cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Food restriction retards age-related histological changes in rat small intestine.

Abstract Previous studies have reported that small and large intestinal crypt hyperplasia and hyperproliferation occur in senescent rats about 27 mo of age. We have studied duodenal and ileal architecture in ad libitum chow-fed rats and have demonstrated that the increase in duodenal crypt depth and crypt hyperplasia do not develop throughout the life span, but become apparent at 21 and 27 mo of age. These crypt hyperplastic features occur without a change in duodenal villus cell number. Ileal villus cellularity increased throughout the life span, suggesting exposure to a gradually increasing luminal nutrient load. Diet restriction to 60% of the ad libitum feeding rate prolonged the life span of animals from 27 to greater than 33 mo and prevented both the duodenal hyperplasia and the increase in ileal villus cell numbers to the age of 27 mo. Thirty-three-month diet-restricted rats did show evidence of duodenal crypt hyperplasia. We conclude that proximal intestinal hyperplasia is a phenomenon that develops in advanced age, but that ileal villus cellularity increases throughout the ad libitum-fed rodent life span. Diet restriction dramatically retards these intestinal changes that are seen with ad libitum feeding and provides an experimental model for the study of age-related cellular changes of the rodent gastrointestinal tract.
The Evolution of Bank Supervisory Institutions: Evidence from American States

We use a novel data set spanning 1820–1910 to assess the factors leading to the creation of formal bank supervisory institutions across American states. We show that it took more than a century for all states to create separate agencies tasked with monitoring the safety and soundness of banks. State legislatures initially pursued cheaper regulatory alternatives, such as double liability laws; however, banking distress at the state level as well as the structural shift from note-issuing to deposit-taking commercial banks and competition with national banks propelled policymakers to adopt costly and permanent supervisory institutions.
Effects of postnatal zinc deficiency on cerebellar and hippocampal development in the rat

Because the majority of hippocampal and cerebellar development occurs postnatally, these brain regions might be expected to be very sensitive to zinc deficiency during this period. Rat pups suckled for 21 days by dams fed a zinc-deficient diet demonstrated impaired body growth and had smaller cerebella compared to pups from pair-fed or ad libitum-fed controls given adequate zinc and had smaller hippocampi compared to the ad libitum-fed controls. In histologic preparations, there was a marked retention of the external granular layer of the cerebellum in response to zinc deficiency; the appearance of the hippocampus did not seem to be altered by the dietary treatments. Determinations of DNA, RNA, and protein indicated that both brain regions failed to maintain a normal rate of development. Pups from dams pair-fed with the zinc-deficient dams also displayed alterations in the morphology of the cerebellum and in the composition of both hippocampus and cerebellum, but those differences were not as severe as those seen in the zinc-deficient pups. The results indicate additional effects due to zinc deficiency which could not be explained solely on the basis of the undernutrition associated with zinc deficiency.
[Pancreatico-duodenal allotransplantation: experimental and clinical experience].

A procedure has been developed in the laboratory for pancreatico-duodenal allotransplantation in the pancreatectomized dog. Dogs with such grafts have survived for many months when treated with azathioprine and prednisone to prevent rejection. Contrary to usual beliefs, the pancreas is not particularly sensitive to total ischemia since it has been possible to preserve a pancreatico-duodenal allograftin vitro with only hypothermia and hyperbaria up to 24 hours. Such preserved pancreatico-duodenal grafts have then been allotransplanted into pancreatectomized dogs with survival of the dogs for long periods. We have now done pancreatico-duodenal allotransplantation in ten patients with juvenile onset diabetes mellitus and renal failure. Nine of these patients have received a renal allograft taken from the same cadaver simultaneously. In all but one of these patients the pancreas has functioned immediately. This exception was in a patient who received a pancreatico-duodenal allograft taken from a cadaver which had suffered irreversible ischemia. While only two patients are currently living, the longest eleven months, in no case we have seen evidence of pancreatic rejection. In seven of the eight deaths problems concerned with the cadaver renal allograft were at fault and in only one patient was the pancreatico-duodenal allograft the cause of death. This patient died seven months after pancreatico-duodenal allografting from an acute perforation of the duodenal graft. It is clear from these studies that the pancreas is far less antigenic than the kidney and possibly of other organs as well. Pancreatico-duodenal allotransplantation alone is now planned for juvenile onset diabetics who have significant but not terminal renal nephropathy. If the characteristic vascular disease of diabetes mellitus can be altered by a pancreatic allograft, then this will become one of the most commonly performed transplant procedures.
A review of changes in the Caribbean tourist industry

Whereas avoidance of hostile northern winters via escaping to balmy tropical shores is a time‐honored pattern of tourist movement in Europe and North America, in the past twenty years or so, this flow has changed significantly. International tourists, largely from industrialized midlatitude countries, are vacationing equatorward in ever‐increasing numbers and dispersing themselves well beyond traditional destination areas into newly emerging tourist centers. The effects of this growing and spreading influx include a blend of economic, social and environmental impacts.
An emprical bayes approach to two-sample problems with censored data

