cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Platelet-activating factor-induced aggregation of human platelets specifically inhibited by triazolobenzodiazepines

Platelet-activating factor (PAF), a naturally occurring phospholipid, is a potent activator of various biological processes, including platelet aggregation. The mechanisms by which PAF acts are largely unknown, partly because of the lack of specific inhibitors for PAF-elicited responses. It was found that in washed human platelets the psychotropic triazolobenzodiazepine drugs alprazolam and triazolam potently inhibited PAF-induced changes in shape, aggregation, and secretion. The effects were specific for PAF activation, since the responses of human platelets to adenosine diphosphate, thrombin, epinephrine, collagen, arachidonate, and the calcium ionophore A23187 were not inhibited by the triazolobenzodiazepines. These psychotropic drugs should be useful in investigating the possibility that PAF or PAF-like phospholipids play a role in neuronal function and in elucidating biochemical mechanisms activated specifically by PAF in a variety of cells.
Speaking the Language of Management: Applying the Performance Prism to Public Relations Assessment

This study examines the applicability of the management measurement system called the Performance Prism to public relations assessment. The review of literature explaining how public relations is currently measured, combined with how it could be measured via the Performance Prism, indicates that this management system could be useful in public relations appraisal and valuation.
Hydrodynamic models for diffusion in microporous membranes

The hydrodynamic theory of diffusion is extended to describe osmotic flow of binary solutions in microporous membranes. It is shown that the one-dimensional microscopic rate equations of irreversible thermodynamics are completely consistent with creeping flow hydrodynamic analyses. It is further shown how one may determine the onedimensional coefficients from the results of hydrodynamic analysis and how one may obtain macroscopic descriptions by integrating the microscopic equations over the diffusion path. In this way a complete and self-consistent means is developed for interpreting macroscopic behavior in terms of a molecular model. By way of example, a scheme is presented and implemented for estimation of reflection coefficients, σ, from the hydrodynamic analysis of P. M. Bungay and H. Brenner (Journal of Fluid Mechanics 1973, 60, 81). The resulting σ's are sensitive to the solute radial probability density; for a uniform distribution the present values are larger than those reported recently by other workers.
Using magnetoresistance to probe reversal asymmetry in exchange biased bilayers

We have measured the anisotropic magnetoresistance of Fe films exchange coupled to antiferromagnetic MnF2 layers. Exchange bias and coercivity obtained from magnetoresistance are in close agreement with superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry data. In addition the magnetoresistance reveals an asymmetry in the magnetization reversal process, despite the fact that the magnetization hysteresis loops show little shape asymmetry. These results correlate well with an earlier study of magnetization reversal asymmetry by polarized neutron reflectometry. The data imply that the magnetization reverses by coherent rotation on one side of the loop and by nucleation and propagation of domain walls on the other.
Beyond Sex/Gender: The Feminist Body of Security

What makes Feminist Security Studies such an exciting field for me is the depth and diversity of feminists grappling with key issues of the politics of war, peace, and security who are also concerned with sovereignty and autonomy, the meaning and nature of violence, and the connections among violence, subjectivity, and embodiment. Feminists across the disciplines have done much to render problematic the equation of bodies and subjects for their own political purposes, a political/theoretical move that has enormous implications for the way in which we think about the practices of security. In thinking through and even beyond “gender,” feminists in security studies are poised to ask the question of how we might rethink not only how security practices are gendered, but also how the very nature of “security” has lent itself to particular conceptions of “the body” (Butler 2004).
Drug Substance and Former Structure Property Relationships in 15 Diverse Pharmaceutical Co-Crystals

The pharmaceutical co-crystal approach can be used to modify physicochemical properties of new chemical entities. However, methodical studies of how co-crystal former selection influences properties of the resulting co-crystal, such as melting point and solubility, are needed. Consequently, we investigated 15 co-crystals of AMG 517 and three related molecules using di- and triacids as well as amides as co-crystal formers. Fourteen co-crystals and one partial salt were prepared as judged by pKa values and single crystal data. In addition, we found that our ability to form co-crystals was significantly influenced by even minor changes to the chemical structure of the drug substance. Furthermore, we discovered that all AMG 517 co-crystals, which we obtained single crystal structure for, utilize the same hydrogen bond donor (amide) and acceptor (benzothiazole) on the drug substance. Additional hydrogen bonds were observed in all of the co-crystals. In this study, we found little correlation between the meltin...
A stalwart motor of revolutions: An American merchant in pernambuco, 1817-1825

