cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two perspectives on the origin of sex differences in the brain.

Abstract: Most sex differences in brain function are attributed to sex differences in the effects of gonadal secretions. In addition, however, male and female cells differ because of differential effects of sex chromosome genes expressed within the cells themselves. The latter conclusion comes from numerous studies in which sexual phenotype appears to be insensitive to the effects of sex hormones during development or cases in which sex differences develop before the onset of sex-specific patterns of gonadal secretions. Recently, mouse models have become available in which the genetic sex of brain cells is independent of the gonadal type (testes vs. ovaries), which allows a test of the role of sex chromosome genes in brain development. This paper reviews the evidence that genetic sex of brain cells influences their sexual phenotype, and critically discusses the relative advantages of various experimental approaches to study this effect.
Manufacturing defects and the evidence of thermomechanical fatigue in a ceramic vacuum furnace tube

Abstract Efforts were directed towards a post-mortem failure analysis of a silicon-carbide tube that failed after cyclic operation in a vacuum furnace. In formulating a plausible scenario for the failure of the reaction-bonded tube, both the fracture record retained by the tube remnants and service history were analyzed. Results of the fractographic analysis indicated thermomechanically induced low-cycle fatigue in the silicon-carbide originating from severe defects on the internal (heated) surface. These defects were the result of poor infiltration of silicon into resident porosity during the fabrication of the tube. A review of the service history confirmed the likelihood of a fatigue scenario because of potentially deleterious explosions caused by delayed burner ignition in addition to operational thermal-transients experienced during forced cool-downs.
Nitride-based lasers: advances in cavity design

Unique constraints encountered in the III-N semiconductor system, such as a lack of cleaving planes and resistance to wet etchants, make conventional approaches to the fabrication of laser diodes difficult to implement, and result in the need for novel cavity designs. Improvements in in-plane cavities include etching facets using a focused ion beam and the incorporation of gratings to decrease losses associated with poor mirrors. Towards the fabrication of an electrically pumped VCSEL, the issue of the bottom mirror can be addressed by the use of dielectric mirrors, and either the removal of the sapphire substrate or its incorporation into the cavity by using a curved backside mirror. This paper will review recent developments in these areas at UC Santa Barbara.
Drying powdered coal with the aid of ultrasound

Abstract The results of introducing ultrasound into three different drying processes has been discussed. The processes included: (1) static drying of a layer of powdered coal with airborne ultrasound, (2) rotary kiln drying with airborne ultrasound, and (3) drying of powdered coal on a sloping, ultrasonically vibrated metal trough. In all three processes, the introduction of ultrasound increased the drying rate. The frequency of ultrasound used was 20 kHz with sound intensities up to 165 dB. The pulverized coal used had a size range from 400 μm to less than 2 smm, with 65% being less than 150 μm in size. Air temperatures used varied from 65 to 300 °C. The most energy-efficient drying process with ultrasound was found to be the sloping, ultrasonically vibrated trough. However, this process was limited to the use of an initial coal powder feed containing less than 10% moisture. For moisture contents above 10%, a dual drying system could be used. For example, the rotary kiln drier could be used ahead of the trough drier. Both the static airborne ultrasound drying process and the ultrasonically vibrated trough drying process work best with a relatively thin layer of powdered coal. However, the residence time for the powdered coal being dried is measured in seconds for the sloping trough process in contrast to minutes for the static drying process. The static drying of a layer of powdered coal is also a batch-drying process while the rotary kiln and sloping trough are continuous processes. The advantages of the static airborne ultrasonic drying process would be: (1) closer control of the drying process, and (2) smaller quantities of powder can be used.
Recent Declines in Atmospheric Mercury Deposition in the Upper Midwest

Historic increases in atmospheric mercury deposition caused by anthropogenic emissions have been well documented from sediment cores from lakes and peatlands in North America and Europe. Few previous studies have addressed the question of whether mercury deposition has increased continuously to the present or whether it has declined in recent decades. We present stratigraphic data from a suite of Minnesota lakes that indicate mercury deposition peaked in the 1960s and 1970s, at least for the upper Midwest. Recent declines, which appear in both rural and urban lakes, are not evident in sediment cores from remote coastal lakes in southeastern Alaska. Because the Alaskan sites provide an integrated sample of mercury pollution in the Northern Hemisphere, these results imply that global mercury emissions have not abated and that decreased inputs to Midwestern lakes are caused by reduced emissions from regional sources. U.S. inventory data suggest that decreased emissions likely resulted from reduced industrial...
Preparation of partially oriented zeolite MCM-22 membranes via pulsed laser deposition

Abstract Thin films of the zeolite MCM-22 have been prepared via pulsed laser deposition for the first time. Laser ablation of as-synthesized layered precursor MCM-22(P) onto TiN coated silicon wafers, polished graphite and porous stainless steel frits followed by a post-hydrothermal treatment results in partially oriented crystalline MCM-22(P) membranes where the a direction is largely normal to the substrate surface. Further heating leads to fully condensed MCM-22 zeolite membranes. These thin films were characterized by XRD, SEM and FT-IR spectroscopy. The oriented MCM-22 membrane grown on porous stainless steel was evaluated for the room temperature separation of the alcohol/water mixture and selective permeation of the water was observed.
Bridging the Second Digital Divide: What Can Sociologists of Education Contribute?.

