cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Annual volcanic carbon dioxide emission: An estimate from eruption chronologies

Continuing interest in the effects of carbon dioxide on climate has been promoted by the exponentially increasing anthropogenic production of CO2. Volcanoes are also a major source of carbon dioxide, but their average input to the atmosphere is generally considered minor relative to anthropogenic input. This study examines eruption chronologies to determine a new estimate of the volcanic CO2 input and to test if temporal fluctuations may be resolved. Employing representative average values of 2.7 g cm−3 as density of erupted material, 0.2 wt percent CO2 in the original melt, 60 percent degassing during eruption, and an average volume of 0.1 km3 for each of the eruptions in the recently published eruption chronology of Hirschboeck (1980), a volcanic input of about 1.5 · 1011 moles CO2 yr−1 was determined for the period 1800–1969. The period 1800–1899 had a somewhat lower input than 1900–1969, which could well be related more to completeness of observational data than to a real increase in volcanic CO2. This input is well below man's current CO2 production of 4–5 · 1014 moles CO2 yr−1.
Characterization of Conditions Required for X-Ray Diffraction Experiments with Protein Microcrystals

Abstract The x-ray exposure at which significant radiation damage occurs has been quantified for frozen crystals of bacteriorhodopsin. The maximum exposure to ∼11-keV x-rays that can be tolerated for high-resolution diffraction experiments is found to be ∼10 10 photons/ μ m 2 , very close to the value predicted from limits that were measured earlier for electron diffraction exposures. Sample heating, which would further reduce the x-ray exposure that could be tolerated, is not expected to be significant unless the x-ray flux density is well above 10 9 photons/s- μ m 2 . Crystals of bacteriorhodopsin that contain ∼10 11 unit cells are found to be large enough to give ∼100 high-resolution diffraction patterns, each covering one degree of rotation. These measurements are used to develop simple rules of thumb for the minimum crystal size that can be used to record x-ray diffraction data from protein microcrystals. For work with very small microcrystals to be realized in practice, however, it is desirable that there be a significant reduction in the level of background scattering. Background reduction can readily be achieved by improved microcollimation of the x-ray beam, and additional gains can be realized by the use of helium rather than nitrogen in the cold gas stream that is used to keep the protein crystals frozen.
Low-loss integrated optical sensors based on hollow-core ARROW waveguide

Here we present an analysis of a fully planar optical sensor based on ARROW waveguides. We consider a device geometry that consists of two intersecting ARROW waveguides, one with solid and one with liquid core. The pump wavelength is input from the solid core waveguide and penetrates through the wall into the liquid core of the other waveguide where the fluorescence is excited in the sample material. Then it is captured by the ARROW waveguide and guided to a detector at the end. Pump and signal wavelength can be guided with low loss through the solid and hollow core respectively. At the same time, high loss discrimination inside the core can be obtained by tailoring the thickness of ARROW layers, leading to efficient filtering. The pump wave can be transmitted efficiently in and out of the core, allowing for multiple intersections. In the following experimental part, we investigate the waveguide loss of the liquid core as a function of core width, we measure values as low as 1.7cm-1 that can be further reduced by improving the thickness control of ARROW layers in the fabrication process. Finally, we report fluorescence experiments on Alexa dye molecules. We demonstrate fluorescence detection at concentrations as low as 10-8 mol/l from a detection volume of 21pl. Photo-bleaching is observed and discussed as a function of input power intensity.
THE EFFECT OF ATROPINE ON RESPONSES OF NORMAL AND RESERPINIZED RABBIT ATRIA TO ACETYLCHOLINE.

Abstract 1. Atropinized, isolated atria of rabbits show positive inotropic and positive chronotropic effects following the addition of ACh. 2. These positive inotropic and positive chronotropic effects of ACh are abolished by hexamethonium, cocaine and isocaramidine without unmasking muscarinic responses. 3. In reserpinized rabbit atria ACh in the presence of increasing doses of atropine (up to 96 μg/ml) causes negative inotropic and negative chronotropic effects with an occasional cardiac standstill. 4. Incubation with NOR or dopamine of reserpinized atria did not restore the positive inotropic and positive chronotropic effects of ACh, in the presence of atropine, although it restored the typical DMPP and tyramine responses. 5. Therefore, our results cannot be due entirely to the NOR-depleting effect of reserpine, allowing the breakthrough of the muscarinic effects of ACh. One may postulate either hitherto unknown atropine-resistant receptor sites in the atria or alterations of atropine-binding in the reserpinized preparations.
The effects of corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) and handling stress on behavior in the elevated plus-maze test of anxiety:

