cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A model of intrauterine infection and preterm delivery in mice

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether intrauterine bacterial inoculation leads to preterm delivery in mice. STUDY DESIGN: Fifty-four female CD-1 mice at 75% of the length of the gestational period (14.5 days) received either an intrauterine bacterial inoculum of 2 to 10 × 103Escherichia coli (n = 33), an intraperitoneal bacterial inoculum (n = 7), or an intrauterine injection of a sterile solution (n = 14). RESULTS: Delivery within 48 hours of surgery occurred in 91% of mice after intrauterine bacteria, in 0% after intraperitoneal bacteria, and in 7% after sterile intrauterine injection (p < 0.001). Intrauterine bacterial inoculation produced systemic infection (i.e., recovery of organisms from culture of the heart) in 50% of animals post partum. Intraperitoneal bacteria and intrauterine saline solution injections resulted in systemic infection rates of 20% and 0%, respectively, 48 hours after surgery. Five of seven animals injected with bacteria into the uterus had histologic evidence of metritis, mild in all cases. Intrauterine bacterial inoculation resulted in induction of ribonucleic acid transcripts for tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1α, interleukin-1β, and cyclooxygenase-2. CONCLUSIONS: Intrauterine inoculation with Escherichia coli in mice leads to preterm delivery and the local induction of factors known to be involved in human preterm labor with infection. The observation that intraperitoneal bacterial inoculation does not result in preterm delivery suggests that in this model labor is the product of a local (uterine) stimulus.
Process of care for carotid endarterectomy: Perioperative medical management

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has been repeatedly described as a safe and efficacious procedure to provide a stroke-risk reduction benefit in both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases. Contemporary outcomes are acceptable using the large-scale randomized trials as a metric of success. Class I and II data can be applied to improve the care process of patients undergoing CEA. Myocardial infarction remains the most significant nonstroke complication; however, there is no significant benefit to noninvasive stress testing in patients with clinically stable disease. Perioperative β-blockade may offer up to a 10-fold reduction in the rate of perioperative myocardial infarction, but deleterious effects are attributable to high-dose regimens. Angiotensin blockade has been shown to reduce cardiovascular mortality in patients with atherosclerosis by up to 25%, although few studies have examined these agents directly in carotid surgery patients. Statins are beneficial to patients undergoing CEA with trials demonstrating up to a 3% absolute reduction in the incidence of stroke following CEA. Aspirin therapy is associated with an up to 7% absolute reduction in early stroke following CEA; however, the efficacy of combination or high-dose antiplatelet therapy remains ill-defined. A treatment strategy that involves perioperative medical optimization is likely to improve surgical outcomes and long-term cardiovascular risk for patients undergoing CEA.
On the Substance and Application of Makiguchi Tsunesaburo's Perspectives on Language, Identity, and Education: An Introduction

This special issue of Journal of Language, Identity, and Education focuses on the perspectives of Makiguchi Tsunesaburo (1871–1944), a Japanese schoolteacher, principal, and educational and religio...
Sodium arsenite facilitates the turn-over of phosphate in cultured chicken myotube tropomyosin.

Abstract Both the α and β subunits of tropomyosin are phosphorylated in embryonic and adult skeletal muscle. Here we demonstrate that the phosphate groups on α- and β-tropomyosin in cultured chicken myogenic cells have half-lives of 7- and 21-hr, respectively under normal growth conditions. After sodium arsenite treatment, the half-lives of α- and β-tropomyosin phosphates are reduced to 1.5- and 5-hr, respectively. This facilitated phosphate turnover is reversible and may be specific for tropomyosin since it is not observed with other major phosphorylated proteins, such as the intermediate filament proteins desmin and vimentin. The results suggest that vicinal dithiols may be involved in the enzymatic activities which are responsible for the removal of phosphate from tropomyosin.
Developmental physiology of cestodes—XI synthetic activity in various molecular weight fractions of glycogen during development of Hymenolepis diminuta

Abstract 1. 1. Hymenolepis diminuta (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea) were recovered from rats at 9, 12, 15 and 84 days post infection and incubated with U- 14 C-glucose. 2. 2. Glycogen was extracted by a cold buffer method and fractionated according to molecular weight by rate-zonal centrifugation. 3. 3. Highest specific radioactivities were found in fractions of intermediate molecular weight, although those fractions were present in lower concentrations than fractions of higher and lower molecular weight. 4. 4. Age of the worms affected synthetic rate, molecular weight spectrum and incorporations of label into theo-dextrins of glycogen in the tapeworms.
5.6.4 Application of the C4ISR Architecture Framework: What Does It Really Mean?