L'A. prolonge la reflexion de Paul Attewell concernant la fracture numerique aux Etats-Unis : la premiere, celle de l'acces aux ordinateurs, est prise en compte par les autorites publiques, mais l'A. montre les limites de cette demarche, car apparait une seconde fracture numerique correspondant aux utilisations des ordinateurs. L'A. suggere le role actif que peuvent jouer les sociologues de l'education dans l'elaboration de programmes educatifs sur ordinateurs
On the Meaning & Measurement of Mood

Public policy mood, a concept now more than twenty years old, is the measure of left/right preferences over policy choices in American politics. In this essay, I comment on the theoretical need for such a measure and discuss the strategy for estimation. I produce the measure itself for the years from 1952 to 2011. Then I take on the question of how many dimensions of such operational ideology exist. I find two, which is far from novel. But unlike much previous work, my own included, the present analysis utilizes prior theoretical information about the content of the dimensions in order to interpret them. I find the conventional two dimensions, economic and cultural, to be very highly correlated. A final section explores the thermostatic properties of mood.
Long range correlation effect on the charge radii of 50,52,54Cr

Abstract We consider the charge root mean square (RMS) radii of the chromium isotopes 50,52,54 Cr which exhibit an anomalous isotopic shift; the observed radius of 52 Cr. We show that long range ground state (RPA) correlations effects can account for the discrepancies between mean-field predictions and the experimental results for the differences in the charge RMS radii of the chromium isotopes 50,52,54 Cr.
Effects of vitamin B6, glycolic acid, testosterone, and castration on the synthesis, deposition, and excretion of oxalic acid in rats.

Abstract A marked influence on kidney weight, liver glycolic acid oxidase level, kidney oxalate deposition, and urinary oxalate level of rats was observed with vitamin B6 deficiency, castration, injection of testosterone, and dietary administration of glycolate. Both dietary glycolate and testosterone injections caused a significant increase in kidney weight, which was independent of the supply of vitamin B6 and the body weight of the rat. When dietary glycolate and daily testosterone injections were combined, the effects on kidney weight were additive, indicating the independence of the mechanisms for the two factors. The increase in weight could not be accounted for by increased oxalate deposition. Testosterone also caused an increase in liver weight, but this correlated directly with the body weight. Daily injections of 1 mg of testosterone produced an induction of liver glycolic acid oxidase in normal and ovariectomized female rats. Testosterone maintained the level of glycolic acid oxidase in castrated male rats, but was without effect on normal male rats. The significant involvement of glycolic acid oxidase in hyperoxaluria is supported by the observed correlation between glycolic acid oxidase levels and kidney oxalate deposition in rats fed 2% dietary glycolate. Vitamin B6 deficiency increased urinary oxalate excretion. However, at a 2% level of dietary glycolate, the effect of vitamin B6 deficiency was obscured. There was an apparent correlation between urinary oxalate and glycolic acid oxidase levels on the 2% glycolate diet. The results confirm the involvement of testosterone, vitamin B6, glycolate, and glycolic acid oxidase in endogenous oxalate synthesis, excretion, and deposition in the rat.
A semi-implicit integration scheme for rate-dependent and rate-independent plasticity

Abstract A semi-implicit constitutive integration procedure for rate-independent and rate-dependent inelastic flow of metals is presented. This integration scheme, originally proposed by Moran et al. [Formulation of implicit finite element methods for multiplicative finite deformation plasticity. Int. J. Numer. Meth. Engng 29 , 483–514 (1990)], has the feature of being explicit in the plastic flow direction and hardening moduli but implicit in the incremental plastic strain. Two approaches to this scheme are devised for rate-dependent constitutive relations, denoted herein as the kinetic equation and the dynamic yield condition approaches. Details of the integration scheme are developed and applied to both incompressible and compressible inelasticity, including pure isotropic and combined kinematic-isotropic hardening theories. Both rate- and temperature-dependent and rate and temperature-independent constitutive laws are considered. In addition, the explicit version of this scheme is obtained, resulting in the rate tangent modulus method.
Using web-based search data to predict macroeconomic statistics

Tracking common search terms used on the Web can produce accurate, useful statistics about the unemployment rate. We hope to extend this approach to other economic statistics.
Mathematical description of within-tree distributions of the various developmental stages ofDendroctonus frontalis Zimm. (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

Probability density functions for the various within-tree developmental life stages ofD. frontalis are derived. The differences between some of these distributions are discussed. The possibility of the existence of a negative feed-back mechanism which enables the beetle to make optimum utilization of the available resources is proposed. In addition, the concept of an optimum location on the infested bole where the environmental (tree) conditions are such that maximum survivorship occurs is advanced.
Ethanol binging exacerbates sinusoidal endothelial and parenchymal injury elicited by acetaminophen

