cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Poststenotic signal attenuation on 3D phase-contrast MR angiography: a useful finding in haemodynamically significant carotid artery stenosis.

We performed blinded visual evaluation of MR angiography (MRA) films in 44 patients with unilateral carotid artery stenosis to determine whether a flow gap and poststenotic signal attenuation on 3 D-PC MRA were useful signs of severe carotid artery stenosis. Although nine patients with a flow gap alone had various degrees of stenosis ranging from 22.2 to 77.3 % without any decrease in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), 13 patients with both a flow gap and poststenotic signal attenuation had severe stenoses of 80 % or more, with a definite decrease in baseline rCBF. The presence of both a flow gap and poststenotic signal attenuation on 3 D-PC MRA appeared to be a reliable marker of severe carotid artery stenosis with a decrease in rCBF.
Hybrid Quantum Oscillations in a Surface Space-Charge Layer

The transconductance of an accumulation layer on $n$-type InAs is studied in a magnetic field $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{H}}$ parallel to the layer. Structures are observed, nonperiodic in $\frac{1}{H}$, corresponding to mixed electric and magnetic subbands. The effect promises a simple, sensitive method of probing the shape of the self-consistent potential in surface space-charge layers with multiply occupied subbands.
Analysis of hydroformylated vegetable oils and their methyl esters for rhodium

Two procedures for the determination of fatsolubilized rhodium were investigated. Analysis in aqueous media involves a sulfuric acid digestion which previously was carried out in 20–30 hr. Digestion now takes only 1 to 2 hr. The acid concentration in samples and standards is very critical. For analysis in nonaqueous media the sample is weighed, dissolved in methyl isobutyl ketone containing hydrogen chloride, and analyzed directly by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Absorbance in both procedures follows Beer’ s law. Results varied when hydrogen chloride was omitted or replaced with phosphoric acid. The results agreed closely with results obtained by published colorimetric procedures.
Aqueous preparation and physiological stability studies of Re(CO)3(tripodal) compounds

Re(CO)3L compounds, where L is a methane-derivatized tripodal ligand, can be prepared under aqueous conditions, and one of which displays significant stability under physiological conditions.
10. Adeno-Associated Virus Type-1 Vectors Transduce Human Polarized Airway Epithelia without Polarity Preference

Top of pageAbstract The choice of appropriate adeno-associated virus serotypes for gene therapy to the human lung can differ depending on the animal model and model system in which such serotypes are evaluated. In the present study, we sought to compare the efficiency of rAAV2/1, rAAV2/2, and rAAV2/5 vector transduction in polarized human airway epithelia. Since similar vector purity is paramount to such a comparison, we developed a uniform procedure for purification of these serotype vectors using an adenovirus-free packaging system and HPLC. Results from these experiments demonstrated that apical transduction of human polarized airway epithelia with rAAV2/1 was 100-fold more efficient than rAAV2/2 and rAAV2/5. Additionally, the profile of apical transduction in human airway epithelia (rAAV2/1>>rAAV2/2=rAAV2/5) was significantly different than that seen following nasal administration of these vectors to mouse lung (rAAV2/5>rAAV2/1>>rAAV2/2), emphasizing differences in transduction of these serotypes between these two species. In stark contrast to rAAV2/2 and rAAV2/5 vectors, which demonstrated much greater transduction efficiencies from the basolateral membranes, rAAV2/1 transduced both apical and basolateral membrane of human airway epithelia with similar efficiency. Such serotype-specific difference in apical and basolateral transduction mirrored differences in internalization of vector genomes at short time points post-infection for a given serotype. However, the overall level of transduction across serotypes did not correlate with vector internalization. These results suggested that enhanced receptor-mediated endocytosis was not likely responsible for the greater rAAV2/1 transduction of human airway epithelia. With the hypothesis that differences in post-entry barriers influenced the efficiency of apical transduction with these three serotypes in the human airway, we tested the effectiveness of proteasome inhibitors (LLnL and doxorubicin, known to augment intracellular processing of rAAV2 and rAAV5 to the nucleus) to augment transduction with these three serotypes. Augmentation of rAAV2/1 apical transduction of human polarized airway epithelia was 10-fold lower than that for rAAV2/2 and rAAV2/5. Cellular fractionation assays demonstrated that proteasome inhibitors significantly increased virion nuclear uptake for rAAV2/2 and rAAV2/5, but not for rAAV2/1. Cumulatively, these findings suggest that the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway is less of a barrier for rAAV2/1 as compared to the other AAV serotypes. They also demonstrate that AAV1 serotype transduction biology is quite different from AAV2 and AAV5 in human airway epithelia and is potentially a more efficient vector for gene therapy to the airway.
Postharvest physiology and handling of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.)

