cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased insertion number leads to increased sperm transfer and fertilization success in a nursery web spider

Across animals, a male's fitness is largely dictated by his ability to fertilize eggs; and there exists a plethora of male adaptations associated with increasing fertilization success. In the nursery web spider, Pisaurina mira, males restrain females prior to and during copulation by wrapping them with silk. Previous research demonstrates that copulatory silk wrapping reduces a male's chance of being sexually cannibalized and increases the number of sperm transfer opportunities (termed insertions) that a male can achieve within a mating. While avoiding cannibalism provides an obvious survival benefit to males, the impact of insertion number on male fitness remains unknown. This study tested the hypothesis that increased insertion number realized through copulatory silk wrapping increases (1) the quantity of sperm transferred and (2) fertilization success. To accomplish this, we directly quantified the amount of sperm in male pedipalps (i.e. the male sperm storage organ) before mating and after obtaining one or two insertions. We also, indirectly quantified fertilization success by measuring the number of hatched offspring when males were capable of achieving one versus two insertions within a mating. In support of our hypotheses, we found that males transfer roughly twice the amount of sperm when achieving two insertions compared to one. We additionally found that the amount of sperm transferred is negatively related to female size. In terms of offspring number, females obtaining two insertions had more offspring compared to females obtaining only one insertion. These results show that males achieve a fertilization benefit from increased insertion number, which is obtained through the male behaviour of copulatory silk wrapping.
Preliminary Interference Study About Job Placement and Routing Algorithms in the Fat-Tree Topology for HPC Applications

Among the high-radix and low-diameter networks, fat-tree topology is commonly used in HPC and datacenter systems. Resource and job management is critically important to mitigate application interference in order to achieve high system performance and utilization. Preliminary studies have shown the effect of job placement on parallel scientific applications performance. In this work we study interference about job placement and routing algorithms on fat-tree system. Applications can be classified into various groups according to the communication patterns. We further combine various job placement policies and routing algorithms and create six different configurations. The system performance is analyzed by performing fine-grained high-fidelity discrete event-driven simulation. Initial experimentation shows that the performance of HPC applications not only is related with its communication pattern, but also relies on the job placement and network routing on fat-tree systems.
Midterm Outcomes After Endovascular Intervention for Occluded vs Stenosed External Iliac Arteries

Purpose: To evaluate the association between a chronic total occlusion (CTO) and long-term outcomes among patients undergoing endovascular intervention to the external iliac artery (EIA). Methods: ...
Patient Selection Criteria for Left Ventricular Assist Device Placement

The incidence of end-stage congestive heart failure is currently estimated at 50,000 cases per year in the United States.1,2 The majority of these patients are potential heart transplant recipients. The availability of donor organs, however, remains relatively fixed at approximately 2,000 annually.3 This vast discrepancy has led to the successful development of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) as a bridge-to-transplantation and has raised the issue of permanent device implantation in lieu of transplantation.4 Although alternative technologies such as skeletal muscle cardiomyoplasty, crossspecies transplantation, and transgenic animal breeding have been proposed, LVADs are the only clinically viable alternative in the near future. In addition to avoiding the immunosuppression complications of transplantation and the long-term limitations posed by accelerated atherosclerosis, LVADs could be produced in the large numbers required by the heart failure population. The limitations of LVADs include their cost, estimated at $50,000 per unit, and their risk of infection, thromboembolism, and mechanical failure.
Development and psychometric validation of a novel measure of sensory expectancies associated with E-cigarette use

Abstract Introduction E-cigarette dependence measures largely focus on e-cigarette use (“vaping”) that is linked to nicotine use, and measures assessing sensory aspects of vaping that may influence use (e.g., taste) are limited in scope. Thus, we developed the novel Sensory E-cigarette Expectancies Scale (SEES). Methods In Summer 2017, 610 adult e-cigarette users (48.7% male, 84.9% White, 37.41[±12.15] years old) completed an online survey that included 23 SEES items. Psychometric analyses included evaluating latent structure, internal consistency, measurement invariance, mean differences, and test-criterion relationships. Results Factor analyses supported a 9-item, 3-subscale structure (taste/smell, pleasure/satisfaction, vapor cloud production). Subscales evidenced internal consistency and scalar invariance by sex, race, smoking status (current/not), vaping status (daily/not), e-liquid nicotine content (yes/no), and device type (cig-a-likes/vape-pens/Advanced Personal Vaporizers [APVs]/Mods). Women and daily e-cigarette users reported stronger SEEs for taste/smell and pleasure than their counterparts. Non-white participants reported stronger SEEs for cloud production than White participants. Cig-a-like users reported the weakest SEEs for taste/smell and weaker SEEs linked to cloud production than APV/mod users. SEES scores evidenced convergence with nicotine dependence (mean r = .36). Finally, SEES scores predicted vaping frequency and habitual vaping concurrently and incrementally beyond nicotine dependence. Conclusions The SEES evidenced good psychometric properties, suggesting that the measure can be used to assess sensory vaping expectancies in adults. Importantly, SEES scores indicated that sensory expectancies are related, yet distinct, from nicotine dependence. Future research should evaluate how SEEs relate to product characteristic preferences and patterns of vaping including the development and maintenance of addiction.
Sex Comparisons for Very Short-Term Dynamic Constant External Resistance Training.