Background/Aims The pathophysiology of binge drinking of ethanol and its potentiation of acetaminophen (APAP) toxicity has received very little attention. To evaluate if ethanol binging sensitizes hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (SEC) and liver to APAP toxicity. Methods The histopathological responses to APAP were evaluated in the livers of mice gavaged with APAP alone, following a single, week-end type ethanol binge (4g/kg every 12h×5 doses) or three weekly binges. Results Six hours after APAP, 600mg/kg elicited severe centrilobular necrosis together with hemorrhagic congestion and infiltration of erythrocytes into the Space of Disse through large gaps that had formed in SEC. There was no evidence of parenchymal injury at 2h, but gaps already were formed through the cytoplasm of the SEC by coalescence of fenestrae. A single binge followed by 300mg/kg APAP elicited SEC and parenchymal injury equivalent to 600mg/kg APAP alone at 2 and 6h. The responses were exacerbated following three binges. Lower glutathione levels in the liver were shown in ethanol-binged animals. Conclusions Ethanol binging increases APAP hepatotoxicity. SEC are an early target for APAP-induced injury and ethanol binging enhances the SEC injury prior to evidence of parenchymal cell injury.
Synthesis and characterization of sulfonated liquid crystalline polyesters

Liquid crystalline polyesters based on hexanediol, dimethyl 4,4′-biphenyldicarboxylate, and various levels of dimethyl 5-sodiosulfoisophthalate (0–20 mol%) were prepared using a conventional melt polymerization process. The presence and quantification of the ionic functionality was surveyed using 1H NMR spectroscopy. Solution viscosities and corresponding molecular weights decreased when the ionic monomer concentration exceeded a critical value (higher than 3 mol%). Differential scanning calorimetry indicated a maximum in the isotropic transition temperature versus ionic modification at approximately 10 mol%. Dynamic mechanical analysis indicated that the glass transition temperature was suppressed due to ionic association at high concentrations (greater than 3 mol%) of ionic functionality. Polarized light microscopy and wide-angle X-ray diffraction were used to identify the smectic liquid crystalline and crystalline phases. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry
The case for cyber foraging

In this paper, we propose cyber foraging: a mechanism to augment the computational and storage capabilities of mobile devices. Cyber foraging uses opportunistically discovered servers in the environment to improve the performance of interactive applications and distributed file systems on mobile clients. We show how the performance of distributed file systems can be improved by staging data at these servers even though the servers are not trusted. We also show how the performance of interactive applications can be improved via remote execution. Finally, we present VERSUDS: a virtual interface to heteregeneous service discovery protocols that can be used to discover these servers.
Optimizing the Management of Atrial Fibrillation: Focus on Current Guidelines and the Impact of New Agents on Future Recommendations

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia encountered in everyday clinical practice. It affects ~2.3 million individuals in the United States, and the prevalence is expected to increase ~2.5-fold over the next 40 years. Atrial fibrillation accounts for more than 2 million hospitalizations each year and contributes to nearly 67 000 deaths. Our understanding of the pathophysiology of AF has increased dramatically over the past few decades. Recent treatment guidelines have heightened our awareness of the challenges involved in the treatment of AF and provided useful recommendations for its diagnosis and management. Because AF is usually associated with multiple comorbid conditions, greater emphasis must be placed on individualizing treatment. This review focuses on current treatment guidelines for patients with AF, assessing the benefits and shortcomings of current pharmacologic options and discussing new agents and trials that may provide better opportunities to improve and individualize patient management.
Popple Hill Gneiss as dacite volcanics: A geochemical study of mesosome and leucosome, northwest Adirondacks, New York

New chemical data from a widespread Precambrian stratigraphic unit, the Popple Hill Gneiss in the northwest Adirondacks, have meaning for depositional setting and correlation of Grenville metasediments. Average chemistry of the predominant rock type is appropriate for dacite volcanics rather than the previously proposed elastic sediments. Particularly unsuitable for shale are the high total alkali, Na 2 O, and SiO 2 content; slightly peraluminous composition; and low index of chemical alteration. This gneissic unit and leucogneisses of probable ash-flow-tuff origin lower in the section (Hyde School Gneiss) are interpreted as massive volcanic outpourings within a platformal-type sedimentary sequence. A recently proposed caldera complex in anorogenic or rift-related environments is an appropriate setting, but vulcanism interrupted as well as preceded carbonate deposition. Popple Hill and Hyde School Gneisses belong to a common depositional sequence with associated metasedimentary units and should be placed in the same stratigraphic group. Popple Hill leucosomes are variable in shape and texture and, most likely, in age and mode of origin. Most are foliated and show grain size reduction; others cut each other and are isoclinally folded. Physical appearance seems unrelated to chemical composition. Confmement of leucosomes to Popple Hill Gneiss and chemical correlations with host mesosome suggest in situ origin and equilibration with mesosome. Many are enriched over mesosomes in K 2 O, Sr, Ba, and Rb; have low total REE and Zr; and have positive Eu anomalies. Restite is not readily observed. Such leucosomes could have formed throughout various phases of folding. Given the dry state of metamorphism as proposed elsewhere for the gneiss, metamorphic differentiation is a likely mode of origin. Other leucosomes with negative Eu anomalies and REE content similar to those of mesosome may be partial melts that formed during early Grenvillian metamorphism.
A mouse model of intracerebral hemorrhage using autologous blood infusion