Abstract The litchi is a stone fruit with a rough indehiscent pericarp surrounding the succulent, edible aril. During development and ripening the fruit exhibits a sigmoidal growth curve and a nonclimacteric respiratory pattern. Maturity is indicated by size and color, but a more accurate measure is the sugar:acid ratio. The major factors reducing the storage life and marketability of litchi are pathological decay and pericarp browning. Low temperature storage has been used to reduce pathological decay but has a limited role in reducing pericarp browning. Pericarp browning is induced by desiccation, and consequently methods to reduce desiccation help retain red color. Sulfur dioxide fumigation has been used to reduce pericarp browning, but there is increasing consumer and regulatory resistance to the use of this chemical. Insect disinfestation has become increasingly important with the expanding export market. Recent research has focussed on reducing these major postharvest problems to produce highly colored fruit free of disease and insects.
Modeling of a Neural Pattern Generator with Coupled nonlinear Oscillators

A set of van der Pol oscillators is arranged in a network in which each oscillator is coupled to each other oscillator. Through the selection of coupling coefficients, the network is made to appear as a ring and as a chain of coupled oscillators. Each oscillator is provided with amplitude, frequency, and offset parameters which have analytically indeterminable effects on the output waves. These systems are simulated on the digital computer in order to study the amplitude, frequency, offset, and phase relationships of the waves versus parameter changes. Based on the simulations, systems of coupled oscillators are configured so that they exhibit stable patterns of signals which can be used to model the central pattern generator (CPG) of living organisms. Using a simple biped as an example locomotory system, the CPG model generates control signals for simulated walking and jumping maneuvers. It is shown that with parameter adjustments, as guided by the simulations, the model can be made to generate kinematic trajectories which closely resemble those for the human walking gait. Further-more, minor tuning of these parameters along with some algebraic sign changes of coupling coefficients can effect a transition in the trajectories to those of a two-legged hopping gait. The generalized CPG model is shown to be versatile enough that it can also generate various n-legged gaits and spinal undulatory motions, as in the swimming motions of a fish.
Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy in the Sports Knee: Where Are We in 2011?

Background: The relationship between biological tissue healing following knee injury or surgery and long-term clinical outcome has come to the forefront of sports medicine practice. This has led many knee surgeons to incorporate biologically mediated healing factors into the management of knee injuries. In particular, the clinical use of mesenchymal stem cells has opened new horizons.Evidence Acquisition: Relevant studies were identified through a search of PubMed from January 2000 to April 2011, combining the term mesenchymal stem cells with articular cartilage, anterior cruciate ligament, and meniscus. Relevant citations from the reference lists of selected studies were also reviewed.Results: Knee injury treatment with mesenchymal stem cells shows potential. Most reports represent animal model studies; few advances have been translated to human clinical applications.Conclusion: Mesenchymal stem cell use to promote healing following knee injury is likely to increase. There are scientific methodological c...
A comparison of parallel multigrid and a fast Fourier transform algorithm for the solution of the Helmholtz equation in numerical weather prediction

Abstract The efficient solution of Helmholtz equations is required in limited area weather forecasting models. The parallel performance of two different algorithms — FFT with Gauss elimination and multigrid — is compared.
Kinetic effects of aromatic molecular structures on diffusion flame extinction

Abstract Kinetic effects of aromatic molecular structures for jet fuel surrogates on the extinction of diffusion flames have been investigated experimentally and numerically in the counterflow configuration for toluene, n -propylbenzene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene. Quantitative measurement of OH concentration for aromatic fuels was conducted by directly measuring the quenching rate from the emission lifetimes of OH planar laser induced fluorescence (LIF). The kinetic models for toluene and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene were validated against the measurements of extinction strain rates and LIF measurements. A semi-detailed n -propylbenzene kinetic model was developed and tested. The experimental results showed that the extinction limits are ranked from highest to lowest as n -propylbenzene, toluene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene. The present models for toluene and n -propylbenzene agree reasonably well with the measurements, whereas the model for 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene under-estimates extinction limits. Kinetic pathways of OH production and consumption were analyzed to investigate the impact of fuel fragmentation on OH formation. It was found that, for fuels with different molecular structures, the fuel decomposition pathways and their propagation into the formation of radical pool play an important role to determine the extinction limits of diffusion flames. Furthermore, OH concentrations were found to be representative of the entire radical pool concentration, the balance between chain branching and propagation/termination reactions and the balance between heat production from the reaction zone and heat losses to the fuel and oxidizer sides. Finally, a proposed “OH index,” was defined to demonstrate a linear correlation between extinction strain rate and OH index and fuel mole fraction, suggesting that the diffusion flame extinctions for the tested aromatic fuels can be determined by the capability of a fuel to establish a radical pool in a manner largely governed by molecular structure.
A user oriented computer language for the retrieval and manipulation of energy data

