cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ANTIOXIDANT VITAMINS AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

The hypothesis that antioxidant vitamins might reduce cardiovascular disease risk is based on a large body of both basic and human epidemiological research. One of the most consistent findings in dietary research is that those who consume higher amounts of fruits and vegetables have lower rates of heart disease and stroke as well as cancer. Recent attention has focused on the antioxidant content of fruits and vegetables as a possible explanation for the apparent protective effects. Basic research provides a plausible mechanism by which antioxidants might reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. A large number of descriptive, case-control, and cohort studies provide data suggesting that consumption of antioxidant vitamins is associated with reduced risks of cardiovascular disease. These data raise the question of a possible role of antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, but they do not provide a definitive answer. Randomized trial data will be essential in fully assessing whether or not there is a causal effect of antioxidants in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Results from several large-scale randomized trials of antioxidant supplements are now available, and additional trial data should be forthcoming in the near future, which will better define the role of antioxidants in the primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic disease. At this point, antioxidants represent a possible but as yet unproven means to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Hugh E. Huxley: the compleat biophysicist.

The sliding filament model of muscle contraction, put forward by Hugh Huxley and Jean Hanson in 1954, is 60 years old in 2014. Formulation of the model and subsequent proof was driven by the pioneering work of Hugh Huxley (1924–2013). We celebrate Huxley’s integrative approach to the study of muscle contraction; how he persevered throughout his career, to the end of his life at 89 years, to understand at the molecular level how muscle contracts and develops force. Here we show how his life and work, with its focus on a single scientific problem, had impact far beyond the field of muscle contraction to the benefit of multiple fields of cellular and structural biology. Huxley introduced the use of x-ray diffraction to study the contraction in living striated muscle, taking advantage of the paracrystalline lattice that would ultimately allow understanding contraction in terms of single molecules. Progress required design of instrumentation with ever-increasing spatial and temporal resolution, providing the impetus for the development of synchrotron facilities used for most protein crystallography and muscle studies today. From the time of his early work, Huxley combined electron microscopy and biochemistry to understand and interpret the changes in x-ray patterns. He developed improved electron-microscopy techniques, thin sections and negative staining, that enabled answering major questions relating to the structure and organization of thick and thin filaments in muscle and the interaction of myosin with actin and its regulation. Huxley established that the ATPase domain of myosin forms the crossbridges of thick filaments that bind actin, and introduced the idea that myosin makes discrete steps on actin. These concepts form the underpinning of cellular motility, in particular the study of how myosin, kinesin, and dynein motors move on their actin and tubulin tracks, making Huxley a founder of the field of cellular motility.
The Products of Flash Pyrolysis of Phenol-Formaldehyde by Time-of-Flight Mass Spectroscopy.

Abstract : A sample of phenol-formaldehyde was flash pyrolized eleven times in the reaction chamber of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Quantitative analyses were determined for pyrolysis products which were present within ten seconds after each flash. A high degree of consistency between compositions of products from consecutive flashes resulted. A discussion of the results is presented. (Author-PL).
Efficient generation and distribution of CRLs for IEEE 802.11s-based Smart Grid AMI networks

In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm for reducing the size of certificate revocation lists (CRLs) created and distributed for IEEE 802.11s-based Smart Grid Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) networks. Rather than maintaining a huge-size single CRL that introduces unnecessary search time and storage, the idea is to generate groups of smart meters (SMs) within the AMI network and create CRLs based on these groups. Creating groups is appropriate in AMI networks since the SMs are stationary in contrary to traditional mobile wireless networks. Our proposed grouping algorithm is based on the created paths from leaf SMs to the gateway as well as the immediate neighborhood of each SM. Via grouping, the length of the CRL for each SM and the corresponding distribution overhead can be reduced significantly. Simulation results have shown that our approach can maintain a balance between the size of the CRL and the number of signatures generated by certification authorities (CAs) while guaranteeing security of the communications.
Lunar occultations of IRAS point sources, 1986-1990

A complete listing is given for objects in the IRAS Point Source Catalog which will be occulted by the moon over the course of 1986-1990. A total of 14,148 ASCII card images is encompassed by the complete listing of objects having geocentric events during this period. The results contained in this complete listing are illustrated in two of the present tables for the brightest objects at 12 and 100 micron wavelengths.
Some TPC measurements in an oxygen beam at the AGS

Abstract The principal detector for AGS Experiment 810 is a Time Projection Chamber (TPC) in which it is intended to measure momenta and angles of a major fraction of the charged particles from each light ion collision. This report describes the results of a test of a prototype of the TPC in a beam of (14.6 × 16 = 233.6 GeV c ) oxygen ions run in June of this year.
Kant's A Priori Intuition of Space Independent of Postulates

