cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The CELIOtomy Risk Score: An effort to minimize futile surgery with analysis of early postoperative mortality after emergency laparotomy.

Abstract Background Emergency surgical services often encounter patients with generalized peritonitis. Difficult perioperative decisions impact morbidity, mortality, cost, and utilization of hospital resources. The ability to preoperatively predict patient nonsurvival despite surgical intervention using clinical physiologic indicators was the aim of this study and would be helpful in counseling patients/families. Methods A retrospective cohort from an institutional database was queried for nontrauma patients with peritonitis undergoing emergency laparotomy from 2012 to 2016. Time to mortality after surgery was compared: early (≤72 hours) versus late (>72 hours) and no death. Results After 534 emergency laparotomies, there were 74 (13.9%) mortalities. Of these, death occurred early (≤72 hours) after surgery in 28 (37.8%) patients and late (>72 hours) in 46 (62.2%). Early death patients had a significantly more deranged physiology, as evidenced by higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores (mean 28.1 ± 8.4 vs 22.9 ± 8.7, P = .01), worse acute kidney injury (preoperative creatinine 3.7 ± 3.2 vs 1.9 ± 1.4, P = .001), and greater level of acidosis (pH 7.19 ± 0.12 vs 7.27 ± 0.13, P = .017). Additionally, preoperative lactate was significantly increased in patients with early mortality (6.8 ± 4.1 vs 5.1 ± 4.0, P = .045). Using logarithmic regression, a nomogram was constructed using age, Glasgow Coma Scale, lactate, creatinine, and pH. This nomogram had an area under the curve of 0.908 on receiver operator curve analysis. A score of 13 equates to greater than 50% risk of early mortality after surgery. Conclusion Early mortality (≤72 hours after emergency laparotomy) is associated with decreased pH, elevated creatinine, and elevated lactate. These factors combined into the nomogram constructed may assist surgical teams with patient and family discussions to prevent futile surgical interventions.
GeMini: A High-Resolution, Low-Resource, Gamma-Ray Spectrometer for Planetary Science Applications

GeMini is a high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometer designed for planetary-science exploration. GeMini serves as the basis for instruments being flown on three upcoming deep-space missions: NASA’s mission to the M-class asteroid (16) Psyche, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency sample-return mission to the moons of Mars, and NASA’s Dragonfly mission that will land on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. These science missions require high-resolution spectroscopy in a low-power, low-mass, rugged design that can survive in a variety of environments. GeMini addresses these needs by providing a cryogenically cooled crystal of high-purity germanium that can operate with as little as 10 to 20 watts, depending on the implementation and mission, and has a mass of less than 2 kg. GeMini helps determine the elemental composition of planetary bodies by measuring gamma rays emitted from the surface. This paper describes the mechanical, thermal, and electrical design of GeMini as well as its performance. It also describes testing that was performed to validate the design with respect to launch loads and radiation damage. Although the basic design of GeMini is common to all three missions, each planetary body has unique environmental conditions and mission specifications. This paper concludes by describing these upcoming missions and how GeMini is customized for each.
Monetary Policy Effects on the Stock Market in China: Comparing Two Restriction Schemes in the SVAR Model

This paper analyzes and compares the effects of the monetary policy on the stock price in China based on SVAR models with two different restriction schemes. As suggested by existing literature, the...
Altered Fast Synaptic Transmission in a Mouse Model of DNM1-Associated Developmental Epileptic Encephalopathy.

Developmental epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) are severe seizure disorders that occur in infants and young children, characterized by developmental delay, cognitive decline, and early mortality. Recent efforts have identified a wide variety of genetic variants that cause DEEs. Among these, variants in the DNM1 gene have emerged as definitive causes of DEEs, including infantile spasms and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. A mouse model of Dnm1-associated DEE, known as “Fitful” (Dnm1Ftfl), recapitulates key features of the disease, including spontaneous seizures, early lethality, and neuronal degeneration. Previous work showed that DNM1 is a key regulator of synaptic vesicle (SV) endocytosis and synaptic transmission, and suggested that inhibitory neurotransmission may be more reliant on DNM1 function than excitatory transmission. The Dnm1Ftfl variant is thought to encode a dominant negative DNM1 protein, however, the effects of the Dnm1Ftfl variant on synaptic transmission are largely unknown. To understand these synaptic effects, we recorded from pairs of cultured mouse cortical neurons and characterized all four major connection types (E-E, E-I, I-E, I-I). Miniature and spontaneous EPSCs and IPSCs were larger, but less frequent, at all Dnm1Ftfl synaptic types, and Dnm1Ftfl neurons had reduced expression of excitatory and inhibitory SV markers. Baseline evoked transmission, however, was reduced only at inhibitory synapses onto excitatory neurons, due to a smaller pool of releasable SVs. In addition to these synaptic alterations, Dnm1Ftfl neurons degenerated later in development, even though their activity levels were reduced, suggesting that Dnm1Ftfl may impair synaptic transmission and neuronal health through distinct mechanisms. Significance Statement Recent work has identified genetic variants in DNM1 as among the more common causes of developmental epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs), but the physiological consequences of its mutation are unclear. Here, we make use of an in vitro model of Dnm1-associated DEE to determine the effects of a Dnm1 variant on the four main cortical synapse types. The variant caused both synapse-specific and synapse-wide alterations, and decreased neuronal activity. Despite this, neurons still degenerated after two weeks in vitro, suggesting that neuronal degeneration in these mice may be independent of seizures, and that stopping seizures may do little to mitigate key features of DEEs.
Legislative Diversity and the Rise of Women Lobbyists