Abstract The need for timely energy data for testing the implications of decisions on fiscal, economic and/or regulatory proposals was brought into sharp focus by the Arab Oil embargo of 1973 and has been intensified by the continuing shortage of critical energy resources. To satisfy this need, a research program was begun at the University of Houston to develop an energy data bank and information retrieval system suitable for use by the unsophisticated computer user. The results of this research program include a simple to use, conversational language which allows the user to access a time series energy data bank for the data of interest, to manipulate the data, and to document the data in both tabular and graphical form. The conversational user language consists of a retrieve command, twenty-two analysis commands, and two documentation commands. The command structure uses simple language and syntax which are suggestive of the operation requested. In addition, the language is capable of simple extensions, making it very responsive to the user's needs. The object of this paper is to describe the user language, its operational structure, and to examplify the ease of its use.
THE POPULIST ROAD TO MARKET REFORM Policy and Electoral Coalitions in Mexico and Argentina

Governing parties face two fundamental tasks: they must pursue policies effectively, and they must win elections. Their national coalitions, therefore, generally include two types of constituencies—those that are important for policy-making and those that make it possible to win elections. In effect, governing parties must bring together a policy coalition and an electoral coalition. This distinction sheds light on how the transitional costs of major economic policy shifts can be made sustainable in electoral terms. It also provides a starting point for analysis of how two of Latin America's most important labor-based parties, the Peronist party in Argentina and the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) in Mexico, maintained electoral dominance while pursuing free-market reforms that adversely affected key social constituencies. Peronism and the PRI are conceived of as having encompassed historically two distinctive and regionally based subcoalitions: a metropolitan coalition that gave support to the parties' development strategies and a peripheral coalition that carried the burden of generating electoral majorities. This framework permits a reconceptualization of the historic coalitional dynamics of Peronism and the PRI and sheds light on the current process of coalitional change and economic reform.
Enhancing students' scientific and quantitative literacies through an inquiry-based learning project on climate change

Promoting sustainability and dealing with complex environmental problems like climate change demand a citizenry with considerable scientific and quantitative literacy. In particular, students in the STEM disciplines of (biophysical) science, technology, engineering, and mathematics need to develop interdisciplinary skills that help them understand the social dynamics of environmental problems and solutions. To this end, this study examines how participation in a semester-long inquiry-based learning project that involves sociological research on climate change beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors enhances the scientific and quantitative literacies of STEM students. The results suggest that participation in a sociological inquiry-based learning project helps STEM students to (a) improve their knowledge of scientific and statistical principles and processes, (b) hone their scientific research skills, and (c) gain respect for sociology specifically and social science more generally. While the inquiry-based learning project described here deals with climate change, educators can adapt it to deal with other environmental social science research topics (e.g., water use, energy conservation, food security, sustainability).
A finite element calculation of stress intensity factors by a modified crack closure integral

Abstract An efficient technique for evaluating stress intensity factors is presented. The method, based on the crack closure integral, can be used with a constant strain finite element stress analysis and a coarse grid. The technique also permits evaluation of both Mode I and Mode II stress intensity factors from the results of a single analysis. Example computations are performed for a double cantilever beam test specimen, a finite width strip with a central crack, and a pin loaded circular hole with radial cracks. Close agreement between numerical results given by this approach and reference solutions were found in all cases.
Src homology 2 domain as a specificity determinant in the c-Abl-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of the RNA polymerase II carboxyl-terminal repeated domain.

Abstract The Src-homology (SH) 2 domain, found in a variety of proteins, has a binding site for phosphotyrosine-containing peptides. In adaptor proteins such as Grb2, the SH2 domain plays an important role in the assembly of signal transducer complexes. Many nonreceptor tyrosine kinases--e.g., Abl and Src--also contain SH2 domains. Without a functional SH2 domain, these tyrosine kinases retain catalytic activity but lose their biological function. This result suggests that the SH2 domain may be involved in the selection of biologically relevant substrates. We have previously shown that the carboxyl-terminal repeated domain (CTD) of the mammalian RNA polymerase II is a substrate for the Abl but not the Src tyrosine kinase. This specificity is conferred in part by the SH2 domain. The Abl SH2 domain binds the tyrosine-phosphorylated [Tyr(P)] CTD and is required for the processive and stoichiometric phosphorylation of the 52 tyrosines in the CTD. Mutation of the Abl SH2 or exchanging it with that of Src, which does not bind the Tyr(P)-CTD, abolished processivity and reduced the CTD kinase activity without any effect on autophosphorylation or the phosphorylation of nonspecific substrates. These results demonstrate that the SH2 domain of the Abl tyrosine kinase plays an active role in catalysis and suggests that SH2 domain and the tyrosine kinase domain may act in concert to confer substrate specificity.
Survey of Materials for Nanoskiving and Influence of the Cutting Process on the Nanostructures Produced