Defences of Kant's foundations of geometry fall short if they are unable to equally ground Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries. Thus, Kant's account must be separated from geometrical postulates. I argue that characterizing space as the form of outer intuition must be independent of postulates. Geometrical postulates are then expressions of particular spatializing activities made possible by the a priori intuition of space. While Amit Hagar contends that this is to speak of noumena, I argue that a Kantian account of space as the form of outer attention-directing remains seated in the subject.
Local Variability in the Impacts of Residential Particulate Matter and Pest Exposure on Children’s Wheezing Severity: A Geographically Weighted Regression Analysis of Environmental Health Justice

Two assumptions have underpinned environmental justice over the past several decades: 1) uneven environmental exposures yield correspondingly unequal health impacts and 2) these effects are stable across space. To test these assumptions, relationships for residential pest and PM2.5 exposures with children's wheezing severity are examined using global (ordinary least squares) and local (geographically weighted regression [GWR]) models using cross-sectional observational survey data from El Paso (Texas) children. In the global model, having pests and higher levels of PM2.5 were weakly associated with greater wheezing severity. The local model reveals two types of asthmogenic socio-environments where environmental exposures more powerfully predict greater wheezing severity. The first is a lower-income context where children are disproportionately exposed to pests and PM2.5 and the second is a higher-income socio-environment where children are exposed to lower levels of PM2.5, yet PM2.5is counterintuitively associated with more severe wheezing. Findings demonstrate that GWR is a powerful tool for understanding relationships between environmental conditions, social characteristics and health inequalities.
Theoretical studies of photoionization in nitric oxide: Multiplet-specific effects in vibrationally resolved 5σ−1 resonant channels

Abstract Theoretical studies are reported of vibrationally resolved (5σ −1 ) b 3 Π ( v = 0,1) and (5σ −1 ) A 1 Π ( v = 0,1) resonant partial photoionization cross sections in nitric oxide. Calculations in vibrationally averaged, R -centroid, and Franck-Condon static-exchange approximations clarify the origins of multiplet-specific spectral shapes observed in recent cross sectional measurements. The sensitivity of resonance-channel photoionization cross sections to internuclear separation is attributed to a well-known corresponding dependence of σ ★ orbital position and character on bond length.
On Moiré Method Applied to the Determination of Two-Dimensional Dynamic Strain Distributions

A technique is proposed whereby the moire methods are extended to general two-dimensional dynamic problems.
The MicroOppnet tool for Collaborative Computing experiments with class 2 opportunistic networks

Class 2 opportunistic networks (oppnets) are a new paradigm for collaborative computing that aims at integrating communication, computation, sensing, actuation, storage, and other resources and services. Oppnets achieve global tasks and goals through the collaboration and coordination of their nodes (some of which join an oppnet dynamically). We describe the concept of oppnets, discuss related work, and present the standard API framework for oppnets name Oppnet virtual machine (OVM). We present the design and implementation details of a small-scale proof-of-concept system, named MicroOppnet, in terms of the OVM primitives. We describe both the design and implementation of MicroOppnet, which not only is a proof of concept but also constitutes our tool for experiments in collaborative computing with oppnets. We are currently working on extending MicroOppnet into a larger oppnet prototype and an oppnet testbed.
E-cadherin Negatively Regulates CD44-Hyaluronan Interaction and CD44-mediated Tumor Invasion and Branching Morphogenesis

CD44 is a principal cell-surface receptor for hyaluronan (HA). Up-regulation of CD44 is often associated with morphogenesis and tumor invasion. On the contrary, reduction of cell-cell adhesion due to down-regulation of E-cadherin is associated with the invasive and metastatic phenotype of carcinomas. In our current study, we investigated the functional relationship between CD44 and E-cadherin. We established an inverse correlation between CD44 and E-cadherin indicating that the cells expressing higher levels of E-cadherin display weaker binding affinity between CD44 and HA. By using TA3 murine mammary carcinoma (TA3) cells, which display CD44-dependent HA binding, branching morphogenesis, and invasion, we demonstrated an inverse functional relationship between CD44 and E-cadherin by transfecting exogenous E-cadherin into the cells. Our results showed that increased expression of E-cadherin in TA3 cells, but not ICAM-1, weakens the binding between CD44 and HA and blocks spreading of the cells on HA substratum and CD44-mediated branching morphogenesis and tumor cell invasion. The results reported here demonstrated for the first time that E-cadherin negatively regulated CD44-HA interaction and CD44 function and suggested that balanced function of CD44 and E-cadherin may be essential for normal epithelial cell functions, and imbalanced up-regulation of CD44 function and/or down-regulation of E-cadherin function likely contributes to tumor progression.
A Rule-Based System for Verifying Engineering Specifications in Industrial Visual Inspection Applications

An important step in automatic visual inspection is verifying whether a part is good or bad, by comparing a list of inspection specifications to a list of extracted and measured defects. Our goal is to provide a general, flexible, and efficient solution to this problem. We present a solution following a rule-based approach for the case of specs for visual inspection of disk heads. However, due to the generality of our approach (within the realm of visual inspection), it is easily extendible to verification of specs in other visual inspection applications. While flexibility comes naturally with the rule-based approach, efficiency is still an issue. Therefore, we implemented two techniques to increase the efficiency of our system: one at the rule level, and one at the rule-matching level. We describe our implementation and show experimental results from applying our approach in an experimental system for automatic visual disk head inspection.
Determination of aniline and metabolites produced in vitro by liquid chromatography/electrochemistry.

