cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Institution of prothrombin complex concentrate protocols is associated with a reduction in plasma administration at a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Abstract Study objective Explore how the introduction of 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrates (4F-PCC) protocols for reversing anticoagulation and the treatment of critical bleeding influenced blood product utilization. Design A retrospective analysis of the utilization rate of plasma and 4F-PCC from September 2012 through December 2018. Setting Blood bank and pharmacy records of a single large tertiary care medical center. Patients Admitted patients except obstetric during the study period (n = 283,319). Intervention Five institutional protocols providing guidelines for 4F-PCC administration were deployed over a 3-year period. Measurements The utilization rate of plasma and 4F-PCC was the primary outcome and analyzed using an interrupted time series analysis. Utilization of platelets and cryoprecipitate as well as the impact of the intervention on the service prescribing the blood products were evaluated as secondary outcomes. Data were evaluated using a segmented time series regression. Results When adjusted for seasonality, the monthly rate of plasma administration was 24.7 ± 2.0 units per 100 admissions in the 6-month period prior to the 1st intervention (May–October 2013) and decreased to 9.9 ± 2.2 units per 100 admissions in the same six-month period following the 5th intervention (May–October 2018), median difference − 14.5, 95% CI -16.0 to −13.2, P Conclusions and relevance Our findings demonstrate that establishing institutional protocols for the use of 4F-PCC to reverse the effects of anticoagulation and to treat critical bleeding with associated coagulopathy was associated with reduced plasma utilization.
Effects of enamel deproteinization with different application times on the shear bond strength of a self-etching primer: An in vitro study

Summary Objective The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of enamel deproteinization on the shear bond strength of a self-etching primer Transbond Plus™(TBP), with different application times of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl 5.25%), primarily and secondarily on the adhesive remnant index score. Materials and methods One hundred twenty-five freshly extracted human premolars were randomly and blindly divided into five groups according to the enamel surface preparation, as follows (n = 25): group 1(control): Etching with 37% phosphoric acid for 15 seconds + Bonding; group 2 (control): TBP™ without NaOCl, group 3: 60 seconds NaOCl + TBP™, group 4: 30 seconds NaOCl + TBP™, group 5: 15 seconds NaOCl + TBP™. The same composite resin was used (Transbond XT™) to bond the orthodontic metal brackets. After the immersion of the teeth in distilled water at 37 °C for 24 hours the shear bond strength was measured using the universal testing machine and the adhesive remnant index score (ARI) was evaluated under an optical microscope (25 × ). Results The mean SBS values (in MPa) of the groups were respectively: group 1: 13.03 ± 5.36; group 2: 12.28 ± 3.06; group 3: 12.38 ± 4.55; group 4: 12.98 ± 5.76; and group 5: 11.73 ± 5.67. Enamel deproteinization increased the SBS for groups 3 and 4, but no statistically significant difference was found between the five groups (P = 0.883). Group 1 showed the highest ARI scores, with 52% of the teeth retaining all the adhesive (score 3). However, for all the other groups, scores 0 and 1 were predominant, with less than half of the adhesive or no adhesive at all remaining on the teeth. Conclusions Enamel deproteinization with sodium hypochlorite (5.25%) and the variation of its application time has no effect on the SBS of the self-etching primer Transbond Plus ™.
Test negative designs with uncertainty, sensitivity, and specificity

Abstract Test-negative designs (TNDs) can be used to estimate vaccine effectiveness by comparing the relative rates of the target disease and symptomatically similar diseases among vaccinated and unvaccinated populations. However, the diagnostic tests used to identify the target disease typically suffer from imperfect sensitivity and specificity, leading to biased vaccine effectiveness estimates. Here we present a solution to this problem via a Bayesian statistical model which can either incorporate point estimates of test sensitivity and specificity, or can jointly infer them directly from laboratory validation data. This approach enables uncertainties in the performance characteristics of the diagnostic test to be correctly propagated to estimates, avoiding both bias and false precision in vaccine effectiveness. By further incorporating individual covariates of study participants, and by allowing data streams from multiple diagnostic test types to be rigorously combined, our approach provides a flexible model for the analysis of TNDs with explicitly stated assumptions.
Endoscopic gallbladder drainage for symptomatic gallbladder disease: a cumulative systematic review meta-analysis