The development of controllable and reproducible animal models of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is essential for the systematic study of the pathophysiology and treatment of hemorrhagic stroke. In recent years, we have used a modified version of a murine ICH model to inject blood into mouse basal ganglia. According to our protocol, autologous blood is stereotactically infused in two stages into the right striatum to mimic the natural events of hemorrhagic stroke. Following ICH induction, animals demonstrate reproducible hematomas, brain edema formation and marked neurological deficits. Our technique has proven to be a reliable and reproducible means of creating ICH in mice in a number of acute and chronic studies. We believe that our model will serve as an ideal paradigm for investigating the complex pathophysiology of hemorrhagic stroke. The protocol for establishing this model takes about 2 h.
Surface stress of W(001) and the effect of an Fe overlayer from first principles

Surface stress was determined using a composite elastic model for the relaxed seven-monolayer W(001) slab. The W(001) surface was found to be under a strong tensile stress of 4.46 mRyd/bohr2 (3.47 N m−1). The composite elastic model was further extended to determine the surface stress where there is an Fe overlayer on the W substrate. It was found that the surface tensile stress increases to 6.71 mRyd/bohr2 (5.22 N m−1) after deposition of one monolayer of Fe. This is an increase of almost 50%. The effect of adsorbates on the surface stress is discussed in terms of anisotropic bonding of the d orbitals. By comparing spin-polarized and non-spin-polarized calculations, it was found that magnetization of the Fe overlayer is favoured in terms of minimizing the total energy and reducing surface stress.
A simple proof of a simple concensus algorithm

We present a proof of a simple consensus algorithm. The algorithm is known [1]; the proof style is new. It is difficult to reason about communicating processes when some of them may fail. We show that representing the algorithm at a higher level —using equations only— permits us to treat failures in a formal manner. This approach was first utilized in Chandy and Misra [1988, Chapter 18] for proving the correctness of an unauthenticated Byzantine Agreement protocol due to Dolev et al. [1982], and Srikanth and Toueg [1987], for the case when the number of reliable processes is more than twice the number of unreliable processes; this paper deals with a simpler problem —the number of reliable processes exceeds thrice the number of unreliable processes— which has a simpler algorithm.
Uncertainty and Shopping Behaviour: An Experimental Analysis

This paper reports experimental tests of three search equilibrium models. These models which differ only in the search strategies available to the buyers have qualitatively different predictions, that is, equilibria: price distributions, single price equilibria at the competitive price and at the monopoly price and two price equilibria. The experimental outcomes generally were consistent with the models' predictions. This suggests that debate on the utility of this class of models should shift to the realism of the models' assumptions rather than focus on their ability to characterize market outcomes. Also, since the basic models have been validated, the project of analyzing experimentally the results of relaxing some of their assumptions seems worthwhile.
Petrology of Basalt and Andesite of the Black Range, New Mexico

The Black Range, located in southwestern New Mexico on the margin of the Basin and Range physiographic province, consists mainly of Tertiary volcanic rocks, which include mafic, intermediate, and silicic lavas, and silicic ash-flow tuffs. This report treats the petrology of basalt, basaltic andesite, and andesite. Basaltic rocks are alkalic and fall into two groups — late Oligocene and Miocene, which are quartz normative and contain quartz inclusions, and Pliocene basalts, which are SiO 2 undersaturated and contain mafic and ultramafic inclusions. The andesite is Oligocene and Miocene in age and is potassic, having about 2.8 wt percent K 2 O at 60 wt percent SiO 2 ; Oligocene latite is also present and has about 4.0 wt percent K 2 O at 62 wt percent SiO 2 . The Oligocene rocks have lower alkali and higher MgO and CaO contents than the Miocene rocks. The total alkali, FeO, and MgO proportions (AFM) of the middle Tertiary suite of basalt-andesite are like those of calc-alkalic suites. Clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene coexisting in basaltic andesite and andesite also suggest that these rocks are calc-alkalic. Microprobe analyses show that average plagioclase compositions in the basalt and andesite are labradorite and that the high alkali contents of these rocks are manifested in the mode by interstitial alkali feldspar. Initial volcanism in early and middle Oligocene time was predominantly andesitic and was succeeded in late Oligocene and Miocene time by a suite of basalt, basaltic andesite, and andesite. On the basis of field relationships, the Oligocene andesite is interpreted as primary magmas, whereas younger andesite is differentiates of basaltic magma. Finally, only basaltic volcanism occurred in Pliocene time. The change in volcanism from intermediate to mafic is similar to the general trends of middle Cenozoic volcanism in the western United States. Compositional changes may have been related to physical changes in a subduction regime beneath New Mexico and progressive devolatilization.
Frequency, cause and effect on operative outcome of depressed left ventricular ejection fraction in mitral stenosis