The effects on rodent anxiety of corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF), common experimental stressors and the CRF receptor blocker, α-helical CRF, were measured using the hole board and elevated plus-maze tests. Centrally administered (intracerebroventricular, i.c.v.) CRF increased anxiety in an anxioselective manner. α-Helical CRF (i.c.v) antagonized the effects of CRF, implicating central CRF receptors. Common experimental stressors, such as surgical implantation of cannulas and intraperitoneal injections of saline also selectively increased anxiety in the plus maze. Endogenous CRF binding to central CRF receptors probably mediates the anxiogenic effects of stressors, since α-helical CRF reversed the increased anxiety following surgery. Finally, repeated gentle handling seemed to blunt the anxiogenic effect of CRF. Handling also altered the effect of CRF on behavior, creating an apparently CRF-mediated suppression of rearing and exploration which was not present in rats not stressed with repeated handli...
Optical coherence tomography to assess intrastromal corneal ring segment depth in keratoconic eyes

Purpose To investigate intrastromal corneal ring segment depth with a high-speed corneal optical coherence tomography (OCT) system. Setting Doheny Eye Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA. Methods A prospective observational case series comprised 4 eyes of 4 patients receiving Intacs intrastromal corneal ring segments (Addition Technology, Inc.) for keratoconus. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed between 7 days and 43 days after implantation. Results The slitlamp impression of intrastromal corneal ring segment implantation depth did not correlate well with OCT measurements ( r 2 = 0.68). The fractional implantation depth was correlated with several surgical variables using a stepwise multivariate regression model, and 2 statistically significant correlations were found. The position of the distal portions of the ring segments was shallower than that of the portion closer to the insertion site ( P = .003). Segments placed in the inferior cornea ( P = .008) experienced more distal shallowing. Shallower depth was associated with greater fractional anterior stromal compression ( P = .04). Conclusions Shallower placement of intrastromal corneal ring segments may result in more complications, such as epithelial–stromal breakdown and extrusion, because of the greater anterior stromal tensile strain. The distal and inferior portions of intrastromal corneal ring segments tended to be placed at a shallower depth. Optical coherence tomography provided precise measurement of ring segment depth and may help identify implants that pose a greater risk for depth-related complications.
A Study of Suppositorv Bases. III. A New Water-Soluble Suppository Base*

A new water-soluble supository base with a high melting-point range and a high percentage medicinal release has been developed from polyoxyethylene 30 stearate. This new base was investigated for compatibility, toxicity, and microbial growth support. Polyoxyethylene 30 stearate was mixed with varying percentages of white wax depending upon the nature of the included medicament so as to result in a product with a melting int of 50°. Small quantities of Aerosol OT and water were added to the base. The mixture of polyoxyethylene 30 stearate, water, wax, and Aerosol gave excellent results in the tests conducted and is recommended as a suppository base.
Ligand substitution of receptor targeted DNA complexes affects gene transfer into hepatoma cells.

We have targeted the serpin enzyme complex receptor for gene transfer in human hepatoma cell lines using peptides 7 x 10(5) ILU) at 16 days. Of these, more substituted polymers condensed DNA into complexes averaging 20 +/- 0.7 nm in diameter and gave five-fold less luciferase than complexes containing less substituted conjugates. As few as eight to 11 ligands per complex are optimal for DNA delivery via the SEC receptor. The extent of substitution of receptor-mediated gene transfer complexes affects the size of the complexes, as well as the intensity and duration of transgene expression. These observations may permit tailoring of complex construction for the usage required.
Differential Response to the Cholinergic Agonist Arecoline among Different Cognitive Modalities in Alzheimer’s Disease

Nine patients with possible or probable dementia of the Alzheimer type were tested on nine cognitive tests prior to (two times) and during continuous intravenous administration of five different doses of the muscarinic cholinergic agonist arecoline (1, 4, 16, 28, and 40 mg/day). The present analysis examined whether improvement on cognitive testing for each patient during arecoline treatment was most likely to occur at the same dose for all tests or whether different test scores improved at different doses of arecoline. Results indicated there were significant differences among tests in the dose at which most patients showed improved cognitive performance. These differences may have therapeutic significance, as verbal ability tended to improve at low doses of arecoline, whereas attention and visuospatial ability tended to improve at higher doses of arecoline.
Fret Measurements in Electrically Paced Adult Cardiac Myocytes Suggest the Phospholamban-SERCA2a Regulatory Complex is not Dissociated by Beat-To-Beat Elevations of Cytosolic Calcium

To investigate the regulatory interaction between cardiac sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA2a) and phospholamban (PLB), we expressed Cerulean-SERCA2a and YFP-PLB in adult rabbit cardiac muscle cells using adenovirus vectors. Confocal microscopy showed a fluorescence pattern of striations and longitudinal streaks indicating SERCA and PLB were correctly localized in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Bright perinuclear fluorescence was also observed. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments showed that SERCA and PLB were mobile over multiple sarcomeres on a timescale of tens of seconds. The concentration dependence of SERCA-PLB fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) showed maximum FRET (FRETmax) was 30%, and also yielded the apparent dissociation constant (Kd). Addition of thapsigargin increased the apparent Kd, suggesting a reduced affinity of PLB for the pump in the presence of the inhibitor. Pacing of myocytes did not result in large changes in SERCA-PLB FRET, suggesting that the regulatory complex is not disrupted by beat-to-beat elevations of cytosolic calcium. The data are compatible with parallel experiments in heterologous cells indicating that the PLB-SERCA interaction is reduced, but not abolished by thapsigargin and calcium.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Enhanced excitability of guinea pig ileum myenteric AH neurons during and following recovery from chemical colitis