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided transmural or endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC)-based transpapillary drainage may provide alternative treatment strategies for high-risk surgical candidates with symptomatic gallbladder (GB) disease. The primary aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic GB drainage for patients with symptomatic GB disease. Searches of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were performed in accordance with PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. Pooled proportions were calculated for measured outcomes including technical success, clinical success, adverse event rate, recurrence rate, and rate of reintervention. Subgroup analyses were performed for transmural versus transpapillary, transmural lumen apposing stent (LAMS), and comparison to percutaneous transhepatic drainage. Heterogeneity was assessed with I2 statistics. Publication bias was ascertained by funnel plot and Egger regression testing. Thirty-six studies (n = 1538) were included. Overall, endoscopic GB drainage achieved a technical and clinical success of 87.33% [(95% CI 84.42–89.77); I2 = 39.55] and 84.16% [(95% CI 80.30–87.38); I2 = 52.61], with an adverse event rate of 11.00% [(95% CI 9.25–13.03); I2 = 7.08]. On subgroup analyses, EUS-guided transmural compared to ERC-assisted transpapillary drainage resulted in higher technical and clinical success rates [OR 3.91 (95% CI 1.52–10.09); P = 0.005 and OR 4.59 (95% CI 1.84–11.46); P = 0.001] and lower recurrence rate [OR 0.17 (95% CI 0.06–0.52); P = 0.002]. Among EUS-guided LAMS studies, technical success was 94.65% [(95% CI 91.54–96.67); I2 = 0.00], clinical success was 92.06% [(95% CI 88.65–94.51); I2 = 0.00], and adverse event rate was 11.71% [(95% CI 8.92–15.23); I2 = 0.00]. Compared to percutaneous drainage, EUS-guided drainage possessed a similar efficacy and safety with significantly lower rate of reintervention [OR 0.05 (95% CI 0.02–0.13); P < 0.001]. Endoscopic GB drainage is a safe and effective treatment for high-risk surgical candidates with symptomatic GB disease. EUS-guided transmural drainage is superior to transpapillary drainage and associated with a lower rate of reintervention compared to percutaneous transhepatic drainage.
Respiratory syncytial virus-associated deaths in the United States according to death certificate data, 2005 to 2016.

Background and Aims In the United States, respiratory infections due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cause an estimated 57 000 hospitalizations annually among children aged <5 years and 177 000 hospitalizations among adults aged ≥65 years. RSV-associated deaths are less well described. It will be important to establish a baseline of RSV-coded deaths prior to the introduction of vaccines, immunoprophylaxis products, and anti-viral therapies currently in development. Methods US death certificate data for all ages from 2005 through 2016 were compiled through the National Center for Health Statistics. Deaths with International Classification of Diseases codes of J12.1 (RSV-pneumonia), J20.5 (RSV-bronchitis), or J21.0 (RSV-bronchiolitis) assigned as either the underlying cause of death or a contributing cause of death were considered "RSV-associated" for this analysis. Results Among 30.5 million deaths, 1001 (.003%) were assigned an RSV-associated cause of death as follows: 697 (69.6%) RSV-pneumonia, 277 (27.7%) RSV-bronchiolitis, 17 (1.7%) RSV-bronchitis, and 10 (1.0%) with multiple RSV-associated causes. Most deaths were among children <5 (47.8%) and adults ≥50 (40.4%) years of age. Almost half (46.8%) had an RSV-associated cause as the primary underlying cause of death. The average annual number of RSV-associated deaths did not significantly change among those aged <5 and 5 to 49 years. However, RSV-pneumonia deaths among adults aged ≥50 years increased from 17.6 in 2005 to 2012 to 57.3 in 2013 to 2016 (P value <.0001). Conclusions From 2005 to 2016, the number of recorded RSV-associated deaths increased, primarily due to greater RSV-associated pneumonia deaths among older adults since 2013. The reasons for this increase are not clear but likely reflect increased testing for RSV among adults. The number of RSV-associated deaths according to death certificates compared with estimates derived from active, laboratory-confirmed surveillance and models using hospital administrative data suggests that counts from death certificates are a large underestimation, particularly among adults.
Broadband high-efficiency half-wave plate using plasmonic metasurface

We demonstrate an ultrathin, broadband half-wave plate in the near-infrared range using a plasmonic metasurface. Simulated and experimental results indicate that such a broadband and high-efficiency performance is sustained over a wide range of incident angles.
“I wyll be thy true servaunte / And trewely serve thee”: Guildhall Minstrelsy in the Gest of Robyn Hode

Although the Gest of Robyn Hode is familiar as the earliest-known verse life of the medieval English outlaw, virtually no scholars have offered detailed conjecture about the manner of its earliest performance. Offering an analysis of the potential of the aged text as performed narrative, Hoffman traces the tale back to a satirical reproduction as an example of confraternity and sophisticated levels of stylization of "semi-dramatic minstrel 'talking.'"
Improvements in HMM based spectral frequency line estimation

This paper considers the application of Hidden Markov Models to the problem of tracking frequency lines in spectrograms of strongly non-stationary signals such as encountered in aero-acoustics and sonar where tracking difficulties arise from low SNR and large variances associated with spectral estimates. In the proposed method, we introduce a novel method to determine the observation (measurement) likelihoods by interpolation between local maxima. We also show that use of low variance AutoRegressiveMultiTaper (ARMT) spectral estimates results in improved tracking. The frequency line is tracked using the Forward-Backward and Viterbi algorithms.
Oral infection of weanling foals with an equine isolate of Lawsonia intracellularis, agent of equine proliferative enteropathy.

