cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stress, adaptation, and immunity: Studies in humans

The notion that some combination of excessive "stress" and inadequate coping may increase susceptibility to illness has long been part of our conventional wisdom. Yet, until recently, there have been few data to support this contention. During the past decade, the relationship between stress, adaptation, and human immunity has come under closer scrutiny. There is now considerable evidence that certain types of experimental and naturally-occurring stress are associated with alterations of human cellular immune function. Furthermore, these observed changes generally are immunosuppressive. However, the mediating mechanisms underlying this relationship remain poorly understood. Critical factors in the stress-adaptation-immunity relationship are: the duration and proximity of the stressor, the adaptive capacity of the individual, and the differential effects of certain stressors on immunologic components.
Architecture-Based Reliability Modeling of Web Services Using Petri Nets

Reliability of web applications depends on reliability of the application itself as well as the underlying application server, external and internal services. Many research works have been conducted on reliability modeling of service-based software, which concentrate on internal services located in the organization. The purpose of this in-progress study is to analyze the reliability of service-based software using internal and external services. Petri net modeling is employed in evaluating the reliability of the composite software. The main challenge is obtaining and aggregating the reliability of all components forming the system architecture. It is conjectured that differentiating between internal and external reliability models can lead to more accurate reliability prediction.
A Plastic W-Band MEMS Tunable Filter

A plastic, W-band MEMS tunable filter has been successfully demonstrated by built-in deformable membranes. The filter has been fabricated using a MEMS-based process with plastic micro embossing process and gold electroplating. Two movable membranes of 1.6mm in diameter are designed as part of a two-cavity iris filter to actively change the cavity geometry for frequency tuning. Prototype filter has been fabricated and measured with bandwidth of 4.05GHz centered at 94.79GHz with a minimum insertion loss of 2.37dB and return loss better than 15dB. A total of 2.59GHz center frequency shift has been achieved when membranes deflect from -50mum to +150mum
Italian: the Modern Classical Language

Author's Summary— A modern language should be studied primarily for its lasting human values and only incidentally for its practical applications. Modern civilization cannot be thoroughly appreciated without a study of its lasting spiritual qualities and the study of Italian, heir to the humanistic culture of ancient Greece and Rome, should be given primary consideration because of its achievements in art, letters, music, science and human thought.
Exchange of orientifold two-planes in M theory

We propose an M-theory lift picture of the exchange among type IIA orientifold two-planes. This consists in wrapping a M5-brane on a three-cycle in the transverse space of the M-theory orientifold plane OM2. A flux quantization condition for the three-form self-dual field strength, on the worldvolume of the M5-brane is computed. This condition establishes the value which explains the relative charge between two different OM2-planes. Also, we find that the exchange of the four types of orientifold two-planes in string theory, has a common picture in M-theory. Moreover, we find that the assignment of the extra charge is fixed by cohomology and by the flux quantization of the field strength G4 in M-theory. We conclude that cohomology is sufficient to describe some orientifold properties in M-theory, that at string theory level, only K-theory is able to explain.
Gastric motility in conscious rats given oxytocin and an oxytocin antagonist centrally

Previous experiments have shown that gastric motility is inhibited by microinjection of oxytocin (OT) into the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMN) in anesthetized rats, and that the inhibition of gastric motility after electrical stimulation of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) is blocked by microinjection of an OT receptor antagonist directly into the DMN. As an extension of these observations, the present series of studies demonstrate that gastric motility in unanesthetized, freely moving rats was reduced both by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of OT and by electrical stimulation of the PVN, and that both of these inhibitory effects were blocked by i.c.v. administration of an OT antagonist. Moreover, an OT antagonist administered i.c.v. alone caused an increase in baseline gastric motility. However, pretreatment with the same OT antagonist i.c.v. did not block the inhibitory effects of systemic LiCl or cholecystokinin on gastric motility in conscious rats. These results suggest that oxytocinergic neurons exert a tonic inhibitory effect on gastric motility in rats, but that the inhibitory effects of LiCl and cholecystokinin on gastric motility are not primarily mediated by parvocellular OT-containing neurons projecting from the PVN to the DMN.
Improved endocardial border resolution during dobutamine stress echocardiography with intravenous sonicated dextrose albumin

Abstract Objectives. The purpose of this study was to determine whether intravenous sonicated dextrose albumin could improve endocardial border resolution during dobutamine stress echocardiography. Background. Sonicated albumin improves endocardial border resolution in patients undergoing exercise stress echocardiography. Because a sonicated mixture of albumin with dextrose results in better transpulmonary passage than sonicated albumin alone, this agent could be utilized to further improve endocardial border resolution during dobutamine stress echocardiography. Methods. We gave intravenous injections of sonicated dextrose and albumin to 50 patients undergoing dobutamine stress echocardiography. Left ventricular video intensity, contrast agent persistence (in seconds), number of contrast agent-enhanced cardiac cycles and improvement in endocardial border resolution were assessed from the apical four-chamber view at baseline, low dose (10 μg/kg body weight per min) and peak dobutamine infusion. Results. There was significantly better left ventricular peak video intensity at peak dobutamine infusion than after the same injection at baseline (p Conclusions. Intravenous sonicated dextrose albumin improves endocardial border resolution during dobutamine stress echocardiography.
A mixed-valence chloride-bridged (pincer)IrIII-(diene)Ir I complex

