cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distribution of coronary collateral flow in acute myocardial ischaemic injury: effect of propranolol

The local distribution of coronary collateral flow was mapped using 8 μ tracer microspheres following circumflex coronary occlusions in dogs. Overall flow to the ischaemic posterior papillary muscle and subjacent myocardium decreased to 21% of anterior free wall flow. Collateral flow was non-uniform, however, and was lower in the subendocardium (14%) than in the subepicardium (27%). Brief temporary occlusions with and without propranolol therapy showed that collateral flow was less and the inner/outer wall ratio was unaltered in treated animals. Although propranolol reduces infarct size after coronary occlusions, this effect appears not to be related to increases in collateral flow.
Factors Affecting High School Student Engagement in Introductory Computer Science Classes (Abstract Only)

Little research exists on factors that affect high school computer science student engagement. The BASICS Study (Barriers and Supports to Implementing Computer Science) brings rigor to this issue by building on instruments developed to measure implementation and factors affecting implementation of math and science programs, and customizing them for use with Exploring Computer Science (ECS). One goal of the 2-½ year BASICS Study is to provide the computer science education community with tools to systematically and rigorously measure computer science program implementation components, like student engagement. Aligning efforts in computer science around data collection and description can support the collective effort to grow and sustain computing education.This poster reports on BASICS Study Year 1 findings about factors related to student engagement in ECS classes. The sample includes 232 students from eight public high schools in Chicago and Washington, DC. Student questionnaire data collected focused on: 1) Student engagement, 2) Teacher instruction, 3) Student attitudes, and 4) Other student characteristics, such as grade, gender, race/ethnicity, and previous computing experience. Analyses included multi-factor confirmatory factor analysis to examine the validity of the measures, and multiple linear regression analysis to estimate the effects of teacher instruction and student attitudes on engagement. Results indicate teacher instruction significantly positively affects student engagement in ECS classes. Some student attitude variables are also significantly related to student engagement, but there was no significant variation in engagement across gender or race/ethnicity categories.
Attachment of the ascidian sperm surface egg receptor N‐acetylglucosaminidase to the cell membrane

Ascidian sperm bind to vitelline coat N-acetylglucosamine groups of the egg via sperm surface N-acetylglucosaminidase. This sperm surface egg receptor remains anchored throughout penetration. Localization to the sperm surface was verified by biotinylation of intact sperm followed by solubilization in Triton X-100 and binding to streptavidin agarose. The enzyme was determined to be an integral membrane protein as judged by resistance to release by Kl and high pH. Linkage of the enzyme to the sperm surface was probed through differential solubilization followed by measuring released enzymatic activity with a fluorogenic substrate. Nonionic detergents released 90% of the activity. Proteases released about 40%. No activity was released by a phosphatidylinositol specific phospholipase C. This finding, combined with the similarity of release level by all the detergents, including Triton X-100 and octylglucoside, argues against a phosphatidyl-inositol linkage. The release form enters the hydrophilic phase of a Triton X-114 phase separation experiment. This observation, coupled with the findings of release by nonionic detergents, suggests that the protein is hydrophilic once released from the membrane. Thus, although clearly an integral membrane protein, the enzyme has limited hydrophobicity such as would be present in a single transmembrane sequence or extensive glycosylation.
On the Stress Concentration Factors of Rolling Element Bearing Cages

In high-speed rolling element bearings, cage hoop stress is one of the critical design considerations. The cages in these bearings are typically simple solid rings with a series of equally spaced radial holes for ball bearings or square slots for roller bearings. There are stress concentrations caused by this series of holes or slots and thus the hoop stress is not uniform in the circumferential direction. These stress concentrations in the presence of combined centrifugal and dynamic loading can lead to cage failure. In the design process these stress concentration factors (SCF) are typically obtained from standard references. However, due to the unique geometry of a bearing cage, significant extrapolation is required and these stress concentration factors tend to overestimate the actual stress level. In this study, FEM models with critical parametric geometric variables were developed for typical roller and ball bearing cages. Stress concentration factors were derived for various combinations of cage de...
The cardinality and precedence constrained maximum value sub-hypergraph problem and its applications

Abstract Given a hypergraph with values on the hyperedges, the problem of finding a subhypergraph of maximum value subject to cardinality and precedence constraints on the nodes has applications ranging from partitioning fields in a database, to loading tools on a machine in a flexible manufacturing environment, to investment selection. For any instance of such a problem, consider the corresponding undirected graph G′ = (V, E′) with E′ containing all pairs of nodes that either have a direct precedence relationship or are common to at least one hyperedge. Let n = ¦V¦ , and let s be the number of connected components of G′. We present an exact, O(n2 log n) dynamic programming based algorithm for the case where G′ is a forest (¦E′¦ = n − s) . By extending the result, we derive an exact, polynomial-time algorithm for cases where ¦E′¦ ⩽ n − s + α log n , for any constant α. These algorithms significantly improved the complexity and enlarged the application scope of the best existing algorithms. Finally, we show that the case where ¦E′¦ = O (n − s + n e ) is NP-hard, even when G′ is connected and bipartite and the hyperedges all have unit value.
On the Organization of Cluster Voting with Massive Distributed Streams