Despite a growing body of literature examining the consequences of women’s inclusion among lobbyists, our understanding of the factors that lead to women’s initial emergence in the profession is li...
Individual differences in neuroanatomy and neurophysiology predict effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation.

Abstract Background Noninvasive transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) research has been plagued with inconsistent effects. Recent work has suggested neuroanatomical and neurophysiological variability may alter tES efficacy. However, direct evidence is limited. Objective We have previously replicated effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on improving multitasking ability in young adults. Here, we attempt to assess whether these stimulation parameters have comparable effects in older adults (aged 60–80 years), which is a population known to have greater variability in neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. It is hypothesized that this variability in neuroanatomy and neurophysiology will be predictive of tACS efficacy. Methods We conducted a pre-registered study where tACS was applied above the prefrontal cortex (between electrodes F3-F4) while participants were engaged in multitasking. Participants were randomized to receive either 6-Hz (theta) tACS for 26.67 min daily for three days (80 min total; Long Exposure Theta group), 6-Hz tACS for 5.33 min daily (16-min total; Short Exposure Theta group), or 1-Hz tACS for 26.67 min (80 min total; Control group). To account for neuroanatomy, magnetic resonance imaging data was used to form individualized models of the tACS-induced electric field (EF) within the brain. To account for neurophysiology, electroencephalography data was used to identify individual peak theta frequency. Results Results indicated that only in the Long Theta group, performance change was correlated with modeled EF and peak theta frequency. Together, modeled EF and peak theta frequency accounted for 54%–65% of the variance in tACS-related performance improvements, which sustained for a month. Conclusion These results demonstrate the importance of individual differences in neuroanatomy and neurophysiology in tACS research and help account for inconsistent effects across studies.
Recasting brain-machine interface design from a physical control system perspective

With the goal of improving the quality of life for people suffering from various motor control disorders, brain-machine interfaces provide direct neural control of prosthetic devices by translating neural signals into control signals. These systems act by reading motor intent signals directly from the brain and using them to control, for example, the movement of a cursor on a computer screen. Over the past two decades, much attention has been devoted to the decoding problem: how should recorded neural activity be translated into the movement of the cursor? Most approaches have focused on this problem from an estimation standpoint, i.e., decoders are designed to return the best estimate of motor intent possible, under various sets of assumptions about how the recorded neural signals represent motor intent. Here we recast the decoder design problem from a physical control system perspective, and investigate how various classes of decoders lead to different types of physical systems for the subject to control. This framework leads to new interpretations of why certain types of decoders have been shown to perform better than others. These results have implications for understanding how motor neurons are recruited to perform various tasks, and may lend insight into the brain's ability to conceptualize artificial systems.
The Coliform mastitis enigma

Milking equipment has long been implicated in mastitis, and its role in causing or avoiding mastitis and teat lesions will be discussed by Drs. Thompson, Sagie, Hamann and Sieber. The very interesting report of Heckman and Noorlander show by electron microscopy that minute imperfections in the surface of inflations may harbor coliform and other bacteria. When to this list of contributors we add those of Drs. van den Heever and Saran we can really look with optimism toward new understanding and new knowledge of technology to reduce mastitis problems of all kinds. Several reports have suggested that bedding coliform populations are an important factor predisposing to coliform mastitis. With this background I wish to discuss observations, materials and methods made by Dr. E. J. Carroll and myself on several dairies typical of our area of California and which we have reported to the National Mastitis Council.
James Parakilas, The Story of Opera

Review of a sociological approach to opera history: introducing readers to the experience of going to an opera as well as explaining some of the stories that operas tell.
Level structure of Nd-140

The structure of $^{140}\mathrm{Nd}$ has been studied via the $^{126}\mathrm{Te}$${(}^{18}$O,4n${)}^{140}$Nd and $^{128}\mathrm{Te}$${(}^{16}$O,4n${)}^{140}$Nd reactions at beam energies from 64 to 76 MeV and 72 to 76 MeV, respectively. In beam \ensuremath{\gamma}-ray spectroscopy techniques, including \ensuremath{\gamma}-ray excitation functions, \ensuremath{\gamma}-\ensuremath{\gamma} coincidences, and \ensuremath{\gamma}-ray angular distribution measurements, were used to construct a level scheme up to J=17 at an excitation energy of 6411 keV. Definite parity assignments were made up to the ${11}^{+}$ state. Two-particle configurations were calculated with a shell model and a modified surface delta interaction.
Chapter 155 – Malaria

