cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polymer-solvent interactions in phosphazene materials as observed by solid- and liquid-state NMR spectroscopy

The chemical nature of the interactions between materials and occluded small molecules have been the subject of intense study. In this paper, we demonstrate the utility of NMR spectroscopy for examining dynamic systems. Phosphazenes are inorganic polymers with an alternating nitrogen-phosphorus backbone that may be tailored by substitution of differing organic pendant groups, thus assuming a variety of physical and chemical characteristics. We examine two examples of phosphazenes and determine that solvents that penetrate and swell will influence the material at the molecular level. It has been determined that solvation in swollen materials is complete and can be observed by NMR spectroscopy. Variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy and nuclear relaxation phenomena demonstrate motional dynamics within the polymer matrix. In addition, reorientation rates are enhanced and the free volume within the matrix is increased with the inclusion of solvent. Additional evidence for solvation is observed through the use of heterogeneous-phase NOE difference spectroscopy where a dipolar interaction between solvent and substrate yields internuclear distances of less than 5 {Angstrom}. These data lend support to the solution-diffusion model as mechanism for permeation and transport of small molecules within a polymer matrix. 43 refs., 6 figs., 6 tabs.
Wear behaviors of chromium-bearing cast irons in wet grinding

Abstract Localized and general corrosion behaviors of various chromium-containing cast iron ball materials were studied by performing cyclic polarization measurements, marked ball wear tests and worn ball surface analyses. The wear behaviors of the ball materials were correlated with their respective microstructures. Scanning electron microscopic observations of the worn ball surfaces suggested several modes of wear, such as indentation, gouging, scratch streaks, strain-induced corrosion and pitting-spalling to various extents. High chromium cast iron balls exhibited pitting preferentially around certain active inclusions such as manganese and sulfur. Observations of low chromium cast iron ball surfaces indicated that the matrix underwent corrosive attack whereas the hard eutectic carbide phase was left in place owing to the chemical and/or microstructural heterogeneities.
Alternative promoters regulate transcription of the gene that encodes stem cell surface protein AC133

AC133 is a member of a novel family of cell surface proteins with 5 transmembrane domains. The function of AC133 is unknown. Although AC133 mRNA is detected in different tissues, its expression in the hematopoietic system is restricted to CD34+ stem cells. AC133 is also expressed on stem cells of other tissues, including endothelial progenitor cells. However, despite the potential importance of AC133 to the field of stem cell biology, nothing is known about the transcriptional regulation of AC133 expression. In this report we showed that the human AC133 gene has at least 9 distinctive 5′–untranslated region (UTR) exons, resulting in the formation of at least 7 alternatively spliced 5′-UTR isoforms of AC133 mRNA, which are expressed in a tissue-dependent manner. We found that transcription of these AC133 isoforms is controlled by 5 alternative promoters, and we demonstrated their activity on AC133-expressing cell lines using a luciferase reporter system. We also showed that in vitro methylation of 2 of these AC133 promoters completely suppresses their activity, suggesting that methylation plays a role in their regulation. Identification of tissue-specific AC133 promoters may provide a novel method to isolate tissue-specific stem and progenitor cells.
Pediatric asthma and related allergic and nonallergic diseases: patient-oriented evidence-based essentials that matter

Asthma is the most common medical diagnosis among hospitalized children. In the USA, asthma has accounted for approximately 15% of nonsurgical admissions to hospital in the pediatric age group. Asthma is also one of the leading causes for emergency care requirements, one of the leading causes for missed school, and a cause for considerable morbidity, disability and occasional mortality at all ages. Despite these discouraging statistics, convincing data indicate that this failure of asthma management is not the result of inadequate therapeutic potential, but instead represents ineffective delivery of medical care. Management of asthma and its major co-morbidities, allergic and nonallergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis requires a knowledge of the alternative therapies, natural history, and educational techniques for providing patients and families with the ability to manage these troublesome chronic disorders.
Genetic Resistance to Liver Fibrosis on A/J Mouse Chromosome 17

Background: Because the histological and biochemical progression of liver disease is similar in alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), we hypothesized that the genetic susceptibility to these liver diseases would be similar. To identify potential candidate genes that regulate the development of liver fibrosis, we studied a chromosome substitution strain (CSS-17) that contains chromosome 17 from the A/J inbred strain substituted for the corresponding chromosome on the C57BL/6J (B6) genetic background. Previously, we identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in CSS17, namely obesity-resistant QTL 13 and QTL 15 (Obrq13 and Obrq15, respectively), that were associated with protection from diet-induced obesity and hepatic steatosis on a high-fat diet. Methods: To test whether these or other CSS-17 QTLs conferred resistance to alcohol-induced liver injury and fibrosis, B6, A/J, CSS-17, and congenics 17C-1 and 17C-6 were either fed Lieber–DeCarli ethanol (EtOH)-containing diet or had carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) administered chronically. Results: The congenic strain carrying Obrq15 showed resistance from alcohol-induced liver injury and liver fibrosis, whereas Obrq13 conferred susceptibility to liver fibrosis. From published deep sequencing data for chromosome 17 in the B6 and A/J strains, we identified candidate genes in Obrq13 and Obrq15 that contained single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter region or within the gene itself. NADPH oxidase organizer 1 (Noxo1) and NLR family, CARD domain containing 4( Nlrc4) showed altered hepatic gene expression in strains with the A/J allele at the end of the EtOH diet study and after CCl4 treatment. Conclusions: Aspects of the genetics for the progression of ASH are unique compared to NASH, suggesting that the molecular mechanisms for the progression of disease are at least partially distinct. Using these CSSs, we identified 2 candidate genes, Noxo1 and Nlrc4, which modulate genetic
An analysis of dual-command operations in common warehouse designs

