cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arousal in REM sleep behavior disorder and narcolepsy

Abstract Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and narcolepsy are two parasomnias that clearly manifest disturbances in arousal. While RBD involves a lack of atony during REM sleep, narcolepsy includes inappropriate onset of atony during waking. These degenerative conditions differ in age of onset, but they share immunocompromised origins. Treatment is fairly successful, in the case of RBD by potentiating gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic function and in the case of narcolepsy using a stimulant that decreases GABAergic release. The involvement of these cells at the level of the pedunculopontine nucleus, which is involved in generating waking and REM sleep activity, and at the level of the subcoeruleus dorsalis, which is involved in the generation of REM sleep signs, is discussed. The presence of comorbid conditions of the two disorders suggests that a more general insult can occur in these cell populations.
Nonnegative-definite independence distribution-preserving covariance structures for the sample covariance matrix : theory and methods

We explicitly characterize the general mean matrix and the general nonnegative-definite covariance structure of a matrix-normal random matrix such that the multivariate sample covariance matrix is distributed as a central Wishart random matrix. We also characterize the general mean matrix and the general nonnegative-definite covariance structure of a matrix-normal random matrix such that the sample covariance matrix is distributed as a central Wishart random matrix and is independent of the sample mean vector.
Diagenetiforms: A new term to explain protein changes as a result of diagenesis in paleoproteomics.

Abstract The term proteoform describes all combinations of change in a protein, as elucidated through intact mass proteomics. Paleoproteomic studies have begun using digestion-free and top-down techniques to access information from ancient and historical remains. However, to discuss protein changes that uniquely occur to archaeological and paleontological proteomes as the result of diagenesis (i.e., physical and chemical change imparted by burial), a novel term is needed that both addresses issues of combinatorics and distinguishes diagenetic-specific alteration. Significance The term diagenetiform provides the opportunity to communicate clearly the sets of diagenetic changes found on preserved proteins. The diagenetiform nomenclature will allow for top-down paleoproteomic studies to accurately describe the total changes detected on ancient proteins.
Risk factors for progression to total knee arthroplasty within two years of presentation for knee osteoarthritis.

Abstract Introduction Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability and functional limitations in aging adults. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the gold standard treatment of this condition. The purpose of this study is to evaluate which patient characteristics are associated with proceeding to TKA. Methods Retrospective review of patients with knee osteoarthritis at a single institution was conducted. Demographic, radiographic and clinical patient characteristics were analyzed. The primary outcome measure was whether patients underwent TKA over the study time-period. Univariate comparisons between patients not undergoing surgery and those undergoing TKA were performed. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to evaluate risk factors for undergoing TKA. Results Two hundred seven patients were included in the study. One hundred eighty seven patients (90.3%) did not undergo surgery, while 20 (9.7%) underwent TKA. No statistically significant differences in demographics were observed between patients who underwent TKA and those who did not. On multivariate analysis, patients with Kellgren Lawrence grade 4 OA (OR: 20.793, p = 0.009) and varus alignment (OR: 13.044, p = 0.040) were at significantly increased risk of undergoing TKA. Using only these two variables, the area under the curve for predicting which patients would undergo TKA was 0.846, indicating excellent discrimination. Conclusion In patients diagnosed with knee OA, Kellgren Lawrence grade 4 classification and varus knee alignment are significant risk factors for undergoing TKA, and are associated with a decreased time from initial presentation to surgery. These findings may be used to counsel patients, aid triage decisions, and inform the development of future predictive models.
Emotional Facilitation and Disruption of Memory

Publisher Summary This chapter emphasizes a few aspects of a substantial and growing literature on relationships among the emotional qualities of stimuli, the emotion-related processing that they prompt, and their effects on memory. These effects are prominent in, but not confined to, some types of psychopathology. Indeed, it should be understood that emotion is an ongoing modulator of memory even in healthy or normal individuals, just as, conversely, memory feeds and alters emotion. Thus, both emotion phenomena and memory phenomena are better understood if each is better understood. Many of the findings in the neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience literatures bearing on whether valence affects memory to the extent emotional arousal does come from studies of psychopathology. Emotional stimulus qualities appear to enhance or impair memory depending on the nature of the task and the roles of the brain regions involved. In contrast, depression has been associated with impaired memory performance, via prefrontal deactivation with consequent impairment in the use of mnemonic strategies. An important issue to consider in understanding the impact of emotion on memory and other cognitive processes is the considerable, but variable, comorbidity of depression with anxiety. The majority of studies of either depression or anxiety have not taken this comorbidity into consideration, nor have they distinguished between types of anxiety such as anxious apprehension and anxious arousal.
James L. Tuck Los Alamos ball lightning pioneer