The title compound, [2,6-bis(di-tert-butylphosphino)phenyl-1kappa(3)P,C(1),P']di-mu-chlorido-1:2kappa(4)Cl:Cl-(2eta(4)-cycloocta-2,5-diene)hydrido-1kappaH-diiridium(I,III) hexane hemisolvate, [Ir(2)(C(8)H(12))(C(24)H(43)P(2))Cl(2)H].0.5C(6)H(14) or [((tBu)PCP)IrH(mu(2)-Cl)(2)Ir(COD)][(tBu)PCP is kappa(3)-2,6-((t)Bu(2)PCH(2))(2)C(6)H(3) and COD is eta(4)-2,5-cyclooctadiene], is an Ir(III)/Ir(I) dimer bridged by two chloride ions. The Ir(2)Cl(2) framework is nearly planar, with a dihedral angle of 13.04 (4) degrees between the two Ir centers. The compound was isolated as a hexane hemisolvate. A list of distances found in Ir(PCP) compounds is given.
Phase shifts of circadian rhythms of activity and drinking in the hamster

Activity and drinking rhythms of the hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) were compared when the hamster was entrained to a light—dark cycle, after 6-hr phase delays or advances of the light—dark cycle, and in constant darkness. On a 12L:12D cycle, 99% of activity but only 78% of drinking occurred in the dark period. Access to wheels further reduced nocturnal drinking to 58% and also decreased total intake. In general, the onset of activity required 1 to 2 days to reentrain after a 6-hr phase delay, but 10 days after a 6-hr advance. This asymmetry was reduced when activity offsets were considered as well. For hamsters without access to wheels, drinking rhythms reentrained after phase delays and advances at nearly the same rate (6–9 days). Access to wheels slightly accelerated phase-delay shifts and retarded advance shifts of drinking. These results indicate that activity and drinking are controlled by coupled oscillators. A reduction in the phase angle difference between these oscillators after phase shifts is apparent in activity but not in drinking records. This suggests that drinking involves an intermediate coupling mechanism which produces transients after phase shifts.
Fluoxetine: A serotonergic appetite suppressant drug

Fluoxetine is a selective inhibitor of serotonin uptake that does not have direct effects on catecholaminergic neurons. Like other serotonergic drugs, fluoxetine reduces food intake in rats, and the characteristics of these serotonergic drugs differ from those of amphetaminelike drugs. For instance, fluoxetine and other serotonergic drugs have been reported to suppress stress-induced eating, to suppress carbohydrate intake selectively, and to suppress eating elicited by insulin injection. Tolerance to the food intake-reducing effect of fluoxetine has not been seen in experimental conditions in which other anorectic agents have shown tolerance. Clinical trials in overweight, depressed patients and in nondepressed obese subjects have shown the ability of fluoxetine to reduce body weight in humans. Fluoxetine may represent a new appetite suppressant drug that will be useful in the management of obesity.
Modulation of hematoporphyrin derivative-sensitized phototherapy with corynebacterium parvum in murine transitional cell carcinoma☆

Abstract The interaction of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with hematoporphyrin derivative (Hpd) and immunotherapy with Corynebacterium parvum (CP) was studied in a murine transitional cell carcinoma (MBT-2) model. C3H/He mice were transplanted subcutaneously in the hind limb with 2.5 × 105 tumor cells. One day after transplantation, mice were randomized into groups to receive saline (control), PDT, CP 25 μg, CP 250 μg, CP 25 μg + PDT, and CP 250 μg + PDT. PDT was administered by intraperitoneal (IP) injection of Hpd (12.5 μg/g body weight), followed twenty-four hours later by photoirradiation. CP was given intralesionally at the same time as IP injection of Hpd (24 hours before photoirradiation). A low dose of CP (25 μg) was shown to enhance the effect of PDT while PDT reduced the benefit obtained with high dose of CP (250 μg). In a second series of experiments, CP (250 μg) treatment after photoirradiation was shown to give significantly greater benefit than CP treatment before photoirradiation. The study thus indicates that the effectiveness of combined immunophototherapy is dependent on the sequence of the combination and its intricate relationship with the dosage of CP. The enhancement of PDT by low dose of CP in this model suggests the usefulness of this combined immunophototherapy in enhancing tumor control and in lessening deleterious side effects.
Re-irradiation in lung cancer

Local-regional control is an important component of care for patients treated for lung cancer. Local-regional disease progression can lead directly to problems including pain, dysphagia, hemoptysis, cough, dyspnea, superior vena cava syndrome, and death. Local-regional failure remains common despite advances in radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery. For patients and caregivers, local-regional failure management poses a dilemma for balancing safety and efficacy. Multiple strategies for local-regional failure management exist. This report examines data from the use of external beam radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiotherapy, and endobronchial brachytherapy for management of local-regional failure in lung cancer.
A pre-estimation sample separation method for a labor market in disepuilibrium