Abstract In a warehouse that uses dual-command operations, workers travel loaded from the pickup and deposit (P&D) point first to a location to store a pallet, then to a second location from which they pick a pallet and return to the P&D point. We develop expected travel distance expressions for such operations and use them to analyze three common warehouse designs. Our results indicate that the best of the three is – in our experience – the one least commonly found in practice. We also show that the optimal placement of a “middle cross aisle” in the most common design is, in fact, not in the middle.
Analysis of the Auxin Control of Bean Leaf Abscission.

The role of auxin in leaf abscission has been recognized ever since Laibach (6) found the abscission of debladed petioles to be influenced by auxinrich orchid pollinia. Inhibitions of abscission by indoleacetic acid have been reported by LaRue (7) and Myers (8), and promotions of abscission have been described by Addicott and Lynch (1) and Wetmore and Jacobs (13). Later work by Gaur anid Leopold (5) and Biggs and Leopold (3) suggested that the promotive and inhibitory auxin effects on leaf abscission were functions of auxin concentration comparable to the classical two-phase scheme of auxin action on growth proposed by Thimann (12). A further analysis of auxin effects on abscission is reported here using both explant and intact petiole abscission tests, and the existence of two successive steps with opposite auxin sensitivities is suggested. We will attempt to show how these findings lead to a new interpretation of the effects of auxin on leaf abscission.
A morphometric analysis of the autonomic innervation of cat tracheal glands.

Abstract Quantitative methods have been used to examine the distribution of adrenergic and cholinergic axon varicosities to serous and mucous cells of cat tracheal glands. Cats were injected with 5-hydroxydopamine (5-OHDA) prior to removal of the trachea in order to fill adrenergic vesicles with intensely osmiophilic material. This facilitated the identification of adrenergic varicosities and provided a means by which they could be easily discriminated from cholinergic varicosities. Of all varicosities identified within 10 μm of the glands, 90% were cholinergic and 10% were adrenergic. Most of these varicosities were present in interstitial bundles located between acini. A small number of cholinergic varicosities, however, were located within 20 nm of acinar cells, forming close contact junctions. No differential innervation of serous and mucous cells was observed.
Frequency dependence of laser light fluctuations

The equations of motion for an inhomogeneously broadened laser operating off resonance in the neighborhood of threshold are solved. It is shown that the effects of detuning cannot be described just by a frequency-dependent laser pump parameter, but that the laser characteristics are modified in other ways also. The relative intensity fluctuations and the correlation time of the laser are calculated as a function of mean intensity and frequency, and it is shown that both are affected by detuning. These theoretical conclusions are then confirmed quantitatively by direct photoelectric counting and two-time correlation measurements of a He:Ne laser.
Darvon and the EEG.

Abstract Eighty normal male volunteers were employed in an acute and chronic double blind study of the effects on the EEG of dextropropoxyphene hydrochloride (Darvon ® ) and a similar appearing placebo. Each subject served as his own control. Dextropropoxyphene produced no statistically significant change in the EEG of normal subjects.
Corporate Culture as an Impediment to Employee Involvement When You can't Get there from Here

Organizational culture can effectively undermine the change strategy of a management that believes it is committed to employee involvement. Based on experience in assisting a manufacturing organiza...
Group Climate and Individual Functioning in an All-Women Antarctic Expedition Team

This study focused on four female Antarctic expedition team members who successfully skied to the South Pole in 67 days but did not meet their original objective of traversing the continent. The th...
Immunity to islet grafts transduced with adenovirus vectors does not inhibit long-term islet function