Summary form only given. James Tuck was well known for starting the Project Sherwood group at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in 1952. This group was formed to study and develop concepts for controlled fusion energy. In his later years after retiring from Controlled Fusion Division, he continued research at Los Alamos on the topic of ball lightning. He traveled widely giving lectures on both observations of others and his own experimental efforts. He collected anecdotal observations obtained from those in his lecture audiences during his travels and from responses from newspaper articles where he asked for specific information from ball lightning observers. He finally cut off this collection of data when the number of responses became overwhelming. Tuck's primary publication on ball lightning was a short laboratory report (1971). He planned on publishing a book on the subject but this was never completed before his death.
Habitat Conservation Plans: Preserving Endangered Species and Delivering Transportation Projects

The development of transportation infrastructure requires a long planning, funding, and implementation cycle that often takes more than a decade for a particular project. Environmental mitigation is usually planned and implemented late in this process and on a project-by-project basis. Habitat conservation plans (HCPs), which provide an alternative model, are becoming increasingly popular. HCPs consist of an early assessment of regional mitigation needs and advanced planning for habitat- or landscape-level impacts from multiple infrastructure projects. This approach has potential benefits, which include reduced project delays, lower mitigation and transaction costs, and improved conditions for the affected species. This paper reviews the current status of HCPs and examines their use and place in the infrastructure planning process, as described by HCP developers in a national survey. The review and survey show that this model is growing in popularity and holds promise for further development as an approac...
Cranberry and Its Phytochemicals: A Review of In Vitro Anticancer Studies

This article reviews the existing research on the anticancer properties of cranberry fruit and key phytochemicals that are likely contributors to chemoprevention. Results from in vitro studies using a variety of tumor models show that polyphenolic extracts from Vaccinium macrocarpon inhibit the growth and proliferation of breast, colon, prostate, lung, and other tumors, as do flavonols, proanthocyanidin oligomers, and triterpenoids isolated from the fruit. The unique combinationofphytochemicalsfoundincranberryfruitmayproducesynergistichealthbenefits.Possiblechemopreventive mechanisms of action by cranberry phytochemicals include induction of apoptosis in tumor cells, reduced ornithine decarboxylaseactivity,decreasedexpressionofmatrixmetalloproteinasesassociatedwithprostatetumormetastasis,and antiinflammatory activities including inhibition of cyclooxygenases. These findings suggest a potential role for cranberry as
On the Perils of Misplaced Assumptions: Appreciating the Need for Diversity Science

The ability to support, or refute lay intuition regarding human nature is one of the calling cards of psychological—and, in particular, social psycho-logical—research. As Victoria Plaut's (this iss...
A novel signaling pathway regulates colon cancer angiogenesis through Norrin

Norrin binds to the frizzled-4 receptor, stimulating canonical Wnt signaling. We investigate here the role of colorectal cancer (CRC) produced Norrin in endothelial cell growth, motility and blood vessel formation, as well as the expression of the Norrin signaling pathway components in the CRC tumor microenvironment. Norrin conditioned medium produced by CRC cell line CaCO2 transfected with Norrin expression construct increased endothelial cell motility. Blocking Norrin signaling reduced endothelial cell motility, branch point number (1/mm2) and the network length (mm/mm2) during in vitro angiogenesis. Colorectal tumors express Norrin protein. Endothelial cells in the colorectal tumor microenvironment contain all of the components of the Norrin signaling pathway needed to respond to Norrin protein. This study presents data that Norrin may play a role in the regulation of angiogenesis in the colorectal cancer tumor microenvironment.
Long-term care dermatology.

Today, more than 38 million Americans are senior citizens. The number will rise to 53 million by 2020, and 70 million by 2030. The number of those over 65 has increased 100 % between 1960 and 1994. America’s 65-and-over population will increase from one in eight to one in five people by 2050. The “oldest old” group, a term describing people over 85, has increased by 274 % during that same time, to more than 3.5 million. The number will likely rise up to 27 million by 2050 if improvements in medical care continue to prolong lives.
POTS AND PINES, A DECORATIVE PROBLEM FOR THE ARTIST POTTER1

A descriptive article outlining the method of producing a soft green pine tree decoration for vases and pots.
The relationship between parent-youth interaction and delinquency in group homes

Interactions between the youths and group home parents in 10 group homes were directly observed during a 2-hour session in each home. These observations were compared to questionnaire measures of the youths' self-reported delinquency while in the group home, and their evaluation of the group home program. The results indicated that over the 10 homes there was a strong inverse correlation between mean self-reported delinquency and the average amount of time youths spent taking to (r s =−.95)and in proximity to (r s =−.81)their group home parents. Talking to group home parents also showed a positive correlation with the youths' evaluation of their group home program. Similar trends were found when the correlations were computed over individual youths, although the magnitudes were reduced. These data may have implications for our understanding of the relationship between parenting behaviors and delinquency, as well as for the improvement of group-home treatment programs.
Determination of Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase and Reduced Folate Pools in Tissue Extracts

Serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) from all sources tested catalyzes the slow exchange of the pro-2S proton of glycine with solvent protons. In the presence of tetrahydrofolate (H4PteGlun) this exchange rate is increased by about three orders of magnitude. This H4PteGlun-dependent exchange has been developed into a rapid and sensitive assay for both SHMT and H4PteGlun and the one-carbon derivatives of H4PteGlun. The procedure involves incubating [2-3H]glycine, H4PteGlun, and SHMT for 3 min followed by a separation of the exchanged protons in the solvent from the substrate glycine on a small Dowex-50 cation-exchange column at pH 2. In the presence of an excess of H4PteGlun the exchange rate is proportional to nanogram levels of SHMT. In the presence of an excess of SHMT the exchange rate is directly proportional to the concentration of H4PteGlun in the 0.1 to 1 pmol range. The concentration of one-carbon derivatives of H4PteGlun is determined by a preincubation of cell extracts with enzymes that convert each derivative into H4PteGlun. A complete reduced folate pool analysis of a tissue extract can be obtained in less than 2 h once a standard curve has been prepared for H4PteGlun. The method does not distinguish between mono- and polyglutamate forms of the coenzyme.
PermWeb: remote parallel and distributed-volume visualization

In this paper we present a system for visualizing volume data from remote supercomputers. We have developed both parallel volume rendering algorithms, and the World Wide Web (WWW) software for accessing the data at the remote sites. The implementation uses Hypertext Markup Language, Java, and Common Gateway Interface scripts to connect WWW servers/clients to our volume renderers. The front ends are interactive Java classes for specification of view, shading , and classification inputs. We present performance results, and implementation details for connections to our computing resources at the University of California Santa Cruz including a MasPar MP-2, SGI Reality Engine-RE2, and SGI Challenge machines. We apply the system to the task of visualizing trabecular bone from finite element simulations. Fast volume rendering on remote compute servers through a web interface allows us to increase the accessibility of the results to more users. User interface issues, overview of parallel algorithm developments, and overall system interfaces and protocols are presented. Access is available through Uniform Resource Locator http://www.cse.ucsc.edu/research/slvg/.
Vibration–rotation line shifts for 1Σg+ H2 (v, J)–1S0 He computed via close coupling: temperature dependence

The density shifting of vibration-rotation transitions of H2 perturbed by He was computed (as a function of temperature) with no adjustable parameters. The calculation was carried out using the framework of the impact theory of Baranger with S-matrix elements obtained via close coupling calculations which incorporated the ab initio H2-H2 system potential of Tsapline et al.(1977). Vibrational and rotational inelasticity were neglected in the calculations; nevertheless good agreement with experimental data was obtained, up to moderate temperatures, for the density shift. A much poorer comparison was obtained for the density broadening.
Images and Sounds in Uruguay

Propose une vision des institutions uruguayennes s'etant donne pour mission de rassembler et de conserver les documents audiovisuels constituant le patrimoine national. Ce travail est axe sur le rassemblement et la conservation, montrant les methodes de travail, les difficultes et les avantages. Certaines institutions de qualite se distinguant par leur portee nationale sont ainsi abordees ici, notamment 'Archivo Nacional de la Imagen' (Archives nationales de l'Image) et 'Museo de la Palabra' (Musee du Mot), qui se consacrent au rassemblement et a la conservation des images fixes et en mouvement dans le premier cas, et de la voix dans le second cas. La section des collections speciales de la Bibliotheque Nationale et les Archives photographiques de Montevideo sont egalement abordees.
CONTINENTALITY OF EXTRATROPICAL CLIMATES

ABSTRACT Continentality can be incorporated into traditional climatic classifications on a basis that is comprehensive, sensitive, consistent in its criteria, and orthogonal with respect to other classificatory criteria. Two oceanic (ultraoceanic and oceanic) and three continental (subcontinental, continental, and ultracontinental) subdivisions provide effective, yet efficient, resolution of the continentality spectrum. The major groups of extratropical climates, the global distributions of sea ice and permafrost, and the distribution of major vegetation types in Alaska are related to climate in traditional terms and in terms of continentality.
Justice, therapeutic and hybrids and implications for children's rights: A review of state policy

Abstract It is important to identify state-level policy regarding the use of law enforcement in child abuse and neglect investigations. We hypothesized that distinct features in the incorporation of law enforcement in child abuse and neglect investigations would emerge. The feature of interest that emerged was whether policy indicates that the child protection agency predominates in the handling of the case, a Therapeutic Model, whether there is substantial sharing of responsibility, a Hybrid Model, or whether law enforcement predominates, a Justice Model. We examined what these features imply for children's rights. Examination of state level law and policy shows the Hybrid Model to be the most prevalent. Furthermore, the Hybrid Model offers the best potential for securing a full range of children's rights.
Characterizing wearout, breakdown and trap generation in thin silicon oxide

