cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The mu/kappa agonist nalbuphine attenuates sensitization to the behavioral effects of cocaine

Sensitization refers to an increase in sensitivity to a drug and is believed to play a role in the etiology of substance use disorders. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the ability of the mixed mu/kappa agonist nalbuphine to modulate sensitization to the locomotor and positive reinforcing effects of cocaine. Rats were habituated to a locomotor activity chamber and treated with saline (1.0 ml/kg, ip), cocaine (10 mg/kg, ip), or cocaine + nalbuphine (10 mg/kg, ip) every day for 10 days. Following locomotor activity testing, rats were implanted with intravenous catheters and cocaine self-administration was examined on fixed ratio (FR) and progressive ratio (PR) schedules of reinforcement. Rats treated with cocaine exhibited a progressive increase in locomotor activity over the 10-day treatment period, and this effect was significantly reduced in rats treated with cocaine + nalbuphine. In self-administration tests, rats treated with cocaine exhibited significantly higher levels of responding at a threshold dose of cocaine (0.03 mg/kg/infusion) on both FR and PR schedules than rats treated with saline. This increase in responding at a threshold dose of cocaine was blocked completely in rats treated with cocaine + nalbuphine. These data suggest that nalbuphine attenuates the development of sensitization to the behavioral effects of cocaine.
Stable Workers, Black and White

study of stable working and middle-class men, both black and white, shows two comparative tendencies: 1) the two races are similar on job aspirations and satisfactions, both races indicating economic ambition, a sense of personal security in employment, adequate advancement on the job and in consumption, and high hopes for children; 2) the two races differ in political perspectives, with the blacks indicating a sense of partial marginality to the system reflecting discrimination, and a determination to protest. Putting the two tendencies together, it is concluded that stable jobs among blacks are associated with high levels of personal satisfaction but not with political conservatism, since awareness of group deprivation and desire to protest are independent of personal achievement and are not frustrated responses to blocked ambition.
On the identification of active constraints

Nondegeneracy conditions that guarantee that the optimal active constraints are identified in a finite number of iterations are studied. Results of this type have only been established for a few algorithms, and then under restrictive hypothesis. The main result is a characterization of those algorithms that identify the optimal constraints in a finite number of iterations. This result is obtained with a nondegeneracy assumption which is equivalent, in the standard nonlinear programming problem, to the assumption that there is a set of strictly complementary Lagrange multipliers. As an important consequence of the authors’ results the way that this characterization applies to gradient projection and sequential quadratic programming algorithms is shown.
Peptide-small molecule hybrids via orthogonal deprotection-chemoselective conjugation to cysteine-anchored scaffolds. A model study.

The feasibility of an orthogonal deprotection−conjugation protocol, holding the promise of libraries of functionally diverse chemical probes attached to cysteine-anchored peptide scaffolds, has been explored with a model system. The necessary tools for assembly of the hybrid libraries have been prepared and the tandem procedure optimized. S-Alkylation and S-sulfenylation are featured as the chemoselective ligation reactions.
Binding of 17β-estradiol by variants of α-fetoprotein in rat amniotic fluid

Two variants of alpha-fetoprotein in rat amniotic fluid were separated by their different affinity for concanavalin A-Sepharose, which selectively binds alpha-D-manno-pyranosides and alpha-D-glucopyranosides. Both forms had the same mobility upon polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The binding of 17beta-estradiol per mg of alpha-fetoprotein, determined both immunologically and electrophoretically, was the same for both variants. These results indicate that a specific carbohydrate portion of the molecule is not necessary for steroid binding.
FREE AMINO ACID CONCENTRATIONS IN FETAL SERUM

A number of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) are not yet prenatally detectable. Perhaps most prominent among these is phenylketonuria. It is possible that in the presence of an IEM, the affected fetus will accumulate increased quantities of one or more of the metabolites and that such increases will be detectable by careful analyses of blood. In order to make such determinations, however, adequate methods and normal values must be available. We have quantitatively examined the serum free amino acids in seven fetuses of 12-20 weeks gestation. In most of the examinations 0.1 ml. serum was used although as little as 0.05 ml. was adequate. The serum was diluted and deproteinized in 1.0 ml. 3% sulfosalicylic acid, centrifuged, and the entire supernatant applied to an amino acid analyzer column. Qualitatively, amino acids were the same as those in postnatal blood or amniotic fluid. Amino acid concentrations were generally 2-3 times greater than corresponding concentrations as previously determined in amniotic fluid or maternal plasma of the same gestational time and of newborn plasma obtained on the first day of life. Specific values in u moles/ml, include Phe (.174 ± .049), Lys (.569 ± .138) and Ala (.580 ± .150), the latter two particularly concentrated. Within the gestational range examined, there were no consistent differences in the amino acid concentrations.
Resorption is not essential for the stimulation of bone growth by hPTH-(1-34) in rats in vivo.