This study compared sex responses for strength and barbell velocity from very short-term resistance training (VST, consisting of 2–3 training sessions) for an upper body dynamic constant external resistance (DCER) exercise (bench press [BP]). Ten females (mean ± standard deviation (SD) age: 21.3 ± 3 years, height: 166.2 ± 6 cm, body mass: 71.4 ± 10.7 kg) and 10 males (mean ± SD age: 24.6 ± 4 years, height: 179.5 ± 8 cm, body mass: 88.6 ± 11 kg) completed a pre-test visit to determine the BP 1 repetition maximum (1RM) as well as the mean (BPMV) and peak (BPPV) barbell velocities from the BP 1RM. The VST involved three training visits where the participants performed 5 sets of 6 repetitions, at 65% of the 1RM. The post-test followed the same procedures as the pre-test visit. There were significant increases in 1RM strength for both the males (5.1%) and females (5.4%) between pre-test and post-test. There were no significance differences between sex for mean (BPMV) and peak (BPPV); however, overall there was a 32.7% increase in BPMV and a 29.8% increase in BPPV. These findings indicated an increase in strength and barbell velocity for both males and females as a result of VST upper body DCER exercise in untrained subjects.
A new method of geochemical allocation and monitoring of commingled crude oil production using trace and ultra-trace multi-element analyses

Abstract Production allocation refers to the practice of quantifying proportions of extracted commingled hydrocarbons across various contributing sources. In this paper we tested a new geochemical technique of trace element production allocation by analyzing the mass fractions of specific target elements in five end-member natural crude oils and the manually mixed crude oil in precisely controlled proportions. We analyzed target elements by ICP-OES and Triple Quadrupole (QQQ)-ICP-MS techniques in tandem on each sample. In our test, the contributing fractions of the five end-member oils were measured by weight and mixed in proportions of ∼30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, and 10% in the commingled oil. The obtained mass fractions for specific target elements in both the five end-member oils and the commingled oil are input into a program developed called “ALLO-TRACE”. ALLO-TRACE calculates the contributing fractions of all the end-member oils to the commingled oil using multiple analyte-based linear equations. Our repeated tests have shown that the calculated contribution fractions based on the mass fractions of multiple trace elements agree well with their known contribution fractions in the commingled oil. Accuracies of most calculations for all the five end-member oil target proportions are within 4%, and the best can be less than 0.6% for all end members (average 0.17% and median 0.1%). Most calculation uncertainties in terms of relative standard deviations of the five end-member oils are within 3%, and the best can be less than 2.3% for all end members (average 1.2% and median 0.9%).
The Incidence and Nature of Allergic and Anaphylactic Reactions During Pediatric Procedural Sedation: A Report From the Pediatric Sedation Research Consortium.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Anaphylaxis is rare but life-threatening. Its incidence during pediatric procedural sedation outside of the operating room is unknown. We used data from the Pediatric Sedation Research Consortium (PSRC) to determine the incidence and nature of allergic and anaphylactic reactions in this practice. METHODS: A retrospective observational study of prospectively collected information in the PSRC’s multicenter database was performed. Cases of allergic reaction were identified. Because anaphylaxis is not a listed complication in the PSRC database, all cases for which allergic reaction was noted were reviewed for the occurrence of other complications or interventions that would suggest at least 2 organ system derangements consistent with anaphylaxis as well as for practitioner commentary stating the occurrence of anaphylaxis. Descriptive analyses of demographic information and summary statistics were performed, and multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate associations between the occurrence of allergic reactions and medications. RESULTS: During the study period, 227 833 cases were entered into the PSRC database. There were 54 cases of allergic reaction (incidence 1:4219); 6 were consistent with anaphylaxis (incidence 1:37 972). A significant association between the development of allergic reaction and 4 sedative and/or analgesic medications was noted: midazolam (odds ratio [OR] 2.2; confidence interval [CI] 1.2–3.9), ketamine (OR 3.8; CI 2.1–7.1), methohexital (OR 48.8; CI 14.9–159.9), and morphine (OR 4.4; CI 1.04–18.2). There were no mortalities. CONCLUSIONS: Allergic reactions and anaphylaxis during pediatric procedural sedation are rare. In this study, the development of allergic reactions was significantly associated with the use of midazolam, ketamine, methohexital, and morphine.
Reuben Hill and the State of Family Sociology