Abstract Adenoviral gene transfer is a potential ex vivo gene therapy for islet transplantation. However, the immunogenicity of adenoviral vectors can potentially impair vector efficacy in transplants where long-term gene expression is required. We investigated the effect of this antiviral immunity on vector expression and islet graft function. Syngeneic murine islets transduced with adenovirus encoding β-galactosidase (AdCMVnt-βgal) were transplanted under the renal capsule. At different time points after transplant, blood glucose and glucose tolerance, intragraft cellular infiltration and IgG, IgM productions, and expression of transgene, cytokines and chemokines/receptors were assessed. Splenocytes and sera were analyzed to evaluate the systemic anti-adenoviral immune response. Diabetes was reversed in 1 day in recipients of a marginal amount (200) of untransduced islets, while AdCMVnt-βgal-transduced islets failed to reverse diabetes until 10 days post-transplant ( p ≤ 0.048). A profound and progressive infiltration with CD4 + , CD8 + cells, natural killer cells, and macrophages was identified in adenovirus transduced grafts, which paralleled a decline in β-gal expression. However, this did not extinguish transgene and insulin expression, which persisted for over 3 months. Glucose tolerance was impaired in transduced grafts at 25 days compared with non-transduced grafts ( p = 0.008), but was equivalent at 3 months ( p = 0.275) post-transplant. Intragraft interferon (IFN)-γ and RANTES mRNA expression was not different between transduced and untransduced islet grafts, despite an increased expression of CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5). No significant splenocyte IFN-γ and interleukin (IL)-4 production or serum anti-adenoviral antibodies were discovered albeit IgM antibody was detected in transduced grafts. Transduction of islets with adenoviral vectors results in overt local inflammation of islet grafts and inhibits early graft function. However, long-term graft function is preserved, and transgene expression persists. Thus, antivector immunity leads to neither loss of islet graft nor eradication of vector.
Imaging the spectrum of biliary tract disease

Evaluation of suspected biliary tract disease is a common radiologic problem. Advances in ultrasound, CT, and MR technology over the past decade have greatly improved our ability to evaluate the biliary tract. Often, the initial presenting problem is to delineate the presence or absence of biliary obstruction. If obstruction is determined to be present, it is incumbent upon imaging to define the level of obstruction, and if possible, the cause of obstruction. Over the past 5 years, significant advances in MR technology have dramatically increased the role that MR plays in evaluating the biliary tract. In depth MR techniques for evaluating the biliary tract are discussed elsewhere in this issue. Similarly, material on gallbladder imaging appears elsewhere. This article will focus on the general approach to the patient with suspected biliary tract disease, and present the imaging appearances of the common bile duct (CBD) diseases encountered in the United States. Techniques to optimize CT and ultrasound to visualize the biliary tract will be discussed, but to avoid overlap with material presented elsewhere in this issue, the reader is referred to the article on MR for specific MR techniques. For detailed discussions of cholangiographic interpretation, the reader is referred to standard radiology textbooks.
Recovery of Laryngeal Sensation After Superior Laryngeal Nerve Anastomosis

Objectives/Hypothesis: Reliable motor reinnervation has been show in multiple laryngeal transplant studies; however, sensory reinnervation of the larynx after nerve anastomosis has yet to be demonstrated. The role of sensory nerve anastomosis in the transplanted larynx in unknown, but is thought to be necessary to provide airway protection. A canine model was developed to examine the possibility of reformation of sensory pathways in the larynx after nerve section and anastomosis. Study Design: Randomized controlled experiment. Methods: Ten canines were randomly assigned to two groups. Hydrochloric acid-induced laryngospasm was demonstrated in every dog. All dogs then had their necks explored, and the internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve was identified and transected bilaterally. Following nerve section all dogs were retested for an acid-induced laryngospasm reflex. The control group had their wounds closed and were then awakened from anesthesia The study group underwent microscopic anastomosis of their sensory nerves. Following a 6-month period the two groups of dogs were compared for the presence of the laryngospasm reflex. Results: No dog in the control group had a response to the acid. All dogs in the study group had some response to the acid, although none of them had return of true laryngospasm. Conclusion: We concluded that sensory reinnervation does occur after nerve anastomosis, but the recovery of sensation may be incomplete or altered.
Evolution of clinical agents for ovulation induction

Since the first use of human urinary gonadotropins in the 1960s, the number of agents available for ovulation induction has remained fairly static. However, the nature of gonadotropin therapy is expected to change rapidly in the near future, and by the end of the decade these changes may be augmented by nongonadotropin ovulation induction therapies. Newer agents described in the literature include highly purified preparations of follicle-stimulating hormone and recombinant forms of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and human chorionic gonadotropin. Protein fragments, cytokines, and growth factors also show great promise as ovulation adjuncts. Other promising approaches being explored are the use of genetically engineered human gonadotropin derivatives, the creation of chimeric proteins, and gene therapy.
An incentive contract for leadtime reduction in an (S-1,S) inventory system

