cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
REPORTING THE PRESENCE OF CORONARY ARTERY CALCIUM IN THE FINAL IMPRESSION OF NON-GATED CT CHEST SCANS INCREASES APPROPRIATE UTILIZATION OF STATINS

Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring based on gated non-contrast cardiac computed tomography is a validated risk marker of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Reporting of CAC on non-gated CT chest (NGCT) scans and the impact on medical therapy is not well studied. A retrospective cohort
1,3-Bis(2,6-diisopropyl-phen-yl)imidazolidin-2-yl-idene.

The title compound, C27H38N2, is the first reported free imidazolidin-2-yl­idene carbene with 2,6-diisopropyl­phenyl groups in the 1,3-positions. The five-membered ring adopts a twisted conformation and the dihedral angle between the aromatic rings is 48.81 (6)°. Both isopropyl groups attached to one of the benzene rings are disordered over two sets of sites in 0.74 (2):0.26 (2) and 0.599 (8):0.401 (8) ratios.
Lifestyle and Environmental Factors Associated with Predictors of Childhood Obesity

This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between behaviors (physical activity and eating patterns) and socioeconomic and built factors that affect childhood obesity. A sample of 171 participants were selected from three elementary schools in Montclair, California. Family SES and health information about the students were gathered. The number of parks, fast food restaurants, and grocery stores within school district border lines were tallied, and data was analyzed using logistic regression. Lower income was associated with 2.11 times higher odds of consuming fast food, and 3.06 times higher odds of consuming soda. Feeling unsafe in the neighborhood was associated with 2.57 times higher odds of consuming fast food. Children whose parents had some college education were 3.23 times more likely to consume milk, 2.97 times more likely to consume vegetables, and 2.29 times more likely to engage in physical activity than parents with no more than high school education. Children engaging in physical activity were 69% less likely to be obese. Parent income, parent education, and concern for neighborhood safety affected the eating habits and physical activity level of children in Montclair. Increased fast food consumption and decreased physical activity were associated with higher BMI percentiles among this population.
The Trajectory of Protest Suicide in South Korea, 1970–2015

Widely recognised as an indispensable element in South Korea’s political democratisation, protest suicide has conjured up an image of insurmountable spirit and steely resolve by heroic fighters cha...
Regulation of PDZ-Binding Kinase (PBK) in Hematopoietic Tumors.

We have focused on a protein kinase called PBK or TOPK, believed to be an intermediate in the Ras - MAP Kinase signaling cascade which is implicated in malignant cell growth,. PBK was originally identified in our laboratory as a differentially expressed gene in Burkitt’s lymphoma cells as compared to hyperplastic tonsillar B cells. PBK protein expression was detected in 9 out of 12 primary AML samples, 3 out of 3 ALL samples and one sample each of plasmacytoma and blastic-type Mantle cell lymphoma that were analyzed. We demonstrated inhibition of p38 MAPK phosphorylation utilizing an inducible construct involving dominant negative PBK mutant in 293 cells. Homology with the MAP Kinase Kinase, MKK3, protein- protein interactions with c-Raf and its observed effect on p38 MAP Kinase suggest that PBK possibly functions as a MAP Kinase Kinase which utilizes p38 MAP Kinase as a downstream phosphorylation target. Presently, the regulation and function of PBK have been examined with a goal to elucidate its role in the growth of hematopoietic neoplasms. We have found that under conditions of stymied proliferation of HL60, promyelocytic leukemia cells either by genotoxic drugs e.g doxorubicin or by induction of differentiation with TPA along macrophage pathway, PBK is strongly downregulated while housekeeping proteins like actins remain constant. Accumulation of dephosphorylated ( Tyr15) form of Cdc2 Kinase under treatment with doxorubicin indicated cell cycle arrest at the G2/M boundary. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) has demonstrated the binding of ATF/CREB family of transcription factors upstream of PBK transcription start site. A variety of cell lines derived from multiple tissue origin when analyzed, demonstrated codistribution of PBK and transcription factor CREB indicating that CREB factor may be involved in PBK gene expression. To further analyze the regulatory mechanisms involving PBK gene expression, a 2.5 kb putative promoter for the PBK gene has been amplified utilizing human genomic DNA and cloned next to click beetle red-emitting luciferase coding unit. Preliminary data indicate that 0.6kb promoter containing the CRE element retains significant activity compared to 2.5kb promoter. Assay of luciferase activity utilizing different subfragments of the promoter is underway. Efforts have been made to examine PBK expression following ectopic expression of dominant negative CREB mutants. To that end, stable clones have been isolated from 293, human embryonic kidney cells under neomycin selection. Further experiments to monitor PBK expression by western immunoblot analysis will clarify the role of CREB factors in controlling PBK expression. In order to obtain knock down expression of PBK using inducible shRNA, a 51bp long double stranded oligomer derived from the PBK coding region has been cloned next to the Tet-responsive promoter with an object to study possible function of PBK in tumor cells which express the PBK protein.
Trazodona no Tratamento da Insónia: Qual a Evidência? Trazodone for the Treatment of Insomnia: What is the Evidence?