Abstract The paper presents a method for separating the sample on wage rate and labor input for a labor market in disequilibrium prior to the estimation stage. It is shown how the method's economic rationale stems from the existence of Keynesian unemployment, which implies a combination of real wage and labor input off the notional labor demand and supply curves. The potential usefulness of the method for generating unbiased estimates of wage elasticities of labor demand and labor supply is demonstrated on annual U.S. data.
Gender, leisure and sport: a case study of young people of South Asian descent — A response

(1989). Gender, leisure and sport: a case study of young people of South Asian descent — A response. Leisure Studies: Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 237-240.
Random matrix theory in pattern classification: An application to error estimation

We employed the Random Matrix Theory (RMT) to construct a nearly unbiased estimator of true error rate of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) with ridge estimator of inverse covariance matrix in the multivariate Gaussian model and in small-sample situation. In such a scenario, the performance of the constructed estimator, as measured by Root-Mean-Square (RMS) error, shows consistent improvement over well-known estimators of true error.
Metal Contents in Soils of Alabama

Abstract Metal contamination of soils and water resources continues to be a serious public concern. Accumulations in the ecosystems and subsequent uptake by humans via the food chain pose a major health risk. The total copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) contents of eight benchmark soils of north Alabama were determined. The overall goal was to provide information for future pedological studies. The specific objectives were to determine baseline values of total Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn, which are plant nutrients, and Cd, Cr, and Pb, which are relatively serious pollutants. Expressed in mg kg−1 soil, the ranges, median, geometric mean, and arithmetic mean values, respectively in parentheses, were Cu (3.2–81.9, 24, 18.2, 24.8); Cd (< 0.2–2.85, 0.15, < 0.1, 0.40); Cr (13.4–132, 51.7, 54.6, 61); Fe (1535–70,840, 34,035, 26,783, 31,720); Mn (30.2–4643, 540, 426, 1012); Ni (7.6–61, 27.5, 25.3, 27.7); Pb (< 2.0–22.8, < 2.0, < 0.1, 3.63); and Zn...
Who cares who protects us? The relationship between type of police coverage and citizen satisfaction with the police

The current political and economic climate in the USA has rekindled interest in the consolidation of police services. The current study explores the relationship between type of police coverage (local, consolidated, State Police) and citizen satisfaction with the police by analyzing a sample of adult residents from four distinct regions of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Findings indicate that respondents with State Police-provided coverage are less satisfied with the police, compared to respondents in municipalities with local and consolidated police forces. In contrast, respondents with consolidated police forces exhibited similar, or even higher, levels of satisfaction with the police. Implications of this research suggest that municipal policy-makers more strongly consider the consolidation of local police services while cautioning against the use of State Police coverage.
The value of “life at any cost”: Talk about stopping kidney dialysis

With the trend toward an older, sicker dialysis population in the USA, discussions of ethical issues surrounding dialysis have shifted from concerns about access to and availability of the therapy, to growing unease about non-initiation and treatment discontinuation. Recent studies report treatment withdrawal as the leading cause of death among elderly dialysis patients. Yet, the actual activities that move patients toward stopping treatment often remain obscure, even to clinicians and patients themselves. This paper explores that paradox, drawing on anthropological research among patients over age 70, their families, and clinicians in two California renal dialysis units. It concludes that many older patients sacrifice a sense of choice about dialysis in the present to maintain "choice" as both value and possibility for the future. Even so, patients desire more information and communication, provided earlier in their illness, about prognosis, how long they can expect to be on dialysis, and what the impact of the treatment will be on their daily lives. That, with time, there is a transition to be made from dialysis as "treatment" to end of life care could be better explained and managed to alleviate patients' confusion and unneeded isolation.
Liposarcoma of the mediastinum. Report of two cases.

SUMMARY Two cases of primary liposarcoma of the mediastinum are presented, bringing the total number of reported cases to 19. The clinical and laboratory findings and the natural history of these patients are reviewed. Two patients presented a syndrome of constrictive pericarditis. Response to surgery and to radiotherapy has been short-lived in the majority of these cases. Since the ratio of benign to malignant adipose tissue tumors of the mediastinum is three to one, the importance of an early histologic diagnosis is stressed.
Positive Linear Maps which are Order Bounded on C* Subalgebras

When studying the third law of thermodynamics for an infinite system, or properties of equilibrium states of such a system (see [3]), one is led to consider the effect of local perturbations.
Double dissociation of the roles of the left and right prefrontal cortices in anticipatory regulation of action.