Chronic low doses of hPTH-(1–34) stimulate bone growth in rats in vivo. The objective of these studies was to determine if the anabolic effect of hPTH-(1–34) on rat bone in vivo is dependent on an initial stimulation of resorption by blocking resorption with either salmon calcitonin (CT) or dichloromethylene diphosphonate (Cl2MDP). Male Sprague-Dawley rats, 70–100 g, were treated with daily subcutaneous (SC) injections of vehicle (V) or hPTH-(1–34), 8 μg per 100 g (PTH), for 12 days. In experiment 1, rats were given CT for 3 (CT3) or 12 (CT12) days, either alone or in combination with hPTH-(1–34) (CT3-PTH and CT12-PTH) or vehicle for 12 days. In experiment 2, rats were pretreated for 4 days with Cl2MDP or its vehicle before starting the daily PTH or vehicle injections. Rats were then killed. Sera, femora, tibiae, and kidneys were removed for chemical and histomorphometric analyses. PTH, PTH-CT3, and PTH-CT12 rats showed significant increases in total bone calcium (18–23%), dry weight (DW, 13–25%), and bone-forming surfaces compared with their respective controls. Eroded (resorption) surfaces were comparable between the groups. Although weight gain and serum calcium were normal in rats treated for 3 days with CT, rats treated for 12 days with CT gained 14% less weight than controls and were hypophosphatemic, with reduced serum calcium and urea nitrogen. Total bone mass increased both in Cl2MDP rats (Ca 21%, DW 2%), where resorption was presumably blocked, and in PTH rats (Ca 31%, DW 19%). The increase in bone mass was greater in PTH-Cl2MDP rats (Ca 48%, DW 29%) than in rats treated with Cl2MDP alone, suggesting that although Cl2MDP blocked resorption, the anabolic response to PTH was not altered. As neither short-term treatment with CT nor Cl2MDP blocked the anabolic response of bone to hPTH-(1–34), this response does not appear to depend on the early stimulation of resorption.
Aluminum welding fume-induced pneumoconiosis.

Abstract Chronic exposure to high concentrations of fumes during aluminum arc welding causes a severe pneumoconiosis characterized by diffuse pulmonary accumulation of aluminum metal and a corresponding reduction in lung function. Aluminum fume-induced pneumoconiosis is a rarely reported entity, of which the true incidence is unknown. We report the clinical, radiographic, microscopic, and microanalytic results of 2 coworkers, employed by the same aluminum shipbuilding facility, who died of complications from this disease. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray analysis of the exogenous particle content in the lung tissue of these cases revealed the highest concentrations of aluminum particles (average of 9.26 billion aluminum particles per cm 3 of lung tissue) among the 812 similar analyses in our pneumoconiosis database. One patient had an original clinical diagnosis of sarcoidosis but no evidence of granulomatous inflammation. HUM PATHOL 33:819-825. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Tracheomalacia and Bronchomalacia in Children: Incidence and Patient Characteristics

Objective: Congenital airway malacia is one of the few causes of irreversible airways obstruction in children, but the incidence in the general population is unknown. Severe airway malacia or malacia associated with specific syndromes is usually recognized and diagnosed early in infancy, but information about clinical features of children with primary malacia, often diagnosed only later in childhood, is scarce. Methods: We analyzed all flexible bronchoscopies performed between 1997 and 2004 in the Sophia Children's Hospital, summarized clinical features of children with primary airway malacia, estimated the incidence of primary airway malacia, and calculated the predictive value of a clinical diagnosis of airway malacia by pediatric pulmonologists. Results: In a total of 512 bronchoscopies, airway malacia was diagnosed in 160 children (94 males) at a median age of 4.0 years (range, 0 to 17 years). Airway malacia was classified as primary in 136 children and secondary in 24 children. The incidence of primary airway malacia was estimated to be at least 1 in 2,100. When pediatric pulmonologists expected to find airway malacia (based on symptoms, history, and lung function) prior to bronchoscopy, this was correct in 74% of the cases. In 52% of the airway malacia diagnoses, the diagnosis was not suspected prior to bronchoscopy. Presenting clinical features of children with airway malacia were variable and atypical, showing considerable overlap with features of allergic asthma. Peak expiratory flow was more reduced than FEV 1 . Conclusion: Primary airway malacia is not rare in the general population, with an estimated incidence of at least 1 in 2,100 children. Airway malacia is difficult to recognize based on clinical features that show overlap with those of more common pulmonary diseases. We recommend bronchoscopy in patients with impaired exercise tolerance, recurrent lower airways infection, and therapy-resistant, irreversible, and/or atypical asthma to rule out airway malacia.
The pathologic basis of angioplasty

Traditionally it has been said that transluminal angioplasty increases lumen diameter by compression and remodeling of atheromatous material. Recently, a new concept explaining the mechanics of angioplasty was described which challenges the classic concept of Dotter. It was argued that arterial balloon dilatation is achieved by intimal disruption and overstretching of the arterial wall, not by remodeling of atheromatous material.
Discourse Analysis on Media Reports of Perceptions About Religion as a Solution to Jamaica's Crime Problems

ABSTRACT This discussion, which focuses on Jamaica's crime rates, explanations for these trends, and recommended solutions, is based on discourses about the role of religion in crime resolution and specifically on the issue of (re)integrating religion in addressing Jamaica's crime problems. The analysis draws on the content of news, editorials, commentaries, and letters to the editor in both the Jamaica Daily Gleaner and the Jamaica Observer on the topic of religion and crime. It also looks specifically at the disjuncture between perceptions of and by the church regarding its role in crime resolution.
Post-euro EU and US interest rates and foreign exchange rates: Are they in harmony or in disarray?