Abstract A method utilizing reverse-phase liquid chromatography/electrochemistry ( LC EC ) was developed for the simultaneous determination of aniline and its hydroxylated derivatives, p-aminophenol, o-aminophenol, m-aminophenol, and N-phenylhydroxylamine. To achieve separation of these compounds, a mobile phase of 3.0% dimethylformamide and 97.0% 0.05 m piperazine acetate, pH 5.4, containing 0.05 m KNO3 was developed. A procedure is also presented for the determination of p-nitrophenol, nitrobenzene, and nitrosobenzene, possible aniline metabolites in higher N-oxidation states, using reductive amperometric detection. The hydroxylated compounds, including the hydroxylamine, and nitrosobenzene are easily detected as metabolites of aniline in mouse liver slice or microsomal preparations. No prior extraction, preconcentration, or derivatization steps are needed for the determinations, which can be accomplished by a direct injection of the incubation mixture. The Km value for the hepatic aniline 4-hydroxylase activity in male Cox-Swiss mice microsomal preparations has been determined to be 0.52 m m ; the Vmax value is 2.90 ± 0.64 nmol min−1 mg microsomal protein−1. Detection limits for all compounds of interest are in the picomole range.
Some Blood Sporozoans from East African Reptiles

SYNOPSIS. Six hundred and forty-one lizards belonging to 28 species, and 29 snakes belonging to 12 species from East Africa were examined for blood sporozoans. Eight species of lizards and 4 of snakes were positive. Tissue phases were seen in some infections; no proven arthropod vectors were found. Parasites are described from previously unreported hosts; new host records, and new stages in the life histories of previously named parasites are reported. The sporozoans belong to the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, Haemogregarina or Hepatozoon, and probably Pirhemocyton. Reasons are given for the inadvisability of establishing new species of some of these on the basis of blood stages alone.
Activation Timecourse of Ventral Visual Stream Object-recognition Areas: High Density Electrical Mapping of Perceptual Closure Processes

Object recognition is achieved even in circumstances when only partial information is available to the observer. Perceptual closure processes are essential in enabling such recognitions to occur. We presented successively less fragmented images while recording high-density event-related potentials (ERPs), which permitted us to monitor brain activity during the perceptual closure processes leading up to object recognition. We reveal a bilateral ERP component (Ncl) that tracks these processes (onsets ~230 msec, maximal at ~290 msec). Scalp-current density mapping of the Ncl revealed bilateral occipito-temporal scalp foci, which are consistent with generators in the human ventral visual stream, and specifically the lateral-occipital or LO complex as defined by hemodynamic studies of object recognition.
Developmental change in the voltage-dependence of the pacemaker current, if, in rat ventricle cells

Myocytes were isolated from newborn and adult rat ventricle. Using the whole-cell patch clamp, the two cell populations were compared for the presence of the hyperpolarization-activated pacemaker current if. As in other mammalian species, the threshold voltage in acutely dissociated adult rat myocytes was extremely negative (–113 ± 5 mV; n=12). In contrast, threshold in newborn cells was relatively positive, regardless of whether measured in acutely dissociated (–72 ± 2 mV; n=6) or cultured cells (–70 ± 2 mV; n=9). Current density was not reduced in the adult. These results suggest that with development the ventricle assumes its non-pacemaker function, at least in part, by a shift of the voltage dependence of if outside the physiological range.
Circumnutation augmented in clinostatted plants by a tactile stimulus

Dark-grown, 4-day old, Helianthus annuus seedlings were rotated for 20 hr on horizontal clinostats to minimize the amplitude of circumnutation. Then a Plexiglas sheet was placed gently against the tip of the cotyledons. By time-lapse video imaging (using intermittent IR illumination to which the plants were insensitive) movements of the clinostatted plants were observed before, during, and after the period of mechanical contact. Immediately after the Plexiglas sheet was removed residual nutation increased in amplitude almost three-fold, then declined over the next 7 hr to the prestimulation level. This demonstration of enhancement of circumnutation by mechanical contact is consistent with the model of an endogeneous oscillator that can be stimulated by factors other than gravity.
Experimental Evaluation of Emergency Stop Buttons on Hand-Held Teach Pendants

A teach pendant is a hand-held portable control and display device used for teaching and recording the movements of an industrial robot. There is no standard design for hand-held control pendants f...
The crystal and molecular structure of pentamethylcyclopentadienyl Grignard reagent : [Cp*Mg(thf)μ-Cl]2

Abstract The crystal and molecular structure of pentamethylcyclopentadienyl Grignard reagent has been determined by X-ray diffraction in the monoclinic space group C 2/ c ; cell parameters a 21.51(2) A, b 11.778(6) A, c 14.04(1) A, α 90°, γ 90°, β 95.17(7)°, V 3543(5) A 3 , Z = 4 dimers, with R = 0.1047, R w = 0.0938, R G = 0.1068. The pentamethylcyclopentadienyl Grignard reagent is a dimer in which chloro ligands bridge two Mg 2+ ions which are each coordinated to a η 5 -Cp * group and a THF molecule. A disordered toluene molecule is also found in the crystal lattice.
Selective effects of growth hormone on rats fed a tryptophan-low diet.