This paper has two foci: it is about Reuben Hills contributions to family sociology, and about the state of family sociology today. Hills contributions to family stress, developmental theory, the...
Dynamics of Markets: Econophysics and Finance

Standard texts and research in economics and finance ignore the absence of evidence from the analysis of real, unmassaged market data to support the notion of Adam Smith's stabilizing Invisible Hand. The neo-classical equilibrium model forms the theoretical basis for the positions of the US Treasury, the World Bank and the European Union, accepting it as their credo. It provides the theoretical underpinning for globalization, expecting to achieve the best of all possible worlds via the deregulation of all markets. In stark contrast, this text introduces a empirically based model of financial market dynamics that explains volatility, prices options correctly and clarifies the instability of financial markets. The emphasis is on understanding how real markets behave, not how they hypothetically 'should' behave. This text is written for physics graduate students and finance specialists, but will also serve as a valuable resource for those with a less mathematical background.
Load forecasting using multiple linear regression with different calendars

Abstract A smart grid is a power system that facilitates two-way communication and data exchange between a utility supplier and its customers, be they commercial, residential, or industrial. Smart Meters and other mechanisms that are important to the smart grid system allow the two parties to see when and how much power was drawn by loads. Accurate load forecasting in a smart grid will enable power utilities to provide reliable power supply and help to reduce power wastage and its related cost. Since calendar and seasonal changes are crucial in determining the demand for electricity, a common calendar must be chosen to classify days of the year for load forecasting. This paper proposes a novel method to model the seasonal changes for load forecasting by using a special form of the Indian calendar based on the sidereal year. In this paper, we consider the benchmark ‘vanilla model’ based on multiple linear regression analysis. The results are compared with the commonly used Gregorian calendar. A cross-validation is used to find the mean absolute percentage error. Through these results it was observed that the common Gregorian calendar utilizing cross-validation results in general in an accurate load forecast.
Helicobacter pylori Infections in the Bronx, New York: Surveying Antibiotic Susceptibility and Strain Lineage by Whole-Genome Sequencing.

ABSTRACT The emergence of drug resistance in Helicobacter pylori has resulted in a greater need for susceptibility-guided treatment. While the alleles associated with resistance to clarithromycin and levofloxacin have been defined, there are limited data regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying resistance to other antimicrobials. Using H. pylori isolates from 42 clinical specimens, we compared phenotypic and whole-genome sequencing (WGS)-based detection of resistance. Phenotypic resistance correlated with the presence of alleles of 23S rRNA (A2142G/A2143G) for clarithromycin (kappa coefficient, 0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67 to 1.0) and gyrA (N87I/N87K/D91Y/D91N/D91G/D99N) for levofloxacin (kappa coefficient, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.77 to 1.0). Phenotypic resistance to amoxicillin in three isolates correlated with mutations in pbp1, pbp2, and/or pbp3 within coding regions near known amoxicillin binding motifs. All isolates were phenotypically susceptible to tetracycline, although four bore a mutation in 16S rRNA (A926G). For metronidazole, nonsense mutations and R16H substitutions in rdxA correlated with phenotypic resistance (kappa coefficient, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.96). Previously identified mutations in the rpoB rifampin resistance-determining region (RRDR) were not present, but 14 novel mutations outside the RRDR were found in rifampin-resistant isolates. WGS also allowed for strain lineage determination, which may be important for future studies in associating precise MICs with specific resistance alleles. In summary, WGS allows for broad analyses of H. pylori isolates, and our findings support the use of WGS for the detection of clarithromycin and levofloxacin resistance. Additional studies are warranted to better define mutations conferring resistance to amoxicillin, tetracycline, and rifampin, but combinatorial analyses for rdxA gene truncations and R16H mutations have utility for determining metronidazole resistance.
Quantitative analysis of variability in an integrated model of human ventricular electrophysiology and β-adrenergic signaling