INTRODUCTION: Insomnia is a frequent complaint in primary care, with a negative impact on patients´ quality of life. Therefore, its proper treatment is essential. Trazodone is a drug that has been widely used in insomnia treatment, although it is only approved by INFARMED and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for depression treatment. Therefore, it is relevant to review the evidence supporting this off-label use.METHODOLOGY: Using evidence-based medicine websites, a research of meta-analyzes, systematic reviews, clinical trials and guidelines were completed by using the MeSH terms “Trazodone” and “Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders” and the keywords “Trazodone” and “Insomnia”. Afterwards, the articles published in English and Portuguese between 19/05/2008 and 19/05/2018 were selected.RESULTS: The review included 10 articles: 2 meta-analyzes, 3 systematic reviews, 2 clinical trials and 3 guidelines. Meta-analyzes revealed that trazodone is effective in treating insomnia (level of evidence -LE- 2), as was observed in clinical trials (LE 2) and in two systematic reviews (LE 2), with the third review reporting no evidence to draw conclusions. Regarding the guidelines, two support the use of trazodone (recommendation strength -RS- B and RS C) while the third suggests its non-use (RS B).CONCLUSION: There is limited evidence that trazodone is effective in insomnia treatment - Recommendation Strength B. It is important that further researches be conducted to reinforce the use of trazodone in insomnia treatment.
Swift as an Arrow: The Story of Thomas Benoist, Pioneer American Aviator

Review of: "Swift as an Arrow: The Story of Thomas Benoist, Pioneer American Aviator," by Melody Davis and Gary R. Liming.
Acts of Will: Countersovereignty and Complaining in The Tragedy of Mariam

This chapter explores the dramatic and conceptual resonances between speeches of complaint and representations of wilfulness in Elizabeth Cary’s The Tragedy of Mariam. It further links the wilfulness expressed in the play’s complaints, as well as the plaintive dissatisfaction of its depictions of willing, to Cary’s articulation of forms of resistance to absolutist sovereignty. While the constancy of Mariam has long been integral to readings of the play’s politics, I argue that The Tragedy of Mariam imagines the countersovereign power of a blatantly irrational and “inconstant” wilfulness distributed among its characters and centred in its protagonist. As I show, complaint is one of the primary rhetorical acts through which Cary’s tragedy pushes back against the notion that a woman must (in the words of the Chorus) “bare herself of power as well as will.”
Expanding roles for academic entrepreneurship in drug discovery

An assessment of inventors of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medicines reveals a growing role for academic entrepreneurship in general and National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported investigators in particular. For all small-molecule therapeutics approved between 2001 and 2019 (383 in total), 8.3% listed an academic inventor in the Orange Book. Remarkably, an additional 23.8% listed an inventor from a company founded by an NIH-funded academic inventor. Over time, the relative inventive contributions from academia has progressively increased, including nearly one-third of medicines approved since 2017. These findings suggest a surging role for academic inventors and founders, perhaps in combination with a faltering of traditional private sector dominance of drug discovery.
Image-based patch selection for deep learning to improve automated Gleason grading in histopathological slides

Abstract Automated Gleason grading can be a valuable tool for physicians when assessing risk and planning treatment for prostate cancer patients. Semantic segmentation provides pixel-wise Gleason predictions across an entire slide, which can be more informative than classification of pre-selected homogeneous regions. Deep learning methods can automatically learn visual semantics to accomplish this task, but training models on whole slides is impractical due to large image sizes and scarcity of fully annotated data. Patch-based methods can alleviate these problems, and have been shown to produce significant results in histopathology segmentation. However, the irregular contours of biopsies on slides makes performance highly dependent on patch selection. In the traditional grid-based strategy, many patches lie on biopsy boundaries, reducing segmentation accuracy due to a reduction in contextual information. In this paper, we propose an automatic patch selection process based on image features. This algorithm segments the biopsy and aligns patches based on the tissue contour to maximize the amount of contextual information in each patch. This method was used to generate patches for a fully convolutional network to segment high grade, low grade, and benign tissue from a set of 59 histopathological slides, and results were compared against manual physician labels. We show that using our image-based patch selection algorithm results in a significant improvement in segmentation accuracy over the traditional grid-based approach. Our results suggest that informed patch selection can be a valuable addition to an automated histopathological analysis pipeline.
Impact of medical home-consistent care and child condition on select health, community, and family level outcomes among children with special health care needs

Using the 2009/2010 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN), we investigated the impact of medical home-consistent care and child condition on five outcomes for CSHCN (n ...
Deep learning improves acoustic biodiversity monitoring and new candidate forest frog species identification (genus Platymantis) in the Philippines