A new order for the New World was unfolding in the early nineteenth century, or so many in the United States believed. Between 1808 and 1825, all of Portuguese America and nearly all of Spanish America broke away from Europe, casting off Old World monarchs and inaugurating home-grown governments instead. People throughout the United States looked on with excitement, as the new order seemed at once to vindicate their own revolution as well as offer new possibilities for future progress. Free from obsolete European alliances, they hoped, the entire hemisphere could now rally together around republican government and commercial reciprocity. Statesmen and politicians were no exception, as men from Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe to John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay tried to exclude European influence from the hemisphere while securing new markets for American manufactures and agricultural surplus.
Local Recurrence After Laparoscopic Radiofrequency Thermal Ablation of Hepatic Tumors

Background: Since we first described laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation (LRFA) of liver tumors, several reports have documented technical and safety aspects of this procedure. Little is known, however, about the long-term follow-up of such patients. Methods: From January 1996 to February 1999, we performed LRFA on 250 liver tumors in 66 patients. Triphasic spiral computed tomographic scanning was obtained preoperatively and at 1 week, and every 3 months postoperatively. Lesion diameter was measured in the x- and y-axes and the volume estimated; 181 lesions in 43 patients for whom computed tomographic scans available were included in the study. The tumor types were as follows: 64 metastatic adenocarcinomas, 79 neuroendocrine metastases, 27 other metastases, and 11 primary liver tumors. Results: One week postoperatively, the ablated zone was larger than the original tumor in 178 of 181 lesions, which suggests ablation of the tumor and a margin of normal liver tissue. A progressive decline in lesion size was seen in 156 (88%) of 178 lesions, followed for at least 3 months (mean, 13.9 months; range, 4.9–37.8 months), which suggests resorption of the ablated tissue. Fourteen definite local treatment failures were apparent by increase in size and change in computed tomographic scan appearance, and eight lesions were scored as failures because of multifocal recurrence that encroached on ablated foci (22 total recurrences). Predictors of failure include lack of increased lesion size at 1 week (2 of 3 such lesions failed), adenocarcinoma or sarcoma (18 of 22 failures; P < .05), larger tumors (failures, M < 18cm3 vs. successes, M < 7cm3; P < .005) and vascular invasion on laparoscopic ultrasonography. By size criteria, 17 of 22 failures were apparent by 6 months. Energy delivered per gram of tissue was not significantly different (P < .45). Conclusions: LRFA has a 12% local failure rate, with larger adenocarcinomas and sarcomas at greatest risk. Failures occur early in follow-up, with most occurring by 6 months. LRFA seems to be a safe and effective treatment technique for patients with primary and metastatic liver malignancies.
The use of fluoropolymers to protect semiconductor materials

Fluoropolymers are the materials of choice for many materials integrity management applications within the microelectronics industry. This brief overview discusses common types of fluoropolymers and the stringent requirements of semiconductor-processing environments. Fluoropolymers are used in a wide variety of such fluid and device handling applications because they provide a unique combination of toughness, purity, and chemical resistance.
A simple thixotropic–viscoelastic constitutive model produces unique signatures in large-amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS)

Abstract Here we demonstrate that a simple thixotropic constitutive model produces unique signatures in large-amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) distinct from other nonlinear mechanisms and separate from viscoelastic time dependence. Our approach is to define the simplest model that produces the essential features of both thixotropy and viscoelasticity, a structure-parameter evolution equation coupled to a three-element fluid (Jeffreys model). In strain-controlled LAOS, the response of the model depends on four dimensionless parameters: two deformation parameters (Deborah and Weissenberg) and two material parameters (the ratio of viscoelastic to thixotropic timescales and the ratio of infinite shear viscosity to aggregate viscosity). We present numerical results for the full nonlinearities across this four-dimensional parameter space. The dimensionality is reduced by considering the asymptotically-nonlinear regime (Weissenberg number expansion). We present the first analytical solution for a thixotropic model in this asymptotically-nonlinear LAOS regime, which produces distinct power function scaling not predicted by other known solutions to nonlinear viscoelastic models. With this separation of thixotropic from viscoelastic timescales, this canonical model predicts that short thixotropic timescales can be experimentally observed with nonlinear oscillatory deformation. This is relevant to recent suggestions in distinguishing thixotropic versus “simple” yield stress fluids with no experimentally observable thixotropy.
Effects of chick embryo extract fractions on collagen and glycosaminoglycan metabolism by chick chondroblasts.

