cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Skeletal muscle denervation investigations: selecting an experimental control wisely.

Unilateral denervation is widely used for studies investigating mechanisms of muscle atrophy. The “contralateral-innervated muscle” is a commonly used experimental control in denervation studies. I...
Mixed-Reality and Traditional Flight Simulators for Urban Air Mobility Vehicles

The 2018 NASA Academy at Langley Research Center created proof-of-concept mixed reality (MR) and traditional simulators to enable quick vehicle concept prototyping and data collection for human factors studies. Urban Air Mobility (UAM) vehicle concepts were implemented as the focus for these simulators due to recent and dramatic rise in subject interest. The team used X-Plane 11 to model flight dynamics, and Unity for the virtual reality (VR) aspect of the MR simulator and to model the control panel in the traditional simulator. A physical version of the virtual control panel was also fabricated to provide haptic feedback to maintain the immersion for the MR simulator.
Recreational Interests of Undergraduate Men Physical Education Majors

Abstract A self-evaluation questionnaire test, constructed to determine the “breadth and depth” of their recreational interests and pursuits, was administered to the men undergraduate physical education majors at the University of Michigan. These men showed high interest and ability in physical recreational pursuits; fair interest and ability in social and communicative recreational interests; and relatively low interest in aesthetic, creative, and “learning” activities. It was urged that an effort be made to inculcate in them a sound philosophy of recreation.
Discussion on “Effective interdisciplinary collaboration between statisticians and other subject matter experts”

Interdisciplinary collaborations between statisticians and other subject matter experts can be fruitful endeavors that result in a deeper, more holistic approach to a problem and generate a better,...
Poor Outcomes With the Use of Checkpoint Inhibitors in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Background Checkpoint inhibitors are now frequently used for oncologic conditions. The impact of these therapies in solid organ transplant recipients was not assessed in clinical trials. Subsequent case reports highlight the major detrimental interactions of checkpoint inhibitors and the high risk of allograft rejection with their use. Patient outcomes have not been assessed in long-term follow-up. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of kidney transplant recipients with metastatic cancer who received checkpoint inhibitors at a single center between April 2015 and May 2018. Results Six kidney transplant recipients with metastatic cancers that were not responding to first-line treatments met study criteria. These include 2 with squamous cell cancers, 2 with melanoma, 1 with renal cell cancer, and 1 with adenocarcinoma of the lung. Four patients received anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) antibody and 2 received a combination of anticytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies. Three out of 6 patients developed acute kidney injury. Two were biopsy-proven acute rejections with subsequent graft failures. The third was attributed to rejection, but improved after discontinuing the checkpoint inhibitor. Five out of 6 patients had cancer progression and only 1 patient had remission. Conclusions Providers and patients need to be aware of the high risk of rejection and the poor remission rate with the use of checkpoint inhibitors in kidney transplant patients. More research is warranted to assess the optimal maintenance immunosuppression during the use of checkpoint inhibitor therapy that would not diminish the chances of remission.
Security Modeling of Autonomous Systems: A Survey

Autonomous systems will soon be integrating into our lives as home assistants, delivery drones, and driverless cars. The implementation of the level of automation in these systems from being manually controlled to fully autonomous would depend upon the autonomy approach chosen to design these systems. This article reviews the historical evolution of autonomy, its approaches, and the current trends in related fields to build robust autonomous systems. Toward such a goal and with the increased number of cyberattacks, the security of these systems needs special attention from the research community. To gauge the extent to which research has been done in this area, we discuss the cybersecurity of these systems. It is essential to model the system from a security perspective, identify the threats and vulnerabilities, and then model the attacks. A survey in this direction explores the theoretical/analytical system and attack models that have been proposed over the years and identifies the research gap that needs to be addressed by the research community.
Ascending Aortic Length and Dissection Risk: In the Long Run.

Acute type A aortic dissection is a life-threatening event for which thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is a major risk factor. Though current American and European guidelines provide diameter-based recommendations regarding intervention for TAA [(1,2)][1], most type A aortic dissections occur at
Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Femoral Head Fractures Associated with Traumatic Hip Dislocations.