Data processing is one of the important challenges on Big Data. In this paper we investigate optimal processing algorithm for massive data streams, propose a new processing algorithm called multi-buffer based majority algorithm. The algorithm maintains time complexity of O(n) and selects prevalent elements of frequencies as low as 1%. Our experiments indicate that multi-buffer based majority algorithm has improvements on both accuracy and efficiency. Moreover, we use multibuffer based algorithm to process data streams on single system and distributed system. These experiments indicate that using multi-buffer based algorithm can have better performance on distributed system. Moreover, we give explanations of the experiments' result and indicate several major factors which influence the result accuracy: stream size, element range in the stream, frequency of predominant elements and our buffer sets.
Solidago Canadensis Complex of the Great plains

Three taxa of theSolidago canadensis L. complex are recognized for the Great Plains region:S. canadensis L. var.scabra Torr. & Gray,S. canadensis L. var.gilvocanescens Rydb., andS. canadensis L. var.hargeri Fern. Confusion has resulted from the use of var.gilvocanescens for two different plants: a shortleaved prairie ecotype most closely related to var.scabra and a short-haired form ofS. canadensis var.hargeri. The name rightly belongs to the former.
INCIDENCE OF DELAYED STRESS DISORDER AMONG VIETNAM ERA VETERANS

Recent studies concluded that a significant number of Vietnam era veterans suffer now from a service-related stress disorder. This paper suggests that a priming artifact may have operated in many such studies to confound an understanding of the nature and estimate of the disorder. Findings of a study designed to test the effect of priming on veterans' self-ratings support the hypothesis that veterans, particularly noncombat veterans, tend to rate themselves in a manner consistent with prior information provided by the testers.
Total body irradiation in bone marrow transplantation: The influence of fractionation and delay of marrow infusion

Abstract Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) after total body irradiation (TBI) and cyclophosphamide is being employed increasingly in the therapy of end stage leukemia. Interstitial pneumonitis (IP) represents a major acute toxicity after allogeneic transplantation. A more rapid reconstitution of lymphoid organs and bone marrow post transplant may result in increased immune competence and hence fewer opportunistic pulmonary infections and IP. By delaying the infusion of marrow to 72 hr after TBI (1250 rod at 7.5 rad/min) instead of the customary 24 hr, we can demonstrate an increase in initial repopulation of thymus, spleen and marrow, with syngeneic transplants in Lewis rats. Interstitial pneumonitis may also be caused, in part, by the pulmonary toxicity of large single exposures of TBI. Clinical and laboratory data suggest that fractionated TBI may be less toxic to the lung. When fractionated TBI (625 rad × 2, 7.5 rad/min) is compared to single dose TBI (1250 rad, 7.5 rad/min), an increased initial repopulation of lymphoid organs is observed when fractionated therapy is employed. Delay in marrow infusion and fractionation of TBI exposure may have clinical advantages in patients who receive BMT.
ORGANIZATION AND ONTOGENY OF THE VASCULAR SYSTEM IN THE PETIOLE OF EASTERN COTTONWOOD

The topologic arrangement of petiolar bundles varies within the length of the cottonwood petiole. Each petiolar bundle is formed by the subdivision and aggregation of acropetally differentiating subsidiary bundles in a predictable pattern. The subsidiary bundles provide vascular continuity between the stem and specific portions of the leaf lamina. Spot-labeling of individual veins with 14CO2, freeze substitution, and microautoradiography were used to establish the relation between the secondary veins of the lamina and the vasculature of the petiole. Within the petiole vasculature each subsidiary bundle was continuous with a specific portion of the lamina and seemed to have a separate function. Subsidiary bundles continuous with the central leaf trace were closely related functionally to the tip region of the lamina, while the subsidiary bundles continuous with the lateral leaf traces were functionally related to the middle and basal portions of the lamina. IN THE DEVELOPING leaf zone of a cottonwood shoot, an intimate structural-functional relation exists between the leaf and stem. Within this zone expanding leaves import photosynthates into the immature basal portions of their laminae from older leaves, while simultaneously exporting photosynthates from their mature laminal tips to
Measurement of cerebrospinal fluid flow at the cerebral aqueduct by use of phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging: technique validation and utility in diagnosing idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.