Abstract This paper focuses on: (1) how a select set of financial and economic factors could set the path for interest rates and foreign exchange rates, and (2) whether the resultant realized interest and exchange rates would be in harmony or in disarray. Using post-euro data for the EU and the US, an array of monetary rules is examined. In particular, the paper investigates whether the original and the extended Taylor rules provide an explanation of the dynamics of the EU monetary system since the inception of the euro. Our findings indicate that the EU and the US monetary responses are not the same and that exchange rates play a significant role.
Diffusion of a Highly-Charged Supramolecular Assembly: Direct Observation of Ion-Association in Water

The diffusion coefficient of the self-assembled supramolecular cluster [Ga4L6]12− depends on the cationic counterions in solution. Diffusion coefficients were determined using the pulsed-gradient spin–echo 1H NMR method and fit using nonlinear least-squares refinement. Saturation studies revealed a small number of ion-association sites on the exterior of the assembly and the direct observation of ion association in water. The addition of excess alkali-metal cations displaces the ion-associated hydrophobic tetraalkylammonium cations. Comparisons between tetraethyl- and tetrapropylammonium show a preference for ion association with the more hydrophobic cation.
Effect of osmotic immobilization on refrigerated storage and cryopreservation of sperm from a viviparous fish, the green swordtail Xiphophorus helleri☆

Abstract In this study, refrigerated storage and cryopreservation of sperm from the green swordtail Xiphophorus helleri were investigated. Previous cryopreservation research in this species utilized motile sperm because unlike in most fish species, Xiphophorus sperm can remain continuously motile after collection for a week with refrigerated storage. However, this species reproduces by internal fertilization, and given the significant requirements for motility within the female reproductive tract and potential limitations on sperm energetic capacities, immobilization of sperm prior to insemination could be used to improve fertilization success. Thus, the goal in this study was to use osmotic pressure to inhibit the motility of sperm after collection from X. helleri , and to test the effect of immobilization on refrigerated storage and cryopreservation. The objectives were to: (1) estimate the motility of sperm at different osmotic pressures, and determine an osmotic pressure suitable for immobilization; (2) cryopreserve the immobilized sperm, and estimate the motility after thawing with or without dilution, and (3) compare motility of non-immobilized and immobilized sperm after thawing, centrifugation, and washing to remove cryoprotectant. Motility was determined when sperm were suspended in 11 different osmotic pressures (24–500 mOsmol/kg) of Hanks’ balanced salt solution (HBSS). Motility was observed between 116 and 425 mOsmol/kg. Sperm were not motile when the osmolality was lower than 116 or higher than 425 mOsmol/kg. Motility of the immobilized (non-motile) sperm could be activated by changing the osmotic pressure to 291–316 mOsmol/kg, and motility of immobilized sperm from hypertonic HBSS (⩾425 mOsmol/kg) was significantly higher than that from hypotonic HBSS (⩽145 mOsmol/kg) after 48 h of storage. At an osmolality of 500 mOsmol/kg, HBSS was used as extender to maintain immobilized sperm during cryopreservation with glycerol as the cryoprotectant. High motility (∼55%) was obtained in sperm after thawing when cryopreserved with 10–15% glycerol, and dilution of thawed sperm in fresh HBSS (1:4; V:V) was found to decrease the motility significantly. No difference was found in the motility of thawed sperm cryopreserved with 14% glycerol and extended in 310 and 500 mOsmol/kg HBSS. Washing by centrifugation prolonged the motility of thawed sperm from 24 to 72 h in HBSS at 310 and 500 mOsmol/kg. This study showed that sperm from X. helleri could be immobilized by use of specific osmotic pressures, and that the immobilization did not affect sperm motility after thawing. The immobilization of sperm by osmotic pressure could minimize reduction of the energetic capacities necessary for insemination, traversal, and residence within the female reproductive tract, and fertilization.
A solution to the multivariable matrix factorization problem

Given a para-Hermitian matrix,A(p 1,p 2, ...,p n), whose elements are real, rational functions of the complex variablesp 1,p 2, ...,p n, it is shown thatA (p 1,p 2, ...,p n) can be factorized in the form,A (p 1,p 2, ...,p n)=H t (−p 1, −p 2, ..., −p n)H (p1, p2, ...,p n), where the elements of the matrixH (p 1,p 2, ...,p n) are also real rational functions of the specified variables, if and only ifA (jω 1, ...,jω n) is non-negative definite for all realω i, i=1, 2, ...,n. A rather simple computational method for the construction ofH (p 1,p 2, ...,p n) is given, and examples are used to illustrate how, in many cases, the factorization can actually be carried to completion with little labour.
An evidence basis for assessing excellence in pharmacy teaching