Background Femoral head fractures are an uncommon but severe injury. These high-energy injuries typically occur in association with traumatic hip dislocations. Initial treatment includes urgent concentric reduction; however, controversy exists regarding specific fracture management. The well-known complications of avascular necrosis (AVN), posttraumatic arthritis (PTA), and heterotrophic ossification can leave patients with a significant functional loss of their affected hip. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of femoral head fractures. Methods A retrospective review was performed at our institution assessing all patients who presented from 2007 to 2015 with a femoral head fracture associated with a hip dislocation and at least 6 months of clinical and radiographic follow-up. Twenty-two patients met our inclusion criteria. There were 15 males and 7 females with an average age of 36 years (range: 17-55). The average follow-up time was 18 months (range: 6-102). Fractures were classified according to the Pipkin classification. The Thompson and Epstein score was used to determine functional outcomes. Results There were five, Pipkin I, 3 Pipkin II, 0 Pipkin III, and 14 Pipkin IV, femoral head fractures. Sixteen patients were successfully closed reduced in the emergency department (ED) and six patients required open reduction after failed reduction in the ED. Four patients (18%) were successfully treated with closed reduction alone and 18 patients (82%) required operative intervention. Of those undergoing operative intervention, one patient underwent excision of the femoral head fragment, seven underwent open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of the femoral head, nine underwent ORIF of the acetabulum, and one underwent ORIF of the femoral head and the acetabulum. Nine patients (41%) had an uneventful postoperative course. Two patients (9%) developed AVN, both requiring total hip arthroplasty (THA). Five patients (23%) developed PTA, two eventually requiring a THA. Two patients (9%) had sciatic nerve palsy. One patient (5%) developed a postoperative infection and four patients (18%) developed heterotrophic ossification (HO), none requiring operative treatment. Two patients (9%) had persistent anterolateral (AL) thigh numbness. Overall functional results were excellent in six patients (27%), good in six (27%), fair in seven (32%), and poor in three patients (14%). Four patients (18%) required a THA. Conclusion Femoral head fractures are a rare injury with well-known complications. Early diagnosis and concentric reduction are the prerequisites for successful treatment. This study adds to the growing literature on femoral head fractures associated with hip dislocations in efforts to define treatment plans and to guide patient expectations. How to cite this article Del Core MA, Gross B, Ahn J, et al. Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Femoral Head Fractures Associated with Traumatic Hip Dislocations. Strategies Trauma Limb Reconstr 2019;14(1):6-10.
Barriers, Hurdles, and Discrimination: The Current Status of LGBT Intercountry Adoption and Why Changes Must Be Made to Effectuate the Best Interests of the Child

Adoption is a far superior option than institutionalization or foster care and, as such, categorical bans on potential adoptive parents based on sexual orientation, a trait that has no bearing on ability to parent or provide a loving, stable home, cannot possibly be in the “best interests of the child.” This article will focus on the current status of the ability of members of the LGBT community in the United States to form families through the process of intercountry adoption and argue that bans on LGBT adoption must be lifted to effectuate the best interests of the child.
6.08 – Cryptophanes

The molecule-within-molecule complexes of the container molecules constitute a fascinating branch of supramolecular chemistry that has broad-reaching implications. Since 1981, the cryptophanes, defined by the connection of two bowl-like cyclotribenzylenes so as to provide a container-like host cavity, have served to greatly advance our understanding of noncovalent and host–guest chemistries and offer much potential for applied technologies that stem from their exquisite molecular recognition properties. With hundreds of cryptophanes now known, this article summarizes the most important advances in the field, from synthetic developments and binding properties to sensing applications and their potential in areas of materials science.
Factors Influencing Preservice Teachers’ Self-Efficacy in Addressing Cultural and Linguistic Needs of Diverse Learners

How preservice teachers perceive their readiness to work with diverse learners can indicate their future success in the classroom. Using self-efficacy theory as a conceptual base, this study examin...
PACAS: pairwise comparisons of aligned subsequences

Evaluation of conservation levels of alignments is a pivotal step for evolutionary analyses. Commonly used software to analyze alignments produce either site-by-site or overall measures of conservation without the ability of performing comparative analyses among sub-regions of the alignment. We have developed a stand-alone alignment analyzer (Pairwise Comparisons of Aligned Subsequences) that uses user-defined sub-regions to report various measures of conservation among pairs of sequences and between the sub-regions and the rest of the alignment. We then used this method to analyze the repetitive regions (low complexity regions; LCRs) of two genes in Plasmodium: AMA1 and CSP. We found that LCRs are not always associated with high entropy (low conservation) suggesting that some LCRs may be less likely to mutate than others.
Excess Deaths From COVID-19 and Other Causes in the US, March 1, 2020, to January 2, 2021.

This study updates an analysis of US mortality in 2020, including deaths due to COVID-19 as well as all other causes.
On Household Travel Circuit Benefits and Their Locational Implications

A circuit-based measure of a household’s locational accessibility to a variety of urban land uses is presented, using the workplaces of household members to derive an extended measure of locational benefit. The approach is then used to look at the other side of the problem: the implications for the accessibility of public and private facilities to the population of households they serve. Removing destinations from the system may affect the frequency of visits to other destinations both positively or negatively, in the latter case through the loss of circuitous travel options.
Triple origin of left coronary arteries from right coronary artery: Unusual case of single coronary artery

Summary: A rare case of coronary anomaly is presented: all of the coronary arteries originated from a single ostium lo­ cated in the right coronary cusp. No clinical evidence of coronary pathology was recognized until the age of 57 years when the patient was found to have coronary obstructive disease. The single coronary artery had a main branch cor­ responding to the usual dominant right coronary artery. Three other branches separated from this and vascularized the areas normally receiving the circumflex' and ramus median us, the left anterior descending, and a large septal branch.
Simulation of Methods for Drug Delivery to the Cochlear Fluids

