cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diffusion of Drugs through the Cuprophane Membrane

This paper describes the in vitro diffusion, through the cuprophane membrane, of a significant number of drugs currently being administered to patients who are undergoing hemodialysis.The diffusion potentials of the drug molecules through the cuprophane membrane, the dialyzing membrane which separates the blood and the dialysate during the dialysis exchange must be accurately determined to establish the relationship between dosage administration and the quantities of the drug remaining in the patient during the dialysis procedure and in the immediate postdialysis period.The results of this study will provide the prescribing physician with the information that will be useful in selecting the proper therapeutic agent and the dosage needed to assure adequate blood levels while the patient is undergoing hemodialysis.
Activation of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors in the nucleus accumbens attenuates cocaine seeking in rats

Recent evidence indicates that activation of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors reduces cocaine-mediated behaviors and cocaine-evoked dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). However, no studies have examined the role of NAc GLP-1 receptors in the reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior, an animal model of relapse. Here, we show that systemic infusion of a behaviorally relevant dose of the GLP-1 receptor agonist exendin-4 penetrated the brain and localized with neurons and astrocytes in the NAc. Administration of exendin-4 directly into the NAc core and shell subregions significantly attenuated cocaine priming-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior. These effects were not due to deficits in operant responding or suppression of locomotor activity as intra-accumbal exendin-4 administration had no effect on sucrose-seeking behavior. To determine the effects of GLP-1 receptor activation on neuronal excitability, exendin-4 was bath applied to ex vivo NAc slices from cocaine-experienced and saline-experienced rats following extinction of cocaine-taking behavior. Exendin-4 increased the frequency of action potential firing of NAc core and shell medium spiny neurons in cocaine-experienced rats while no effect was observed in saline controls. In contrast, exendin-4 did not affect the frequency or amplitude of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents or alter the paired-pulse ratios of evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents. These effects were not associated with altered expression of GLP-1 receptors in the NAc following cocaine self-administration. Taken together, these findings indicate that increased activation of GLP-1 receptors in the NAc during cocaine abstinence increases intrinsic, but not synaptic, excitability of medium spiny neurons and is sufficient to reduce cocaine-seeking behavior.
Magnetic properties and cytocompatibility of transition-metal-incorporated hydroxyapatite.

A detailed magnetization study, along with an assessment of the cellular proliferation, has been carried out on transition-metal-doped hydroxyapatite (HA), Ca10-xMx(PO4)6(OH)2, where M = Mn, Co, and Fe. In particular, a series of MnHA powder samples with an x value of 0.04 ≤ x ≤ 1.21, one CoHA (x = 0.48) and one FeHA sample (x = 1.06) were synthesized using a wet chemical method along with an ion-exchange procedure. Characterization by transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated that the substitution of M elements does not change the morphology and crystalline structure of pure HA that showing a single phased HA nano-rod. In every case, the magnetization isotherms for 10 K ≤ T ≤ 300 K were linear through the origin characteristic of a paramagnetic response with no indication of superparamagnetic behavior, hysteresis, or magnetic ordering. The magnetic behavior for all samples could be fit to the Curie-Weiss law yielding values for the M ion magnetic moments. The Mn2+ magnetic moments were close to the spin-only value of S = 5/2 or 5.92 μB, while the Co2+ moment (4.41 μB) was larger than the spin-only value for S = 3/2, indicating an orbital contribution due to incomplete quenching. The magnetic behavior for the FeHA sample showed a possible spin-state transition. In addition, no statistically significant differences were observed when cells were treated with the same dose of HA or MnHA up to 50 μg/mL, suggesting that the substituted Mn introduces no cytotoxicity to the HA powders.
Harvey Cushing's management of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome.

Harvey Cushing is widely regarded as one of the forefathers of neurosurgery, and is primarily associated with his work on intracranial pathology. However, he had a clinical and academic interest in peripheral nerve surgery. Through the courtesy of the Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives, the surgical records of the Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1896 to 1912 were reviewed. The records of a single patient undergoing brachial plexus exploration and cervical rib resection were selected for detailed review. The operative report and accompanying illustrations demonstrate Cushing’s interest in adding approaches to the pathology of the brachial plexus to his operative armamentarium.
Disaster PACS Planning and Management

In late August and early September of 2005, two massive hurricanes – Katrina and Rita – hit the gulfshore states of the USA, devastating the region and creating havoc for every person, business, institution, and industry. At that time, I happened to be working in Louisiana with two large state-wide clinical organizations. Both had their headquarters in New Orleans – the epicenter of the hurricane devastation. Needless to say, the majority of local radiologists and clinicians found themselves displaced and disconnected, unable to come to their usual workplaces (if they even still existed). The hospital system binding the entire workflow went to pieces. Ironically, the need for such binding structure had never been higher. The fallout of medical treatment needs for the afflicted people of the area rose at an alarming rate. Everything depended on how soon the pieces could be repaired and patched back together. Establishing some kind of teleradiology network had become the only means of reconnecting the broken healthcare workflow.
Identification and isolation of soluble histones from bovine milk and serum