Empirical Bayes methods are used in estimating the probability based on randomly right-censored samples. The estimator is shown to be asymptotically optimal. Thus, in a way, this uork is similar to the results of Hollander and Korwar (1976) who used a similar approach in estimating A in the case of non-censored data. We also give hero a shorter proof to their rate result. In addition, a. resting procedure is obtained to test the hypothesis against on the basis of censored data. It is shown that this procedure is asymptotically optimal with rate of convergence n . Tnis result is analogous to our earlier result for the uncensored case (1970) The empirical Hayes procedure has been illustrated by means of a practical example.
Geospatial methods to examine shoreline erosion in the Chippewa Flowage: A case study

Abstract The wind fetch and wave energy of a waterbody are important factors in determining shoreline erosion potential and can influence aquatic community composition. Quantifying and interpreting these variables, however, can be a difficult and time-consuming process without the use of a geographic information system (GIS) coupled with fetch models, such as WAVES (produced by the United States Geological Survey). Examples of the applicability of these tools are limited; therefore, we present a case study to demonstrate the use of these tools in a novel way for understanding lake ecology and guiding lake management. By analyzing hourly wind data, using geospatial methods, and accounting for the abundance of macrophytes, shoreline erosion potential data were generated for Wisconsin's third largest lake, the Chippewa Flowage. GIS-based shoreline erosion potential data showed significant (X2 = 167.17, p ≤ 0.001, df = 2), though not complete, correspondence with an inventory of shoreline erosion from all cau...
Disulfide Bond Assignment in Human Interleukin-7 by Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectroscopy and Site-directed Cysteine to Serine Mutational Analysis

Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is a proteinaceous biological response modifier that has a bioactive tertiary structure dependent on disulfide bond formation. Disulfide bond assignments in human (h)IL-7 are based upon the results of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectroscopy and Cys to Ser mutational analyses. A gene encoding the hIL-7 was synthesized incorporating Escherichia coli codon usage bias and was used to express biologically active protein as determined by stimulation of precursor B-cell proliferation. MALDI mass spectroscopic analysis of trypsin-digested hIL-7 was performed and compared with the anticipated results of a simulated tryptic digestion. Many of the anticipated hIL-7 tryptic fragments were detected including one with a molecular mass equivalent to the sum of two polypeptides linked through a disulfide bond formed from Cys residues (Cys3 and Cys142). Subsequently, Cys to Ser substitution mutational analyses were performed. A hIL-7 variant with all six Cys substituted with Ser was found to be biologically inactive (EC50 > 1 x 10(-7) M). In contrast, a family of single disulfide bond-forming variants of hIL-7 were constructed by reintroducing Cys pairs (Cys3-Cys142, Cys35-Cys130, and Cys48-Cys93), and each could stimulate cell proliferation with an EC50 of 4 x 10(-9), 2 x 10(-8), and 2 x 10(-9) M, respectively. In single disulfide bond-forming mutants of hIL-7, the ability to stimulate cell proliferation was abolished in the presence of 2 mM dithiothreitol. The results presented strongly suggest that only a single disulfide bond is required for hIL-7 to form a tertiary structure capable of stimulating precursor B-cell proliferation.
Transient radiation effects in annealed proton-exchange LiNbO 3 and LiTaO 3 waveguides

We have measured optical attenuation in LiNbO3 and LiTaO3 waveguides due to exposure to an approximately 3 ns pulse of approximately 400 KeV electrons. The LiNbO3 operated at 810 nm and the LiTaO3 at 1309 nm. Both waveguides were formed using the annealed proton exchange method. Transient attenuation and recovery was observed for a series of pulse doses. To the accuracy of the measurements, total recovery was observed within 1 sec after exposure for both waveguides. Results from these waveguides were compared to earlier measurements of a titanium-indiffused LiNbO3 waveguide.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Evolution of Neurocritical Care

Abstract Although neurocritical care as a subspecialty is a relatively young field of medicine, its origins can be traced back to ancient times. This article focuses on the progression of neurocritical care from prehistoric trepanation procedures, through the development of mechanical ventilation, management of increased intracranial pressure, and traumatic brain injury, to the establishment of the first "real" intensive care units, and finally to modern monitoring in neurocritical care, management of post-cardiac arrest patients, and the diagnosis of brain death. This article also focuses on the future direction of neurocritical care.
The Sensitivity of Simulated Hurricane Development to Cumulus Parameterization Details

Abstract Numerical experiments with an axisymmetric model of the tropical cyclone are described. The model contains a cumulus parameterization of the type proposed by Ooyama (1971). It is shown that the growth of the hurricane scale is significantly affected when the cloud model and the form of the cloud spectrum are altered. The growth of the hurricane is also strongly affected by the manner in which resolvable supersaturation is treated.
Regulation of Leydig Cell Function by Prolactin, Growth Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone

The effects of prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) on testicular LH receptor concentration and on testosterone synthesis in response to LH (testicular responsiveness) was studied in mature intact and hypophysectomized rats. Hypophysectomy reduced LH receptor concentration by 80% and testicular responsiveness to LH by 70%, 7 days after surgery. Daily treatment with LH initiated immediately following surgery resulted in a further dose-dependent decrease in LH receptors and a dose-dependent increase in testicular responsiveness. Loss of LH receptors was not due to occupancy of the receptor by exogenous LH. PRL (150 μg/day) or GH (150 μg/day) partially prevented the loss of LH receptors in hypophysectomized saline-treated rats. The effect of PRL plus GH on LH receptor concentration was additive. The combination of LH (5 μg/day), PRL and GH prevented any loss of LH receptors after hypophysectomy. A positive effect of LH on its receptor occurred in the presence of PRL. Treatment of hypophysectomized rats with 5 μg LH + 150 μg PRL enhanced the effect observed with PRL alone on maintenance of LH receptors. PRL, administered together with higher doses of LH (25 or 50 μg/day) prevented LH from exerting a negative effect on LH receptor concentration. Similar treatment with GH plus LH neither allowed a positive effect of LH nor prevented higher doses of LH from exerting a negative effect on LH receptor concentration. Loss in testicular LH receptors was also demonstrated in intact rats which received a single administration of LH. Administration of 150 μg PRL for 3 days partially prevented the LH-induced loss in LH receptors, while treatment with 150 μg GH had no effect on LH-induced loss of testicular LH receptors. Despite the ability of PRL to increase LH receptor concentration in hypophysectomized rats, PRL treatments did not enhance testicular responsiveness to LH. Only when LH was administered together with either PKL or G H was testicular responsiveness to LH maintained at intact control values. These data indicate that 1) maintenance of testicular LH receptor concentration in adult hypophysectomized rats is dependent on the combined effects of PKL, GH and LH; 2) PRL not only prevents LH from exerting a negative effect, but allows LH to have a positive effect in the hypophysectomized rat on the testicular LH receptor; 3) PRL and GH appear to act at different sites and by different mechanisms; and 4) hormonal regulation of L H receptor concentration appears to be distinct from hormonal regulation of testicular responsiveness to LH.
Exploring agency policing models and response to domestic violence

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the relationship between law enforcement agency domestic violence standard operating procedures (SOPs) and Florida's model policy for domestic violence, as well as type of police agency and policing management model.Design/methodology/approach – Data for this study include the SOPs and self‐reported policing model for Florida law enforcement agencies (n=72), which were collected through an e‐mail request to all Florida agencies. The policing model was dichotomized into “traditional policing” and “community oriented policing” styles. Content analysis was used to analyze each agency's SOPs.Findings – Findings suggest there are no differences in SOP content across “traditional” versus “community oriented policing” policing models. Agencies self‐reporting as community oriented policing agencies were not necessarily any more likely to include preventative or long‐term goals within their domestic violence SOPs than agencies self‐reporting as “traditional” policing agencies. ...
The glutamine story: where are we now?

Purpose of reviewA recent editorial proclaimed, ‘Glutamine, a life saving nutrient, but why?’ This review will assess if recent data support glutamine as a life-saving nutrient in critical illness, and, if so, utilize new understanding of gene–nutrient interactions to address potential mechanisms by
Regional rainfall decline in Australia attributed to anthropogenic greenhouse gases and ozone levels

Precipitation in austral autumn and winter has declined over parts of southern and southwestern Australia. Simulations with a high-resolution climate model reproduce many aspects of the observed rainfall decline as a response to anthropogenic changes in atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases and ozone, and project significant further drying for southwest Australia over the twenty-first century.
Direct and acute cardiotoxicity of ultrafine particles in young adult and old rat hearts

Air pollution is associated with significant increases in cardiac morbidity and mortality in the general population. The elderly cohort within the general population is considered at high risk for cardiac diseases. However the degree to which air pollutants affect cardiac responses in old hearts vs. their young adult counterparts has not been systematically addressed. We sought to investigate the response of young adult vs. old rat hearts to the direct exposure of ultrafine particles (UFP); i.e. when the UFP are directly instilled into the cardiac vasculature, and their effects are not dependent upon UFP inhalation. The study was performed in isolated Langendorff-perfused rat hearts obtained from young adult (4 months old) and aged (26 months old) Fisher 344/Brown Norway rats. Two treatment groups (control and UFP-treated) were studied, and two ages (young adult and old) were studied within each group. Control hearts were perfused with buffer only, UFP-treated hearts were perfused with buffer containing ultrafine particles isolated from industrial diesel reference particulate matter. Systolic and end-diastolic pressures, positive and negative dP/dt, and coronary flow were measured. Young adult and old hearts demonstrated equal functional deterioration in response to direct infusion of UFP. Developed pressure in young adult UFP-treated hearts fell from 101±4 to 68±8 mmHg (a decrease by 33%, p<0.05). In the old UFP-treated hearts developed pressure fell by 35% (from 101±7 to 67±9mmHg, p<0.05). Positive dP/dt was equally affected in the young adult and old UFP-treated hearts and was decreased by 28% in both groups. Ultrafine particles when instilled directly into the cardiac vasculature were equally cardiotoxic in young adult and old rat hearts.
Some international evidence on the exogeneity of the ex ante real rate of interest and the rationality of expectations