OBJECTIVE We analyzed the reliability of a protocol for measuring quantitative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow at the cerebral aqueduct and established the range of CSF flows in normal elderly patients, patients with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, and patients with idiopathic normal pressur
Greatest Evolvability: A Place of Chaos, White Rabbits, Fear, Receptivity and Invention

Abstract Based on interviews with successful writers, this essay introduces the concept of greatest evolvability – an intellectual place of uncertainty writers purposefully approach to accelerate the invention process. Aspects of greatest evolvability discussed in finer detail include the edge of chaos, following the white rabbit and fear as indicator. Finally, the receptive stance is offered as a heuristic to transition from fear to invention.
A developmental approach to uses of moving pictures in intercultural education

Abstract This article explores the best uses of moving pictures (film, video and television) to develop intercultural sensitivity in late adolescents and adults. It is based on findings of a Delphi study in which three rounds of questions were addressed to a panel of selected experts to systematically explore the unique powers and uses of moving pictures to improve intercultural sensitivity and ability to interact effectively across cultures. This article describes effective uses of moving pictures to sustain progressive development in alignment with stages along a developmental continuum derived from Dr. Milton Bennett's “Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity.”
ABCs of erythroid mitochondrial iron uptake

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter proteins are present in all known species, serving a variety of important functions that generally involve translocation of small molecules across cellular membranes (1). In this issue of PNAS, Chen et al. (2) describe a novel role for one member of the ABC transporter superfamily: Abcb10 stabilizes a mitochondrial iron transporter from an entirely different protein family to optimize hemoglobin production by erythroid precursors.
Diversity in the high-tech workplace: preparing for responsibility

Computer Sciences Corporation's approach to developing personnel to take on management responsibilities is described. >
Theory and measurements of speed-of-light effects in long cavity fiber Fabry-Perot scanning interferometers

Analytical and experimental results for high-resolution, long-cavity, fiber Fabry-Perot scanning interferometers show an inverse square-root dependence of bandwidth on cavity length when the scan time per fringe approaches the inverse bandwidth of the interferometer. In this regime transmission fringe distortions due to the finite speed of light occur even at moderate scanning rates of 2 to 10 ms per free spectral range for cavity lengths of 5 to 25 m, respectively. A numerical model incorporating propagation and mirror losses in a Fabry-Perot cavity demonstrates good agreement with experimentally observed rise-time increase, fall-time ringing, and overall attenuation of the bandpass function for very long cavity interferometers. >
Is neutron radiation exposure always detrimental to metals (steels)

It is well established that irradiated metals and alloys exhibit increased mechanical strength accompanied by reduced ductility, commonly referred to as irradiation strengthening and embrittlement. We talk about radiation damage and environmental degradation of metals following radiation exposure. Indeed, there have been numerous conferences and symposia held and planned on this subject, which include research work and discussions with the central theme being the damage created in materials by neutron radiation exposure. Radiation embrittlement in metals is believed to be due mainly to (1) changes in flow properties because of the interaction of dislocations with irradiation-produced defects1, and (2) precipitation of transmutation-produced gases and irradiation-induced segregation at grain boundaries which are potential fracture sites2. Contrary to the previously observed radiation embrittlement in metals, I report here that neutron irradiation of mild steel improved both the mechanical strength and ductility at 373 K even at relatively high (∼1018 neutrons cm−2), fast (>1 MeV) neutron doses. To my knowledge, such improvement has never been observed before.
On the Use of Doppler Radar–Derived Wind Fields to Diagnose the Secondary Circulations of Tornadoes

AbstractA number of studies in recent years have used wind fields derived from portable Doppler radars in combination with the ground-based velocity track display (GBVTD) technique to diagnose the primary (tangential) and secondary (radial and vertical) circulations in tornadoes. These analyses indicate very strong vertical motions in the vortex core, in some cases with updrafts and downdrafts exceeding 100 m s−1. In addition, many of the analyses indicate strong radial outflow at low levels and in the vicinity of the low-level tangential wind maximum. This paper shows that strong outward motion at this location cannot be consistent with a tornado circulation that lasts more than a few minutes. In addition, using data from numerical simulations as truth, it is shown that using observed radial velocities to diagnose vertical velocities greatly overestimates the intensity of downward motion in the core for two reasons: neglect of the mass flux into the core through the swirling boundary layer, and the likel...
Commercial CAD: challenges and opportunities