A model describing how wearout leads to breakdown in thin silicon oxides has been developed. During wearout defects or traps are generated inside the oxide and at the oxide interfaces. The signature of the trap generation is the permanent change in the transient current, in response to a voltage pulse, from an exponential decay to a 1/time decay. In oxides thinner than approximately 20 nm the dominant trap generation mechanism appears to be determined by the high fields across the oxides and not electron flow through the oxides. Locally higher current densities, flowing through the traps generated during wearout, lead to local breakdown. This model is critically dependent on the measurement of the properties of the traps generated inside the oxides during the wearout phase. The techniques for measurement of these traps and some of their properties have been described. The ability of this model to describe oxide charging, low-level leakages, transient currents, the role of asperities, polarity dependences, and the fluence, time, thickness, voltage and temperature dependences of oxide breakdown distributions has been discussed.
Early Postnatal Dexamethasone Diminishes Transforming Growth Factor α Localization within the Ileal Muscularis Propria of Newborn Mice and Extremely Low-birth-weight Infants

Focal small bowel perforation (FSBP) occurs most commonly in the ileum of extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants. Early postnatal dexamethasone (EPD) administration results in an increased risk for FSBP in this patient population, but the mechanism by which this occurs is unknown. Infants with FSBP have healthy mucosa but thinned smooth muscle, suggesting a mechanism involving the muscularis propria for these perforations. One explanation for these findings would be that dexamethasone alters the tissue availability of pertinent growth factors to the smooth muscle. To explore this possibility, we administered dexamethasone or saline by intraperitoneal injection to newborn mice for 3 days (dosed at 1 μg/g of body weight/day) to simulate EPD protocols. The animals were sacrificed after 72 h of treatment and their ileums harvested and prepared for microscopy. Immunolocalization was performed for three related growth factors (epidermal growth factor [EGF], heparin-binding EGF [h-EGF], and transforming growth factor α[TGF-α]) and their common receptor. We found TGF-α to be abundant and discretely localized in the muscularis propria in control animals but to be diminished in dexamethasone-treated animals. EGF-receptor immunostaining was also decreased with dexamethasone but there was minimal to no detection of EGF or h-EGF in either treatment condition. Surgical and autopsy specimens of the ileum were obtained from seven ELBW infants who either received EPD or not. These tissues were used for immunolocalization of the same growth factors and similar distributions for TGF-α were observed in several of these cases. These findings are consistent with an autocrine role for TGF-α in ileal smooth muscle proliferation and suggest a mechanism by which EPD might mediate smooth muscle thinning.
Chemotherapy and Cancer Stem Cells

Cancer stem cells are subsets of tumor cells defined through the capacity to initiate tumors and have been linked to therapeutic resistance. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Todaro et al. (2007) demonstrate that targeting tumor IL-4 sensitizes colon cancer stem cells to chemotherapy.
The Development of a Radiation Hardened Polymer Dielectric by Chemical Doping

X-ray induced photoconductivity measurements reveal that the radiation-induced conductivity of polyethylene terepthalate films is greatly reduced by doping this polymer with 2,4,6-trinitrofluorenone which acts as a deep trap for the photocarriers. The radiation-induced conductivity of this doped dielectric is reduced to 1 percent of the value for the undoped material and is lower than that observed in commercial polymer films we have studied. The preparation and dielectric properties of the doped films are described.
Looking forward to the unknown.

Program chairmen and directors and other surgical educators make decisions about surgical education that will have a ripple effect on residents, and eventually, medical students. This section is designed to show you residents’ perspectives and thoughts about issues in surgical education that affect their lives, their education, and their treatment of patients. In each issue, 3 residents from across the nation will be asked to write their response to a question, given to them by the editorial staff. This issue’s question is “What are your expectations for your future practice?”
“Come Who So Wyll”: Inclusive Poetics in Skelton’s Elynour Rummynge

This essay argues that John Skelton’s Elynour Rummynge responds to the exclusionary Henrician court as well as the xenophobic Evil May Day riots of 1517. Skelton’s poem contrasts this multivalent cultural exclusivity with a laureate poetics that embraces juxtaposition, paradox, cataloguing, and antithesis to stage a vision of the English body politic that recognizes its foreign and despised elements as agents of cultural renewal. The resulting aesthetic grounds itself in an authorial exotopy that generates fresh axiological contexts and images a fecund new form of inclusive community. Skelton’s Bakhtinian hero, the tapster Elynour, embodies historical England’s sixteenth-century cross-cultural encounters, and in her alehouse collects or “tuns” a society of commoners, vagabonds, and oddities that speaks to the actual diversity of the English nation.
Top down vs. bottom up control of benthic community composition on an intertidal tideflat