Background: Equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) is an emerging disease of weanling foals. Objectives: Describe clinical, hematologic, biochemical, serologic, molecular, and ultrasonographic findings in foals experimentally infected with Lawsonia intracellularis. Animals: Eight foals. Methods: Recently weaned foals were assigned to either the challenge (n = 3), the sentinel (n = 3), or the control (n = 2) group. Foals were experimentally challenged via intragastric inoculation of 3 × 1010L. intracellularis organisms grown in culture. Each experimentally infected foal was housed with a sentinel foal in order to assess feco-oral transmission. All foals were monitored daily for the development of clinical abnormalities and were weighed once weekly for the duration of the study (90 days). Abdominal ultrasound examination was performed weekly. Feces were collected every other day for 60 days, then weekly for an additional 30 days for the quantitative molecular detection of L. intracellularis. Blood was collected weekly for hematologic, biochemical, and serologic analysis. Results: Only challenged foals developed transient clinical signs of EPE consisting of anorexia, lethargy, fever, loose feces, and peripheral edema. Two challenged foals developed transient hypoalbuminemia. Fecal shedding of L. intracellularis was first detected in the challenged foals between days 12 and 18 postinoculation and lasted for 7–21 days. Seroconversion was documented in all challenged foals and in 1 sentinel foal. The remaining sentinel and control foals remained unaffected. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Clinical EPE of variable severity was induced in all foals infected with L. intracellularis. Furthermore, L. intracellularis can be transmitted via the feco-oral route to susceptible herdmates.
A surface micromachined capacitive pressure sensor for biomedical applications

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and The Department of Pediatric Cardiology, at Strong Memorial Hospital, have joined efforts to work on a research project funded by National Institute of Health (NIH). The goal of this research project was to design and develop a semiconductor pressure sensor, sensitive to small pressure changes within an embryonic chicken heart. A capacitive pressure sensor design was chosen and fabricated to replace the complicated electronics currently being used for pressure measurements in these fetal heart research studies. In addition to the fabrication of the mechanical sensor, an electronic circuit was developed which provided amplification of the capacitance measurement, as well as converting the pressure varying capacitance to a frequency modulated signal. Although a fully integrated chip has not been successfully completed, data has been collected that shows a frequency response verses pressure.
Eight novel tetranucleotide and five cross-species dinucleotide microsatellite loci for the ornate chorus frog (Pseudacris ornata)

We describe the cloning and characterization of eight novel tetranucleotide microsatellite loci in the ornate chorus frog (Pseudacris ornata). We also screened 26 loci from GenBank that were isolated from other Pseudacris species and obtained consistent product from five of these dinucleotide loci. All loci are polymorphic. In our sample of 26 frogs from a natural population, polymorphism ranged from 1 to 22 alleles per locus with expected heterozygosities ranging from 0 to 0.958. These loci enable high-resolution studies of P. ornata. Moreover, cross-species amplification success suggests they will also be useful for other chorus frog species.
Contact Chemoreception, Mating Behaviour, and Sexual Isolation in the Rotifer Genus Brachionus

SUMMARY 1. Matings in two commonly co-occurring, limnetic species of the genu Brachionus,sB. calyciflorus and B. angularis, are completely species-specific. Males initiate matingreactions only when they happe ton swim head-on into female of theis r own species.In these reaction the mals e maintains contac tht wite femalh ane d simultaneousl ymoves round and round her body until eithe hre loses contac ant d swims away or hecopulates. Females a plan entirely y passive role throughou thet mating process.2. Th male e mating reaction is the manifestation of an innate reflex response whichis triggered when certain coronal chemoreceptors make contac or are exposet with,dto, a sudden, marked increase in concentration of a species-specific chemical substancelocated only in the females of the species.3. This substance, i whics continuallh y released int thoe environment by growingfemales and i extractabls e from crushed female is:s dialysable with water, ether, -insoluble, heat-stable, acid-stable, base-labile to periodat, resistanet oxidation ad- ,sorbed on charcoal, amphoteric an unaffected , bdy trypsin, pepsin and carboxy, -peptidase.This pape ir s part of a dissertation submitte ind partial fulfilmen otf th requiree -ments for th degree oef Docto orf Philosoph at Yaly e University New Haven, ,Connecticut. I have greatly appreciate the advicd e and encouragemen otf Prof. G.Evelyn Hutchinson and am indebted to Dr Gerard R. Wyatt and Dr George Brawer-man, without whose counsel muc of thh e chemical portio onf this study would havebeen impossible I wis. tho than Dk r John L . Brook s and m wifey , Caroline for,reading the manuscript.
Structure, function and evolution of somatic musculature in Dasydytidae (Paucitubulatina, Gastrotricha)

The musculature of two species of the gastrotrich taxon Dasydytidae, Dasydytes (Dasydytes) goniathrix and Haltidytes crassus, was investigated and described using phalloidin staining, confocal microscopy and computer-aided three-dimensional data analysis. Dasydytidae is a peculiar taxon of freshwater Gastrotricha, containing species that are characterized by different adaptations to a semiplanktonic lifestyle, a rather uncommon feature among primarily benthic Gastrotricha. Like other dasydytid species studied so far, D. goniathrix and H. crassus possess a system of movable cuticular spines with an associated system of somatic oblique and segmented lateral muscles. The presence of other somatic (dorsodermal muscles R1 and R2) and visceral muscles (musculi ventrales, m. ventrolaterales, m. dorsales, m. helicoidales) known from a wide range of gastrotrich species was confirmed. Regarded from a functional perspective, the earlier proposed antagonistic role of oblique muscles (as spine abductors) and segmented lateral muscles (as adductors) is questioned for the species studied herein. Alternatively, our structural and behavioral observations suggest that muscular spine abduction in D. goniathrix is brought about by synergistic contraction of the musculi obliqua and m. laterales, and a passive adduction due to muscle relaxation and elastic recoil of the trunk and cuticle. For H. crassus, we hypothesize active muscular spine abduction by contraction of the musculi obliqua plus the last segment of m. laterales accompanied by severe cuticle deformations close to the spine insertions. Adduction is achieved by cuticle reformation due to elasticity and increase in tissue pressure brought about by muscle action, possibly of enforced dorsodermal muscles. The newly obtained and published muscular data of further gastrotrich species were gathered in a species-character matrix. Based on this data set, a maximum parsimony analysis of representatives of the Dasydytidae has been conducted. According to this analysis, there are three well-supported monophyletic lineages within likewise monophyletic Dasydytidae. The first lineage comprises the taxa Anacanthoderma, Stylochaeta and Chitonodytes, the second comprises Dasydytes, Setopus and Ornamentula, and the third represents the taxon Haltidytes. Relationships between these clades could be resolved but are only weakly supported. The new phylogenetic hypothesis is used to reconstruct the ancestral character pattern and to infer possible evolutionary transformations within the Dasydytidae.
Two cationic metal-organic frameworks based on cadmium and α,ω-alkanedisulfonate anions and their photoluminescent properties.