This talk will discuss the current state of commercial CAD, and speculate upon how it might evolve in both the near and longer term. In the near term, commercial CAD will concentrate on the familiar problems of the VLSI field - completing larger designs, optimizing yield, coping with variability, and so on. These and similar well known problems, already known to customers and called out in the ITRS roadmap, will keep commercial CAD busy for the next few years.In the long term, however, there are many more possibilities. In particular, fields such as diverse as genetics and nano-technology are currently struggling to produce small but working examples, but have the potential to cheaply build very large and complex systems. As the fabrication technology in these fields matures, designers will need more automated tools, just as they have over the history of IC design. Furthermore, there will surely be large mixed systems containing more than one of these technologies, including the current electronic technology and/or its technological successors. It is therefore possible that the long term evolution of commercial CAD will encompass many fields, with a core competency of the explicit construction of large and complex systems.
Experience report: a multivendor ultrasounds mini-PACs--engineering and clinical issues

The authors have been operating an ultrasound miniPACS for approximately two years. In the last six months, the system was more than doubled in size with inclusion of a teleradiology component and connection to PACS hardware from other vendors. This paper presents the engineering, operational, and clinical challenges posed by this integration and the logistical and systems approaches to meeting those challenges.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Neuroscience and computing algorithms

Abstract Knowledge about how the brain processes information is expanding rapidly. Two examples from neuroscience systems are (1) the observation that shifts in chemical modulation markedly alter the intrinsic behavior of neural networks and (2) the identification of nested modules within the neocortex that are capable of integrating parallel distributed and hierarchical processes. These examples have not been fully examined from a computational perspective. Algorithms motivated by neuroscience are interesting, and their unusual properties may have implications for information science and the design of novel computing architectures.
Random Amino Acid Mutations and Protein Misfolding Lead to Shannon Limit in Sequence-Structure Communication

The transmission of genomic information from coding sequence to protein structure during protein synthesis is subject to stochastic errors. To analyze transmission limits in the presence of spurious errors, Shannon's noisy channel theorem is applied to a communication channel between amino acid sequences and their structures established from a large-scale statistical analysis of protein atomic coordinates. While Shannon's theorem confirms that in close to native conformations information is transmitted with limited error probability, additional random errors in sequence (amino acid substitutions) and in structure (structural defects) trigger a decrease in communication capacity toward a Shannon limit at 0.010 bits per amino acid symbol at which communication breaks down. In several controls, simulated error rates above a critical threshold and models of unfolded structures always produce capacities below this limiting value. Thus an essential biological system can be realistically modeled as a digital communication channel that is (a) sensitive to random errors and (b) restricted by a Shannon error limit. This forms a novel basis for predictions consistent with observed rates of defective ribosomal products during protein synthesis, and with the estimated excess of mutual information in protein contact potentials.
Extensive Association of Functionally and Cytotopically Related mRNAs with Puf Family RNA-Binding Proteins in Yeast

Genes encoding RNA-binding proteins are diverse and abundant in eukaryotic genomes. Although some have been shown to have roles in post-transcriptional regulation of the expression of specific genes, few of these proteins have been studied systematically. We have used an affinity tag to isolate each of the five members of the Puf family of RNA-binding proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and DNA microarrays to comprehensively identify the associated mRNAs. Distinct groups of 40–220 different mRNAs with striking common themes in the functions and subcellular localization of the proteins they encode are associated with each of the five Puf proteins: Puf3p binds nearly exclusively to cytoplasmic mRNAs that encode mitochondrial proteins; Puf1p and Puf2p interact preferentially with mRNAs encoding membrane-associated proteins; Puf4p preferentially binds mRNAs encoding nucleolar ribosomal RNA-processing factors; and Puf5p is associated with mRNAs encoding chromatin modifiers and components of the spindle pole body. We identified distinct sequence motifs in the 3′-untranslated regions of the mRNAs bound by Puf3p, Puf4p, and Puf5p. Three-hybrid assays confirmed the role of these motifs in specific RNA–protein interactions in vivo. The results suggest that combinatorial tagging of transcripts by specific RNA-binding proteins may be a general mechanism for coordinated control of the localization, translation, and decay of mRNAs and thus an integral part of the global gene expression program.
Interregional brain interactions in children with unilateral hearing loss

Objective. To determine whether patterns of functional connectivity of cortical regions responsible for auditory processing and executive functions differ in children with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) versus their normal-hearing (NH) siblings.Study Design. Prospective observational study.Setting. Academic medical center.Subjects and Methods. Children with severe-to-profound UHL (9 right UHL, 7 left UHL) and 10 NH sibling controls were imaged using resting state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fcMRI). All MRI images were transformed to a single common atlas; regions of interest (ROI) were chosen based on previous literature and unpublished results. Mean regionwise correlations and conjunction analyses were performed across 34 seed ROIs to identify temporally synchronized, low-frequency spontaneous fluctuations in the resting state blood oxygenation level–dependent signal that reveal functionally related regions.Results. Mean regionwise Student t tests found a left posterior opercula...
Utra-high speed wireless technology from a system of systems perspective