An immunoassay for soluble histones as trace components of biological fluids was developed on the basis of the dual capacity of histones to bind solid-phase DNA and monoclonal anti-histone antibody. Application of this histone-capture assay to bovine milk resulted in a positive signal, and DNA-cellulose chromatography was used to isolate histone-like material in microgram quantities. Western-blot analysis using a panel of anti-histone antibodies demonstrated the presence of histones H2A, H2B and H4 in apparently intact form. DNAase digestion experiments indicated that at least a portion of milk histone was complexed to DNA. Bovine serum was analysed in the same manner on serial DNA-cellulose columns, and H4 and partially degraded H2A were detected by Western-blot analysis. The finding of soluble histones in bovine milk and serum may account for unexpected results when these biological fluids are used as blocking reagents in Western blots and other immunoassays and may have ramifications in the origin and significance of anti-histone antibodies in human disease.
Predictive modelling of surface roughness in fused deposition modelling using data fusion

To realise high quality, additively manufactured parts, real-time process monitoring and advanced predictive modelling tools are crucial for accelerating quality assurance in additive manufacturing...
An Adaptive Multi-critic Neuro-fuzzy Control Framework for Intravenous Anesthesia Administration

Abstract Development of closed-loop control strategies for drug infusion and delivery is one of the most recent efforts of control engineers and clinicians. This can be used especially in anesthesia during different surgeries to stabilize the patient in the desired awareness condition. In this paper, an adaptive neuro-fuzzy controller is proposed to overcome the current challenges in closed-loop control of anesthesia such as inter and intra patient variability, complex and nonlinear dynamics, measurement noises and surgical disturbances as well as the presence of undershoot and overshoot in the induction phase. The results show an acceptable performance of the proposed controller in solving these problems by providing a learning scheme.
Rebalancing Dance Curricula through Repurposing Black Dance Aesthetics.

ABSTRACTIn my investigation of dance curricula in US higher education, the dance discipline’s primary pedagogical concentrations in classical ballet and Eurocentric modern dance techniques implicit...
EARLY AND LATE HEART FAILURE POST-LIVER TRANSPLANTATION, PREDICTORS, AND OUTCOMES

Liver transplantation (LT) is the main intervention to improve survival of end-stage liver disease (ESLD) patients. There are conflicting reports on the association of pre LT diastolic dysfunction (DD) with post LT risk of clinical heart failure (HF) and mortality. We aimed to retrospectively study
Long-term effects of ibrutinib on blood pressure in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

e19009Background: Ibrutinb is approved for treatment of CLL. Hypertension (HTN) has been reported as a side effect of ibrutinib in 1-23% of patients. We previously reported HTN in CLL patients afte...
Helical, Disordered, and What that Means: Structural Characterization of a New Series of Methyl 1-Thiaoligo(ethylene Oxide) Self-Assembled Monolayers

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of a series of linear thiols containing a 1-thiaoligo(ethylene oxide) [TOEO] moiety, i.e., HS(CH2CH2O)xCH3, where x = 3 - 6, were prepared on polycrystalline gold (Au) and characterized by reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). For x = 5 and 6, the RAIRS data show that the TOEO segment, oriented normal to the substrate, adopts the highly ordered 7/2 helical structure of the folded-chain crystal polymorph of poly(ethylene oxide). For x = 3 and 4, the RAIRS and SE data indicate disordered, “amorphous” SAMs with essentially no evidence of the helical conformation in the TOEO segment. These data suggest that, for SAMs with TOEO segments, a minimum of five ethylene oxide units is required to adopt a helical conformation.
Silviculture and Forested Wetlands of the Southeast United States: an Introduction to the Special Feature

The papers in this Special Feature are the result of an unprecedented collaboration between the wetland and forestry communities, with the goal of fostering open dialogue regarding the interaction between forestry operations and forested wetlands in the Coastal Plain of the southeast U.S. Many misunderstandings exist between these two communities. These misunderstanding are partially caused by a lack of dialogue and the use of varying definitions for commonly-used terms, such as “loss” and “forested,” but are magnified by an incomplete understanding of fundamental biophysical processes that occur within intensively managed forests, especially at broader spatial and temporal scales. Our collaborative effort to engage representatives from the forestry industry, state forestry organizations, wetland scientists, and wetland regulators seeks to overcome these misunderstandings through a wide array of information sharing efforts. These have included one-on-one conversations, group meetings, field trips, and scientific symposia, including a session that was held at the 2016 Society of Wetland Scientists Meeting in Corpus Christi, Texas. Following the symposium, the presenters recognized the need to publish their presented papers as one product to facilitate additional dialog. This Special Feature in Wetlands is the realization of that vision.
Heterogeneous Relational Reasoning in Knowledge Graphs with Reinforcement Learning