In 1997 the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Architecture Framework Version 2.0 was released as a guide for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) in the development of system architectures. This Framework was developed under the auspices of the C4ISR Working Group consisting of representatives from the Joint Staff, the military services, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and other Defense agencies. The main motivation for the C4ISR Framework has been to ensure that architectures are interrelatable as well as comparable and integratable across Joint and multinational organizational boundaries. DoD, supported by recent government legislation, will pursue the development of more interoperable, integrated systems to meet the challenges posed now and in the future. Developed to focus on information technology, the C4ISR Framework is finding broad application in the DoD community. The C4ISR Framework serves as a consistent guideline on how architectures should be described by calling out a number of views serving operational, system, and technical interests. The need for consistency and guidance is clear. What is not clear however, is how this guidance will influence engineering activities being conducted on DoD programs. Application of the C4ISR Framework is very much in the pioneering stage. Experience is needed to set examples and teach lessons as with anything new. This paper offers some experience by developing an operational architecture view in an application to Air Defense.
Design, construction, and testing of an electric machine test-bed for use in laboratory and research education

Research and education into various methods of improving energy efficiency for electrical devices has become increasingly important to meet future energy needs. Because of this need, an electrical machine test-bed was designed and built in collaboration with a senior design team for the purpose of furthering research and education in the area of power electronics and motor drives. Both the engineering education and research capabilities aspects of this test-bed have an important role in educating engineers with skills to quickly contribute to the power and energy related industry. This paper will discuss the design, construction, and testing of a research quality electric machine dynamometer and test-bed for use in undergraduate and graduate (UG/Grad) education, as well as for research into power electronics and motor control.
The second law of thermodynamics as applied to energy conversion processes

The definition of the ‘second law efficiency’ presents certain ambiguities, which are reflected in its applications. It is attempted here to define another figure of merit for energy conversion processes. This incorporates the second law limitations, is based on a state function of the systems considered, exergy, and may be universally applied without ambiguities. A general thermodynamic system is adopted here, which is applicable to all processes, and the utilization factor is used in terms of exergy balances.
Effects of change of reference coordinates on the stress analyses of anisotropic elastic materials

Abstract When the displacements are independent of the x 3 -coordinate, the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the anisotropic elasticity constants depend on the orientation of the ( x 1 , x 2 ) axes. It is shown that the components of the eigenvectors (which are complex values) transform according to the law of transformation for tensors of order one. The transformation of the eigenvalues is more complicated. The effects of change of the reference coordinates on the form of general solution are discussed. Also discussed is the form of general solution when the eigenvalue p is a multiple root. Finally, we show that as the angle of rotation φ of the coordinate axes varies from 0 to 2π, each p traverses a circle in the complex plane which is orthogonal to the unit circle with center at the origin. A graphical solution of the eigenvalue p for a given φ is presented. Some functions of p which are invariant to the rotation of the coordinate axes are obtained.
Embolic control of lumbar artery hemorrhage complicating percutaneous renal biopsy with a 3-F coaxial catheter system: Case report

A case is presented in which massive retroperitoneal hemorrhage from the left first lumbar artery complicating a percutaneous renal biopsy was successfully controlled by superselective embolization with microcoils. An anterior radiculomedullary artery (artery of Adamkiewicz) orginated from the lumbar artery. To minimize the risk of ischemic damage to the spinal cord from embolization, the extravasating branch of the lumbar artery had to be superselectively catheterized using a 3-F coaxial catheter system. Computed tomography (CT) scan localized the hematoma within the left posterior pararenal space in the retroperitoneal space.
Dry Times Ahead

In the past decade, it has become impossible to overlook the signs of climate change in western North America. They include soaring temperatures, declining late-season snowpack, northward-shifted winter storm tracks, increasing precipitation intensity, the worst drought since measurements began, steep declines in Colorado River reservoir storage, widespread vegetation mortality, and sharp increases in the frequency of large wildfires. These shifts have taken place across a region that also saw the nation's highest population growth during the same period.
Dopamine agonists suppress cholinomimetic-induced tremulous jaw movements in an animal model of Parkinsonism: tremorolytic effects of pergolide, ropinirole and CY 208-243.

Abstract Considerable evidence indicates that cholinomimetic-induced tremulous jaw movements in rats share many characteristics with human Parkinsonian tremor, and several antiparkinsonian drugs suppress cholinomimetic-induced tremulous jaw movements. The present study investigated three different types of dopamine agonists, which have known antiparkinsonian characteristics, for their ability to suppress the tremulous jaw movements induced by tacrine (5.0 mg/kg). The non-selective dopamine agonist pergolide, a widely used antiparkinsonian drug, was highly potent at suppressing tacrine-induced jaw movements (e.g. 0.125–1.0 mg/kg). The selective D2 agonist ropinirole, which also is used clinically as an antiparkinsonian drug, suppressed jaw movements in the dose range of 2.5–20.0 mg/kg. The D1 agonist CY 208–243, which has been reported to suppress tremor, also reduced jaw movement activity (4.0 mg/kg). Across several studies, the rank order of potency for suppressing cholinomimetic-induced jaw movements in rats is related to the potency for producing antiparkinsonian effects in humans. Together with previous studies, the present results suggest that cholinomimetic-induced jaw movements in rats can be used to characterize dopaminergic antiparkinsonian agents and to investigate the basal ganglia circuits involved in the generation of tremulous movements.
Ordovician K-bentonites: Issues in interpreting and correlating ancient tephras