Recent actions can benefit or disrupt our current actions and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is thought to play a major role in the regulation of these actions before they occur. The left PFC has been associated with overcoming interference from past events in the context of language production and working memory. The right PFC, and especially the right IFG, has been associated with preparatory inhibition processes. But damage to the right PFC has also been associated with impairment in sustaining actions in motor intentional disorders. Moreover, bilateral dorsolateral PFC has been associated with the ability to maintain task-sets, and improve the performance of current actions based on previous experience. However, potential hemispheric asymmetries in anticipatory regulation of action have not yet been delineated. In the present study, patients with left (n=7) vs. right (n=6) PFC damage due to stroke and 14 aged- and education-matched controls performed a picture naming and a verbal Simon task (participants had to say “right” or “left” depending on the color of the picture while ignoring its position). In both tasks, performance depended on the nature of the preceding trial, but in different ways. In the naming task, performance decreased if previous pictures were from the same rather than from different semantic categories (i.e., semantic interference effect). In the Simon task, performance was better for both compatible (i.e., response matching the position of the stimulus) and incompatible trials when preceded by a trial of the same compatibility (i.e. Gratton effect) relative to sequential trials of different compatibility. Left PFC patients were selectively impaired in picture naming; they had an increased semantic interference effect compared to both right PFC patients and aged-matched controls. Conversely, right PFC patients were selectively impaired in the Simon task compared to controls or left PFC patients; they showed no benefit when sequential trials were compatible (cC vs. iC trials) or a decreased Gratton effect. These results provide evidence for a double dissociation between left and right PFC in the anticipatory regulation of action. Our results are in agreement with a preponderant role of the left PFC in overcoming proactive interference from competing memory representations and provide evidence that the right PFC, plays a role in sustaining goal-directed actions consistent with clinical data in right PFC patients with motor intentional disorders.
Continuous 3D control of a virtual helicopter using a motor imagery based BCI

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are devices that allow for thought-based control of computer systems. However, sophisticated control of multi-dimensional BCIs has only recently been achieved in non-invasive systems. The design of these systems has focused on giving users fast, autonomous control that is both intuitive and accurate. Through the use of electroencephalographic recording techniques, sensorimotor rhythms induced from motor imaginations may be captured and a control signal may be characterized. Here we have trained two subjects with an interactive and continuous protocol to modulate their sensorimotor rhythms to control three-dimensions of motion of a virtual helicopter to reach randomly positioned and oriented rings. The subject group acquired 88% of presented targets and achieved as many as 11 consecutive rings in a five-minute period. Subjects learned to fly quickly, continuously and accurately through golden rings positioned and oriented randomly throughout a 3D virtual space.
The Endocrine System and the Heart: A Review

Normal endocrine function is essential for cardiovascular health. Disorders of the endocrine system, consisting of hormone hyperfunction and hypofunction, have multiple effects on the
Polarization‐encoded optical shadow casting: An efficient multiplier design

An efficient multiplier has been designed using a polarization-encoded optical shadow casting scheme. The design algorithm for identifying the source patterns, input patterns, and ouput mask is also presented.
Multiresolutional hierarchical decision support systems

Decision support systems gain better performance and higher accuracy by the virtue of building multiresolutional (multigranular, multiscale) representation, and employing multiscale behavior generation subsystem (planning and control). The latter are equipped by devices for unsupervised learning that adjust their functioning to the results of self-identification. We demonstrate that planning and learning are joint processes. The author's intention is to emphasize that the concepts of multiresolutional representation (MR) and multiresolutional decision support (MR-DSS) probably have in common a general significance that crosses the boundaries of particular domains of applications and disciplines. The paper explores this phenomenon. The ubiquity of a principle that somehow persistently delivers benefits to many areas of knowledge and technology seems to be more important than a habit to follow the pigeonhole principle of paper presentation.
Marshall's Scissors: The Gains and Losses from Trade

In a Ricardian two-factor endowment model with Cobb–Douglas tastes and many goods, this paper describesthe interaction of the demand and supply sides to determine the gains and losses from trade. If the abundant factor has a sufficiently rich profile of comparative advantages, trade causesthe proportionate gain to the abundant factor to be smaller than the proportionate loss to the scarce factor. However, if the abundant factor has sufficiently skewed comparative advantages toward the best goods, then the opposite will hold. Some examples suggest that these patterns may have something to do with the selection of trade regimes. In the usual one-factor Ricardian model the gains from trade to a country are enhanced by higher demand shares for imports, but such gains from trade from imports to a country is not the case in a factor endowment model.
Structural and superconducting properties of oxygen-deficient and doped YBa2Cu3O7−x

Abstract Neutron powder diffraction studies of YBa2Cu3O7−x, Nd1+xBa2−xCu3O7+y, and YBa2Cu3−x FexO7+y show that symmetry or average formal Cu charge alone are not sufficient to explain superconductivity in these compounds. The data can be understood in terms of a model based on charged transfer from insulating reservoirs of charge, the Cu-O chains, to a two-dimensional Cu-O conduction plane.
Ground failure along the New River caused by the October 1979 Imperial Valley earthquake sequence

