cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retrieval shifts in spatial skill acquisition are collective rather than item-specific

How do people improve their ability to intercept moving targets? Prior research and theories of skill acquisition suggest that individuals engage in item-specific retrieval shifts (Anglim & Wynton, 2015; Logan, 1988; Palmeri, 1997; Rickard, 1997, 2004; Touron, 2006; Wilkins & Rawson, 2010). However, this prior research examined performance on nonspatial, nondynamic tasks. In three experiments, we pitted four hypotheses against each other, to test skill acquisition for intercepting repeated trajectories in a spatial and dynamic task: the item-specific algorithmic speedup hypothesis, the item-specific retrieval shift hypothesis, the collective retrieval shift hypothesis, and the combined hypothesis (item-specific algorithmic speedup followed by a collective retrieval shift). We found evidence for the combined hypothesis. Specifically, under easy conditions, we found small improvements on repeated trajectories that were attributable to item-specific algorithmic speedup. By contrast, under difficult conditions, we found strong evidence that the performance benefits for repeated trajectories were driven primarily by a collective shift from algorithmic to direct-retrieval strategies. This evidence for collective retrieval shift is in direct contrast to theories suggesting item-specific retrieval shifts. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Dysphagia following lumbar spine surgery in the setting of undiagnosed DISH of the cervical spine: a case report

Dysphagia is an often multifactorial pathology affecting many elderly patients. In addition to global neuromuscular change with normal aging, one component of its etiology may be direct compression of the pharynx or esophagus from overgrown bone from the anterior cervical spine. Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is one condition that may contribute to this phenomenon. Of relatively high incidence (2.5% to 33.3%) in elderly populations, DISH has been described in the cervical spine though more frequently affects other spinal regions. The clinical case of an elderly man who developed significant dysphagia after undergoing lumbar spine surgery for spinal stenosis caused by DISH is presented. Awareness of the involvement in his cervical spine before surgery would likely have enabled a more prompt diagnosis of the etiology of dysphagia and allowed for peri-operative optimization of swallowing function to reduce morbidity. We recommend routine preoperative imaging of the cervical spine in all patients with a diagnosis of DISH to stratify risk for development of postoperative dysphagia.
Dental dam utilization by dentists in an intramural faculty practice.

Objectives From casual observation of our colleagues, only a few individuals use the dental dam for operative procedures in their faculty practice. The purpose of this study was to obtain faculty perceptions of the dental dam, quantify its utilization in their intramural faculty practice, and determine the factors that influence dental dam usage. Material and Methods A survey containing 11 questions was sent to 19 faculty members who teach full time and maintain an intramural dental practice involving operative dentistry. Thirty electronic dental health records of the 19 providers were reviewed to gather the following information from restorative procedures they completed: isolation methods, tooth location and involved surfaces, and dental restorative material. Results Overall, dental dam was utilized for 30% of all restorative procedures and was used less than 20% of the time for placement of class II and class III composite resins. Dental dam utilization rate by general dentists was 37% and 17.6% for prosthodontists. Those general dentists with prior history of military dental practice had a utilization rate of 78.6% and nonmilitary dentists only 7.6%. Eight faculty members responded to the questionnaire for a 42% return rate. Those who practiced dentistry in the military strongly agreed that the dental dam is the standard of care, improves their quality of restorative work, and should be documented in the dental record. Conclusions There were significantly different dental dam utilization rates between general dentists and prosthodontists and between dentists with prior military experience and those without.
Introduction to Transformations

Linguistic transformations can be viewed as an equivalence relation among sentences or certain constituents of sentences.
3-D Thermal Radiation Sensors on Optical Fiber Tips Fabricated Using Ultrashort Laser Pulses

This work demonstrates the first 3-D thermal radiation sensors on optical fiber tips with excellent linear response and sensitivity over a broad range of temperature. A two-photon polymerization (2PP) process was employed to create 3-D thermally responsive structures with submicron precision on fiber tips. This process allows for a single-step writing, maskless, rapid, and low-cost fabrication process to realize sensors with maximum exposure and response to heat radiation. It also enables the integration of packaging-free and ready to use sensors on the tip of unconventional substrates, such as optical fiber tips. The released sensor showed linear response over the temperature range of 20-120oC; temperature sensitivity of ~50 pm/oC at around 1550 nm wavelength; and sensitivity improvement of better than 900% compared to the unreleased sensors.
Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Byron

Beckman notes that Wordsworth and Coleridge disagree on the place that charm has in poetry. Wordsworth associates charm with poetic diction, which he disdains. Its charms are factitious. Charm is found in everyday persons and places. Coleridge finds charm in the supernatural and the hallucinatory. His ancient mariner, with his tale of a quasi-supernatural voyage, both charms the wedding guests, while he is himself charming. Blake, Shelley, and Byron as well have idiosyncratic views on what charm is.
Diffractive photoproduction of J /ψ and ϒ using holographic QCD: Gravitational form factors and GPD of gluons in the proton