Abstract In ventricular myocytes, stimulation of β-adrenergic receptors activates critical cardiac signaling pathways, leading to shorter action potentials and increased contraction strength during the “fight-or-flight” response. These changes primarily result, at the cellular level, from the coordinated phosphorylation of multiple targets by protein kinase A. Although mathematical models of the intracellular signaling downstream of β-adrenergic receptor activation have previously been described, only a limited number of studies have explored quantitative interactions between intracellular signaling and electrophysiology in human ventricular myocytes. Accordingly, our objective was to develop an integrative mathematical model of β-adrenergic receptor signaling, electrophysiology, and intracellular calcium (Ca2+) handling in the healthy human ventricular myocyte. We combined published mathematical models of intracellular signaling and electrophysiology, then calibrated the model results against voltage clamp data and physiological changes occurring after stimulation of β-adrenergic receptors with isoproterenol. We subsequently: (1) explored how molecular variability in different categories of model parameters translated into phenotypic variability; (2) identified the most important parameters determining physiological cellular outputs in the model before and after β-adrenergic receptor stimulation; and (3) investigated which molecular level alterations can produce a phenotype indicative of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Major results included: (1) variability in parameters that controlled intracellular signaling caused qualitatively different behavior than variability in parameters controlling ion transport pathways; (2) the most important model parameters determining action potential duration and intracellular Ca2+ transient amplitude were generally consistent before and after β-adrenergic receptor stimulation, except for a shift in the importance of K+ currents in determining action potential duration; and (3) decreased Ca2+ uptake into the sarcoplasmic reticulum, increased Ca2+ extrusion through Na+/Ca2+ exchanger and decreased Ca2+ leak from the sarcoplasmic reticulum may contribute to HFpEF. Overall, this study provided novel insight into the phenotypic consequences of molecular variability, and our integrated model may be useful in the design and interpretation of future experimental studies of interactions between β-adrenergic signaling and cellular physiology in human ventricular myocytes.
Signaler–receiver–eavesdropper: Risks and rewards of variation in the dominant frequency of male cricket calls

Signals are important for communication and mating, and while they can benefit an individual, they can also be costly and dangerous. Male field crickets call in order to attract female crickets, but gravid females of a parasitoid fly species, Ormia ochracea, are also attracted to the call and use it to pinpoint male cricket hosts. Conspicuousness of the call can vary with frequency, amplitude, and temporal features. Previous work with this system has only considered temporal variation in cricket calls, both large scale, that is, amount of calling and at what time of evening, and small scale, that is, aspects of chirp rate, pulse rate, and numbers of pulses per chirp. Because auditory perception in both crickets and flies relies on the matching of the peak frequency of the call with the peripheral sensory system, peak frequency may be subject to selection both from female crickets and from female flies. Here, we used field playbacks of four different versions of the same male Gryllus lineaticeps calling song that only differed in peak frequency (3.3, 4.3, 5.3, and 6.3 kHz) to test the relative attractiveness of the calls to female crickets and female flies. Our results clearly show that lower frequency calls enhance male safety from fly parasitism, but that the enhanced safety would come at a cost of reduced attraction of female crickets as potential mates. The results imply that eavesdropper pressure can disrupt the matched coevolution of signalers and receivers such that the common concept of matched male-female signaler-receiver coevolution may actually be better described as male-female-predator signaler-receiver-eavesdropper coevolution.
Personality Research and the Methods of Testing

The translated text presented in this chapter was authored by William Stern and originally published in 1929 in the German language Yearbook of Characterology. It begins with a brief and highly condensed statement of Stern’s understanding of ‘persons’ as entities that function holistically and that have depth. He proceeds to discuss ways in which these features of personhood are obscured by prevailing methods of psychological testing, both in personality studies and in psychotechnics. Those methods, Stern argues, represent persons only superficially, and reveal, at best, only their reactions to selected promptings. He argues that what is needed are methods better suited for capturing persons’ spontaneous actions, and that in order to meet this need, reliance on qualitative methods of assessment, demanding investigators’ interpretations of their direct observations, would be essential.
The Sharing Economy: Rhetoric and Reality

The sharing economy is transforming economies around the world, entering markets for lodging, ride hailing, home services, and other sectors that previously lacked robust person-to-person alternati...
Managerial Ownership, Incentive Contracting and the Use of Zero-Cost Collars and Equity Swaps by Corporate Insiders

Zero-cost collars and equity swaps provide insiders with the opportunity to hedge the risk associated with their personal holdings in the company's equity. Consequently their use has important implications for incentive-based contracting and for understanding insider-trading behavior. Our analysis indicates that these transactions generally involve high-ranking insiders, and effectively reduce their ownership by about 25% on average. Given the potential of these financial instruments to substantially alter the incentive alignment between managers and shareholders, we suggest that increasing the transparency of these transactions may provide valuable information to investors.
The multifaceted roles of DNA repair and replication proteins in aging and obesity

Efficient mechanisms for genomic maintenance (i.e., DNA repair and DNA replication) are crucial for cell survival. Aging and obesity can lead to the dysregulation of genomic maintenance proteins/pathways and are significant risk factors for the development of cancer, metabolic disorders, and other genetic diseases. Mutations in genes that code for proteins involved in DNA repair and DNA replication can also exacerbate aging- and obesity-related disorders and lead to the development of progeroid diseases. In this review, we will discuss the roles of various DNA repair and replication proteins in aging and obesity as well as investigate the possible mechanisms by which aging and obesity can lead to the dysregulation of these proteins and pathways.
Does Terrorism Have Economic Roots