Nutrient enrichment and predation have been shown to have important, though sometimes conflicting, effects on intermediate trophic levels in freshwater communities. Though predation is also important in structuring marine soft-sediment benthic communities, the influence of nutrient enrichment in marine benthic systems is less well understood. We examined the interactive effects of nutrient enrichment and predator exclusion on a benthic community to assess the importance of these factors and to test the bottom-up:top-down theory of trophic control in this habitat. Predator exclusion was associated with increased numbers of surface deposit feeders but had less impact on burrowing deposit feeders. Effects of nutrient addition on abundances were observed only in treatments allowing predator access, but increased size of a benthic polychaete, Streblospio benedicti Webster, was observed in predator exclusion treatments with nutrient addition relative to other exclusion plots. However, responses to nutrient addition and predator exclusion varied between years. These results suggest that nutrient addition may be associated with effects on benthic communities, possibly through increased benthic microalgal production, but that the presence or absence of predation may alter the visible response of benthos to enrichment.
Design and regioselective synthesis of a new generation of targeted chemotherapeutics. Part II: Folic acid conjugates of tubulysins and their hydrazides.

Abstract Efficient syntheses of folate conjugates of tubulysins and their hydrazides 1a–d are described. These water soluble folate receptor (FR) targeted conjugates are derivatives of folic acid and the potent cytotoxic agents: tubulysin A, B, or their respective hydrazides, connected in regioselective manner via a hydrophilic peptide spacer and a reducible disulfide linker.
Development Of A New Family Of Improved Infrared (IR) Dome Ceramics

A comprehensive search was made to identify ceramic materials which could be employed as IR sensor windows or IRdomes in environments conducive to severe mechanical stresses. This program, started in late 1977 under the joint sponsorship of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the office of Naval Research (ONR), has been reported in detail in Ref. 1 - 4 through the period ending in mid 1980. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the current status of the processing technologies being developed to realize the potentials of certain advanced materials selected for development.
The laser anemometer - a review

Abstract With the invention of the laser, it was thought that this highly coherent light source could be used to measure the velocity of a material. The concept was to use the well known Doppler effect and to measure the small frequency shift produced when light is scattered by a moving object. The first successful anemometer built by Yeh and Cummins in 1964 was used to measure pipe flow. Foreman 1 and his colleagues at NASA built the first really practical instrument in 1966. Since then there have been many investigators and much development has been conducted upon the laser anemometer. The instrument has advanced from one of purely scientific curiosity to one which can rival other anemometers, such as the hot-wire. In this review a discussion of the mode of operation of the laser anemometer is given, and a description of the systems which have been devised. Finally the applications of the laser anemometer will be discussed.
Hemoglobins of Glycera robusta: Oxygen equilibrium properties of coelomic cell hemoglobin and body wall myoglobin

Abstract 1. 1. The coelomic cell hemoglobin has a pH independent oxygen equilibrium curve between pH 6.9 and 9.1 with a p 50 equal to 18.5 mm Hg at 20°C. The equilibrium curve is slightly sigmoid with n equal to 1.5 over that pH range. The overall heat of oxygenation is— 7.7 kcal/mole. The oxygen affinity of the pigment decreases as the concentration of pigment increases. The shape and position of the equilibrium curve are unchanged in the presence of 2 M urea or 2 mM adenosine triphosphate (ATP) (pH 7.5). 2. 2. The monomeric body wall myoglobin has a higher oxygen affinity than the coelomic cell hemoglobin with a p 50 of 2.5 mm Hg at 20°C. The binding curve is independent of pH and hyperbolic with n equal to 1. 3. 3. The oxygen binding properties of these pigments are consistent with their proposed structures and are compared with one another and with the hemoglobins of other glycerid polychaetes. Possible physiological roles for the pigments are suggested.
Development of seminoma following conservative treatment of testicular epidermoid cyst.

Epidermoid cysts account for approximately 1% to 2% of all resected testicular masses. These are benign lesions without malignant potential, and conservative management with enucleation is generally preferred over orchiectomy. No cases of local recurrence or metastases have been reported. We report a case of enucleation of an epidermoid cyst with subsequent development of a seminoma in the same testis 5 years later.
Stress-management intervention to prevent family violence

Stress and its management influence the nature of family interactions. Harmful family interactions, including violent interactions, are likely affected by mismanaged stress. This paper reviews scientific evidence on stress concepts, sources, and treatment strategies. Particular emphasis is given to the potential of stress-management preventive intervention for reducing the risk of family violence. Based on a study with teenage parents, the authors describe procedures and results from clinical stress-management preventive intervention. Study findings noted post-test and 3- month follow-up improvements in favor of preventive intervention subjects relative to test-only control subjects on measures of personal and social support, cognitive problem solving, self-reinforcement, parenting competence and care, and interpersonal performance. Consumer satisfaction from teenage parents who received intervention lent additional support to the value of stress-management preventive methods. The paper discusses the implications, limitations, and future directions of stress-management preventive intervention to lower risks of family violence.
The vacuolar potential of characean cells subjected to electromagnetic radiation in the range 200–8,200 MHz