CONSIDERABLE data are available indicating that growth hormone administration will not promote a weight increment in animals that are nutritionally deficient. Thus growth-promoting extracts of the anterior pituitary failed to promote a gain in body weight in rats deficient in vitamin A (Margitay-Becht and AYallner, 1937; Ershoff and Deuel; 1945), thiamine (Simpson and Evans, 1944), the essential fatty acids (Deuel et al., 1950), pantothenic acid (Lotspeich, 1950; Beare et al., 1954), pyridoxine (Beare et al., 1953), choline (Hall and Bieri, 1953) or riboflavin (Beare et al., 1954). Similarly growth hormone failed to promote an increment in body weight in rats fed a low protein (6% casein) diet (Gordan et al., 1947, 1948). Supplementing the above diet with dl-methionine or increasing the casein content to a minimum of 12% of the ration resulted, however, in a significant weight increment following growth hormone treatment.
Nonisothermal immobilized enzyme reaction in a packed-bed reactor.

This work investigates the reaction behavior of immobilized enzymes in a packed-bed reactor. The effect of heat generation due to exothermic enzyme reaction is considered. Conservations of substrate and energy constitute two coupled nonlinear partial differential equations which are simultaneously solved by a numerical method. It is found that substrate conversion is generally increased at higher temperature. However, the extent of temperature heavily depends on the magnitude of the dimensionless Michaelis constant which is defined as the ratio of Michaelis constant to inlet substrate concentration. At low dimensionless Michaelis constant, substrate conversion is considerably affected by temperature, but at high dimensionless Michaelis constant, the temperature effect is negligibly small. It is also found that maximum bulk temperature of reaction mixtures occurs around a dimensionless reactor length of 1.3 for the case with high substrate conversion.
Predictors of prostate cancer screening among health fair participants.

Summary Objectives Most previous studies of predictors for participation in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer have been conducted in purposive samples or clinical settings. This population-based study identified factors associated with documented PSA screening among health fair participants. Study design Cross-sectional survey of 2098 Nebraskan men aged 35 years and older who participated in a health fair in central and eastern Nebraska in 1993. Methods All participants were offered a PSA screening and a questionnaire to collect information on demographics, family medical history, lifestyle factors and self-perceived health status. Predictors of PSA screening were estimated by odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Men were more likely to accept the PSA screening if they were older than 50 years of age (OR=3.1; 2.4–3.9), had a higher income (OR=1.5; 1.1–2.1), were currently employed (OR=1.4; 1.0–2.5), perceived their health status as good (OR=1.1; 0.8–1.5) or excellent (OR=1.4; 1.0–2.1), and believed that they themselves, rather than physicians, should be responsible for their health (OR=1.3; 1.0–1.7). Compared with men aged 50–59 years, the ORs of participation were 0.8 (0.6–1.1) for age 60–69 years and 0.7 (0.5–1.1) for age 70+ years. Decision making was not related to education, marital status or body mass index. Predictors of screening remained unchanged when analysis was limited to men aged 50 years and over, whereas only high income and non-smoking status predicted participation among men younger than 50 years of age. Conclusions Age, income, employment status, perceived control of health and perceived heath status were related to participation in PSA screening for prostate cancer, particularly in men older than 50 years of age. Willingness to receive a PSA screening among men aged 50 years and over decreased with increasing age.
POESIA, MELANCOLIA Y SUBJETIVIDAD FEMENINA: LA HUMANISTA LUISA SIGEA

The humanist Luisa Sigea represents a case of an exceptional learned woman of the Spanish Renaissance seeking to perform in a nonreligious milieu. In her vernacular poems “Un fin, una esperanza, un como, un cuando” y “Pasados tengo hasta ahora”, Sigea revises the traditional trajectory of the Petrarchean poetic subject in order to replace the elusive woman, viewed as a passive object of the male gaze and ultimately responsible for his spiritual perfection, into a female subject able to articulate her own poetic voice, a voice impregnated by melancholy and sorrow. In these poems the author challenges the Aristotelian concept of melancholy as a sign of only male artistic genius, by employing the concept in the construction of a female subject that ought to be perceived as special. This use of melancholy coincides with her personal frustration with the lack of professional opportunities open to a female humanist in the Spanish courts of the Renaissance. As we can observe in these poems, as well as in Sigea's other contributions to the most representative genres of the Humanist prose, her epistles and her dialogue Duarum virginum, melancholy combines with a defense of the solitude of the contemplative life, to suggest that isolation and voluntary marginalization were the only avenues available at that time for a lay woman to achieve intellectual growth and spiritual perfection.
Ribosome recruitment and scanning: what’s new?