The inner ear fluids are remarkably 'unstirred' so that it cannot be assumed that applied drugs are dispersed throughout the fluid spaces. Calculation of the effective concentrations achieved when drugs are applied directly to the inner ear is made possible by simulations combining the physical processes involved in solute dispersal, which are diffusion, longitudinal fluid flow and clearances to other compartments. The approach has been validated in numerous experiments in which ion-selective electrodes were used to characterize the spread of marker substances in the cochlear fluids. The model incorporates the known size and geometry of cochlear fluid spaces for 6 species, including the guinea pig and the human. The simulator allows the dispersal of drugs or other substances to be approximated with knowledge of relatively few parameters. The simulation program is available on the Internet at http://oto.wustl.edu/cochlea/.
Novel application of video image processing to biochemical and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

ALADIN (Analytab Products, Plainview, N.Y.) is an automated instrument that uses video imaging (computer-assisted guided video camera) for the determination of biochemical and antimicrobial susceptibility test reactions. This collaborative investigation compared video-generated results obtained with ALADIN with visually determined findings. Both approaches were used to view identical reactions. Overall agreement for biochemical and antimicrobial susceptibility tests was greater than 95%. This study demonstrates that video imaging is an acceptable approach for determining microbial responses to biochemical and antimicrobial agents and may provide, with appropriate computer modifications, more accurate and reproducible results than are possible by visual scrutiny.
Écrivains haïtiens au Québec. Une écriture du dépassement identitaire

Cette etude aborde l’eclatement d’une mouvance litteraire au sein de la litterature quebecoise. Elle s’appuie principalement sur cinq romanciers haitiens qui ont decide de s’exiler et qui, a partir de leur terre d’accueil, abordent certains themes sur Haiti, colores par leur nouvel environnement. Ce faisant, ils decrivent une realite singuliere liee a l’histoire tourmentee de leur pays d’origine. Bien qu’ils partagent leur langue avec les francophones du Quebec, ces ecrivains conservent leur preoccupation identitaire, leur combat culturel et leur prise de conscience politique. Leur ecriture imprime une facture singuliere au discours romanesque et poetique dans le champ de la litterature quebecoise.
Insect cardioactive neuropeptides: peptidergic modulation of the intrinsic rhythm of an insect heart is mediated by inositol 1,4,5- trisphosphate

The beat frequency of the myogenic heart of the tobacco hawkmoth, Manduca sexta, markedly increases at adult emergence in response to 2 blood-borne peptide neurohormones, known as the cardioacceleratory peptides (CAP1 and CAP2). Three independent lines of evidence are presented supporting the hypothesis that the CAPs exert their cardiostimulatory effects on the insect myocardium through a change in the intracellular levels of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3). I show that (1) InsP3 levels increase in response to CAP2 in a timely fashion, (2) exogenous application of InsP3 mimics the effects of CAP2 application, and (3) a blocker of InsP3 metabolism inhibits the effect of CAP2. These results provide strong support for the hypothesis that InsP3 is likely to be the second messenger in the regulation of heart beat activity by CAP2. Besides establishing the nature of the signaling system between CAP2 and the heart, these data also identify a novel role for InsP3, namely, the control of contraction frequency in a myogenic muscle. Given the widespread distribution of cellular systems employing InsP3 as a second messenger, it is suggested that InsP3 may also be involved in the long-term regulation of rhythmic activity in other spontaneously contractile muscles and endogenously active cells.
Identification of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase as a Ca2+- dependent fusogen in human neutrophil cytosol

The membrane fusion events observed during neutrophil degranulation are important aspects of the immunoregulatory system. In an attempt to understand the regulation of granule-plasma membrane fusion, we have begun characterizing human neutrophil cytosol for fusion activity, finding that 50% of the fusogenic activity could be attributed to members of the annexin family of proteins. The major non-annexin fusion activity (25% of the total cytosolic activity) was enriched by ion exchange chromatography after depletion of annexins by Ca2+-dependent phospholipid affinity chromatography. The fusion activity co-purified with a 10,14-kDa dimer identified as leukocyte L1 (which was non-fusogenic), along with an approximately 36-kDa protein. This protein was identified as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) by amino-terminal sequencing, and the fusion activity was verified using commercially available GAPDH. GAPDH may play an important role in degranulation because it is as potent as annexin I on a mass basis and may constitute up to 25% of the total cytosolic fusion activity of the neutrophil.
Social class affects Mu-suppression during action observation

Socioeconomic status (SES) has been linked to differences in the degree to which people are attuned to others. Those who are lower in SES also tend to be more interpersonally attuned. However, to date, this work has not been demonstrated using neural measures. In the present electroencephalogram study, we found evidence that lower SES was linked to stronger Mu-suppression during action observation. This finding adds to the growing literature on factors that affect Mu-suppression and suggests that the mirror neuron system may be influenced by one’s social class.
Role of Hypoxia-Inducible Factors in the Development of Liver Fibrosis