Abstract To assess the incidence, pathophysiology and influence on operative outcome of a depressed left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) in patients with mitral stenosis (MS), demographic, hemodynamic and cineangiographic data on 72 patients (16 men, 56 women, aged 19 to 75 years) with isolated MS were reviewed. 0f the 45 who had mitral commissurotomy or replacement, operative course and functional class before and after surgery were assessed. Of the 72 patients, 21(29%) had an LVEF 50.50. These 21 were similar to the 51 with an LVEF >0.50 in age, gender, heart rate, intracardiac pressures, transvalvular gradient and valve area, but they had larger LV end-diastolic (79 ± 19 [mean ± SD] vs 59 ± 15 ml/m 2 , p 2 , p . 0.50.
Clinical review: Riedel's thyroiditis: a clinical review.

Context: Riedel's thyroiditis is a rare inflammatory process involving the thyroid and surrounding cervical tissues and is associated with various forms of systemic fibrosis. Riedel's presentation is complex, including a thyroid mass associated with local symptoms, characteristic biochemical abnormalities such as hypocalcemia and hypothyroidism, as well as the involvement of a wide range of other organ systems. Diagnosis of Riedel's thyroiditis requires histopathological confirmation, but due to high complication rates, the role of surgical intervention is limited to airway decompression and diagnostic tissue retrieval. Unique among processes of the thyroid, Riedel's is commonly treated with long-term antiinflammatory medications to arrest progression and maintain a symptom-free course. Due to its rarity, Riedel's may not be immediately diagnosed, so clinicians benefit from recognizing the constellation of findings that should make prompt diagnosis possible. Evidence Acquisition: A review of print and ele...
Purification and Characterization of an Isolate of Apple Mosaic Virus from Rose in the USA

An isolate of apple mosaic virus, designated ApMV-J, was isolated from rose cv. Sweet Surrender in New York State, USA. Mechanical transmission of ApMV-J from rose to cucumber was facilitated by preparing inocula with 0.03 M sodium phosphate buffer containing 0.02 M 2-mercap-toethanol and 1 % polyvinylpyrolidone. Catharanthus roseus cv. Little Linda was a good virus maintenance host and Cucumis sativus cv. Lemon a good propagation host. Contaminating host proteins were substantially reduced by including polyethylene glycol in the purification protocol. Purified virus had high A260/280 nm values and contained virus particles of c 25—26 nm in diameter; most particles were isometric but a few were bacilliform. The M.Wts. of the four nucleic acids of ApMV-J, determined in non-denaturing and denaturing agarose gels, were estimated at 1.16, 0.98, 0.68 and 0.35 × 106 and 1.0, 0.91, 0.66 and 0.35 × 106, respectively. The viral coat protein M. Wt. was estimated to be 27 kDa.
Structure of the covalently bound flavin of monoamine oxidase.

Abstract Flavin peptides derived from monoamine oxidase, free from succinate dehydrogenase flavin, were obtained by digestion of outer membranes of beef liver mitochondria with trypsin and chymotrypsin and purification by various chromatographic methods. The flavin peptides show the same hypsochromic shift of the optical absorption spectrum as flavin peptides from succinate dehydrogenase: the 370 mμ band of the neutral oxidized flavin is shifted to 340 mμ, whereas the cation shows a peak at 370 mμ. The ESR spectrum of the monoamine oxidase flavin cation radical also resembles that of succinate dehydrogenase flavin in that the total width is reduced from 49 G (in riboflavin) to at least 45 G, and the line width from 3.8 G (in riboflavin) to 2.3 G. The covalently bound flavins of monoamine oxidase and succinate dehydrogenase differ, however, in that the former shows the same fluorescence intensity between pH 3.4 and 8, while the latter is quenched with a pK of 4.5 ± 0.1. These observations indicate that the FAD of monoamine oxidase is covalently linked to the peptide chain through the 8α-CH 3 group of riboflavin but histidine is not the immediate substituent, as in succinate dehydrogenase. Hydrolysis of flavin peptides from monoamine oxidase in 6 N HCl at 95° yields a derivative chromatographically distinct from free flavins which is ninhydrin-positive and thus contains an amino acid bound to the 8α-position.
Effect of selected denervations on glycoconjugate composition and tissue morphology during the initiation phase of limb regeneration in adult Ambystoma.