This chapter deals with malaria causing parasites and vectors. Malaria is a pyrogenic (fever-producing) disease caused by infection with one of four species of parasitic protozoa in the genus Plasmodium and is the most important arthropod-transmitted pathogen in the world today, in terms of numbers of cases, deaths, and economic burden. Acquired from the bite of an infective Anopheles mosquito or from infected blood products, malarial parasites continue to suppress development in Africa and parts of Asia and are emerging as a critical health issue in tropical Central and South America. Four species vivax, m ovale, malariae, and falciparum may be identified, in part, by clinical symptoms such as the pattern of fever and chills, morphology, and staining characteristics of the parasite within red blood cells, antigenic properties determined by serology, or genetic sequence. Only female mosquitoes in the genus Anopheles serve as definitive hosts for the four species of human malarial parasites. Of these, species in the subgenus Cellia account for most of the current global transmission and include members of the Anopheles gambiae complex ( gambiae , arabiensis ) and An. funestus in sub-Saharan Africa, and the An. culicifacies complex, An. fl uviatilis complex, An. stephensi , and An. minimus in Asia. Historically, the An. maculipennis complex was important in the Mediterranean and Europe, whereas species in other subgenera such as An. darlingi and An. albitaris have been responsible for the resurgence of malaria in South America.
Talking shop - linking training to factory indicators

Mean time to repair, mean time to repeat failure/repair, time to first failure after PM (preventative maintenance), and tool availability - the need to link these topics to training and other performance interventions is becoming paramount. How do we know that the time a technician spends in training (or other performance intervention) is worth it? As Intel continuously strives for improvement, departments are asked to prove their impact in terms of business/factory pay-offs. This paper discusses a successful project at Intel in which training was evaluated in terms of equipment indicator improvements, namely: average availability increase across AWX (Automated Wet Station/Bench) tools of 4.25% (which equated /spl sim/8 additional hours of production time/week).Variation in availability declined by an average 4.4% across the AWX tools.
HRTEM of microcrystalline opal in chert and porcelanite from the Monterey Formation, California

Microcrystalline opal was investigated using low-dose transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods to identify microstructural characteristics and possible phase-transformation mechanisms that accommodate silica diagenesis. High-resolution TEM (HRTEM) revealed that microcrystalline opal in opal-CT chert (>90 wt% silica) and opal-CT porcelanite (50-90 wt% silica) from the Miocene Monterey Formation of California displays various amounts of structural disorder and coherent and incoherent lamellar intergrowths. Species of microfibrous opal identified by HRTEM in early-formed opal-CT chert include length-slow opal-C and unidimensionally disordered length-slow opal-CT ({open_quotes}lussatite{close_quotes}). These fibers often display a microstructure characterized by an aperiodic distribution of highly strained domains that separate ordered domains located at discrete positions along the direction of the fiber axes. Microfibrous opal occurs as several types of fiber-aggregation forms. TEM revealed that the siliceous matrix in later-formed opal-CT porcelanite consists of equidimensional, nanometer-size opal-CT crystallites and lussatite fibers. Pseudo-orthorhombic tridymite (PO-2) was identified by HRTEM in one sample of opal-CT porcelanite. Burial diagenesis of chert and porcelanite results in the precipitation of opal-C and the epitaxial growth of opal-C domains on opal-CT substrates. Diagenetic maturation of lussatite was identified by TEM in banded opal-CT-quartz chert to occur as a result of solid-state ordering. The primary diagenetic silica phase transformationsmore » between noncrystalline opal, microcrystalline opal, and quartz occur predominantly by a series of dissolution-precipitation reactions. However, TEM showed that in banded opal-CT-quartz chert, the epitaxial growth of quartz on microfibrous opal enhances the rate of silica diagenesis.« less
Magnetic phase transitions and ferromagnetic short-range correlations in single-crystal Tb5Si2.2Ge1.8

Magnetic phase transitions in a ${\text{Tb}}_{5}{\text{Si}}_{2.2}{\text{Ge}}_{1.8}$ single crystal have been studied as a function of temperature and magnetic field. Magnetic-field dependencies of the critical temperatures are highly anisotropic for both the main magnetic ordering process occurring around 120 K and a spin reorientation transition at $\ensuremath{\sim}70\text{ }\text{K}$. Magnetic-field-induced phase transitions occur with the magnetic field applied isothermally along the $a$ and $b$ axes (but not along the $c$ axis) between 1.8 and 70 K in fields below 70 kOe. Strong anisotropic thermal irreversibility is observed in the Griffiths phase regime between 120 and 200 K with applied fields ranging from 10 to 1000 Oe. Our data (1) show that the magnetic and structural phase transitions around 120 K are narrowly decoupled; (2) uncover the anisotropy of ferromagnetic short-range order in the Griffiths phase; and (3) reveal some unusual magnetic domain effects in the long-range ordered state of the ${\text{Tb}}_{5}{\text{Si}}_{2.2}{\text{Ge}}_{1.8}$ compound. The temperature-magnetic field phase diagrams with field applied along the three major crystallographic directions have been constructed.
Rat adrenocortical carcinoma 494: An integrated structural, stereological, and biochemical analysis†