Abstract Chick embryo extract was fractionated by ion exchange columns to yield a basic protein (mol. wt. 72 000) which, at concentrations as low as 10−7 M, caused morphological dedifferentiation of cultured chick chondroblasts. Effects of a partially pure embryo extract fraction I on the metabolism of collagenous proteins, noncollagenous proteins and glycosaminoglycans by chondroblasts was studied. This material caused a decline in collagen synthetic rates during a 7-day growth period but did not affect noncollagenous protein and glycosaminoglycan synthetic rates. ‘Pulse-chase’ experiments demonsrated that turnover rates of cell collagen were low in culture (half-life 4 months), whereas the half-life of noncollagenous proteins was 55 h and glycosaminoglycans 75 h. Fraction I had no effect on turnover of any of these molecules. This material caused a concentration-dependent reduction of [3H]hydroxyproline accumulation by chondroblasts during a 24-h period (70% maximal reduction), only a 10% reduction on noncollagenous proteins and no effect on glycosaminoglycans. Collagenase digestion experiments showed the effect was not due to inhibition of prolyl hydroxylation. Similar inhibition of collagen synthesis by this fraction occurred in chick embryo tendon fibroblasts, but not in human fibroblasts, suggesting species specificity. The pure fraction from embryo extract exerted a biphasic effect on chondroblast collagen synthesis. Synthesis was inhibited at lower concentrations, but synthetic rates were similar to those of controls at higher concentrations. We suggest that the role of the active embryo extract fraction in vivo may be to regulate the type and amount of collagen synthesized by connective tissue cells.
Cerebral computed tomography in the diagnosis of supratentorial astrocytoma.

Abstract The CT features in 146 supratentorial astrocytomas are presented. Those features which permit differentiation from other pathological processes are reviewed and those CT findings which are seen in different stages of malignancy are defined.
New Light on Harry Dexter White

Harry Dexter White is remembered today as the “other” founding father of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, almost always as an afterthought as homage is paid to his far more renowned British counterpart, John Maynard Keynes. In the months leading up to and beyond the U.S. entry into World War II, White and Keynes independently drafted plans for a postwar stabilization fund aimed at restoring multilateral trade with convertible currencies. They traded plans in 1942 and then worked jointly on increasingly detailed proposals that led eventually to the creation of the IMF and World Bank. White is also remembered as a man who was accused of being a Soviet spy during the war, who died of a heart attack in 1948 just three days after giving a spirited and emotional public defense of his character before the House Un-American Activities Committee, and whose name was dragged out prominently five years later in an ugly battle between the Eisenhower Administration and former President Truman. Squeezed into the shadows between the luminosity of Keynes and the glaring excesses of McCarthyism, White's reputation has long been in need of a more sober inspection in the light of history.
The Remediation of Role Disorders through Focused Group Work

Normally, a person performs a variety of roles in the family, at work, and in the community. Maintaining these roles intact is of critical importance for the well being and personal identity of the individual. Persons with a physical illness or disability may face a reduction or termination in the number of roles they can sustain. The use of role-focused groups as a treatment method is based on role acquisition and transformation concepts derived from theories of sociology, psychology, and occupational therapy. This paper presents relevant concepts of role acquisition, describes the relationship between the disability and its impact on personal role functions, and examines the factors contributing to erosion of specific adult, occupational, family, and avocational roles. It offers guidelines for evaluation and explores the use of role-focused, interactive, experiential groups both in role maintenance and as a treatment method for role disorders. Finally, a variety of role-focused group models and themes for treatment are described.
Distinguishing magnetic-moment and magnetic-ordering behavior on the Slater-Pauling curve

We report magnetic dichroism in photoemission using linearly polarized synchrotron radiation (XMLD) from the 3p core levels of the ferromagnetic metals Fe, Co, Ni, and their binary alloys, including Cu. Lineshape analysis reveals that the magnetic dichroism asymmetry in the spectral width, WXMLD, tracks the changing magnitudes of the elemental magnetic moments. In contrast, the magnetic dichroism asymmetry peak-to-peak amplitudes, AXMLD, monitor the overall saturation magnetization, which shows deviations from the Slater-Pauling curve due to changes in magnetic order, particularly at the Invar composition of Fe65Ni35.
An automated mineral classifier using Raman spectra

We present a robust and autonomous mineral classifier for analyzing igneous rocks. Our study shows that machine learning methods, specifically artificial neural networks, can be trained using spectral data acquired by in situ Raman spectroscopy in order to accurately distinguish among key minerals for characterizing the composition of igneous rocks. These minerals include olivine, quartz, plagioclase, potassium feldspar, mica, and several pyroxenes. On average, our classifier performed with 83 percent accuracy. Quartz and olivine, as well as the pyroxenes, were classified with 100 percent accuracy. In addition to using traditional features such as the location of spectral bands and their shapes, our automated mineral classifier was able to incorporate fluorescence patterns, which are not as easily perceived by humans, into its classification scheme. The latter was able to improve the classification accuracy and is an example of the robustness of our classifier.
Ultraviolet floral patterns as functional orientation cues in hymenopterous pollination systems