Abstract Inflammation of the colon changes motor function of more proximal regions of the gastrointestinal tract. Colitis alters the neurophysiology of enteric neurons within the region of inflammation, which may contribute to altered colonic motor and secretory function. This study seeks to test the hypothesis that colitis alters the neurophysiology of myenteric neurons in the non-inflamed ileum, and that altered neurophysiology coincides with altered small bowel motor function. Trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis was associated with hyperexcitability of AH neurons in the ileum myenteric plexus, demonstrated by depolarized neurons and increased numbers of action potentials, but without changes in the action potential duration or afterhyperpolarization typical of plasticity in these cells. There were no changes in synaptic transmission of either AH neurons or S neurons observed in the current study. The onset of AH neuron hyperexcitability occurred 24 h following administration of TNBS, and persisted to eight weeks, a time point following the resolution of colitis. Small bowel transit was reduced as early as 12 h after TNBS and resolved by 48 h after TNBS. While AH neurons play a central role in coordinating motor function of the ileum, changes in excitability of these neurons did not coincide with changes in small bowel transit.
Prostate cancer: Experience with definitive irradiation in the aged

When considering therapeutic options for localized prostate cancer, stage and grade of disease have been the most important determinants. In the elderly, the nominal age has assumed increasing importance in the final decision. A balanced judgment must be reached between the patient's normal life expectancy and the rapidity with which the cancer may be expected to express its malignant potential. By careful attention to patient selection and the details of treatment, definitive irradiation can improve quality of life and survival. Of 63 patients aged seventy-three to ninety years referred for irradiation, 56 were found medically suitable for definitive treatment. A review of our experience is presented.
The Quasar Project: The "Revolution of the Possible" in Mathematics Instructional Reform in Urban Middle Schools

Conventional mathematics instruction has failed to help many students in urban schools to develop desirable forms of mathematical proficiency. A promising alternative is offered by instruction that is oriented toward helping students develop a meaningful understanding of mathematical ideas through engagement with challenging mathematical tasks. For 5 years, teachers involved in the QUASAR project have engaged in developing and implementing this alternative style of mathematics instruction in urban middle schools. In this article, some critical features of QUASAR instruction are described and exemplified, and some findings regarding the positive impact of this instruction on students are discussed. Finally, some of the challenges and obstacles encountered in attempting to build the capacity of teachers and schools to offer meaning-oriented mathematics instruction are identified.
Radiation therapy for high grade soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities treated with limb-preserving surgery.

Abstract Aim: It is common to use either pre- or post-operative radiation for high grade sarcomas undergoing limb-conserving surgery. Since 1977, we have adopted a selective policy of post-operative radiation, given only in patients with inadequate surgical margins. Methods: A retrospective review of 114 patients (1977–1995) with high grade adult soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities was carried out. Amputation was required in 10 (9%). Patients with a minimum surgical margin Results:No complications occurred in 81/114. Wound complications were infection (14%), seroma (6%), haematoma (4%), dehiscence (4%) and skin edge necrosis (2%). Remedial operations were required in four (3%). Overall, the local recurrence rate was 23/114. Patients with surgery only (n=57) or surgery plus systemic chemotherapy (n=24) manifested local recurrence in 15/81 (19%) and those with surgery plus radiation (n=21) or surgery and radiation and chemotherapy (n=12) suffered local recurrence in 8/33. The local recurrence rate for tumours ≤5 cm was 6/32 and for those >5 cm 17/82, P=1.0. The 5 year survival rate was 60% for tumours ≤5 cm (n=32) and 46% for tumours ≥5 cm (n=82) (P=0.009). Conclusions: (1) Limb preservation was feasible in 91% of patients. (2) When the local treatment modality was surgery alone (‘wide’ margins) the local recurrence rate was 19%, and when it was surgery plus radiation (narrow margins) it was 24%. (3) Selective use of radiation (in patients with narrow margins) and reliance on surgery alone in cases amenable to wide resection may be a legitimate alternative to universal application of radiation with conservative resection.
Block diagram network transformation

Block diagram networks consisting of linear unidirectional elements form the basis for this simple and direct method of transforming and reducing networks for analysis. Particularly applicable to servomechanisms and control circuits, this method is similar in approach to Y-delta transformation and series-parallel reduction for solving ordinary networks.
The Tuberous Sclerosis 2 Gene Product Can Localize to Nuclei in a Phosphorylation-Dependent Manner