Abstract Prominent Upper Ordovician K-bentonites include the Deicke and Millbrig beds in the Late Ordovician of eastern North America and the Kinnekulle K-bentonite in the uppermost Sandbian of Baltoscandia. These beds are thought to represent some of the largest ash fall deposits known in the Phanerozoic record. This report presents a comprehensive study of biotite compositions from the three beds covering a far more extensive geographic range than has previously been described. These data show that the Kinnekulle and Millbrig are multiple event ash beds, some parts of which are indistinguishable from one another. Tectonomagmatic discrimination diagrams combined with Mg number data indicate that the Deicke–Millbrig–Kinnekulle sequence represents the progressive transformation from calc-alkaline to peraluminous magmatic sources, consistent with a model of progressively evolving magmatism during the closure of the Iapetus Ocean. It is concluded that the Millbrig and Kinnekulle beds are coeval and represent primarily simultaneous episodes of explosive volcanism although it cannot be excluded that some portions of both beds were produced by the same event.
Quixote’s soldiers: a local history of the Chicano Movement, 1966–1981

by David Montejano, Austin, University of Texas Press, 2010, 344 pp., $60.00 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-292-72124-1, $24.95 (paperback), ISBN 978-0-292-72290-3 Scholarly and activist accounts of the Chica...
Structure and Morphology Evolution of Hematite (α-Fe2O3) Nanoparticles in Forced Hydrolysis of Ferric Chloride

Hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles were prepared by forced hydrolysis of ferric chloride under acidic pH conditions. Without introduction of any additives, hematite nanoparticles with varying sizes a...
Synthesis and characterization of CdS particles within a nanoporous aluminum oxide template

Abstract Anodically grown porous aluminum oxide was used as a template in which to study the growth of CdS. The pores in this template are cylinders 50 nm in diameter by 30 μm in length. CdS was grown from aqueous solutions by a U-tube method were reagents entered the pores from opposite ends. The resulting semiconductor particles' size, shape, crystallinity, composition, and optical properties were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX), and UV-visible spectroscopy. Polycrystalline oval particles with sizes on the order of tens of nanometers formed within the pores of the template. These particles did not extend throughout the entire pore but grew in only one area of the pore. The structures, size distributions, and possible mechanisms for the formation of these nanoclusters is discussed.
Letter Dyslexia in a Letter-by-Letter Reader

We describe a letter-by-letter patient who produced misreading errors in both letters in isolation and in words. All errors were visual in nature. We hypothesized an access deficit to the abstract visual representation of letters that prevents letter identification. This deficit could account for the patient's letter-by-letter behavior, since each letter constituted a potential identification problem. An access deficit, moreover, could also explain the patient's letter visual errors. In access processing, in fact, the letters sharing common structural features in their abstract representations were the ones more frequently mismatched.
Self perception of genitalia after hypospadia repair

Purpose A perfect penis cannot be achieved with hypospadia repair and the patients have to cope with cosmetic and eventually functional deficiencies. The aim of this study was to compare the patients’ self perception of their genitals with the perception of the surgeon and the self perception of healthy boys. Material and methods 64 patients between the age of 6 and 17 years were asked to rate the appearance of their penis with regard to the following criteria: Meatus, glans, penile skin, penile straightness and general appearance. All patients were evaluated for the same criteria by several urologists. In addition, self perception of genitalia was also assessed in an age-matched control group of 67 boys after hernia repair. A Genitalia Perception Score (GPS) that ranges from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 10 was calculated. Results The patients’ self assessment showed a mean GPS of 7.96 (SD = 1.76). This was almost as high as the GPS of a control group of healthy boys (M = 8.26, SD = 1.66, p = .19) GPS ratings by urologists were significantly less favourable with a mean GPS of 7.00 (SD = 1.81, p Conclusions Boys with corrected hypospadia had a very positive self perception of the cosmetic aspect of their penis that is close to the self assessment of a control group of healthy boys. Urologists were much more critical in evaluating the cosmetic results. Further studies will show, whether the psychosexual development and quality of life of hypospadias patients with a good genital self perception scale is impaired, when compared with healthy boys.
The axon as a metabolic compartment: Protein degradation, transport, and maximum length of an axon