This paper examines the factors that influence the quality of nanostructures fabricated by sectioning thin films with an ultramicrotome ("nanoskiving"). It surveys different materials (metals, ceramics, semiconductors, and conjugated polymers), deposition techniques (evaporation, sputter deposition, electroless deposition, chemical-vapor deposition, solution-phase synthesis, and spin-coating), and geometries (nanowires or two-dimensional arrays of rings and crescents). It then correlates the extent of fragmentation of the nanostructures with the composition of the thin films, the methods used to deposit them, and the parameters used for sectioning. There are four major conclusions. (i) Films of soft and compliant metals (those that have bulk values of hardness less than or equal to those of palladium, or ≤500 MPa) tend to remain intact upon sectioning, whereas hard and stiff metals (those that have values of hardness greater than or equal to those of platinum, or ≥500 MPa) tend to fragment. (ii) All conjugated polymers tested form intact nanostructures. (iii) The extent of fragmentation is lowest when the direction of cutting is perpendicular to the exposed edge of the embedded film. (iv) The speed of cutting-from 0.1 to 8 mm/s-has no effect on the frequency of defects. Defects generated during sectioning include scoring from defects in the knife, delamination of the film from the matrix, and compression of the matrix. The materials tested were: aluminum, titanium, nickel, copper, palladium, silver, platinum, gold, lead, bismuth, germanium, silicon dioxide (SiO2), alumina (Al2O3), tin-doped indium oxide (ITO), lead sulfide nanocrystals, the semiconducting polymers poly(2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene) (MEH-PPV), poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), and poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline ladder) (BBL), and the conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS).
The Chicken FMR1 Gene Is Highly Conserved with a CCT 5*- Untranslated Repeat and Encodes an RNA-Binding Protein

The transcriptional silencing of the human gene, fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1), is due to abnormal methylation in response to an expanded 5'-untranslated CGG trinucleotide repeat and accounts for most cases of fragile X syndrome, a frequent inherited form of mental retardation. Although the encoded fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) is known to have properties of a RNA-binding protein, the precise function of FMRP remains to be elucidated. We report the cloning of the chicken homolog of FMR1 and show strong evolutionary conservation, with nucleotide and amino acid identities of 85 and 92%, respectively, between chicken and human. In place of the mammalian CGG trinucleotide repeat, a 99-nt tripartite repetitive element containing a CCT trinucleotide repeat flanked on both sides by dinucleotide repeats was identified. Blocks of highly conserved 3'-untranslated sequence were also found. Within the coding region, two copies each of the highly conserved K homology motif and the Arg-Gly-Gly (RGG) box motif, both ribonucleotide particle family domains implicated in RNA binding, were identified. Chicken FMRP was found to bind RNA in vitro, and this activity correlated with the presence of the carboxy-terminal portion of the protein that includes the RGG motifs.
Brief motivational intervention for high-risk drinking and illicit drug use in mandated and voluntary freshmen

Introduction: Alcohol consumption and illicit drug use among college students are national public health concerns. Mandated students who have violated campus alcohol policies often are at higher risk for heavy drinking and illicit drug use.Purpose: This longitudinal study compared the effectiveness of the Brief Motivational Intervention (BMI) in decreasing alcohol consumption and illicit drug use, as well as the associated negative consequences among mandated students (Group 1) and voluntary students (Group 2).Methods: Eligible participants (436 voluntary, 147 mandated, N = 583) who agreed to be in the study received the BMI at baseline and again at 2 weeks, with boosters at 3 months and 6 months. Descriptive statistics, frequency tables and summary graphs were used to summarize the study variables in both groups.Results: Alcohol and drug use in both groups decreased between baseline and 6 months, with drug use in the mandated group declining to 10% by 6 months. The consequences, including blackouts, decr...
Suppression as a Stereotype Control Strategy

Recent research reveals that efforts to suppress stereotypic thoughts can backfire and produce a rebound effect, such that stereotypic thinking increases to a level that is even greater than if no attempt at stereotype control was initially exercised (e.g., Macrae, Bodenhausen, Milne, & Jetten, 1994). The primary goal of this article is to present an in-depth theoretical analysis of stereotype suppression that identifies numerous potential moderators of the effect of stereotype suppression on the likelihood of subsequent rebound. Our analysis of stereotype suppression focuses on two broad issues: the influence of level of prejudice and the influence of processing goals on the activation versus application of stereotypes. Although stereotype rebound occurs under some circumstances, we suggest that a complete understanding of this phenomenon requires consideration of the full array of possible moderating influences.
Comments on “Intensity noise of an injection-locked Ti:sapphire laser: analysis of the phase-noise-to-amplitude-noise conversion”

An analysis showing that phase noise in a master diode laser is converted to amplitude noise in an injection-locked Ti:sapphire power amplifier was recently published [“Intensity noise of an injection-locked Ti:sapphire laser: analysis of the phase-noise-to-amplitude-noise conversion,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B, 23, 1276–1286 (2006)]. As this analysis might discourage the broad implementation of injection locking, we report amplitude noise and laser linewidth measurements in such a system and note that these lasers have sufficiently low noise to be useful in a wide range of experiments in atomic, molecular, and optical physics. A low-power diode laser is amplified to 1.6 W at 846 nm. Amplitude noise is measured using a high-speed photodiode. Frequency noise is measured relative to a low-noise commercial Ti:sapphire laser using an offset lock and heterodyne technique. Under optimal conditions, the relative rms amplitude noise is 1%. The linewidth of the injection-locked laser is 300 kHz. As others in this field have shown, the amplitude and frequency noise characteristics depend critically on the lock circuit characteristics.
Effects of various doses of sodium dichloroacetate on hyperlactatemia in fed ischemic rats.