Single giant cells of Chara braunii and Nitella flexilis were placed in a microstrip exposure apparatus and subjected to bursts of electromagnetic radiation (carrier frequencies from 200 to 8,200 MHz) at a nominal power level of 100 W/m2. The vacuolar potential was monitored with a micropipette, and offsets as low as 1 microV could be resolved in real time by suitable filtering and signal averaging; under these conditions, no offsets of the vacuolar potential were detected. At much higher power levels (corresponding to greater than or equal to 2 V rms between microstrip and ground plane), the slow hyperpolarizing ramp reported at lower frequencies could be seen but, because of insufficient power, could not be accurately measured. It appeared to decay beyond 500 MHz and to be absent at and above 950 MHz. To investigate reports that snail neurons irradiated for 1 h at 2,450 MHz and approximately 15.5 W/kg developed lowered membrane resistivities, Characean cells were exposed in the microstrip apparatus for 1 h at 2,450 MHz and 230 W/m2; their membrane resistivities were found to be lowered about 18.5%.
Marine mammal blubber reference and control materials for use in the determination of halogenated organic compounds and fatty acids

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a diverse collection of control materials derived from marine mammal blubber, fat, and serum. Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1945 Organics in Whale Blubber was recertified for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, organochlorine pesticides, and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners. SRM 1945 has also been assigned mass fraction values for compounds not frequently determined in marine samples including toxaphene congeners, coplanar PCBs, and methoxylated PBDE congeners which are natural products. NIST also has assigned mass fraction values, as a result of interlaboratory comparison exercises, for PCB congeners, organochlorine pesticides, PBDE congeners, and fatty acids in six homogenate materials produced from marine mammal blubber or serum. The materials are available from NIST upon request; however, the supply is very limited for some of the materials. The materials include those obtained from pilot whale blubber (Homogenates III and IV), Blainville’s beaked whale blubber (Homogenate VII), polar bear fat (Homogenate VI), and California sea lion serum (Marine Mammal Control Material-1 Serum) and blubber (Homogenate V).
Optically detected multiple-quantum transitions in photoexcited molecular triplet states in zero external magnetic field

Abstract Multiple-quantum, microwave-driven transitions between zero-field spin sublevels of a photoexcited triplet state are observed and classified.
“When God Gives You AIDS … Make Lemon-AIDS”: Ironic Persona and Perspective by Incongruity in Sarah Silverman's Jesus is Magic

Sarah Silverman, one of the most polarizing and popular comedians performing today, gained notoriety with the release of the 2005 standup comedy movie Jesus is Magic. Through her discussion of sensitive social issues such as 9/11, the Holocaust, and AIDS, Silverman has developed a distinct onstage ironic persona of ignorance and innocence that juxtaposes with her controversial, humorous content. This stark contrast of delivery and content highlights a unique iteration of Kenneth Burke's concept of perspective by incongruity, originally conceptualized as only “verbal atom cracking.” Silverman's use of performance to “crack” ideas extends Burke's original notion in a new way. Throughout her ironic performance, Silverman comically and subversively discusses white privilege, post-feminism, and the trivialization of serious events as a means of highlighting questionable behaviors and attitudes. We argue that Silverman creates social and rhetorical significance through the implementation of perspective by incon...
OCSEGen: open components and systems environment generator

To analyze a large system, one often needs to break it into smaller components. To analyze a component or unit under analysis, one needs to model its context of execution, called environment, which represents the components with which the unit interacts. Environment generation is a challenging problem, because the environment needs to be general enough to uncover unit errors, yet precise enough to make the analysis tractable. In this paper, we present a tool for automated environment generation for open components and systems. The tool, called OCSEGen, is implemented on top of the Soot framework. We present the tool's current support and discuss its possible future extensions.
Breadth and Depth of Diversity in MinnesotaChallenges to Clinical Competency

This study explored the impact of recent demographic changes on clinical service delivery in the state of Minnesota. A Web-based survey was used to ask speech-language pathologists in Minnesota about their training, clinical caseloads, and professional experiences with respect to diversity. Primary survey goals were to (a) determine if, and how, recent changes in the overall state demographics were reflected on caseloads of speech-language pathologists, and (b) identify challenges clinicians faced in meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse population. The authors considered the breadth or range of economically, racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse populations represented on caseloads, relative to depth of diversity. Survey results are discussed with respect to challenges inherent in providing services to a diverse caseload, together with the competencies needed in order to meet these professional challenges.
India's medical device imports: 1987-2003