Abstract We present a model that predicts the maximum axonal length form the apparent velocity of slow axonal transport and cytoskeletal protein half-life. The model assumes that in mature axons the apparent velocity of slow transport varies with position, but that the density of cytoskeletal proteins and protein degradation are uniform. The model predicts that the apparent transport velocity of cytoskeletal proteins is highest near the cell body and decreases linearly along the axon, and that when axons branch the apparent velocity of transport decreases across the branch point. The predictions of this model are shown to be consistent with experiments. These results explain the variation in these fundamental metabolic parameters in different axons and species.
DNA sequence homology and chromosomal deletion at a site of SV40 DNA integration

The structure of simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA insertions is different from those of retrovirus proviruses and movable genetic elements. No single DNA sequence in either the cell or the SV40 genome serves as an obligatory site of SV40 integrative recombination1–9, and SV40 DNA insertions are not bordered by the repeat structures characteristic of transposons and retrovirus proviruses10–15. Integration of SV40 could involve the matching of short stretches of homologous sequences present in the otherwise heterologous SV40 and cellular genomes. To explore this possibility, I have now sequenced a rat DNA fragment that contains an unoccupied site of SV40 DNA integration. Comparison of this sequence with that of SV40 and that at the rat-SV40 recombinant junction allowed two conclusions: first, SV40 DNA became linked to rat DNA at a point where the two genomes shared 5 base pairs (bp) of DNA sequence homology; and second, a rearrangement of the rat genome, probably a deletion of at least 3 kilobases (kb), occurred at the site of SV40 integration.
Historical trends in height, weight, and body mass: data from U.S. Major League Baseball players, 1869-1983.

We employ a unique dataset of Major League Baseball (MLB) players – a select, healthy population – to examine trends in height, weight, and body mass in birth cohorts from 1869 to 1983. Over that 115-year time period, U.S. born MLB players have gained, on average, approximately 3 in. (7.6 cm) in height and 27.0 lb (12.2 kg) in weight, which has contributed a 1.6-unit increase in the body mass index. Where comparable data are available, U.S. born MLB players are about 2.0 in. (5.1 cm) taller and 20.0 lb (9.1 kg) heavier but substantially less obese than males in the general U.S. population. But both groups exhibit similar height and weight trends; the majority of height and weight gains take place in cohorts that were born prior to World War II, followed by slower gains and occasional declines in height and weight for cohorts born in 1939 and later.
Long-Term caspase inhibition ameliorates apoptosis, reduces myocardial troponin-I cleavage, protects left ventricular function, and attenuates remodeling in rats with myocardial infarction

Abstract Objectives This study was designed to evaluate whether in vivo caspase inhibition can prevent myocardial contractile protein degradation, improve myocardial function, and attenuate ventricular remodeling. Background Apoptosis is thought to play an important role in the development and progression of heart failure (HF) after a myocardial infarction (MI). However, it is not known whether inhibiting apoptosis can attenuate left ventricular (LV) remodeling and minimize systolic dysfunction. Methods A 28-day infusion of caspase inhibitor (n = 12) or vehicle (n = 9) was administered to rats immediately after an anterior MI. In addition, five sham-operated rats given the caspase inhibitor were compared with 17 untreated sham-operated animals to study effects in non-MI rats. Left ventricular function, remodeling parameters, and hemodynamics were studied four weeks later. Myocardial caspase 3 activation and troponin-I contractile protein cleavage were studied in the non-infarct, remote LV myocardium using Western blots. Apoptosis was assessed using immunohistochemistry for activated caspase-positive cells as well as the TUNEL method. Collagen volume was estimated using morphometry. Results Caspase inhibition reduced myocardial caspase 3 activation. This was accompanied by less cleavage of troponin-I, an important component of the cardiac contractile apparatus, and fewer apoptotic cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, caspase inhibition reduced LV-weight-to-body-weight ratio, decreased myocardial interstitial collagen deposition, attenuated LV remodeling, and better preserved LV systolic function after MI. Conclusions Caspase inhibition, started soon after MI and continued for four weeks, preserves myocardial contractile proteins, reduces systolic dysfunction, and attenuates ventricular remodeling. These findings may have important therapeutic implications in post-MI HF.
Evaluation of 27 different biochars for potential sequestration of antibiotic residues in food animal production environments

Abstract The goal of this project was to determine if biochar can be used to sequester antibiotic residues in the environment. Slurries of different biochars ( n = 27) and water were evaluated for their capacity to adsorb two relatively hydrophilic veterinary antibiotics, florfenicol and ceftiofur. Freely available antibiotic was quantified using HPLC–UV and a bioassay. Biochars prepared at higher pyrolysis temperatures (>500 °C) adsorbed the antibiotics with greater efficiency compared with lower preparation temperatures ( P 99.98% and > 99.9%, respectively). Florfenicol was sorbed by four biochars (>99.94%) in the presence of soil; however, the sorption performance decreased for two biochars when calf urine and feces were added with the soil. The effect of the biochar proportions on florfenicol sorption in soil–urine–feces slurries were tested with two distinct pinewood biochars, yielding Freundlich sorption coefficients of 2160 and 312 L kg −1 . Pinewood biochar and potentially other types of biochar are excellent candidates for sequestering antibiotic residues in soil–urine–feces environments.
Analysis of post-launch satellite anomalies using the IDASS data exploitation workstation