We recognized a number of ground failures along the south bank of the New River north of Brawley, California, following the 15 October 1979 Imperial Valley, California, earthquake sequence. The zone includes a large pond and numerous sand boils, apparently caused by liquefaction, near the Del Rio Country Club. These ground failures, together with failures at the New River bridge west of Brawley and at Wiest Lake, form a discontinuous zone 10 km long. While this zone appears to coincide with the aftershocks following the 16 October 1979, M_L 5.8, Brawley earthquake (the largest aftershock of the Imperial Valley earthquake), a cause and effect relationship cannot be demonstrated. No evidence of tectonic surface faulting could be found.
Solar zoning and energy in detached residential dwellings

The Solar Envelope is a three dimensional envelope on a site which ensures adjacent neighbors a specified minimum direct solar access time per day throughout the year. The solar envelope was developed as a tool to give buildings in an urban setting the mutual opportunity to employ passive and active solar design strategies. Parametric computer-aided-design (CAD) environments significantly ease the construction and visualization of solar envelopes across whole neighborhoods, facilitating its wider use as a prescriptive zoning tool. This study investigates the implications of a solar envelope zoning approach for the most common building type in the United States (US) with respect to energy use and developable density. The results indicate that solar zoning for this building type has a limited, and sometimes negative effect on energy use as well as a larger negative impact on developable density.
Fear and the human amygdala

We have previously reported that bilateral amygdala damage in humans compromises the recognition of fear in facial expressions while leaving intact recognition of face identity (Adolphs et al., 1994). The present study aims at examining questions motivated by this finding. We addressed the possibility that unilateral amygdala damage might be sufficient to impair recognition of emotional expressions. We also obtained further data on our subject with bilateral amygdala damage, in order to elucidate possible mechanisms that could account for the impaired recognition of expressions of fear. The results show that bilateral, but not unilateral, damage to the human amygdala impairs the processing of fearful facial expressions. This impairment appears to result from an insensitivity to the intensity of fear expressed by faces. We also confirmed a double dissociation between the recognition of facial expressions of fear, and the recognition of identity of a face: these two processes can be impaired independently, lending support to the idea that they are subserved in part by anatomically separate neural systems. Based on our data, and on what is known about the amygdala's connectivity, we propose that the amygdala is required to link visual representations of facial expressions, on the one hand, with representations that constitute the concept of fear, on the other. Preliminary data suggest the amygdala's role extends to both recognition and recall of fearful facial expressions.
Compound Stochastic Models For Fingerprint Individuality

The question of fingerprint individuality can be posed as follows: given a query fingerprint, what is the probability that the observed number of minutiae matches with a template fingerprint is purely due to chance? An assessment of this probability can be made by estimating the variability inherent in fingerprint minutiae. We develop a compound stochastic model that is able to capture three main sources of minutiae variability in actual fingerprint databases. The compound stochastic models are used to synthesize realizations of minutiae matches from which numerical estimates of fingerprint individuality can be derived. Experiments on the FVC2002 DB1 and IBM HURSLEY databases show that the probability of obtaining a 12 minutiae match purely due to chance is 1.6 times 10-5 when the number of minutiae in the query and template fingerprints are both 46
Phase III clinical evaluation of Gd-HP-DO3A in head and spine disease.

As part of a phase III clinical trial, 25 patients with suspected intracranial or spinal disease underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging before and after intravenous injection of 0.1 mmol/ kg Gd-HP-DO3A (1,4,7-tris[carboxymethy1]-10-[2′hydroxypropy1]-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclodode-cane), a neutral (nonionic) gadolinium chelate. Laboratory analysis included a complete blood count; blood chemistry; measurement of electrolyte levels; hepatic function, clotting function, and iron metabolism panels; and urinalysis both before and 24 hours after contrast agent administration. No statistically significant changes related to contrast agent administration were noted in laboratory values after administration of the contrast agent. In this selected group of patients, the contrast agent-enhanced study provided greater diagnostic information than did the precontrast study in 69% of head cases and 67% of spine cases. These initial clinical trials demonstrate that Gd-HP-DO3A is a safe, efficacious agent for head and spine examinations.
Treatment of Salmonella Gastroenteritis in Infants The Significance of Bacteremia

During 1981, we treated 20 infants, less than 24 months old, for nontyphoid Salmonella (NTSal) gastroenteritis (GE). Blood cultures were obtained in 17 cases, and Salmonella bacteremia was demonstrated in 8 (47%). Of the 13 children 3 to 24 months of age, 7 (54%) had positive blood cultures. One child (8 months old) appeared septic. The patients with bacteremia were treated with parenteral ampicillin. All 20 infants recovered, and no focal infectious complications occurred. The incidence of bacteremia in NTSal GE is highest in children under 2 years of age. Previous reports have shown that the peak incidence occurs among infants less than 3 months of age. An infant with Salmonella bacteremia may be afebrile and show no symptoms of sepsis. In most cases, bacteremia is transient and does not alter the course of NTSal GE, but it may result in life-threatening complications such as septicemia and meningitis. Therefore we believe an infant with NTSal GE under 3 months old should have a blood culture and receive antibiotic treatment.
The effects of infrared loading and water table on soil energy fluxes in northern peatlands