Preparing pharmacists who provide a high standard of patient-centered care and maintain current knowledge and practice skills throughout a long and productive career is a goal of Schools of Pharmacy. An important avenue to achieving this goal is teaching excellence. Quality teaching is greatly enhanced when the institution establishes standards for teaching excellence and develops valid and reliable methods to assess and evaluate it. To assist the academy in defining excellence criteria for teaching, this paper explores the concept of teaching excellence and the commonly accepted elements that comprise it. Appropriate methods to evaluate teaching include a combination of student, peer, and self-assessment. Accepted practices in each of these areas of assessment of teaching are described. Elevating the teaching enterprise in our Schools and Colleges by systematic, rigorous assessment of teaching for the purpose of improvement should ultimately result in better prepared pharmacists.
Post-surgical passive response of local environment to primary tumor removal

Prompted by recent clinical observations on the phenomenon of metastasis inhibition by an angiogenesis inhibitor, a mathematical model is developed to describe the post-surgical response of the local environment to the ''surgical'' removal of a spherical tumor in an infinite homogeneous domain. The primary tumor is postulated to be a source of growth inhibitor prior to its removal at t = 0; the resulting relaxation wave arriving from the disturbed (previously steady) state is studied, closed form analytic solutions are derived, and the asymptotic speed of the pulse is estimated to be about 2 x 10^-^4 cm/sec for the parameters chosen. In general, the asymptotic speed is found to be [email protected]/[email protected], where D is the diffusion coefficient and @c is the inhibitor depletion or decay rate.
Chemical Functionalization of Graphene Enabled by Phage Displayed Peptides

The development of a general approach for the nondestructive chemical and biological functionalization of graphene could expand opportunities for graphene in both fundamental studies and a variety of device platforms. Graphene is a delicate single-layer, two-dimensional network of carbon atoms whose properties can be affected by covalent modification. One method for functionalizing materials without fundamentally changing their inherent structure is using biorecognition moieties. In particular, oligopeptides are molecules containing a broad chemical diversity that can be achieved within a relatively compact size. Phage display is a dominant method for identifying peptides that possess enhanced selectivity toward a particular target. Here, we demonstrate a powerful yet benign approach for chemical functionalization of graphene via comprehensively screened phage displayed peptides. Our results show that graphene can be selectively recognized even in nanometer-defined strips. Further, modification of graphen...
Network Governance as Adaptive Institutional Response: The Case of Multifunctional Forested Landscapes

Abstract Contemporary interest in networks in natural resources management reflects the increasing complexity of social regulation of the environment. This complexity stems from differentiation of social demand for environmental goods and services, and an accompanying search for both technical and institutional innovation. Rather than implying sustained coherence, network governance refers to new patterns of engagement, interdependence, and flows of information and resources among state, market and civil society actors. In identifying network forms of governance as an institutional innovation arising in response to environmental change, and by suggesting that networks can reshape the material environment, I invoke a co-evolutionary analysis. This general argument is developed through consideration of the particular challenges of construction of multifunctional forested landscapes in the US.
DNA electrophoresis in microlithographic arrays

We have used optical microlithography to fabricate capped quasi-two-dimensional obstacle courses in SiO2. We report here observations using epifluorescence microscopy of the electrophoresis and length fractionation of large DNA molecules confined in arrays. Simple reptation theory, based on the work of deGennes, predicts that at low electric fields the electrophoretic mobility of a polymer of length L much greater than the persistence length p scales inversely with L (ref. 2). But elongation of the coil in the matrix at sufficiently strong electric fields results in a length-independent electrophoretic mobility. The application of suitably timed pulsed electric fields restores the fractionating power of gels for long molecules but the protocols of pulsed-field electrophoresis are semi-empirical because the complex and ill-understood gel matrix plays a critical role in fractionation. Microlithographically constructed obstacle arrays, with their low dimensionality, small volume and extremely reproducible topography, will make it possible to understand the motion and fractionation of large polymer molecules in complex but well characterized topologies.
Analysis of three‐dimensional crack initiation and propagation using the extended finite element method

An Erratum has been published for this article in International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering 2005, 63(8): 1228. We present a new formulation and a numerical procedure for the quasi-static analysis of three-dimensional crack propagation in brittle and quasi-brittle solids. The extended finite element method (XFEM) is combined with linear tetrahedral elements. A viscosity-regularized continuum damage constitutive model is used and coupled with the XFEM formulation resulting in a regularized ‘crack-band’ version of XFEM. The evolving discontinuity surface is discretized through a C0 surface formed by the union of the triangles and quadrilaterals that separate each cracked element in two. The element's properties allow a closed form integration and a particularly efficient implementation allowing large-scale 3D problems to be studied. Several examples of crack propagation are shown, illustrating the good results that can be achieved. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The importance of systems management for a Parallel Sysplex

IBM S/390® Parallel Sysplex™, a multisystem parallel processing environment, provides benefits in terms of reliability, availability, and the total cost of computing. These benefits, however, bring about a systems management challenge because of the increased number of address spaces that need to be managed. This paper describes how CICSPlex® System Manager (SM) for MVS/ESA™ provides simplified systems management of multiple CICS® regions within a sysplex environment. CICSPlex SM provides workload-sensitive balancing of CICS transactions, a single-system image for CICS operations and monitoring, and general-purpose thresholds for resource conditions within CICS. It also describes how CICSPlex SM is integrated with the MVS workload manager, the MVS automatic restart manager, and automation products such as NetView® and the NetView resource object data model (RODM).
A prospective echocardiographic evaluation of pulmonary hypertension in chronic hemodialysis patients in the United States: prevalence and clinical significance.