Ultra-high speed wireless systems have gained an increasing attention in recent years. The development of multi Gbps wireless link for personal wireless networks (WPAN) is linked to several constituent systems,each autonomous, yet interconnected. This paper looks into the emergence of a new technology within a system of systems perspective. One of the characteristics of System of Systems is emergence and one can consider the commercialization of a new technology as an emerging phenomenon in a relevant SoS. Here, by considering user behavior, policy environment, available content and technology developments as constituent legacy system, the effect of each on the emergence of multi-Gbps WPAN is analyzed.
Coordinated Multipoint Joint Transmission in Heterogeneous Networks

Motivated by the ongoing discussion on coordinated multipoint in wireless cellular standard bodies, this paper considers the problem of base station cooperation in the downlink of heterogeneous cellular networks. The focus of this paper is the joint transmission scenario, where an ideal backhaul network allows a set of randomly located base stations, possibly belonging to different network tiers, to jointly transmit data, to mitigate intercell interference and hence improve coverage and spectral efficiency. Using tools from stochastic geometry, an integral expression for the network coverage probability is derived in the scenario where the typical user located at an arbitrary location, i.e., the general user, receives data from a pool of base stations that are selected based on their average received power levels. An expression for the coverage probability is also derived for the typical user located at the point equidistant from three base stations, which we refer to as the worst case user. In the special case where cooperation is limited to two base stations, numerical evaluations illustrate absolute gains in coverage probability of up to 17% for the general user and 24% for the worst case user compared with the noncooperative case. It is also shown that no diversity gain is achieved using noncoherent joint transmission, whereas full diversity gain can be achieved at the receiver if the transmitting base stations have channel state information.
Hypersonic aerodynamic heating prediction using weighted essentially nonoscillatory schemes

Introduction T HE calculation of aerodynamic heating rates on hypersonic vehicles remains a challenging problem. Such analysis often involvesmultidimensionalgeometrieswith leading-edgebluntness and fuselage/wing combinations of arbitrary cross sections. In addition, hypersonic  ight conditions must take into account the dissociation of air at high temperatures, as well as the resulting effects on surfaceheating.Numerical simulation of full compressible Navier–Stokes equations for three-dimensional  ow elds around these vehicles is still currently too computationallyexpensive to be routinely used in practical aerodynamic heating calculations. Becauseof the large computationaltime required to compute viscous  ows over full aircraft geometries, inviscid  ow solutions are computed instead. If an inviscid ow solutionis known, then a practical engineering approach for aerodynamic heating calculations is to use a boundary-layerapproximation.Current aerodynamic heatingmethods that are used in thisNote forhypersonic ow conditions were developed at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center and are summarized by Quinn and Gong.1 They provide heating models based on laminar and turbulent  ow, using a constant or variable entropy assumption, with the ability to compute transient heating rates as well as steady heating rates. The motivation for this study is the need for accurate prediction of aerodynamicheating aroundhypersonicvehicles.NASA Dryden Flight Research Center is interested in extending their hypersonic heatingcalculationcodewith advancedcomputational uid dynamics (CFD) inviscid solutions.NASA Dryden Flight ResearchCenter has the requirementto conduct ight researchon high-speedaircraft. To accomplish this mission and ensure  ight safety, it is necessary to have the capability of predicting transient surface heating rates and temperatures. The accurate calculation of surface heating rates on hypersonic vehicles is dependent on an accurate inviscid CFD numerical solution of the mean aerodynamic  ow properties. The shape of the hypersonicvehiclemay vary from a simple cone to a complex threedimensional aircraft. It is because of this constraint that the shock
Intra-Arrest Cooling Improves Outcomes in a Murine Cardiac Arrest Model

Background— Recent clinical studies have demonstrated that hypothermia to 32° to 34°C provides significant clinical benefit when induced after resuscitation from cardiac arrest. However, cooling during the postresuscitation period was slow, requiring 4 to 8 hours to achieve target temperatures after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Whether more rapid cooling would further improve survival remains unclear. We sought to determine whether cooling during cardiac arrest before ROSC (ie, “intra-arrest” hypothermia) has survival benefit over more delayed post-ROSC cooling, using a murine cardiac arrest model. Methods and Results— A model of potassium-induced cardiac arrest was established in C57BL/6 mice. After 8 minutes of untreated cardiac arrest, resuscitation was attempted with chest compression, ventilation, and intravenous fluid. Mice were randomized to 3 treatment groups (n=10 each): an intra-arrest hypothermia group, in which mice were cooled to 30°C just before attempted resuscitation, and then...
Negative modulation of the chicken infectious anemia virus promoter by COUP-TF1 and an E box-like element at the transcription start site binding δEF1

Expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under control of the promoter-enhancer of chicken infectious anemia virus (CAV) is increased in an oestrogen receptor-enhanced cell line when treated with oestrogen and the promoter-enhancer binds unidentified proteins that recognize a consensus oestrogen response element (ERE). Co-transfection assays with the CAV promoter and the nuclear receptor chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor 1 (COUP-TF1) showed that expression of EGFP was decreased by 50 to 60 % in DF-1 and LMH cells. The CAV promoter that included sequences at and downstream of the transcription start point had less expression than a short promoter construct. Mutation of a putative E box at this site restored expression levels. Electromobility shift assays showed that the transcription regulator delta-EF1 (deltaEF1) binds to this E box region. These findings indicate that the CAV promoter activity can be affected directly or indirectly by COUP-TF1 and deltaEF1.
Exploring the Perceptions and the Role of Genetic Counselors in the Emerging Field of Perinatal Palliative Care

Perinatal palliative care is a collaborative model of providing care to fetuses diagnosed with life-limiting conditions along with supportive care to parents. The study explored perceptions and current practice trends of genetic counselors related to this care. An ethics framework was used to structure the study. This cross-sectional, mixed method study was conducted to illuminate perceptions, practice barriers, familiarity with perinatal palliative care, clinician comfort, and referral comfort. The Perinatal Palliative Care Perceptions and Barriers Scale was self-administered online to 212 genetic counselors. Hierarchical multiple regression, used to test the hypothesis that perceptions, barriers to PPC, years of experience, personal comfort and prior familiarity with PPC explain variation in comfort of referral to PPC, yielded a significant overall R2 of .51. These findings are the first data describing genetic counselors’ perspectives and some of the factors contributing to referral comfort. Genetic counselors broadly endorsed the importance of palliative care concepts. They varied in their comfort with referral practices in ways that may be mitigated by increasing their familiarity with this evolving model of care.
Temporal Production Signals in Parietal Cortex

We often perform movements and actions on the basis of internal motivations and without any explicit instructions or cues. One common example of such behaviors is our ability to initiate movements solely on the basis of an internally generated sense of the passage of time. In order to isolate the neuronal signals responsible for such timed behaviors, we devised a task that requires nonhuman primates to move their eyes consistently at regular time intervals in the absence of any external stimulus events and without an immediate expectation of reward. Despite the lack of sensory information, we found that animals were remarkably precise and consistent in timed behaviors, with standard deviations on the order of 100 ms. To examine the potential neural basis of this precision, we recorded from single neurons in the lateral intraparietal area (LIP), which has been implicated in the planning and execution of eye movements. In contrast to previous studies that observed a build-up of activity associated with the passage of time, we found that LIP activity decreased at a constant rate between timed movements. Moreover, the magnitude of activity was predictive of the timing of the impending movement. Interestingly, this relationship depended on eye movement direction: activity was negatively correlated with timing when the upcoming saccade was toward the neuron's response field and positively correlated when the upcoming saccade was directed away from the response field. This suggests that LIP activity encodes timed movements in a push-pull manner by signaling for both saccade initiation towards one target and prolonged fixation for the other target. Thus timed movements in this task appear to reflect the competition between local populations of task relevant neurons rather than a global timing signal.
Possible olfactory transduction of radiation-induced aversion

After whole-body X irradiation (280 kvp, 4.8 mA, 48 r) for ½ h, rats showed an ostensible aversion to previously preferred Saccharin drinking even when they had been anesthetized during the exposure. The sequelae of low-dose irradiation, however, were not observed for eight days of testing in rats that had their nasal passages occluded with paraffin and breathed through oral-tracheal tubes while they were anesthetized and irradiated. Possibly, the nasal occlusions and the short-lasting hypoxia subdued the radiation effect at the olfactory epithelium, so that the trace-conditioned aversion failed to develop.
Wavefront control of the Large Optics Test and Integration Site (LOTIS) 6.5m Collimator

The LOTIS Collimator provides scene projection within a 6.5m diameter collimated beam used for optical testing research in air and vacuum. Diffraction-limited performance (0.4 to 5microm wavelength) requires active wavefront control of the alignment and primary mirror shape. A hexapod corrects secondary mirror alignment using measurements from collimated sources directed into the system with nine scanning pentaprisms. The primary mirror shape is controlled with 104 adjustable force actuators based on figure measurements from a center-of-curvature test. A variation of the Hartmann test measures slopes by monitoring the reflections from 36 small mirrors bonded to the optical surface of the primary mirror. The Hartmann source and detector are located at the f/15 Cassegrain focus. Initial operation has demonstrated a closed-loop 110 nm rms wavefront error in ambient air over the 6.5m collimated beam.
Single-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy: initial experience