One significant challenge to biodiversity assessment and conservation is persistent gaps in species diversity knowledge in Earth’s most biodiverse areas. Monitoring devices that utilize species-specific advertisement calls show promise in overcoming challenges associated with lagging frog species discovery rates. However, these devices generate data at paces faster than it can be analyzed. As such, automated platforms capable of efficient data processing and accurate species-level identification are at a premium. In addressing this gap, we used TensorFlow Inception v3 to design a robust, automated species identification system for 41 Philippine frog species (genus Platymantis), utilizing single-note audio spectrograms. With this model, we explored two concepts: (1) performance of our deep-learning model in discriminating closely-related frog species based on images representing advertisement call notes, and (2) the potential of this platform to accelerate new species discovery. TensorFlow identified species with a ~ 94% overall correct identification rate. Incorporating distributional data increased the overall identification rate to ~ 99%. In applying TensorFlow to a dataset that included undescribed species in addition to known species, our model was able to differentiate undescribed species through variation in “certainty” rate; the overall certainty rate for undescribed species was 65.5% versus 83.6% for described species. This indicates that, in addition to discriminating recognized frog species, our model has the potential to flag possible new species. As such, this work represents a proof-of-concept for automated, accelerated detection of novel species using acoustic mate-recognition signals, that can be applied to other groups characterized by vibrational cues, seismic signals, and vibrational mate-recognition.
A study of recognising the friction state of revolute pairs based on the motor current signature analysis

The recognition of the friction state of revolute pairs can help with the monitoring of their operating conditions. A new method for recognising the friction state of revolute pairs based on motor current signature analysis was proposed in this paper. Current signals were decomposed and multidimensional features were extracted by variational mode decomposition. The support vector machine was trained by ensemble learning, and a combined classifier was built. The friction state of revolute pairs at this moment could be evaluated precisely after their friction feature signal was recognised by multiple types of classifiers with different classification intervals, and the time before dry friction could be preliminarily estimated. The results indicate that, the change of the friction state of revolute pairs could be represented completely by analysing the stator current features of the motor driving the revolute pairs and extracting the multi-domain and multi-dimensional friction features.
Impact of a smoke-free hospital campus policy on employee and consumer behavior.

Objective.Although smoke-free hospital campuses can provide a strong health message and protect patients, they are few in number due to employee retention and public relations concerns. We evaluate...
Molecular Regulation of Complement Gene Expression

The complement system consists of a group of more than 20 proteins that initiate and amplify antimicrobial host defense mechanisms mediated by the inflammatory response. The early acting proteins of the complement cascade and several proteins that function in control of complement activation are synthesized in hepatocytes and in extrahepatic tissues in mononuclear phagocytes. Differential regulation of complement production at hepatic and extrahepatic sites permits independent control of the size of the complement reservoir in plasma and the local concentration of these proteins at local tissue sites of inflammation. The effect of this selective control is illustrated in recent studies of endotoxin, interleukin-l, tumor necrosis factor and IFN-gamma modulation of complement gene expression. The mechanisms involved in cytokine regulation of these genes are relevant to the molecular iinnunobiology of specific immune responses, as well as to the regulation of inflammation. Many of these studies are reviewed in the references.
Sintering and Desintering of Thoria

The processes of sintering and desintering (loss of bulk density) in thoria are examined. The mechanisms of material transport and driving forces for both processes are considered. Desintering of ThO2 can cause a density decrease of as much as 10% and may contribute to the frequently observed failure of sintering compacts to reach theoretical density. Under the conditions studied desintering does not appear to be a gas pressure effect. Desintering is greatest in ThO2 specimens achieving a high density while retaining a small grain size.
A framework for multiperspective rendering

We present a framework for the direct rendering of multiperspective images. We treat multiperspective imaging systems as devices for capturing smoothly varying set of rays, and we show that under an appropriate parametrization, multiperspective images can be characterized as continuous manifolds in ray space. We use a recently introduced class of General Linear Cameras (GLC), which describe all 2D linear subspaces of rays, as primitives for constructing multiperspective images. We show GLCs when constrained by an appropriate set of rules, can be laid out to tile the image plane and, hence, generate arbitrary multiperspective renderings. Our framework can easily render a broad class of multiperspective images, such as multiperspective panoramas, neocubist style renderings, and faux-animations from still-life scenes. We also show a method to minimize distortions in multiperspective images by uniformly sampling rays on a sampling plane even when they do not share a common origin.
Clique Relaxation Models in Social Network Analysis

Clique relaxation models that were originally introduced in the literature on social network analysis are not only gaining increasing popularity in a wide spectrum of complex network applications, but also keep garnering attention of mathematicians, computer scientists, and operations researchers as a promising avenue for fruitful theoretical investigations. This chapter describes the origins of clique relaxation concepts and provides a brief overview of mathematical programming formulations for the corresponding optimization problems, algorithms proposed to solve these problems, and selected real-life applications of the models of interest.
Involvement of protein kinase C‐δ in DNA damage‐induced apoptosis