The tuberous sclerosis 2 (TSC2) gene has been genetically mapped to a disease characterized by abnormal cell proliferation that results in the production of tumorous lesions in a variety of tissues. The molecular mechanism for TSC2 mediation of tuberous sclerosis is unclear but it appears to be related to its ability to cytoplasmically interact with a second gene, TSC1, mapping to the disease. These proteins are linked to constraints on cell cycle signaling pathways and therefore envisioned to function as tumor suppressor genes. In previous studies we have demonstrated TSC2 associations with steroid receptor family members and modulation of their gene expression capabilities. Here we provide evidence for TSC2 translocation to the nucleus and a possible role for phosphorylation in both TSC2 translocation and TSC2 modulation of steroid receptor-mediated transcription.
Summary of the Food and Drug Administration's Circulatory System Devices Advisory Panel meeting December 7 and 8, 2006, Gaithersburg, MD.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been monitoring the use of drug-eluting stents (DES) since they were approved for use in the United States. The Cypher sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) was approved in 2003 and the Taxus Express 2 paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) in 2004. Recent presentations at scientific meetings have suggested a small but significant increase in the rates of (1) death or myocardial infarction (MI) (possibly due to stent thrombosis) and (2) noncardiac mortality in DES-treated patients compared to patients treated with bare metal stents (BMS). The FDA therefore convened a public meeting of the Circulatory System Devices Advisory Panel on December 7 and 8, 2006, in an effort to fully characterize the risks, timing, and incidence of DES thrombosis. Cordis Corporation, Boston Scientific, and other US device companies presented on the incidence of stent thrombosis and overall safety of DES. The FDA asked the panel to address specific questions. 1. When used in accordance with their labeled indications, are DES associated with an increased rate of stent thrombosis, death, or myocardial infarction compared to bare metal stents? Most centers report DES utilization rates of N80%, with at least 60% of that being off-label. By definition, bofflabelQ use refers to practices for which a device or drug is not recommended by regulators, yet the FDA had asked the panel to make recommendations about such use.
Human cytomegalovirus immediate-early 2 gene expression blocks virus-induced beta interferon production.

The effect of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) gene expression on beta interferon (IFN-β) expression was examined. We demonstrate that the HCMV immediate-early 2 (IE2) gene product IE86 can effectively block the induction of IFN-β during HCMV infection. IE86 also efficiently blocked the induction of IFN-β following Sendai virus infection, demonstrating that IE86's ability to block induction of IFN-β is not limited to HCMV infection, identifying IE2 as an IFN-β antagonist.
Metabolism of protein-free lipid emulsion models of chylomicrons in rats

Emulsions were prepared by ultrasonication of mixtures of triolein, cholesteryl oleate, phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol in aqueous dispersions, then purified by ultracentrifugation. After injection into rats, the metabolism of the artificial, protein-free emulsions was comparable to the metabolism of chylomicrons collected from rat intestinal lymph during the absorption of fat. Like chylomicrons, the emulsion triacylglycerol was removed from the plasma more quickly than emulsion cholesteryl ester. Also like chylomicrons, much more emulsion cholesteryl ester than triacylglycerol appeared in the liver 10 min after injection, and only trace amounts appeared in the spleen. Because the artificial emulsions gained apolipoproteins when incubated with plasma, their metabolism was probably facilitated by the recipient rat plasma apolipoproteins and so, in rats made apolipoprotein-deficient by treatment with estrogen, the removal of emulsions from the plasma was slowed. Removal was also slowed in hyperlipidemic rats fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet to expand the plasma pools of the triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins and remnants. The results indicate that the metabolism of lymph chylomicrons can be modeled by artificial, protein-free lipid emulsions not only in the initial partial hydrolysis by lipoprotein lipase, but also in the delivery of a remnant-like particle to the liver.
The gestational timing of pregnancy loss: Adaptive strategy?

This commentary links early pregnancy milestones (rescue of the corpus luteum, the luteal-placental shift, and blocking of the spiral arteries) with the pattern of gestation-specific pregnancy loss in humans. The objective is to describe the pattern and present an adaptive hypothesis: that high first trimester pregnancy loss results from selection to reduce the risk of maternal morbidity and mortality associated with human delivery. Specific questions within the broad framework of this hypothesis can be addressed with research in comparative physiology and endocrinology.
Polymorphic nexuses in the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris

A- and B-type nexal junctions occur within the same organism, the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris . The two junctions do not exist together within the same tissue. The nerve cord contains A-type nexuses while intestinal epithelium contains B-type nexuses. Particles of the A-type junction are 10 nm in diameter, while particles of the B-type junction measure between 11 and 13 nm. The structure of earthworm junctions was compared to A-type junctions of Mytilus edulis and B-type junctions of Homarus americanus . The ratio of particles to pits within the B-type nexuses of Lumbricus is significantly less than the ratio of Cambarus and Homarus B-type junctions; the same was not true for A-type nexuses of Lumbricus compared to the A-type nexuses of Mytilus . It is of phylogenetic interest to have identified a species in which the gene pool retains genes for both types of nexuses.
Serum alkaline phosphatase and glutamic oxalacetic transaminase in experimental intestinal ischemia.