We present a holographic analysis of diffractive photoproducton of charmonium $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ and upsilonium $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Upsilon}}$ on a proton, considered as a bulk Dirac fermion, for all ranges of $\sqrt{s}$, i.e., from near threshold to very high energy. Using the bulk wave functions of the proton and vector mesons, within holographic QCD, and employing Witten diagrams in the bulk, we compute the diffractive photoproduction amplitude of $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ and $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Upsilon}}$. The holographic amplitude shows elements of the strictures of vector meson dominance. It is dominated by the exchange of a massive graviton or ${2}^{++}$ glueball resonances near threshold, and its higher spin-j counterparts that reggeize at higher energies. Both the differential and total cross sections are controlled by the gravitational form factor $A(t)$, and compare well to the recent results reported by the GlueX Collaboration near threshold and the world data at large $\sqrt{s}$. The holographic gravitational form factors, including the D-term, which is due to the exchange of massive spin-0 glueballs, are in good agreement with lattice simulations. We use it to extract the holographic pressure and shear forces inside the proton. Finally, using a pertinent integral representation of the holographic gravitational form factor $A(t)$ near threshold, and its Pomeron counterpart way above threshold, we extract the generalized parton distribution of gluons inside the proton at different resolutions.
Cyanobacterial blooms alter the relative importance of neutral and selective processes in assembling freshwater bacterioplankton community.

Abstract CyanoHABs have substantial impacts on the functioning and sustainability of freshwater ecosystems by restricting light penetration, depleting dissolved oxygen, and producing various toxins. This study combined physicochemical variable measurements, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and microscopy observations to examine mechanisms that govern the assembly of bacterioplankton communities following the progress of cyanobacterial blooms in a freshwater reservoir. Throughout the sampling season, bacterioplankton distribution patterns were well predicted by a neutral model, which assumes passive dispersal and ecological drift as the predominate mechanisms for community assembly. The neutral model consistently explained the distribution of over 67% of bacterioplankton OTUs and its fit was weaker during the cyanobacterial blooms (R2 = 0.322) than the before- (R2 = 0.549) and after-bloom stages (R2 = 0.535). Variations of environmental factors, acting as selective pressures, explained shifts of non-neutral OTUs (above/under neutral prediction) (63.9%) better than neutral OTUs (34.5%). Co-occurrence network analysis organized microbial communities into modules and revealed strong positive correlations between bacterioplankton and cyanobacteria than with planktonic algae and zooplankton. Overall, our results suggest that neutral processes play significant roles in assembling bacterioplankton communities over a cyanobacterial bloom succession and its relative importance may be weakened by biotic pressures (interspecific interactions) during the bloom period. Our results also indicate that among biotic factors, cyanobacteria had greater impacts on bacterioplankton community assembly than planktonic algae and zooplankton.
Gamma gap thresholds and HIV, hepatitis C, and monoclonal gammopathy.

Background An elevated gamma gap (>4 g/dL), the difference between serum total protein and albumin, can trigger testing for chronic infections or monoclonal gammopathy, despite a lack of evidence supporting this clinical threshold. Methods Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2014, gamma gap was derived in three subpopulations based on availability of testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; N = 25,680), hepatitis C (HCV; N = 45,134), and monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS; N = 6,118). Disease status was confirmed by HIV antibody and Western blot, HCV RNA test, or electrophoresis with immunofixation. Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios were calculated for different gamma gap thresholds. Area under the curve (AUC) was used to assess performance and cubic splines were used to characterize the relationship between the gamma gap and each disease. Results Mean gamma gaps of participants with HIV, HCV, or MGUS ranged from 3.4-3.8 g/dL. The AUC was 0.80 (95%CI: 0.75,0.85) for HIV, 0.74 (0.72,0.76) for HCV, and 0.64 (0.60,0.69) for MGUS. An elevated gamma gap of over 4 g/dL corresponded to sensitivities of 39.3%, 19.0%, and 15.4% and specificities of 98.4%, 97.8%, and 95.4% for HIV, HCV, and MGUS, respectively. A higher prevalence of all three diseases was observed at both low and high gamma gaps. Discussion An elevated gamma gap of 4 g/dL is insensitive for HIV, HCV, or MGUS, but has a high specificity for HIV and HCV, suggesting that the absence of an elevated gamma gap does not rule out HIV, HCV, or MGUS. Conversely, an elevated gap may justify further testing for HIV and HCV, but does not justify electrophoresis in the absence of additional clinical information.
A simulation-based approach to provide insights on Hyperloop network operations