Liver fibrosis remains a significant clinical problem in the United States and throughout the world. Although important advances in the understanding of this disease have been made, no effective pharmacologic agents have been developed that directly prevent or reverse the fibrotic process. Many of the successes in liver fibrosis treatment have been targeted toward treating the cause of fibrosis, such as the development of new antivirals that eradicate hepatitis virus. For many patients, however, this is not feasible, so a liver transplant remains the only viable option. Thus, there is a critical need to identify new therapeutic targets that will slow or reverse the progression of fibrosis in such patients. Research over the last 16 years has identified hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) as key transcription factors that drive many aspects of liver fibrosis, making them potential targets of therapy. In this review, we discuss the latest work on HIFs and liver fibrosis, including the cell-specific functions of these transcription factors in the development of liver fibrosis.
Streamer simulation in a dielectric liquid

A prebreakdown streamer simulation study was undertaken which incorporated the use of the finite element method. The simulation used a needle/plane electrode geometry immersed in n-hexane. A discharge process was used that was based on the development of a gas phase channel within the liquid. Streamer initiation was considered to occur in a gas bubble when an appropriate electric field level was attained. Propagation was then based on the extension of the partially conducting streamer at a site that presented the highest electric field. After extending the streamer, a new field computation was performed and the process repeated. In addition to a visualization of the propagating streamer, electric field and equipotential plots were generated. The results are presented in the form of frames that represent the growth of the event.
Transfer of complex structures and topological invariance of property of being holomorphic

The following question by V. I. Arnold is answered in affirmative. Let X, Y, and Z be three complex manifolds of equal dimension, let p: X → Y be a universal covering, and let g: Y → Z be a nondegenerate holornorphic mapping. Assume that the term Y in the chain $$ X\xrightarrow{p}Y\xrightarrow{g}Z $$ is “forgotten,” while the complex structures on X and Z are changed so that the mapping g ∘ p remains holomorphic. Can one recover the “forgotten” term Y? Bibliography: 2 titles.
Enhanced rates of electrolytic styrene epoxidation catalyzed by cross-linked myoglobin-poly(L-lysine) films in bicontinuous microemulsions.

Redox proteins attached to surfaces designed for biocatalysis hold promise for future clean synthetic routes. It is advantageous for these biocatalysts to operate in low-toxicity fluids with a high capacity to dissolve reactants. Here we report cross-linked films of myoglobin (Mb) and poly(l-lysine) (PLL) chemically attached to oxidized carbon cloth cathodes that in microemulsions feature the protein in a water-rich film environment with reactant in an oil-rich environment. These cross-linked Mb/PLL films were the most stable in microemuslions and had the largest turnover rates for epoxidation of styrene compared to lightly cross-linked or uncross-linked Mb/poly(styrene sulfonate) films. Up to 40-fold larger turnover rates were found in bicontinuous microemulsions compared to oil-in-water microemulsions and micelles. Enhanced turnover rates are correlated with up to 10-fold faster mass transport of solutes in the oil phases of the bicontinuous fluids.
Corrigendum to “Implementation of a Federated Search System: Resource Accessibility Issues” [Serials Review 35 (2009): 235–241]

On page 241, in the Conclusion section, “South Dakota University” should be “South Dakota State University.”
In situ surface hardening during turning via pyrolytic carburization

a b s t r a c t This paper describes the application of a carbonaceous feed gas (acetylene with a nitrogen shield) in a turning operation to achieve in situ surface hardening of AISI 1018 steel. Preliminary results suggest that the tool-chip interface temperature provides sufficient energy to decompose the feed gas. This enables carbon diffusion into the work surface which, in effect, carburizes the surface and increases the hardness during the turning operation. It is proposed that this approach may enable the machining of low hardness materials, while simultaneously providing increased surface hardness for the machined product. This could result in the reduction/elimination of post-machining heat treatment and could, therefore, have significant implications for the die/mold manufacturing community.
Theoretical analysis of fire and flammability tests i—precepts

Flammability testing is largely empirical and consists of many confusions, contradictions and unexplained factors. In order to accomplish reliable fire safety prediction and design, the empirical art of flammability testing has to develop into a quantitative engineering science in which rigorous analyses are made of the various fire phenomena as measured by existing tests. A rudimentary examination of the many existing tests shows that only a few of them measure some property of the material(s)-fire interaction which will be sufficiently meaningful or useful to develop a scalable hazard rating system. In this paper we examine the meaning of the word 'flammability' to distinguish between the material's response to fire exposure and its contribution to the fire. The functional components of a versatile flammability hazard index are demonstrated to account for the properties of materials, of fire and—of great importance—of use and of human interaction. The promise of modeling techniques to establish these component functions is examined and the directions which future work should take to resolve the questions of fire safety are indicated.
Teratogen-Induced Activation of Caspase-9 and the Mitochondrial Apoptotic Pathway in Early Postimplantation Mouse Embryos☆