Snell adrenocortical tumor 494 was implanted into male Sprague-Dawley rats and recovered 7, 14, 21, 28 or 35 days following initial detection by palpation (7-10 days following transplantation). Electron microscopic, stereological and biochemical analyses of the tumor were compared to adrenals of normal animals to serve as a baseline for further studies of the effects of chemotherapeutic agents on tumor cells. Tumor cells possessed oval or elongated mitochondrial profiles with tubular cristae, one or two very large (greater than 5 micrometer) lipid droplets, abundant ribosomes and coated vesicles, and sparse rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum. Stereologic evaluation revealed that tumor lipid volume was 41% and mitochondrial volume 29% that of the normal adrenal controls. Tumor nuclei were 2.5 times larger than adrenocortical nuclei while cellular volumes were similar. On a net weight basis, tumor cholesterol was 55%, cholesterol ester 2.2%, and lipid phosphate 25% of respective mean values for normal adrenal glands. The tumor cholesterol: cholesterol ester ratio progressively decreased with time but remained 18-fold greater than the normal adrenal. Plasma corticosterone levels in tumor-bearing rats were elevated 3-fold by 14 days and initial detection. The adrenals of the tumor-bearing host exhibited marked involution, the extent of which was directly related to tumor size.
Some Applications of Coupled Mode Analysis to Active Guided Wave Devices

Some Applications of Coupled Mode Analysis to Active Guided Wave DevicesJames F. LotspeichHughes Research Laboratories3011 Malibu Canyon. Road, Malibu, California 90265AbstractIn an active guided wave medium, the solutions of Maxwell's wave equation, with adriving polarization that is electrooptically induced, may be attained through a derivedset of first -order coupled -mode equations that provide a powerful formalism for solving thetransfer characteristics of a variety of integrated optics control devices. This paper willpresent the results of such application to two important interactions in guided wavestructures: electrooptic tunable filtering and single -sideband frequency translation.IntroductionIn the domain of integrated optics and optical communications, electrical control ofoptical power or frequency and electrical switching of optical channels represent importantbasic functions. To design efficient control devices, one needs to be able to predictanalytically their performance characteristics with reasonable accuracy. In the context ofguided waves, the coupled mode formalism,1 -3 which has its genesis in Maxwell's waveequation, provides that capability. To the extent that we can express the modalcharacteristics of a given waveguide structure, and any applied electric field, withfunctional accuracy, the coupled mode approach is in general quite tractable and wellserving.Following a brief discussion of the general theory, with representations of the variousfield components, both optical and electrical, we will develop the analysis in detail fortwo specific cases of interest, namely, optical filtering via wavelength -selective TE±->TMmode conversion, and single -sideband optical frequency translation using a rotating electricfield method. In the former case, some experimental data are presented for comparison.TheoryWe are concerned with the electrooptically induced transfer of power between twoorthogonal optical fields, 21 and E2, by the action of an electric field component, 4.These fields are represented in their most general form as follows:El -
Low-efficiency gratings for third-harmonic diagnostics applications

The baseline design of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) calls for sampling gratings to provide third-harmonic energy diagnostics in the highly constrained area of the target chamber. These 40 {times} 4O cm transmission gratings are to diffract at (order +1) nominally 0.3% of the incident 351 run light at a small angle on to a focusing mirror and into a calorimeter. The design calls for a plane grating of 500 lines/mm, and approximately 30 run deep, etched into a fused silica focusing lens and subsequently overcoated with a solgel anti reflective coating. Gratings of similar aperture and feature size have been produced for other applications by ion etching processes, but, in an effort to reduce substantially the cost of such optics, we are studying the feasibility of making these gratings by wet chemical etching techniques. Experimentation with high-quality fused silica substrates on 5 and 15 cm. scale has led to a wet etching process which can meet the design goals and which offers no significant scaleup barriers to full sized optics. The grating is produced by holographic exposure and a series of processing steps using only a photoresist mask and a final hydrofluoric acid etch. Gratings on 15 cm diameter test substrates exhibit absolute diffraction efficiencies from 0.2--0.4% with a standard deviation of about 15% of the mean over the full aperture. The efficiency variation is due to variation in linewidth caused by spatial nonuniformities in exposure energy. Uniformity improvements can be realized by using a smaller, more uniform portion of the exposure beam and exposing for longer times. The laser damage threshold for these gratings has been measured at LLNL and found to be identical to that of the fused silica substrate.
Jerry Fodor on non-conceptual content