The primary objective of this effort was to provide near real- time on-site analysis of optical and radar imagery to the Launch Team for the Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite (ARGOS) located on Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque NM. The imagery was collected during the initial orbits of the ARGOS satellite after being launched from Vandenburg AFB, California on 23 Feb 1999. Secondary objectives were to demonstrate the feasibility of such support, to evaluate the usefulness of the capability, and to determine the requirements to permanently establish such a capacity.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Red sprites and blue jets: High-altitude optical emissions linked to lightning

Two newly discovered classes of high-altitude atmospheric flashes excited by lightning suggest that the electrical interactions between the lower atmosphere and the upper atmosphere and ionosphere are greater than previously thought. These optical emissions, known as red sprites and blue jets, occur between the tops of some thunderstorms and the ionosphere. Although scattered sightings of these fleeting emissions had been reported for more than a century, it wasn't until about 5 years ago that their existence was first documented.
Regular paper: The Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy controllers using the simplified linear control rules are nonlinear variable gain controllers

Takagi-Sugeno (TS, for short) fuzzy controllers have been used and treated as black-box controllers, and there exists no explicit structure of any TS fuzzy controller in the literature. In this paper, we investigate the analytical structure of the TS fuzzy controllers that use our newly introduced simplified TS control rule scheme. Our scheme requires that all the rule consequent employ a common linear function and be proportional to one another. The scheme drastically reduces the number of adjustable parameters required by the original TS rule scheme. Product fuzzy logic AND was employed in the rule antecedents. We theoretically proved that the TS controllers using the simplified rule scheme were nonlinear variable gain controllers. The proportionality of the rule consequent parameterized the gain variation characteristics. As special cases, the TS controllers with three or two input variables and the simplified linear rule consequent were nonlinear variable gain PID, PI or PD controllers. As an illustration, we mathematically analyzed the nonlinear variable gain PI controllers, and revealed that the gain variation empowered the controllers to outperform their linear counterparts. Stability of the nonlinear PI control systems was also addressed. A practical example is given to show how to achieve the desired characteristics of the gain variation by properly designing the simplified rules.
The effect of ingested alcohol on fusion latency at various viewing distances.

Although diplopia is a frequently reported symptom of severe alcohol intoxication, there have been few past attempts to describe in any systematic fashion the specific impact of alcohol on fusion. In the present experiment, fusion latency was assessed for 8 male emmetropes. At the beginning of the alcohol condition, they consumed a drink containing 1.4 mllkg of 95% ethanol, plus diluent. For the placebo condition, the drink consisted only of diluent. In each condition, fusion latency (the time required to fuse a binocularly visible target) was recorded for targets requiring a magnitude of vergence that varied from +10 through −2 meter angles, in 1-meterangle steps. It was found that the far point offusion approached the observer as a direct function of intoxication level. Furthermore, fusion latency increased for optically far and near targets as a systematic function of intoxication, with no effect of alcohol on intermediate targets. The results were consistent with previous findings of alcohol-induced narrowing of vergence range, suggesting that alcohol causes the farthest and nearest distances at which fusion latency is affected to approach an intermediate value. Measurable effects on fusion latency were observed with blood alcohol levels as low as 0.05%–0.06%, considerably below the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle in most states.
Synthesis of Polystyrene−Polylactide Bottlebrush Block Copolymers and Their Melt Self-Assembly into Large Domain Nanostructures