Abstract Serum alkaline phosphatase and glutamic oxalacetic transaminase were measured in dogs with bowel ischemia. The length of ischemic segment was determined at operation and the ischemic lesions were studied grossly and histologically. Alkaline phosphatase increased up to 8.6 times the preoperative level, proportional to both the degree of ischemia and the degree of tissue damage. Transaminase level, though it increased up to 2.8 times the preoperative level, did not show a clear relationship to the extent of bowel ischemia.
Biometry and trophodynamics of Salpa thompsoni foxton (Tunicata: Thaliacea) near the Antarctic Peninsula in austral summer 1983-1984

Salpa thompsoni aggregates have a biometric profile similar to that of mid-latitude salps, being approximately 96% water and only about 1% organic matter. Of its ash-free dry weight about 13.6% is carbon and 3.1% is nitrogen. All weight parameters were related to body length by a power function of ∼2.3. S. thompsoni was a dominant member of the zooplankton community in waters near the Antarctic Peninsula in the austral summer of 1983–1984, with biomass in mid-March ranging from 49 to 671 mgCm−2 and 9.6 to 146 mgNm−2. Three subpopulations occurred in separate regions: (1) the Bransfield Strait, (2) north of the South Shetland Islands, and (3) west of Elephant Island; these were dominated by 20, 30 and 40 mm individuals, respectively. Biomass was greatest in the Bransfield Strait and least near the South Shetland Islands. Clearance rate measurements of S. thompsoni on naturally occurring particulate matter were significantly lower than those previously reported for mid-latitude salps, a result which we attribute primarily to the effect of low habitat temperature (ca. 1°C). Direct measurements suggest that fecal production by 21 mm blastozoids is equivalent to 10.2% body carbon d−1 and 6.6% body nitrogen d−1. Grazing by S. thompsoni may have removed a majority of the daily primary production in March, but <1% in January. The comparatively low biomass of krill larvae in 1983–1984 may be attributed partially to competitive removal of food by salps, but an equally important effect may have been direct predation.
Early healing of nanothickness bioceramic coatings on dental implants. An experimental study in dogs.

Thick bioceramic coatings like plasma sprayed hydroxyapatite have been shown to increase the overall tissue response and biomechanical fixation of dental implants. However, the presence and potential fracture of a bone-coating-metallic substrate interface at long times after implantation led these implants to fall from favor in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical fixation and biological response of Ca- and P-based, 20–50 nm thickness bioceramic deposition on a previously alumina-blasted/acid-etched Ti-6Al-4V implant surface in a dog model. Cylindrical alumina-blasted/acid-etched (AB/AE) (Control, n = 16), and Nanothickness bioceramic coated AB/AE(Nano, n = 16) implant surfaces were surgically placed in dogs proximal tibia and remained for 2 and 4 weeks in vivo. Following euthanization, the implants-in-bone were mounted in epoxy and pullout at a 0.5 mm/min rate. Following mechanical testing, the specimens were decalcified and processed (Hematoxylin and Eosin) for standard transmitted light microscopy evaluation. Percent bone-to-implant contact (BIC) to the pulled out implant surface was determined through computer software. Statistical analyses were performed by one-way ANOVA at 95% level of significance and Tukey's post-hoc multiple comparisons. No significant differences in pullout force were observed (p > 0.88): 2W Control (212.08 ± 42.96 N), 2W Nano (224.35 ± 42.97 N), 4W Control (207.07 ± 42.97 N), and 4W Nano (190.15 ± 45.94 N). No significant differences in %BIC were observed (p > 0.94): 2W Control (72.66 ± 8.51), 2W Nano (69.44 ± 8.51), 4W Control (70.44 ± 8.51), and 4W Nano (69.11 ± 9.09). It is shown that 20–50 nm thickness bioceramic depositions onto previously alumina-blasted/acid-etched substrates did not improve the biomechanical fixation and the BIC at early implantation times, and studies concerning shorter and longer implantation times are recommended for confirmation or before a conclusion can be made. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2009
Techniques for Increasing Student Learning From Educational Videos: Notes Versus Guiding Questions

We examined the effectiveness of several techniques for enhancing student learning from educational videos. Introductory psychology students (N = 113) watched a video about intelligence and testing...
Induction of P-glycoprotein mRNA by protein synthesis inhibition is not controlled by a transcriptional repressor protein in rat and human liver cells.