Abstract Expected to operate in the forthcoming decade, Hyperloop is a magnetically levitated capsule that aims to transport passengers between metropolitan cities at a very high speed. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this research is the first to study the Hyperloop from an operational perspective by developing simulation models. We consider the Hyperloop system that is expected to be established between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and the demand for this emerging service is estimated by considering the on-road and flight travels made between these two metropolitan cities. We developed a Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, and Verify (DMADV) approach for (a) conceptualizing the problem and understanding the Hyperloop network operations, (b) gathering data from various sources, (c) developing the simulation model, and (d) obtaining the results and proposing managerial insights for efficient network operation. Sensitivity analysis is performed by varying parameters such as the pod capacity, the number of Hyperloop capsules in the system, commuter volume variability and willingness to use Hyperloop rate, and their impact on the performance measures is studied. Results indicate that the number of Hyperloop pods in the system and the commuter volume variability appear to impact the measures exponentially, and hence intense market research on these parameters is recommended. The proposed simulation model developed under the DMADV approach can be used as a recommender tool by any logistics company that is interested in venturing into the Hyperloop market.
Faculty development/mentoring evolution of mentorship in academic medicine

Mentoring was first developed in the United States of America, in the 1970s within large corporations in order to support junior staff. It was in the 1990s, that mentoring programs were introduced in different medical professions, especially in the field of nursing. Formal mentoring programs for medical students and physicians were only developed in the late 1990s.1 While there are many definitions of mentoring, the most frequently used in English scientific literature (SCOPME) is ‘A process whereby an experienced, highly regarded, empathetic person (the mentor) guides another (usually younger) individual (the mentee) in the development and re-examination of their own ideas, learning, and personal and professional development. The mentor, who often works in the same field as the mentee, achieves this by listening or talking in confidence to the mentee.’2 Mentorship is considered critical to academic success and career development for physicians. Mentorship is known to have an important influence on personal development, career guidance, specialty/career choice, faculty retention and research productivity, including publication and grant success. Mentorship is essential for students and residents considering a career in academic medicine. For these reasons, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) have mandatory requirements on mentorship for accredited medical and resident training programs.3 While mentoring is central to academic medicine, it is challenged by increased clinical, administrative, research, and other educational demands on medical faculty.4 Although the definition and role of mentorship has evolved over the years, the most dominant form in medicine has been novice mentoring.5 6 It is defined as a ‘dynamic, context-dependent, goal-sensitive, mutually beneficial relationship between an experienced clinician or scientist and junior clinicians and/or undergraduates focused on advancing the development of the mentee’.7 Over the years, there have been attempts to …
Adenovirus causing hepatic abscess formation and unexplained fever in adult liver transplant recipients

Adenovirus infection is commonly associated with self-limited respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses. However, infection in immunocompromised individuals, such as transplant recipients, can cause severe life-threatening illness including pneumonitis, hemorrhagic cystitis, nephritis, hepatitis, and enterocolitis. In orthotopic liver transplant recipients, adenovirus viremia can cause hepatitis leading to marked transaminitis, allograft loss, and death. Although hepatic abscesses mediated by adenovirus have been described in other immunosuppressed patient populations, it has very rarely been described in liver transplant recipients. Here, we report two adult cases of hepatic abscesses following liver transplantation secondary to adenovirus infection and describe the successful treatment of these patients. Adenovirus should be considered as an uncommon etiology of hepatic abscess and unexplained fevers in adults following liver transplantation.
Bite back: people taking on corporate food and winning: edited by Saru Jayaraman and Kathryn De Master, Oakland, CA, University of California Press, 2020, 323 pp., ISBN 9780520289369

Bite Back (with its clever title) is a clearly organized and well-documented book on the contemporary struggle to achieve a “democratic food system” (p. 4) against colossal corporate power. Co-edit...
Home modifications and repurposing: perspectives on the accessibility, affordability, and attractiveness.

Purpose Society has progressed in universal design guidelines and assistive devices for individuals with disabilities yet challenges due to affordability and attractiveness concerns remain to incorporate them into existing residences. Repurposing (i.e., replacing or adapting problematic fixtures or spaces, with others not originally intended for that purpose) may be the action to address the concerns of consumers. The purpose of this study was to elicit information on problems and solutions regarding home modifications and identify ways that consumers and professionals implement repurposing, that residents deemed accessible, affordable, and attractive. Methods This convergent parallel design study consisted of focus groups who rated images of repurposed spaces. The focus groups included consumers with functional mobility and visual limitations (n = 8); and professionals who devised or recommended home modifications (n = 8). Participants reviewed three images of home modification solutions and completed a Likert-scale rating based on accessibility and attractiveness. Results Focus group data indicated that high contrast, heights of fixtures, doors, and flooring - all pose threats to accessibility in the home. Consumers placed more value on attractiveness than professionals. Participants were aware and receptive to repurposing as a home modification technique but focused their discussion on adaptations. Conclusion Overall, adoption and implementation of home modifications promote accessibility, but professionals need to consider individualized needs and preferences, before suggesting modifications.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONRepurposing existing spaces, features, and fixtures can serve as a method of home modification.Consumer home modification recommendations are perceived to be more effective when collaboratively and individually developed with professionals.Data gathered through focus groups can be valuable for informing practice and research in home modifications.
Systems Biology of the Vasopressin V2 Receptor: New Tools for Discovery of Molecular Actions of a GPCR.