High molecular weight polystyrene−polylactide (PS−PLA) bottlebrush block copolymers have been shown to self-assemble into highly ordered lamellae structures with domain spacings as large as 163 nm, as identified by ultrasmall-angle X-ray scattering. Bottlebrush block copolymers were synthesized by a combination of living radical and ring-opening polymerizations. The backbone was prepared by RAFT block copolymerization of solketal methacrylate (SM) and 2-(bromoisobutyryl)ethyl methacrylate (BIEM). Polystyrene branches were grafted by ATRP from poly(BIEM) block, and PLA branches were grafted from the poly(SM) block after the removal of ketal groups. The investigation into the self-assembly of PS−PLA bottlebrush block copolymers with varying lengths of branches and backbones revealed a number of unusual trends, which were attributed to their dynamic, three-dimensional structure. The results suggest that in phase-separated melts the bottlebrush block copolymer backbone, while extended, still possesses a certa...
Examination of oxidized cellulose as a macromolecular prodrug carrier: preparation and characterization of an oxidized cellulose-phenylpropanolamine conjugate.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of 6-carboxycellulose (OC), a biocompatible and bioresorbable polymer, as a prodrug carrier for amine drugs. Phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride (PPA.HCl) was used as a model drug. OC and PPA were reacted in dimethylformamide (DMF) in the presence of 1,3-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) for 2.5 days at room temperature. Filtration, followed by washing with methanol, and subsequent drying under vacuum, produced the conjugate in 65-78% yield. The amount of PPA in the product, determined from the difference in the carboxylic content before and after the reaction, was 24.2% (w/w), corresponding to a degree of substitution (DS) value of 0.7. The Fourier transform-infra red (FT-IR) spectrum of the conjugate, compared with that of OC and PPA.HCl, showed a new band at about 1533 cm(-1) attributable to a C = O (amide II) stretching and N single bond H (amide I and amide II) bending vibrations, a decrease in intensity of the characteristic free carboxylic acid carbonyl stretching band at about 1748 cm(-1), and a strong band at 1663 cm(-1) due to C = O (amide I) stretching vibration, suggesting that the OC is linked to PPA via an amide bond. The solid-state carbon-13 cross polarization/magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance ((13)CCP/MAS NMR) spectrum of the conjugate was also consistent with this structure. The release studies performed in pH 4.5, 5.5, and 7.4 buffer solutions and in rat liver homogenate (pH 7.4), showed the conjugate to be more susceptible to hydrolysis at a lower pH and in the presence of rat liver homogenate. In conclusion, the results presented show that OC can be covalently linked to amine drugs via an amide bond in DMF using DCC as a coupling agent, and provide a macromolecular prodrug delivery system.
Groups that involve finitely many primes and have all subgroups subnormal

Abstract It is shown that if G is a group with all subgroups subnormal, and if the torsion subgroup of G involves just finitely many primes, then G has a normal nilpotent subgroup N such that G / N is a Chernikov group.
Story-map: iPad companion for long form TV narratives

Long form TV narratives present multiple continuing characters and story arcs that last over multiple episodes and even over multiple seasons. Writers increasingly take pride in creating coherent and persistent story worlds with recurring characters and references to backstory. Since viewers may join the story at different points and different levels of commitment, they need support to orient them to the fictional world, to remind them of plot threads, and to allow them to review important story sequences across episodes. Using the affordances of the digital medium we can create navigation patterns and auxiliary information streams to minimize confusion and maximize immersion in the story world. In our application, the iPad is used as a secondary screen to create a character map synchronized with the TV content, and to support navigation of story threads across episodes.
The western approach to the Athenian Akropolis

The structures along the west side of the Athenian Akropolis have long delighted visitors approaching the site and have challenged scholars for generations. By happy coincidence a variety of different studies has recently been published which emphasized different aspects of the approaches to the citadel and once again remind us of the many problems still remaining to be solved.Ira S. Mark concentrated on the shrine of the Athena Nike. He dealt primarily with the Mycenaean bastion enclosed within the later ashlar masonry of the classical podium, the various early remains of the shrine, which lie roughly 1.30 m. below the floor level of the classical temple, and the historical background of the temple itself. He published a few of the many early drawings of the bastion made by Nikolaos Balanos and his associates and re-examined the early walls crowning the archaic bastion, which he divided into various stages. Although, in my opinion, his chronology needs adjustment, his division of the walls built along the edges of the basion into different phases helps us to understand in more detail the history of the site and is a welcome addition. One of these earlier walls, which had long been considered to be Mycenaean, was dated by Mark to a much later phase (Fig. 1, 15). He suggested that the wall was a post-Mycenaean addition built in this position to enclose the east side of the shrine. This wall lies parallel to the West Cyclopean Wall and had been thought to represent the eastern limit of the bastion. The fragmentary remains of this wall, which are no longer visible, were originally recorded by Panagiotis Kavvadias and Georg Kawerau and its existence has bedeviled all attempts to restore a Mycenaean gate in this area.
PARENTAL ABSENCE DURING CHILDHOOD AND DEPRESSION IN LATER LIFE

Long-term consequences of parental absence during childhood for adult depression are examined using 1987–1988 National Survey of Families and Households data. Whites and African Americans, male and female, separated from a parent score higher on a measure of depression than those raised in continuously intact families. Hispanic males and females show no such differences. All reasons for parental absence (divorce, death, out-of-wedlock birth, and others) relate to elevated depression in one or another group. Educational attainment and current marital status mediated a moderate proportion of the estimated effect for whites and African American females.
Bayesian modeling of retrospective time-to-pregnancy data with digit preference bias

The study of factors affecting human fertility is an important problem affording interesting statistical and computational challenges. Analyses of human fertility rates must cope with extra variability in fecundability parameters as well as a host of covariates ranging from the obvious, such as coital frequency, to the subtle, like the smoking habits of the female's mother. In retrospective human fecundity studies, researchers ask couples the time required to conceive. This time-to-pregnancy data often exhibits digit preference bias, among other problems. We introduce computationally intensive models with sufficient flexibility to represent such bias and other causes yielding a similar lack of monotonicity in conception probabilities.
Database for office automation

