cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Assessment of Oil Supply and Its Implications for Future Prices

This paper examines three issues related to both the U.S. and world oil supply: (1) the nature of the long-term, postpeak production profile for the U.S. and, by inference, other regions (the Hubbert curve is used as a “strawman” model); (2) implications on U.S. energy security of using a modified Hubbert-type conceptual model of prepeak production, testing the adequacy of Latin America to be the primary source of U.S. oil imports; and (3) the cyclic behavior of oil prices. it shows that U.S. production will exhibit a more attenuated decline than that simulated by the Hubbert curve and not decline to zero. it asserts that U.S. production is better predicted by past reserves than past production, but that this argument does not apply to nations that keep a much larger proportion of reserves in the ground. Such nations could considerably expand production without any growth in reserves. The paper concedes that the potential total production for these nations could be examined with a Hubbert curve model linked to reserves, but with great uncertainty. Such an uncertain optimistic forecast predicts that the cumulative production of Latin America could far exceed that of the United States. Nevertheless, a statistical model of oil prices since 1870 implies that real wellhead oil prices in the United States are on a long-term upward path, underlying a much more “noisy” cyclical pattern estimated to include 22- and 27-year cycles. The statistical model predicts a severe oil shock within a few years (of 1998) but also predicts that through 2030, real oil prices will not reach 1981 levels again. The paper examines U.S. and world trends in seismic exploration, drilling locations and depths, drilling costs, oil/gas reserves, oil/gas use rates, and oil demand. After taking these factors into consideration, it concludes that the statistical model of oil prices cannot be disputed, despite its lack of basis in economic theory.
Similarity of student ratings across instructors, courses, and time

This study raised three questions about the similarity or generalizability of student ratings of courses and instructors. First, how stable are student ratings of the same instructor giving the same course during twodifferent semesters? Second, how similar are student ratings of the same instructor in twodifferent courses? Third, how similar are student ratings of a given course being taught bydifferent instructors? Instances were identified in which student ratings on seven different factors were available for pairs of courses for each of these questions. For the case of the same instructor — same course—different semesters, student ratings were reasonably similar (median r for seven factors about 0.70). For the case of the same instructor—different courses, the median r was surprisingly low — about 0.40. For the case of the same course—different instructors, substantial correlations were obtained for some factors and insignificant correlations for other factors. Implications of these findings for practical use of student ratings and suggestions for further research in the area are discussed.
The relationship between temperature, competition and the potential for colonization of a subtropical pond by Daphnia magna

The role that temperature plays in excluding large daphnid species from subtropical and tropical ponds, and competitive relationships between Daphnia laevis and Daphnia magna, are explored. D. magna, a large temperate species is probably not excluded from subtropical or tropical systems by elevated temperatures. However, D. magna was a poorer competitor, under a restricted set of laboratory conditions, than D. laevis, the only pond dwelling daphnid in subtropical Florida. Competition is proposed as one mechanism that may limit the number of daphnid species in subtropical and tropical ponds and lakes. Reduced environmental fluctuations in subtropical and tropical systems (compared with temperate systems) may allow zooplankton populations to reach an environmental carrying capacity where competition limits the number of similar, coexisting species in a habitat.
A Current Perspective of Suicide and Attempted Suicide

Suicide and suicide attempts are a major cause of death and morbidity worldwide. Suicide is generally a complication of a psychiatric disorder, but it requires additional risk factors because most psychiatric patients never attempt suicide. This review includes a hypothesized stress-diathesis model, which has implications for detection of high-risk patients and treatment interventions, and discusses promising treatment approaches that have been recently identified.
Transendoscopic electrosurgical incision of lower esophageal (Schatzki) rings: a new treatment modality

The lower esophageal ring (Schatzki ring) is a diaphragm-like narrowing not infrequently found in the lower esophagus, usually associated with a sliding hiatal hernia. These rings consist of submucosal fibrosis with normal overlying musoca and occur at the junction of the squamous epithelium of the esophagus and the columnar epithelium of the stomach. Although most patients are asymptomatic, the ring may be responsible for dysphagia and, in particular, cause intermittent food impaction. A variety of therapeutic options are available, but none are consistently effective in relieving symptoms.• Transendoscopic electrosurgical incision, a new approach to the treatment of lower esophageal rings in which conventional bougienage could not be accomplished or failed, is described in this report.
Algebraic methods for molecular electronic spectra

A unified algebraic model for rotation-vibration and electronic excitations in diatomic molecules is presented. Dynamical symmetries are constructed in the united atoms limit, which provide analytic bases for realistic calculations. The model is applied to a series of hydride molecules, determining many of the parameters from atomic calculations. A method to extract Born-Oppenheimer potentials for these molecules is introduced.
Mechanical Performance of Silicon Diaphragm for Space Application