Path-based relational reasoning over knowledge graphs has become increasingly popular due to a variety of downstream applications such as question answering in dialogue systems, fact prediction, and recommender systems. In recent years, reinforcement learning (RL) has provided solutions that are more interpretable and explainable than other deep learning models. However, these solutions still face several challenges, including large action space for the RL agent and accurate representation of entity neighborhood structure. We address these problems by introducing a type-enhanced RL agent that uses the local neighborhood information for efficient path-based reasoning over knowledge graphs. Our solution uses graph neural network (GNN) for encoding the neighborhood information and utilizes entity types to prune the action space. Experiments on real-world dataset show that our method outperforms state-of-the-art RL methods and discovers more novel paths during the training procedure.
Use of the Spatial Access Ratio to Measure Geospatial Access to Emergency Surgical Services in California

Abstract Background Emergency general surgery (EGS) diseases carry a substantial public health burden, accounting for over 3 million admissions annually. Due to their time-sensitive nature, ensuring adequate access to EGS services is critical for reducing patient morbidity and mortality. Travel-time alone, without consideration of resource supply and demand, may be insufficient to determine a regional health care system’s ability to provide timely access to EGS care. Spatial Access Ratio (SPAR) incorporates travel-time, as well as hospital-specific resources and capacity, to determine healthcare accessibility which may be more appropriate for surgical specialties. We therefore compared SPAR to travel-time in their ability to differentiate spatial access to EGS care for vulnerable populations. Methods We constructed a Geographic Information Science (GIS) platform using existing road networks, and mapped population location, race and socioeconomic characteristics, as well as all EGS-capable hospitals in California. We then compared the shortest travel time method to the gravity-based SPAR in their ability to identify disparities in spatial access for the population as a whole, and subsequently to describe socio-demographic disparities. Reduced spatial access was defined at > 60 minutes travel time, or lowest three classes of SPAR. Results 283 EGS-capable hospitals were mapped, 142 (50%) of which had advanced resources. Using shortest travel time, 36.98M people (94.8%) were within 20-minutes driving time to any EGS capable hospital, and 33.49M (85.9%) to an advanced-resourced center. Only 166, 950 (0.4%) experienced prolonged (>60 minutes) travel time to any EGS-capable hospital, which increased to 1.05M (2.7%) for advanced-resources. Using SPAR, 11.5M (29.5%) of people had reduced spatial access to any EGS hospital, which increased to 13.9M (35.7%) when evaluating advanced-resource hospitals. The greatest disparities in spatial access to care were found for rural residents and Native Americans for both overall and advanced EGS services. Conclusions While travel time and SPAR showed similar overall patterns of spatial access to EGS-capable hospitals, SPAR showed greater differentiation of spatial access across the state. Nearly one-third of California residents have limited or poor access to EGS hospitals, with the greatest disparities noted for Native American and rural residents. These findings argue for the use of gravity-based models such as SPAR that incorporate measures of population demand and hospital capacity when assessing spatial access to surgical services, and have implications for the allocation of healthcare resources to address disparities.
Eco-friendly, solution-processable and efficient low-energy lighting phosphors: copper halide based hybrid semiconductors Cu4X6(L)2 (X = Br, I) composed of covalent, ionic and coordinate bonds

A series of copper halide based inorganic–organic hybrid semiconductors have been synthesized. Structural analysis confirms that all compounds are composed of one-dimensional Cu4X62− anionic chains that coordinate to cationic ligands via Cu–N dative bonds. Different coordination affinities of the ligands lead to two types of ligand arrangements with various structural distortions. All compounds are highly resistant to heat and moisture as a result of the combination of coordinate and ionic bonds. Low energy emission with high efficiency is achieved for these compounds and the emission energy (∼552–615 nm) and color (yellow-orange) can be tuned by varying the ligand and halogen element. The electronic structure and luminescence mechanism are examined by both experimental and theoretical methods. More importantly, all compounds demonstrate good solubility in polar aprotic solvents, a desired property that is absent in all other CuX hybrid families of extended structures, which is attributed primarily to the ionic nature of this material class. The good solution-processability, and cost effective and easily scalable synthesis coupled with high quantum efficiencies and framework stability make these hybrid materials promising phosphors for general lighting applications.
Predictors of Biological Age: The Implications for Wellness and Aging Research:

As healthspan and lifespan research breakthroughs have become more commonplace, the need for valid, practical markers of biological age is becoming increasingly paramount. The accessibility and affordability of biological age predictors that can reveal information about mortality and morbidity risk, as well as remaining years of life, has profound clinical and research implications. In this review, we examine 5 groups of aging biomarkers capable of providing accurate biological age estimations. The unique capabilities of these biomarkers have far reaching implications for the testing of both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions designed to slow or reverse biological aging. Additionally, the enhanced validity and availability of these tools may have increasingly relevant clinical value. The authors of this review explore those implications, with an emphasis on lifestyle modification research, and provide an overview of the current evidence regarding 5 biological age predictor categories: Telomere length, composite biomarkers, DNA methylation "epigenetic clocks," transcriptional predictors of biological age, and functional age predictors.
Protistan Skeletons: A Geologic History of Evolution and Constraint