Proponents of non-conceptual content have recruited it for various philosophical jobs. Some epistemologists have suggested that it may play the role of “the given” that Sellars is supposed to have exorcised from philosophy. Some philosophers of mind (e.g., Dretske) have suggested that it plays an important role in the project of naturalizing semantics as a kind of halfway between merely information bearing and possessing conceptual content. Here I will focus on a recent proposal by Jerry Fodor. In a recent paper he characterizes non-conceptual content in a particular way and argues that it is plausible that it plays an explanatory role in accounting for certain auditory and visual phenomena. So he thinks that there is reason to believe that there is non-conceptual content. On the other hand, Fodor thinks that non-conceptual content has a limited role. It occurs only in the very early stages of perceptual processing prior to conscious awareness. My paper is examines Fodor’s characterization of non-conceptual content and his claims for its explanatory importance. I also discuss if Fodor has made a case for limiting non-conceptual content to non-conscious, sub-personal mental states.
Plasmapheresis of the patient as a method for achieving effective levels of plasma coagulation factors using fresh frozen plasma.

Levels of clotting factors compatible with normal hemostasis can be achieved in the plasma of patients with severe congenital deficiencies by transfusion of large amounts of fresh frozen plasma after prior reduction of the plasma volume of the patient by plasmapheresis. The procedure is a potential source of serious complications; close observation of the patient and observance of recommended precautions are necessary. The technic should be useful in emergency situations when AHF concentrates are not available and routine plasma transfusions are inadequate.
Solution of the conduction/radiation problem with linear-anisotropic scattering in an annular medium by the spherical harmonics method

In this paper, the conduction/radiation problem in a gray cylindrical medium is considered. The medium absorbs, emits, and scatters radiation. A linear-anisotropic scattering phase function is assumed. This allows for the consideration of strong forward and backward scattering, as well as isotropic scattering. The P{sub 1} and P{sub 3} approximations have been developed and applied to the case where the medium is contained between infinite concentric cylinders that are gray and axially isothermal. One area of applications for this methodology as it continues to evolve is in the design and analysis of packed or fluidized bed reactors.
The Therapeutic Relationship: Inexperienced Therapists' Affective Preference and Empathic Communication

The subjects of this study are third-year male medical students who rated videotaped male psychiatric patients for likeability before role-playing a `therapeutic' contact with them. Both liked and disliked patients were confronted in the role-play. Each patient said something positive and something negative about himself. The subjects, who are not trained psychotherapists, were instructed to reply to these self-characterizations in a therapeutic manner. Their replies were blindly rated for empathic quality. It was predicted and substantiated (p < 0.02) that subjects would be more empathic in replying to positive than negative self-characterizations of a liked patient, and vice versa for a disliked patient. A restricted range on the empathy ratings qualified these results. Subjects also attributed higher prognostic expectations and more favourable interpersonal skills to their liked than to their disliked patients (p < 0.01).
Evidence of an adsorption-desorption model for human irritant perception

The temporal irritant response was evaluated for six concentrations of capsaicin, cinnamaldehyde, andpiperine, using time-intensity (TI) methodology. TI curves were evaluated using six TI parameters: maximum intensity (Imax), time-to-maximum (Tmax), plateau time (Tplat), total time (Ttot), maximum rate of onset (Monset) and maximum rate of decay (Mdecay) of perception. Maximum intensity was used to evaluate the appropriateness of the Beidler taste equation, calculate the degree of affinity of the stimuli for the receptor (Kb), Gibbs free energy values, and the other TI parameter were used to quantify the adsorption desorptionprocesses. For cinnamaldehyde and capsaicin, correlation coefficients for the proposed Beidler taste model were 0.999, and 0.996, respectively. The large association constants (Kb) for cinnamaldehyde (25 M−1) and capsaicin (5.2 × 104 M−1), compared to taste compounds, were consistent with their steep psychophysical functions and their persistent aftertastes. Concentration dependencies of Tmax Tplat, Ttot, Monset and Mdecay, fit linear and semi-hyperbolic functions and were congruous with the proposed adsorption- desorption model for irritant perception.
Benzene-1,3,5-triyl tribenzoate.

The title compound, C27H18O6, commonly known as phloroglucinol tribenzoate, is a standard unit for the family of benzyl ether dendrimers. The central phloroglucinol residue is close to planar, with out-of-plane distances for the three oxygen atoms of up to 0.095 (3) A, while the three attached benzoate groups are approximately planar. One benzoate group is twisted [C—C—O—C torsion angle = 98.2 (3)°] from the central plane, with its carbonyl O atom 2.226 (4) A above that plane, while the other two benzoate groups are twisted in the opposite direction [C—C—O—C torsion angles = 24.7 (2) and 54.8 (2)°], so that their carbonyl O atoms are on the other side of, and closer to the central plane, with distances from the plane of 1.743 (4) and 1.206 (4) A. One benzoate group is disordered between two conformers, with occupancies of 86.9 (3) and 13.1 (3)%, related by a 143 (1)° rotation about the bond to the central benzene ring. The phenyl groups of the two conformers occupy the same space. The mol­ecule packs in the crystal with two of the three benzoate phenyl rings stacked parallel to symmetry-related counterparts, with perpendicular distances of 3.715 (5) and 3.791 (5) A. The parallel rings are slipped away from each other, however, with centroid–centroid distances of 4.122 (2) and 4.363 (2) A, respectively.
The oral health status of migrant and seasonal farm workers and their families in Florida