Abstract Litterman and Weiss (1985) report evidence in support of the joint hypothesis that the ex-ante real rate of interest is exogenous and expectations are rational using postwar U.S. data. This paper explores the robustness of their findings across countries, sample periods, data definitions, and to the inclusion of supply shocks. The joint hypothesis of exogeneity of the real interest rate and the rationality of expectations is supported in all cases when supply shocks are omitted from the model. However, when supply shocks are included in the model, the hypothesis does not fare as well. Another implication of their results, that the ex-ante real rate follows a stationary AR(1), is also supported, but there is some sensitivity to the choice of sample period.
Effect of Glucocorticoids on Thyroid Function of Cattle

Summary The influence of two glucocorticoids upon the thyroidal-I 131 release rate of cattle is reported. After the normal release rate of each animal was determined during a five-day period (recycling of I 131 blocked by a goitrogen), seven cows were injected with hydrocortisone at the rate of 75 mg/100lb. body weight per day for six days. Of these cows, five showed varying degrees of depression of thyroidal-I 131 release, whereas two showed an increased release rate. Meticorten, a synthetic glucocorticoid, injected in eight heifers at the rate of 40 mg/100lb. body weight per day, showed a variable increased release rate in six animals, whereas two showed a slight depression. These data suggest that hydrocortisone at the level administered tends to depress thyrotropin and thyroxine secretion, whereas meticorten tends to stimulate thyroid function. The causes of the individual differences in response in cattle to these glucocorticoids is not known, but may be related to individual secretion rates of other hormones. It is suggested that cattle with low thyroxine secretion rate, which is further depressed by increased secretion of hydrocortisone associated with parturition, would show low PBI and high 17-hydroxy-corticosteroid values characteristic of cows with ketosis.
A kinetic model for divertors and pumped limiters

In divertors and pumped limiters, plasma flows along magnetic field lines from the scrape-off layer to a material wall where it is neutralized. The neutrals refluxing from the wall will undergo ionization and charge exchange, producing cold ions. This problem has been examined by using a largely analytical, collisionless kinetic model which includes the effects of charge exchange. Cases with uniform magnetic field and with magnetic fields possessing a constriction (as in a bundle divertor) are treated. The cold ions increase the electric potential over that which otherwise would exist. Solutions are found with a peak in the potential near the plate, with cold ions flowing down the potential gradient either toward the scrape-off zone or towards the wall, depending on where they are produced. This is in agreement with the predictions of fluid theories and numerical kinetic calculations. The net effect is to reduce the heat flux in hot ions to the divertor plate, desirable for reducing sputtering loss. This analytical approach can be used to produce computationally efficient routines to determine particle and energy losses from the scrape-off layer which are suitable for inclusion in transport codes.
Current controversy: is computed tomography scan of the chest needed in patients with Wilms' tumor?

PURPOSE Reports from the National Wilms' Tumor Study (NWTS) Group on the subject of chest computed tomography (CT) versus chest radiograph for the detection of lung metastases from Wilms tumor are reviewed. PATIENTS AND METHODS Thirty-two patients with lung nodules detected by CT, with negative chest radiographs, were identified. Five patients were excluded from further analysis. Of the remaining 27 patients, 18 were treated as stage IV, receiving therapy with three drugs and lung irradiation; the other nine were treated with less intensive therapy and no lung irradiation. The investigators found no significant difference between the overall survival between these two groups of patients (94% and 88%, respectively). In an earlier study, four of 11 children (36%) with normal chest radiographs and positive chest CT results were treated by ignoring the CT findings. These data compared with a relapse rate of only 20% in a control population. RESULTS The studies do not statistically address the question of the impact of CT of the chest on survival. CONCLUSIONS All children should have the benefit of the most sensitive imaging available, including CT, to detect tumor spread.
Doug Ruthven and Jörg Kärger: Their individual and collective contributions to the field of zeolite science and engineering