BACKGROUND Pulmonary hypertension (PH), a disease which carries substantial morbidity and mortality, has been reported to occur in 25%-45% of dialysis patients. No prospective evaluation of the prevalence or clinical significance of PH in chronic dialysis patients in the United States (US) has been undertaken. METHODS Echocardiograms were performed prospectively in chronic hemodialysis patients prior to dialysis at a single dialysis center. PH was defined as a tricuspid regurgitant jet ≥2.5 m/s and "more severe PH" as ≥3.0 m/s. Clinical outcomes recovered were all-cause hospitalizations and death at 12 months. RESULTS In a cohort of 90 patients, 42 patients (47%) met the definition of PH. Of those, 18 patients (20%) met the definition of more severe PH. At 12 months, mortality was significantly higher in patients with PH (26%) compared with patients without PH (6%). All-cause hospitalizations were similar in patients with PH and without PH. Echocardiographic findings suggesting impaired left ventricular function and elevated pulmonary capillary wedge pressure were significantly associated with PH. CONCLUSION This prospective cross-sectional study of a single dialysis unit suggests that PH may be present in nearly half of US dialysis patients and when present is associated with increased mortality. Echocardiographic findings demonstrate an association between elevated filling pressures, elevated pulmonary artery pressures, and higher mortality, suggesting that the PH may be secondary to diastolic dysfunction and compounded by volume overload.
ILLUMINANCE EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT AT THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

A simplified model for illuminance prediction has b een developed to estimate the indoor level of light ing under artificial lighting. As well, illuminance in several locations of three schools has been measure d under several conditions: Blinds up/lights on, blinds up/ lights off, blinds down/lights on, blinds down/ligh ts off. The experimental data of the case “blinds down/ligh ts on” has been compared to the model developed and the results are very encouraging. The purpose of th is study is to identify the level of illuminance in elementary schools classroom, to compare it to the IES requirements and the values predicted by the program developed. A parametric study has been performed to study the effect of the Light Loss Factor (LLF) and the luminous power on the lighting and energy performance of the illumination system.
ITS2 rDNA VARIATION OF TWO BLACK WIDOW SPECIES, LATRODECTUS MACTANS AND LATRODECTUS HESPERUS (ARANEAE, THERIDIIDAE)

Abstract The taxonomic status of two closely related species of Latrodectus, L. mactans and L. hesperus, has been debated for many years. Based on morphological characteristics and genitalia, some workers consider them as valid species and others as subspecies. This study was conducted to determine whether the internal transcribed spacers 2 (ITS2) of rDNA exhibit sequence differences between the two taxa that could delineate their taxonomic relationship. Individuals of L. mactans and L. hesperus from six populations were collected and identified based on morphological characteristics. The ITS2 rDNA of nine individuals was sequenced and analyzed. Results indicate that the minimal differences present in the ITS2 sequences are taxonomically insignificant.
src-Related protein tyrosine kinases and their surface receptors

The CD4-p56lck and CD8-p56lck complexes have served as a paradym for an expanding number of interactions between src-family members (p56lck, p59fyn, p56lyn, p55blk) and surface receptors. These interactions implicate src-related kinases in the regulation of a variety of intracellular events, from lymphokine production and cytotoxicity to the expression of specific nuclear binding proteins. Different molecular mechanisms appear to have evolved to facilitate the receptor-kinase interactions, including the use of N-terminal regions, SH2 regions and kinase domains. Variation exists in stoichiometry, affinity and the nature of signals generated by these complexes in cells. The CD4-p56lck complex differs from receptor-tyrosine kinases in a number of important ways, including mechanisms of kinase domain regulation and recruitment of substrates such as PI 3-kinase. Furthermore, they may have a special affinity for receptor-substrates such as the TcR zeta, MB1/B29 or CD5 receptors, and act to recruit other SH2-carrying proteins, such as ZAP-70 to the receptor complexes. Receptor-src kinase interactions represent the first step in a cascade of intracellular events within the protein-tyrosine kinase/phosphatase cascade.
Spectroscopic and Photochemical Properties of Open-Chain Carotenoids