This work was supported by grants from the NIH, the NSF and the Council for Tobacco Research.
Melting and wetting transitions in the three-state chiral clock model

Abstract The melting transition of the two-dimensional, three-state, asymmetric or chiral clock model is examined. Evidence from scaling arguments and analysis of perturbation series is presented, indicating that the chiral symmetry-breaking operator is relevant at the symmetric (or pure Potts) critical point with a crossover exponent of o ≈ 0.2. The remainder of the commensurate-disordered phase boundary therefore appears to be in a new universality class, distinct from the pure three-state Potts transition. An interfacial wetting transition that plays an important role in the crossover between the two types of critical behavior is discussed. The location and exponents of this wetting transition are obtained both in a low-temperature limit using generating function techniques and in a systematic low-temperature expansion of the transfer matrix.
The Social Profiles in the Colossian Debate

Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann note that '... there will always be a social- structural base for competition between rival definitions of reality... ' This essay seeks to analyze that base at Colossae as a means to understanding the debate between the New Testament writer and his rivals, as seen in Colossians 2, rather than to interpret the 'rival definitions' relative to external conceptual parallels and the religious or philosophical background of the rivals. The Wisdom Christology of the 'hymn' in Col. 1.15-20, held largely in common by both writer and rivals is nonetheless subject to different interpretation and emphasis depending upon their social profiles. Using the lens of the grid-group paradigm of Mary Douglas, one may highlight the differences between the social identities of the writer and his rivals and hypothesize probable differences in their cosmologies.
Retinal and cerebral microembolism during on-pump and off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Stroke, delirium, cognitive decline, and depressed mood in the days and weeks after surgery, as well as a late long-term decline in cognitive function, are the most common neurological complications of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery performed with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Delirium has been reported in 10% to 40% of patients, usually occurring transiently in the immediate postoperative period.1 Brain infarction occurs in 1% to 5% of patients2,3; in 60% of these patients, it is detected in the first 24 postoperative hours, and it occurs during the subsequent 10 days in another 35%.4,5 Cognitive decline occurs in up to 24% of cases at 6 months after CABG.6 Depressive symptoms and self-reported decline in cognitive function are frequently encountered in clinical practice, although they are less well documented in systematic objective testing.7 Although the overall complication rate has decreased over the past 25 years with improved operative techniques, given the more than 400 000 yearly CABG procedures, these adverse effects on the brain are a substantial public health concern. Prevention through a better understanding of their mechanisms remains a desirable and important goal. Article p 3833 Clinical variables associated with these neurological complications include age, prior cerebrovascular or peripheral arterial disease, congestive heart failure, and CPB duration of more than 2 hours.5,8,9 Patient selection, surgical skill, and operative technique also influence the development of these complications.10,11 The mechanisms of neurological complications after CABG performed with CPB (on-pump CABG) remain incompletely understood. Brain infarction secondary to extracranial internal carotid artery stenosis and cerebral …
Seasonal population dynamics of small hive beetles, Aethina tumida Murray, in the south-eastern USA

Summary The population of small hive beetles, Aethina tumida (SHB), was monitored from 2005 to 2008 in colonies of Italian and Russian honey bees located near St. Gabriel, Louisiana, USA. SHB populations differed between honey bee strains (only in one site out of two), with Italian colonies supporting more beetles (7.45 ± 0.98 SHB per colony) than the Russian colonies (4.48 ± 0.51 SHB per colony). No difference between the two strains was observed at site 1 where the SHB population was generally low (Italian = 2.73 ± 0.36 SHB; Russian = 2.69 ± 0.57 SHB per colony). Our results also revealed that SHB populations varied throughout the year, with peak infestations observed in the autumn (September and November). SHB abundance was significantly correlated with the proportion of hot days, but not with the proportions of cool, dry, or humid days, or the percentage of days with rainfall. Our results suggest that in-hive autumn trapping of SHB in the south eastern USA may reduce springtime numbers of SHB.
Smart Phone: an embedded system for universal interactions

In this paper we present a system architecture that allows users to interact with embedded systems located in their proximity using Smart Phones. We have identified four models of interaction between a Smart Phone and the surrounding environment: universal remote control, dual connectivity, gateway connectivity, and peer-to-peer. Although each of these models has different characteristics, our architecture provides a unique framework for all of the models. Central to our architecture are the hybrid communication capabilities incorporated in the Smart Phones. These phones have the unique feature of incorporating short-range wireless connectivity (e.g., Bluetooth) and Internet connectivity (e.g., GPRS) in the same personal mobile device. This feature together with significant processing power and memory can turn a Smart Phone into the only mobile device that people will carry wherever they go.
Right hemithoracic pseudocyst with splenic artery aneurysm: two rare complications of an uncommon disease.