This study was undertaken to assess the effects of various quantities of neural tissue on the temporal relationship of matrix glycoconjugates to the regeneration morphology. 1) Denervation before amputation revealed that a threshold level of nervous tissue was necessary to activate a regeneration response from the tissue, i.e., appearance of regeneration-specific morphologies and glycoconjugates. 2) Denervation after amputation demonstrated that the level of neural tissue necessary to maintain these responses was below the level necessary to activate the regeneration response. If neural tissue was completely removed there was a concomitant loss of regenerate morphologies and glycoconjugates. 3) Bilateral amputation of a neurogenically intact limb and its completely denervated contralateral limb revealed that the regeneration response was a localized phenomenon during the first 30 days after amputation. After 30 days the regeneration response appeared within the previously degenerated denervating limb. The results suggest that the factors controlling the regenerative response in adult Ambystoma are large diffusible substances that can be transported by the circulation and can affect the regenerative response in remote, previously activated, tissues.
Functional and pharmacological differences between two types of gaba receptor on embryonic chick sensory neurons

Embryonic chick sensory neurons grown in dissociated cell culture exhibit two functional responses to GABA: an increase in resting membrane permeability to chloride (Cl) ions (resulting in membrane depolarization) and a decrease in voltage-dependent calcium (Ca) channel current (resulting in a decreased action potential duration). These two functional effects differ in a number of ways. (1) The increase in resting membrane permeability desensitizes in the maintained presence of GABA, while the decrease in action potential duration does not. (2) Muscimol is a selective agonist for the increase in resting conductance, while baclofen is a selective agonist for the decrease in action potential duration. (3) Bicuculline inhibits the GABA- or muscimol-induced increase in Cl permeability, but it does not block the GABA- or baclofen-induced decrease in action potential duration. These functional and pharmacological differences between the two effects of GABA suggest that two separate receptors are involved.
The CMS dataset bookkeeping service

The CMS Dataset Bookkeeping Service (DBS) has been developed to catalog all CMS event data from Monte Carlo and Detector sources. It provides the ability to identify MC or trigger source, track data provenance, construct datasets for analysis, and discover interesting data. CMS requires processing and analysis activities at various service levels and the DBS system provides support for localized processing or private analysis, as well as global access for CMS users at large. Catalog entries can be moved among the various service levels with a simple set of migration tools, thus forming a loose federation of databases. DBS is available to CMS users via a Python API, Command Line, and a Discovery web page interfaces. The system is built as a multi-tier web application with Java servlets running under Tomcat, with connections via JDBC to Oracle or MySQL database backends. Clients connect to the service through HTTP or HTTPS with authentication provided by GRID certificates and authorization through VOMS. DBS is an integral part of the overall CMS Data Management and Workflow Management systems.
TNM/Okuda/Barcelona/UNOS/CLIP International Multidisciplinary Classification of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: concepts, perspectives, and radiologic implications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health problem worldwide. Moreover, the liver cancer field is evolving rapidly, with early diagnosis, new therapies, and a better understanding of HCC's biology and development. Accurate staging is important for determining prognosis and selecting the most appropriate treatment for each patient. Surgical intervention remains the most effective treatment for HCC and is the only potentially curative modality. However, in HCC patients, overall survival is also independently affected by underlying liver disease and cirrhosis, which in turn affect the applicability and efficacy of treatment. Although several staging classification and prognostic scoring systems have been proposed for determining the stage and prognosis of HCC, no consensus exists on the best classification method. The most common staging classification systems include tumor-node-metastasis stage, Okuda staging, Cancer of the Liver Italian Program score, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging classification, the French, the Chinese University Prognostic Index, Japanese Integrated Scoring, and the Tokyo score. Radiologists should be aware of the different staging classification systems for HCC and familiar with the system relevant to their respective referring clinicians, as it will provide pertinent radiological evaluation for multidisciplinary management.
Fundamental solutions of some degenerate operators

Abstract In this paper we modify the usual series computation for a parametrix of an elliptic operator and find a method that is applicable to some simple degenerate operators. In fact, we are able to construct fundamental solutions for operators such as D x + ixD y and D x 2 + x 2 D y 2 + cD y which explain the lack of local solvability in a natural way.
Mariner Mars 1964 telemetry and command system

Mariner Mars 1964 spacecraft telecommunication system noting radio, telemetry and command subsystems
Prostacyclin: a potent stimulator of adrenal steroidogenesis.

Abstract The relative potencies of various prostaglandins were investigated in trypsin-dispersed cat adrenocortical cells. Prostacyclin proved to be the most potent steroidogenic prostaglandin, being 100–1000 times more potent than PGE2. This stimulant effect of prostacyclin was only partially dependent upon the presence of extracellular calcium and was associated with increased levels of cyclic AMP. These data suggest a possible role for prostacyclin in corticosteroidogenesis.
Acquired supravalvular pulmonary stenosis due to extrinsic compression by a metastatic thymic carcinoid tumor.