Increased radiative forcing is an inevitable part of global climate change, yet little is known of its potential effects on the energy fluxes in natural ecosystems. To simulate the conditions of global warming, we exposed peat monoliths (depth, 0.6 m; surface area, 2.1 m2) from a bog and fen in northern Minnesota, USA, to three infrared (IR) loading (ambient, +45, and +90 W m−2) and three water table (−16, −20, and −29 cm in bog and −1, −10 and −18 cm in fen) treatments, each replicated in three mesocosm plots. Net radiation (Rn) and soil energy fluxes at the top, bottom, and sides of the mesocosms were measured in 1999, 5 years after the treatments had begun. Soil heat flux (G) increased proportionately with IR loading, comprising about 3%–8% of Rn. In the fen, the effect of IR loading on G was modulated by water table depth, whereas in the bog it was not. Energy dissipation from the mesocosms occurred mainly via vertical exchange with air, as well as with deeper soil layers through the bottom of the mesocosms, whereas lateral fluxes were 10–20-fold smaller and independent of IR loading and water table depth. The exchange with deeper soil layers was sensitive to water table depth, in contrast to G, which responded primarily to IR loading. The qualitative responses in the bog and fen were similar, but the fen displayed wider seasonal variation and greater extremes in soil energy fluxes. The differences of G in the bog and fen are attributed to differences in the reflectance in the long waveband as a function of vegetation type, whereas the differences in soil heat storage may also depend on different soil properties and different water table depth at comparable treatments. These data suggest that the ecosystem-dependent controls over soil energy fluxes may provide an important constraint on biotic response to climate change.
Dose painting with Gamma Knife: Two techniques for delivering different doses to areas of recurrent or residual tumor after resection of brain metastases

Abstract Purpose We investigated the feasibility of using Gamma Knife (GK) radiosurgery for "dose painting" to deliver higher doses to residual or recurrent nodules and surgical cavity after resection of brain metastases. Methods and materials Two integrated boost techniques were developed with GK. The single-target technique delineated both the surgical cavity (cavity) and gross disease (nodule) as a single target. Dose was prescribed to the target with the goal of covering the nodule with a higher dose. The 2-target technique delineated the cavity and nodule as separate target volumes, each prescribed to its own dose and planned separately. Two cases were used to illustrate each technique. The single-target technique was used to deliver 16 Gy to a smaller cavity (7 cm 3 ) and a 20-Gy integrated boost to 2 nodules (case 1). The 2-target technique was used to deliver 12 Gy to a larger cavity (21.5 cm 3 ) and 20 Gy to a single nodule (case 2). Results For both cases, the cavity coverage with the prescribed dose was 100% with the standard plan and integrated boost techniques. For case 1, compared with a standard plan, the single-target technique improved the 20-Gy nodule coverage from 89.7% (nodule 1) and 97.9% (nodule 2) to 100% (both) and increased the minimum dose from 16.6 Gy to 20.8 Gy (nodule 1) and from 19.4 Gy to 20.8 Gy (nodule 2). For case 2, compared with a standard plan, the 2-target technique improved the 20-Gy nodule coverage from 4% to 100% and the minimum dose from 13.8 Gy to 21 Gy. Conclusions Both GK integrated boost approaches allowed for effective delivery of higher doses to residual or recurrent nodules in a surgical cavity. In our experience, the single-target technique works well for small cavities, whereas the 2-target technique is well suited for larger cavities.
Information asymmetry and the dismissal of newly appointed CEOs: an empirical investigation

Why are some newly appointed CEOs (i.e., those with tenure of three years or less) dismissed while others are not? Drawing upon previous reseach on information asymmetry and adverse selection in CEO selection, I argue that the board of directors may make a poor selection at the time of CEO succession, and as a result, must dismiss the appointee after succession when better information about him/her is obtained. Therefore, the level of information asymmetry at the time of succession increases the likelihood of dismissal. With data on 204 newly appointed CEOs, the results of this study support this argument. After controlling for alternative explanations of CEO dismissal (e.g., firm performance and political factors), the results show that the likelihood of dismissal of newly appointed CEOs is higher in outside successions and/or if the succession follows the dismissal of the preceding CEO. Further, if at the time of succession, the firm's board has a nominating committee that is independent and/or on which outside directors have few external directorships, the likelihood of dismissal is lower. Contributions to the CEO dismissal/succession literature are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Discourse and desalination: Potential impacts of proposed climate change adaptation interventions in the Arizona–Sonora border region