Prof. Doug Ruthven and Prof. Jorg Karger are two giants in the field of zeolite science and engineering. Over their academic careers encompassing almost forty years each, they have contributed significantly to the advancement of fundamental understanding of adsorption and diffusion in zeolites as well as their industrial applications. The author, in the beginning of his academic career, had an opportunity to spend two years as a post-doctoral fellow in Prof. Ruthven’s laboratory at the University of New Brunswick (1975–1977). This experience actually motivated me to spend my academic career in working in the field of zeolite adsorption and diffusion. Nearly thirty years later, I spent a year as a Gast Mercator Professor at the University of Leipzig in the laboratory of Prof. Karger (2005–2006). These two opportunities at two different ends of my academic career provided me with unique perspectives to reflect on the important contributions made by Professors Ruthven and Karger to the field of zeolite science and technology. This article summarizes my personal perspectives on the breadth and depth of their contributions.
Bereavement and HIV infection

The loss of a loved one is a potent and frequent life stressor for those infected with HIV and those at risk for infection. Early in the epidemic, bereavement in homosexual men was associated with increased distress in a dose-response relationship with the number of losses. More recent research suggests that this is not the case, though a relationship with increased grief level and with perceived self-threat is still recognized. A change in the form of bereavement response to a reaction resembling chronic, post-traumatic distress is also possible. Future research using a stressor-support-coping model is advocated to investigate this possibility. Studies on the effect of bereavement should be conducted with other HIV infected and at-risk groups. Brief, supportive, group psychotherapy for recent loss and total loss burden due to HIV/AIDS is advocated to prevent associated psychological morbidity. The effects of such interventions on immune measures and the clinical progression of HIV disease also merits inv...
Improving transparency of powered exoskeletons using force/torque sensors on the supporting cuffs

Most of the control strategies embedded in recent robotic exoskeletons for rehabilitation and assistance are specific implementations of the well-known “assistance as needed” paradigm. A key point in the design of these systems is the requirement for the robot to exert negligible interaction forces to the wearer if he/she is performing well. Optimizing transparency of a device is a challenging task: various strategies have been proposed to achieve this goal, involving both the mechanical structure of the robot and the control algorithms. In this work, we propose a simple yet effective approach that requires minimal redesign efforts in the robotic structure and in the controller to be implemented on existing devices. We experimentally validate the method by comparing kinematic, kinetic and electromyo-graphic data collected from 3 healthy subjects as they walked in three different conditions: free treadmill walking, walking in a robotic trainer with a traditional zero-impedance configuration and walking in the same robot with the new zero-impedance configuration. Results show that the novel configuration was capable of effectively reducing the interaction forces and, as a consequence, it affected subjects' natural gait less than the traditional one did.
Strategies Targeting Telomerase Inhibition

Telomerase plays a pivotal role in cellular immortality and tumorigenesis. Its activity is normally not detectable in most somatic cells while it is reactivated in the vast majority of cancer cells. Therefore, inhibition of telomerase has been viewed as a promising anticancer approach due to its specificity for cancer cells. Studies so far have shown that telomerase inhibition can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells or cause apoptosis while it has no effect on most normal cells. Strategies currently being applied to induce telomerase inhibition target virtually all of the major components of the ribonucleoprotein holoenzyme and related cell signal pathways that regulate its activity. These strategies include inhibition of telomerase through targeting at the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) catalytic subunit, the telomerase RNA (TR) component, and associated proteins. Other strategies have been developed to target the proteins associated with telomerase at the telomeric ends of chromosomes such as tankyrase. The specific mechanisms that mediate those inhibition effects include small molecules, antisense RNA, and ribozymes. Although the beneficial evidence of telomerase inhibition is obvious, limitations of strategies remain to be resolved to increase the feasibility of clinical application. This analysis will summarize recent developments of strategies in telomerase inhibition.
Gender disparities in health care.

The existence of disparities in delivery of health care has been the subject of increased empirical study in recent years. Some studies have suggested that disparities between men and women exist in the diagnoses and treatment of health conditions, and as a result measures have been taken to identify these differences. This article uses several examples to illustrate health care gender bias in medicine. These examples include surgery, peripheral artery disease, cardiovascular disease, critical care, and cardiovascular risk factors. Additionally, we discuss reasons why these issues still occur, trends in health care that may address these issues, and the need for acknowledgement of the current system's inequities in order to provide unbiased care for women in the future. Mt Sinai J Med 79:555–559, 2012. © 2012 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Biostatistics in epidemiology: a view from the faultline.

This article describes the relationship of biostatistics to epidemiology and emphasizes that both disciplines require biological insight to advance our knowledge of the causes of disease.
Capillary-driven grain boundary motion and grain rotation in a tricrystal: A molecular dynamics study

Abstract We report on molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a tricrystal composed of a cylindrical grain embedded at the center of a plane grain boundary (GB). The embedded grain shrinks by capillary forces and eventually vanishes. This process is often accompanied by rotation of the embedded grain in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. Using the geometric theory of coupling between GB motion and grain translations, we propose a model capable of predicting the direction of the grain rotation depending on the crystallographic parameters of the three grains. Full agreement has been found between the model predictions and the MD simulation results for both spontaneous grain shrinkage and in the presence of applied shear stresses. The consequences of these results for grain rotation in polycrystalline materials and possible extensions of the model to multiple grains are discussed.
Temperature and time dependence of giant intrinsic magnetic hardness in SmCo5-xNix