In micro satellites, delicate instrumentations are compacted into a limited space. It raises concerns of active cooling and remote cooling. Silicon based micro-pump arrays are employed thanks to manufacturing simplicity, a small cryogen charge, etc., which keeps the instrumentations within a narrow cryogenic temperature range. The mechanical performance of the silicon diaphragm, the key component of the micro-pump, is critical in terms of heat balance calculation and life time evaluation. This paper examines the mechanical performance of the silicon diaphragm under cryogenic temperature for micro satellite applications. In this work, differential pressure was used for the actuation of a single-crystal silicon diaphragm. Diaphragm deflection and stress distribution were achieved using interferometry and micro Raman spectroscopy, respectively. As a result, a higher elastic modulus was associated with the diaphragm under cryogenic temperature, comparing to that under room temperature, indicating a stiffer material. From stress mapping, the edge centers were believed to be the most vulnerable to fracture, which was further validated by analyzing the fracture diaphragm. Moreover, a fatigue testing was conducted for 1.8 million cycles with no damage found, verifying thin film silicon as a viable material for long time operation in a cryogenic environment.© 2004 ASME
Evaluation of injection methods for fast, high peak capacity separations with low thermal mass gas chromatography.

Abstract Low thermal mass gas chromatography (LTM-GC) was evaluated for rapid, high peak capacity separations with three injection methods: liquid, headspace solid phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME), and direct vapor. An Agilent LTM equipped with a short microbore capillary column was operated at a column heating rate of 250 °C/min to produce a 60 s separation. Two sets of experiments were conducted in parallel to characterize the instrumental platform. First, the three injection methods were performed in conjunction with in-house built high-speed cryo-focusing injection (HSCFI) to cryogenically trap and re-inject the analytes onto the LTM-GC column in a narrower band. Next, the three injection methods were performed natively with LTM-GC. Using HSCFI, the peak capacity of a separation of 50 nl of a 73 component liquid test mixture was 270, which was 23% higher than without HSCFI. Similar peak capacity gains were obtained when using the HSCFI with HS-SPME (25%), and even greater with vapor injection (56%). For the 100 μl vapor sample injected without HSCFI, the preconcentration factor, defined as the ratio of the maximum concentration of the detected analyte peak relative to the analyte concentration injected with the syringe, was determined to be 11 for the earliest eluting peak (most volatile analyte). In contrast, the preconcentration factor for the earliest eluting peak using HSCFI was 103. Therefore, LTM-GC is demonstrated to natively provide in situ analyte trapping, although not to as great an extent as with HSCFI. We also report the use of LTM-GC applied with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) detection for rapid, high peak capacity separations from SPME sampled banana peel headspace.
Estimation of polymer/water interfacial tensions: hydrophobic homopolymer/water interfaces

Abstract In this study, quantitative models for monomer/water and the corresponding polymer/water interfaces were developed. The monomer/water interface was modeled within the framework proposed by Fu and Li (Chem. Eng. Sci. 44 (1989) 1519) for organic liquid/water interfaces. We took a similar approach with that which others used to simulate micelle formation of surfactants and block polymers in developing the model for the polymer/water interface. In this model, the Gibbs free energy of interfacial formation was decomposed into two components: transfer free energy of a polymer segment to the interface and mixing free energy within the interface. Interfacial tensions were then estimated using concentration gradient theory. The ratio of the number of total nearest neighbors of a site in a lattice within the interface to that located in each of the adjacent planes was found to be the important correlating factor. It was shown that this ratio for monomer/water interfaces and that for polymer/water interfaces are linearly related. The polymer in the interface is likely to be in the form of short polymer segments (2–4 monomer units) rather than dangling chain ends. The estimation of polymer/water interfacial tension from the models established in this work is in reasonable agreement with experimental observation.
AN ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY AND MODEL TRANSIENT VISCOELASTIC FLOW IN FOODS

Shear stress development data for commercial ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, apple butter, butter, margarine and canned frosting were obtained using the cone and plate geometry of the Rheometrics Mechanical Spectrometer. At sudden imposition of four shear rates, .1, 1, 10, and 100 s−1, shear stresses displayed different degrees of overshoots with margarine exhibiting a maximum overshoot of 320% that of the steady-state value at a shear rate of 100 s−1. The actual extent of overshoot depended on the particular food and the particular shear rate applied. An attempt was made to explain observed transient shear stresses with the Bird-Leider equation, a four parameter empirical model which incorporates both steady viscous and elastic properties of food materials. This model assumes both the steady viscosity function, η, and the steady primary normal stress coefficient Ψ to have a prominant power-law region with increasing shear rate. This assumption is shown to be justified for all foods studied between shear rates of .1 s−1 and 100 s−1. When this assumption is justified a time constant Λ can be constructed. This time constant is found to be an approximate indicator of relative stress overshoot for the foods studied. It is found that the Bird-Leider equation provides a moderately good prediction of peak shear stresses and peak times and only a crude prediction of shear stress decay. Nevertheless, the model is a definite improvement over time independent models such as the power-law model.
Ethanol effects on synaptic glutamate receptor function and on membrane lipid organization