We consider a single-item, infinite-horizon, continuous-review (S-1,S) inventory system with Poisson demand and stochastic leadtimes. In the business scenario examined, the supplier exerts a one-time effort that reduces the mean and/or variance of replenishment leadtimes, and the inventory manager of the system makes periodic payments to the supplier based on realized leadtimes. Assuming an exponential utility function for the supplier and a normal leadtime distribution, we provide the parameters of a contract, under which the supplier periodically receives a fixed amount plus the sum of linear incentive payments for the replenishment orders delivered during that period based on their leadtimes. Extensive numerical experiments suggest that the cost impact of the leadtime reduction can be large, and that the proposed fixed-amount-plus-linear-incentive contract is very effective. Statement of scope and purpose: The problem of determining optimal leadtime reduction and its impact on inventory costs has been studied by many researchers. However, most of the leadtime-reduction literature has assumed the presence of a central planner, one with full information, who bears all the costs and benefits of leadtime reduction. In this paper we examine leadtime reduction in an (S-1,S) inventory system from an agency perspective, in which the supplier exerts a one-time, hidden effort that reduces the mean and/or variance of stochastic leadtimes and the inventory manager of the system periodically makes incentive payments to the supplier based on realized leadtimes.
Isolation of lysinonorleucine from collagen

Abstract A number of unique amino acid crosslinks have been isolated from collagen and elastin and, except in the case of the aldol formed from two residues of α-amino adipic semialdehyde, appear to be specific to each protein. In the course of isolating and identifying the crosslinks of collagen, we found considerable quantities of lysinonorleucine in insoluble calf skin collagen and smaller amounts in reconstituted calf skin collagen fibrils and in calf nasal cartilage. Lysinonorleucine was originally discovered in bovine elastin and has not been reported to occur in other connective tissue proteins. It may arise in collagen as a consequence of the incomplete hydroxylation of lysine residues.
Interaction between monensin and lysosomotropic amines in the regulation of the processing of epidermal growth factor by BALB/c 3T3 cells.

Monensin, like the lysosomotropic amines Chloroquine and methylamine, caused a large accumulation of 125I-EGF in BALB/c-3T3 cells that was due to specific increases in the amount of intracellular intact hormone. However using a pulse-chase paradigm of 125I-EGF accumulation, marked differences were observed between monensin and the amines. When EGF was accumulated in the presence of monensin, there was a gradual loss of cell-bound radioactivity during a chase in the absence of the drug, and the labeled material recovered in. the medium primarily consisted of degraded hormone. The continued presence of monensin in the chase medium substantively prevented the loss of cell bound material, and what little was recovered in the medium consisted of intact 125I-EGF. In contrast, when 125I-EGF was accumulated in the presence of methylamine, predominately intact peptide was lost from the cells at a relatively high rate during the chase whether or not methylamine remained in the medium. When monensin was present in the chase medium following accumulation in the presence of either Chloroquine or methylamine, the loss of intracellular 125I-EGF was essentially blocked.
Agency and abjection in the closet: the voices (and silences) of black queer male teachers

While black queer educators could conceivably play a critical role in disrupting black queer marginality in educational settings, relatively little is known about their experiences. Drawing upon findings from a broader qualitative study on black male teachers in an urban school district in the United States, this article explores how five black queer male educators negotiated pressures to keep their queerness ‘in the closet.’ Although remaining in the closet left these men vulnerable to homophobic surveillance, it also enabled them to demonstrate racially mediated forms of agency within school settings. By complicating constructions of the closet as an abject social positionality for queer educators, this article considers the possible affordances of the closet for black queer teachers while also underscoring the need for institutionally sanctioned interventions against homophobia in urban educational settings.
Structural relaxation in the MnCO3–CaCO3 solid solution: a Mn K-edge EXAFS study

Mn K-edge EXAFS spectroscopy of solid-solution samples encompassing the complete MnCO3–CaCO3 series shows that first-shell Mn–O distances deviate little from the 2.19-A distance observed in pure MnCO3. Very slight lengthening is observed only in the limiting case of dilute Mn(II) calcite solid solutions, where the Mn–O distance is 2.21 A. The observed nearly complete structural relaxation and the composition independence of the Mn–O distance are consistent with the Pauling model behavior of solid solutions, and agree with previous studies showing a high degree of relaxation around hetero-sized substituents in the calcite structure. Strain occurs through bond bending, which is facilitated by the exclusively corner-sharing topology of calcite. Observed distances from Mn to more distant neighbors show significant variation across the solid-solution series that resembles Vegard's law-type behavior but reflects averaging. The high degree of relaxation suggests modest enthalpies of mixing in the solution, consistent with calorimetric studies.
Interdigitated paralemniscal and lemniscal pathways in the mouse barrel cortex.