Apoptosis is a highly orchestrated cell suicidal program required to maintain a balance between cell proliferation and cell death. A defect in apoptotic machinery can cause cancer. Many anticancer drugs are known to kill tumor cells by inducing apoptosis, and a defect in apoptosis can lead to anticancer drug resistance. Apoptosis is regulated by a complex cellular signaling network. Several members of the protein kinase C (PKC) family serve as substrates for caspases and PKCdelta isozyme has been intimately associated with DNA damage-induced apoptosis. It can act both upstream and downstream of caspases. In response to apoptotic stimuli, the full-length and the catalytic fragment of PKCdelta may translocate to distinct cellular compartments, including mitochondria and the nucleus, to reach their targets. Both activation and intracellular distribution of PKCdelta may have significant impact on apoptosis. This review intends to assimilate recent views regarding the involvement of PKCdelta in DNA damage-induced apoptosis.
A robust variable-rate speech coder

The goal of this study is to develop a robust and high-quality speech coder for wireless communication. The proposed coder is a perceptually-based variable-rate subband coder. The perceptual metric ensures that encoding is optimized to the human listener and is based on calculating the signal-to-mask ratio in short-time frames of the input signal. An adaptive bit allocation scheme is employed and the subband energies are then quantized using a Max-Lloyd quantizer. The coder is fully scalable-increasing the bit rates, improves the quality of encoded speech. Subjective listening tests, using quiet and noisy input signals, indicate that the proposed coder produces high-quality speech when operating at 12 kbps or higher. In error-free conditions, our coder has comparable performance to that of QCELP or GSM coders. For speech in background noise, however, our coder, at 12 kbps, outperforms QCELP significantly, and for music, it outperforms both QCELP and GSM.
Cardiopulmonary hypoxic response 5 years postpneumonectomy in beagles.

Abstract Ventilatory hypoxia was used to study the effects on pneumonectomy on the right heart and pulmonary vascular bed in purebred beagle dogs. Operated animals underwent pneumonectomy at 6 to 10 weeks of age (six, group I) or at 1 year (eight, group II). Eight unoperated adult beagles served as controls (group III). Five years following pneumonectomy, exposure to 10% O 2 ventilation indicated that group I animals were more reactive to hypoxia than either group II or III. Increases in pulmonary flow were recorded as group I, 0.79 ± 0.58 liter/min; II, 0.32 ± 0.54 liter/min; III, 0.04 ± 0.24 liter/min ( P = 0.006, I vs III, two-tailed test). Also, the peak first derivatives of power and blood flow and the external work of the right ventricle increased significantly in group I compared to group III but not in group II compared to group III. On the contrary, hypoxic stress produced similar changes in pulmonary vascular resistance and characteristic impedance in all groups. It is concluded that the hyperdynamic response of the group I animals, those undergoing pneumonectomy as puppies, can be attributed to a primary change in pump characteristics.
Amperometric Biosensors Based on Redox Polymer -- Carbon Nanotube -- Enzyme Composites

Based on their size and unique electrical properties, carbon nanotubes offer the exciting possibility of developing ultrasensitive, electrochemical biosensors. In this study, we describe the construction of amperometric biosensors based on the incorporation of single-walled carbon nanotubes modified with enzyme into redox polymer hydrogels. The composite films were constructed by first incubating an enzyme in a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNTs) solution and then cross-linking within a poly[(vinylpyridine)Os(bipyridyl)2Cl2+/3+] polymer film. Incorporation of SWNTs, modified with glucose oxidase, into the redox polymer films resulted in a 2−10-fold increase in the oxidation and reduction peak currents during cyclic voltammetry, while the glucose electrooxidation current was increased 3-fold to ∼1 mA/cm2 for glucose sensors. Similar effects were also observed when SWNTs were modified with horseradish peroxidase prior to incorporation into redox hydrogels.
Democracy and bureaucracy

The issue in bureaucracy and democracy is one of control. This paper calls for greater control resources for elected officials whereby they can overcome the abundant power resources of bureaucrats. A process of exchange as against a process of authority is suggested as a strategic means of democratic control over bureaucracy. Successfully meeting the challenge of reconciling deeply cherished norms of popular control with dependence on appointed administrators requires acknowledgement not only of the rights of the controllers but also of the powers of the controlled.(1) It requires thinking strategically about creating and marshaling alternative resources to counteract the abundant resources bureaucrats have, to circumvent control for both selfish and public spirited reasons. Such a focus on resources suggests the fruitfulness of conceptualizing democratic control more as a process of exchange than as an exercise of authority.
LOCALIZATION OF STARCH BIOSYNTHETIC AND DEGRADATIVE ENZYMES IN MAIZE LEAVES