The oral health status of 454 children and 115 adults from a population of migrant and seasonal farm workers in Florida was assessed. The prevalence of disease among the children was consistent with that reported for other black children of this age. The migrants had received more dental treatment than the children of seasonal farm workers; however, the level of care for both groups was strikingly low. The results of this neglect were clearly reflected in the mouths of the adults, most of which were found to be in a very deteriorated state of dental health. A program to cope with these long unmet needs is unrealistic. Efforts should be made to eliminate pain and infection until the cycle of poverty can be broken.
The toxicity of a red phosphorus smoke after repeated inhalation

Abstract Mice and rats were exposed to the smoke produced by ignition of a red phosphorus pyrotechnic composition, 1 h/d, 5d/week, at two different dose levels,
Plenary lecture 4: “Nano robotic manipulation and assembly for manufacturing nano sensors and devices”

Nanotechnology will allow us to build devices enormously smaller than before and will bring fundamental changes to the disciplines such as engineering, chemistry, medicine, biology, and physics. The research in nano manipulation and nano assembly is tremendously important because most physical magnitudes characterizing nano scale systems significantly differ from those familiar in macro, meso, and micro systems. In this presentation, the theoretical foundation as well as the development of the atomic force microscopy (AFM) based nano robotic system will be discussed. Furthermore, the development of nano manufacturing processes will also be addressed. The topics will include nano material purification, delivering, assembly, as well as packaging and testing. The examples of manufacturing nano sensors and electronic devices such as Carbon Nanotube based infrared detectors will be presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency the nano manufacturing processes.
Use of Bayesian methods to model soil aggregation in undisturbed semiarid grasslands.

Comparisons of soil aggregation and aggregate-protected organic matter among soil textures in the same climatic zone and of the same mineralogical composition are somewhat limited. Two undisturbed, semiarid sites in northeastern Wyoming were selected to determine the differences in aggregation and organic matter between loam and sandy clay loam soils. Additionally, data from these two sites were used to illustrate differences between two statistical approaches to data analysis: Bayesian modeling in the context of a two-sample comparison of means and conventional t-tests. Examination of posterior distributions (Bayesian modeling) and confidence intervals (conventional t-tests) resulted in similar conclusions about the influence of soil texture on aggregation and C and N concentrations. Loam soils generally had more structure (as indicated by higher macroaggregation) and aggregate-protected C and N than sandy clay loam soils, which had greater amounts of available C and N not protected by aggregates. For soils in undisturbed semiarid grasslands with similar clay contents, in the range of 1 1 to 24%, we suspect that aggregate stability was primarily affected by sand content, while aggregate C and N accumulations were influenced by silt. A higher percentage of silt in the loam soils appeared to have provided enough of a difference in small pore space between the two soil types to result in higher C and N storage in loam soils relative to sandy clay loam soils. Soil texture is a major driving force behind aggregation as well as C and N storage in semiarid soils of the same mineralogy.
Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL): Mapping the Lunar Interior from Crust to Core

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) is a spacecraft-to-spacecraft tracking mission that was developed to map the structure of the lunar interior by producing a detailed map of the gravity field. The resulting model of the interior will be used to address outstanding questions regarding the Moon’s thermal evolution, and will be applicable more generally to the evolution of all terrestrial planets. Each GRAIL orbiter contains a Lunar Gravity Ranging System instrument that conducts dual-one-way ranging measurements to measure precisely the relative motion between them, which in turn are used to develop the lunar gravity field map. Each orbiter also carries an Education/Public Outreach payload, Moon Knowledge Acquired by Middle-School Students (MoonKAM), in which middle school students target images of the Moon for subsequent classroom analysis. Subsequent to a successful launch on September 10, 2011, the twin GRAIL orbiters embarked on independent trajectories on a 3.5-month-long cruise to the Moon via the EL-1 Lagrange point. The spacecraft were inserted into polar orbits on December 31, 2011 and January 1, 2012. After a succession of 19 maneuvers the two orbiters settled into precision formation to begin science operations in March 1, 2012 with an average altitude of 55 km. The Primary Mission, which consisted of three 27.3-day mapping cycles, was successfully completed in June 2012. The extended mission will permit a second three-month mapping phase at an average altitude of 23 km. This paper provides an overview of the mission: science objectives and measurements, spacecraft and instruments, mission development and design, and data flow and data products.
Edge penetration by radiation through a collimation system