Acquired pulmonary artery stenosis is rare. There are two main types, firstly intrinsic disease of the pulmonary valve itself, such as carcinoid heart disease. Secondly, extrinsic compression of the pulmonary artery from a mediastinal structure. We report a case of acquired pulmonary supravalvular stenosis due to extrinsic compression by a carcinoid mediastinal tumor, confirmed by echocardiographic imaging/Doppler interrogation and computerized tomography.
The Impact of CACREP Accreditation: A Multiway Frequency Analysis of Ethics Violations and Sanctions

The impact of CACREP accreditation on counselor competency has received little empirical investigation. Differences in the frequency and type of ethical misconduct between graduates of CACREP-accredited and non-CACREP-accredited counselor education programs were investigated. Results of a multiway frequency analysis indicated that fully licensed graduates of CACREP-accredited programs were sanctioned for ethical misconduct significantly less frequently than were graduates of non-CACREP-accredited programs. Additionally, the accreditation factor was among the highest-ranking parameter estimates of expected cell frequencies.
Optical properties of metal nanoparticles and nanoparticle aggregates important in biosensors

Abstract This article describes recent advances in electrodynamics theory that are being used to describe the extinction spectra of noble metal nanoparticles and of aggregates of nanoparticles. In one application we have extended the finite element discrete dipole approximation theory to the description of nonspherical metal particles, including the substrate on which they are sitting. In another application, we have developed a new dynamic effective medium approximation for the description of aggregates of spherical gold nanoparticles that are linked using DNA.
264: Mode of delivery and neonatal outcomes in breech second twins

TWINS ADRIAN QUESADA ROJAS, MATTHEW HOFFMAN, JENNY BENSON, ANTHONY SCISCIONE, Christiana Care Health System, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Newark, Delaware, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, Delaware OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine whether mode of delivery for a breechpresenting second twin affected neonatal outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study of women delivering twins at a gestational age 24 weeks at our tertiary care teaching hospital between 1998 and 2003. Two separate analyses were conducted comparing vaginally delivered breech second twins versus:1)Women who had a breech twin at the time of cesarean delivery. 2) All women who under went cesarean delivery regardless of the presentation of the second twin. Twins who had growth discordance 20% or a fetal malformation were excluded. Our primary outcome was a composite morbidity index including fetal death and IVH grade 3 & 4. Secondary outcomes were Apgar score and NICU admission. RESULTS: A total of 230 women were studied,151 delivering by Cesarean and 79 vaginally. Maternal characteristics were similar in the two groups. The first analysis, revealed no statistical differences in the primary outcome variable between the two groups (5.06% for the vaginal and 4.64% for the cesarean, p-value 1.0). All secondary outcomes were similar with the exception of the Apgar score at 1 minute (vaginal 7 vs. cesarean 8 -p value 0.026). Five minute Apgar scores were not different. In the second analysis, there were no significant differences when the analysis was broadened to include all women who underwent a cesarean delivery regardless of the presentation (312 patients) and compared to those who underwent vaginal breech delivery, comparable results were obtained. CONCLUSION: Mode of delivery did not affect neonatal outcomes in second twins in the breech presentation.
Identifying the Local Impacts of National ATE Centers on Their Host Institutions: An Exploratory Study

The purpose of this study is to identify the local impacts of national advanced technological education (ATE) centers on their host institutions. A sample of three mature, national ATE centers are ...
Factors of Insulin Resistance Syndrome–Related Phenotypes Are Linked to Genetic Locations on Chromosomes 6 and 7 in Nondiabetic Mexican-Americans

Insulin resistance syndrome (IRS)-related phenotypes, such as hyperinsulinemia, obesity-related traits, impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, tend to cluster into factors. We attempted to identify loci influencing the factors of IRS-related phenotypes using phenotypic data from 261 nondiabetic subjects distributed across 27 low-income Mexican-American extended families. Principal component factor analyses were performed using eight IRS-related phenotypes: fasting glucose (FG), fasting specific insulin (FSI), BMI, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), HDL cholesterol, ln triglycerides (ln TGs), and leptin (LEP). The factor analysis yielded three factors: factor 1 (BMI, LEP, and FSI), factor 2 (DBP and SBP), and factor 3 (HDL and ln TG). We conducted multipoint variance components linkage analyses on these factors with the program SOLAR using a 10--15 cM map. We found significant evidence for linkage of factor 1 to two regions on chromosome 6 near markers D6S403 (logarithm of odds [LOD] = 4.2) and D6S264 (LOD = 4.9). We also found strong evidence for linkage of factor 3 to a genetic location on chromosome 7 between markers D7S479 and D7S471 (LOD = 3.2). In conclusion, we found substantial evidence for susceptibility loci on chromosomes 6 and 7 that appear to influence the factors representing the IRS-related phenotypes in Mexican-Americans.
First report of a vaginal foreign body perforating into the retroperitoneum

Pelvic examination of a 19-year-old woman with recurrent pain after multiple laparotomies revealed a 4.0 cm paracervical fibroepithelial polyp and tender fullness in the left pelvis. Abdominal exploration had normal findings, but exploration of the retroperitoneum revealed an encysted bottle cap that had eroded through the vaginal wall years before.
“Hayekian Socialism, Post Critics”

An economic system with labor cooperatives, private ownership, and a basic capital grant or universal basic income is a form of market socialism that can withstand Hayek's critique.
A Mercury Pendulum Seismometer