The enhancement of L-glutamic acid binding activity of brain synaptic membranes by low concentrations of ethanol (less than 50 mM) and the decrease in binding at high concentrations (greater than 100 mM) was not due to a direct action by ethanol on the glutamate binding protein. Biphasic effects of ethanol on membrane protein complexes such as the glutamate binding sites might be the result of biphasic changes in membrane lipid organization. Low ethanol concentrations (0.1-4.0 mM) were shown to decrease fatty acid chain motion detected by the EPR probe 5-doxyl stearic acid, whereas high concentrations (greater than 400 mM) increased lipid motion in egg phosphatidylcholine liposomes. The function of the L-glutamate receptor-ion channel complex in the presence of ethanol was also determined by measuring the changes in thiocyanate (SCN-) influx brought about by L-glutamate or ethanol. A low concentration of ethanol (9.4 mM) diminished the L-glutamate-induced depolarization of synaptic membranes, while a high concentration (93.7 mM) increased the passive SCN-influx and produced a transient overshoot in glutamate-stimulated SCN-flux.
The diagnostic and therapeutic roles of colonoscopy

Examination of the anus and rectum using various instruments has been available since the time of the Egyptians and Romans. Until the development of incandescent light, visualization was difficult, using only mirrors or candlelight. The advent of electricity allowed for development of a lighted rectosigmoidoscope by James P. Tuttle in 1903 [60]. Visualization proximal to the rectosigmoid junction, however, was difficult due to the rigidity of the instrument and the anatomy of the rectosigmoid junction and the sigmoid colon. In 1928, Hoff [35], a radiologist, used a rubber tube to intubate the cecum in a retrograde fashion [9] using fluoroscopic guidance. However, Bergein F. Overholt is credited with the development of a flexible, fiberoptic sigmoidoscope in 1963 [71].
Overflow Waters at the Iceland-Faroe Ridge Observed in Multiyear Seaglider Surveys

AbstractThis paper presents new observations of the overflow waters downstream of the Faroe Bank Channel (FBC) and the Iceland–Faroe Ridge (IFR). Between 2006 and 2009, over 17 400 hydrographic profiles were collected during quarterly deployments in the region by autonomous gliders, providing previously unrealized spatial resolution to observations downstream of the FBC. Observations show that the second sill of the FBC coincides with the largest changes in the overflow plume, including significant thinning, widening, and entrainment. Between the second sill and a topographic feature 75 km downstream, the plume bifurcates with the densest portion (65% of the transport), descending below 1000 m. On the IFR, near-bottom velocities are directed alongslope with speeds averaging 21.5 cm s−1. Observations indicate that 80% of baroclinic velocities associated with mesoscale variability of the overflow plume are smaller than the alongslope topographically induced circulation. Evidence of overflow is found at all ...
Comparison of riparian plant communities under four land management systems in southwestern Wisconsin

Riparian plant community composition is influenced by moisture, erosion, original native plant communities, and current and past land use. This study compared riparian plant communities under four types of management: woody buffer strip, grassy buffer strip, rotational grazing, and continuous grazing. Study sites were located along spring-fed streams in the unglaciated region of southwestern Wisconsin, USA. At each site, plant community surveys were conducted using a point transect method. Among the treatments, woody buffer strips, rotationally grazed and continuously grazed riparian areas had greater plant species richness than grassy buffer strips, and woody buffer strips had the greatest native plant species richness. Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) was prevalent in grassy buffer strips (44% of all observations), common in woody buffer strips (15%), and rare in sites that were rotationally or continuously grazed (3 and 5%, respectively). Pasture sites had greater proportions of native grasses and grass relatives and moderate levels of overall native species richness. Considered a water quality best management practice, well-managed rotational grazing may be a reasonable alternative to buffer strips which can contribute to protection and enhancement of native vegetation biodiversity.
Acute vasoconstriction after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: Decreased cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral ischemia occurring immediately after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) may be caused by acute microvascular constriction. However, CBF can also be influenced by changes in intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP). The goal of these experiments was to assess the significance of acute vasoconstriction after SAH and its relationship to changes in CBF, ICP, CPP, and extracellular glutamate concentrations. METHODS: Three experiments were performed using the endovascular filament technique to produce SAH. In the first experiment, CBF, ICP, and CPP were measured for 60 minutes after SAH In = 21) and were correlated with the 24-hour mortality rate. In the second experiment, rats undergoing SAH In = 23) or a sham procedure In = 7) were perfused 60 minutes after SAH for measurement of the circumference and wall thickness of the internal carotid and anterior cerebral arteries and correlation with CBF, ICP, and CPP. In the third experiment In = 11), extracellular glutamate concentrations determined by hippocampal and cortical microdialysis and high performance liquid chromatography were correlated with physiological changes. RESULTS: CBF reductions to less than 40% of baseline for 60 minutes after SAH predicted 24-hour mortality with 100% accuracy and were used to define lethal SAH. In contrast, ICP and CPP 60 minutes after SAH were not correlated with the mortality rate. The vascular circumference was significantly smaller in lethal than in sublethal SAH or sham-operated rats (P < 0.001). Vessel measurements were correlated with both CBF and hemorrhage size (P < 0.01). Extracellular glutamate concentration increased to 600% of baseline after lethal SAH in both hippocampus and cortex and was inversely correlated with CBF (r = 0.9, P < 0.001) but did not increase after sublethal SAH. CONCLUSION: Acute vasoconstriction after SAH occurs independently of changes in ICP and CPP and is associated with decreased CBF, larger hemorrhage size, persistent elevations of extracellular glutamate, and poor outcome. Acute vasoconstriction seems to contribute directly to ischemic brain injury after SAH. Further evaluations of pharmacological agents with the potential to reverse acute vasoconstriction may increase CBF and improve outcome.
Elucidating needs, lifestyles, and community: researching a late eighteenth-century account book from Lexington, Virginia

