhood. Using data on 4486 children with ASD residing in 2489 census tracts in five sites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, we used multi-level negative binomial models to investigate if ambient lead, mercury, and arsenic concentrations, as measured by the US Environmental Protection Agency National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment (EPA-NATA), were associated with ASD prevalence. In unadjusted analyses, ambient metal concentrations were negatively associated with ASD prevalence. After adjusting for confounding factors, tracts with air concentrations of lead in the highest quartile had significantly higher ASD prevalence than tracts with lead concentrations in the lowest quartile (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.36; 95 '% CI: 1.18, 1.57). In addition, tracts with mercury concentrations above the 75th percentile (>1.7 ng/m(3)) and arsenic concentrations below the 75th percentile (≤0.13 ng/m(3)) had a significantly higher ASD prevalence (adjusted RR = 1.20; 95 % CI: 1.03, 1.40) compared to tracts with arsenic, lead, and mercury concentrations below the 75th percentile. Our results suggest a possible association between ambient lead concentrations and ASD prevalence and demonstrate that exposure to multiple metals may have synergistic effects on ASD prevalence.
Hydroclimate spatial variations

Spatial scale Hydroclimate displays notable variations from place to place in response to multiple influences exerted by the Earth's climate system on the hydrologic cycle. These spatial variations exist on a continuum and produce an infinite number of hydroclimatic expressions. Various constructs are employed to categorize segments of the continuum in an effort to achieve understanding of hydroclimate, and these constructs embrace scale issues that are connected fundamentally with the measurement process. Scale manifests itself in heterogeneity explicitly through the measuring instrument and implicitly through the physical environment (Cushman, 1986). In many instances, the spatial variability of one process greatly exceeds the spatial variability of another process even though both are important to hydroclimate. This is illustrated by contrasting the spatial variability in atmospheric forcing apparent in precipitation heterogeneity with the mosaic-like pattern of spatial variability in runoff due to changing boundary conditions associated with the distribution of biotic, pedologic, and geomorphic features (Shelton, 1989). Meteorologists concerned with dissimilar scales of atmospheric behavior ranging from global to local reduce the entire range of phenomena into a small number of categories based on observational and analytical techniques needed to describe and understand the phenomena. Recognizing that short time-scale phenomena tend to occur on a small space-scale and long-term phenomena affect large areas, meteorologists focus on weather analysis at the synoptic or regional scale that embraces units the size of nations in Europe or states in the United States.
Residual effects of clover on nitrogen nutrition of crops grown on blackland soils

Studies were conducted on two Blackland Prairie soils at Dallas, TX to determine the influence of clover plowed under on N nutrition of subsequent crops. Wheat yields were 103 and 86% of the yields obtained with 90 kg N/ha for the first and second crops after clover, respectively. Yields of nonfertilized wheat following fallow were 75 and 72% of the yield obtained with 90 kg N/ha for the first and second crops, respectively. Forage sorghum (non‐fertilized) grown as the first, second and third crop after clover produced 93, 80 and 43%, respectively, of the yields obtained with application of 90 kg N/ha. Nitrogen concentration in whole forage sorghum plants was 2.44 and 1.21% when grown as the first and third crop after clover, respectively. Nitrogen concentration in forage sorghum with N applied was 2.5%. These studies indicate that N from clover plowed under in Blackland soils may preclude N response by the first crop after clover. Some benefit may be obtained by the second crop but little if any...
Preferences to Patient-Centeredness in Pre-Service Speech and Hearing Sciences Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and objectives Patient-centeredness is a critical approach to rehabilitation in allied health professions and is an imperative component of evidence-based practice. However, it is unknown if patient-centeredness is valued by students enrolled in allied health. This study was aimed at determining preferences to patient-centeredness in pre-service speech and hearing students in the field of speech and hearing sciences. Subjects and methods Pre-service speech and hearing students (n=93) completed the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) and were grouped according to low, medium, or high exposure to curriculum content. Results Across exposure levels, students exhibited high preference to patient centeredness with a mean PPOS score of 4.13 (standard deviation-0.5). A pairedsample t-test revealed a significant difference (p≤0.0001) between the caring and sharing subscales of the PPOS with lower mean scores on the caring subscale. No significant differences were noted across levels of exposure for sharing subscale, caring subscale, or PPOS full-scale. Conclusions Results suggest a need for curriculum enhancement focused on improved caring and empathy.