Pleural involvement is an uncommon but well recognized complication of chronic pancreatitis [1], mainly in the form of pleural effusion affecting the left hemithorax. Pancreatic pseudocyst extending to the posterior mediastinum with or without communication with the pleural space is another rare form of this involvement. The treatment of chronic pancreatic pleural effusions and pancreatic pseudocysts generally starts with a conservative approach including bowel rest, drainage of the pleural effusion by repeated thoracentesis or a chest tube, and total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for a period of time determined by the clinical course. Other treatment modalities including percutaneous drainage, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatogram (ERCP) with stenting of the pancreatic duct and surgical drainage are used if conservative approaches fail. We report a patient with a complicated pancreatic pseudocyst who showed an involvement of the posterior mediastinum and right pleural space, with conspectus sparing of the left hemithorax. The patient had a prolonged and complicated course that included recurrence of the pseudocyst with oral feedings and the development of a splenic artery aneurysm. Some of the above findings have been reported separately as uncommon complications of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic pseudcyst, but to our knowledge a single case with all these complications was not published in the English literature.
What explains comovement in stock market returns during the 2007–2008 crisis?

This paper examines the determinants of comovement in stock market returns during the 2007–2008 crisis. Given that the United States (US) was the crisis epicenter, we analyse the factors driving the comovement between US stock market returns and stock market returns in 83 countries. The analysis distinguishes between the period before and after the collapse of Lehman Brothers. The findings indicate that comovement was driven largely by financial linkages. There is also evidence of ‘demonstration effects’ in the first stage of the crisis, as countries with vulnerable banking and corporate sectors exhibited higher comovement with the US market. Finally, despite a collapse in trade across countries, trade did not seem to play a role in explaining comovement in stock market returns. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Foxa1-Deficient Mice Exhibit Impaired Insulin Secretion due to Uncoupled Oxidative Phosphorylation

Foxa1 (formerly hepatic nuclear factor 3alpha) belongs to the family of Foxa genes that are expressed in early development and takes part in the differentiation of endoderm-derived organs and the regulation of glucose homeostasis. Foxa1-/- pups are growth retarded and hypoglycemic but glucose intolerant in response to an intraperitoneal glucose challenge. However, the mechanism of glucose intolerance in this model has not been investigated. Here, we show that Foxa1-/- islets exhibit decreased glucose-stimulated insulin release in islet perifusion experiments and have significantly reduced pancreatic insulin and glucagon content. Moreover, Foxa1-/- beta-cells exhibit attenuated calcium influx in response to glucose and glyburide, suggesting an insulin secretion defect either at the level or upstream of the ATP-sensitive K+ channel. Intracellular ATP levels after incubation with 10 mmol/l glucose were about 2.5 times lower in Foxa1-/- islets compared with controls. This diminished ATP synthesis could be explained by increased expression of the mitochondrial uncoupling protein uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) in Foxa1-deficient islets, resulting in partially uncoupled mitochondria. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays indicate that UCP2 is a direct transcriptional target of Foxa1 in vivo. Thus, we have identified a novel function for Foxa1 in the regulation of oxidative phosphorylation in pancreatic beta-cells.
Gap-dependent microrheometry of complex liquids

Abstract We review recent developments in the field of microrheometry and describe a new flexure-based microrheometer (FMR) that can make measurements of the steady shear viscosity of transparent or optically-opaque complex fluids using 1–10 μl samples. We document the complex microrheology that may arise in a typical consumer product such as a skin creme, when the microstructure of the multiphase material (in this case a oil–water emulsion containing microcrystalline wax particles) and the characteristic length scale of the flow device become comparable. The material is a highly filled emulsion and conventional cone-and-plate rheometry shows that the material exhibits an apparent yield stress. Analogous tests in the microrheometer show that a sequence of flow transitions occurs which lead to an apparent viscosity that is both gap– and shear-stress– (or shear-rate)–dependent. The microrheological measurements are combined with a slip analysis and optical microscopy to formulate a ‘phase diagram’ identifying the critical stress and corresponding slip velocity for each flow transition as a function of the gap. In the case of the skin creme investigated in the present study, the flow behavior in small gaps below 100 μm is dominated by the presence of micro-crystalline wax particles with mean diameters in the range of 50 μm. The sudden decrease in the apparent viscosity, or equivalently the sudden increase in the slip velocity between two surfaces with decreasing gap and increasing applied stress, is of importance in end-user perceptions of textural quantities such as ‘slipperiness’ or ‘lubricity’ which are typically used to characterize creams and other complex consumer products. The ability to progressively vary the gap between the two shearing surfaces means that the flexure-based microrheometer developed in the present work may find future applications in helping to bridge the gap between the traditionally-distinct fields of bulk rheological characterization and tribological testing.
New concepts in polymer electrolyte design