Systems biology can be defined as the study of a biological process in which all of the relevant components are investigated together in parallel to discover the mechanism. Although the approach is...
The limiting factors and regulatory processes that control the environmental responses of C3, C3–C4 intermediate, and C4 photosynthesis

Here, we describe a model of C3, C3-C4 intermediate, and C4 photosynthesis that is designed to facilitate quantitative analysis of physiological measurements. The model relates the factors limiting electron transport and carbon metabolism, the regulatory processes that coordinate these metabolic domains, and the responses to light, carbon dioxide, and temperature. It has three unique features. First, mechanistic expressions describe how the cytochrome b6f complex controls electron transport in mesophyll and bundle sheath chloroplasts. Second, the coupling between the mesophyll and bundle sheath expressions represents how feedback regulation of Cyt b6f coordinates electron transport and carbon metabolism. Third, the temperature sensitivity of Cyt b6f is differentiated from that of the coupling between NADPH, Fd, and ATP production. Using this model, we present simulations demonstrating that the light dependence of the carbon dioxide compensation point in C3-C4 leaves can be explained by co-occurrence of light saturation in the mesophyll and light limitation in the bundle sheath. We also present inversions demonstrating that population-level variation in the carbon dioxide compensation point in a Type I C3-C4 plant, Flaveria chloraefolia, can be explained by variable allocation of photosynthetic capacity to the bundle sheath. These results suggest that Type I C3-C4 intermediate plants adjust pigment and protein distributions to optimize the glycine shuttle under different light and temperature regimes, and that the malate and aspartate shuttles may have originally functioned to smooth out the energy supply and demand associated with the glycine shuttle. This model has a wide range of potential applications to physiological, ecological, and evolutionary questions.
Methods in pain Research

The Idiosyncratic Problems Associated with Pain Research, Lawrence Kruger Assessing Nociception in Murine Subjects, Jeffrey S. Mogil, Sonya G. Wilson, and You Wan Techniques for Mutagenesis of the Murine Opioid System In Vivo, Michael D. Hayward and Malcolm Low Animal Models of Pain, Gary Bennett Methods in Visceral Pain Research, Timothy J. Ness and Gerald F. Gebhart The Cytokine Challenge: Methods for the Detection of Central Cytokines in Rodent Models of Persistent Pain, Sarah M. Sweitzer, Janice L. Arruda, and Joyce A. DeLeo Extracellular Sampling Techniques, Igor Spigelman, Neubert Y. Matsuka, and N.T. Maidment Electrophysiological Recording Techniques in Pain Research, Igor Spigelman, Michael S. Gold, and Alan R. Light Membrane Properties: Ion Channels, Michael S. Gold Anatomical Methods in Pain Research, Susan Carlton and A. Todd Quantitative Morphology in Relation to Long-Term Pain States: Estimates of Neuron Numbers, Richard E. Coggeshall Functional Brain Imaging in Humans: Methodology and Issues, Karen Davis Methods for Imaging Human Brain Pathophysiology of Chronic Pain, Vania A. Apkarian, Ogor D. Grachev, Beth R. Krauss, and Nikolaus M. Szeverenyi Methods for Induction and Assessment of Pain in Humans with Clinical and Pharmacological Examples, Thomas Graven-Nielson, Marta Segerdahl, Peter Svensson, and Lars Arendt-Nielson
La décima puertorriqueña y el 'bertso Vasco': literatura oral e identidad

La decima puertorriquena y el 'bertso' de Euskal Herria, se han considerado como formas o subgeneros del folklore popular de sus respectivas areas geografico-culturales. El epigrafe 'folklore popular' parece que se hubiera convertido en una especie de cajon de sastre en la que parece tener cabida una serie de manifestaciones y generos heterogeneos. Sin embargo, el proposito de este articulo no es ahondar en disquisiciones sobre si hubo influencia o no entre las decima popular y el 'bertsolarismo', o viceversa, sino que a partir de la observacion de ambas composiciones orales, proponer un marco teorico que nos permitira acercarnos a la decima y al 'bertso' desde una misma plataforma. Si bien hay bastantes estudios que se ocupan de las estrechas relaciones entre la decima canaria y la caribena, y de los paralelismos en forma y tematica entre el romance espanol y la lirica hispanoamericana, nunca se habia planteado el estudio del 'bertso' vasco y la decima puertorriquena: dos objetos culturales que hasta ahora habian sido estudiados por separado y casi exclusivamente desde el punto de vista de la poetica retorica. Asi, el articulo se centra en explicar brevemente los componentes del 'bertso' vasco y situarlos a la par de los componentes de la decima improvisada puertorriquena, para finalizar lustrando algunas de las tematicas similares que se abordan en ambas composiciones, entre ellas, el concepto identitario de nacion, vista esta como el resumen de 'lo propio' de un pueblo, que alcanza suma importancia para estos repentizadores.
Airway Safety in the Neurocritical Care Unit