Recent studies have suggested that a labile transcriptional repressor protein is important in the regulation of pgp mRNA expression. However, cycloheximide (CHX) the protein synthesis inhibitor used, can increase mRNAs by either stabilizing the mRNA transcript or directly activating gene transcription. To determine whether CHX posttranscriptionally increased pgp mRNA, we compared the effect of CHX, which inhibits protein synthesis by stabilizing polysomes, with puromycin (PURO), which inhibits protein synthesis by polysome destabilization. In rat hepatocytes, CHX induced pgp2 mRNA, and the increase was proportional to the degree of protein synthesis inhibition. In contrast, despite almost complete inhibition of protein synthesis, PURO did not induce pgp2 mRNA. Further studies demonstrated that PURO pretreatment could block pgp2 mRNA induction by CHX. Likewise, in cultures of primary human hepatocytes CHX, but not PURO, induced MDR1 mRNA. A polymerase chain reaction assay was developed to assess whether CHX treatment altered the length of the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of pgp2. CHX treatment time dependently increased the length of the pgp2 3′-UTR. To determine whether CHX acts as a transcriptional agonist, we performed nuclear run-off analysis and found no increase in pgp2 gene transcription compared to untreated control. Further, transcription studies were performed by transiently transfecting HepG2 cells with plasmids containing 5′ segments of human MDR1 fused with the reporter chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). These plasmids were not transcriptionally activated by CHX. In summary, our results cast doubt on the existence of a labile transcriptional repressor protein for pgp. Furthermore, these are the first studies to demonstrate that polysomal destabilization by PURO can block CHX induction of pgp. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Minimally invasive surgery in the treatment of empyema: intraoperative decision making.

Abstract Background Pneumonia, parapneumonic effusions, and empyema continue to be significant health problems, especially in elderly individuals. Minimally invasive thoracic surgery in the treatment of empyema has been demonstrated but has not been well defined. Furthermore, it has not been determined how to choose patients who can be treated with thoracoscopy versus thoracotomy. We report the results of a strategy in which all patients were initially approached with thoracoscopy and converted to open decortication only if the lung could not be inflated to fill the chest. Methods A total of 172 patients underwent decortication for empyema over a 5-year period. Thoracoscopic decortication was attempted in all patients; patients were converted to open decortication if access to the pleural space was not possible, or if the lung could not be mobilized sufficiently to reach both the chest wall and the diaphragm. Proportions were compared using the χ 2 test. Results Of the 172 patients, 66 successfully underwent decortication with thoracoscopic techniques only. The remaining 106 patients required complete thoracotomy. No difference was found in the reoperation rate; 3 of 106 open thoracotomy patients underwent reexploration for recurrent empyema, whereas two of 66 thoracoscopy patients required reoperation for hemothorax ( p = 0.347). There was a tendency for thoracoscopic patients to require reoperation for bleeding ( p = 0.08); both patients taken back to the operation room for bleeding had undergone thoracoscopic pleurectomy. Eleven of 166 patients (all explored with open thoracotomy) died after decortication, for a mortality rate of 6.6%. All of these patients had gone to surgery from the intensive care unit. Conclusions Using the criteria of complete expansion of the lung surface to the chest wall and diaphragm allowed accurate selection of patients who could undergo complete thoracoscopic decortication without risk of recurrent empyema. Computed tomographic scans did not help to predict which patients would require open procedures. Thoracoscopic patients were more likely to require reoperation for bleeding if thoracoscopic pleurectomy was performed.
Press operator amputations: Is risk associated with age and gender?

A retrospective analysis of injury data was performed to determine if the risk of amputation for press operators is affected by their age or gender. Workers' compensation data from 28 states were examined for a 3-year period. A total of 628 claims were found for press-related amputations incurred by press operators. Results indicated that risk of amputation was not dependent on gender. Risk was, however, associated with age. The youngest press operators were at greatest risk of amputation. This result may be due, in part, to insufficient training for many young workers who are assigned to operate power presses.
An experimental investigation of an articulating robotic manipulator with a graphite‐epoxy composite arm

An experimental program was undertaken to investigate the elastodynamic response characteristics of a General Electric P50 robot retrofitted with a prototype graphite-epoxy forearm. The retrofitted robot with this high-strength, high-stiffness lightweight arm was then programmed to execute a variety of maneuvers and the attendant elastodynamic deflections were measured. These experimental data were then compared with the results of complementary studies of the original robot which featured an aluminum arm. The preliminary experimental results from this proof-of-concept study clearly demonstrate the superior performance characteristics of the robot retrofitted with the composite arm.
Air–Water Partitioning of Gasoline Components in the Presence of Sodium Chloride

We have measured the Henry’s constants of several components of gasoline, including methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE), toluene, ethylbenzene, and o-xylene in pure water and in 0.5 and 1.0 m solutions of sodium chloride. The data were obtained at four temperatures between 313 and 343 K using differential headspace gas chromatography. We have also correlated our data using a previously derived expression based on dilute solution theory. The expression contains one salt-effect parameter that is obtained by regressing data at one salt concentration, thus allowing extrapolation to other salt concentrations. We show that the salt-effect parameter can be replaced by published values of the Setchenov constant for the system of interest. It has been suggested that the salt effect should increase with the size of the volatile organic compound, at least within a homologous series of compounds. However, our data do not validate this hypothesis.
Fetal growth restriction and pulmonary hypertension in premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Fetal growth restriction and pulmonary hypertension in premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Comparison of diagnostic modalities: EUS, ERCP, and fluid analysis.