This paper investigates the roots of international, domestic, and separatist terrorism using a new, extensive, multi-country panel data set obtained from MIPT (Memorial Institute of Prevention of Terrorism). I augment the MIPT data by recording the target country and the terrorist's country of origin. I also classify each terrorist incident as international, domestic or separatist. International terrorism refers to terrorism committed by foreign nationals. Domestic terrorism refers to terrorism committed by domestic nationals. Separatist terrorism is committed by domestic nationals engaged in separatist causes. Using a panel data analysis with country fixed effects, I find striking results at considerable odds with the literature. Whereas the previous literature finds that terrorism is unrelated to economic conditions, I find that the richer the country, the fewer the terrorist attacks committed abroad by the country's nationals. Similarly, I find that when a country is richer, the country's nationals commit fewer terrorist attacks at home. I build an entirely new data set with regional GDP of separatist regions and find that the higher the GDP of the separatist region, the fewer the terrorist attacks committed by native separatists.
Algorithm and implementation of signed-binary recoding with asymmetric digit sets for elliptic curve cryptosystems

Signed-binary representations of integer k with symmetric digit set /spl Dscr//sub s/ - {-(2/sup w/ - 1 ),-(2/sup w/-3),... ,-1,0,1,... ,2/sup w/ - 3,2/sup w/ - 1} may have lower weight than the unsigned-binary expansion of k. The "weight" is the number of nonzero digits in a binary expansion. Lower weight leads to fewer number of addition operations in the scalar multiplication, kP, of elliptic curve cryptosystems. Here P is a point on an elliptic curve. On the other hand, computing the minimum-weight signed-binary representation from left (most significant bit) to right (least significant bit) significantly reduces memory requirements because intermediate results do not need to be stored. Since the size of /spl Dscr//sub s/ is 2/sup w/ + 1, a (w + 1)-bit data bus is necessary to represent the 2/sup w/ + 1 elements in /spl Dscr/ /sub s/. This is inefficient because a (w + 1)-bit bus is capable of denoting 2/sup w+1/ cases. We present a new signed-binary recoding algorithm with asymmetric digit set /spl Dscr//sub a/ - {-(2/sup w/ - 1),-(2/sup w/ - 3),...,-1, 0,1,...,2/sup w/ - 3}. For w = 2, our simulation results show that the average weight of signed-binary numbers with digit set {- 3,-1,0,1} is 0.285 times the length of their unsigned-binary expansions. For the optimal representations with {-1,0,1} the average ratio is 0.333. The number of additions is decreased by 14.4%. The encoding circuit requires 7 flip-flops and 22 gates to realize.
Endogenous estrogen production in the young.

Only in human pregnancy is the fetus exposed to high concentrations of estrogens throughout gestation, owing to the unique interplay of steroidogenesis between fetus, placenta, and mother. It is well recognized that both the fetal and maternal adrenal glands contribute to placental estrogen synthesis by secretion of steroidal precursor androgens. 1 The principal estrogen of human pregnancy, estriol, is produced in disproportionately large quantities because of the extensive 16α-hydroxylation of fetal dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) in fetal liver and other tissues. 16α-Hydroxy DHEAS is directly converted to estriol within the placenta by the abundant sulfatase, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-isomerase, and aromatase enzymes contained therein. Thus, the fetus is the source of most of the estriol precursor during pregnancy. Fetal and maternal DHEAS secretion contribute roughly one half of the precursor for placental estradiol synthesis late in pregnancy. Although most of the placental estrogen is secreted into the maternal circulation, a large quantity is delivered to the fetus via the umbilical vein. Table I lists the approximate concentrations of free estrone, estradiol, and estriol, as well as progesterone, in umbilical venous and arterial plasma as compared with the concentrations found in the maternal circulation at term of normal pregnancy. It can be seen that the concentration of estriol is approximately ten times that of estradiol and five times greater than that of estrone entering the fetus. The level of estradiol in the fetal circulation (5 to 6 ng/ml at term) is 10 to 20 times higher than that found in the normal adult female just prior to the midcycle gonadotropin surge.
An architecture for hypermedia systems using MHEG standard objects interchange

Most hypermedia systems have been developed as a unique and self-contained application preventing information interchange and code reusability between applications. To address this problem, a generic layered architecture for hypermedia systems with four major interfaces is first introduced. The architecture adequately uses the MHEG proposal to provide the desired independence between hypermedia applications' conceptual models and storage strategies for hypermedia objects. Then, some design problems of the topmost layer, using as example the nested context hypermedia model, are discussed. Finally, motivated by the fact that a distributed environment may be necessary to meet the real time requirements of hypermedia applications, some issues concerning the design of a distributed system based on the proposed architecture are briefly addressed
Evaluating Equating Accuracy and Assumptions for Groups that Differ in Performance.