Summary A long-period mercury pendulum seismometer has been developed at the Seismological Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. The devices are presently operational in several locations throughout the world. The instruments exhibit extremely good sensitivity, stability, and signal to noise ratios in the 0.02-0.001 Hz range. Seismic waves of 3 × 10−4 Hz and tilts of a few parts in 10−11 radians have been observed.
Imagining Strawberry Fields as a place of pilgrimage

This paper examines the significance of Strawberry Fields, the memorial to John Lennon in Central Park, New York City, as a place of secular pilgrimage. Situated within postmodern conceptualizations of secular pilgrimage, Strawberry Fields is shown to be the spatial focus of a variety of discourses related to John Lennon's life and music. Furthermore, this paper illustrates how autobiography as a qualitative research method can reveal the sentiments that motivate particular pilgrims to places associated with major figures in popular music.
Identifying Armed Respondents to Domestic Violence Restraining Orders and Recovering Their Firearms: Process Evaluation of an Initiative in California

Objectives. We evaluated a law enforcement initiative to screen respondents to domestic violence restraining orders for firearm ownership or possession and recover their firearms. Methods. The initiative was implemented in San Mateo and Butte counties in California from 2007 through 2010. We used descriptive methods to evaluate the screening process and recovery effort in each county, relying on records for individual cases. Results. Screening relied on an archive of firearm transactions, court records, and petitioner interviews; no single source was adequate. Screening linked 525 respondents (17.7%) in San Mateo County to firearms; 405 firearms were recovered from 119 (22.7%) of them. In Butte County, 88 (31.1%) respondents were linked to firearms; 260 firearms were recovered from 45 (51.1%) of them. Nonrecovery occurred most often when orders were never served or respondents denied having firearms. There were no reports of serious violence or injury. Conclusions. Recovering firearms from persons subject to domestic violence restraining orders is possible. We have identified design and implementation changes that may improve the screening process and the yield from recovery efforts. Larger implementation trials are needed. (Am J Public Health. 2014;104: e113‐e118. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2013.301484)
PECAM‐1 isoform‐specific activation of MAPK/ERKs and small GTPases: Implications in inflammation and angiogenesis

Platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1/CD31) is expressed on the surface of endothelial cells (EC) and leukocytes. PECAM-1 plays an important role in endothelial-leukocyte and endothelial-endothelial cell-cell interactions. The anti-PECAM-1 antibody-mediated blockade of these interactions inhibits transendothelial migration (TEM) of leukocytes and angiogenesis. PECAM-1 may accommodate these processes through the regulation of cell adhesive and migratory mechanisms. How PECAM-1 regulates these dynamic processes remain unknown. Here we show that PECAM-1 transduces outside-in signals, which activate MAPK/ERKs and small GTPases. This occurs through PECAM-1-mediated formation of intracellular-signaling complexes, Shc/Grb2/SOS1 and/or Crkl/C3G, which is initiated by PECAM-1 engagement on the surface of leukocytes and/or EC. Src, SHP2, and alternative PECAM-1 pre-mRNA splicing play a regulatory role in these signaling events. Our findings reveal that PECAM-1 engagement on the cell surface can transduce "outside-in" signals and activate MAPK/ERKs and small GTPases, impacting both cadherin-mediated cell-cell and integrin-mediated cell-matrix interactions. Thus, we propose PECAM-1 is an important mediator of vascular barrier and regulator of leukocyte and EC adhesion and migration.
Comments on PMS BDD generation in "A BDD-based algorithm for Reliability Analysis of phased-mission systems

This paper discusses some of the difficulties in the paper: "A BDD-based algorithm for reliability analysis of phased-mission systems" by X. Zang, H. Sun, and K. S. Trivedi.
Symmetries, conservation laws and variational principles for vector field theories†

The interplay between symmetries, conservation laws, and variational principles is a rich and varied one and extends well beyond the classical Noether's theorem. Recall that Noether's first theorem asserts that to every r dimensional Lie algebra of (generalized) symmetries of a variational problem there are r conserved quantities for the corresponding Euler-Lagrange equations. Noether's second theorem asserts that infinite dimensional symmetry algebras (depending upon arbitrary functions of all the independent variables) lead to differential identities for the Euler-Lagrange equations.
Variable selection by perfect sampling

Variable selection is very important in many fields, and for its resolution many procedures have been proposed and investigated. Among them are Bayesian methods that use Markov chain Monte-Carlo (MCMC) sampling algorithms. A problem with MCMC sampling, however, is that it cannot guarantee that the samples are exactly from the target distributions. This drawback is overcome by related methods known as perfect sampling algorithms. In this paper, we propose the use of two perfect sampling algorithms to perform variable selection within the Bayesian framework. They are the sandwiched coupling from the past (CFTP) algorithm and the Gibbs coupler. We focus our attention to scenarios where the model coefficients and noise variance are known. We indicate the condition under which the sandwiched CFTP can be applied. Most importantly, we design a detailed scheme to adapt the Gibbs coupler algorithm to variable selection. In addition, we discuss the possibilities of applying perfect sampling when the model coefficients and noise variance are unknown. Test results that show the performance of the algorithms are provided.