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are ionically conducting materials comprised of a macromolecular system and a salt. SPE materials frequently also contain organic solvent plasticizers which may be the major component of the SPE. The macromolecular component of the SPE may be either a linear or crosslinked polymer, a copolymer, or interpenetrating polymer network. Desirable characteristics for an SPE macromolecule are good electrochemical stability in reduction and oxidation, an ability to coordinate and enable the transport of ionic species, a T/sub g/ well below the projected use temperature of the electrolyte, and chemical stability in contact with active electrode materials. The author discusses the ionic conductivity in SPEs, SPE materials including gel SPEs, thermoset gel SPEs, polymer alloys/composites, single ion polymer conductors and systems without alkyl oxides, and laminate structures. >
Quantum dynamics simulations of interfacial electron transfer in sensitized TiO2 semiconductors.

Ab initio DFT molecular dynamics simulations are combined with quantum dynamics calculations of electronic relaxation to investigate the interfacial electron transfer in catechol/TiO2-anatase nanostructures under vacuum conditions. It is found that the primary process in the interfacial electron-transfer dynamics involves an ultrafast (τ1 ≃ 6 fs) electron-injection event that localizes the charge in the Ti4+ surface ions next to the catechol adsorbate. The primary event is followed by charge delocalization (i.e., carrier diffusion) through the TiO2-anatase crystal, an anisotropic diffusional process that can be up to an order of magnitude slower along the [−101] direction than carrier relaxation along the [010] and [101] directions in the anatase crystal. It is shown that both the mechanism of electron injection and the time scales for interfacial electron transfer are quite sensitive to the symmetry of the electronic state initially populated in the adsorbate molecule. The results are particularly releva...
Characterization of circadian‐regulated mRNAs encoding glycine‐rich RNA‐binding proteins in Pelargonium×hortorum

Two cDNAs, PhGRP1 and PhGRP2, with high sequence identity to genes encoding glycine-rich RNA-binding proteins, have been cloned from Pelargonium × hortorum. PhGRP is represented in the P. × hortorum genome by a single copy. DNA sequence analysis of two independently isolated cDNAs. PhGRP1 and PhGRP2, indicates that PhGRP2 represents a partially spliced version of PhGRP1. The additional intronlike sequence in PhGRP2 contains a termination codon, which would result in translation of a truncated protein. Expression of PhGRP1 was high in petals, pistils, roots and stems, and lower in leaves. PhGRP2 transcripts were less abundant than those of PhGRP1 in all tissues, but were proportionately higher in flower tissues than in roots and stems, and were not detectable in leaves. PhGRP transcripts were highest in stigma and style tissues, but were unaffected by exogenous ethylene treatment or pollination. PhGRP transcript levels fluctuated in a circadian rhythm with maximal accumulation late in the day.
Effect of Preoperative Autologous Blood Donation Coupled With Fluid Resuscitation on Transfusion Requirements Following Orthopedic Surgery

Background: Preoperative auto-blood donation has been shown to increase the likelihood of developing postoperative anemia following orthopedic surgery. This study was to assess the additive effect of intraoperative plus postoperative fluid resuscitation upon the relationship between preoperative donation and the frequency of postoperative transfusion. Methods: In this retrospective, single institution case-controlled study, hemoglobin levels, fluid administration, and incidence of transfusion were reviewed among 182 patients (91 donated blood preoperatively and 91 did not) undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Results: Thirty-two (35.2%) donors and 18 (19.8%) non-donors received transfusion for adjusted risk of 2.817 (1.301 - 6.100) among donors versus non-donors. Donors are more affected by the hemodilution effects associated with fluid infusion and are transfused earlier and more frequently than non-donors. Conclusion: Preoperative autologous donation and fluid administration increase the risk for receiving postoperative transfusion. J Hematol. 2015;4(2):157-163 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jh208w
Perceived Changes in the Intensity oi Arterial Pulsations as a Function oi Applied Cufi Pressure

A psychophysical scaling procedure was employed to investigate subjects' ability to discriminate pulsatile arterial sensations produced by applying an occluding cuff about the upper arm. Subjects (n = 8) were exposed to 5 presentations of 7 occluding cuff pressure levels ranging from above systolic to below diastolic arterial pressure. During each cuff inflation, subjects were instructed to attend to the pulsating sensations in the arm. When the cuff deflated, subjects adjusted the volume ofa tone to a level that matched their subjective estimate of pulsation intensity. Consistent with previous reports, subjects perceived maximum intensity pulsations when cuff pressure approximated calculated mean arterial pressure (MAP), 1/3 (systolic -diastolic) + diastolic. The perceived intensity ofthe sensations decreased monotonically as cuff pressure was varied in either the systolic or diastolic direction producing a highly symmetrical function on both sides of MAP. The gradient of arterial pulsations produced by the occluding cuff pressure, the accuracy of the judgments ofthe intensity of perceived pulsations, and the possibility that these pulsations may he more physiologically related to the hemodynamics of blood flow, suggest that these sensations may be employed as a more effective discriminative stimulus in a blood pressure biofeedback procedure.
The QUaD experiment