Accurate equating results are essential when comparing examinee scores across exam forms. Previous research indicates that equating results may not be accurate when group differences are large. This study compared the equating results of frequency estimation, chained equipercentile, item response theory (IRT) true-score, and IRT observed-score equating methods. Using mixed-format test data, equating results were evaluated for group differences ranging from 0 to .75 standard deviations. As group differences increased, equating results became increasingly biased and dissimilar across equating methods. Results suggest that the size of group differences, the likelihood that equating assumptions are violated, and the equating error associated with an equating method should be taken into consideration when choosing an equating method.
The vaporization behavior and thermodynamic stability of V12P7(s) and V4P3(s)

Abstract The vaporization behavior and thermodynamic stability of V12P7 and V4P3 have been investigated in the temperature ranges 1563–1762 K and 1450–1650 K respectively using a mass loss Knudsen effusion technique. X-ray powder diffraction investigation showed that both compounds vaporize incongruently in this temperature range with phosphorus being lost preferentially. The enthalpies of formation (from metal and white phosphorus) were determined: Δ f H 298.15 ° (V 12 P 7 =−1390±5 kJ mol −1 (−73 kJ (g-atom) −1 ) Δ f H 298.15 ° (V 4 P 3 =−534±6 kJ mol −1 (−76 kJ (g-atom) −1 )
Endoscopic evaluation and treatment of rectal hemorrhage after prostate biopsy.

Background: Rectal hemorrhage can be a serious complication of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)- guided prostate biopsy, and is typically managed by the urologist. We report a series of five patients referred to gastroenterology after developing this complication. Methods: Medical records were reviewed in five patients referred to the Sections of Gastroenterology at Virginia Mason Medical Center and Group Health Eastside Hospital in Seattle, WA. Results: Patients presented to the Emergency Department with symptoms ranging from moderate hematochezia to overt shock. Sigmoidoscopy in the first two patients revealed pulsatile bleeding from the biopsy site. The first patient was treated with bipolar cauterization. The second patient was hypotensive due to significant blood loss and required overnight monitoring in the intensive care unit. Hemostasis was achieved through balloon tamponade of the rectum using the balloon from a Foley urinary catheter. Sigmoidoscopy on a third patient revealed a large oozing rectal hematoma, which was injected with epinephrine. The fourth patient had no active bleeding on sigmoidoscopy and required no treatment. The fifth patient had stopped bleeding without intervention, but required two units of blood transfusion and was admitted for observation. Conclusions: 1) Significant rectal hemorrhage after prostate biopsy is an uncommon but potentially serious complication of this procedure. 2) Patients who present with rectal hemorrhage after prostate biopsy may be referred to the gastroenterologist for endoscopic evaluation and management. 3) Flexible sigmoidoscopy allows for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy in a subset of prostate biopsy patients who develop significant rectal bleeding after biopsy.
"Normal pressure" pseudotumor cerebri.

We present a case report of a patient with clinical features suggestive of pseudotumor cerebri (PTC), without a documented elevated measurement of intracranial pressure (ICP). Chart review was done of one patient's clinical course over a 28-month period. The patient was treated for PTC even though she never had a documented elevated ICP. Her signs and symptoms, including headache, disc edema, and visual field loss, all showed improvement with standard PTC therapy, which ultimately included optic nerve sheath fenestration (ONSF). Her presenting symptoms of clinical depression were also relieved with this treatment. PTC may present without an elevated ICP as defined by current standards. Some patients may be more susceptible to lower levels of ICP and develop this syndrome, and it may be responsive to standard PTC therapy. Further investigation may warrant that clinical depression be included as another minor symptom of PTC.
The decatenation checkpoint

The decatenation checkpoint delays entry into mitosis until the chromosomes have been disentangled. Deficiency in or bypass of the decatenation checkpoint can cause chromosome breakage and nondisjunction during mitosis, which results in aneuploidy and chromosome rearrangements in the daughter cells. A deficiency in the decatenation checkpoint has been reported in lung and bladder cancer cell lines and may contribute to the accumulation of chromosome aberrations that commonly occur during tumour progression. A checkpoint deficiency has also been documented in cultured stem and progenitor cells, and cancer stem cells are likely to be derived from stem and progenitor cells that lack an effective decatenation checkpoint. An inefficient decatenation checkpoint is likely to be a source of the chromosome aberrations that are common features of most tumours, but an inefficient decatenation checkpoint in cancer stem cells could also provide a potential target for chemotherapy.
A Plasmid-Encoded Surface Protein On Enterococcus Faecalis Augments Its Internalization By Cultured Intestinal Epithelial Cells

Aggregation substance, a plasmid-encoded Enterococcus faecalis surface protein, plays a role in mediating the formation of mating aggregates, resulting in plasmid transfer. The role of aggregation substance in the internalization of E. faecalis by cultured intestinal epithelial cells, namely HT-29 cells, was analyzed. It was associated with a significant increase in endocytosis of E. faecalis by HT-29 cells: Numbers of internalized enterococci were fewer than of an invasive strain of Listeria monocytogenes, similar to Salmonella typhimurium and another L. monocytogenes strain, and greater than relatively noninvasive strains of E. faecalis, Proteus mirabilis, and Escherichia coli. Electron microscopy confirmed aggregation substance on the surface of strains interacting with the enterocyte microvillous surface, and intracellular enterococci were localized within membrane-bound vacuoles in the enterocyte cytoplasm. Thus, aggregation substance may facilitate E. faecalis internalization by host epithelial cells.
A classification and rationalization of model-based software development