Abstract Values of coercive force, Hc, in the SmCo5−xNix series show an approximately linear relationship with inverse temperature in the region from 100–300 K. At lower temperatures, Hc is proportional to T 1 2 . Magnetization changes logarithmically with time at constant applied field.
A spectroscopic and NMR reinvestigation of the hydrolysis of the tetrathiovanadate ion

Abstract The pH-dependent hydrolysis of the tetrathiovanadate ion VS43− to vanadate VO43− has been studied. Identification of the species present in reacting solutions has been established by electronic and vanadium-51 NMR spectra. Some VOS33− intermediate has been demonstrated at higher pH. Severe decrease in rate as the reaction proceeds is due to participation of a back reaction involving HS−. Mechanistic models are discussed for this complicated reaction. Copper(II) which has a high affinity for sulphide, catalyses the hydrolysis.
Registration of ultrasound images

In many surgical procedures, ultrasound is used for real- time visualization in order to minimize invasion of healthy tissue. Unfortunately, the exact location of soft tissues and the composition of tissues of interest may be difficult to determine using ultrasound. In interactive image guided surgery (IIGS), the display of present surgical position on preoperative tomographic imags enhances the surgeons locational awareness and provides knowledge of surgical anatomy. However, changes in the anatomy during surgery are not realized by the current IIGS techniques. This manuscript details initial experiments conducted to merge the strengths of intraoperative ultrasound imaging with IIGS. This includes: 1) developing a technique for accurately tracking an ultrasound probe in physical space and 2) determining a transformation to map ultrasound image space into physical space.
Concentrations of Airborne Endotoxin and Microorganisms at a 10,000 Cow Open-Freestall Dairy

Confined animal production systems produce increased bioaerosol concentrations, which are a potential respiratory health risk to individuals on site and downwind. In this longitudinal study, airborne endotoxin and microorganisms were collected during the spring, summer, and fall at a large, open-freestall dairy in southern Idaho. Compared with the background ambient atmosphere, both endotoxin and culturable heterotrophic bacteria concentrations were up to several-hundred-fold greater 50 m downwind from the facility, then decreased to near background concentrations at 200 m. However, downwind fungi concentrations were not increased above background concentrations. At 50 m downwind, the average inhalable endotoxin concentration ranged from 5 to 4,243 endotoxin units per m⁻³, whereas bacteria concentrations ranged from 10² to 10⁴ cfu per m⁻³ of air. Although the bioaerosol concentrations did not follow a seasonal trend, they did significantly correlate with meteorological factors. Increasing temperature was found to be positively correlated with increasing bacteria (r = 0.15, P < 0.05), fungi (r = 0.14, P < 0.05), and inhalable endotoxin (r = 0.32, P < 0.001) concentrations, whereas an inverse relationship occurred between the concentration and solar radiation. The airborne concentrations at 50 m were also found to be greatest at night, which can likely be attributed to changes in animal activity and wind speed and reduced exposure of the airborne microorganisms to UV radiation.
Systems analysis and design in an uncontrolled management environment

Most published schemes for developing computer data systems base themselves on very structured, well established milestones in the development process. Further, they emphasize frequent and complete liason with users. They also imply that the funding required to form and operate the development teams and oversight committees are reasonably available and that the management environment is flexible enough to establish these requisite management organizations. What if, though, a computer system was being developed in an environment where there was no ready agreement as to the approach towards the development, where current information systems decisions were made by a high level committee and where that committee could not agree on basic information systems concepts. Further, what if there was no one individual or authority in management who had the stature to provide the necessary leadership to get the process going properly. This paper outlines such a situation, how systems are being designed and implemented in that situation, and suggests that any course on systems analysis and design must include this much less that ideal management environment in its content.
Comparison of Tc-99m sestamibi and Tl-201 gated perfusion SPECT

To determine the interpretability of gated thallium-201 perfusion SPECT compared with that performed by use of technetium-99m sestamibi (MIBI), 33 patients with prior myocardial infarction were studied. Patients received 22 to 30 mCi (814 to 1110 MBq) MIBI at peak stress, and a 15-minute gated SPECT acquisition was begun 30 to 40 minutes thereafter. On a subsequent day gated Tl-201 SPECT was acquired for 15 minutes, 4 hours after a resting 3.5 mCi (130 MBq) injection. SPECT was performed over a 180-degree arc by use of a 90-degree angled 2-detector camera. Gated studies were interpreted independently by 4 experienced physicians. Study quality was graded (0=uninterpretable to 4=excellent). Wall motion (0=normal to 2=akinetic/dyskinetic) and wall thickening (0=normal to 2=absent) were graded for each of 10 segments viewed in orthogonal planes. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was calculated by use of software thus far validated only for MIBI. The average count density of mid-ventricular end-diastolic short axis tomograms with sestamibi was 3.47 times greater than with thallium. Mean study quality was 3.4 for MIBI and 1.8 for thallium (P<10−6). No gated MIBI SPECTs, but 2 gated thallium studies (6%) were judged uninterpretable. Among interpretable scans, interobserver agreement (Kendall statistic) in assessing wall motion was 0.73 for MIBI and 0.66 for thallium (P=.01). For assessing wall thickening, the Kendall statistic was 0.73 for MIBI and 0.69 for thallium (P=.05). Correlation (r) of LVEFs was 0.91, SEE=6.4. We conclude that gated thallium SPECT is inferior to MIBI because of much poorer image quality and somewhat poorer interobserver agreement among experienced physicians. However, LVEF can be determined reliably from gated thallium SPECT.
On using a computer for simultaneous data collection and computation