The cellular distribution of the starch biosynthetic and degradative enzymes in protoplasts prepared from maize leaf mesophyll and bundle sheath cells was investigated. In conformity with the cellular distribution of starch, starch biosynthetic enzymes (soluble starch synthase, ADPglucose pyrophosphorylase, branching enzyme and starch phosphorylase) were exclusively localized in the bundle sheath cells. In contrast, starch degradative enzymes (a-amylase, f-amylase and debranching enzyme) were present in both types of leaf cells. Isolated chloroplasts from bundle sheath cells were shown to contain 100% of the starch biosynthetic enzymes. However, approximately 60% of the activity of degradative enzymes and 67% of the activity of starch phosphorylase was localized in bundle sheath chloroplasts. LEAVES OF PLANT species utilizing C4 photosynthetic metabolism are characterized by Kranz anatomy. Although the relationship of this anatomy to biochemical pathways of carbon assimilation is well understood, many of the basic processes of carbon metabolism have not been completely described. Starch metabolism is one of the critical processes in carbon flow. In C4 species, starch normally accumulates only in the chloroplasts of bundle sheath cells (BSC) and is absent from chloroplasts of mesophyll cells (MC). The overall regulation of light accumulation and dark degradation of starch has not been well established. Possible regulating factors include the ratio of 3-PGA/ Pi (Preiss and Levi, 1979), photosynthetic associated pH changes (Preiss and Levi, 1979) or
Azolla and other plant-cyanobacteria symbioses: Aspects of form and function

Nostoc, a genus of filamentous, heterocystous, cyanobacteria, is widely distributed in the free-living state. It is also the most common phycobiont in N2-fixing lichens and occurs as the N2-fixing symbiont in a small and diverse group of green plants. These include several bryophyte genera (e.g. Anthoceros and Blasia), a pteridophyte genus (Azolla; while the symbiont is referred to asAnabaena azollae, it may be aNostoc spp.), a division of gymnosperms (the 10 cycad genera) and one angiosperm genus (Gunnera). In Gunnera the Nostoc apparently penetrates into the cells of the host. In the other associations Nostoc is extracellular but specific morphological modifications and/or structures of the host plant organs create an environment which fosters interaction and metabolite interchange.
S-O-R and the Psychology of Human Learning:

A frame of reference is presented for describing the empirical laws of human learning and performance in terms of stimulus (S), organismic (O), and response (R) variables. The relationship of exper...
Detection of nonlinear event-related potentials.

The methods used to evaluate event-related potentials (ERPs) are generally insensitive to nonlinear responses. Our goal was to show that nonlinear ERPs could be detected using recurrence analysis (RA). When fixed-phase sine signals were added to baseline electroencephalograms (EEGs), the added linear determinism was detected by signal averaging, as expected, and by RA. However, when nonlinear determinism was simulated by adding either random-phase sine or Lorenz signals, the added signals were detected only by RA. Auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) were studied in five subjects using RA. We detected not only the characteristic linear effects caused by onset and offset of the sound, but also nonlinear AEPs not previously reported; they occurred at 473–661 ms after onset, and 282–602 ms after offset, depending on the subject. In five other subjects we found nonlinear magnetosensory evoked potentials; they occurred at 209–354 ms after field onset, depending on the subject. RA was less sensitive than time averaging for detecting linear ERPs, but had the advantage of being able to detect nonlinear ERPs.
Freedom of expression and the law enforcement officer

As public servants, policemen frequently find their rights to bargain collectively, strike, engage in political debate, criticize superiors, and to observe contemporary grooming styles prohibited. This essay examines the present legal status and arguments supporting and rejecting police expressive freedoms.
Response Sets on the MMPI and in Structuring Ambiguous Stimuli

Summary.-For three samples, chronic schizophrenics, acute schizophrenics, ancl normals, scores on several MMPI response set scales were compared, and were correlated with several indices of responding to ambiguous stimuli. Two findings emerged. (1) There were differences at or above a borderline level of significance only on two out of five response set measures, and (2) the relationship between response set scores and the various measures of responding to ambiguity was, on the whole, slight. With certain limitations, the conclusion is offered that response to ambiguous materials reflects perceptual and cognitive, rather than response, style tendencies.
HighTg polyimide nanofoams derived from pyromellitic dianhydride and 1,1-bis(4-aminophenyl)-1-phenyl-2,2,2-trifluoroethane

New routes for the synthesis of high Tg thermally stable polymer foams with pore sizes in the nanometer regime have been developed. Foams were prepared by casting well-defined microphase-separated block copolymers comprised of a thermally stable block and a thermally labile material. At properly designed volume fractions the morphology provides a matrix of the thermally stable material with the thermally labile material as the dispersed phase. Upon thermal treatment, the thermally unstable block undergoes thermolysis generating pores, the size and shape of which are dictated by the initial copolymer morphology. Triblock copolymers comprised of a high Tg, amorphous polyimide matrix with poly(propylene oxide) as the thermally decomposable coblock, were prepared. The copolymer synthesis was conducted through the poly(amic acid) precursor and subsequent cyclodehydration to the polyimide by either thermal or chemical means. Dynamic mechanical analysis confirmed microphase separated morphologies for all copolymers, irrespective of the propylene oxide block lengths investigated. Upon decomposition of the thermally labile coblock, a 9–18% reduction in density was observed, consistent with the generation of a foam which was stable to 400°C. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
On the probability of error and the expected Bhattacharyya distance in multiclass pattern recognition

A relationship between the probability of misrecognition and the expected Bhattacharyya distance is examined, and it is shown that the maximization of the mean Bhattacharyya distance minimizes an upper bound on the error probability.
Reduction of intracellular glutathione levels produces sustained arterial narrowing.