Abstract QUaD is a 31 pixel array of polarization sensitive bolometer pairs coupled to a 2.6 m Cassegrain radio telescope. The telescope is attached to the mount originally built for the DASI experiment and located at the South Pole. The telescope system is described along with details of instrumental characterization studies which we have performed. A first season of CMB observations is complete and the second season underway. Details of the current status of these observations and their analysis are presented.
The radian effective half-length of cylindrical antennas less than 1.3 wavelengths long

Studies relating to transients in cylindrical transmitting and receiving antennas generally require knowledge of both the steady-state effective length and impedance of these structures over a wide frequency range. A table for the complex radian effective half-length of cylindrical antennas less than 1.3 \lambda long, when the incident electric field is polarized parallel to the axis of the conductor, is provided in this paper.
Internet connectivity among rural Alabama veterans: baseline findings from the Alabama Veterans Rural Health Initiative Project.

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this secondary data analysis was to characterize the Internet usage of rural veterans (n=201) who had either never enrolled, or had previously enrolled but not accessed, Veterans Affairs (VA) health services in at least 2 years. The VA Office of Rural Health (ORH)(ie part of the United States Government Department of Veterans Affairs) is a government agency with the mission to improve access and quality of care for enrolled rural and highly rural US veterans. The ORH seeks to use evidence-based policies and innovative practices to support the unique needs of enrolled veterans residing in geographically remote areas. These individuals represent a population considered to experience health disparities secondary to reduced health care access. METHODS This study explored the role of the Internet in providing health information and information regarding VA services to rural Caucasian and African American veterans in the southeastern USA. African Americans were significantly younger (50.32 years, SD=13.50, range 22-85 years) than Caucasian rural veterans (58.50 years, SD=13.82, range 21-85 years). RESULTS A small majority of veterans (n=107; 53.23%) reported 'going on-line to use the Internet or World Wide Web, or to send and receive e-mail'. Among Internet users, multivariate logistic regression showed that neither age nor race/ethnicity predicted using the Internet to access health information or information regarding VA services. CONCLUSION In comparison with population norms, rural veterans displayed lower usage of the Internet; however, there were few practical age differences between young, middle-aged and older rural veterans in use of the Internet for seeking health information. These results suggest a tremendous potential for online outreach efforts to rural veterans seeking health information and information regarding VA services and benefits. The US Federal Government's VA Office of Rural Health is investing in technology-based services and will need to disseminate information regarding the availability of these services to rural veterans.
The calibration of a Meson Spectrometer with a Least Squares Minimization technique

The task of calibration and analysis of the Neutral Meson Spectrometer (NMS) was undertaken with the help of negative kaon (κ−) data from the Brookhaven laboratory E931 experiment. A useful least squares minimization technique, using Chi-Squared Minimization, was developed and implemented to determine the coefficients for 120 Cesium-Iodide crystals in NMS. This short paper reports the details of this technique which finds application in a number of areas, especially electromagnetic and meson spectrometry/calorimetry, where a least squares estimation method is required for calibration of multi-channel instruments.
Personal autonomy of scuba diver trainees.

Abstract An investigation of personal autonomy levels as measured by the Pensacola Z scale was conducted on 147 scuba diving trainees at the University of California at Los Angeles. The study was part of an effort to develop insight into selection and training procedures for reliable underwater workers. Findings revealed that diver trainees described themselves as individualistically as did groups of astronauts and Antarctic scientists, but their Z-scale scores were not significantly different from other campus groups. Further, the Z-scale did not significantly differentiate between successful trainees and dropouts in the course. A weak relationship was found between the Z-scale score and scuba diving performance during pool testing. It was concluded that the qualities measured by the Z-scale test may be more important to the future diving careers of the subjects than to their selection and training.
An intelligent quality-based approach to fusing multi-source probabilistic information

Investigates the fusion of probabilistic information from multiple sources.Uses the idea of the quality of fused value as an important factor in fusion process.Considers cases of both equally and unequally weighted fusion of sources of information. Our objective here is to obtain quality-fused values from multiple sources of probabilistic distributions, where quality is related to the lack of uncertainty in the fused value and the use of credible sources. We first introduce a vector representation for a probability distribution. With the aid of the Gini formulation of entropy, we show how the norm of the vector provides a measure of the certainty, i.e., information, associated with a probability distribution. We look at two special cases of fusion for source inputs those that are maximally uncertain and certain. We provide a measure of credibility associated with subsets of sources. We look at the issue of finding the highest quality fused value from the weighted aggregations of source provided probability distributions.
Formation of an Unexpected Organometallic Mercury Compound in a Palladium-Catalyzed Reaction

The new and unexpected organometallic mercury compound 3 has been identified in the palladium-catalyzed reaction between bis(ferrocenyl)mercury (1) and dimethylacetylenedicarboxylate (2) along with...