In shock, the presence of hyperlactatemia is prognostic of a failure to survive. An experimental model of stroke that combines bilateral carotid ligation and bleeding to a mean arterial pressure of 50 mm Hg induces hyperlactatemia like that associated with tissue hypoperfusion of hemorrhagic shock. In previous nonsurvival studies with this model, postischemic treatment of fed rats with 25 mg/kg of sodium dichloroacetate (DCA) was effective in lowering brain tissue lactate but did not significantly affect the ischemia-induced increase in serum lactate measured after 30 minutes of ischemia followed by 30 minutes of reperfusion. Investigators using other animal models treated hyperlactatemia associated with tissue hypoperfusion successfully with a DCA dose of more than 25 mg/ kg. Our goal was to determine the effect of a higher dose of DCA on serum lactate in the model of cerebral ischemia with systemic hypotension that we had used in previous studies. The previously unstudied dose-response also was evaluated in our study. Rats that had been fedad libitum were assigned randomly to either a real or sham (control) ischemic group. Immediately after 30 minutes of ischemia and subsequent reinfusion of blood or after 30 minutes of sham ischemia, rats received DCA (0, 25, 50, 100, 200, or 300 mg/kg). Comparisons were made of blood values measured at the end of equilibration before ischemia, after 30 minutes of ischemia, and after 30 minutes of reperfusion. All ischemic rats were hyperlactatemic. Serum lactate levels were not correlated to blood glucose elevation during ischemia. After treatment in both control and ischemic rats, the percentage decrease in serum lactate varied as a logarithmic function of the DCA dose administered. Glucose levels and pH were not affected by DCA treatment at any dose. Because acidemia decreases lactate uptake by the liver, values for acidotic rats were compared with those for nonacidotic rats. Whereas lactate in acidotic rats decreased significantly only when treated with DCA, nonacidotic rats evidenced this decrease regardless of whether they received DCA. We discuss the relationship of these findings to the peak levels of lactate achieved, the resolution of hyperlactatemia, and factors that affect the interpretation of data in therapeutic studies using DCA.
Mass rearing diet for the pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and its susceptibility to insecticidal Bt proteins

A study was carried out to develop a diet for mass rearing of the pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella (Saund.) and optimize bioassays for testing the bollworm's sensitivity to two insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). A P. gossypiella colony was established in the laboratory from field collections and its developmental biology was compared on various test diets. Larvae reared on a diet of cottonseed and chickpea flours for the first 10 days and subsequently on pieces of okra attained rapid growth and development. This two-phase diet has been used for successful laboratory rearing of 51 generations of the bollworm. Neonates were found to be sensitive to both the Bt proteins Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab2, which are produced by the transgenic Bt cotton products Bollgarde and Bollgard IIe.
Association of health beliefs and colonoscopy use among survivors of colorectal cancer.

Clinical practice guidelines recommend ongoing testing (surveillance) for colorectal cancer survivors because they remain at risk for both local recurrences and second primary tumors. However, survivors often do not receive colorectal cancer surveillance. We used the Health Belief Model (HBM) to identify health beliefs that predict intentions to obtain routine colonoscopies among colorectal cancer survivors. We completed telephone interviews with 277 colorectal cancer survivors who were diagnosed 4 years earlier, between 2003 and 2005, in North Carolina. The interview measured health beliefs, past preventive behaviors, and intentions to have a routine colonoscopy in the next 5 years. In bivariate analyses, most HBM constructs were associated with intentions. In multivariable analyses, greater perceived likelihood of colorectal cancer (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.16–3.44) was associated with greater intention to have a colonoscopy. Survivors who already had a colonoscopy since diagnosis also had greater intentions of having a colonoscopy in the future (OR = 9.47, 95% CI = 2.08–43.16). Perceived likelihood of colorectal cancer is an important target for further study and intervention to increase colorectal cancer surveillance among survivors. Other health beliefs were unrelated to intentions, suggesting that the health beliefs of colorectal cancer survivors and asymptomatic adults may differ due to the experience of cancer.
The determinants of intra-industry specialization in United States trade

This paper attempts to explain the determinants of intra-industry specialization in the United States by reference to industry as well as country characteristics. It is shown that the extent of intra-industry trade is positively correlated with product differentiation, marketing costs, the variability of profit rates, and offshore procurement, and it is negatively correlated with economies of scale, industrial concentration, foreign direct investment, and transportation costs. It is further shown that intra-industry specialization in U.S. trade with individual countries is positively correlated with the extent of trade orientation in these countries, and it is negatively correlated with inequalities in per capita incomes and total GNP and with distance between the U.S. and the individual countries.
Exploring the gender-technology relation in nursing.