We have successfully synthesized three cadmium-based metal–organic frameworks by utilizing two separate organic linkers to direct the structure. The first material is a three-dimensional neutral framework based on 2D cadmium ethanedisulfonate layers pillared by a 4,4′-bipyridine linker. The other two materials are 3D cationic frameworks and are the first with propanedisulfonate and butanedisulfonate as extraframework charge balancing anions. Both structures occupy a high symmetry hexagonal crystal system where Cd-bipy chains are arranged into three crystallographically distinct layers that stack spirally along [001]. The framework is stabilized by alkanesulfonate anions that are electrostatically and hydrogen bonded to the framework. Each material was characterized by single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. The thermal and luminescent properties were also investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and photoluminescence spectroscopy, respectively. All three materials exhibit high thermal stability to above 300 °C and efficient blue emissive photoluminescence centered at 425 nm to 450 nm upon 350 nm excitation.
Micromolar calcium stimulates proteolysis and glutamate binding in rat brain synaptic membranes

Incubation of cortical synaptic membranes with low concentrations of calcium resulted in a decrease in the amount of a high-molecular-weight doublet protein and an increase in the sodium-independent binding of glutamate. Both effects were blocked by the thiol protease inhibitor leupeptin. These results suggest that calcium-induced proteolysis of membrane components regulates the number of glutamate receptors in neuronal membranes.
Epidemiological Implications of HIV-Hepatitis C Co-Infection in South and Southeast Asia

We sought to profile the epidemiological implication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection from South and Southeast Asia by reviewing original studies reporting prevalence of HIV-HCV co-infection and their risk factors. Thirteen papers cited in the PubMed database and published in 2012 and 2013 were reviewed. The overall HCV co-infection prevalence ranged broadly from 1.2 % to 98.5 % among HIV-positive people in South and Southeast Asia. Among HCV seropositive blood donors in Nepal, 5.75 % had HIV co-infection. Injecting drug use (IDU) was one of the key risk factors of co-infection, with HCV infection reaching 89.8 % and 98.5 % among HIV-positive injecting drug users in Vietnam. The most recent data from South and Southeast Asia suggest the urgency of implementation of comprehensive prevention and control strategies of HIV-HCV co-infection.
RbSr and KAr ages of paleozoic glauconites from Ohio—Indiana and Missouri, U.S.A.

Abstract Glauconite pellets from the Lower Silurian Brassfield Formation on both limbs of the Cincinnati Arch in Ohio and Indiana give a RbSr age of 370 ± 11 Ma, which is substantially younger than the stratigraphic age of the formation. The age is concordantcwith conventional KAr ages of 355 ± 6 and 368 ± 5 Ma for two of the same glauconites. Concordant ages were also obtained from the Viburnum Trend in Missouri, where glauconite pellets from the Davis Formation in an ore-zone collapse structure into the underlying Bonneterre Formation give a RbSr age of 387 ± 21 Ma and conventional KAr ages of 368 ± 5 and 369 ± 5 and 369 ± 5 Ma. A third suite of glauconite from the Bonneterre Formation in the Old Lead Belt ∼ 10 km from the nearest ore body has given a RbSr age of 423 ± 7 Ma and slightly older conventional KAr ages of 434 ± 6, 445 ± 6 and 441 ± 11 Ma. Because these glauconite-bearing rocks have been buried to depths of less than 1 km, thermal resetting of the RbSr and KAr systematics appears unlikely. The initial 87 Sr 86 Sr ratios of the RbSr isochrons are similar to the ratios for vein- and vug-filling dolomite and calcite. This is consistent with resetting of the RbSr and KAr systems during diagenetic changes which included the isotopic equilibration (perhaps by cation exchange) of the Sr in the glauconite with that in the diagenetic and Mississippi Valley-type ore fluids. This interpretation implies that the age of the Mississippi Valley-type mineralization in the Viburnum Trend is Devonian rather than Carboniferous—Permian as has been inferred from paleomagnetic measurements. Cation-exchange experiments with a dilute Sr-bearing solution and an artificial oilfield brine indicate that glauconite adsorbs large amounts of Sr, some of which is sufficiently strongly attached to the glauconite lattice as to resist leaching with ammonium acetate. The introduction of this strongly attached Sr may be the first step in the resetting of the RbSr systematics of glauconite by cation exchange.
Receptor editing in lymphocyte development and central tolerance