OBJECTIVE : Although lipid peroxidation and alterations in endogenous antioxidants have been hypothesized to contribute to cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage, there has been no direct evidence demonstrating the relationship between oxidative stress and delayed arterial narrowing. To elaborate the role of the endogenous intracellular antioxidant and electron exchanger glutathione (GSH) in cerebral vasospasm, rat femoral arteries were treated with perivascular application of L-buthionine-(SR)-sulfoximine (BSO), which inhibits the synthesis of GSH. METHODS : To determine the dose-response relationship, BSO at doses of 10 to 100 mg/ml, in platelet-rich plasma, was applied for 7 days to rat femoral arteries in vivo. Vessels were then perfusion-fixed for morphometric analysis of luminal cross-sectional area. To determine the time course of arterial narrowing, BSO (75 mg/ml) was applied to femoral arteries for 1, 3, 7, or 21 days before histological analysis, as described above. With rats treated with 50 to 100 mg/ml BSO, exogenous GSH (100 mg/kg) was administered, by intraperitoneal injection, daily for 7 days. To demonstrate the mechanism of BSO effects in smooth muscle cells (SMCs), cultured rat aortic SMCs were treated with 1 mmol/L BSO for 24 hours and assayed for intracellular levels of GSH and two products of lipid peroxidation, malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxyalkenal. RESULTS : Compared with control arteries treated with platelet-rich plasma alone, perivascularly administered BSO applied for periods of 1 to 21 days produced sustained and reversible narrowing of rat femoral arteries with a time course, severity, and histological appearance analogous to those observed after perivascular application of whole blood. BSO-induced arterial narrowing was dose-dependent, with 60% reductions in the luminal cross-sectional area being noted at 75 and 100 mg/ml (P < 0.005). Systemic administration of exogenous GSH slightly inhibited the effect of BSO on arterial narrowing, although the inhibition was not statistically significant. Cultured rat aortic SMCs exposed to BSO for 24 hours showed a 70% decrease in intracellular GSH levels (P = 0.03) ; levels of two products of lipid peroxidation, malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxyalkenal, were increased by 25% (P = 0.24) and 38% (P = 0.09), respectively. CONCLUSION : These data support the hypothesis that diminished intracellular levels of GSH may produce delayed chronic arterial narrowing after subarachnoid hemorrhage. The specific mechanism by which GSH levels modulate vasoconstriction remains uncertain but may involve endogenous antioxidant capacity in SMCs.
CST1 antibody specifically recognizes cold stable tubulin

Cold stable tubulin (CST) is isolated by a cold calcium fractionation method that results in a cold soluble fraction and a stable cold insoluble fraction. Previous biochemical studies suggest that a post-translational modification, polyamination, is responsible for the stable form of microtubules. CST is enriched in the adult central nervous system. However, because of a mixed population of cells in biochemical studies, little is known about CST's cellular distribution. Without an antibody against CST, the cellular localization and tissue distribution could not be determined definitively. Therefore, we developed a monoclonal antibody to CST. The antibody was raised and screened against the gel purified cold insoluble fraction. Its specificity for CST was then tested using ELISA, Western blotting and immunostaining. One clone (CST1) specifically recognized the cold insoluble but not the cold soluble microtubule fraction on both Western blot and ELISA. With immunostaining in the adult rat brain, reactivity was seen in both cortical neurons and axon tracks. The staining was restricted to a subset of NF-L positive neurons. The signal in projection neurons was enriched in cell bodies and proximal axons, but was not detected in MAP2 positive dendrites. With this novel probe we can now gain a better understanding of CST's distribution and function in the CNS.
NSTX-U Vacuum Vessel design modification

The NSTX-U requirements will double the Toroidal Field (TF), Plasma Current (Ip), Beam Injection Power, and extend pulse length. The larger centerstack requires re-aiming of the Multi Pulse Thomson Scattering (MPTS) lasers and Vacuum Vessel (VV) modifications at Bay L. The second neutral beam requirements include larger tangency radii and thus a VV modification at Bay K and Bay J. A cap design for a new weldment was developed to achieve these larger beam trajectories without losing the utility of the Bay J port for diagnostics. Analyses of loads indicated the need for reinforcements of the vessel at the midplane. NSTX has 6 picture frame type Resistive Wall Mode (RWM) coils around the exterior circumference of the vacuum vessel; each coil surrounds pairs of ports. The modifications needed for the upgrade were intended to minimize the impact to the RWM fields at the plasma. A Pro E global model segment was used to model the vacuum vessel. ANSYS was used to apply loads and investigate reinforcement configurations. A focused effort and analysis produced a design capable of achieving the desired performance of the upgrade while maintaining utility and continuity of RWM coil physics pre- and post-upgrade physics performance. The installation of the Bay J-K and Bay L Port Caps was completed and the reinforcing weldments have been partially installed.
Thermolytic molecular precursor route to site-isolated vanadia–silica materials and their catalytic performance in methane selective oxidation