Adverse events related to the airway are, unfortunately, not uncommon in the neuroICU. Most airway-related adverse events are likely preventable. A strong understanding of safety issues related to airway management is essential for the neurocritical care provider. Recognizing the need to establish an airway is likely the first and most important safety consideration. An inappropriate delay in intubation may result in aspiration, cardiac arrest, or the need for prolonged mechanical ventilation. Prior to intubating the neurocritical care patient, the provider must assess the likelihood of a difficult airway and difficult bag-mask ventilation. Neurocritical care providers should be familiar with the difficult airway algorithm. In the patient at risk for cerebral herniation, the use of rapid sequence intubation along with lidocaine and/or fentanyl may help blunt airway reflexes associated with increased intracranial pressure (ICP). Attention must be paid to the pupillary exam and adequacy of cerebral perfusion during intubation. The availability of airway teams may improve patient survival and decrease the need for surgical airways. Adverse events associated with extubation include post-extubation stridor (PES) and inability to protect the airway. The use of glucocorticoids in patients with an insufficient cuff leak can decrease the risk of post-extubation stridor. Preventable adverse events in the intubated patient include airway occlusion and unplanned extubation. The use of humidifiers and adequate suctioning can greatly decrease or eliminate the risk of airway occlusion.
Transport Phenomena, 4. Macroscopic Systems

The article contains sections titled: 1. Introduction 2. Conservation of Total Mass 3. Conservation of Linear Momentum 4. Conservation of Angular Momentum 5. An Accounting of Mechanical Energy 6. Conservation of Total Energy 7. An Accounting of Thermal Energy 8. The Second Law of Thermodynamics 9. Tabular Summary of the Macroscopic Equations 10. Some Examples 10.1. Pressure Drops and Temperature Changes for Closed Channel Flow 10.2. Compressible Flow in a Tube 10.3. Heterogeneous Reaction in a Fluidized-Bed Reactor
9. Common causes of sleep disruption and daytime sleepiness: childhood sleep disorders II

There are strong associations between childhood sleep disorders and behavioural, concentration and mood problems. Sleep disorders caused and maintained by behavioural factors (eg, sleep-onset association disorder) are common in young children, and have a significant impact on families. Evaluation should include a medical history, a physical, neurological and developmental examination, a description of any nocturnal events or daytime effects of the child's disturbed sleep, and a good understanding of the family situation and parental management of the child. Management involves recognising the developmental age of the child and the family dynamics, and educating and supporting families in applying behavioural techniques to establish good sleep hygiene. Children with parasomnias (eg, night terrors) also benefit from good sleep hygiene, while those with respiratory or neurological causes of sleep disturbance should be referred for specialist treatment.
High Speed, High Repetition Rate, High Voltage Photoconductive Switching

This paper describes a method for constructing reliable high speed photoconductive switches D.H. AUSTON [1], A. ANTONETTI [2]. These switches have been operated at a 1 kHz repetition rate switching 10 kV in 100 ps in excess of 10 million shots without failure or degradation in performance. Once the reliability of these switches had been established, studies were conducted to determine the optimal pumping conditions with regards to spot size and induced carrier density.
Saline versus glucose as a hypertonic solution for abortion

Abstract In this comparative study of the effectiveness and complications of therapeutic abortion induced by hypertonic solutions, 42 cases in which hypertonic glucose was used are contrasted with 134 cases in which hypertonic saline was used. If one is willing to accept the possible complications of inadvertent injection or absorption of saline into the maternal vascular system, saline is the superior agent for the interruption of pregnancy.
A Study of 14-C-Labeled Collagen of Rat Homograft Tendon

Rat-tail tendon repetitively labeled with 14C-proline over a four-week period was used to create functional homografts to non-radioactive rat Achilles tendon. These were followed by histologically, autoradiographically, and by analysis of specific radioactivity at periods ranging from one month to two years. The homograft tendons were repopulated by host cells which incorporated the transplant into a gradually maturing tendon structure. After an initial fall in specific activity due to dilution in the first ninety days, there was no decrease in specific activity over the two-year period of observation. Turnover of rat-tendon homograft collagen, thus, does not appear to occur in a period greater than one-half the lifespan of the animal, unless local reutilization of collagen is postulated without a change in specific activity.
Phylogenetic Cascades and the Origins of Tropical Diversity

For organisms involved in specialized ecological interactions, the potential exists to have congruent evolutionary histories, such that diversification within one lineage of organisms parallels diversification within another. This model of shared evolutionary history has most often been explored in a bitrophic context, particularly with plants and specialized herbivorous insects, though also with other ecological partners such as vertebrate hosts and their invertebrate parasites. Recently, the possibility has been raised that evolutionary histories might be shared across more than two trophic levels, a phenomenon that we term a phylogenetic cascade. We review previous work on tritrophic diversification and discuss outstanding questions, with an emphasis on plants, caterpillars, and parasitoids, in diverse tropical communities.
Stochastic Equations on Projective Systems of Groups

We consider stochastic equations of the form X k = ϕ k (X k + 1)Z k , k ∈ ℕ, where X k and Z k are random variables taking values in a compact group G k , ϕ k :G k + 1 → G k is a continuous homomorphism, and the noise \((Z_{k})_{k\in \mathbb{N}}\) is a sequence of independent random variables. We take the sequence of homomorphisms and the sequence of noise distributions as given and investigate what conditions on these objects result in a unique distribution for the “solution” sequence \((X_{k})_{k\in \mathbb{N}}\) and what conditions permit the existence of a solution sequence that is a function of the noise alone (i.e., the solution does not incorporate extra input randomness “at infinity”). Our results extend previous work on stochastic equations on a single group that was originally motivated by Tsirelson’s example of a stochastic differential equation that has a unique solution in law but no strong solutions.
Increased pain sensitivity in chronic pain subjects on opioid therapy: a cross-sectional study using quantitative sensory testing.