Previously we showed that teratogen-induced cell death in mouse embryos is apoptotic in nature, i.e., involves the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria and the subsequent activation of caspase-3, cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Herein we show that hyperthermia, 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide, and staurosporine also activate caspase-9, the apical caspase in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Activation of procaspase-9 is associated with the cleavage of this proenzyme and the generation of two forms of the large subunit, primarily a 39-kDa subunit (p39) but also a lesser amount of a 37-kDa subunit (p37). We also present data that support the idea that the teratogen-induced formation of the p37 subunit in vivo occurs by the cytochrome c-mediated processing of procaspase-9, whereas the p39 subunit is formed by an amplification loop involving caspase-3. We also previously showed that the release of cytochrome c, activation of caspase-3, cleavage of PARP, and DNA fragmentation are blocked in cells of the developing heart, which are resistant to teratogen-induced cell death. We now show that this block in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in heart cells extends to the activation of procaspase-9. Thus, our cumulative data indicate that hyperthermia, 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide, and staurosporine induce cell death in Day 9 mouse embryos by activating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. In addition, our data suggest that cells of the Day 9 mouse embryo that are resistant to teratogen-induced cell death possess multiple mechanisms for inhibiting the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway after a teratogenic exposure.
Permeation of Comite through protective gloves.

Abstract The goal of the study was to assess how protective disposable (Safeskin®) and chemical protective (Sol-Vex®) nitrile gloves were against Comite® emulsifiable concentrate formulation containing propargite (PROP) as active pesticidal ingredient because there were no explicit recommendations for the gloves that should be worn for hand protection. The glove material was exposed in ASTM-type I-PTC-600 permeation cells at 30.0 ± 0.5 °C, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry used for PROP analysis. Aqueous solutions of Comite® at 40.4 mg/mL permeated both Safeskin® and Sol-Vex® nitrile by 8 h. Safeskin® showed a mean PROP mass permeated of 176 ± 27 μg after 8 h compared with a mean mass permeated for Sol-Vex® of 3.17 ± 4.08 μg. Thus, Sol-Vex® was about 56 times more protective than Safeskin® for an 8-h exposure. However, the kinetics of the permeation revealed that Safeskin® can be worn for at least 200 min before disposal. When undiluted Comite® challenged both types of nitrile, much faster permeation was observed. Safeskin® gloves showed two steady state periods. The first had lag times (tl) values of about 1 h, although normalized breakthrough times (tb) were
Computers and the future of literacy

My goal is to get people who make, buy, and use computers to consider more carefully the impact the computer is likely to have on our culture by recognizing the way it is both changing what it means to be "literate," and perhaps more importantly, changing how people become "literate."
Cardiovascular responses to electrical stimulation of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis

To determine whether the influence of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) on cardiovascular function can be localized to specific cytoarchitectural areas within the BST, urethane (1.3 g/kg)-anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats were probed for cardiovascular reactive sites. Electrical stimuli (50 μa, 50 Hz, and a 0.5 ms pulse duration), delivered through stereotaxically placed glass semimicroelectrodes, were localized to the BST. Sham-stimulated animals served as controls. Stimulation sites were correlated with cytoarchitecturally distinct areas within the BST, and changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) were subjected to statistical analysis. Systematically probing the BST for cardiovascular reactive sites showed a correlation between evoked responses and distinct cytoarchitectural areas. Stimulation of the me dial BST produced increases in MAP; stimulation of the lateral aspect of the BST produced decreases in MAP. Both pressor and depressor responses were evoked from the area ventral to the anterior commissure. Pressor responses were elicited from the area immediatley ventral to the anterior commissure, and depressor responses followed stimulation of an area more ventral. All subnuclei showed corroborating cardiovascular responses to 20–30 n1 microinjection of sodium glutamate. Taken together, these data provide substantial evidence to indicate that the BST, particularly at more rostral areas, consists of a medial pressor area, a lateral depressor area, and a ventral area with both pressor and depressor zone. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Treatment of paroxysmal auricular or nodal tachycardia with the vasopressor drug, neosynephrine.

SummaryFour nonhypertensive patients with idiopathic paroxysmal tachycardia of supraventricular origin were given neo-synephrine intravenously in amounts sufficient to increase the systolic blood pressure 30 to 40 mm of Hg. In 2 of these the attacks had persisted for several hours in spite of all mechanical methods of treatment and administration of mecholyl. In all 4 cases the rhythm reverted to normal within one minute after the injection of neosynephrine. This is considered to be produced by reflexes from the carotid sinuses and aortic arch. Occasional ventricular beats occurred during the 2-minute period after the return to the normal sinus rhythm. Blood pressure returned to normal within 4 to 8 minutes after the injection.Intravenous injection of neosynephrine or some other brief-acting vasopressor compound may prove to be the treatment of choice in selected cases of auricular or nodal paroxysmal tachycardia.
Are Good Problem-Solvers Also Creative?