Primary sensory cortical areas receive information through multiple thalamic channels. In the rodent whisker system, lemniscal and paralemniscal thalamocortical projections, from the ventral posteromedial nucleus (VPM) and posterior medial nucleus (POm) respectively, carry distinct types of sensory information to cortex. Little is known about how these separate streams of activity are parsed and integrated within the neocortical microcircuit. We used quantitative laser scanning photostimulation to probe the organization of functional thalamocortical and ascending intracortical projections in the mouse barrel cortex. To map the thalamocortical projections, we recorded from neocortical excitatory neurons while stimulating VPM or POm. Neurons in layers (L)4, L5, and L6A received dense input from thalamus (L4, L5B, and L6A from VPM; and L5A from POm), whereas L2/3 neurons rarely received thalamic input. We further mapped the lemniscal and paralemniscal circuits from L4 and L5A to L2/3. Lemniscal L4 neurons targeted L3 within a column. Paralemniscal L5A neurons targeted a superficial band (thickness, 60 μm) of neurons immediately below L1, defining a functionally distinct L2 in the mouse barrel cortex. L2 neurons received input from lemniscal L3 cells and paralemniscal L5A cells spread over multiple columns. Our data indicate that lemniscal and paralemniscal information is segregated into interdigitated cortical layers.
Presbyterian Guidelines for Biblical Interpretation: Their Origin and Application to Homosexuality:

In the midst of the debate over ordination of people who are homosexual, Presbyterians worked to understand their different approaches to biblical interpretation. The biblical theology movement, with roots in the theology of Karl Barth, had earlier provided a method of biblical interpretation that enabled the Presbyterian Church to change its stance on divorce and remarriage, and racial equality. Barth did not adhere to his own exegetical method when dealing with women and people who are homosexual, however, and so his writings proved a barrier to change within the church on the issue of homosexuality. Subsequently, the Presbyterian Church commissioned a task force to see if it could come to consensus about the best way to interpret the Bible. Guidelines based on the Reformed Confessions, developed by this task force and officially adopted by the church, now offer the possibility of resolving some of our deepest divisions.
Bootstrapping star position and baseline knowledge with uncalibrated SIM observations

An external calibration technique for SIM1,2,3 involves measurement of calibration stars whose positions must already be known to an accuracy of 2 milliarcseconds. We demonstrate a procedure that effectively 'bootstraps' calibration star positions from an ab initio catalog to the required accuracy by observing them with the uncalibrated SIM instrument.© (2003) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
New Avenues in Teaching Written Communication: The use of a Case Study in Crisis Management

The case method of teaching is increasingly utilized as a tool for the teaching of business communication and technical writing. In addition to providing students with meaningful exposure to actual companies and written products, the use of cases challenge students to assume one or many various positions within an organization where effective communication with myriad publics is essential in meeting organizational goals and objectives
Isolation, propagation and characterization of replication requirements of reiteration mutants of Simian Virus 40.

Abstract We have identified five reiteration mutants from serially-propagated, defective stocks of Simian Virus 40 and DAR virus (an SV40‡ variant of human origin). The genomes of these mutants contain tandem repeats of specific segments of the SV40 genome. In order to propagate individual reiteration mutants, the monomer DNA segments from the mutant genomes are separated from wild-type SV40 DNA after cleavage by certain bacterial restriction endonucleases which produce short cohesive termini at their cleavage sites. These monomer segments, which are one-third, one-fourth, or one-fifth the size of wild-type SV40 DNA, are then circularized in vitro using bacteriophage T4 polynucleotide ligase and used to infect African green monkey kidney cells in the presence of wild-type or temperature-sensitive mutant DNAs as helpers. While wild-type SV40 and late temperature-sensitive mutants can serve as helpers in the replication and amplification of these minicircular DNAs, early temperature-sensitive mutant genomes are unable to do so at the nonpermissive temperature. The minicircular DNAs are amplified in vivo through an arithmetic series of oligomers. Encapsidation of reiterated molecules between 70 and 100% the size of wild-type SV40 DNA is observed, although reiterated viral DNA molecules much larger than unit size are formed in vivo.
A Large-Scale Longitudinal Variation in Surface Temperature in the North Pacific

Abstract A large-scale longitudinal variation in surface temperature in the North Pacific is described by an analysis of some existing data and some newer data. When monthly mean surface temperatures are plotted against longitude at mid-latitudes there is nearly always a temperature maximum in the eastern Pacific and a minimum in the central Pacific. Long-term averages of monthly mean temperature data, as well as independent surface temperature data from individual cruises, show a similar maximum and minimum. At 35°N and 40°N the mean positions of the maximum and minimum are further west in summer than in winter, and for a given month are further west at 35°N than at 40°N. The east-west scale of the temperature feature is defined to be the longitudinal distance between the positions of the adjacent temperature extremes and is shown to have an average value of about 2000 km nearly independent of season and latitude. The temperature scale is defined to be the difference between the maximum and minimum tempe...
Use of the coulombic interactions of the lanthanide series to identify two classes of Ca2+ binding sites in mitochondria

Abstract The degree of inhibition of respiration-dependent vs respiration-independent Ca2+ binding by rat liver mitochondria by different members of the lanthanide family was used to establish the existence of two different classes of Ca2+ binding sites. The distinction is based on the differences in cation:site interactions between the two classes of sites and the members of the lanthanide series. Lanthanide inhibition of respiration-dependent Ca2+ uptake suggests that the binding site is specific for the calcium ion. Those members of the lanthanide family whose ionic radii are nearer that of Ca2+ are the best inhibitors. The inhibition of respiration-independent Ca2+ binding is much different, indicating non-specific cation absorption.
Density functional study of the actinide nitrides