The specificities of lymphocytes for antigen are generated by a quasi-random process of gene rearrangement that often results in non-functional or autoreactive antigen receptors. Regulation of lymphocyte specificities involves not only the elimination of cells that display 'unsuitable' receptors for antigen but also the active genetic correction of these receptors by secondary recombination of the DNA. As I discuss here, an important mechanism for the genetic correction of antigen receptors is ongoing recombination, which leads to receptor editing. Receptor editing is probably an adaptation that is necessitated by the high probability of receptor autoreactivity. In both B cells and T cells, the genes that encode the two chains of the antigen receptor seem to be specialized to promote, on the one hand, the generation of diverse specificities and, on the other hand, the regulation of these specificities through efficient editing.
Cross-Talk between Schwann Cells and Neuroblasts Influences the Biology of Neuroblastoma Xenografts

Neuroblastoma (NB) tumors with abundant schwannian stroma have a differentiated phenotype, low vascularity, and are associated with a favorable prognosis. These observations suggest that cross-talk between Schwann cells and neuroblasts may influence tumor biology. To test this hypothesis, we developed a novel NB xenograft model with infiltrating mouse Schwann cells. Human SMS-KCNR NB cells were injected intrafascicularly (sciatic nerve-engrafted NB, n = 19) or outside the sciatic nerve (control, n = 12). Xenografts were harvested 4 to 12 weeks after tumor cell inoculation for histological studies. Schwann cells were immunostained with S-100 and species-specific p75(NGFR), major histocompatibility complex, and human leukocyte antigen antibodies. The number of proliferating cells, infiltrating Schwann cells, apoptotic cells, differentiated neuroblasts, and blood vessels in the sciatic nerve-engrafted NB tumors were compared to controls. Significantly more Schwann cells were detected in the sciatic nerve-engrafted NB xenografts than controls (P < 0.001). The infiltrating Schwann cells were S-100-positive and reacted with anti-mouse major histocompatibility complex class Ib and p75(NGFR) but not anti-human p75(NGFR) and human leukocyte antigen class I antibodies. The sciatic nerve-engrafted tumors also had lower numbers of proliferating neuroblasts, higher numbers of differentiated neuroblasts and apoptotic cells, and decreased vascular density compared to controls. Our results indicate that infiltrating Schwann cells of mouse origin are capable of promoting human neuroblast differentiation, inducing apoptosis, and inhibiting proliferation and angiogenesis in vivo.
Methylene bromide chemistry and photochemistry on rutile TiO2(110)

Abstract The chemistry and photochemistry of methylene bromide (CD 2 Br 2 ) on the rutile TiO 2 (110) surface was probed using temperature programmed desorption (TPD). CD 2 Br 2 desorbed in three desorption states at 145, 160 and 250 K tentatively assigned to desorption from the multilayer, from an η 1 -CD 2 Br 2 species and a bridging η 2 -CD 2 Br 2 species, respectively. The latter two TPD states presumably involve binding of CD 2 Br 2 molecules to the surface through Br coordination at five-coordinate Ti 4+ surface sites. The 160 and 250 K TPD states saturated at coverages of 1.0 and 0.33 ML, respectively, where 1 ML is equivalent to the surface Ti 4+ site density (5.2 × 10 14 cm − 2 ). No thermal decomposition of CD 2 Br 2 was observed on either the clean surface or with preadsorbed O 2 . UV irradiation of CD 2 Br 2 on TiO 2 (110) resulted in predominately photodesorption, with trace amounts of photodecomposition evidenced in TPD. The rate of CD 2 Br 2 photodesorption from TiO 2 (110) occurred with a low cross section (~ 2 × 10 − 21 cm 2 ) similar to that expected from direct optical excitation of CD 2 Br 2 . This observation suggests that charge carriers generated in TiO 2 (110) were no more effective in activating adsorbed CD 2 Br 2 molecules than would be expected through direct molecular excitation. These findings suggest that photocatalytic destruction of halocarbons such as CD 2 Br 2 on TiO 2 may preferentially occur though indirect processes (such as OH radical attack) as opposed to direct electron transfer processes involving charge carriers generated in TiO 2 by bandgap excitation.
Polymerization in nonaqueous microemulsions

Nonaqueous microemulsions containing formamide, the anionic surfactant AOT (bis(2-ethyl-hexyl)sulfosuccinate sodium salt), sodium bromide (NaBr), and either of the monomers hexyl methacrylate or styrene are polymerized at 60°C. For both monomers, the final product is a stable, bluish dispersion of particles of ca. 80 nm diameter. Based on phase behavior studies as a function of NaBr concentration, we describe how a systematic variation of composition and monomer causes changes in reaction rates and latex characteristics. The monomer solubility in the continuous phase plays an important role in determining the final polymer characteristics. Decreasing monomer solubility shifts the mechanism from one similar to solution polymerization to one closer to traditional emulsion polymerization.
Effect of food withdrawal on arterial blood glucose and plasma 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F2α concentrations and nocturnal myometrial electromyographic activity in the pregnant rhesus monkey in the last third of gestation: A model for preterm labor?