Abstract The specter of climate change threatens fresh water resources along the U.S.–Mexico border. Water managers and planners on both sides of the border are promoting desalination—the conversion of seawater or brackish groundwater to fresh water—as an adaptation response that can help meet growing water demands and buffer against the negative impacts of climate change on regional water supplies. However, the uneven distribution of costs and benefits of this expensive, energy-intensive technology is likely to exacerbate existing social inequalities in the border zone. In this paper, we examine the discourses employed in the construction of the climate problem and proposed solutions. We focus our analysis on a proposed Arizona–Sonora binational desalination project and use insights from risk and hazards literature to analyze how, why, and to what effect desalination is emerging as a preferred climate change adaptation response. Our risk analysis shows that while desalination technology can reduce some vulnerabilities (e.g., future water supply), it can also introduce new vulnerabilities by compounding the water-energy nexus, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, inducing urban growth, producing brine discharge and chemical pollutants, shifting geopolitical relations of water security, and increasing water prices. Additionally, a high-tech and path-dependent response will likely result in increased reliance on technical expertise, less opportunity for participatory decision-making and reduced flexibility. The paper concludes by proposing alternative adaptation responses that can offer greater flexibility, are less path dependent, incorporate social learning, and target the poorest and most vulnerable members of the community. These alternatives can build greater adaptive capacity and ensure equity.
The Use of Pronominal Case in English Sentence Interpretation.

This study examined adult English native speakers' processing of sentences in which pronominal case marking conflicts with word order. Previous research has shown that English speakers rely heavily on word order for assigning case roles during sentence interpretation. However, in terms of cue reliability measures, we should expect English pronominal case to be nearly as strong a cue as word order. The current study examined this issue by asking subjects to interpret grammatical and ungrammatical sentences in which case competes with word order. The results indicated that word order remains the strongest cue in English, even when the case-marking cue is available. However, for noncanonical word orders, the case-marking cue had a strong effect on sentence interpretation.
Development of an Improved Devitrifiable Fuel Cell Sealing Glass I. Bulk Properties

A designed compositional series of 22 devitrifiable glasses for sealing solid oxide fuel cell components was studied. Candidate oxides were selected on the basis of chemical compatibility with the fuel cell environment. The influence of each component on viscosity, thermal expansion, and crystallization were evaluated through systematic addition to a base composition. The most promising results were achieved within the system BaO-SrO-B 2 O 3 -Al 2 O 3 -Ta 2 O 5 -Si02. Additions of SrO and BaO maximize the thermal expansion of the bulk glass, achieving a coefficient of thermal expansion ranging from 10.8 to 13.9 ppm/K (200-500°C). Devitrification of the glasses yielded similar thermal expansion coefficients ranging from 10.7 to 14.4 ppm/K. The addition of Al 2 O 3 and Ta 2 O 5 allows a critical sealing viscosity to be achieved at 900°C in a glass with just 6 mol % of B 2 O 3· Five promising candidate sealing glasses have been identified.
Studies of Costa Rican Gelidiales (Florideophyceae). II. Two Pacific Taxa Including Gelidium microglossum, n. sp.

Detailed morphological and rbcL sequence analyses are presented for two species of Gelidium collected along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Although relatively well known in the tropical eastern Pacific, Gelidium sclerophyllum W. R. Taylor had previously been collected only once in Costa Rica. Four current G. sclerophyllum collections were found to have identical rbcL sequences and differed from a partial sequence for an isotype specimen at only one base pair. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that G. sclerophyllum and G. floridanum W. R. Taylor are geminate sister species. Development of the female reproductive system and cystocarps were observed to follow the usual patterns described for Gelidium species. Spermatangial development in G. sclerophyllum was also observed for the first time and revealed the cutting off of spermatia by transverse divisions as is characteristic of Gelidiales. The new species, Gelidium microglossum Grusz & Freshwater, was also collected and described. This is a small species with a prostrate habit, generally compressed axes of variable width, and clavate to obphyriform ultimate branches. Distinctive characteristics include spatulate tetrasporangial branchlets, medullary cells often forming a meshlike network, variably oriented rhizines, and an unusual attachment haptera structure. Phylogenetic analyses resolve G. microglossum within Gelidium, but placement within the genus remains uncertain.
Brain Oscillations and Diurnal Variations in Hypnotic Responsiveness—A Commentary on “Diurnal Variations in Hypnotic Responsiveness: Is There an Optimal Time to be Hypnotized?”

A recent study published in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis reported an interesting diurnal pattern of hypnotic responsivity; specifically, the authors found higher hypnotic responsiveness in a large sample of undergraduates in the morning and early evening. However, they did not have an explanation for this pattern of findings. This pattern is consistent, however, with the theta hypothesis of hypnotic responsivity. Further examination of the associations between brain oscillations and response to hypnosis is needed to determine if specific oscillations such as theta (a) actually facilitate response to some hypnotic suggestions, (b) merely reflect hypnotic responding, or (c) reflect another factor that itself plays a causal role in response to hypnosis.
“As time goes by”: hermenêutica e originalismo