This article deals with the search for the identity of the individual for whom an elaborate late eighteenth-century American account book was prepared. The article is also concerned with how the account book served the needs of this merchant and how the book reflects the socio-economic conditions of the times in which the merchant lived. This book shows his multifaceted activities as a merchant, importer, exporter and banker, highlighting the lack of specie and extensive use of barter at the time.
Predictors of Academic Achievement for School Age Children with Sickle Cell Disease

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at risk for neurocognitive impairment and poor academic achievement, although there is limited research on factors predicting academic achievement in this population. This study explores the relative contribution to academic achievement of a comprehensive set of factors, such as environmental (socioeconomic status), disease-related (stroke, transfusion therapy, adherence) and psychosocial variables [child behaviour, child quality of life (QoL)], controlling for intellectual functioning (IQ). Eighty-two children with SCD completed measures assessing IQ and academic achievement, while parents completed questionnaires assessing adherence, child behaviour and child QoL. Medical chart reviews were conducted to determine disease-related factors. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that 55% of the variance in academic skills were accounted for by IQ, parent education, chronic transfusion status and QoL [R 2 = 0.55, F (5,77) = 18.34, p < 0.01]. Follow-up analyses...
Electrostatic characterization of biological and polymeric surfaces by electrostatic force microscopy

Abstract An electrostatic force microscope (EFM) is used to characterize the properties of biological and polymeric surfaces in air. The study of red blood cells, modified Teflon FEP ((poly)tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene) films and cross-linked HEMA ((poly) 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) contact lens materials reveals the potential of the EFM for electrostatic surface characterization. The ability of the EFM to measure surface charge density and to visualize dielectric variation on a surface is shown. The influence of surface chemistry (hydrophilic or hydrophobic) and humidity on surface charge measurement is also discussed.
Structural and functional comparison of mast cells in the pregnant versus nonpregnant human uterus

Objective To characterize uterine mast cells and investigate uterine muscle strips contractile responses to challenge with an allergen in nonpregnant and pregnant women. Study design A double-antibody labeling technique was used to identify tryptase positive or chymase-tryptase–positive mast cells in uterine samples from term pregnant and nonpregnant women. Longitudinal myometrial strips were prepared from biopsies of hysterectomy specimens from patients undergoing procedures for benign indications and women who had elective cesarean sections. Responses to ragweed antigen were compared in uterine tissues from allergic and nonallergic patients and with passively sensitized tissues in the absence or presence of H 1 receptor antagonist and a cyclooxygenase inhibitor. Results Tryptase-chymase–positive mast cells were predominant in nonpregnant myometrium, whereas tryptase-positive cells were dominant in pregnant myometrium. Mast cell density was significantly higher in tissue from pregnant women than those of nonpregnant women. Studies in tissues from patients with known allergy to ragweed, as well as in passively sensitized tissues, showed an immediate and substantial increase in the frequency and force of myometrial contraction after a challenge with ragweed antigen. A similar response was observed to histamine. There was no contractile response to antigen challenge in tissues from nonallergic patients. An H 1 receptor antagonist partially inhibited the response to antigen, whereas a cyclooxygenase inhibitor had no effect. Conclusion Sensitized isolated pregnant and nonpregnant human uterine tissue is capable of responding to antigen challenge with strong myometrial contractions. This ability, along with the increased density of mast cells in pregnant tissues as compared with nonpregnant tissues, indicates a possible role for mast cells in mediating uterine contractility in pregnancy.
Pressure induced superconductivity in CaFe2As2.