Exploring the gender-technology relation in nursing Feminist and nursing scholars have emphasized the critical role Western technology has played in the history and development of women and nursing. Yet, despite their common ground in tying both the emancipation and the subordination of women and nurses to technology, there has been virtually no association between nursing and gender-technology studies. Gender-technology studies offer nursing scholars new analytic directions and methodological tools to explore the nursing-technology relation. Nursing, in turn, offers gender-technology studies a rich empirical site to further its theoretical development.
Neuromorphic control as a self-tuning regulator

It is demonstrated that artificial neural networks can be used for the direct adaptive control of both discrete- and continuous-time nonlinear, multi-input/multi-output dynamical systems with unknown dynamics. A neuromorphic controller is presented. and its application to a self-tuning regulator problem is demonstrated. The neuromorphic controller performs functions similar to those of adaptive controllers discussed in modern control theory, with the controller taking the form of a nonlinear network and the adaptable controller parameters being the interconnection weights between neurons. In the discrete-time case the weights are adjusted by a nonlinear recursive least squares (NRLS) algorithm, and in the continuous-time case the weights are adjusted by a backpropagation algorithm. >
A Remote Sensing-based Approach for Assessing and Visualizing Post-Sandy Damage and Resiliency Rebuilding Needs

Hurricane Sandy, the worst storm of its type hitting the state of New Jersey and the New York City in generations, has caused devastating damages to the region’s infrastructure, properties, and business. A variety of geospatial information acquisition technologies have been used after the landing of Hurricane Sandy to support critical decision makings related to search and rescue, damage assessment, environmental risk analysis, debris removal, and rebuilding processes. The challenge is to match the best sensing method to the desired post-disaster applications. This paper described the first large-scale application of mobile terrestrial laser scanning technology in post-hurricane situations for supporting disaster recovery operations in the United States. Several innovative data analysis approaches for supporting damage assessment and flood resilience analysis are presented in the paper. Opportunities and challenges in using mobile terrestrial laser scanning to support post-disaster recovery operations are discussed to highlight future research directions.
Pollen counts; variability and percentage error in a given location under standard conditions.

Abstract A study was made of the deviation of pollen counts on different areas of the same slide and on other adjacent slides. When subjected to statistical analysis ∗ ∗Statistical analysis was done by Frank J. Fete, A.B., M.A. a high degree of correlation was found between any and every one of these areas, regardless of the direction in which the slide was placed or the slide area which was counted.
Emotional environments retune the valence of appetitive versus fearful functions in nucleus accumbens

The nucleus accumbens mediates both appetitive motivation for rewards and fearful motivation toward threats, which are generated in part by glutamate-related circuits organized in a keyboard fashion. At rostral sites of the medial shell, localized glutamate disruptions typically generate intense appetitive behaviors in rats, but the disruption incrementally generates fearful behaviors as microinjection sites move more caudally. We found that exposure to stressful environments caused caudal fear-generating zones to expand rostrally, filling approximately 90% of the shell. Conversely, a preferred home environment caused fear-generating zones to shrink and appetitive-generating zones to expand caudally, filling approximately 90% of the shell. Thus, the emotional environments retuned the generation of motivation in corticolimbic circuits.
Comparison of Long-term Care in Nursing Homes Versus Home Health: Costs and Outcomes in Alabama

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY To compare acute care outcomes and costs among nursing home residents with community-dwelling home health recipients. DESIGN AND METHODS A matched retrospective cohort study of Alabamians aged more than or equal to 65 years admitted to a nursing home or home health between March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2008 (N = 1,291 pairs). Medicare claims were compared up to one year after admission into either setting. Death, emergency department and inpatient visits, inpatient length of stay, and acute care costs were compared using t tests. Medicaid long-term care costs were compared for a subset of matched beneficiaries. RESULTS After one year, 77.7% of home health beneficiaries were alive compared with 76.2% of nursing home beneficiaries (p < .001). Home health beneficiaries averaged 0.2 hospital visits and 0.1 emergency department visits more than nursing home beneficiaries, differences that were statistically significant. Overall acute care costs were not statistically different; home health beneficiaries' costs averaged $31,423, nursing home beneficiaries' $32,239 (p = .5032). Among 426 dual-eligible pairs, Medicaid long-term care costs averaged $4,582 greater for nursing home residents (p < .001). IMPLICATIONS Using data from Medicare claims, beneficiaries with similar functional status, medical diagnosis history, and demographics had similar acute care costs regardless of whether they were admitted to a nursing home or home health care. Additional research controlling for exogenous factors relating to long-term care decisions is needed.
AN EXPERIMENTAL COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT CRITERIA OF DEATH IN YEAST