The spectroscopic properties of open-chain, all-trans-C{sub 30} carotenoids having seven, eight and nine {pi}-electron conjugated carbon-carbon double bonds were studied using steady-state absorption, fluorescence, fluorescence excitation and time-resolved absorption spectroscopy. These diapocarotenes were purified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) prior to the spectroscopic experiments. The fluorescence data show a systematic crossover from dominant S{sub 1} {yields} S{sub 0} (2{sup 1}Ag{yields} 1{sup 1}Ag) emission to dominant S{sub 2} {yields} S{sub 0} (1{sup 1}Bu {yields} 1{sup 1}Ag) with increasing extent of conjugation. The low temperatures facilitated the determination of the spectral origins of the S{sub 1} {yields} S{sub 0} (2{sup 1}Ag {yields} 1{sup 1}Ag) emissions, which were assigned by Gaussian deconvolution of the experimental line shapes. The lifetimes of the S{sub 1} states of the molecules were measured by transient absorption spectroscopy and were found to decrease as the conjugated chain length increases. The energy gap law for radiationless transitions is used to correlate the S{sub 1} energies with the dynamics. These molecules provide a systematic series for understanding the structural features that control the photochemical properties of open-chain, diapocarotenoids. The implications of these results on the roles of carotenoids in photosynthetic organisms are discussed.
Incidence and risk factors of incisional hernia formation following abdominal organ transplantation.

Hernia formation is common following abdominal operations, and transplant patients are at increased risk due to postoperative immunosuppression. The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence of incisional hernia formation following primary abdominal solid organ transplantation and identify clinical risk factors for hernia formation. We performed a single-institution retrospective review of a prospectively collected database to evaluate all patients who underwent primary liver, kidney, or pancreas transplantation between 2000 and 2011. The primary outcome was hernia formation at the transplant incision. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify risk factors for incisional hernia formation. A total of 3,460 transplants were performed during the study period: 2,247 kidney only, 718 liver only, and 495 pancreas or simultaneous pancreas and kidney (pancreas group). The overall incisional hernia rate was 7.5 %. The Kaplan–Meier rates of hernia formation at 1, 5, and 10 years were 2.5, 4.9, and 7.0 % for kidney; 4.5, 13.6, and 19.0 % for liver; and 2.5, 12.7, and 21.8 % for the pancreas groups. On univariate analysis, surgical site infection (SSI), body mass index (BMI) >25, delayed graft function, and withholding a calcineurin inhibitor or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) were associated with hernia formation in the kidney group. SSI and BMI >25 were associated with hernia formation in the liver group. In the pancreas group, SSI, cyclosporine, and withholding MMF were all associated with hernia formation. On multivariate analysis, SSI was strongly associated with hernia formation in all groups. Hazard ratio: kidney = 24.71 (13.00–46.97); liver = 12.0 (6.40–22.52); pancreas = 12.95 (2.78–60.29). Incisional hernias are common following abdominal organ transplant with nearly one in five patients developing an incisional hernia 5 years after liver or pancreas transplantation. Strategies focusing on prevention and early treatment of SSI may help to decrease the risk of incisional hernia formation following abdominal organ transplantation.
Pathological findings of anti-Yo cerebellar degeneration with Holmes tremor.

Holmes tremor, also known as rubral tremor, is defined as the combination of rest, action and postural tremor in the upper extremities with the frequency around 4.5 Hz.1 Involvement of dentato-rubro-thalamic and/or nigrostriatal pathways have been considered contributory to the clinical manifestation,1 and the localisation of Holmes tremor was determined primarily based on the neuroimaging studies.2 To our knowledge, no detailed postmortem examinations were reported in Holmes tremor. Here, we present the pathology of a case with Holmes tremor associated with anti-Yo cerebellar degeneration. A woman in her eighth decade developed subacute onset of gait ataxia and dysarthria within 6 months. She required a walker to ambulate and needed assistance in her daily living. Four months after the symptom onset, she developed upper extremity tremor and head tremor. Neurological examination revealed square wave jerks, nystagmus on lateral gaze, broken smooth pursuit and scanning speech. She had marked cerebellar ataxia with dysmetria on the bilateral finger-to-nose tests and heel-shin slides. She also had truncal titubation. She had rest head tremor. She also had rest, postural and action tremors in her upper extremities, and the tremor became coarse and irregular with goal-directed movements, …
Deficits in T helper cells after total lymphoid irradiation (TLI): Reduced IL-2 secretion and normal IL-2 receptor expression in the mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR)

Spleen cells from BALB/c mice treated with total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) and from normal, unirradiated mice were compared in the mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR). Although the percentage of CD4+ cells in the spleen was close to normal, 4 to 6 weeks after TLI, the MLR of unfractionated spleen cells from irradiated mice was more than 10-fold lower than controls. A similar reduction was observed when purified CD4+ cells were used as responders in the MLR. Secretion of IL-2 by cells from irradiated mice was also about 10-fold lower than controls. However, the percentage of CD4+ and CD8+ cells which expressed IL-2 surface receptors during the MLR was similar using spleen cells from irradiated and control mice. Addition of an exogenous source of IL-2 restored the proliferative capacity of the irradiated cells and suggests that the lack of IL-2 secretion is the likely explanation of the marked deficit in the MLR of CD4+ spleen cells after TLI.
Relativism in the diagnosis of hypoglycemia