Abstract A computer system for on-line data collection is described. Data enters memory via a special interface. The storage locations for data become part of the Resident system, so other calculations may be carried out at the same time. Fortran has been modified so that it can refer to these memory locations.
A Case Study of the Application of Cost Benefit Analysis to Water System Consolidation by Local Government

ABSTRACT Cost-benefit analysis and engineering analysis were used to help New Castle County, Delaware, decide if it should acquire the major private water companies which serve the northern part of the county and then enter into a joint operation with the major municipal systems in order to achieve a unified, countywide water system. The present value of the quantifiable benefits resulting from unification are computed using alternative discount rates and time periods. These present values are compared to alternative costs of purchasing the private water companies on the basis of their capitalized earnings, original cost, replacement cost and fair value. In those instances where B/C > 1, the county could justify unification on the basis of its own benefits and costs subject to the caveat that many specified benefits and costs could not be quantified. Benefit-cost analysis provides a certain perspective, but it alone cannot decide the question of unification through public ownership.
Lock-Free Multiway Search Trees

We propose a lock-free multiway search tree algorithm for concurrent applications with large working set sizes. Our algorithm is a variation of the randomized skip tree. We relax the ordering constraints among the nodes in the original skip tree definition. Optimal paths through the tree are temporarily violated by mutation operations, and eventually restored using online node compaction. Experimental evidence shows that our lock-free skip tree outperforms a highly tuned concurrent skip list under workloads of various proportions of operations and working set sizes. The max throughput of our algorithm is on average 41% higher than the throughput of the skip list, and 129% higher on the workload of the largest working set size and read-dominated operations.
EXPRESSION OF CHOLINE ACETYLTRANSFERASE IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN GUINEA PIG CARDIAC GANGLIA

Recent reports indicate that a considerable amount of heterogeneity exists amongst cardiac postganglionic neurons in their chemical coding patterns and electrical properties, and that some of these cells may serve in roles as sensory and interganglionic neurons as well as motor neurons. This study was undertaken to ascertain whether or not all of these neurons are cholinergic by immunostaining whole-mount preparations of the guinea pig heart for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). Counts of neurons that were immunostained for microtubule-associated protein-2 revealed that about 1000 neurons exist in about 100 ganglia on the posterior atrial surface. ChAT immunoreactivity was expressed by all of the postganglionic neurons in the cardiac ganglia, including the 5% of neurons that also expressed immunoreactivity for nitric oxide synthase. Varicose nerve fibers that were immunoreactive for ChAT were abundant in ganglia, with every cardiac neuron lying in close apposition to one or more labelled varicosities. ChAT-immunoreactive nerve fibers were also observed in large vagosympathetic fiber bundles, in interganglionic fiber bundles, and passing individually within the myocardium. Immunoreactivity for ChAT was also observed in a large proportion of the small tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive neurons that exist in guinea pig cardiac ganglia. These results indicate that all postganglionic neurons in guinea pig cardiac ganglia are likely to utilize acetylcholine as a neurotransmitter, regardless of their functional role in circuitry of cardiac innervation, and each of these neurons is likely to receive cholinergic input.
Fluvial terraces of the lower Susquehanna River