Abstract Edge penetration through a collinator system by radiation emitted from either a point or an extended source is studied, using the small angle approximation. Extremely accurate formulas are derived for calculating the penetration fluence. We find that the ratio of the penetrated fluence to the unimpeded fluence has a remarkably simple form; its leading term is independent of both the length and the radius of the collinator. Furthermore, the same results are applicable to a point source as well as an extended source, for a wide class of aperture shapes the collimator may take. We have also derived the formulas to computed the edge penetration at the near end of the collinator, which occurs when the distance from the source to the collimator axis exceeds the collimator radius. The accuracy of our results has been checked by Monte Carlo calculations for both neutron and gamma-ray radiations. We found excellent agreement between the analytical and numerical results.
The gating paradigm: A comparison of successive and individual presentation formats

Recent use of the gating paradigm (Grosjean, 1980) has shown it to be an effective technique for the study of spoken word-recognition processes. However, because of its “successive” presentation format, questions have been raised regarding the effect of repetition on subjects’ performance in the task. In the present study, a subset of the words used in the original experiment were recorded at several gate durations and in two of the three original context conditions. The words were presented to different groups of subjects who heard them at only one gate duration. Thus, the repetitive aspect of the presentation format was eliminated. The results were compared to those obtained in the original study with respect to the number of subjects guessing the words correctly, the confidence ratings, and the error patterns at each test gate in each context condition. The findings indicate that, apart from a slight increase in confidence ratings in the context condition, the successive presentation format does not appear to influence the subjects’ performance in the gating task.
Mousepox in inbred mice innately resistant or susceptible to lethal infection with ectromelia virus. IV. Studies with the Moscow strain.

The pathogenesis and transmission of infection with the Moscow strain of ectromelia virus were studied in inbred mice. BALB/cAnNcr had high morbidity and mortality and C57BL/6Ncr (B6) mice had high morbidity and low mortality. Virus was detected in B6 mice for 2 weeks after subcutaneous (s.c.) inoculation and infected mice developed lesions compatible with acute mousepox. B6 inoculated by footpad transmitted infection to cagemates for up to five weeks and soiled cages that had housed infected mice were infectious for three weeks. S.c.-inoculated B6 mice also transmitted by contact for 2 weeks. Transmission was attributed to oronasal excretion of virus. Airborne transmission of infection between adjacent cages occurred at a low rate. Ectromelia virus-free progeny were derived from previously infected dams. These studies indicate that the highly virulent and infectious Moscow strain of ectromelia virus caused self-limiting infection in inbred mice and that direct contact is the most efficient means of transmission. These findings support the concept that mousepox can be contained by husbandry practices that minimize or eliminate the spread of infection by direct contact or fomites.
Effects of choice, justification, and dogmatism on audience responses to a belief‐discrepant speech

Although choice about listening to a discrepant persuasive speech did not affect the attitude changes of audiences, contrary to the hypotheses, it was found that high justification for listening lessened attitude changes among dogmatists, a result which seems consistent with the theories of Festinger and Rokeach.
c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase-2 mediates osmotic stress-induced tight junction disruption in the intestinal epithelium.

Gastrointestinal epithelium faces osmotic stress, both at physiological and pathophysiological conditions. JNK activation is an immediate cellular response to osmotic stress. We investigated the ef...
Toxicity Profile of Chloroacetaldehyde

Chloroacetaldehyde, a probable metabolite of 2-chloroethanol (ethylene chlorohydrin), was studied in a number of in vivo animal systems, in in vitro hemolysis tests, and in tissue cultures to obtain a toxicity profile of the compound. Acute toxicity tests were conducted in mice, rats, guinea pigs, and rabbits by one or more routes of administration. Tissue culture tests utilized both the agar-overlay and protein assay methods. Irritant activity was evaluated by intramuscular implantation, intradermal injection, and dermal and ophthalmic applications in the rabbit. Acute cardiovascular effects in rabbits were also determined. Sleeping-time tests in mice were conducted to assess the effect of chloroacetaldehyde pretreatment (inhalation and intraperitoneal) upon drug-metabolizing enzymes. The compound was tested in guinea pigs for its sensitizing potential. Cumulative (30 daily injections) and subacute (three injections per week for 12 weeks) toxicity studies were conducted to evaluate subtle toxic effects (e.g., weight gain, hematology, and histopathology) as well as lethality. Chloroacetaldehyde is a very toxic and irritating compound in acute tests; in tests of longer duration, most of the parameters measured appeared to be normal in animals that survived its lethal activity. The acute toxic effects of chloroacetaldehyde are compared with those of 2-chloroethanol. The former is inherently more toxic and irritating, while the latter exhibits greater ease of quantitative penetration through the GI tract and the intact skin.
Nitrite inhalation in rats elevates tissue NOS III expression and alters tyrosine nitration and phosphorylation.