${\mathrm{CaFe}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ has been found to be exceptionally sensitive to the application of hydrostatic pressure and can be tuned to reveal all the salient features associated with FeAs superconductivity without introducing any disorder. The ambient pressure, 170 K, structural/magnetic, first-order phase transition is suppressed to 128 K by 3.5 kbar. At 5.5 kbar a new transition is detected at 104 K, increasing to above 300 K by 19 kbar. A low temperature, superconducting dome (${T}_{c}\ensuremath{\sim}12\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{K}$) is centered around 5 kbar, extending down to 2.3 kbar and up to 8.6 kbar. This superconducting phase appears to exist when the low pressure transition is suppressed sufficiently, but before the high pressure transition has reduced the resistivity too dramatically.
Antimitochondrial antibodies in primary biliary cirrhosis: The role of xenobiotics

Primary biliary cirrhosis is an enigmatic autoimmune disease of women characterized by antimitochondrial antibodies and destruction of intrahepatic bile ducts. The etiology of PBC is unknown, but we present data herein that the disease may be induced by xenobiotic (i.e. chemicals) exposure. In particular, we postulate that halogenated compounds will bind to the autoantigen, break tolerance, and lead to an intense mucosal response.
Observation of spontaneous spin polarization in an optically pumped cesium vapor.

We have observed spontaneous atomic spin polarization of a Cs vapor undergoing rapid spin exchange in a cell when illuminated with plane-polarized 894 nm ( $D$1) light. The spin polarization shows marked hysteresis in switching between two stable orientations, fully aligned parallel or antiparallel to an external magnetic field, as the circular polarization of the pump light is varied about zero. We show that our observations agree with theoretical expectations and point out possible applications of spontaneous polarization.
Division-and addition-based models of rhythm in a computer-assisted composition system

Reading descriptions of different musical traditions or of the practice of different individual composers, it is not uncommon to see a rhythmic idiom described as "additive/7 meaning in simple terms that it consists of durations formed by combining, or adding together, the units provided by a rapid underlying pulse (Koetting 1970; Pratt 1987; Clayton 2000). Such a characterization distinguishes the rhythmic idiom from others involving the division of the units of some referential pulse into variable numbers of smaller parts, an important feature of tonal Western classical music (Lerdahl and Jackendoff 1983). My present concern is not the ability of additionor division-based models of rhythm to accurately describe existing musical traditions, but the value of these models as a basis for generating rhythms in an algorithmic-composition system, in which potentially novel rhythmic idioms may be sought. In particular, I will describe a series of algorithms I have used in my own work as a composer, and I will investigate some of the advantages and disadvantages each of these algorithms inherits from the particular model of rhythm on which it is based. The development of these algorithms was shaped by at least two compositional goals to create music for human performance, and to express it using common-practice Western music notation (Byrd 1994). My investigations will be made in the context of the same goals. For the sake of making the distinction between the two types of models clearer, Figure 1 presents simple illustrations of rhythms generated by purely addition-based and purely division-based means. In Figure la, the upper row of the diagram represents a stream of timespans constituting the units of some isochronous pulse. The lower row of this diagram shows these timespans grouped into durations of 3, 5, 3, 2, 5, and 2 units to constitute the resulting rhythm. (These values are labeled in the diagram, but of course we could also count unit pulses to determine them.) Although the resulting rhythm lacks the isochrony of the original unit pulse, we can treat it like another pulse and combine adjacent timespans to form larger durations. In this way, the additive process is capable of forming hierarchies of timespans deeper than the two levels illustrated here.
Identification of centrarchid hepcidins and evidence that 17β-estradiol disrupts constitutive expression of hepcidin-1 and inducible expression of hepcidin-2 in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides).

Hepcidin is a highly conserved antimicrobial peptide and iron-regulatory hormone. Here, we identify two hepcidin genes (hep-1 and hep-2) in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu). Hepcidin-1 contains a putative ATCUN metal-binding site in the amino-terminus that is missing in hepcidin-2, suggesting that hepcidin-1 may function as an iron-regulatory hormone. Both hepcidins are predominately expressed in the liver of largemouth bass, similar to other fish and mammals. Experimental exposure of pond-raised largemouth bass to 17beta-estradiol and/or the bacteria Edwardsiella ictaluri led to distinct changes in expression of hep-1 and hep-2. Estradiol reduced the constitutive expression of hep-1 in the liver. Bacterial exposure induced expression of hep-2, suggesting that hepcidin-2 may have an antimicrobial function, and this induction was abolished by estradiol. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the regulation of hepcidin expression by estradiol in either fish or mammals.
Thermal control system for lunar base cooling