Different criteria of death have been compared experimentally and quantitatively. Pure cultures of a yeast have been subjected to adverse conditions, and the number of dead cells, judged by different tests, has been determined in successive time intervals. The yeast cultures were exposed to heat, to HgCl(2), to ultraviolet light, and to x-rays. In each case, the cells lost the power of reproduction (measured by the plate count) most rapidly. The loss of fermentation (measured by the CO(2) pressure) was less rapid. Still slower was the change in staining reaction with methylene blue, and the loss of selective permeability of the plasma membrane (measured by the percentage of cells staining with Congo red). Slowest of all was the coagulation of protoplasm as observed in the dark-field. In the case of death by heat or by HgCl(2), the rate of loss of reproduction was about twice as rapid as that of the loss of fermentation, about three times that of the loss of semipermeability, and about forty times as large as the rate of coagulation. With ultraviolet light and with x-rays, these ratios were decidedly different. The technique employed does not permit the conclusion that any one criterion of death is the prerequisite for other criteria. It does not appear probable that loss of reproduction is the prerequisite for loss of fermentation or of semipermeability because the ratios of the velocities of these processes are not the same with all causes of death. There is no evidence that cells may show certain criteria of death immediately after exposure, and recover later.
Approaches to the Synthesis of the Vancomycin Antibiotics. Synthesis of Orienticin C (Bis-dechlorovancomycin) Aglycon

In the preceding paper, we described the synthesis of the vancomycin-related M(4-6)(5-7) bicyclic subunit 3 (Scheme 1),1,2 a structural motif common to all members of this family of antibiotics exemplified by vancomycin aglycon (1).3 Herein we describe the first synthesis of the vancomycin-related heptapeptide nucleus and the transformation of this intermediate to orienticin C (bis-dechlorovancomycin) aglycon (2).4
Resection of malignant primary liver tumors

Background Malignant primary liver tumors are an uncommon and challenging surgical problem. In spite of multimodality therapies, surgical resection remains the mainstay of treatment and the most likely chance for cure. We reviewed the 13-year resection experience of a single surgeon at our institution to evaluate the results. Methods A retrospective review from July 1982 to June 1995 was performed for patients presenting with a diagnosis of primary liver cancer. Those undergoing resection of their primary liver tumors form the basis of this report. Results One hundred eighty-four patients with a diagnosis of primary liver cancer were seen at our institution. Of these, 43 patients underwent 46 resections of their cancers by a single surgeon. There were 22 females (51%) and 21 males (49%). The average age was 61 years with a median age of 63 years (range, 19–85 years). Tumors resected included 27 hepatomas, 16 cholangiocellular carcinomas, 1 carcinoid tumor, 1 low grade mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, and 1 cystadenocarcinoma. Resections were as follows: 9 right trisegmentectomies, 8 right lobectomies, 1 left trisegmentectomy, 4 left lobectomies, 7 left lateral segmentectomies, and 17 partial lobectomies. Major complications occurred in 11 patients (26%). There were 3 deaths, for a 30-day perioperative death rate of 7%. Of the 43 patients, 13 had follow-up of less than 12 months and 30 had follow-up for more than 1 year. The mean survival of the 30 patients who had their tumors resected and were followed up for more than 1 year was 27.2 months and the median survival was 21 months. The median survival of patients not undergoing resection was less than 6 months. The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 57%, 52%, 40%, and 33%, respectively. Conclusions Primary liver cancer can be treated by resection with acceptable results. This remains the standard treatment of any liver cancer. Surival rates of patients after resection are much better than survival rates of patients who do not undergo surgery.
Managing Downside Risk With Upside Volatility: Enhancing The Performance Of An Investment Portfolio With Managed Futures

Managed futures refer to the active trading of forward and futures contracts on physical commodities, financial assets, and currencies. Since managed futures have little to no correlation with stocks and bonds, advocates claim this asset class provides much-needed diversification, allowing investors to profit from price volatility. However, naysayers believe this volatility makes managed futures a highly risky investment. Do the unique features of this asset class make it worthy of inclusion in an investment portfolio? This article asserts managed futures provide investment managers a powerful tool to manage downside risk by capitalising on upside price volatility.
Polarities, quasi-symmetric designs, and Hamada's conjecture

We prove that every polarity of PG(2k − 1,q), where k≥ 2, gives rise to a design with the same parameters and the same intersection numbers as, but not isomorphic to, PG k (2k,q). In particular, the case k = 2 yields a new family of quasi-symmetric designs. We also show that our construction provides an infinite family of counterexamples to Hamada’s conjecture, for any field of prime order p. Previously, only a handful of counterexamples were known.
Mu-opioid blockade reduces ethanol effects on intake and behavior of the infant rat during short-term but not long-term social isolation