With a fast growth in the quantity and quality of software applications for office systems and advanced workstations, it is becoming clear that the trend is towards a more integrated software architecture for workstation or office systems. A critical piece in a truly integrated system is a well-designed general purpose database mangement system (DBMS) that supports all applications running on the workstation (or office system). Sophisticated DBMSs have been developed on the main frames, primarily for large data processsing (DP) applications. Is it true, then, that all we need is to transport these systems to the workstation?The first problem that one faces to move a full scale DBMS to a workstation is the size. It is not clear that trimming a big DBMS down is an easy task. Some of the advanced capabilities might be modular and relatively easy to remove. Others could be quite difficult as the code is distributed throughout the system. In some cases, it might not even be possible to “trim” when the general capability is needed but to a lesser extent. In practice, most major DBMSs are built without serious concern on the space restrictions. It might be easier to design and implement a new system with “smallness” in mind than to trim down a huge one. The considerations on smallness include the data structures, control blocks, interfaces, buffer requirements, configuration and packaging of the system, as well as the number of lines of code.Size is only the beginning. Smallness makes the DBMS possible to run on a workstation. Because of the new operating environment, there are new requirements for the DBMS which are different from the traditional DP environment on a main frame. The real challenge is to determine what these requirements are and how to design a system accordingly.On an advanced workstation, one has to support word processing, data processing, engineering and scientific, administrative, as well as
On the simultaneous measurement of position and momentum: Naimark embeddings and projections

Single and double meter simultaneous measurements of a harmonic oscillator are reviewed and compared. Naimark extensions are constructed and relevant projection properties are exhibited for both cases. The theory is extended to the simultaneous measurement of squeezed position and momentum measurements.
Adenylate cyclase supersensitivity: a general means of cellular adaptation to inhibitory agonists?

Abstract Chronic treatment of cultured nerve cells with drugs such as morphine which inhibit adenylate cyclase activity are well known to induce an enhanced activity of the enzyme that is found after withdrawal of the inhibitory drug. This phenomenon of supersensitive adenylate cyclase activity has been proposed to represent a cellular model for drug addiction. John Thomas and Brian Hoffman describe recent observations that this change in adenylate cyclase activity occurs in a wide variety of other types of cultured cells. The effect also appears to be induced in adipocytes by in-vivo treatment with inhibitory drugs. Induction of both the supersensitive adenylate cyclase activity in nerve cells and a physiological hallmark of drug addiction in animals appears to involve a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein. Although there may be important analogies between inhibitor-induced changes in adenylate cyclase activity and drug addiction, the phenomenon of super-sensitive adenylate cyclase can be considered a more general cellular adaptation to chronic inhibition of the enzyme.
Hypermetabolic Levels of Protein Turnover and Energy Expenditure in Bloom's Syndrome 735

Bloom's syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by elevated frequency of sister chromatid exchange, increased risk for malignancies, and normally proportioned short stature. However, no studies have evaluated the possibility of hypermetabolism and increased macronutrient requirements in these patients. Therefore, we measured protein kinetics and energy expenditure in a child (B.P.) with Bloom's syndrome and compared the results with published reports of hyper- metabolic children of similar age with acute, large body-surface-area burns.
Garbage: How population, landmass, and development interact with culture in the production of waste

Abstract Garbage is the waste and discarded items of society. Archeologists obsessively dig up is historic or prehistoric garbage – the useless, broken, and unwanted. Yet, these digs tell us a great deal about the society in which the items were used. Countless inferences can be made from what is discarded, how it is discarded, where it is discarded, and why. Was it broken, used, consumed, or unwanted? These same questions and answers have as much to tell us about modern societies. What is discarded and thrown away? Is it broken, or merely unwanted? Has it been consumed, or was it past it's “shelf-life”? Along with this archaeological inferability goes the notion of the society in which it is discarded. Is it a modern “developed” society? Using datasets available from the United Nations and World Bank detailing waste generation, economic development, population, and land area, this paper will argue that waste generation is not only a product of the society in which it is based, but also profoundly affected by the rate and the way at which the society has approached modernity. Countries will likely always produce waste, but what becomes waste, and how much, is a product of the particular society and the technology they have to eliminate it.
A planned, prospective comparison of short-term quality of life outcomes among older patients with breast cancer treated with standard chemotherapy in a randomized clinical trial vs. an observational study: CALGB #49907 and #369901.