Abstract Field modifications of U.V. floral patterns of Caesalpinia eriostachys Benth. and Parkinsonia aculeata L. showed that bees used U.V. designs as orientation cues. Bees exhibited an in-flight orientation ability which was apparently correlated with size, with smaller bees frequently orienting to the manipulated position of the U.V. absorbent banner petal prior to landing on the flower. The U.V. absorptive banner petal and staminal portions of the flowers of both species seemed to be the most important visual orientation guides, and except for Trigona fuscipennis and T. pectoralis , the banner petal was the more important of the two. Emasculation of the flowers may have removed the orientation cue used by these species of Trigona , which may be orienting to the flowers solely on the basis of pollen odour. Morphological and physiological changes in the floral colour patterns of both species following pollination appear to inhibit visitation by bees. The significance of U.V. floral patterns was also considered.
Noninvasive visualization of in vivo drug delivery of poly(L-glutamic acid) using contrast-enhanced MRI

Biomedical imaging is valuable for noninvasive investigation of in vivo drug delivery with polymer conjugates. It can provide real-time information on pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and drug delivery efficiency of the conjugates. Noninvasive visualization of in vivo drug delivery of polymer conjugates with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was studied with paramagnetically labeled poly(L-glutamic acid) in an animal tumor model. Poly(L-glutamic acid) is a biocompatible and biodegradable drug carrier for diagnostics and therapeutics. Poly(L-glutamic acid)-1,6-hexanediamine--(Gd-DO3A) conjugates with molecular weights of 87, 50, and 28 kDa and narrow molecular weight distributions were prepared and studied in mice bearing MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer xenografts. Contrast-enhanced MRI resulted in real-time and three-dimensional visualization of blood circulation, pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and tumor accumulation of the conjugates, and the size effect on these pharmaceutics properties. The conjugate of 28 kDa rapidly cleared from the circulation and had a relatively lower tumor accumulation. The conjugates with higher molecular weights exhibited a more prolonged blood circulation and higher tumor accumulation. The difference between the conjugates of 87 and 50 kDa was not significant. Contrast-enhanced MRI is effective for noninvasive real-time visualization of in vivo drug delivery of paramagnetically labeled polymer conjugates.
Intraseasonal moist static energy budget in reanalysis data

[1] The vertically integrated moist static energy (MSE) budget and moisture budgets of the Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO) are studied using 16 years of National Centers for Environmental Prediction Reanalysis II data and European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts interim reanalysis data. Longitudinal distributions of vertically integrated MSE and latent heat (Lq) anomalies as well as their advective tendency terms are studied as a function of MJO phase. They are shown to have similar patterns and magnitudes, indicating that variations in MSE are mainly governed by moisture on intraseasonal time scales. MSE anomalies are approximately in phase with precipitation. Reanalysis MSE budget results are compared with the general circulation model results of Maloney (2009) (hereinafter M09). Many aspects of the reanalysis MSE budget resemble those of M09, with strong contributions from horizontal advection in increasing (decreasing) column MSE before (after) peak MJO convection. Other terms in the vertically integrated MSE budget, including vertical advection, are relatively larger in the reanalysis compared to M09 model results. Vertical advection contributes as much or more than horizontal advection to MSE buildup in advance of MJO convection in the reanalysis data sets. A large budget residual also exists which appears to suggest a missing moistening source in advance of MJO convection that provides a caveat to the results derived here. A positive covariance between radiative and surface fluxes and precipitation anomalies indicates that these flux terms slow the discharge of column MSE during an MJO event and may help to destabilize the MJO. As in the work of M09, variability in synoptic eddy activity as a function of the MJO phase dominates the meridional advection term. Suppression of synoptic eddies appears to contribute to anomalous moistening of the atmospheric column in advance of MJO convection.
Educational Attainment by Life Course Sexual Attraction: Prevalence and Correlates in a Nationally Representative Sample of Young Adults

Researchers know relatively little about the educational attainment of sexual minorities, despite the fact that educational attainment is consistently associated with a range of social, economic, and health outcomes. We examined whether sexual attraction in adolescence and early adulthood was associated with educational attainment in early adulthood among a nationally representative sample of US young adults. We analyzed Waves I and IV restricted data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n=14,111). Sexual orientation was assessed using self-reports of romantic attraction in Waves I (adolescence) and IV (adulthood). Multinomial regression models were estimated and all analyses were stratified by gender. Women attracted to the same-sex in adulthood only had lower educational attainment compared to women attracted only to the opposite-sex in adolescence and adulthood. Men attracted to the same-sex in adolescence only had lower educational attainment compared to men attracted only to the opposite-sex in adolescence and adulthood. Adolescent experiences and academic performance attenuated educational disparities among men and women. Adjustment for adolescent experiences also revealed a suppression effect; women attracted to the same-sex in adolescence and adulthood had lower predicted probabilities of having a high school diploma or less compared to women attracted only to the opposite-sex in adolescence and adulthood. Our findings challenge previous research documenting higher educational attainment among sexual minorities in the US. Additional population-based studies documenting the educational attainment of sexual minority adults are needed.
Psychosocial care in nursing homes in the era of the MDS 3.0: perspectives of the experts.