The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether Ss, superior in solving difficult problems having objectively correct solutions, also achieve solutions rated “creative” or superior for a problem with several possible answers. To avoid the issue of sex differences, only female Ss were used (96 from a university and 55 from a junior college). Four difficult objective-type problems were used to measure problem-solving ability and the “Changing Work Procedure” (CWP) problem was used for the subjective measure. The case produces 3 types of solutions. One type, called Integrative, was regarded as “creative” and “superior” in previous studies. The results showed a significantly better performance on all problems for the university than the junior college sample. Ss who reached the Integrative solution solved significantly more of the objective problems, and an increasing trend for Integrative solutions with increasing success on objective problems was evident for both populations. It is concluded that su...
The Inhibitory Effect of Bamboo Extract on the Development of 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced Breast Cancer

The incidence of breast cancer among women is high and increasing. This study investigated the inhibitory effect of an extract from bamboo Phyllostachys edulis on the development of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced breast cancer in female Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were fed with bamboo extract (BEX) supplemented diet or control diet, and treated with DMBA after 3 weeks of the dietary regime. The incidence of mammary tumors was monitored by palpation for the next 11 weeks. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected for total antioxidant capacities (TAC) assay and liver samples for phase II enzyme activity assays. The TAC values, total contents of phenolics and flavonoids of BEX were also measured. The results showed that BEX delayed the onset of mammary tumor by 1 week, decreased the tumor incidence by 44% and tumor multiplicity by 67%, and increased the total sulfotransferases (SULT) activity by 63%. BEX showed high levels of TAC, total phenolic and total flavonoids. However, the serum TAC values were not affected by BEX supplementation. In summary, the results indicate that BEX possesses a potent anti-breast cancer effect, and the upregulation of SULT activity, therefore estrogen metabolism may be the underlying mechanism.
Extreme Measures for the Exceptionally Gifted in Mathematics and Science

W hat does one do for a junior high school student who already knows more mathematics than his teacher? The question is not as implausible as it may seem at first glance. From preliminary work with seventh, eighth, and young ninth graders at Johns Hopkins University, it is clear that a sizable number of these youngsters score extremely high on the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) Scholastic Aptitude TestMathematical (SAT-M) and Mathematics Level I Achievement Test (M-I), often higher than their math teachers probably would. The same is true for the general science knowledge of some students this age. The group for whom new programs are urgently needed is expanded greatly if one relaxes the criterion only slightly. Rather than specifying "Know more math or science than their teachers," substitute: "Know more math or science than the average high school senior applying to college." This group of 12 to 14 year olds is, as will be seen later, quite substantial.
Reflections on the origin of mathematical intuition and some implications for instruction

Abstract In this article, I examine two conjectures about the origin of mathematical intuition advanced by L.E.J. Brouwer in view of contemporary psychological and educational research. It is argued that the unfolding of the fundamental intuition of mathematics, the abstraction of the relation of n to n + 1, can be understood in terms of processes related to perception of formal properties of sensory stimulation, attention, and memory that emerge in early infancy. Additionally, I argue that these elementary processes support the construction of more complex mathematical entities throughout the life-span. Language (and logic) becomes the vehicle for expressing and communicating, albeit imprecisely, mathematical entities constructed from the abstract properties of perceptual activity. Finally, I consider some implications of the intuitionistic perspective for mathematics education.
Ring current modeling in a realistic magnetic field configuration

A 3-dimensional kinetic model has been developed to study the dynamics of the storm time ring current in a dipole magnetic field. In this paper, the ring current model is extended to include a realistic, time-varying magnetic field model. The magnetic field is expressed as the cross product of the gradients of two Euler potentials and the bounce-averaged particle drifts are calculated in the Euler potential coordinates. A dipolarization event is modeled by collapsing a tail-like magnetosphere to a dipole-like configuration. Our model is able to simulate the sudden enhancements in the ring current ion fluxes and the corresponding ionospheric precipitation during the substorm expansion.
Work function changes during low pressure oxidation of aluminum at room temperature

Abstract The oxidation kinetics of clean bulk aluminum surfaces exposed to low oxygen pressures (10−8 to 2 × 10−6 torr) at room temperature were followed by measurement of work function changes. The interaction of oxygen with aluminum resulted in a decrease in the work function, indicating that the chemisorbed surface oxygen was unstable and incorporation into the subsurface region took place even at very small surface coverages. A “stable layer” of constant work function was finally formed on the aluminum surface. The limiting work functio nchange (work function change to form the “stable layer”) became less negative with increase in oxygen pressure. It was not possible to explain these results on the basis of previously published oxygen uptake models. A new model based on a pressure dependent limiting amount of outer surface and incorporated oxygen is proposed to explain the pressure dependence of the limiting work function change.
Plasma characteristics of the Io torus