Numerous findings in adult and infant rats have shown that the endogenous opioid system is involved in control of ethanol consumption and its reinforcing effects. Opioid systems are also involved in reactivity to social isolation with several factors (age, duration, and type of isolation) affecting this modulation. The present study investigated the effects of a selective mu-opioid antagonist CTOP (0, 0.1, 0.5mg/kg), ethanol (0, 0.5 g/kg), and the interaction of the two drugs on the behavioral consequences of two types of social isolation given to preweanling rats: 1) short-term social isolation from littermates (STSI, duration 8 min) and 2) relatively long-term (5h) isolation (LTSI) from the dam and littermates. Voluntary intake of saccharin, locomotion, rearing activity, paw licking, and grooming were assessed during an 8-min. intake test. Thermal nociceptive reactivity was also measured before and after the testing session with normalized differences in pre- and post-test latencies of paw withdrawal from a hot plate (49°C) used as an index of isolation-induced analgesia (IIA). The results indicate that pharmacological blockade of mu-opioid receptors by CTOP substantially attenuated ethanol's anxiolytic effects on the developing rat's reactions to social isolation. Some of these stress-attenuating effects of CTOP were observed only in animals exposed to short-term isolation (STSI) but not in pups isolated for 5h (LTSI). Ethanol selectively increased saccharin intake during STSI in females and CTOP blocked this effect. Ethanol decreased the magnitude of analgesia associated with STSI but had no effect on pain reactivity during LTSI. CTOP by itself did not affect IIA or saccharin intake in sober animals. The findings of the present experiments indicate that the anxiolytic effects of 0.5 g/kg ethanol on pups exposed to STSI are modulated by endogenous opioid activity.
Convex Optimization with Abstract Linear Operators

We introduce a convex optimization modeling framework that transforms a convex optimization problem expressed in a form natural and convenient for the user into an equivalent cone program in a way that preserves fast linear transforms in the original problem. By representing linear functions in the transformation process not as matrices, but as graphs that encode composition of abstract linear operators, we arrive at a matrix-free cone program, i.e., one whose data matrix is represented by an abstract linear operator and its adjoint. This cone program can then be solved by a matrix-free cone solver. By combining the matrix-free modeling framework and cone solver, we obtain a general method for efficiently solving convex optimization problems involving fast linear transforms.
Fire severity influences the response of soil microbes to a boreal forest fire

Wildfire activity is projected to increase in boreal forests as a result of climate warming. The consequences of increased wildfire activity for soil carbon (C) storage in boreal forests may depend on the sensitivity of soil microbes to fire severity, but microbial responses to boreal forest fire severity are not well known. Here, we combine remote sensing of fire severity and field sampling to characterize the response of soil microbial biomass per g soil, microbial respiration of CO2 per g soil, and fungal groups to fire severity in a boreal forest ecosystem. We used remote sensing measurements of differenced normalized burn ratio from Landsat as a measure of fire severity. Our results demonstrate that fire severity controls soil microbial responses to boreal forest fires. In comparison to unburned stands, burned stands had a 52% and 56% reduction in soil microbial biomass and basal respiration, respectively. Within burned stands, we found that microbial biomass and basal respiration significantly declined with increasing fire severity. In addition, mycorrhizal taxa and basidiomycetes displayed particularly low tolerances for severe fire. Although wildfires result in the immediate loss of soil C, our study provides evidence that decreases in microbial biomass and respiration following high severity fires may reduce the capacity of the soil microbial community to decompose soil C over longer time scales. Therefore, models of C cycle responses to climate warming may need to represent the sensitivity of microbial biomass and fungal community composition to fire severity in boreal forests.
CHAPTER II – Definitions

Publisher Summary This chapter presents definitions of various terms such as wavelength, wave number, radiometer, photometer, and free spectral range. Terms such as electro-optical sensor, radiometer, and spectrometer are often used interchangeably. The resolving power of a spectrometer is given as a mathematical equation that uses the values of wavelength and increment in wavelength. The chapter also focuses on the spectrometer data presentation using Michelson interferometer–spectrometer. A prism or grating spectrometer gives a constant resolution when the spectrum is plotted as a function of wavelength, and an interferometer–spectrometer has a constant resolution when the spectrum is plotted as a function of the wave number. In a Michelson interferometer, each monochromatic element in the incoming radiant spectrum is converted or transformed into an electrical frequency. Also, it is shown that for a circular variable filter spectrometer or wedge filter based on the criteria of a constant resolution element, there does not exist an optimum way to plot the spectrum. In a prism spectrometer, each color in the incident beam is deflected through a definite angle, which is determined by the wavelength of that color and the index of refraction of the prism.
CLINICAL DIAGNOSES OF CARDIAC SARCOIDOSIS

Cardiac manifestations of systemic sarcoidosis occur in as many as 25% of patients and include: atrioventricular or bundle branch block, ventricular premature contraction or tachycardia, systolic heart failure and sudden cardiac death. A 50 year-old Caucasian man was referred after 6 months of