The use of model-based software development is increasingly popular due to recent advancements in modeling technology. Numerous approaches exist; this paper seeks to organize and characterize them. In particular, important terminological confusion, challenges, and recurring techniques of model-based software development are identified and rationalized. New perspectives are provided on some fundamental issues, such as the distinctions between model-driven development and architecture-centric development, code generation, and metamodeling. On the basis of this discussion, we opine that architecture-centric development and domain-specific model-driven development are the two most promising branches of model-based software development. Achieving a positive future will require, however, specific advances in software modeling, code generation, and model-code consistency management.
Comparison of polysilicon films annealed with a CW or pulsed laser

Polysilicon films were doped by ion implantation of75As or31p and subsequently annealed with either a CW-Ar laser or a pulsed Nd:YAG laser. Sheet resistance, Hall measurements, X-ray diffraction and Rutherford backscattering have been used to compare the films annealed with the different lasers. The pulsed laser reduces the resistance to one third of the thermally annealed reference values. The CW laser gives a greater redistribution of the dopant, lower sheet resistances and a film that is more stable under subsequent thermal processing.
Transport properties of the systems SnS2-SnI4 and SnS2-I2

Mass transport rate studies on SnS2 in the temperature gradient 648–723 K using SnI4 as initial transport agent revealed the existence of forward (high → low temperature) and reverse (low → high temperature) transport. The net transport direction was found to be pressure dependent. At higher temperatures, only forward transport was observed for the SnS2-SnI4 system. When elemental iodine is employed as initial transport agent in the above gradient, SnS2 is transported from low to high temperature for pressures between about 0.3 and 150 kPa. Thermodynamic calculations for these systems yielded partial pressures of the major gaseous species SnI4, SnI2, I2, I, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7 and S8, which led to the formulation of the dominant transport reactions consistent with the observed net transport direction. Based on the hypothetical pressure P∗ of SnS2, defined as the “solubility” of SnS2 in the gas phase, the quantity δP∗ is given by the equation δP∗ = P∗(SnS2)T2 - P ∗(SnS2)T1, where T2 < T1. The solubility of SnS2 can be expressed in terms of the gaseous sulfur or Sn-iodine species. In the absence of kinetic limitations, for positive values of δP∗ forward transport (T2 → T1) is dominant. When δP∗ is negative, net reverse transport will occur. The presence of both forward and reverse transport implies the existence of an inversion temperature at which the solubility of the solid is a minimum. Calculations of δP∗ as a function of pressure reveal that the inversion pressure (change in transport direction) occurs at higher total pressures with increasing temperature. The results of these calculations are consistent with present investigations and previous studies on the SnS2-SnI4 and SnS2-I2 systems.
Consequences of intraspecific niche variation: phenotypic similarity increases competition among recently metamorphosed frogs

Phenotype is often correlated with resource use, which suggests that as phenotypic variation in a population increases, intraspecific competition will decrease. However, few studies have experimentally tested the prediction that increased intraspecific phenotypic variation leads to reduced competitive effects (e.g., on growth rate, survival or reproductive rate). We investigated this prediction with two experiments on wood frogs (Rana sylvatica). In the first experiment, we found that a frog's size was positively correlated with the size of its preferred prey, indicating that the feeding niche of the frogs changed with size. In the second experiment, we used an experimental design in which we held the initial mass of "focal" frogs constant, but varied the initial mass of their competitors. We found a significant quadratic effect of the average mass of competitors: focal frog growth was lowest when raised with similar-sized competitors, and highest when raised with competitors that were larger or smaller. Our results demonstrate that growth rates increase (i.e., competitive intensity decreases) when individuals are less similar to other members of the population and exhibit less overlap in resource use. Thus, changes in the amount of phenotypic variation in a population may ultimately affect population-level processes, such as population growth rate and extinction risk.
Automatic (spontaneous) propositional and associative learning of first impressions

Contrary to the target article's claims, social cognition research shows considerable learning (about other people) that is relatively automatic. Some of this learning is propositional (spontaneous trait inferences) and some is associative (spontaneous trait transference). Other dichotomies – for example, between learning explicit and implicit attitudes – are also important. However conceived, human conditioning is not synonymous with human learning.
An example of slip instability resulting from displacement-varying strength

A rock cylinder, containing a clay-filled sawcut making an angle of 30° to the sample axis, was deformed at constant confining and pore pressures and constant remote shortening rate. The sawcut surfaces contained a series of regularly spaced ridges and grooves oriented perpendicular to the direction of shear. The interaction of these grooved surfaces resulted in a sliding strength which varied periodically with displacement. By varying the effective machine stiffness through the use of an electronic feedback circuit, a range of stable and unstable slip behavior was achieved. In this way, we examined fault slip behavior which was dominated by displacement-dependent strength.
A versatile split-beam ultracentrifuge recording scanner for use with multicell rotor and absorption optics.