Abstract The thermolytic molecular precursor (TMP) method was used to prepare site-isolated, high-surface area vanadia–silica (V/SBA15) materials of various V loadings via the grafting of two precursors, OV[OSi(O tBu)3]3 (1) and OV(O tBu)3 (2). Spectroscopic analysis indicates that excellent synthetic control was established for the exclusive formation of a pseudotetrahedral monovanadate (VO4) structure on all catalyst surfaces. Another V/SBA15 catalyst was prepared via conventional incipient wetness impregnation (WI) with aqueous NH4VO3. A spectroscopic investigation of this catalyst revealed the presence of monovanadate and polyvanadate species along with small domains of V2O5. The TMP materials behave as single-site catalysts in the selective oxidation of methane to formaldehyde up to a V coverage of 0.47 V nm−2 and demonstrate superior activity compared with the WI catalyst. A space–time yield of 5.84 kgCH2O kg−1cat h−1 was observed, more than twice the highest value previously reported.
A longitudinal analysis of serum cytokines in the Hartley guinea pig model of osteoarthritis

Summary Objective To evaluate chosen serum cytokines and their association with osteoarthritis (OA) in the guinea pig. Methods The levels of 18 cytokines were measured in Hartley guinea pig serum at time points ranging from 3 weeks to 18 months of age. These levels were then tested for any correlation with total histology, and a comprehensive evaluation of these statistics was conducted using data previously collected from OA-resistant Strain 13 guinea pigs. Results After all cytokines demonstrating a significant association with weight or age were excluded, IL-6 ( p =0.016) and G-CSF ( p =0.024) were found to correlate positively with total histological score. Models involving each of these cytokines paired independently with weight explained 43–44% of the variance in total histology. Conclusions Only the age and weight-independent associations of IL-6 and G-CSF with histological OA were significant under the conditions imposed by the Holm step-down adjustment for multiple comparisons. Though the observed changes of these cytokine levels may be due to a correlation with age, it is highly unlikely given the significant difference between Hartley and Strain 13 age-matched cohorts.
Child care and the family: complex contributors to child development.

In a state with minimal child care standards, we found pervasive differences in third graders associated with earlier child care histories. More extensive child are predicted children receiving more negative ratings from parents and teachers, poorer academic and conduct grades, lower standardized test scores, and more negative sociometric nominations. In addition, for some variables (IQ, work habits negative peer nominations, and compliance ratings) there was evidence of interactive effects in which both extensive infant care and exclusive maternal care were associated with more problematical functioning, depending on parental marital status, social class, and child gender. We found no evidence of negative effects associated with part-time care. This study has several important limitations that should be acknowledged. The first is the danger of generalizing these results to states and communities with higher-quality child care standards than those imposed in Texas. They may, unfortunately, be generalizable to the twenty states with child care regulations similar to those in Texas. This study has another important limitation. It did not examine the underlying processes that might contribute to the effects of child care history. For example, we do not know if the differences in children who were in part-time versus extensive child care are owing to (1) differences in the children's experiences while they are in the child care settings, or (2) differences in the quality of interactions that occur when the two groups of children are at home, or (3) some combination of children's experiences in child care and the family. Language: en
The social and linguistic conditioning of back vowel fronting across ethnic groups in Memphis, Tennessee

While a number of recent studies have documented the back vowel changes affecting White varieties nationally, few studies have examined back vowel fronting in non-Anglo dialects or compared the social and linguistic commonalties and contrasts in the progress of the shift and the vowel classes affected. The present study explores how ethnic and regional alignment affects the dispersion of fronting in three key back vowel classes, the BOOT, BOOK, and BOAT classes. Using instrumental acoustic measurement of relevant vowel classes, this article will examine both the social and linguistic conditioning governing the fronting of these classes in White and Black speakers in Memphis, TN, looking at these results in light of those found by Anderson, Milroy & Nguyen (2002), Ash (1996), and Labov (1994) elsewhere in the US.
Statistical methods for evaluation of mastitis treatment data

Abstract Categorical data on the response to treatment for mastitis are analyzed by several methods. The most important aspect of these analyses is the emphasis that the cow rather than a quarter of the udder is the basic experimental unit. Thus, the untenable assumption of independence among the quarters of an udder is not required. Given this framework, examples show that many questions can be investigated by weighted regression analysis. In particular, methodological strategies are outlined for 1) assessing the extent of interaction among experimental factors and its implications to model fitting for describing relationships, 2) accounting for pretreatment scores as a covariable, and 3) undertaking multivariate analyses with respect to the four quarters simultaneously. The conclusion from these analyses is that the various active treatments under study are homogeneous and superior to no treatment. Cows on any of the active treatments completed the trial with approximately one less quarter being infected than when the study began. In particular, the decline in the average number of infected quarters was from 1.8 to .8.
A non-destructive assay for GUS in the media of plant tissue cultures