Pregnant rhesus monkeys were studied between 109 and 149 days of gestation. Food withdrawal for 48 hours (with free access to water) was accompanied by a decrease in maternal whole blood glucose concentration and an increased maternal arterial plasma 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F(2α) concentration. On successive nights of the 48-hour period of food withdrawal, there was an increase in the frequency of myometrial contractions as recorded by uterine electromyogram. In the period after food was returned, blood glucose, arterial 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglanding F(2α) concentration, and contraction frequency returned to baseline. Because of food withdrawal results in the appearance of the nocturnal contraction pattern seen at term, we suggest that this experimental paradigm may be used as a model for preterm labor.
β-carboline-3-carboxylate-t-butyl ester: A selective BZ1 benzodiazepine receptor antagonist

Abstract The effectiveness of β-carboline-3-carboxylate-t-butyl ester (βCCtB) in antagonizing the anticonvulsant, ataxic and antipunishment effects of diazepam were evaluated. In mice, βCCtB at doses of 3 and 10mg/kg produced a dose-related antagonism of the anticonvulsant effects of diazepam against pentylenetetrazole (80 mg/kg). A dose of 30 mg/kg of βCCtB did not produce a further shift in the diazepam dose-effect curve, apparently because βCCtB failed to block the muscle-relaxant effects of diazepam. Further, βCCtB (30 mg/kg) failed to antagonize the ataxic effects of diazepam in an inverted screen test. Rats responded under a multiple schedule where in one component every twentieth response (FR20) resulted in water presentation (unpunished component) and in another component every twentieth response (FR20) resulted in both shock and water presentation (punished component). Diazepam p.o. (0.1 to 10 mg/kg) first increased and then decreased rates in the punished component but only decreased rates in the unpunished component. βCCtB had no effect on response rates when administered alone, but antagonized the rate-increasing effects of diazepam in the punished component. βCCtB did not alter the rate-decreasing effects of diazepam in either component. Thus, βCCtB selectively antagonized the effects of diazepam on punished behavior as well as the anticonvulsant effects of diazepam, but βCCtB failed to antagonize the rate-decreasing and ataxic effects of diazepam. These results are consistent with the interpretation that βCCtB is a selective BZ1 benzodiazepine receptor antagonist.
Identification and characterization of kinetically competent carbinolamine and alpha-iminoglutarate complexes in the glutamate dehydrogenase-catalyzed oxidation of L-glutamate using a multiwavelength transient state approach.

A highly constrained and heavily overdetermined multiwavelength transient state kinetic approach has been used to study the oxidative deamination of l-glutamate catalyzed by beef liver glutamate dehydrogenase. Spectra generated using the known enzyme-reduced coenzyme−substrate spectrum served as models for deconvolution of kinetic scan data. Deconvolution of the multiwavelength time course array shows formation of three distinguishable intermediates in the reaction sequence, an ultrablue-shifted complex, an ultrared-shifted complex, and a blue-shifted complex. The ultrablue-shifted entity is identified as the enzyme−NADPH−α-iminoglutarate complex (ERI) and the ultrared as the enzyme−NADPH−α-carbinolamine complex (ERC). The blue-shifted complex is characterized as the E−NADPH−ketoglutarate species (ERK). The location of these species along the reaction coordinate has been determined and their kinetic competency in the reaction sequence has been established by fitting the concentration time courses of the c...
Studies of Tetrakis(trifluoroacetate) Dirhodium. 2.† A Pi Complex of Hexamethylbenzene with Tetrakis(trifluoroacetate) Dirhodium(II,II)

The solid-state reaction of Rh2(O2CCF3)4 with C6Me6 yields a one-dimensional copolymer [Rh2(O2CCF3)4·C6Me6]∞ (1), which constitutes the first example of a dirhodium(II,II) carboxylate complex with arene. Compound 1 has been characterized by elemental analysis and IR and mass spectroscopy, and its structure has been determined by X-ray diffraction. In the crystal structure of 1 the alternating arrangement of Rh2(O2CCF3)4 and C6Me6 units forms infinite chains extended along the [100] direction. The coordination of hexamethylbenzene to the dirhodium unit is unsymmetrical, with two opposite edges of the arene ring approaching the axial sites of the dimers. This off-centered complexation causes no distortion of the aromatic system. The closest Rh−Carene contacts (2.770(6) and 2.787(6) A) are the longest for any axial interactions to dirhodium carboxylates known to date. At the same time, the Rh−Rh distance (2.422(1) A) is not as short as might have been expected in the case of total absence of axial donation.
On a generalization of the Kalman-Yakubovic lemma

In this paper we generalize the Kalman-Yakubovic lemma to infinite dimensions—or, more precisely, to semigroups of operators over a Hilbert space. The proof differs substantially from the finite-dimensional version and is based on the Paley-Wiener-Helson-Lowdenslager factorization theorem.
Dilated renal collecting systems: Differentiating obstructive from nonobstructive dilation using duplex doppler ultrasound

Two patients with ileal loop urinary diversions, studied with real-time and Doppler sonography ("duplex sonography") of the kidneys, were shown to have dilated intrarenal collecting systems. Resistive index measurements calculated from the Doppler signal correctly identified obstructive dilatation in 1 case and nonobstructive dilatation in the other.
Plant physiological responses for genotypic evaluation of iron efficiency in strategy I and strategy II plants—A review