Meeting psychosocial needs of nursing home residents is increasingly regarded as a critical component of care, and the nationally-mandated nursing home care screening instrument— the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0—was modified and implemented in 2010 to promote better assessment of psychosocial needs and health. Recognizing the importance of psychosocial well-being among nursing home residents, and the promise of MDS 3.0 for improving psychosocial care, this article reports recommendations derived from a conference of stakeholders representing diverse disciplines and organizations regarding next steps following MDS 3.0 screening. Results relate to seven areas of psychosocial care and address cross-cutting recommendations to improve psychosocial care.
Ultra-rapid freezing of water treatment residuals

An alum water treatment residual (“sludge”) was conditioned by freezing at ultra-rapid rates. Ultra-rapid rates were obtained by freezing on liquid nitrogen. The purpose of the experiments was to determine the conditions necessary for such rapid freezing to improve dewaterability. Contrary to results reported in the literature, ultra-rapid freezing worked extremely well. Although the conditioned flocs (“zots”) were not as dense or granular as obtained at slower freezing rates, dewaterability was still greatly improved. Dewaterability, as measured by cake solids content (CSC), capillary suction time (CST), filterability coefficient (χ) and aggregate volume index (AVI), was best for samples with an initially high solids content and for samples that had been cured or stored at sub-freezing temperatures, for long times. Zot size analyses showed that zots decreased in size following ultra-rapid freezing. The results are explained using a proposed conceptual model of the residuals freezing process.
Aorta segmentation with a 3D level set approach and quantification of aortic calcifications in non-contrast chest CT

Automatic aorta segmentation in thoracic computed tomography (CT) scans is important for aortic calcification quantification and to guide the segmentation of other central vessels. We propose an aorta segmentation algorithm consisting of an initial boundary detection step followed by 3D level set segmentation for refinement. Our algorithm exploits aortic cross-sectional circularity: we first detect aorta boundaries with a circular Hough transform on axial slices to detect ascending and descending aorta regions, and we apply the Hough transform on oblique slices to detect the aortic arch. The centers and radii of circles detected by Hough transform are fitted to smooth cubic spline functions using least-squares fitting. From these center and radius spline functions, we reconstruct an initial aorta surface using the Frenet frame. This reconstructed tubular surface is further refined with 3D level set evolutions. The level set framework we employ optimizes a functional that depends on both edge strength and smoothness terms and evolves the surface to the position of nearby edge location corresponding to the aorta wall. After aorta segmentation, we first detect the aortic calcifications with thresholding applied to the segmented aorta region. We then filter out the false positive regions due to nearby high intensity structures. We tested the algorithm on 45 CT scans and obtained a closest point mean error of 0.52 ± 0.10 mm between the manually and automatically segmented surfaces. The true positive detection rate of calcification algorithm was 0.96 over all CT scans.
Work-hardening of ferrite head surfaces by wear with flexible recording media

The ferrite surfaces of rotating magnetic heads were found to have been work-hardened to different degrees depending upon the abrasiveness of the flexible recording media used. For the more abrasive tape, the work-hardening was less than for the less abrasive tape. Associated with the increase in microhardness was decreased signal read-back and increased incidence of surface "pull-outs." These phenomena may be understood in the context of fracture mechanics where residuals tress, resulting from plastic deformation of the ferrite, is predominant in the wear mechanism.
The effects of carbamazepine on prefrontal activation in manic youth with bipolar disorder

This preliminary study investigated the neurofunctional effects of carbamazepine-extended release (XR) treatment in 11 manic youth with bipolar disorder during performance of a sustained attention task, the Continuous Performance Task – Identical Pairs version (CPT-IP), during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). All patients underwent baseline fMRI, and 10 patients were scanned again at endpoint. Nine demographically matched healthy youth, who were scanned once, served as controls. Carbamazepine-XR treatment was associated with normalization of activation in right Brodmann area 10 (BA). These results suggest that carbamazepine-XR treatment may correct prefrontal dysfunction in adolescent mania.
Physiological correlates of conduct problems and anxiety in hyperactive and learning-disabled children.

Thirtysix learning disabled children (21 of whom were also classified as hyperactive) were subgrouped according to teacher ratings of tension-anxiety and conduct problems and then compared on measures of tonic and phasic autonomic arousal. The results indicated that children rated high on the conduct problem dimension evidenced smaller amplitude specific skin conductance responses, and that anxiety appeared to exert a moderating effect on physiological responses. When the hyperactive sample was considered separately, lower skin conductance levels were observed in children rated high on conduct problems than in hyperactive children rated low in conduct problems. These findings support the notion that hyperactive and learning-disabled children are heterogeneous at a physiological level and suggest that physiological differences previously attributed to hyperactivity may actually be correlates of the conduct problem dimension.
Short-term energy restriction reduces resting energy expenditure in patients with HIV lipodystrophy and hypermetabolism.