Abstract Fluvial terraces of the lower Susquehanna River offer a unique opportunity to investigate the late stage geologic and geomorphic evolution of the U.S. Atlantic passive margin. Petrography and elevation distinguish and provide a basis for correlation of two groups of terraces, the upland terraces and lower terraces, through the Piedmont, Newark Basin, and Great Valley. Downstream correlation to dated upper Coastal Plain and Fall Zone fluvial deposits, relative weathering, and soil profile development characteristics establish terrace age. Upland terraces (Tg1, Tg2, and Tg3), middle to late Miocene strath terraces 80 to 140 m above the present channel, occur only along the Piedmont reach. They are underlain by unstratified, texturally-mature, quartz-dominated roundstone diamictons. Lower terraces (QTg, Qt1–Qt6), Pliocene and Pleistocene strath and thin aggradational terraces within 45 m of the present channel, are underlain by stratified and unstratified, texturally and compositionally immature sand, gravel, and pebbly silt. Terrace age and longitudinal profiles suggest complex interactions among relative base level, long-term flexural isostatic processes, climate, and river grade. Our model for terrace genesis requires the Susquehanna River to attain and maintain a characteristics graded longitudinal profile over graded time. For the U.S. Atlantic margin, we propose that straths are continually cut along this graded profile during periods of relative base level stability, achieved by slow, steady, isostatic continental uplift acting in concert with eustatic rise. Change in an external modulating factor, such as eustatic fall or climate change, results in fluvial incision and subsequent genesis of strath terraces. Longitudinal profiles of lower Susquehanna River terraces, which converge at the river mouth, diverge through the Piedmont, and reconverge north of the Piedmont, contrast with their hypothesized, original concave-up profiles. Progressive and cumulative flexural upwarping of the Atlantic margin accounts for terrace profile deformation suggesting flexural isostasy as a first-order, regional deformation mechanism. These results offer new interpretations of terrace age, correlation, and geologic significance that require modification of previous studies suggesting uplifted or anticlinically-warped peneplains on the U.S. Atlantic margin.
A Note on Finnish Given Names in America

Author's Summary— This study describes briefly the processes by which Finnish Given Names have been modified and changed to meet the phonological conditions in the New World. It is a companion article to the writer's article referred to in note 1.
Reconciling agency and structure in empirical analysis: Smallholder land use in the Southern Yucatán, Mexico

The agent-structure binary in human-environment relations has historically ascribed primacy to either decision-making agents or political-economic structures as the anthropogenic force driving landscape change. This binary has, in part, separated cultural and political ecology, despite important research weaving structure and agency in each of these and related subfields. The implications of approaching explanations of land use using this binary are illustrated systematically, drawing from empirical research on smallholder land use in the southern Yucatan of Mexico, a development frontier and environmental conservation region. The land-use strategies of mixed subsistence-market smallholder cultivators are explored through agent, structure, and integrated agent-structure models addressing parcel allocations to a suite of regionally evolving and/or extant land uses. The models are compared to illustrate what understanding is missed by a focus on either approach alone and what is gained by joining them. Resu...
Cottage Cheese from Ultrafiltered Skim Milk Retentates in Industrial Cheese Making

Abstract Ultrafiltered skim milk retentates were transported to a large industrial cottage cheese plant for milk supplementation leading to cottage cheese. The resulting industrial products were observed for composition, yields, whey component losses, and quality. Ten lots of small curd cottage cheese were made in vats containing up to 6593 kg skim milk. Retentate supplemented skim milks, concentrated approximately 10% (1.1:1) and 20% (1.2:1) in total protein, were very similar in initial composition to the controls. Mean cheese yield values from milks supplemented to 1.2:1 total protein were significantly higher than mean unsupplemented control milk values. Cheese yield efficiencies, per kilogram total solids, were also significantly higher in the retentate cheese but not when calculated per kilogram total protein. Total solids, total protein, and ash were higher in cottage cheese wheys from retentate supplemented cheese and were directly related to retentate supplementation concentration. Mean whey component loss per kilogram cheese exhibited significant decreases from milks of higher retentate supplementation. Retentate supplemented skim milk produced industrial cottage cheese of comparable quality to cheese made from unsupplemented control skim milks.
Dynamic cervical change during real-time ultrasound: prospective characterization and comparison in patients with and without symptoms of preterm labor.

Objectives To compare the incidence of dynamic cervical change (spontaneous real-time cervical shortening) in singleton patients with and without symptoms of preterm labor (PTL). Methods A total of 109 patients between 23 and 34 weeks' gestation with and without PTL symptoms underwent cervical length ultrasound and contraction monitoring over a 10-min period. Cervical length measurements were taken at 1-min intervals. Exclusion criteria included ruptured membranes, dilation > 3 cm or cerclage. Following the examination, the sonographer made a subjective assessment as to whether noticeable dynamic cervical change had occurred. A measurement was then made during the application of fundal pressure. The initial cervical length, shortest length, maximum change in length and incidence of dynamic change were compared between patients with and without PTL symptoms. The shortest cervical length was compared to the presence and timing of uterine contractions and the measurement during the application of fundal pressure. Results A total of 43 asymptomatic patients and 66 symptomatic patients were studied. Compared to asymptomatic patients, patients with PTL symptoms had shorter initial lengths, nadir lengths and mean lengths over time as well as a greater amount of maximum change. Dynamic cervical change was more frequently seen in symptomatic patients (48% vs. 9%, P < 0.001) and was associated with uterine contractions (odds ratio 4.6, 95% CI 1.9–10.8). Fundal pressure was not able to reproduce the shortest cervical length that occurred spontaneously during the observation period. Conclusions Dynamic cervical change (real-time cervical shortening) is common in patients with PTL symptoms and is associated with uterine contractions. Whether this finding enhances the ability to predict preterm delivery remains to be elucidated. Copyright © 2004 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.