Objective The aim of this study was to compare the sensitivity to experimental pain of chronic pain patients on opioid therapy vs chronic pain patients on non-opioid therapy and healthy subjects by quantitative sensory testing (QST). Setting There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that chronic use of opioid drugs may alter pain sensitivity. Identifying the characteristic changes in thermal pain sensitivity in chronic opioid users will be helpful in diagnosing pain sensitivity alterations associated with chronic opioid use. Methods Utilizing an office-based QST technique, we examined thermal pain threshold, tolerance, and temporal summation in 172 chronic pain subjects receiving opioid therapy, 121 chronic pain subjects receiving non-opioid therapy, and 129 healthy subjects. Results In chronic pain subjects receiving opioid therapy, there were detectable differences in QST characteristics compared with both chronic pain subjects receiving non-opioid therapy and healthy subjects. Specifically, in chronic pain subjects receiving opioid therapy, 1) sensitivity to heat pain was increased; threshold to heat pain was significantly lower; 2) tolerance to supra-threshold heat pain was significantly decreased; and 3) temporal pain summation was exacerbated, as compared with chronic pain subjects receiving non-opioid therapy. In a subgroup of chronic pain subjects receiving opioid therapy with increased heat pain sensitivity, their average opioid medication dosage was significantly higher than those who had an above-average heat pain threshold. Moreover, a subset of chronic pain subjects on opioid therapy exhibited a significant decrease in diffuse noxious inhibitory control (DNIC) compared with chronic pain subjects on non-opioid therapy. Conclusion These findings suggest that a subset of QST parameters can reflect opioid-associated thermal pain sensitivity alteration, including decreased heat pain threshold, decreased cold and heat pain tolerance, diminished DNIC, and/or exacerbated temporal summation.
Expression and localization of inhibin/activin and activin receptors in GH3 cells, a rat pituitary adenocarcinoma cell line

Inhibins and activins are members of the transforming growth factor s (TGFs) superfamily. Since TGFs has been shown to be a potent proliferation-inhibiting agent for the pituitary adenocarcinoma cell line, GH3, we determined whether this cell line (a) transcribes mRNAs coding for inhibin/activin subunits (α and sA) and activin receptors I, II, and IIB; and (b) produces inhibin and/or activin proteins. Messenger RNAs for the α- and sA-sub-units of inhibin and activin receptors I, II, and IIB in GH3 cells were detected and localized using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis and in situ hybridization, respectively. The identity of the RT-PCR products was confirmed by DNA sequencing of PCR products. Immunocytochemically, inhibin and activin were localized in these cells. Our findings indicate that messenger RNAs encoding inhibin α- and sA-subunits and activin receptors I, II, and IIB were expressed, and inhibin/activin proteins were produced, by GH3 cells, imply that these gonadal growth factors may have paracrine/autocrine functions in rat pituitary adenocarcinoma. Further, these observation suggest that these growth factors may be involved in regulating the growth and differentiational of rat pituitary adenocarcinoma cells.
Dynamic Calibration of Tactile Sensors for Measurement of Soil Pressures in Centrifuge

Tactile pressure sensors are flexible, thin sheets containing a matrix of sensors, which are used to measure earth pressures in geotechnical applications. Although more successful in static and 1-g shaking table tests, available tactile sensors do not capture the full amplitude content of dynamic signals in centrifuge experiments. This is due to under-sampling and the sensor’s frequency-dependent response. A minimum sampling rate of 3000 samples per second is recommended in centrifuge testing to avoid under-sampling and capture frequencies up to 300 Hz in model scale. A new dynamic calibration methodology is proposed to characterize the sensor’s frequency-dependent response by evaluating how it attenuates pressure at higher frequencies. Sinusoidal loads are applied to the sensor at different frequencies, and the applied pressure is simultaneously recorded by a reference load cell and a tactile sensor. A transfer function is then calculated by dividing the Fourier pressure amplitude of the load cell by that of the tactile sensor at a given frequency. To dynamically calibrate tactile sensors, this transfer function may be used as an amplitude correction function under general loading. Through a series of blind dynamic tests, the proposed frequency-dependent, dynamic calibration methodology is shown to reduce the peak residuals between the tactile and reference sensor recordings from approximately 0.55 to 0.15 at frequencies below 300 Hz.
An Overview of Gas Turbines