The tests and scales formed by protists may be the epitome of lightweight bioconstructions in nature. Skeletal biomineralization is widespread among eukaryotes, but both predominant mineralogy and stratigraphic history differ between macroscopic and microscopic organisms. Among animals and macroscopic algae, calcium minerals, especially carbonates, predominate in skeleton formation, with most innovations in skeletal biomineralization concentrated in and around the Cambrian Period. In contrast, amorphous silica is widely used in protistan skeletons, and a majority of the geologically recorded origins of silica biomineralization took place in the Mesozoic and early Cenozoic eras. Amorphous silica may be favored in protist biomineralization because of the material properties of both silica itself and the organic molecules that template its precipitation. The predominace of carbonates and phosphates in macroscopic skeletons may, in turn, reflect the low quantities of dissolved silica in fresh and marine waters. The evolutionary success of diatoms has depleted silica levels in surficial waters since the Cretaceous Period, and fossils show that other biological participants in the silica cycle have responded both through altered habitat preferences and reduced use of silica in test construction. These natural instances of doing more with less might serve to inspire continuing innovations in biomimetic design.
Locomotor training and muscle function after incomplete spinal cord injury: case series.

AbstractBackground/Objective: To determine whether 9 weeks of locomotor training (LT) results in changes in muscle strength and alterations in muscle size and activation after chronic incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). Study Design: Longitudinal prospective case series.Methods: Five individuals with chronic incomplete SCI completed 9 weeks of LT. Peak isometric torque, torque developed within the initial 200 milliseconds of contraction (Torque200), average rate of torque development (ARTD), and voluntary activation deficits were determined using isokinetic dynamometry for the knee-extensor (KE) and plantar-flexor (PF) muscle groups before and after LT. Maximum muscle crosssectional area (CSA) was measured prior to and after LT.Results: Locomotor training resulted in improved peak torque production in all participants, with the largest increases in the more-involved PF (43.9% ± 20.0%), followed by the more-involved KE (21.1% ± 12.3%). Even larger improvements were realized in Torque200 and ARTD (indices ...
JOB CHARACTERISTICS AND LABOR MARKET DISCRIMINATION IN PROMOTIONS: NEW THEORY AND EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE

We present new theory and empirical evidence concerning racial discrimination in promotions. In our model, promotions signal worker ability. When tasks differ substantially across levels of a job hierarchy, the opportunity cost (in terms of foregone output) of not promoting qualified nonwhite workers is large, so employers are less likely to inefficiently retain these workers in lower-level jobs. Thus, given pre-promotion performance, the extent to which nonwhite workers have lower promotion probabilities should decrease when tasks vary more across levels. Also, the difference between white and nonwhite workers in the wage increase attached to promotion should diminish when tasks vary more across levels. We test these implications empirically using personnel data from a large U.S. firm and from the National Compensation Survey. Results support the theoretical model’s predictions concerning promotion probabilities, whereas support is mixed for the model’s predictions concerning the wage growth attached to promotions.
Control of a two-link robot to achieve sliding and hopping gaits

A new example of a hopping robot is considered, consisting simply of two links (the end of one link acts as the foot) joined by an actuated, revolute joint. For the stance phase a nonlinear controller is derived that maintains the balance of the robot and periodically accelerates the center of mass vertically. For large enough oscillations the robot can slide or take off. If flight is achieved, the drift caused by non-zero angular momentum can typically be cancelled by rotating the actuated joint an integral number of times, and the robot can land in the same configuration in which it took off. This is due to the holonomy of a single rotation of the actuated joint. Results of simulations are presented in which the robot achieves both sliding and hopping gaits. >
Assessing public health burden associated with exposure to ambient black carbon in the United States.

Black carbon (BC) is a significant component of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution, which has been linked to a series of adverse health effects, in particular premature mortality. Recent scientific research indicates that BC also plays an important role in climate change. Therefore, controlling black carbon emissions provides an opportunity for a double dividend. This study quantifies the national burden of mortality and morbidity attributable to exposure to ambient BC in the United States (US). We use GEOS–Chem, a global 3-D model of atmospheric composition to estimate the 2010 annual average BC levels at 0.5 × 0.667° resolution, and then re-grid to 12-km grid resolution across the continental US. Using PM2.5 mortality risk coefficient drawn from the American Cancer Society cohort study, the numbers of deaths due to BC exposure were estimated for each 12-km grid, and then aggregated to the county, state and national level. Given evidence that BC particles may pose a greater risk on human health than other components of PM2.5, we also conducted sensitivity analysis using BC-specific risk coefficients drawn from recent literature. We estimated approximately 14,000 deaths to result from the 2010 BC levels, and hundreds of thousands of illness cases, ranging from hospitalizations and emergency department visits to minor respiratory symptoms. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the total BC-related mortality could be even significantly larger than the above mortality estimate. Our findings indicate that controlling BC emissions would have substantial benefits for public health in the US.
The effects of a popliteus muscle load on in situ forces in the posterior cruciate ligament and on knee kinematics a human cadaveric study