Abstract Iron (Fe)‐deficiency chlorosis is widespread in numerous crops grown on calcareous soils and results in significant yield losses. Examples of affected crops are soybean (Glycine max L.), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), oat (Avenae sativa L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], corn (Zea mays L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), and various fruit species. Other than with high return fruit crops, the problem is not economically solved with fertilizer application. A more reasonable solution is the introduction of genotypes which are resistant to Fe‐deficiency chlorosis development (physiologically ‘Fe efficient')‐ Field selection for resistant cultivars is complicated by heterogeneous soil and environmental conditions, and breeding programs implementing these techniques are slow and have reached a plateau. The physiological responses to Fe‐deficiency stress include release...
N'-(4-chloro-0-tolyl)-N,N-dimethylformamidine-14C (Galecron) and 4-chloro-0-toluidine-14C metabolism in the white rat.

The systemic acaricide Galecron® and a Galecron metabolite, 4-chloro-o-toluidine-14C, were given orally to white rats at a radioactivity level of 3µCi per rat. 4-Chlorootoluidine was absorbed and degraded more slowly than was Galecron. Galecron and 4-chloro-o-toluidine were Callverted to more polar metabolites, and by 72 hr after treatment, 96% of the administered dose was eliminated in the urine and feces in both cases.
A study of the effects of phosphorus content, cold rolling and heat treatment on the kinetics of ordering in Ni2Cr alloys

Three Ni2Cr alloys, with phosphorus contents of 0.002, 0.017 and 0.078 wt%, were prepared as cast slabs, which were then thermomechanically treated by four different schedules to a final thickness 0.38 mm. The isothermal ordering kinetics of the Ni2Cr alloys was investigated in specimens aged at 450, 500 and 550° C for times ranging from 2 h to 40 days, by surface hardness measurements and microstructural investigation. It was found that increasing the phosphorus content from 0.002 to 0.078 wt% causes a significant increase in the rate of the order transformation in those materials which were annealed at 900° C for 1 h followed by water quenching. Also cold rolling the Ni2Cr alloys by 6,12 and 21% reduction in thickness was found to completely eliminate the effect of the phosphorus on the rate of the order transformation, for the medium and high phosphorus content materials, whereas for the low phosphorus content (0.002 wt%) material, cold rolling was found to increase the rate order transformation compared to that of the annealed structure.
Copper deficiency increases metallothionein-I mRNA content selectively in rat liver

A variety of inducers of metallothionein (MT) synthesis have been identified. Copper loading, in particular, has been shown to increase MT expression in the liver and other organs of rodents. In the present study, the effect of severe dietary copper deficiency on MT expression was determined. Weanling rats were fed a purified diet deficient in copper (0.4 μg/g of diet) or containing adequate copper (5.7 μg/g of diet) for 4 weeks. Mineral analysis revealed that copper concentrations were severely depressed in the liver, heart, and kidney of the animals fed the copper-deficient diet. The mRNA content for MT-I was markedly increased in the copper-deficient liver but not in the heart or kidney. The metallothionein protein concentration, however, was not elevated in either liver or heart and was decreased in the kidney of copper-deficient rats. The results demonstrate that copper deficiency enhances MT-I transcription selectively in the liver of rats. It also suggests that copper is not essential for MT transcription in rats.
Recombinant Gamma Interferon Induces HLA-DR Expression on Cultured Human Keratinocytes

In normal human epidermis, expression of HLA-DR antigen is restricted to Langerhans cells (LC) and acrosyringial epithelium. However, in diseases such as lichen planus and graft-vs.-host, HLA-DR antigen appears to be expressed by keratinocytes, although the exact source of the HLA-DR is unclear. Two possibilities are that (1) the HLA-DR is shed by neighboring immunocompetent cells, or (2) that the keratinocytes are synthesizing the antigen themselves. Recently, gamma interferon has been shown to induce HLA-DR biosynthesis and expression on human malignant melanoma cells lines and on normal vascular endothelium. We report here that pure recombinant human gamma interferon (100 units/mI) induces HLA-DR expression on 60–70% of cultured human adult keratinocytes depleted of LC within 2–4 days of culture as determined by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis using monoclonal antibodies. No residual LC or lymphocytes could be detected in these cultures. This is the first demonstration of HLA-DR expression by cultured human keratinocytes. This expression may be of functional significance in antigen presentation and cell-mediated cytotoxicity involving the epidermis.
The Kempe Family Stress Inventory: a review

Abstract Objective: The objective of this article is to review the Kempe Family Stress Inventory (KFSI), a 10–item scale that measures risk for parenting difficulties based upon responses to a thorough psychosocial interview. The article provides a historical overview, as well as reviewing research regarding its reliability and validity. Method: Research and documentation regarding the KFSI were gathered from journals, book chapters, presentations, workshops, and intervention evaluation reports. Results: The KFSI has been used to predict parents’ future risk of maltreating their children. The scale covers a variety of domains, including psychiatric history, criminal and substance abuse history, childhood history of care, emotional functioning, attitudes towards and perception of child, discipline of child, and level of stress in the parent’s life. Although construct validity has been demonstrated with the KFSI, questions remain about its specificity and sensitivity. In addition, there has been minimal reliability work done on the measure. Conclusions: It is concluded that the KFSI may have clinical utility, but should be used as part of a more comprehensive risk assessment that includes multiple measures. Acceptable accuracy in predicting child abuse and neglect when used by itself has not been demonstrated. There is a need for more demonstration of reliability and validity. Suggestions for future research are noted.
A model for plastic deformation and phase transformations of zirconium under high-rate loading