The full-potential all-electron linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbital method, as implemented in the suite of the software WIEN2K, has been used to systematically investigate the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of the actinide compounds AnN ($\mathrm{An}=\mathrm{Ac}$, Th, Pa, U, Np, Pu, and Am). The theoretical formalism used is the generalized gradient approximation to density functional theory with the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof exchange-correlation functional. Each compound has been studied at the nonmagnetic, ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic configurations, all with and without spin-orbit coupling (SOC). The structural parameters, bulk moduli, densities of states, and charge distributions have been computed and compared to available experimental data and other theoretical calculations published in the literature. Our total energy calculations clearly indicate that AcN, ThN, and PaN are nonmagnetic, while the ground states of UN, NpN, PuN, and AmN are found to be ferromagnetic. The influence of SOC in the actinide nitrides is found to be significant. The nature of the interactions between the actinide metals and nitrogen atom and the implications on $5f$ electron delocalization and localization are discussed in detail.
Exotic nuclei near 78Ni in a shell model approach

The shell model predictions for even 68–76Ni isotopes and odd-A Cu isotopes with newly derived effective interaction for the f 5/2 p 3/2 p 1/2 g 9/2 model space are presented.
The relationship between biophotometer tests and the vitamin A content of the blood of children

Summary No correlation was found between biophotometer readings and vitamin A content of the blood of ninety-eight untrained subjects. The percentage of subnormal readings approximated that observed by Jeans when our cases were regrouped by his standards. The decrease in number of subnormal readings found in our series of trained subjects indicates that the training factor is important. A single reading on the biophotometer is of no value in estimating vitamin A deficiency. The reading obtained by frequent testing with the biophotometer did not correlate with the blood vitamin A values of our subjects.
The Odd Compartmentalization: Public Opinion, Aggregate Data, and Policy Analysis*

This article examines some of the assumptions that underlie the use of aggregate data for policy analysis, In particular, it explores the consequences of the assumption of antagonistic attitudes between “haves” and “have nots” on social welfare policies. Use of public opinion data demonstrates the low salience of regressiveness of taxation and thereby calls into question the validity of a common indice in aggregate analysis. The use of this and related examples is intended to demonstrate the value of supplementing aggregate data analysis of public policy with direct evidence about public attitudes toward those policies.
Lateral Thinking About Leptin: A Review of Leptin Action via the Lateral Hypothalamus

The lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) was initially described as a “feeding center” but we are now beginning to understand that the LHA contributes to other aspects of physiology as well. Indeed, the best-characterized neuronal populations of the LHA (which contain melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) or the hypocretins/orexins (OX)) are not strictly orexigenic, but also have roles in regulation of the autonomic and sympathetic nervous systems as well as in modulating motivated behavior. Leptin is an anorectic hormone that regulates energy homeostasis and the mesolimbic DA system (which transduces the wanting of food, drugs of abuse, and sex) in part, via actions at the LHA. At least three populations of LHA neurons are regulated by leptin: those containing MCH, OX or the long form of the leptin receptor, LepRb. The emerging picture of leptin interaction with these LHA populations suggests that the LHA is not merely regulating feeding, but is a crucial integrator of energy balance and motivated behavior.
The effects of elevated compartment pressure on tibial arteriovenous flow and relationship of mechanical and biochemical characteristics of fascia to genesis of chronic anterior compartment syndrome

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of increased compartment pressure on anterior tibial arteriovenous flow patterns and to determine whether mechanical and biochemical properties of fascia are responsible for compartment pressure abnormalities. Methods: Twenty patients with chronic anterior compartment syndrome (CACS) and 20 age-matched control subjects had compartment pressure measurements and analysis of tibial arterial and venous flow before and after fasciectomy. Fascia specimens were evaluated for thickness, stress failure, structural stiffness, and total collagen content and prevalence of collagen cross-linkage. Results: Pressures were significantly elevated in patients with CACS versus control subjects (23.8 mm Hg vs 6 mm Hg). No significant difference in tibial arterial flow could be detected in either group (43 cm/sec mean vs 41.9 cm/sec mean). Venous drainage was severely impaired in patients with CACS but not in control subjects. CACS fascia was thicker and stiffer than control fascia specimens (0.35 mm±0.12 mm, 109±65 MN/mm; versus 0.22 mm±0.06 mm; 60.3±22 MN/mm). Fasciectomy normalized postoperative compartment pressures and improved venous drainage. Collagen content per unit mass was similar for both CACS and control fascia specimens, although collagen cross-linking was significantly lower in the CACS fascia than in the controls. Conclusions: Tibial venous drainage is impaired, but arterial flow is not in patients with CACS. Fascia thickness and structural stiffness can account for increased pressure in CACS compartments. Collagen content and cross-linkage are unrelated to fascia stiffness or thickness. Postoperative improvement in vascular hemodynamics and reduction in compartment pressure is caused by increased capacitance in the compartment after fasciectomy.
Enhancing surface plasmon leakage at the metal/semiconductor interface: towards increased light outcoupling efficiency in organic optoelectronics