To investigate the effect of simulated contraction of the popliteus muscle on the in situ forces in the posterior cruciate ligament and on changes in knee kinematics, we studied 10 human cadaveric knees (donor age, 58 to 89 years) using a robotic manipulator/universal force moment sensor system. Under a 110-N posterior tibial load (simulated posterior drawer test), the kinematics of the intact knee and the in situ forces in the ligament were determined. The test was repeated with the addition of a 44-N load to the popliteus muscle. The posterior cruciate ligament was then sectioned and the knee was subjected to the same tests. The additional popliteus muscle load significantly reduced the in situ forces in the ligament by 9% to 36% at 90 degrees and 30 degrees of flexion, respectively. No significant effects on posterior tibial translation of the intact knee were found. However, in the ligament-deficient knee, posterior tibial translation was reduced by up to 36% of the translation caused by ligament transection. A coupled internal tibial rotation of 2 degrees to 4 degrees at 60 degrees to 90 degrees of knee flexion was observed in both the intact and ligament-deficient knees when the popliteus muscle load was added. Our results indicate that the popliteus muscle shares the function of the posterior cruciate ligament in resisting posterior tibial loads and can contribute to knee stability when the ligament is absent.
Scenedesmus trainorii sp. nov. (Chlorophyta, Chlorococcales): a polymorphic species

Abstract This description of Scenedesmus trainorii sp. nov. represents the first time that a polymorphic alga has been classified using a combination of morphological and physiological attributes. The two morphological types, colonies and unicells, are identified as forma quadricauda and forma trainorii respectively.
The efficacy of enzyme replacement therapy in patients with chronic neuronopathic Gaucher’s disease☆☆☆

Abstract Objective: To assess the long-term systemic and neurologic responses to enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with macrophage-targeted glucocerebrosidase in patients with type 3 Gaucher’s disease. Study design: Patients with type 3 Gaucher’s disease (n = 21), aged 8 months to 35 years, were enrolled in a prospective study. Enzyme dose was adjusted to control systemic manifestations. Clinical and laboratory evaluations were performed at baseline and every 6 to 12 months thereafter. Patients were followed up for 2 to 8 years. Results: Significant improvement in hemoglobin levels, platelet count, and acid phosphatase values occurred. Liver and spleen volume markedly decreased, and bone structure improved. Nineteen patients had asymptomatic interstitial lung disease unresponsive to ERT. Supranuclear gaze palsy remained stable in 19 patients, worsened in one patient, and improved in one. Cognitive function remained unchanged or improved over time in 13 patients but decreased in 8 patients, 3 of whom developed progressive myoclonic encephalopathy accompanied by cranial magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalographic deterioration. Conclusions: At relatively high doses, ERT reverses almost all the systemic manifestations in patients with type 3 Gaucher’s disease. Most treated patients do not deteriorate neurologically. Novel therapeutic strategies are required to reverse the pulmonary and neuronopathic aspects of the disease. (J Pediatr 2001;138:539-47)
Long-term variation of organochlorine residues and assemblages of epibenthic organisms in a shallow North Florida (USA) estuary

A 4-year study (1972–1976) determined long-term trends of organochlorine residues (DDT, DDE, DDD, PCB's, mirex) and trawl-susceptible organisms in a shallow, river-dominated estuary in North Florida (Apalachicola Bay, USA). Moderate levels of such compounds were found in various species prior to the restricted use of DDT in 1972. A subsequent precipitous decline in organochlorine besidues was attributed to decreased upland usage, major flushing of the river basin in early 1973, and various factors associated with estuarine function. No mirex was found in sediments or aquatic organisms. Apparently, the half-life of organochlorines is relatively short in this bay system. Various statistical methods were used to test the relationships of different physico-chemical and biological parameters. During the 4-year study period, seasonal river flow fluctuations dominated water color, turbidity, salinity, nutrients (NO3), chlorophyll a, and the temporal succession of fishes in the bay. Certain long-term trends of fish associations were noted; relative dominance of key fish species declined and stabilized while bay-wide species richness and diversity increased with time. Qualitative changes in species representation determined the long-term pattern of community variability. This was consonant with a distinctive fish fauna during the first year of sampling. The bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli was dominant during 9 of the first 12 monts of the project; this influenced the time-related changes in community indices. Temporally clustered fish associations reflected the importance of river flow in the estuarine environment. Direct correlation of fish distribution with the rapid disappearance of organochlorine compounds was complicated by aperiodic natural phenomena such as storms and river fluctuations. Population and community trends appeared consistent with other studies showing similar patterns of dominance of stress-resistant fish populations and related changes in community parameters. In this case, the relatively predictable annual succession of fish associations allowed an appraisal of key forcing functions. Due to the high level of seasonal and annual biological variability in this estuary, there were some problems in the application of linear statistical models to the data base. Although the long-term trend of relative species representation is useful as an index of stress, new techniques are needed to analyze extensive field data so that functions such as trophic interactions are included in the estimation of causal relationships. There are indications that such effects could be related to the impact of organochlorine compounds on estuarine systems.
The origin of life: preliminary considerations on necessary and (possibly) sufficient conditions.