The gas turbine is a power plant that produces a great amount of energy depending on its size and weight. It has found increasing service in the past 60 years in the power industry among both utilities and merchant plants, as well as in the petrochemical industry. Its compactness, low weight and multiple fuel application make it a natural power plant for offshore platforms. Today there are gas turbines that run on natural gas, diesel fuel, naphtha, methane, crude, low-BTU gases, vaporized fuel oils and biomass gases. The last 20 years have seen a large growth in gas turbine technology, spearheaded by the growth in materials technology, new coatings, new cooling schemes and combined cycle power plants. This chapter presents an overview of the development of modern gas turbines and gas turbine design considerations. The six categories of simple-cycle gas turbines (frame type heavy-duty; aircraft-derivative; industrial-type; small; vehicular; and micro) are described. The major gas turbine components (compressors; regenerators/recuperators; fuel type; and combustors) are outlined. A gas turbine produces various pollutants in the combustion of the gases in the combustor and the potential environmental impact of gas turbines is considered. The two different types of combustor (diffusion; dry low NO x , (DLN) or dry low emission (DLE)), the different methods to arrange combustors on a gas turbine, and axial-flow and radial-inflow turbines are described. Developments in materials and coatings are outlined.
Long-term effects of hydrogen sulfide on Hexagenia limbata (ephemeroptera)

Nymphs of the mayfly Hexagenia limbata (Serville) were subjected to hydrogen sulfide in test chambers with a mud substrate into which they could burrow. Acute and chronic tests were in flow-through apparatus. At 17.8-18.3/sup 0/C and O/sub 2/ of 4.5-6.6, 96-h LC/sub 50/ was 0.165 mg/liter H/sub 2/S and LC/sub 50/ at 12 days was 0.060 mg/liter H/sub 2/S. In chronic tests running 138 days with 0.029 mg/liter H/sub 2/S 37% mortality occurred, and at 0.0762 mg/liter H/sub 2/S, none survived. No subimagos emerged at concentrations of 0.0348 mg/liter H/sub 2/S but below this level 30-70% emerged.
The effects of Donepezil on traumatic brain injury acute rehabilitation outcomes.

Primary objective: To evaluate the effects of administering Donepezil during inpatient rehabilitation for individuals with TBI.Research design: Retrospective, age and injury severity matched, mixed between-within subjects analysis.Methods and procedures: Thirty-six patients with moderate-to-severe TBI admitted to acute rehabilitation within 90 days of injury. Main outcome measures included FIM cognitive total scores and rehabilitation lengths of stay.Intervention: Initiation of Donepezil administration beginning at 5 mg daily. Dose titration and continuation based on perceived clinical response.Main outcomes and results: No differences in cognitive improvement were observed between the Donepezil treatment group and the matched control group. Sub-set analyses suggested that administration of Donepezil early in the rehabilitation stay was significantly related to higher rates of cognitive improvement.Conclusions: Preliminary evidence suggests that Donepezil administration early in the rehabilitation stay ma...
Radio Structure of the Galactic Centre Region

RADIO observations have shown that the galactic centre region consists of a number of discrete sources. The brightest of these, Sagittarius A, is believed to represent the galactic nucleus. This communication describes a new series of observations of the region, made at frequencies of 8.25 and 15.50 Gc/s with a pencil-beam antenna. The angular resolutions were respectively 4.2 and 2.2 arc min, the latter being the highest pencil-beam resolution so far applied to the galactic centre region. The observations confirm that the microwave spectrum of Sagittarius A is non-thermal1, show that the angular diameter of the source is approximately 3.5 arc min, and demonstrate that, adjacent to Sagittarius A, there is an irregular emission region, which is apparently thermal in nature. The relation between radio data concerning the galactic centre and optical information about the centres of nearby normal galaxies is also examined.
Teflon membrane slide culture for phase microscope observation of fungi.

Fungi to be studied by phase microscopy are Customarily grown on glass slides coated with a thin film of nutrient agar and covered with a sealed glass coverslip (Aist 1969), but growth of obligatory aerobes in such a chamber is limited by the scanty oxygen supply and sporulation does not generally occur.
Reward Anticipation Is Differentially Modulated by Varenicline and Nicotine in Smokers

Recidivism rates for cigarette smokers following treatment often exceed 80%. Varenicline is the most efficacious pharmacotherapy currently available with cessation rates of 25–35% following a year of treatment. Although the in vivo binding properties are well known, varenicline’s neurobiological mechanisms of action are still poorly understood. Varenicline acts as a nicotinic receptor partial agonist or antagonist depending on the presence or absence of nicotine and has been implicated in the reduction of reward signaling more broadly. The current study probed anticipatory reward processing using a revised monetary incentive delay task during fMRI in cohorts of smokers and non-smokers who completed a two-drug, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study. All participants underwent ~17 days of order-balanced varenicline and placebo pill administration and were scanned under each condition wearing a transdermal nicotine or placebo patch. Consistent with nicotine’s ability to enhance the rewarding properties of nondrug stimuli, acute nicotine administration enhanced activation in response to reward-predicting monetary cues in both smokers and non-smokers. In contrast, varenicline reduced gain magnitude processing, but did so only in smokers. These results suggest that varenicline’s downregulation of anticipatory reward processing in smokers, in addition to its previously demonstrated reduction in the negative affect associated with withdrawal, independently and additively alter distinct brain circuits. These effects likely contribute to varenicline’s efficacy as a pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation.
Ejaculatory duct dysfunction and chronic pelvic pain syndrome in men