Abstract Objectives Patients ≥ 65 years old (“older”) are often not included in randomized clinical trials (RCT), but when they are, care in an RCT might improve quality of life (QoL). We conducted a prospective comparison of QoL among older women receiving standard chemotherapy from the same cooperative group physicians in an RCT vs. an observational study (“off-trial”). Methods Older women with invasive, non-metastatic breast cancer (n = 150 RCT; 530 off-trial) were included. Linear mixed-effects models tested associations between chemotherapy on- vs. off-trial and changes in EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire) QoL scores over 24 months, controlling for pre-treatment QoL, age, education, tumor factors, comorbidity, and other covariates. Results Anthracycline regimens were used by 58% of women treated on-trial vs. 54% of those treated off-trial. Women in the RCT reported an adjusted mean increase of 13.7 points (95% CI 10.2, 17.1) in global QoL at 24 months (vs. mid-treatment), while women treated off-trial had only an adjusted improvement of 7.0 points (95% CI 3.5, 10.4; p = .007 for difference in mean changes). Women in the RCT had significantly greater improvement in emotional function than those treated off-trial, controlling for baseline; they also had greater reductions in therapy side effects and fatigue at 24 months than women off-trial, controlling for covariates. Conclusion There may be different QoL trajectories for older women undergoing breast cancer chemotherapy on- vs. off-trial. If confirmed, the results suggest that the extra monitoring and communication within an RCT could provide the infrastructure for interventions to address symptoms and improve QoL for the growing older cancer population.
Balloon-borne measurements of CLO, NO, and O3 in a volcanic cloud: An analysis of heterogeneous chemistry between 20 and 30 km

Balloon profiles of chlorine monoxide (ClO), nitric oxide (NO), and ozone (O3) were measured on March 11, 1992 from 100 to 10 mb over Greenland (67.0 deg N, 50.6 deg W). Measurements from SAGE II indicate that the aerosol surface area in the region was enhanced by sulfur from the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, reaching 50 times background near 20 km. Concentrations of ClO were enhanced and concentrations of NO were suppressed relative to low aerosol conditions consistent with the effects of hydrolysis of N2O5 on the surface of sulfuric acid aerosols. The data are consistent with a value of 2 x 10(exp -4) for the reaction probability of the heterogeneous hydrolysis of ClONO2, indicating a minor role for this reaction at a temperature of 220 K. At these temperatures, we find no evidence for the catastrophic loss of ozone predicted to occur under conditions of enhanced aerosol surface area.
DCT-Based Object Tracking in Compressed Video

This paper presents a novel real-time DCT-based object tracking algorithm that operates on I frames in compressed MPEG video. Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) coefficients that are provided from video sequences are exploited to find motion and color cues. The temporal motion and spatial color information are then fused by means of a posterior probability framework which allows the information from different measurement sources to be fused in a principled manner. The DCT-based method and probabilistic framework ensure robustness with respect to noise, occlusion, local scene changes, global illumination changes and inconsistent movement. The tracker is also able to recognize the object when it re-appears after it has left the scene. After tracker selection, the background and object model are selectively updated to adapt to environmental changes. Experimental results show the effectiveness and efficacy of the proposed method.
Design of SFQ-counting analog-to-digital converter

We describe the design of an oversampling single-flux-counting analog-to-digital converter with the estimated bandwidth of a few tens of MHz, based on Rapid Single-Flux-Quantum (RSFQ) devices. It consists of an input analog circuit, high-speed quantizer with an original analog/digital negative feedback loop, decimation (comb) filter, and supporting subsystems including clock distribution circuits, quantization signal conditioner, and output drivers. We have applied a new approach, the 'symmetrizing' negative feedback, to free the quantizer from the intrinsic hysteresis without dynamic range sacrifice. The 16-bit version of the system comprises about 1,500 Josephson junctions and consumes 1.2 mW of DC power, when implemented using Nb-trilayer technology with 1 kA/cm/sup 2/, 3.5 /spl mu/m Josephson junctions. All subsystems of the converter have been successfully tested and testing of the system as a whole is in progress. >
Structure and properties formation of metal matrix composites

Abstract Strength properties and failure mechanism of metal matrix composites (MMCs) are determined by the degree of component interaction. MMCs have failed through the mechanism of loosely-bonded bundles in the case of insufficient interaction, by a mechanism of failure localization at optimum interaction, and in the case of excessive interaction their fracture is brittle. MMC state and the appropriate failure mechanism are defined by a characteristic parametric relationship depending on retained fiber strength and derived bond strength. A relationship is given linking these parameters with processing parameters. Experimental results allow us to introduce quantitative compatibility and interaction estimation to determine optimum processing conditions. Proposed principles are illustrated by using aluminum matrix composites reinforced with carbon, boron and silicon carbide fibers as an example.
Gender Differences in Depression

From early adolescence through adulthood, women are twice as likely as men to experience depression. Many different explanations for this gender difference in depression have been offered, but none seems to fully explain it. Recent research has focused on gender differences in stress responses, and in exposure to certain stressors. I review this research and describe how gender differences in stress experiences and stress reactivity may interact to create women's greater vulnerability to depression.