Abstract The principal thesis of this paper is that it is possible to construct a hierarchical system, via the prescription for hierarchical continuation, which exhibits the necessary conditions for the emergence of life. The sufficiency of these conditions is shown to be highly plausible on the basis of the deducibility of certain formal considerations in biological control theory from the formal decision process whereby a life-dynamics is generated.
TCT-254 Very Low Intravenous Contrast Dose (20cc) Protocol for Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) Providing Comprehensive Cardiac and Vascular Assessment for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

TAVR is a lifesaving procedure for many patients at high risk for surgical aortic valve replacement. The prevalence of CKD and risk for contrast-induced nephropathy in this population is high. A very low contrast dose CTA protocol enabling comprehensive cardiac and vascular imaging would be valuable
Stepwise sequential screening for fetal aneuploidy

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate stepwise sequential screening for fetal aneuploidy. Study design Women who received first-trimester screening were also offered second-trimester tests with second-trimester risks that were based on both sets of markers. Screen-positive rates, use of second-trimester testing and invasive testing, sensitivity, and changes in risks were evaluated. Results Of 1528 women who received first-trimester screening, 133 women (8.7%) had an indication for invasive testing that was based on first-trimester results alone; 1173 women (76.8%) received second-trimester tests, which reduced the net number of women with an indication for invasive testing to 105 (6.9%). In unaffected pregnancies, the addition of the second-trimester testing reduced the median Down syndrome risk from 1:2368 to 1:10,301. Six of 10 chromosome abnormalities (60%) were identified by first-trimester screening, and 9 of 10 chromosome abnormalities (90%) were identified by sequential screening. Conclusion Sequential screening can be introduced successfully into clinical practice, is effective, and can reduce the number of invasive tests that are performed.
Chitin checking--novel insights into asthma.

Interleukin-13 has an important influence on the pathophysiology of asthma. A recent study shows that a chitinase may be responsible for the effects of interleukin-13 and is critical to the asthmatic response in a mouse model.
Recent trends in community design: the eminence of participation

This paper reports a recent study asking current community design practitioners to identify the most influential people and key issue leaders in the community design field and to define the concept itself. The results of the study show that in addition to the continuing concepts such as participation, there are new concepts such as new urbanism and sustainability which are now associated with community design. The most important conclusion, however, is that community design field is in fact in search of new perspectives.
The worst Hanoi graphs

The ''Towers of Hanoi'' is a problem that has been extensively studied and frequently generalized. We are interested in its generalization to arbitrary directed graphs and ask how many moves are required in a given graph to move n disks from the starting peg to the destination peg. Not all directed graphs allow solving this problem; we will call those graphs that do Hanoi graphs. We settle the question of what are the Hanoi graphs that require the largest number of moves.
Shape analysis as a generalized path problem

This paper concerns a method for approximating the possible “shapes” that heap-allocated structures in a program can take on. We present a new approach to finding solutions to shape-analysis problems that involves formulating them as generalized graph-reachability problems. The reachability problem that arises is not an ordinary reachability problem (e.g., transitive closure), but one in which a path is considered to connect two vertices only if the concatenation of the labels on the edges of the path is a word in a certain context-free language. This graph-reachability approach allows us to give polynomial bounds on the running time of an algorithm for shape analysis. It also permits us to obtain a demand algorithm for shape analysis. (In a demand algorithm, the goal is to determine shape information selectively—i.e., for particular variables at particular points in the program, rather than for every variable at every point in the program.)
Challenges in acid/peptic disorders: a symposium overview.