The light outcoupling efficiency of organic light-emitting optoelectronic devices is severely limited by excitation of tightly bound surface plasmon polaritons at the metal electrodes. We present a theoretical study of an organic semiconductor-silver-SiO2 waveguide and demonstrate that by simple tuning of metal film thickness and the emission regime of the organic semiconductor, a significant fraction of surface plasmon polariton mode amplitude is leaked into the active semiconductor layer, thereby decreasing the amount of optical energy trapped by the metal. At visible wavelengths, mode leakage increases by factors of up to 3.8 and 88 by tuning metal film thickness and by addition of gain, respectively.
Spatial and temporal scaling of grazing impact on the species composition and productivity of Sahelian annual grasslands

Abstract This study compares the inter-annual effects of patch-level defoliation with the broader effects of grazing history on Sahelian rangeland vegetation. Experimental plots were subjected to a range of clipping treatments over a 2-year period within four exclosures located along long-term gradients in seasonal livestock presence. In the third year of the study, the species composition and peak standing mass of vegetation were determined on all plots. Fractions of peak standing herbaceous mass contributed by the five dominant species were not affected by clipping treatment but were strongly associated with grazing history of the exclosure's site. These results raise questions about standard range evaluation approaches that uncritically link contemporary range condition with contemporary defoliation pressure. Alternative range evaluation and monitoring approaches that incorporate knowledge of local production systems and land-use history are supported.
Novel Cyclization Reactions for η2-Furan Complexes

Abstract A series of complexes has been prepared of the form [Os(NH3)5(4,5-η2-L)]2+ where L=furan and various 2-alkylated furans. Electrophilic addition to C(3) results in an unstable reaction intermediate, a 4,5-η2-3H-furanium species, that leads to several novel cyclization reactions with tethered nucleophiles to form new heterocycles.
Micro Experimental Laboratory: An integrated system for IBM PC compatibles

Micro Experimental Laboratory (MEL) is a third-generation integrated software system for experimental research. The researcher fills in forms, and MEL writes the experimental program, runs the experiments, and analyzes the data. MEL includes a form-based user interface, automatic programming, computer tutorials, a compiler, a real-time data acquisition system, database management, statistical analysis, and subject scheduling. It can perform most reaction time, questionnaire, and text comprehension experiments with little or no programming. It includes a Pascal-like programming language and can call routines written in standard languages. MEL operates on IBM PC compatible computers and supports most display controllers. MEL maintains millisecond timing with high-speed text and graphics presentation. MEL provides a systematic approach to dealing with nine concerns in running an experimental laboratory.
A structural comparison of human serum transferrin and human lactoferrin

The transferrins are a family of proteins that bind free iron in the blood and bodily fluids. Serum transferrins function to deliver iron to cells via a receptor-mediated endocytotic process as well as to remove toxic free iron from the blood and to provide an anti-bacterial, low-iron environment. Lactoferrins (found in bodily secretions such as milk) are only known to have an anti-bacterial function, via their ability to tightly bind free iron even at low pH, and have no known transport function. Though these proteins keep the level of free iron low, pathogenic bacteria are able to thrive by obtaining iron from their host via expression of outer membrane proteins that can bind to and remove iron from host proteins, including both serum transferrin and lactoferrin. Furthermore, even though human serum transferrin and lactoferrin are quite similar in sequence and structure, and coordinate iron in the same manner, they differ in their affinities for iron as well as their receptor binding properties: the human transferrin receptor only binds serum transferrin, and two distinct bacterial transport systems are used to capture iron from serum transferrin and lactoferrin. Comparison of the recently solved crystal structure of iron-free human serum transferrin to that of human lactoferrin provides insight into these differences.
Landau theory of relativistic Fermi liquids

Abstract A relativistic extension of the Landau Fermi liquid theory, applicable to the study of high density matter, is developed. Consequences of Lorentz invariance in the theory are explored. The formalism is illustrated by a study of relativistic Fermi systems weakly interacting via scalar and vector meson exchange. Second order exchange energies for both massless scalar and massless vector interactions are calculated in terms of Landau parameters on the Fermi surface. Zero sound and “color-plasma oscillations” are studied in quark matter with SU(3) color gluon coupling.
Modeling Transport and Flow Regulatory Mechanisms of the Kidney