We have previously shown that resting energy expenditure (REE) is increased in patients with HIV lipodystrophy. This hypermetabolism could be the result of an inadequate storage capacity for lipid fuel secondary to atrophy of the subcutaneous adipose tissue depot. Therefore, energy restriction may be able to alleviate this hypermetabolism. To test this hypothesis, we measured REE in HIV-infected patients with lipodystrophy and hypermetabolism and in HIV-infected and healthy controls. Measurements were taken during the overnight fasted state after 3 days on a eu-energetic diet and again after 3 days on a diet of similar composition but reduced in energy by 50%. After 3 days of eu-energetic feeding, REE was significantly higher in HIV-infected patients with lipodystrophy compared with healthy controls (139.5 ± 1.3 vs 117.2 ± 1.3 kJ/kg lean body mass, P < .001) and tended to be higher compared with HIV-infected subjects without lipodystrophy (139.5 ± 13 vs 127.3 ± 1.4 kJ/kg lean body mass, P = .06). Furthermore, energy restriction caused a significant decline in REE in patients with HIV lipodystrophy (P < .001). This dietary manipulation did not lead to a significant reduction in REE in either HIV-infected or healthy controls. This suggests that energy intake and REE may be uniquely coupled in patients with lipodystrophy as a means to dissipate energy that cannot be stored in a normal manner. A better understanding of this coupling would have important implications for weight regulation in general.
An experimental study of surface curvature effects on a supersonic turbulent boundary layer

The mean flow results of an experimental study of compressible turbulent boundary layers in an adverse pressure gradient with and without surface curvature effects are presented. The test was conducted in an axisymmetric flow facility. The upstream Reynolds number based on boundary layer momentum thickness was 5884 and the boundary layer thickness was 0.90 cm. The curvature effects were examined by studying two flows with essentially identical adverse pressure gradients. One flow was along a concave compression surface test section, while the other was along a straight-walled test section. Mean flow measurements included wall static pressure distributions, wall temperatures, pitot pressure profiles and total temperature profiles. The mean flow results indicated that the surface curvature resulted in a definite increase of turbulent mixing in the boundary layer.
Biochemical indices of stress in the sandworm Neanthes virens (SARS). II. Sublethal responses to cadmium

Abstract The concentration of coelomic fluid glucose and tissue ascorbic acid and glycogen were monitored in Neanthes virens during exposure to sublethal concentrations of cadmium. The responses of N. virens to cadmium were both time and dose-dependent and followed a pattern which is consistent with the general adaptation syndrome. After 3 days of exposure to 10 mg/l Cd, a significant hyperglycemic response was observed which persisted for over a month until the glycogen reserves were depleted. At the termination of the chronic (2-mth) exposure, the tissue ascorbic acid concentration of the Cd-exposed animals was significantly higher than the controls. Glycogen appears to be a limiting constituent during chronic pollutant stress for this polychaete whereas ascorbic acid is not.
Adjuvant radiation therapy for stage II thymoma

Abstract Background . Thymoma is difficult to study because of its indolent natural history. The criteria for administration of adjuvant radiation therapy remain controversial, and it is unclear whether patients with Masaoka stage II thymoma benefit from adjuvant radiation. The goal of this report was to determine whether or not this group benefits from radiation therapy in terms of disease-specific survival and tumor recurrence. Methods . Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital were retrospectively reviewed from 1972 to 1999. One hundred fifty-five patients underwent resection for thymoma, of which, 49 had stage II disease. The world literature was reviewed using a Medline search (1966 to 2001), and a secondary review of referenced works was performed. Results . Fourteen stage II patients underwent radiation therapy. Thirty-five did not receive radiation therapy. Baseline prognostic factors between radiated and nonradiated groups were similar. All patients underwent complete resection. The addition of adjuvant radiotherapy did not significantly alter local or distant recurrence rates in stage II thymoma. Disease-specific survival at 10 years in stage II patients was 100% with radiotherapy and without radiotherapy ( p = 0.87). There was one recurrence in the nonradiated group at 180 months, which was outside the usual radiation portal. Conclusions . Most stage II patients do not require adjuvant radiation therapy and can be observed after complete resection.
New homotopic/factorization and symmetrization techniques for Newton's and Newton/structured iteration