The design of a thermal control system (TCS) for cooling a lunar base is considered. Conventional techniques cannot be used for this purpose because of the lack of a readily available heat sink during most of the lunar day. The temperature of the lunar surface near the equator reaches a maximum of about 390 K during the lunar day. The projected range of temperatures for operation of sensors and thermally conditioned habitat spaces is 270-293 K. A heat-pump-augmented TCS can be used to increase the operating temperature of the radiator, thereby enabling heat rejection. The masses of TCSs utilizing Rankine cycle and closed Brayton cycle heat pumps are examined in detail. The TCSs are optimized for minimum total mass. Quantitative comparisons show that the Rankine cycle systems are less massive than the Brayton cycle systems. The optimal total TCS mass for a Rankine cycle heat pump with Rll as the heat pump working fluid and R717 in the rejection loop is 5940 kg at a rejection temperature of 362 K. Sensitivity analyses are performed for radiator-specific mass and power penalties.
Differences in viral distribution and cell adhesion molecule expression in the intestinal tract of rhesus macaques infected with pathogenic and nonpathogenic SIV

We investigated SIV infection and expression of adhesion molecules in the small intestine of rhesus macaques infected with pathogenic SIV (SIVmac) or nonpathogenic clone (SIV1A11). There was a wider dissemination and marked difference in tissue localization of SIVmac relative to SIV1A11. Our results also indicate that viral pathogenicity is associated with increased migration of inflammatory cells expressing VLA-alpha 4, LFA-1 alpha, Mac-1 alpha, ICAM-1, and beta 2 integrin into the intestinal mucosa.
Adaptive noise reduction in aircraft communication systems

In many military environments, such as fighter jet cockpits, the increasing use of digital communication systems has created a need for robust vocoders and speech recognition systems. However, the high level of ambient noise in such environments makes vocoders less intelligible and makes reliable speech recognition more difficult. One method of enhancing the noise-corrupted speech is adaptive noise cancellation. In previous research, this method was tested in a simulated cockpit environment, yielding impressive results. However, in new simulations, reflecting more realistic conditions, adaptive noise cancellation has been less successful. Spectral analysis of the data showed that the diffuseness of the ambient noise fieid, along With the microphone characteristics, has a significant effect on the performance of adaptive noise cancellation.
Ethylene‐binding activity, gene expression levels, and receptor system output for ethylene receptor family members from Arabidopsis and tomato†

Ethylene signaling in plants is mediated by a family of ethylene receptors related to bacterial two-component regulators. Expression in yeast of ethylene-binding domains from the five receptor isoforms from Arabidopsis thaliana and five-receptor isoforms from tomato confirmed that all members of the family are capable of high-affinity ethylene-binding activity. All receptor isoforms displayed a similar level of ethylene binding on a per unit protein basis, while members of both subfamily I and subfamily II from Arabidopsis showed similar slow-release kinetics for ethylene. Quantification of receptor-isoform mRNA levels in receptor-deficient Arabidopsis lines indicated a direct correlation between total message level and total ethylene-binding activity in planta. Increased expression of remaining receptor isoforms in receptor-deficient lines tended to compensate for missing receptors at the level of mRNA expression and ethylene-binding activity, but not at the level of receptor signaling, consistent with specialized roles for family members in receptor signal output.
Copepod parasites of deep-sea fish off the Galápagos Islands

Five species of parasitic copepods are described based on the material collected during cruise 16 of R/V Anton Bruun . They are: from the gill chambers of macrourids, Chondracanthodes deflexus Wilson, Lateracanthus quadripedis Kabata and Gusev and Brachiella annulata Markevitch; from the anal fin of a macrourid, Nudiclavella galapagoense gen.nov., sp.nov.; and from the gill filaments of brotulids, Naobranchia maxima sp.nov. All fishes were caught with FVSL (free vehicle set lines) in the deep sea off the Galapagos Islands, ranging from 1710 to 3330 m.
Evaluative study of current orientation practices in interventional radiology nursing

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the structure and orientation practices for interventional radiology (IR) nurses and to compare content currently covered in orientation with guidelines developed by the American Radiological Nurses Association (ARNA). The results recognize variability in orientation programs and incongruent content based on the convenience sample completing the questionnaire.
“DO I HAVE TO BE GOOD ALL DAY?” THE TIMING OF DELAYED REINFORCEMENT AS A FACTOR IN GENERALIZATION

Delayed reinforcement, sometimes delivered just after the setting in which the critical behavior had occurred (Early), and sometimes delivered only after several further settings had been encountered (Late), was used to improve a variety of behaviors in seven preschool children, and to control their generalization. Performance of those behaviors was measured in two classroom settings: the Contingent setting, within which performance of the specified behavior determined the latter (Early or Late) reinforcement, and the Generalization setting, in which there were no experimental contingencies, immediate or delayed, for the performance of the same behavior. Performances by all children in the Contingent setting were controlled by delayed reinforcement, whether Early or late. All children showed consistent generalization from the Contingent setting to the Generalization setting during the Late condition, when reinforcement was delivered at the end of the school day. Generalization did not occur during the Early condition, when reinforcement was provided immediately after the Contingent setting (prior to the Generalization setting), unless that condition had been preceded by a Late condition (as it was for S6 and S7). The results suggest that the Late timing of delayed reinforcement was an effective and efficient generalization-promotion technique for performances that did not generalize spontaneously.
Attitude Change Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice

In this chapter we shall focus on the relevance to clinical practice of social psychological theories of attitude formation and change. We shall argue that attitude change processes are important in all major approaches to psychotherapy and that three decades of social psychological research attention to attitude development and change provide an empirical foundation for the investigation of persuasion as a clinical treatment strategy. The general position that clinical practice should be informed by the substantial literature on attitudes and attitude change is not original (e.g., see S. S. Brehm, 1976; Goldstein & Simonson, 1971, Goldstein, Heller, & Sechrest, 1966; Strong, 1978). However, it is our objective to provide a new look at the literature to which researchers and practitioners should be especially attentive in considering the nature and importance of persuasion in psychotherapy. We shall begin by examining the idea that attitude change processes are fundamental to all psychotherapies and shall then outline several attitude change conceptions that should have relevance to clinical practice. Finally, we shall present examples of recent research that examined the role of attitude change in clinical and counseling contexts.
Rethinking the Rithmetic of Damage Assessment

In what may be the largest privately sponsored evaluation of an economic methodology, the Exxon Corporation commissioned research on using contingent valuation (CV) to estimate people's willingness to pay for specific types of environmental resources. This article considers one aspect of this research-using [open quotes]multiplication[close quotes] to gauge the plausibility of CV estimates of people's values for environmental resources. Multiplication is simply approximate aggregation. For example, suppose one estimates an [open quotes]average[close quotes] household's willingness to pay (WTP) for avoiding oil spills off the coast of Washington. One approach for measuring the aggregate WTP can be derived by multiplying the per-household estimate by the number of households in the population intended to be represented by the original average. Nothing in this approach to aggregation is unique to contingent valuation. It is commonplace in the benefit transfers that frequently provide aggregate benefit measures for benefit-cost analyses involving what are often regarded as public goods provided (or protected) by the policy being evaluated. The unique feature of this strategy is its appeal to the magnitude of a number as a gauge for plausibility. The author argues that such calculations provide no basis for judging the plausibility of an estimate of what amore » representative individual (or household) would be willing to pay for some change in an environmental resource.« less
Laser light-scattering study of the effect of progesterone on sperm motility.

It is known that progestins can induce in the secretory cells of the cervix the excretion of a mucus that is highly viscous, scanty, and impenetrable to spermatozoa. Mucus of this type is similar to that excreted during the luteal phase of the normal human menstrual cycle and the cow estrous cycle. It is a natural sequence to ask the question, do progestins also have a direct effect on sperm motility? With dynamic laser light-scattering we measured the motility of freshly washed human spermatozoa and of spermatozoa in the presence of a progesterone, both in terms of their swimming speed distribution as expressed in the spectrum of scattered light. The swimming speed was significantly reduced when the concentration of progesterone was three orders of magnitude greater than that of the physiologic level. This finding confirms the finding in earlier biochemical studies that progesterone has a distinct spermiostatic effect. We suggest this answer to the above question: progestin-releasing contraceptive devices may act on spermatozoa directly as well as in the secretory cells of the cervix.
Disease surveillance and nonprescription medication sales can predict increases in poison exposure.

Introduction Real-time Outbreak and Disease Surveillance (RODS) is a national real-time syndromic surveillance system that classifies hospital registration chief complaints into one of seven syndromic categories. The National Retail Data Monitor (NRDM) is a public health surveillance tool that is designed to collect and analyze the daily sales of 18 categories of nonprescription medications. The goal of RODS and NRDM is to provide early warning of disease outbreaks, such as biological terrorism. The purpose of this study was to determine whether peak syndromic activity and the consequential purchase of nonprescription medications could predict an increase in poisoning exposures involving NRDM-monitored medications.
Mobile analytics for emergency response and training

During emergency response events, situational awareness is critical in effectively managing and safe-guarding civilians and in-field personnel. To better support both command center controllers and in-field operators, we have developed a mobile visual analytics tool to help enhance situational awareness and support rapid decision making. Our mobile visual analytics tool consists of a 2D/3D visualization component, which shows personnel-related information, situational and static scene-related information, integrated multi media playback functionality for personnel outfitted with cameras, and fast-forward/rewind capabilities for reviewing events. Our current system has been employed in the evaluation of two different scenarios: a simulated evacuation of The Station nightclub fire that occurred in Rhode Island during 2003 and a testing exercise for a rescue operation in an elementary school. Our system has been deployed on a Dell Axim X51v PDA, an OQO 02, and on a Sprint PCS VisionSM smart device PPC-6700.
Spatial Autocorrelation of Denitrification in a Restored and a Natural Floodplain