What is the continuing relevance of hermeneutics to legal theory in general and to constitutional theory in particular if we are all originalists now? Both seem to be vital despite the decline of interest in hermeneutics recently. This article argues for the continuing relevance of hermeneutics to both fields because of the centrality of issues of application and practical reasoning in both. Law seeks to find the meaning of texts applied over time; legal texts are truly letters of transit. That we are all originalists, yet still have the same sort of interpretive debates we have always had, only indicates the continuing need to work on hermeneutic questions of application and practical reasoning. These issues are explored in the context of the Dworkin/Scalia discussion of the distinction between expectation and semantic originalism. Key words: originalism, hermeneutics, constitutional theory, legal interpretation.
Dental School Vacant Budgeted Faculty Positions, Academic Years 2008–09 to 2010–11

The annual turnover of dental school faculty creates a varying number of vacant budgeted positions from year to year. The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) conducts an annual survey to determine the status and characteristics of these vacant faculty positions. The number of vacant budgeted faculty positions in U.S. dental schools increased throughout the 1990s, with a peak of 417 positions in 2005–06. Since that time, there has been a decrease in the number of estimated vacancies, falling to 227 in 2010–11. The 2008–09 to 2010–11 faculty vacancy surveys explored these decreases, along with information relevant to the number and characteristics of dental faculty vacancies, including data on the distribution of full-time, part-time, and volunteer faculty, reasons for faculty separations, and sources of new faculty.
2.9 Å Resolution Cryo-EM 3D Reconstruction of Close-Packed Virus Particles.

Single-particle cryoelectron microscopy typically discards close-packed particle images as unusable data. Here, we report an image processing strategy and case study of obtaining near-atomic resolution 3D reconstructions from close-packed particles. Multiple independent de novo initial models were constructed to determine and cross-validate the particle parameters. The particles with consistent views were further refined including not only Euler angles and center positions but also defocus, astigmatism, beam tilt, and overall and anisotropic magnification. We demonstrated this strategy with a 2.9 A resolution reconstruction of a 1.67 MDa virus-like particle of a circovirus, PCV2, recorded on 86 photographic films. The map resolution was further validated with a phase-randomization test and local resolution assessment, and the atomic model was validated with MolProbity and EMRinger. Close-packed virus particles were thus shown not only to be useful for high-resolution 3D reconstructions but also to allow data collection at significantly improved throughput for near-atomic resolution reconstructions.
High-Dose Albumin for Neuroprotection in Acute Ischemic Stroke: From Basic Investigations to Multicenter Clinical Trial

Albumin (ALB), the plasma’s most abundant protein, is a multifunctional molecule with potent antioxidant and intravascular actions. Albumin is in widespread clinical use to provide circulatory support in the settings of shock, burns, and surgery. More recently, we have shown that albumin when administered in high doses acts as a powerful neuroprotective agent in acute ischemic stroke and brain injury. In experimental studies of focal cerebral ischemia conducted in physiologically monitored rats, animals treated with ALB (typically 25% solution in doses of 1.25 g/kg and above) showed improved neurological score, substantial reductions of infarct volume, and markedly reduced brain swelling compared to saline placebo-treated rats, with a therapeutic window of 4–5 h. In mechanistic studies, ALB improved local blood flow in the ischemic penumbra; antagonized postischemic microvascular thrombosis; improved perfusion distal to microvascular thrombi; and facilitated delivery of fatty acids to the postischemic brain. In a two-center dose-escalation human pilot clinical trial, ALB was generally well tolerated; the chief adverse event was mild-to-moderate pulmonary edema in 13% of subjects, which could be readily managed. A major phase III multicenter clinical efficacy trial—the ALIAS (Albumin in Acute Stroke) Trial—is now underway in the U.S., Canada, and Israel, employing ALB at the 2 g/kg dose shown in experimental studies to be neuroprotective.
Bristol Stool Form Scale reliability and agreement decreases when determining Rome III stool form designations

Background Rater reproducibility of the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS), which categorizes stools into one of seven types, is unknown. We sought to determine reliability and agreement by individual stool type and when responses are categorized by Rome III clinical designation as normal or abnormal (constipation or diarrhea). Methods Thirty-four gastroenterology providers from three institutions rated 35 stool photographs using the BSFS. Twenty rerated the photographs. Key Results 1190 individual stool type ratings were completed. Though only four photographs had absolute agreement (all Type 1 or Type 7), general agreement was high with 1132 (95.1%) of ratings being within one category type of the modal rating. Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the BSFS by individual stool type was excellent with intraclass correlations of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.86–0.90, p < 0.001) and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.86–0.91, p < 0.001), respectively. However, agreement decreased when using Rome III designations with 13 (37%) photographs having significantly diverging classifications (semi-interquartile range = 0.5). These 13 photographs were rated by the majority of raters as either type 2 vs type 3 or type 5 vs type 6 stools, representing the boundaries of normal vs abnormal stools. Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the BSFS by Rome III clinical categorization decreased with intraclass correlations of 0.75 (95% CI: 0.69–0.81, p < 0.001) and 0.65 (95% CI: 0.49–0.81, p < 0.001), respectively. Conclusions & Inferences The Bristol Stool Form Scale has excellent reliability and agreement when used to rate individual stool type by raters. However, BSFS reliability and agreement decreases when determining Rome III stool form categories.