We modify our earlier homotopic (continuation) process for iterative matrix inversion to improve the choice of the initial approximate inverse at every homotopic step. This enables us to control the condition of the auxiliary matrices and to accelerate the convergence of the iteration. The algorithm also extends our earlier approach where we factorized the input matrix into the product of better conditioned factors. We accelerate our new algorithm in the case of a Toeplitz-like input, comment on the extensions to the computations with other structured matrices such as Cauchy-Pick and banded matrices, and propose new techniques for the compression of the displacement of Hermitian matrices.
Estimation of the survival function for Gray's piecewise‐constant time‐varying coefficients model

Gray's extension of Cox's proportional hazards (PH) model for right-censored survival data allows for a departure from the PH assumption via introduction of time-varying regression coefficients (TVC). For this model estimation of the conditional hazard rate relies on the inclusion of penalized splines. Cubic penalized splines tend to be unstable in the right tail of the distribution and thus quadratic, linear and piecewise-constant penalized splines may be a favourable choice. We derive a survival function estimator for one important member of the class of TVC models--a piecewise-constant time-varying coefficients (PC-TVC) model. Using the first-order Taylor series approximation we also derive an estimate for the variance of the log-transformed and log(-log)-transformed survival function, which in turn leads to estimated confidence limits on the corresponding scales of the survival function. Accuracy in estimating underlying survival times and survival quantiles is assessed for both Cox's and Gray's PC-TVC model using a simulation study featuring scenarios violating the PH assumption. Finally, an example of the estimated survival functions and the corresponding confidence limits derived from Cox's PH and Gray's PC-TVC model, respectively, is presented for a liver transplant data set.
Transport interactions of cystine and dibasic amino acids in isolated rat renal tubules

Abstract Isolated renal cortical tubules prepared from adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to study the nature of cystine entry into tubule cells and its transport interactions with dibasic amino acids. The uptake of cystine over time was progressive, reaching a steady-state after 60 min of incubation. Analysis of the intracellular pool after incubation revealed that a significant fraction of the transported cystine was reduced to cysteine. A kinetic analysis of uptake demonstrated that two systems for cellular entry of cystine existed with a K m1 of 0.012 mM and K m2 of 0.55 mM. Cystine uptake was sodium dependent with an apparent K m for sodium of 36 mEq/liter. Lysine inhibited cystine uptake via the low K m system, but appeared not to inhibit cystine uptake via the high K m system. Ornithine, leucine, and isoleucine each inhibited cystine uptake via the low K m system. Arginine appeared to affect both systems for cystine uptake. Cystine inhibited the uptake of lysine by isolated renal tubules. The data suggest that cystine at physiologic concentrations is transported into renal tubule cells nearly equally by two systems, of which, the low K m system is shared with the dibasic amino acids. A defective low K m system could in part explain human cystinuria.
Are ecological systems chaotic — And if not, why not?

Chaotic dynamics emerge when positive/negative feedback systems are dominated much of the time by positive feedback growth processes. Although all ecological systems contain the seeds of chaos (positive feedback), empirical evidence and evolutionary/ecological reasoning support the view that ecosystems do not normally behave chaotically. They may, however, be driven to chaos by human actions that increase growth rates or induce delays in the regulatory (negative feedback) processes.
Mystery case: an unexpected complication of IV thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke

A 46-year-old man with psoriasis and morbid obesity developed acute aphasia and right hemiplegia. As a result of his weakness, he had fallen and struck his right eye on a desk. His presenting examination demonstrated right periorbital ecchymosis without accompanying ptosis, expressive aphasia, left gaze deviation with corresponding hemianopsia, and dense right hemiplegia, summating an NIH Stroke Scale score of 13.
Geometrical aspects of chiral anomalies in the overlap

The set of one dimensional lowest energy eigenspaces used to construct the overlap induces a two form on gauge orbit space which is the locally exact curl of Berry's connection. If anomalies do not cancel, examples of two dimensional closed submanifolds of orbit space are produced over which the integral of the above two form does not vanish. Based on these observations, a natural definition of covariant currents is obtained, a simple way to calculate chiral anomalies on the lattice is found, and indications for how to construct an ideal regularization of chiral gauge theories are seen to emerge.
Lithic microwear analysis as a means to infer production of perishable technology: a case from the Great Lakes

Abstract Perishable technologies form a major portion of hunter–gatherer toolkits across the globe. Due to preservation issues, however, these artifacts are often not recovered in the archaeological record. Thus it is necessary to look for evidence of perishable technologies in novel ways. This is especially true for Late Pleistocene sites in North America which are typically dominated by chipped stone artifacts. While other perishable technologies—i.e. bone and wood—from these sites have received some attention, fiber technologies remain under examined due to their near complete absence in the archaeological record, especially in eastern North America. Lithic microwear analysis on a sample of artifacts from the Clovis affiliated Paleo Crossing site in the Great Lakes region of North America indicates that numerous artifacts were used for plant processing. I present the results of analysis here with particular emphasis on artifacts used to process plant material. Through comparison with experimentally produced wear patterns, I argue that much of the plant processing at Paleo Crossing was geared toward plant fiber production. These findings provide further evidence that fiber technologies were important elements of the Clovis toolkit. Additionally, it demonstrates that evidence of perishable technologies can be recovered from lithic assemblages.
Ageing and the Regulation of Cell Activities during Exposure to Cold