Floodplain wetlands have the potential to act as significant nitrogen (N) sinks through both assimilatory uptake and denitrification. However, the methodological constraint of making denitrification measurements at the point scale makes estimating field-scale rates difficult without a good understanding of how point measurements might be extrapolated. To address this issue, we compared spatial heterogeneity and scale of spatial autocorrelation of soil denitrification and its potential drivers (moisture, total N, nitrate and organic matter) in neighboring natural and restored floodplain systems of the Wisconsin and Baraboo Rivers in Wisconsin, USA at two spatial scales (large 81 m2 plot, and small 5 m2 plot). At the coarser scale, the range of autocorrelation was shorter at the restored site for 4 of the 5 soil parameters including denitrification (range = 9 m, vs. 21 m at the natural site). At the finer spatial scale, significant autocorrelation was detected for 4 of the 5 variables at the natural site, but only 1 variable (NO3-N) at the restored site. We suggest that high variability in spatial distribution of denitrification could render some interpolation techniques inappropriate.
Male patient visits to the emergency department decline during the play of major sporting events.

Objectives: To study whether emergency department (ED) visits by male patients wane simultaneously with the play of scheduled professional and college sports events. Methods: Retrospective cohort analysis looked at ED male patient registration rates during a time block lasting from two hours before, during, and two hours after the play of professional football games (Monday night, Sundays, post-season play), major league baseball, and a Division I college football and basketball team, respectively. These registration rates were compared to rates at similar times on similar days of the week during the year devoid of a major sporting contest. Games were assumed to have a play time of three hours. Data was collected from April 2000 through March 2003 at an urban academic ED seeing 33,000 male patients above the age of 18 years annually. Results: A total of 782 games were identified and used for purposes of the study. Professional football game dates had a mean of 17.9 males (95% confidence interval [CI] 17.4-18.4) registering vs. 26.8 males (95% CI 25.9-27.6) on non-game days. A registration rate for major league baseball was 18.4 patients (95% CI 17.6-18.4). The mean for registration on comparable non-game days was 23.9 patients (95% CI 22.8-24.3). For the regional Division I college football team, the mean number of patients registering on game days and non-game days was 21.7 (95% CI 20.9-22.4) and 23.4 (95% CI 22.9-23.7), respectively. Division I college basketball play for game and non-game days had mean rates of registration of 14.5 (95% CI 13.9-15.1) and 15.5 (95% CI 15.1-15.9) patients, respectively. For all sports dates collectively, a comparison of two means yielded a mean of 18.2 patients (95% CI 17.4-18.8) registering during the study hours on game days vs. 23.3 patients (95% CI 22.0-23.7) on non-game days. The mean difference was 5.1 patients (95% CI 3.7 to 7.0) with p < .000074. Conclusion: Male patient visits to the ED decline during major sporting events. [WestJEM. 2009;10:101-103.]
Sensitivity analysis of loss volume in stochastic fluid systems with flow control

This paper concerns infinitesimal perturbation analysis (IPA) for fluid queues with finite buffers, where input fluid in excess of buffer capacity is turned away and considered lost. In particular, it considers the loss-volume (and hence average loss rate) performance measure with respect to the buffer sizes. Most previous results pertained to open- loop systems, but recently there has been a mounting interest in feedback control, and especially in workload-based flow control systems. This paper considers an alternative flow- control mechanism whereby the inflow rate is restricted by an amount that is proportional to the loss rate. It first discusses a single-server queue, and then it analyzes a two-queue tandem network, while pointing out possible extensions to more general- topology networks and other performance functions. The main results are comprised of recursive algorithms for computing the IPA derivatives in nonparametric and model-free forms.
The ophthalmology microscalpel versus standard scalpels and wound healing in a rat model.

ObjectiveWe tested the hypothesis that the ophthalmology microscalpel, compared to standard incisional instruments, causes less trauma during incisions resulting in decreased inflammation and greater tensile strength of wounds.Study DesignProspective animal study.SettingAnimal laboratory.Subjects and MethodsThirty-four Sprague-Dawley rats received dorsum skin incisions with the microscalpel, electrosurgical device, 11 blade scalpel, and 15 blade scalpel. Wounds were harvested at 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, and 6 weeks, then analyzed histologically in a blinded manner for inflammation markers and tested for tensile strength.ResultsThe microscalpel wounds had significantly higher tensile strength compared to the 15 blade (P = .045) and electrocautery device (P = .000) but equivocal strength to the 11 blade (P = .457). The electrocautery wounds were weaker than all 3 steel blades. No significant difference was found between the microscalpel, 11 blade, and 15 blade incisions for the 5 markers of inflammation. E...