SUMMARY Before 1977, the treatment of peptic ulcer disease consisted primarily of dietary, antacid, and anticholinergic programmes. There were heated controversies regarding rigid vs. liberal ulcer diets, a variety of antacids and dosing patterns to choose from, and conflicting claims over the benefit of various anticholinergic therapies. It was hoped that the dramatic introduction of the H2-receptor antagonists would simplify our approach to the treatment of peptic ulcer and reflux oesophagitis. Standard doses of H2-receptor antagonists are effective for acid/peptic disorders, yet it has become clear that some subsets of patients present special management problems, including recurrent ulcers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced disease, stress ulcers, and refractory oesophagitis. New regimens, such as maintenance therapy and once-daily nocturnal dosing, have been indicated for peptic ulcer disease. New drugs have been introduced, such as sucralfate, misoprostol, and omeprazole, each with a different mechanism of action. Therefore, while we have learned considerably more about the pathogenesis of peptic disease, treatment decisions have become more complicated. The Transatlantic Conference on Acid/Peptic Disorders was held on 19 21 January 1990, in Wesley Chapel, Florida. A faculty from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada reviewed pathophysiology and the role of pharmacologic agents in the treatment of acid/peptic disorders and outlined clinically useful treatment strategies. The conference was organized into five segments: acid suppression and ulcer healing; acid suppression and control of reflux disease; NSAID-induced ulceration; stress ulceration, rationale for control of rebleeding, and drug interactions; and controversies. The proceedings of the symposium are presented in this supplement.
Hypothalamic norepinephrine, luteinizing hormone releasing factor activity and reproduction in the Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnixjaponica

Abstract Norepinephrine (NE) concentrations in the medial basal hypothalamus-median eminence (MBH-ME) of both immature and mature (photosexually stimulated) male and mature female Japanese quail, Colurnix coturnix japonica , were determined spectrophotofluorometrically. LH releasing factor (LRF) activity in the MBH-ME of mature and immature males was estimated by bioassay. Disappearance rates of 3 H-NE from the MBH-ME of similar animals were also studied. In mature males, levels of NE displayed a distinct diurnal rhythm, with a single peak (17.5 μg/g vs basal levels of 10–12 μg/g) occurring approximately 7 hr after the onset of light. In immature males, no NE rhythm was discernible (levels 10–12 μg/g). In sexually mature females, a rhythm of NE with three peaks preceding daily ovulation by about 23, 16, and 9 hr, respectively, was observed. In the stimulated males, hypothalamic LRF activity closely paralleled NE concentration, but was undetectable in the immature males. 3 H-NE disappearance rates were lower in unstimulated males than in mature males, and did not vary significantly. In the mature males, 3 H-NE disappearance rate was greatest during the period of deelining NE concentration. In an effort to determine whether any single one of the 3 NE peaks seen in females was essential for the preovulatory discharge of ovulating hormone (OH), female birds were given a specific inhibitor of NE synthesis (1,1-dimethyl-3-phenyl-2-thiourea) at precisely defined times. Selective inhibition of the 9-hr, but not the 23-hr preovulatory peak, abolished the next expected ovulation. This ovulation was not restored by intraventricular injection of NE or dopamine. These results suggest (1) that changes in hypothalamic NE synthesis and metabolism are related to changes in hypothalamic LRF secretory activity and (2) that interference with NE synthesis can interfere with pituitary release of OH, thought to be dependent on hypothalamic LRF activity.
Portable eyetracking: a study of natural eye movements

Visual perception, operating below conscious awareness, effortlessly provides the experience of a rich representation of the environment, continuous in space and time. Conscious visual perception is made possible by the 'foveal compromise,' the combination of the high-acuity fovea and a sophisticated suite of eye movements. Our illusory visual experience cannot be understood by introspection, but monitoring eye movements lets us probe the processes of visual perception. Four tasks representing a wide range of complexity were used to explore visual perception; image quality judgments, map reading, model building, and hand-washing. Very short fixation durations were observed in all tasks, some as short as 33 msec. While some tasks showed little variation in eye movement metrics, differences in eye movement patterns and high-level strategies were observed in the model building and hand washing tasks. Performance in the hand washing task revealed a new type of eye movement. 'Planful' eye movements were made to objects well in advance of a subject's interaction with the object. Often occurring in the middle of another task, they provide 'overlapping' temporal information about the environment providing a mechanism to produce our conscious visual experience.
Interference testing: detecting a circular impermeable or compressible subregion

Etude de la possibilite de detecter des heterogeneites de permeabilite ou de compressivite dans des roches magasin par des essais a la pression et des analyses d'interference entre les resultats. Etude des consequences sur la determination des proprietes d'emmagasinage et de transmissibilite
The OGRESS sounding rocket payload

We present an overview of the Off-plane Grating Rocket for Extended Source Spectroscopy (OGRESS) sounding rocket payload based at the University of Iowa. OGRESS is designed to perform moderate resolution (R~10- 40) spectroscopy of diffuse celestial X-ray sources between 0.3 – 1.2 keV. A wire grid focuser constrains light from diffuse sources into a converging beam that feeds an array of diffraction gratings in the extreme off-plane mount. The spectrum is focused onto Gaseous Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors. Scheduled to launch in 2014, OGRESS will obtain accurate physical diagnostics of the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant and will increase the technical readiness level of GEMs. OGRESS is the fourth-generation of similar payloads from the partnership between the University of Iowa and the University of Colorado, with higher throughput, and improved noise characteristics over its predecessors.
Influence of stream flow regime and temperature on growth rate of the riparian tree, Platanus wrightii, in Arizona