The most common cause of chronic pancreatitis is excessive alcohol consumption. When chronic pancreatitis is advanced, it causes significant morphologic and functional changes, which can be relatively easily detected by conventional (and widely available) techniques such as extracorporeal US, CT, and the para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) (Bentiromide) test. The most important clinical challenge in advanced chronic pancreatitis is the development of effective therapies (especially for pain). The clinical challenge is different for patients who have a history and symptoms consistent with chronic pancreatitis but have normal imaging (CT or US) and noninvasive function (PABA) tests. Our clinical armamentarium lacks sensitive and specific tests for early chronic pancreatitis. Upper abdominal pain represents a common complaint of patients seeking GI consultation. Although the majority of these patients will have gastroesophageal reflux, peptic ulcer disease, or gallstones, there is a growing suspicion that many may have early chronic pancreatitis.1,2 Although tests are readily available to evaluate for acid peptic disease and gallstones, clinicians have no reliable, noninvasive, readily available test to diagnose early chronic pancreatitis.
How much articular displacement can be detected using fluoroscopy for tibial plateau fractures

Abstract Introduction While there is conflicting evidence regarding the importance of anatomic reduction for tibial plateau fractures, there are currently no studies that analyse our ability to grade reduction based on fluoroscopic imaging. The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of fluoroscopy in judging tibial plateau articular reduction. Methods Ten embalmed human cadavers were selected. The lateral plateau was sagitally sectioned, and the joint was reduced under direct visualization. Lateral, anterior-posterior (AP), and joint line fluoroscopic views were obtained. The same fluoroscopic views were obtained with 2 mm displacement and 5 mm displacement. The images were randomised, and eight orthopaedic traumatologists were asked whether the plateau was reduced. Within each pair of conditions (view and displacement from 0 mm to 5 mm) sensitivity, specificity, and intraclass correlations (ICC) were evaluated. Results The AP-lateral view with 5 mm displacement yielded the highest accuracy for detecting reduction at 90% (95% CI: 83–94%). For the other conditions, accuracy ranged from (37–83%). Sensitivity was highest for the reduced lateral view (79%, 95% CI: 57–91%). Specificity was highest in the AP-lateral view 98% (95% CI: 93–99%) for 5 mm step-off. ICC was perfect for the AP-lateral view with 5 mm displacement, but otherwise agreement ranged from poor to moderate at ICC = 0.09–0.46. Finally, there was no additional benefit to including the joint-line view with the AP and lateral views. Conclusion Using both AP and lateral views for 5 mm displacement had the highest accuracy, specificity, and ICC. Outside of this scenario, agreement was poor to moderate and accuracy was low. Applying this clinically, direct visualization of the articular surface may be necessary to ensure malreduction less than 5 mm.
Patterns of Level and Change in Self-Reported Driving Behaviors Among Older Adults: Who Self-Regulates?

functioning. Results. A 3-class model was indicated, consisting of 2 classes with intercept differences and stability over time, “above-average stable” (39%) and “average stable” drivers (44%), and 1 class with a lower intercept and negative slope, “decreasers” (17%). Relative to stable drivers, decreasers exhibited significantly more depressive symptoms and poorer self-rated health, balance, everyday functioning, and speed of processing after controlling for age and education (p < .05). Discussion. The majority of older drivers maintained their driving over time at different levels, whereas a subgroup of individuals with poorer baseline functioning self-regulated by reducing their driving. Future studies should determine how such patterns affect driving safety.
A system approach in synthesizing multi-mode broadband arrays

The paper proposed a system approach to synthesize the broad bandwidth of a multiple antenna system that supports multiple radiation modes. The concept is demonstrated with the example of a pair of closely coupled dipoles. The approach shown can be extended and implemented by arrays with 4 or more elements. The associated mode dispersion in the radiation patterns may not be a serious concern in a wireless communication scenario with rich scatterings.
Care of adults with epilepsy in the United States

Patients with epilepsy in the United States (US) face a health care system that is as diverse as the regions and population of the country. Regional patterns of referral and standards of care intermingle with systems of paying for services and are influenced by the medico-legal experiences within regions or states. Thus, the treatment of patients with epilepsy is influenced as much by health insurance systems as it is by the availability of neurologists. Whereas medical, social, and economic factors influence the delivery of care for US patients with epilepsy, other factors including training, experience, and interest in epilepsy on the part of the primary care physician also play a role. The health care system in the US is in a state of flux. Policy changes have been driven by the need to manage costs. Although this means deep cuts have been made to government programs, these policies have also resulted in a shift of dollars away from health care providers to the investors in for-profit health care companies.1 The increases in profits for investors come at the expense of patients with diseases who are in need of care. For-profit control of health care is a default phenomenon that is apparently beyond the courage of the government to change, and is causing perturbations in the fabric of care that are not likely to serve the good of any patient with a chronic illness.2 This is especially true for the patient with epilepsy. In the US, the financial resources of the patient determine access to care for epilepsy as well as influence the quality of care. Although a patient's fluency in English and educational and social background affect where treatment will be delivered, the single most important factor in how care will be provided is the patient's payment resource. …
LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST: ROMANTIC ALLEGORY IN TROLLOPE'S CASTLE RICHMOND