Abstract It is a common assumption in our medicalized society that diagnostic labels simply describe facts, rather than express the diagnostician's own concepts of anomaly and dysfunction. Variability among physicians in diagnosing reactive hypoglycemia illustrates some fundamental problems of reifying the concept of disease. Although most physicians consider the same three variables in this diagnosis, their interpretations of them may vary widely. The disagreement centers around the credibility given standardized, technological measures versus the individual patient's experiences. Most physicians consider lab tests definitive in diagnosing hypoglycemia, while bypassing patients' subjective reports. Some, however, rely more heavily on patient-generated criteria to diagnose the condition. This lack of agreement about the criteria for diagnosing hypoglycemia, coupled with the psychological nature of many of the symptoms, make hypoglycemia and psychological disorder reasonable alternative diagnoses. These diagnoses, in turn, have very different effects on patients. These variations in physician's diagnostic criteria illustrate that diagnostic labels are cognitive constructs, subject to the influence of the physician's culture, expectations, values and interest.
Internal solitary wave breaking and run-up on a uniform slope

Laboratory experiments have been conducted to study the shoaling of internal solitary waves of depression in a two-layer system on a uniform slope. The shoaling of a single solitary wave results in wave breaking and the production of multiple turbulent surges, or boluses, which propagate up the slope. Significant vertical mixing occurs everywhere inshore of the breaking location. The kinematics of the breaking and bolus runup are described and a breaking criterion is found. The energetics of the breaking are investigated. Over the range of parameters examined, 15 (±5) % of the energy lost from first-mode wave motion inshore of the break point goes into vertical mixing.
MRI‐Based Hippocampal Volume Measurements in Epilepsy

Summary: In the study of brain morphometry, it is accepted that a relationship exists between brain structure and function, both normal and abnormal. One descriptor of morphometric structure is volume. Abnormalities in hippocampal morphology, including unilateral or bilateral volume loss, are known to occur in epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, and in certain amnestic syndromes. Precise quantitation should improve understanding of the role of any biologic system in normal function and in disease. The objectives of magnetic resonance (MR)-based hippocampal volume measurements are precise quantitation, identification of a normal range, and identification of the association between biologic variables and aberrations in this volumetric parameter. Volumetric measures introduce a level of precision in the estimation of hippocampal size that is not available simply by visually inspecting a set of MR images, thus enabling statistically based hypothesis testing. To produce accurate hippocampal volume measurements with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), attention must be directed to the two major components of the operation as a whole, MR image acquisition and image processing.
Progress on developing the "magnetic obturator," a novel railgun armature

The "magnetic obturator" is an armature concept developed by IAP Research in the late 1980s. Advantages of the magnetic obturator include lower mass than conventional "C-type" railgun armatures (approaching the theoretical minimum mass), compatibility with mid-drive sabots, and the potential for nontransitioning operation. The Institute for Advanced Technology (IAT) at The University of Texas at Austin began testing magnetic obturators in 1997. Our tests showed that magnetic obturators can operate very well, but not yet as reliably as C-type armatures. This paper discusses experiments conducted to understand and resolve several recurrent problems that include difficulties associated with start-up, high contact pressures leading to local yielding of copper rails, and susceptibility to develop intermittent arcing contact before transition. This paper reports our progress in addressing these three areas and presents recommendations for further research.
Cognitive diagnosis of mathematics performance between rural and urban students in Taiwan

This study was an empirically substantive examination of mathematics achievement differences between urban and rural Taiwanese students at a cognitive attribute level. Participants were eighth-grade students who participated in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study of 1999. The rule-space method was applied to produce a diagnostic description of urban and rural students’ cognitive knowledge, abilities, and skills related to TIMSS mathematics items. The results indicated that students in urban schools performed better than those in rural schools on high-level mathematics contents (Algebra and Geometry) and abstract thinking skills (Proportional reasoning, Logical reasoning, Solution search, and Open-ended items). Furthermore, greater proportions of urban students were classified into the knowledge states with more mastery attributes and greater proportions of rural students occupied the knowledge states with fewer mastery attributes. Detailed discussion and suggestions are provided in t...
HIV drug development: the next 25 years

The development of drugs for HIV infection began soon after the virus was discovered 25 years ago. Since then, progress has been substantial, but numerous uncertainties persist about the best way to manage this disease. Here we review the current treatment options, consider novel mechanisms that can be exploited for existing drug targets, and explore the potential of novel targets. With a view to the next quarter century, we consider whether drug resistance can be avoided, which drug classes will be favoured over others, which strategies are most likely to succeed, and the potential impact of pharmacogenomics and individualized therapy.
Cutting Edge: TREM-2 Attenuates Macrophage Activation

The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM-2) delivers intracellular signals through the adaptor DAP12 to regulate myeloid cell function both within and outside the immune system. The role of TREM-2 in immunity has been obscured by the failure to detect expression of the TREM-2 protein in vivo. In this study, we show that TREM-2 is expressed on macrophages infiltrating the tissues from the circulation and that alternative activation with IL-4 can induce TREM-2. TREM-2 expression is abrogated by macrophage maturation with LPS of IFN-gamma. Using TREM-2(-/-) mice, we find that TREM-2 functions to inhibit cytokine production by macrophages in response to the TLR ligands LPS, zymosan, and CpG. Furthermore, we find that TREM-2 completely accounts for the increased cytokine production previously reported by DAP12(-/-) macrophages. Taken together, these data show that TREM-2 is expressed on newly differentiated and alternatively activated macrophages and functions to restrain macrophage activation.
Template-assisted formation of gradient concentric gold rings.