As surgeons embrace the concept of increasingly less invasive surgery, techniques using only a single small incision have begun to gain traction. Several commercially available products have emerged recently. The TriPortTM system and the SILSTM Port are single-port devices that allow the surgeon to perform laparoscopic surgery through a 2- to 3-cm periumbilical incision. This study aimed to ascertain whether these devices allow safe and reliable access for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. From March 2008 to June 2009, single-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy was attempted for 22 patients with an average age of 40 years (range, 23–73 years). The data collected prospectively after institutional review board approval included demographics, operative time, complications, and reasons for conversion to standard four-port laparoscopic surgery. The operation was completed successfully for 21 of the 22 patients (15 women and 7 men) using five different techniques. The mean body mass index (BMI) of the patients was 32.7 kg/cm2 (range, 22.3–46.1 kg/cm2). Three of the patients had previously undergone laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The mean operative time was 80.8 min (range, 51–156 min). One patient experienced a Richter’s hernia postoperatively, which required a reoperation and subsequent bowel resection. One patient required conversion to a standard four-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy because the articulating instrument could not reach the gallbladder from the umbilicus. The results from the current series show single-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy to be a promising technique. A variety of patient demographics appear suited to this approach. The operative time in this series compares favorably with that for the standard four-port operation. The feasibility of single-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy is now established. However, routine application of this novel technique requires an evaluation of its safety and cost effectiveness in larger studies. In addition, its superiority over standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy in terms of postoperative pain, cosmesis, and overall patient satisfaction requires further study. Refinements in instrumentation will enable wider use of this novel minimally invasive approach.
Thy 1+ Dendritic Epidermal Cells but not Langerhans Cells Express Ly 48

Leukosialin (Ly 48) is a sialoprotein expressed by bone marrow – derived cells early in their development. To determine whether Ly 48 is expressed by specific subsets of epidermal cells (ECs) such as Langerhans cells, keratinocytes, or dendritic epidermal T cells (DETCs), we utilized flow cytometry to detect staining of ECs by a panel of four monoclonal antibodies (S11, S15, S7, and 3E8) that recognize two different epitopes of the leukosialin antigen. Approximately 2.0% of unfractionated ECs expressed Ly 48, as demonstrated by reactivity with the monoclonal antibodies St11 and S15. Similarly, immunoblots of unfractionated EC lysates revealed an antigen of 125 kD apparent molecular weight that reacted with the S11 monoclonal antibody. Enrichment or depletion of various EC populations indicated that DETCs are the only EC population that express Ly 48. Studies of long-term cultured DETC lines indicated a marked heterogeneity of expression of Ly 48 epitopes. The function(s) of Ly 48 on DETCs as well as T-cell receptor α/β bearing mouse T cells remains to be determined.
The Sigma-D relation for shell-like supernova remnants

A large fraction of Galactic supernova remnants, including a dozen shell-like remnants, can be associated with large molecular clouds or cloud complexes with well-determined distances. The Sigma-D relation for these shell-like remnants, derived using distances to the associated molecular clouds, shows substantially smaller scatter than previous relations and establishes a good distance scale for shell-like remnants from Type II events.
Identification and Visualization of Coupling Paths—Part I: Energy Parcel and Its Trajectory

This research focuses on developing methods to identify and visualize electromagnetic coupling paths. The basis of the approach is to utilize an analogy between electromagnetic energy flow and fluid flow. This allows one to apply the theories and algorithms of fluid dynamics to electromagnetics and thereby to visualize the electromagnetic energy flow. This, in turn, can be utilized to identify the electromagnetic coupling path. In this paper (Part I of a two-part series), the basic idea of the method is introduced and the concepts of the electromagnetic energy parcel and its trajectory are explained. The characteristics of the instantaneous trajectory of an energy parcel will be explained in detail and illustrated with canonical examples. The applicability of the instantaneous trajectory of energy parcels in practical problems will be discussed. Part II will focus on the application of this method to solving practical electromagnetic compatibility problems. The utility of the concepts and methodology will be demonstrated using real-world applications.
Osmotherapy: A Call to Arms

To the Editor: We read with interest the report by Bereczki and colleagues,1 who failed to find evidence supporting the use of mannitol in acute stroke after a thorough search of the available medical literature. The authors found only one “unconfounded” randomized clinical trial evaluating mannitol in stroke. Not surprisingly, mannitol holds a preeminent position in the limited clinical armamentarium of neurological critical care, despite the virtual absence of well-designed studies addressing its role in stroke. The rationale of osmotherapy in brain ischemia is mainly inferred from two circumstances: (1) brain edema is intricately involved in cellular damage during ischemia and (2) the blood-brain barrier (BBB) remains basically intact during the first few hours after the onset of ischemia. Perivascular glial edema occurs within minutes after the induction of ischemia and is followed by neuronal edema.2 Due to the small pore size of cerebral endothelium, the BBB has a very low hydraulic conductivity, which limits the passage of small molecules and even restricts the permeability of water.3 A hydrostatic pressure gradient across the BBB develops early after ischemia, leading to the accumulation of interstitial fluid.4 In addition, …
Early Stages of Alumina Sol‐Gel Formation in Acidic Media: An 27Al Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Investigation