Objectives: To analyse trends in imports of medical devices in India during the period 1987-2003. Methods: Commodity-level import statistics were used to assess the growth in imports of medical devices in India. These data were analysed using additional information on growth of national income, human resources for health, domestic production and exports of medical devices; and cross-country data on MRI-imports. Results: Imports of devices increased sharply in the 1990s. Both supply and demand side-factors played a role in these trends. Conclusion: The growth of imported medical devices and potential links with health costs calls for systematic technology assessment work in India.
Econometrics of first-price auctions with entry and binding reservation prices

Abstract This paper considers the structural analysis of first-price auctions with entry and binding reservation prices. The presence of entry decisions and binding reservation prices complicates the structural analysis. Building on the recent theoretical work on entry in auctions, this paper assumes that each potential bidder first decides whether or not to incur an entry cost and become an active bidder using a symmetric mixed strategy. Then each active bidder bids optimally following the increasing Nash–Bayesian equilibrium strategy. Using the observed bids and the number of actual bidders, we propose an MSM estimator to estimate the parameters in the distribution of private values and the distribution of the number of active bidders. Our approach can be used to validate the theoretical auction model, to test whether the reservation prices are binding, and to test the mixed-strategy of entry.
Transesophageal echocardiographic guidance of transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect

Transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) was accomplished in 10 of 11 patients aged 13 months to 46 years (weight range 11 to 77 kg). Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was used simultaneously with fluoroscopic imaging in 4 of these patients aged 4.5 to 46 years (weight range 19 to 77 kg). TEE was used to ascertain defect size, position and number of defects and to ascertain appropriate seating of the defect occluder within the atrial defect. In 2 patients TEE-assisted transcatheter ASD closure was accomplished after previous attempts at transcatheter ASD closure, unaided by TEE, had been unsuccessful. The only unsuccessful ASD closure procedure occurred in the smallest patient in the series (an 11-kg 13-month-old), a child who was too small to undergo TEE using our 11-mm diameter endoscopic probe. The concomitant use of TEE with fluoroscopic imaging provides information that is unique and complementary and may improve the efficacy and safety of the transcatheter technique for ASD closure. The recent availability of a 7-mm diameter TEE probe will extend the use of TEE into the infant age group and may decrease the discomfort and potential morbidity of TEE in older patients.
Pregnancy exposure registries: academic opportunities and industry responsibility.

Pregnancy exposure registries systematically evaluate pregnancies and outcomes exposed to a medicinal compound or device during the gestational period. Historically, such programs partner an academic institution with one or more pharmaceutical companies or are run solely by a pharmaceutical company. However, other examples abound. This article describes what a pregnancy exposure registry is, as well as selected methodological challenges they face, using real examples and applications. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Growth and reproductive performance in cultured nearshore rockfish (Sebastes spp.)

Abstract The present study evaluates the extent to which the viviparous reproductive strategy that characterizes the genus Sebastes (rockfish) can be expressed in culture. In addition, the growth patterns of rockfish were examined during the early phases of growth pertinent to the culture of the species. Using grass rockfish ( Sebastes rastrelliger ) as our model, it was demonstrated that all phases of ovarian seasonal cyclicity could proceed under controlled environmental conditions. Rockfish successfully spawned in our facility and subsequently passed through successive phases of oocyte development during the normal reproductive season before follicular atresia was observed in the absence of fertilization. Fish introduced into culture in an advanced stage of vitellogenesis became pregnant in the absence of males 14–55 days later. This observation is consistent with the view that delayed fertilization occurs in rockfish and establishes that wild caught specimens for spawning purposes are not confined to pregnant females. By monitoring growth parameters in two groups of brown rockfish ( S. auriculatus ) introduced into culture during their first and second year of development a comprehensive picture of early growth was established. Overall changes in both weight and length followed a sigmoid curve comprising an early phase of exponential growth transitioning to a phase of exponential decay. The constituent phases of this curve, as expressed in the two age groups, and the combined growth data over a period of 1083 culture-days were precisely described by the Gompertz equation. This equation also described the growth of young-of-the-year copper rockfish ( S. caurinus ) with similar accuracy. Validation of the applicability of our Gompertz equation was achieved by reference to growth parameters of brown rockfish of known age raised from birth at UCSB. Our mathematical model precisely depicted growth with age from birth to the period of sexual maturity. These data on growth in relation to age may find broad application in fisheries management plans allowing for evaluation of population changes over time and be useful in determining and improving the culture potential of nearshore rockfish species.
Hungary: the initial stages in the financial sector reform of a socialist economy in transition