A split-beam photoelectric scanner has been developed for use with multicell rotors and absorption optics. In essence, it was constructed by incorporating an electronic system for sensing the orientation of a rotor (multiplexing system) into a split-beam scanner for single cells. The single-cell scanner used was a combination of those of Lamers et al. and Spinco, with several modifications. The multiplexing system was designed according to the following principle: The time for the rotor to perform one revolution was divided into six equal intervals, using one radius marker on the counterbalance as a reference point. Thus, six successive intervals have one-to-one correspondence with six successive sextants on the rotor. The position of a cell on the rotor is recognized by the interval in which electric pulses are generated by the light bursts passing through the cell. The recognition is effected by a set of time channels correlated to the sextants. Various performance tests of the scanner have been made with single- and double-sector cells on 2-cell, 4-cell, and 6-cell rotors at various speeds. Tests involving studies of the pulses generated from the spinning rotors yielded the following results: (a) the pulses and the cells on the rotors have one-to-one correspondence; (b) the time intervals between two neighboring pulses agree quantitatively with their corresponding values, calculated from the angular separations between two neighboring sectors and cells on the multicell rotors; and (c) the time relationships between the time channel and cell pulses at various speeds observed were those expected from the spatial relationships between the sextants and the cells on the rotor. In the second series of tests, the ultracentrifuge patterns recorded were studied. The scanner gave difference patterns, with automatic correction for nonuniform illumination, between a solution and its solvent when the solution and solvent were contained either in the two compartments of a double-sector cell or in two single-sector cells. The recorder response is not influenced by the cell position or the rotor type, and is proportional to the absorbance of the sample. The scanner recorded smooth Gaussian curves for two homogeneous deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA) of nearly equal density which were banded simultaneously in two density-gradient columns. The density of one DNA calculated from the curves, referred to the other DNA density, agreed with the reported value. These results indicate that the split-beam scanner can be used satisfactorily for 6-cell, 4-cell, and 2-cell rotors, with single- and double-sector cells.
Dynamics of rapid dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens during goal-directed behaviors for cocaine versus natural rewards

Electrophysiological studies show that distinct subsets of nucleus accumbens (NAc) neurons differentially encode information about goal-directed behaviors for intravenous cocaine versus natural (food/water) rewards. Further, NAc rapid dopamine signaling occurs on a timescale similar to phasic cell firing during cocaine and natural reward-seeking behaviors. However, it is not known whether dopamine signaling is reinforcer specific (i.e., is released during responding for only one type of reinforcer) within discrete NAc locations, similar to neural firing dynamics. Here, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) was used to measure rapid dopamine release during multiple schedules involving sucrose reward and cocaine self-administration (n = 8 rats) and, in a separate group of rats (n = 6), during a sucrose/food multiple schedule. During the sucrose/cocaine multiple schedule, dopamine increased within seconds of operant responding for both reinforcers. Although dopamine release was not reinforcer specific, more subtle differences were observed in peak dopamine concentration [DA] across reinforcer conditions. Specifically, peak [DA] was higher during the first phase of the multiple schedule, regardless of reinforcer type. Further, the time to reach peak [DA] was delayed during cocaine-responding compared to sucrose. During the sucrose/food multiple schedule, increases in dopamine release were also observed relative to operant responding for both natural rewards. However, peak [DA] was higher relative to responding for sucrose than food, regardless of reinforcer order. Overall, the results reveal the dynamics of rapid dopamine signaling in discrete locations in the NAc across reward conditions, and provide novel insight into the functional role of this system in reward-seeking behaviors.
Resolved Infrared Spectroscopy of Two High-Redshift Radio Galaxies

We report on the rest-frame optical-line emission from the extended gas in two high-redshift radio galaxies, 4C 48.48 at z = 2.343 and 4C 40.36 at z = 2.265. These are among the first observations to obtain rest-frame optical spectra for distinct knots of gas within a high-redshift radio galaxy. Although the dominant ionization mechanism in both sources is photoionization by the central AGNs, we find evidence of another mechanism within the off-nuclear emission of each source. We measure [O II], [Ne III] and [O III] for several regions in 4C 48.48; these measurements indicate shock ionization in one region. We measure seven lines in 4C 40.36 and compare the on- and off-nuclear emission from the two strongest, Hα and [O III]; we find that [O III]/Hα is at least a factor of 4 weaker off-nucleus, suggesting star formation in the extended region.