The effects of processing conditions on the formation of alumina sols from the hydrolysis of alkoxide precursors have been investigated using /sup 27/Al nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In the range of acid ratios between --0.3 to 1.0 mol of HNO/sub 3/ per mole of alumina sec-butoxide, the NMR data show that sols processed at 20/sup 0/C, low temperature (LT), differ greatly from those processed at 90/sup 0/ to 95/sup 0/C, high temperature (HT). In the LT sols, the aluminum is predominantly in the form of the polyoxycation species, Al/sub 13/O/sub 4/(OH)/sub 24/(H/sub 2/O)/sub x//sup n+/ (where n is probably 7) rather than a folded defect boehmite structure as suggested by Pierre and Uhlmann. Furthermore, heating the LT sols at 90/sup 0/C does not transform them to the HT form directly, but rather results in the growth of new tetrahedral and octahedral alumina species.
Why don't they understand what they know? What to do about it!

Even excellent students have trouble applying their knowledge to real applications. These neophyte engineers have little personal understanding of what they have studied. They are excellent at applying the theories they know if they are shown what equations apply, what the relevant inputs are, the plan of attack, and the form desired for the answer. Without these critical inputs, they are initially not very valuable. We can aid our students understanding by associating their theory with mental and physical models and applications. The cost is getting professors to upgrade their class notes so that they are self standing when reproduced, somewhat alter their teaching style, and invest some time in preparing demonstrations. The benefits to the students are: (1) improved design performance, as they will have better access to what they know; (2) better jobs because they make better impressions during interviews, and (3) industry will assimilate them more easily because they are already beginning to think like experienced engineers.
Gender Differences in Health-Related Quality of Life for Veterans With Serious Mental Illness

Objective: This study assessed gender differences in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a national sample of veterans with serious mental illness. Methods: Data were analyzed from the Large Health Survey of Veterans, which was mailed to a national random sample of veterans in 1999. The linear and logistic multiple regression analyses included 18,017 veterans with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder who completed the survey. HRQOL was measured by using the various subscales of the 36-Item Short Form of the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS SF-36) (mental component summary, physical component summary, and activities of daily living) and by questions assessing self-perceptions of health status. Results: The sample was 7.3% female, 75.7% white, and 83.8% unemployed. Mean±SD age was 54.3±12.2 years. After the analysis adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, health status, and other variables, compared with male veterans, female veterans with serious mental illness had lower scores on the SF-36 physical component summary (indicating worse symptoms), were more likely to report that they were limited “a lot” in activities of daily living, and had more pain. However, female respondents were more likely to have a positive outlook on their health. Conclusions: Among veterans who received a diagnosis of serious mental illness from providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs, women reported substantially poorer HRQOL than men across several domains but women reported better self-perceived health. Attention to the particular needs of female veterans with serious mental illness is imperative as the numbers of female veterans continue to increase. (Psychiatric Services 59:663–669, 2008)
Age, Stress, and Emotional Complexity: Results from Two Studies of Daily Experiences

Experiencing positive and negative emotions together (i.e., co-occurrence) has been described as a marker of positive adaptation during stress and a strength of socioemotional aging. Using data from daily diary (N = 2,022; ages 33-84) and ecological momentary assessment (N = 190; ages 20-80) studies, we evaluate the utility of a common operationalization of co-occurrence, the within-person correlation between positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA). Then we test competing predictions regarding when co-occurrence will be observed and whether age differences will be present. Results indicate that the correlation is not an informative indicator of co-occurrence. Although correlations were stronger and more negative when stressors occurred (typically interpreted as lower co-occurrence), objective counts of emotion reports indicated that positive and negative emotions were 3 to 4 times more likely to co-occur when stressors were reported. This suggests that co-occurrence reflects the extent to which negative emotions intrude on typically positive emotional states, rather than the extent to which people maintain positive emotions during stress. The variances of both PA and NA increased at stressor reports, indicating that individuals reported a broader not narrower range of emotion during stress. Finally, older age was associated with less variability in NA and a lower likelihood of co-occurring positive and negative emotions. In sum, these findings cast doubt on the utility of the PA-NA correlation as an index of emotional co-occurrence, and question notion that greater emotional co-occurrence represents either a typical or adaptive emotional state in adults.