Financial reforms in formerly centrally planned economies take a different form than in market economies because they imply not only liberalizing the system but also reshaping the structure and functioning of financial markets. The reforms must also be designed to facilitate the conduct of monetary policy under rapidly changing economic circumstances. To fulfil this role, financial reforms should provide the authorities with monetary policy instruments that contribute to short-term stabilization and provide the incentives for inducing a more efficient intermediation of savings through the financial markets. In this context, the main tasks and targets of financial reform are identified and the key developments of the Hungarian process examined. Hungary has made substantial progress, but macrofinancial indicators suggest that administrative and technical obstacles remain and that supporting measures must be deepened. Four steps in particular are needed: (i) The ability of the monetary authority to conduct m...
Quasi-optimal rates of convergence for the Generalized Finite Element Method in polygonal domains

We consider a mixed-boundary-value/interface problem for the elliptic operator P = - ? i j ? i ( a i j ? j u ) = f on a polygonal domain ? ? R 2 with straight sides. We endowed the boundary of ? partially with Dirichlet boundary conditions u = 0 on ? D ? , and partially with Neumann boundary conditions ? i j ? i a i j ? j u = 0 on ? N ? . The coefficients a i j are piecewise smooth with jump discontinuities across the interface ? , which is allowed to have singularities and cross the boundary of ? . In particular, we consider "triple-junctions" and even "multiple junctions". Our main result is to construct a sequence of Generalized Finite Element spaces S n that yield " h m -quasi-optimal rates of convergence", m ? 1 , for the Galerkin approximations u n ? S n of the solution u . More precisely, we prove that ? u - u n ? ? C dim ( S n ) - m / 2 ? f ? H m - 1 ( ? ) , where C depends on the data for the problem, but not on f , u , or n and dim ( S n ) ? ∞ . Our construction is quite general and depends on a choice of a good sequence of approximation spaces S n ' on a certain subdomain W that is at some distance to the vertices. In case the spaces S n ' are Generalized Finite Element spaces, then the resulting spaces S n are also Generalized Finite Element spaces.
Targeted therapy in non-small cell lung cancer: myth or reality.

Abstract In oncology, the term ‘targeted therapy’ is used to describe drugs that target only the cancer cells and spare normal cells thereby reducing host toxicity while simultaneously increasing the eradication of cancer. Trastuzumab and imatinib are well known examples of successful targeted therapy. Newer agents like gefitinib and cetuximab offer hope that targeted therapy also may yield therapeutic benefit for such refractory malignancies as lung and colon cancers. One of many remaining challenges is to identify markers, molecular or clinical, that predict for responsiveness to a specific targeted therapy (e.g. HER2/neu positivity and trastuzumab responsiveness). However, using emerging technologies such as gene or protein profiling, it may be possible to predict a tumor's responsiveness to a particular targeted therapy based on its molecular signature. If true, clinicians might then possess the ability to predict a tumor's clinical behavior and shape its density through specific, targeted interventions.
Differential elastic electron scattering cross sections for N 2 from 0 to 30 eV

We extend our recent work (Phys. Rev. A 16, 1423 (1977)) on total elastic electron-scattering cross sections for N2 to include differential cross sections from 0 to 30 eV. Extensive comparisons with the results of experiments and other theories are made. The overall agreement is good, indicating that the multiple-scattering method is capable of providing a realistic first approximation to the electron-molecule interaction. At the same time, small systematic disagreements with experiment indicate clearly the need and objective of future improvements.
Colchicine therapy for familial mediterranean fever. A double-blind trial.

Abstract Eleven patients with long standing familial Mediterranean fever were studied in a double-blind trial using daily colchicine or placebo. During 60 courses of placebo, 38 attacks of familial...
Equations of local gradient electromagnetothermomechanics of dielectrics with regard for polarization inertia

The previously obtained relations of the local gradient theory of electromagnetothermomechanics of polarized nonferromagnetic bodies are generalized with regard for polarization inertia. We obtain the corresponding main system of equations of the model, written for the potentials of displacement vector and electromagnetic field vectors as well as the potential μ′π, which takes into account the influence of local mass displacement on the internal energy of the body. The Lorentz gauge condition is generalized. We establish that taking the polarization inertia into account leads to the appearance of dispersion of the electromagnetic wave velocity in the body and additional dynamic components in differential equations connecting the potential μ′π and scalar potentials of the displacement vector and electromagnetic field vectors.
Aqueous Humor Dynamics in Historical Perspective

In antiquity the aqueous humor was seen as essential to moisten and nourish the lens- the actual organ of vision-and therefore any loss was believed to lead to blindness. The recuperation of the eye after some aqueous loss during cataract couching and experimental loss in animals slowly undermined this idea in the 16(th) and 17(th) centuries. In the 18(th) century production of aqueous from the ciliary region and its outflow from the anterior chamber, and thus its circulation, was generally accepted. Early in the 19(th) century the aqueous was thought to be encapsulated, but by the end of the century the general dynamic principles of aqueous flow as we know them today were experimentally and clinically confirmed. The controversy concerning its mode of production and circulation that took place early in the 20(th) century was resolved with the discovery of the aqueous veins and advances in molecular biology.