Simultaneous, low spectral resolution measurements of the following Jovian plasma torus forbidden emission lines show the occurrence of significant changes in characteristics on a time scale of days: S II 4069, 4076 A; S II 6716, 6731 A; S III 3722 A; and O II 3726, 3729 A. The O II emission is more extensive in magnetic latitude than the S II emission, which is the expected result of the mass difference between the ions if they have a common temperature. The S II and O II lines yield independent and consistent values for the average electron density, and variations about this average are larger than the measurement uncertainties. Unusual spectra in which the blue, but not the red S II forbidden lines are present indicate transient conditions of high plasma density and low electron temperature.
Ultralow-loss photonic crystal waveguides based on the self-collimation effect

In this paper, we review the confinement mechanism of self-collimation in planar photonic crystals. In this mechanism, an approximately flat equi-frequency contour (EFC) below the light cone of the planar photonic crystal can be used to laterally confine the light and total internal reflection (TIR) provides vertical confinement. To this end, self-collimation in both low-index and high-index planar photonic crystals are investigated using the three-dimensional (3D) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method and the 3D iterative plane wave method (PWM). It is found that low-loss self-guiding is achievable in both the valence and conduction bands for high-index planar photonic crystals. However, for low-index planar photonic crystals, low-loss self-guiding can be only observed in the valence band. Experimental results show a propagation loss of as low as 1.1 dB/mm for the self-guiding in a high-index planar photonic crystals.
Surface state and normal layer effects in high-T c superconductors

In addition to the conducting CuO{sub 2} (S) layers, most high-{Tc}, superconductors also contain other conducting (N) layers, which are only superconducting due to the proximity effect. The combination of S and N layers can give rise to complicated electronic densities of states, leading to quasilinear penetration depth and NMR relaxation rate behavior at low temperatures. Surface states can also complicate the analysis of tunneling and photoemission measurements. Moreover, geometrical considerations and inhomogeneously trapped flux are possible explanations of the paramagnetic Meissner effect and of corner and ring SQUID experiments. Hence, all of the above experiments could be consistent with isotropic s-wave superconductive within the S layers.
Inflammatory markers and mediators in tracheal fluid of premature infants treated with inhaled nitric oxide

OBJECTIVE. We compared serial measurements of inflammatory mediators and markers in infants treated with inhaled nitric oxide or placebo to assess the effects of inhaled nitric oxide therapy on lung inflammation during bronchopulmonary dysplasia. We investigated relationships between respiratory severity scores and airway concentrations of inflammatory markers/mediators. METHODS. As part of the Nitric Oxide (to Prevent) Chronic Lung Disease trial, a subset of 99 infants (52 placebo-treated infants and 47 inhaled nitric oxide-treated infants; well matched at baseline) had tracheal aspirate fluid collected at baseline, at 2 to 4 days, and then weekly while still intubated during study gas treatment (minimum of 24 days). Fluid was assessed for interleukin-1β, interleukin-8, transforming growth factor-β, N-acetylglucosaminidase, 8-epi-prostaglandin F2α, and hyaluronan. Results were normalized to total protein and secretory component of immunoglobulin A. RESULTS. At baseline, there was substantial variability of each measured substance and no correlation between tracheal aspirate fluid levels of any substance and respiratory severity scores. Inhaled nitric oxide administration did not result in any time-matched significant change for any of the analytes, compared with the placebo-treated group. There was no correlation between any of the measured markers/mediators and respiratory severity scores throughout the 24 days of study gas administration. In the posthoc analysis of data for inhaled nitric oxide-treated infants, there was a difference at baseline in 8-epi-prostaglandin F2α levels for infants who did (n = 21) and did not (n = 26) develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia at postmenstrual age of 36 weeks. CONCLUSIONS. Inhaled nitric oxide, as administered in this study, seemed to be safe. Its use was not associated with any increase in airway inflammatory substances.
Hallux varus and preaxial polysyndactyly in brothers

Two brothers with hallux varus of both feet are reported. One brother also had duplication/triplication of the great toes. The parents had no skeletal abnormalities or abnormalities of dermatoglyphics.
Switching to Real-Time Tasks in Multi-Tasking Dialogue

In this paper we describe an empirical study of human-human multi-tasking dialogues (MTD), where people perform multiple verbal tasks overlapped in time. We examined how conversants switch from the ongoing task to a real-time task. We found that 1) conversants use discourse markers and prosodic cues to signal task switching, similar to how they signal topic shifts in single-tasking speech; 2) conversants strive to switch tasks at a less disruptive place; and 3) where they cannot, they exert additional effort (even higher pitch) to signal the task switching. Our machine learning experiment also shows that task switching can be reliably recognized using discourse context and normalized pitch. These findings will provide guidelines for building future speech interfaces to support multi-tasking dialogue.
Relation of Osteoclast Activating Factor Production to Extent of Bone Disease in Multiple Myeloma