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) describes unexplained pelvic pain in men associated with irritative voiding symptoms, post-orgasmic pain, and/or pain located in the groin, genitalia, or perineum in the absence of bacterial infection. Many different etiologies of CPPS have been proposed, including roles for immunologic, neurologic, endocrine, and psychologic factors. This article examines one such factor—ejaculatory duct obstruction (EDO). Because EDO is correctable with relatively minor surgery, it should be considered by any clinician caring for a patient who reports symptoms of CPPS.
Collaboration among industry, civil society, and government for sustainability: a framework for identifying opportunities

Progress toward sustainability will require innovation and collaboration among business, government and civil society. But progress in recent years has been marked by trial and error, scepticism and confusion, and poor coordination across sectors. This paper proposes a framework for identifying and understanding opportunities for more effective collaboration. The framework distinguishes between four quadrants of opportunity for promoting corporate social responsibility. The structural foundation quadrant addresses behavior required by current law. The social foundation quadrant addresses behavior required by society's current norms and expectations. The structural frontier quadrant addresses practices that benefit society, but not necessarily the individual corporation. The strategic frontier quadrant addresses practices that may benefit society and the firm. Each quadrant can provide opportunities for collaboration. But the opportunities differ in each quadrant, requiring different tactics by each sector and raising different requirements for success.
Inductively coupled plasma etching of HgCdTe

The high-density inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching technique has been applied to HgCdTe. The HgCdTe etch rate was studied as a function of key process variables commonly used in high-density plasma etching: chamber pressure, direct current (DC) bias, and ICP-source power. Mesa profiles were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the profiles for the process conditions used were found to be compatible with fabrication procedures for HgCdTe infrared focal-plane arrays (FPAs). The etch uniformity was measured to be better than 5% over a diameter of 6-in.
Cis−Trans Signatures of Proline-Containing Tryptic Peptides in the Gas Phase

High-resolution ion mobility/time-of-flight techniques were used to measure collision cross sections for 968 tryptic digest peptide ions obtained from digestion of common proteins. Here, we report a mobility signature that aids in identifying proline-containing peptides containing 4−10 residues. Of 129 peptides (≤10 residues in length) in the database that contain proline residues, 57% show multiple resolved features in the ion mobility distribution for at least one of the [M + H]+ or [M + 2H]2+ ions. These multiple features are attributed to different conformations that arise from populations of cis and trans forms of proline. The number of resolved peaks in the ion mobility distribution appears to be correlated with the peptide ion charge state and the number of proline residues in the peptide.
Alcmaeon of Croton's observations on health, brain, mind, and soul.

Alcmaeon of Croton (sixth–fifth century BC), a pre-Socratic physician–philosopher, introduced the concept that mind and soul are located in the brain. Alcmaeon made observations about seeing, hearing, tasting, and smelling and distinguished perception from understanding. Alcmaeon contributed two major ideas to natural sciences: (1) the brain is the seat of human intelligence, and (2) physicians should draw conclusions from empirical observations, an idea that implicitly rejects the alternative notion that science should depend on “divine revelation.” Two thousand and five-hundred years later, these two insights remain true and guarantee Alcmaeon a place in the history of neuroscience.
The Summer Monsoon of 1987

Abstract In this paper we have examined the evolution of a number of parameters we believe were important for our understanding of the drought over India during the summer of 1987. The list of parameters includes monthly means or anomalies of the following fields: sea surface temperatures, divergent circulations, outgoing longwave radiation, streamfunction of the lower and upper troposphere, and monthly precipitation (expressed as a percentage departure from a long-term mean). The El Nino related warm sea surface temperature anomaly and a weaker warm sea surface temperature anomaly over the equatorial Indian Ocean provide sustained convection, as reflected by the negative values of the outgoing longwave radiation. With the seasonal heating, a pronounced planetary-scale divergent circulation evolved with a center along the western Pacific Ocean. The monsoonal divergent circulation merged with that related to the El Nino, maintaining most of the heavy rainfall activity between the equatorial Pacific Ocean a...
Analysis of a Laminate Disk Rotating Near a Flat Plate

A laminate disk which is rotated at high speed in close proximity to a rigid flat plate is analyzed in this paper. A thin gas film separates the disk from the rigid plate when the disk is rotating. Since the disk is composed of different materials, when it is rotated at high speeds, differences in stresses occur between the layers which produce an internal moment in the disk. This moment causes a flat static disk to deflect. The governing equations for this system are presented and solved. Anapproach is presented which can be used to quickly approximate the magnitude of the laminate structure effects in such a system