Organic nitrites are nitric oxide (NO) donors that are used predominantly as inhalant drugs of abuse and have been shown to have immunomodulating effects. NO donors can modulate NOS activity and expression, thus altering the level of endogenous NO production. NO can react with superoxide (O•2−) to form peroxynitrite (ONOO−), which can nitrate tyrosine residues in proteins and alter tyrosine phosphorylation. We investigated the effects of inhaled isobutyl nitrite (ISBN) on NOS expression, tyrosine nitration, and tyrosine phosphorylation in selected organs of rats. Following exposures of 109 and 1517 ppm ISBN for 4 h, the lung, spleen, liver, and kidney were removed and assayed by SDS-PAGE for NOS III (eNOS), NOS II (iNOS), nitrotyrosine (NT)- and phosphotyrosine (PT)-immunoreactive proteins using specific antibodies. ISBN at 1517 ppm, but not 109 ppm, caused an increase in NOS III expression in the liver and kidney, but not in the lung and spleen. No apparent effect on NOS II expression was observed in these organs. The expressions of NT and PT protein bands (30–200 kDa) were increased in the liver and kidney, but not in the lung and spleen. This increase in NT persisted for 24 h post-exposure. Increased NOS III expression in the liver and kidney may promote peroxynitrite formation and contribute to the increase in NT and PT immunoreactivity. ISBN inhalation may thus cause changes in cellular signaling involving tyrosine phosphorylation. These findings may suggest a mechanistic basis for the apparent immunotoxicity associated with nitrite abuse.
The thermal properties of some metal pyridinecarboxylates

Abstract The thermal properties of the divalent metal complexes of 2-, 3-, and 4-pyridinecarboxylic acids were determined by TGA, DTA, DSC, high temperature reflectance spectroscopy, and dynamic reflectance spectroscopy. The complexes generally precipitate from solution as the hydrate containing 1–5 moles of water per mole of complex. The decomposition sequence is first the loss of hydrate water followed by the total disruption of the anhydrous complex to yield the metal oxide as the residue. Each dissociation reaction is discussed in terms of the above thermoanalytical techniques.
Neuromagnetic Fields in Migraine: Preliminary Findings

Neuromagnetic signals consistent with spreading cortical depression have been observed in 9 of 12 migraine patients studied, but not in normal controls (out of 8 studied) or in patients with non-migrainous headache (4 studied). These signals consist of large amplitude, usually biphasic waveforms presumably arising from the onset or offset of spreading cortical depression in a sulcus, and prolonged attenuation of magnetic amplitudes, associated with suppressed neuronal activity. Techniques are described which recognize various kinds of artefacts and which distinguish changes in state of arousal of the patient from the presumed spreading cortical depression signals.
Ocean and Arctic Engineering: Risk and the Economic, Social, Legal Context

This paper traces the connections of ocean and arctic engineering to their broadest context--the economic, social, legal, cultural and political ramifications that increasingly season intrinsic elements of research, design and application. With a series of historical and anecdotal vignettes, this theme is elaborated to dramatize the sharp changes that have accompanied the interaction of technology and society generally in the last four decades. Moving from examples of the excitement of personal enlightment through discovery to the satisfaction of successful operating performance, this review concludes with four evolving challenges: updating tools of practice to incorporate notions of risk assessment and social impact; major reforms in engineering education to emphasize breadth instead of specialization; active engagement in technology-policy analysis to facilitate citizen enlightenment and foresight; and recognition that engineering ethics must parallel technical proficiency.
Participation of Nucleoside-diphosphate Kinase in Muscarinic K+ Channel Activation Does Not Involve GTP Formation

Agonist-bound muscarinic receptors open atrial K+ channels through a GTP-dependent pathway mediated by the G protein Gk. However, nucleotides other than GTP are also able to support channel activity, even in the absence of agonists. This process was proposed to be mediated by nucleoside-diphosphate (NDP) kinase, which would transfer phosphate from nucleotide triphosphates to the GDP bound to Gk, producing Gk-GTP without the need for receptor-induced GDP-GTP exchange. We examined the effect of antibodies to NDP kinase on the ATP-supported activity of atrial muscarinic K+ channels and the corresponding GIRK1/CIR channels expressed in HEK 293 cells. Inhibitory antibodies reduced ATP-induced channel openings, but this effect displayed an absolute requirement for agonist and was also seen with antibodies that do not inhibit the enzyme. Both types of antibodies also reduced agonist-dependent channel activity in the presence of GTP, ruling out a role for NDP kinase in GDP rephosphorylation. Channel activity was not affected by the antibodies in preparations where ATP-induced muscarinic channels are not under tight receptor control, namely pertussis toxin-treated atrial patches and membranes from cells expressing KACh channel subunits. Thus, participation of NDP kinase in this pathway requires activated receptors and has a function distinct from phosphate transfer between nucleotides.
Mouse kidney development

The kidneys play a critical homeostatic role in the regulation of body fluid composition and excretion of waste products. Here I review our understanding of how the three different vertebrate kidney types (pronephros, mesonephros, and metanephros) arise during mouse development with a more comprehensive focus on the molecular regulation of metanephros formation. A detailed understanding of the genetic hierarchies governing renal development will provide insights into the pathogenesis of kidney disorders, advance efforts to direct pluripotent stem cells into therapeutically useful renal lineages in vitro, and further our understanding of renal regenerative pathways that occur in vivo.