Summary. Measurements of total body myeloma cell number and osteoclast activating factor (OAF) production by bone marrow myeloma cells in vitro were made in 33 patients with plasma cell myeloma. There was a highly significant correlation (P < 0.001) between the amount of OAF produced by bone marrow myeloma cells and the extent of skeletal destruction. Serial studies indicated reduction of OAF production with remission induction and high OAF production at the time of relapse with new bone destruction. Although hypercalcaemia occurred only in patients with the most extensive bone lesions, there was no direct relationship between OAF production and the serum calcium concentration. These data suggest that measurement of OAF production in multiple myeloma may predict those patients at risk for development of extensive skeletal destruction due to this neoplasm.
Teratological evaluation of trimethyl phosphite in the rat

Trimethyl phosphite (TMP) is an organophosphorus alkylating agent used primarily in the synthesis of organophosphate compounds. To evaluate teratogenic potential, TMP was administered by gavage to pregnant rats at rates of 16, 49, or 164 mg/kg/day, on gestation Days 6 through 15. Acetyl salicylic acid (250 mg/kg/day) was also administered to a group of rats as a positive control. Teratologic evaluation revealed gross fetal abnormalities, skeletal defects, and soft tissue defects at a dose rate of 164 mg/kg/day of trimethyl phosphite, but not at the two lesser rates. An increased frequency of fetal resorption was also observed at 164 mg/kg/day.
Who “Owns” Dis/ability? The Cultural Work of Critical Special Educators as Insider–Outsiders

The article describes the work of critical special education scholars and teacher educators in the field of Disability Studies who challenge the fundamental assumptions on which special education i...
Direct growth of single walled carbon nanotubes on paper

This work presents the methodology to synthesize single-walled carbon nanotubes and place them directly on paper utilizing a micro chemical vapor deposition (μCVD) system. In contrast to conventional CNTs (carbon nanotubes) synthesis in high temperature furnaces, the technique of μCVD with localized heating provides the foundation for the direct growth of CNTs on paper. Experimentally, self-aligned CNTs have been directly deposited on printer papers and plastic substrates with a 10-min growth process without damaging these temperature-sensitive substrates. As such, this technique could find potential applications CNT-based high performance electronics on low-cost substrates.
Shocked relativistic magnetohydrodynamic flows with application to pulsar winds

The time-dependent behavior of a shocked spherically symmetric relativistic fluid with tangential magnetic field is investigated, considering the case where the boundaries of the shocked fluid move at constant velocity so that self-similar solutions exist. The behavior of the fluid in the ultrarelativistic regime is compared to that in the nonrelativistic regime; there is a smooth transition between these limits. If a magnetic field is present, the magnetic pressure becomes increasingly important with distance from the shock wave; the gas pressure vanishes at the contact discontinuity that bounds the flow. Analytic expressions are given which describe the flow. The solutions can be applied to the evolution of shocked relativistic pulsar winds, which are probably observed as Crab-like supernova remnants. A model for the Crab Nebula, based on the steady-state model of Kennel and Coroniti (1984), indicates that sigma = 0.0016, where sigma is twice the ratio of magnetic to particle energy in the wind as measured in the fluid frame. This is about half the value suggested by Kennel and Coroniti and is much smaller than the value that might be expected for a pulsar wind.
H atoms in CH4 and Xe matrices at cryogenic temperatures

Abstract Cryogenic techniques coupled with electron spin resonance detection methods have made it possible to produce long-lived trapped hydrogen atoms in inert matrices at 4 K and to study their reactions with neutral molecules and molecular fragments when the temperature is raised to the point where they diffuse. Under the matrix conditions H atoms abstract H rapidly from all carbon-hydrogen bonds (except those of CH4) by quantum mechanical tunnelling, even though such reactions would be precluded if the classical activation energy prevailed. Thermal H atoms in CH4 at 15 K add to CO to form the HCO radical, and to O2 to form the HO2 radical. When exposed to the appropriate wavelength of light these and other radicals, including CH3, C2H5 and C2H3 lose H by photoelimination. The H atoms are produced in the matrices by X radiolysis, γ-ray radiolysis, or photolysis of a hydrogen halide. This paper reviews some of the most significant current findings in the field from different laboratories.
Modifier genes for disorders of thrombosis and hemostasis

Most inherited hemostatic disorders exhibit incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity, which can be because of genetic or environmental interactions. This wide phenotypic variability for a given disease can be partly explained by modifier gene interactions. Modifier gene interactions have been described for VWD, TTP and venous thrombosis associated with the factor V Leiden mutation. We have exploited advances in mouse genetics in an effort to identify novel genetic loci that may serve as candidate genetic modifiers for bleeding and thrombosis in humans. We have identified several loci affecting plasma VWF levels and have identified and characterized mouse models of ADAMTS13 deficiency and Factor V Leiden that could be useful for identifying novel genes contributing to thrombosis risk in humans.