β-glucuronidase (GUS) can be assayed in the spent media of plant tissues transformed with some GUS gene fusions (Jefferson, 1988). This approach is based on the presence of GUS in the media of transformed plant tissues expressing the gene and can be used to monitor the progress of transformation without destruction of the tissue under study.
Longitudinal shear of an elastic medium with a thin rectilinear sharp-pointed piezoelectric inclusion of low rigidity

UDC 539.3 We propose a method for the investigation of the stress-strain state near the edges of a sharp-pointed, thin, rectilinear, piezoelectric inclusion of varying thickness and low rigidity located in an elastic isotropic medium. The method is based on the combination of an asymptotic analysis of solutions of the problem and the method of singular integral equations, the numerical realization of which is based on the Kantorovich regularization procedure of divergent integrals and the collocation method.
Failure to replicate mood-dependent retrieval

We tried to replicate mood-dependent memory retrieval in a two-list interference design, as reported earlier in Experiment 3 of Bower, Monteiro, and Gilligan (1978, “Emotional mood as a context for learning and recall,” Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 17, 573–585). Subjects in the experimental condition learned two word lists for free recall, one list while feeling happy, a second list while feeling sad. Later they recalled both lists while feeling happy or sad. Results revealed no mood dependency in recall; subjects recalled about the same percentage of words from the same-mood list as from the opposite-mood list. Thus, mood-dependent retrieval must be judged to be an unreliable phenomenon in the laboratory.
Density Functional Theory and Mass Spectrometry of Phthalate Fragmentations Mechanisms: Modeling Hyperconjugated Carbocation and Radical Cation Complexes with Neutral Molecules

This is the first ab initio study of the energetics of the fragmentation mechanisms of phthalate, by mass spectrometry, leading to protonated phthalic anhydride (m/z 149). Phthalates fragment by two major pathways; namely, the McLafferty + 1 rearrangement and the loss of alkoxy. Both pathways involve a carbonyl oxygen attack to the ortho-carbonyl carbon leading to structures with tetrahedral carbon intermediates that eventually give m/z 149. These pathways were studied by collision induced dissociation (CID) using triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. The proposed McLafferty + 1 pathway proceeds through a distonic M(•+), leading to the loss of an allylic-stabilized alkene radical. The McLafferty rearrangement step proceeds through a six-membered ring transition state with a small activation energy ranging 0.4-6.2 kcal/mol; the transfer of a second H from the distonic ion of the rearrangement step proceeds through a radical cation molecule complex. Based on quantum chemical modeling of the cation molecule complexes, two kinds of cation molecule complexes were identified as radical cation molecule complex and hyperconjugated cation molecule complex. This distinction is based on the cation and simplifies future modeling of similar complexes. Optimization of important fragments in these pathways showed cyclized and hydrogen-bonded structures to be favored. An exception was the optimized structure of the protonated phthalic anhydride (m/z 149) that showed a structure with an open anhydride ring.
Compaction characteristics of towed wheels on clay loam in a soil bin

Abstract Wheel induced soil compaction is an ongoing concern in mechanized agriculture. This experimental study was performed with the aim to evaluate whether soil compaction is related to stresses induced by towed wheels. Soil bin studies were conducted and soil compaction variables were measured under two towed tires, with different tread patterns, commonly used in Turkey. Tests were carried out at three tire loads (3.5, 5.5 and 7.5 kN) and two forward velocities (0.8 and 1.4 m/s) on a clay loam. To determine soil compaction, surface sinkage, subsurface layer deformation, compaction index, penetration resistance and bulk density were measured. With increasing vertical load, average contact pressure of tires increased from 39.3 to 68.5 kPa. In different trials, surface sinkage, compaction index, penetration resistance and bulk density varied from 46 to 86 mm, 0.18 to 0.48, 1472 to 2530 kPa and 1.31 to 1.70 Mg m −3 , respectively. The soil contact projected area of tire 2 was approximately 10% greater than tire 1. The greater contact surface reduced the compaction at the soil surface and subsurface, but the tire load was still the dominant factor in the 0–20 cm depth range used in this study. According to the experimental results, decreasing contact duration with increasing forward velocity decreased soil compaction. Tire load and type affected soil deformation characteristics stronger than forward velocity.
Oxygen, Food, and Air Travel

Excerpt To the Editor:I enjoyed reading Dr. Hansen's clever letter (1) regarding the article by Dillard and colleagues (2) on the oxygen requirements of patients with lung disease who must travel b...
A programming language engineered for beginners

Abstract As the complexity and size of programs increase, the programmer is challenged with the task of organizing his program in a manner which will enhance intellectual manageability. Thus, the structure and style are critical in regards to writing programs and verifying their correctness. In recent years, considerable emphasis has been placed on the correctness of programs and techniques for engineering them to be correct. However, more emphasis should be placed on designing languages which facilitate constructing correct programs. In an effort to partially address this problem, a language is described which permits users the convenient development of well-structured programs that are easy to read and understand, easy to correct (debug) and modify, and easy to verify the correctness of the program. The language presented permits the use of decision tables for expressing complex logic.