Gradient concentric rings of polymers, including (poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), with unprecedented regularity were formed by repeated “stick-slip” motion of the contact line in a sphere-on-flat geometry. Subsequently, polymer rings served as templates to direct the formation of concentric Au rings. Three methods were described. The first two methods made use of either UV (i.e., on MEH-PPV) or thermal treatment (i.e., on PMMA) on Au-sputtered polymer rings, followed by ultrasonication. The last method, however, was much more simple and robust, involving selective removal of Au and polymer (i.e., PMMA) consecutively.
Asymptotics of the Titchmarsh-Weyl m-coefficient for integrable potentials, II

This article is concerned with the Titchmarsh-Weyl m-coefficient for the differential equation y″+(λ−q(x))y=0 on [0,∞), whee the potential q is integrable near 0. The m-coefficient, which is a function of the complex variable λ∈C, depends on an initialization parameter α∈(−π, π]. A uniform as well as various non-uniform asymptotic expansions of m are derived, which are valid as λ → ∞ in any sector of the complex plane that does not contain the real axis. The results reported here extend those of Kaper and Kwong [Proc. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh Sect. A. to appear].
Zn–Al-based metal–matrix composites with high stiffness and high viscoelastic damping

A maximal product of stiffness and viscoelastic damping (Etand), a figure of merit for damping layers, is desirable for structural damping applications. Particulate-reinforced metal‐matrix composites were prepared by ultrasonic agitation of the melt and composed of the zinc‐aluminum (ZnAl) alloy Zn 80 Al 20 (in wt%) as the lossy matrix and SiC or BaTiO 3 as the particulate reinforcements. ZnAl‐SiC composites were stiffer and exhibited higher damping at acoustic frequencies in comparison to the base alloy. ZnAl‐SiC composites were superior to Sn‐SiC composites and possessed anEtandin excess of 0.6GPa, the maximum figure of merit provided by commercial polymer damping layers. Furthermore, ZnAl‐ SiC composites displayed a high figure of merit over a broad temperature range. ZnAl‐BaTiO 3 composites exhibited anomalies in modulus and damping associated with partial restraint of the phase transformation; one specimen was much stiffer than diamond over a narrow temperature range.
Perfecting Patient-Centered Care: The Needs of the Patient Come First

The core principle that permeates the culture and guides the mission of Mayo Clinic can be simply stated as “the needs of the patient come first.” This conviction was articulated by Dr. William J. Mayo on June 15, 1910 during his commencement lecture at Rush Medical College: “The best interest of the patient is the only interest to be considered, and in order that the sick may have the benefit of advancing knowledge, union of forces is necessary.” [11] Four years later, in 1914, Minnesota’s first electrocardiogram was recorded at Mayo Clinic, marking the beginning of the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and our singular focus to pursue and perfect patient-centered care based upon integrated practice, education, and research. Collaboration among Mayo cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists, physiologists, and others resulted in the publication, in 1955, of the first series of open-heart operations with use of a heart–lung machine [10]. In 2008, approaching a century of patient care, the Mayo Cardiovascular Division has grown to become the largest academic cardiovascular practice in the world with 140 full-time physician staff committed to meeting the needs of the patient first. In this paper, we describe Mayo Cardiovascular Division’s pursuit of patient-centered care by adopting quality improvement strategies successfully used in other industries, focusing on coordination of care and disease-specific service lines, and developing patientcentered measures for quality of care.
In situ pulmonary vascular perfusion for improved recovery of pulmonary intravascular macrophages.

Abstract The microcirculation contains mononuclear phagocytes, with features characteristic of macrophages, adhered to luminal capillary surfaces by intercellular adhesion plaques. These pulmonary intravascular macrophages may play an important role in regulating lung vascular tone and capillary permeability, and may modulate capillary endothelial cell growth and replication by the secretion of soluble mediators (i.e., arachidonate metabolites, cytokines). This study describes a technique which utilizes in situ lung perfusion to remove intravascular macrophages in large numbers from the microcirculation of porcine lung ( n = 26). This technique yielded 3.8 ± 0.5 × 10 8 (mean ± SEM) mononuclear cells which were highly phagocytic toward particulate carbon (phagocytic index, 80 ± 6%). Harvested mononuclear phagocytes reestablished intercellular adhesion plaques when placed on small vessel porcine pulmonary artery endothelial cell monolayers and exhibited histochemical characteristics typical of monocyte/macrophage lineage cells. Mononuclear cells obtained from lung microcirculation displayed size heterogeneity varying from 10.4 to 16.5 μm in diameter. Both large and small cell populations phagocytosed particulate carbon. Morphometric studies performed on collagenase-treated lung demonstrated that in situ perfusion removed significant numbers of intravascular macrophages in lung capillaries. The technique described permits the rapid removal of anchored mononuclear phagocytes from lung capillaries with minimal postmortem delay.