Which of Anthony Trollope's novels, at the time of publication, was most widely translated into other languages?1 The answer, Castle Richmond (1860), a novel that received, at best, a lukewarm reception in Britain and Ireland and was derided by one twentieth-century scholar as a "complete failure" (Walpole 123), may surprise many. As the gap between the translation history and the critical reception in Great Britain indicates, this novel about the Irish famine appealed more to Continental readers than British ones. What could be the source of this discrepancy? Trollope's Castle Richmond should have been a source of cpmfort to British readers since, as I will argue, its romantic allegory ultimately supports Ireland's union with England and th? British management of the Irish potato famine. Trollope, however, 4elivers his logical reasons in the form of a romance, a vehicle whose underlying mechanisms are not logic but love. The emotional register of Trollope's novel frequently contradicts th? pro-British arguments that he embeds in the allegory and explicitly articulates in authorial asides. The friction between the emotional and ideological responses to the text does not mar the novel ori its own but does highlight the rationalizations that justify the British approach to Ireland, thus raising uncomfortable associations for a British audience. It might seem strange to argue that Trollope, the great realist, wrote an allegorical novel. Indeed, at first glance the conventional nineteenth-century realism of Castle Richmond would lead a reader away from such a conclusion. Studies of allegory, however, suggest that allegory often entwines itself with other genres. Angus Fletcher in his seminal work on allegory warns readers not to hunt solely for pure forms of allegory as it "is never present as a pure modality" (312). Theresa Kelly explicitly argues that this blurring of boundaries must happen because post-Renaissance allegory has only been able to survive by "making border raids on the very categories that have been presented as its contraries: realism, mimesis, empiricism, and history" (2). Readers may also fail to recognize the allegory in Castle Richmond because they are unaware that Trollope bases his novel's love triangle on the allegorical romance, a structure common to nineteenth-century Irish novels. This device grew out of the national tale, a genre created mainly by Irish women novelists at the turn of the nineteenth century. As Trumpener details in Bardic Nationalism, one of the three main hallmarks of the national tale is a relationship between a British traveler and a Celtic guide
Nested multigrid finite element method for rapid simulation of microwave devices

The vector-scalar potential formulation of the weak statement of the electrodynamic boundary value problem is combined with a multigrid scheme to develop a robust preconditioning technique for the fast finite element solution of electromagnetic devices. It is shown that for the multigrid process to converge the resolution on the coarsest grid needs to be of the order of three to four elements per minimum wavelength. Numerical experiments from the application of the new preconditioned iterative finite element solver to the analysis of microwave passive structures are used to validate its accuracy and demonstrate its superior numerical convergence and efficient memory usage.
We Are Not Yet Queer (in Victorian Studies): Response

I am quoting my late colleague Jose Esteban Munoz’s formulation (except the Victorian studies part) in Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity. Munoz writes about radical hope: he recommends that we keep our eyes on a “then and there,” a new world beyond the “prison-house” of the present (1). In our scholarship, this means rejecting the normative, the “natural,” and the known. Scholarship can become too timid, too straight, and too straitlaced, especially in perilous times. I chose three papers from the 2014 NAVSA conference that I thought were strange, risky, daring, and therefore queer in the broadest and oldest sense of the word. These papers remind us that scholarship is utopian, always imagining a future in which we break out of the intellectual bonds that now hold us back. These three graduate students are also literally our future; their work asks us to move along toward it, to assume it will be there, to imagine it into being, to work for it. Derek Bedenbaugh’s “Novel Violations: The Hermaphrodite and the Failure of Form,” Thomas J. Joudrey’s “Penetrating Boundaries: An Ethics of Anti-Perfectionism in Victorian Pornography,” and Natalie Prizel’s “The Non-Taxonomical Mayhew” all use bodies to interrupt texts. Their papers then interrupt our own bodies, or remind us that our bodies are always interrupted and perhaps only experienced as coherent because of texts. Bedenbaugh makes us wonder if the men and women of the Victorian marriage plot actually exist as such except as textual creations. Joudrey reminds us that pornography shows us not only or even mostly a utopia of splendiferous sex, but rather failing
Estimating Recreational User Counts

This article outlines a methodology for estimating the number of individual visitors to a set of recreational sites, as well as counts of specific visitor groups. The model is designed for sets of sites characterized by: (a) unrestricted recreation from a wide and partially unknown geographic market; (b) individuals who may visit more than one site; (c) accurate visitation (gate) counts from each site. The model provides consistent estimates of the total number of individual visitors, based on information embedded in site-level count and survey data. Monte Carlo analysis and an empirical application illustrate the properties of visitor count estimates.
Numerical approximations of a norm-preserving gradient flow and applications to an optimal partition problem ∗

We present and analyse numerical approximations of a norm-preserving gradient flow and consider applications to an optimal eigenvalue partition problem. We consider various discretizations and demonstrate that many of the properties shared by the continuous counterpart can be preserved at the discrete level. The numerical algorithms are then used to study the nonlinear and non-local interfacial dynamics associated with the optimal partition.