The inability to maintain body temperature and a selective pattern of changes in the regulation of cell activities were revealed by briefly exposing ageing C57B1/6J male mice to cold (10°C). The induction of liver tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) during exposure to cold (a gene-dependent process) was markedly delayed in senescent mice (26 months old) as compared with younger mice (3–16 months old); after the delay, the rate of increase of TAT was similar to that prevailing in younger mice. Direct challenge of the liver with injections of corticosterone or insulin elicited the induction of TAT on an identical time course in young and senescent mice. These experiments provide an example of an age change in a gene-dependent cell process (the delayed induction of TAT in senescent mice during exposure to cold) which is not due to a change in the potential of the genome for responding when exogenous stimulae are supplied (injection of hormones). In contrast to the age-related change in liver cell activities, no significant changes were found in the secretion of corticosterone during exposure to cold. Although the seat of these selective age-related changes in the regulation of cell activities remains unclear, it is argued that generalized damage to the genome of cells throughout the body is not involved. The results of this and other studies showing the selective effect of age on cell activities are considered in terms of the concept that many cellular age changes represent the response of cells to primary age-related changes in humoral factors in the internal environment of the body.
The monitoring of biofilm formation in a mulch biowall barrier and its effect on performance.

Abstract Lab scale mulch biofilm biowall barriers were constructed and tested to monitor the effect of biofilm formation on the performance of the biobarrier. Naphthalene, a two-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), was used as the model compound. With column reactors, the amounts of viable naphthalene degraders and biofilm formation were monitored, as was the performance of the biobarrier. The sorption capacity of the mulch, the increase in biomass and the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) content of the biofilm created a strong affinity for naphthalene and induced an increase in the number of slowly growing hydrocarbon degraders, resulting in a higher degradation rate and more stable PAH removal. Concentration profiles of pore water naphthalene and electron acceptors indicated that dissolved oxygen (DO) was preferentially used as the electron acceptor, and the greatest removal occurred at the inlet to the column reactor where DO was highest. However, when using nitrate as an alternative electron acceptor, both biofilm formation and continual degradation of naphthalene also occurred. Microprofiles of DO in the biofilm revealed that oxygen transport in the biofilm was limited, and there might be sequential utilization of nitrate for naphthalene removal in the anoxic zones of the biofilm. These results provide insight into the distribution of viable biomass and biofilm EPS production in engineered permeable reactive mulch biobarriers.
Kinetics of 1‐hexene polymerization

Kinetics of 1-hexene polymerization was studied by following the amount of unreacted monomer using gas chromatography. The Ziegler-Natta catalyst system used was comprised of TiCl4-AlEt3 with Al: Ti ratio of 0.85. The sampling and monomer analysis techniques developed can be applied to study the kinetics of higher α-olefins polymerizations, in general. Also, with minor modifications in this technique, a precise profile of molecular weight can be obtained during polymerization.
Urinary volatile constituents of the house mouse,Mus musculus, and their endocrine dependency

Mouse urine contains a great number of volatile constituents that may be used in chemical communication. Some of these volatiles, identified in this study by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, appear unique to the mouse. Certain urinary volatiles exhibit strong dependence on the sex and endocrine status of the animals, as shown through castration, treatment with an antiandrogen, and hormone supplementation.
A neural model for nonassociative learning in a prototypical sensory-motor scheme: the landing reaction in flies

Nonassociative learning is an important property of neural organization in both vertebrate and invertebrate species. In this paper we propose a neural model for nonassociative learning in a well studied prototypical sensory-motor scheme: the landing reaction of flies. The general structure of the model consists of sensory processing stages, a sensory-motor gate network, and motor control circuits. The paper concentrates on the sensory-motor gate network which has an agonist-antagonist structure. Sensory inputs to this circuit are transduced by chemical messenger systems whose dynamics include depletion and replenishment terms. The resulting circuit is a gated dipole anatomy and we show that it gives a good account of nonassociative learning in the landing reaction of the fly.
Precise Damping Conditions for Global Asymptotic Stability for Nonlinear Second Order Systems, II

Global asymptotic stability of the rest point for nonlinear equations has been treated by a number of authors. In this paper we unify and extend previous work, by obtaining various necessary and sucient conditions for the asymptotic stability as t ! 1 of solutions of quasi-variational systems of the form rL(t,u,u 0 ) 0 r uL(t,u,u 0 ) = Q(t,u,u 0 ),