A constitutive model which considers both plastic deformation and solid–solid phase transformations has been developed for zirconium under high-rate loading. Within the multiphase mixture regime, a lower-bound (Ruess) or uniform-stress assumption is used. It also is assumed that coexisting phases are in thermal equilibrium. The plastic deformation of the mixture is given by the contributions of individual phases. Each phase has a separate plastic yield surface, which evolves (strain-hardening) according to the plastic strain accumulated in the phase. A novel, fully implicit numerical algorithm for the plastic response of multiphase materials with separate yield surfaces is developed. The model is validated using data for plate impact experiments on a zirconium target. Simulations also are provided to demonstrate the ability of the model to capture the relevant aspects of the high-strain-rate deformation of a zirconium plate loaded with explosives. The numerical results indicate that the phase histories of the material under a general, three-dimensional (3D) stress state can be very complicated and cannot be anticipated without a detailed 3D calculation including the effects of phase transformations. The results presented here may have an important implication in designing systems involving zirconium for high-rate applications.
Human ORF1p - DNA Interactions Characterized by Single Molecule DNA Stretching

Retrotransposons are mobile genetic elements that possess the ability to amplify themselves in the genome via a process called retrotransposition. LINE-1 is a retrotransposon that comprises about 17% of the human genome, which is still active in most modern mammalian genomes. It is a significant source of interindividual genetic variations, defects and rearrangements. LINE-1 encodes two proteins: ORF1p and ORF2p, which are essential in retrotransposition. The role of ORF2p in retrotransposition as an endonuclease and as a reverse transcriptase has been demonstrated. However, the role of ORF1p is largely unknown, making the overall molecular mechanism of retrotransposition unclear. Studies on mouse ORF1p have revealed its nucleic acid chaperone activity, while human ORF1p (hORF1p) exhibits more complex nucleic acid interactions. Recent studies conducted in bulk solution conditions have shown that hORF1p preferentially binds to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and RNA relative to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), but binds mismatched dsDNA with the same affinity as ssDNA, whereupon it stabilizes the mismatched duplex from dissociation. This property would enhance the production of productive primer-template interactions, a crucial step in the LINE-1 replication process. Here we develop a method to quantitatively characterize the mechanism of hORF1p-DNA interactions using single molecule techniques with optical tweezers. Because hORF1p binds strongly to both double- and single-stranded DNA, we first overstretch dsDNA, providing a lattice of ssDNA binding sites for hORF1p binding. We then flow in protein and incubate the stretched ssDNA for fixed times, followed by releasing the DNA and allowing it to anneal. We find that the amount of ssDNA bound by protein increases with incubation time over timescales of tens of minutes. These results suggest a very slow protein oligomerization process on ssDNA, which likely plays an important role in the mechanism of retrotransposition.
Arithmetic Progressions with Three Parts in Prescribed Ratio and a Challenge of Fermat

(2004). Arithmetic Progressions with Three Parts in Prescribed Ratio and a Challenge of Fermat. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 77, No. 4, pp. 283-292.
Hormone-Dependent Subpopulation of Rat Testicular Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Receptors

The effects of prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH), and luteinizing hormone (LU) treatment on testicular LI-I receptor content were studied in the hypophysectomized adult male rat. One and 2 weeks after hypophysectomy, testicular LH receptor binding capacity, as determined by 1125 1)hCG binding to whole testicular homogenates, was 14% and 16% of normal values, respectively. Seven days of s.c. LH treatment (5 pg/day), begun 1 week after hypophysectomy, caused a significant additional reduction of 1125 Il-hCG binding capacity to 10% of control values. Growth hormone administration (100 pg/day) for 7 days, begun 1 week after hypophysectomy, caused an increase in binding to 31% of control values, but simultaneous administration of LH (5 pg/day) prevented this GM-induced increase in binding capacity. Seven days of PRL treatment (100 pg/day) also caused a significant increase in [121 Il-hCG binding above the 2 week hypophysectomized control values (24%), but adding PRL to GH treatments did not result in an increase in 112511-hCG binding above that seen with GH or PRL alone. However, simultaneous administration of LH with PRL caused the induction of additional new receptors and returned total binding to 44% of normal intact control values. Combination of all three treatments (GH, PRL, and LH) showed an additive effect of the residual and PRL + LH treatment regimens and increased [12511 -hCG binding to 52% of that of normal controls. These experiments suggest 1) GM and PRL are capable of inducing new LII receptors in the regressed testis of the hypophysectomized rat, 2) PRL allows LH or LH allows PRL to induce a new LH receptor population resistant to LH down-regulation, 3) GIl causes the induction of a new population of LH receptors sensitive to LU down-regulation. These observations raise the possibility that subpopulations of Leydig cell LH receptors with different hormonal sensitivities reside within the testes.