1. The growth of riparian trees in semi-arid regions is influenced by stream flow regime, but the relative importance of base flow and seasonal floods on growth has not been explored. I examined abiotic influences on the growth of Platanus wrightii in four stream reaches in Arizona. All reaches had a bimodal pattern of discharge, but only two had continuous flow throughout the growing season. 2. In two reaches of Sycamore Creek without perennial flow, a large percentage of the annual variation in radial growth rate of P. wrightii was explained by annual and growing season flow rate. Growth was related to these same variables in a perennial reach of Sycamore Creek, but trees maintained higher growth during drought years than they did in the temporary reaches. At Oak Creek, a larger perennial stream, P. wrightii growth showed a bell-shaped relationship with flow. These data suggest that growth rate is frequently limited by water availability at Sycamore Creek, but not at Oak Creek. 3. At both rivers, much of the annual surface flow occurs as winter floods. Oak Creek, however, maintains a high summer base flow even during years with no floods. Platanus wrightii growth was significantly related to winter flood frequency only at Sycamore Creek. The positive relationship of growth with stream flow and winter flood frequency at Sycamore Creek presumably occurs because the P. wrightii trees are dependent on the winter flows to recharge the shallow alluvial aquifer and to raise the level of ground water within the root zone. 4. Frequent summer floods increased the growth of trees in perennial and non-perennial reaches alike. At perennial Oak Creek, summer flood frequency was the only variable linearly related to growth of P. wrightii. Summer flood frequency was a significant, but secondary, component of multiple-regression growth models for trees in the perennial and non-perennial reaches of Sycamore Creek. Summer floods may stimulate growth, in part, by replenishing limiting nutrients. 5. High temperature was negatively associated with the growth of P. wrightii at Sycamore Creek. The combination of drought and high temperature resulted in very low growth rate. 6. These results have implications for the management of flood and base flow regimes on regulated, diverted and pumped rivers.
The ingestion of food and the recovery of body weight following fasting in the naive rat.

Abstract The total food consumption of experimentally naive rats following 24, 48, 72, and 96 hr fasts was observed during the period of the recovery of body weight. The total amount of food consumed in excess of prefast food consumption was found in all groups to be equivalent to 24 hr intake and was, therefore, independent of degree of fast and body weight lost. Moreover, it was found that rats recover lost body weight following a fast even when intake is held to prefast levels. These findings suggest that the regulation of body weight may be under the control of mechanisms in addition to the control of food intake.
Do the Investment and Return‐on‐Equity Factors Proxy for Economic Risks?

We study the information content of two new return factors, the investment factor (IA) and the return-on-equity factor (ROE), as proposed by Chen, Novy-Marx, and Zhang in 2011. First, IA is a strong predictor for future gross domestic product (GDP) growth despite the presence of other financial and economic variables. IA subsumes the pricing power of the GDP factor for the cross section of asset returns. Second, ROE is closely related to innovations in dividend yield and term spread. When modeled together with innovations in state variables that forecast future investment opportunities, IA and ROE lose their explanatory power.
STIRAP on sodium gas as a function of argon buffer gas pressure

The standoff detection of energetic materials via laser-induced fluorescence of vapors has received relatively little attention due to spectrally broad fluorescence emission from aerosols and unwanted background molecules. This unwanted broad emission can obscure fluorescence from the molecule of interest. When multiphoton excitation is used, the problem can be avoided by blue-shifting the emission from the target molecule relative to the unwanted broad emission. As a precursor to the detection of explosives, we demonstrate coherent multiphoton excitation via stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) on sodium vapor in an argon buffer gas as a function of argon pressure. Results indicate that STIRAP can be performed in a buffer gas at atmospheric pressure with a minimal eduction in STIRAP efficiency. The 15 ps long light pulses used for the pump and Stokes pulses were produced by two synchronously pumped OPO/OPAs tuned to the 3p (2P1/2) ← 3s (2S1/2) transition for the pump pulse and the 5s (2S1/2) ← 3p (2P1/2) for the Stokes pulse.
Comparative effects of mammalian prolactin and growth hormone on growth in the toads Bufo boreas and Bufo marinus

Young (postmetamorphic) toads, Bufo marinus and Bufo boreas, were treated with bovine growth hormone (GH), ovine GH, or ovine prolactin. With a standard, controlled diet, GH caused increased body weight and femur elongation and reduced lipid and glycogen storage indicating lean growth. Ad libitum feeding demonstrated that GH also promotes increased food consumption. Doses of GH as low as 0.3 – 0.6 μg/day were effective in these regards, whereas prolactin did not influence the various aspects of metabolism and growth except at relatively high doses (50–100 μg/day). In view of the high sensitivity to GH, most of the actions of the prolactin injections appear attributable largely to GH contamination, although prolactin may have an independent effect on hepatic glycogen under certain conditions. No diurnal variations were evident in the responses to either prolactin or GH when comparing animals injected in the morning or afternoon.