The kidney plays an indispensable role in the regulation of whole-organism water balance, electrolyte balance, and acid-base balance, and in the excretion of metabolic wastes and toxins. In this paper, we review representative mathematical models that have been developed to better understand kidney physiology and pathophysiology, including the regulation of glomerular filtration, the regulation of renal blood flow by means of the tubuloglomerular feedback mechanisms and of the myogenic mechanism, the urine concentrating mechanism, and regulation of renal oxygen transport. We discuss how such modeling efforts have significantly expanded our understanding of renal function in both health and disease.
Relationship Between Grab and Strip Tensile Strengths for Fabrics with Roughly Linear Mechanical Behavior

A theoretical analysis is presented here to study the relationship between strengths tested using grab and strip specimens. The shear and tensile stress distributions at the portion of the grab spe...
A Calcitonin Radioimmunoassay : In Vivo Evaluation of Calcitonin Secretion in the Pig

Abstract A radioimmunoassay capable of measuring porcine calcitonin (CT) in unextracted porcine plasma has been developed. A guinea pig antiserum to partially purified porcine CT was highly specific for CT and was capable of detecting 0.025 ng/ml of porcine CT. The antiserum cross-reacted significantly with sheep CT and beef CT but not with monkey CT or rabbit CT. The mean fasting CT concentration in 25 samples from the internal jugular vein of four pigs was 0.93 ng/ml (range, 0.46–1.61 ng/ml). An infusion of calcium ( 10–15 mg / kg 30 min ) was followed by an increase in plasma CT 3–10 ng.ml above base line in “responsive” animals and a rise of 0.5–1 ng/ml in less sensitive pigs.
Formal simulation and analysis of the CASH scheduling algorithm in real-time maude

This paper describes the application of the Real-Time Maude tool to the formal specification and analysis of the CASH scheduling algorithm and its suggested modifications. The CASH algorithm is a sophisticated state-of-the-art scheduling algorithm with advanced capacity sharing features for reusing unused execution budgets. Because the number of elements in the queue of unused resources can grow beyond any bound, the CASH algorithm poses challenges to its formal specification and analysis. Real-Time Maude extends the rewriting logic tool Maude to support formal specification and analysis of object-based real-time systems. It emphasizes generality of specification and supports a spectrum of analysis methods, including symbolic simulation and (unbounded and time-bounded) reachability analysis and LTL model checking. We show how we have used Real-Time Maude to experiment with different design modifications of the CASH algorithm using both Monte Carlo simulation and reachability analysis. We could quickly and easily specify and analyze these modifications using Real-Time Maude, and discovered subtle behaviors in the modifications that lead to missed deadlines.
Spinal Epidural Abscess

Background: Spinal epidural abscess is an uncommon disease with a relatively high rate of associated morbidity and mortality. The most important determinant of outcome is early diagnosis and initiation of appropriate treatment. Objectives: We aim to highlight the clinical manifestations, describe the early diagnostic evaluation, and outline the treatment principles for spinal epidural abscess in the adult. Discussion: Spinal epidural abscess should be suspected in the patient presenting with complaints of back pain or a neurologic deficit in conjunction with fever or an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging is the diagnostic modality of choice to confirm the presence and determine the location of the abscess. Emergent surgical decompression and debridement (with or without spinal stabilization) followed by long-term antimicrobial therapy remains the treatment of choice. In select cases, non-operative management can be cautiously considered when the risk of neurologic complications is determined to be low. Conclusion: Patients with a spinal epidural abscess often present first in the emergency department setting. It is imperative for the emergency physician to be familiar with the clinical features, diagnostic work-up, and basic management principles of spinal epidural abscess.
Valuing Food Store Access: Policy Implications for the Food Stamp Program

Food stamp recipients may lack access to larger stores, reducing the availability of nutritious food. Reliance on smaller stores may have undesirable impacts. Policy alternatives include limiting food stamp redemption to larger stores and subsidizing store development. I estimate that limiting redemption to supermarkets and grocery stores, or supermarkets alone, results in losses ranging from $499.2 million to $1.05 billion, or $1.17 billion to $2.44 billion (respectively) annual loss in food stamp recipient welfare nationwide. The impact of improving access is also significant, ranging from $333.6 million to $931.2 million.
Clinical trials of cefprozil for treatment of skin and skin-structure infections: review.

Limitations of currently used antimicrobial agents for the treatment of skin and skin-structure infections (e.g., increased resistance to penicillin and erythromycin and inconvenient dosing schedules) have led to an adjustment in the kinds of antimicrobial agents prescribed for these diseases. Three recently completed clinical studies have demonstrated some therapeutic advantages of cefprozil, a new broad-spectrum oral cephalosporin, over cefaclor and erythromycin in the treatment of skin and skin-structure infections. Specifically, cefprozil offers clinical efficacy equivalent to those of cefaclor and erythromycin both at lower total doses and on a less frequent dosing schedule (once or twice daily vs. three to four times daily). The advantage of once-daily or twice-daily dosing with cefprozil may contribute to patient convenience and compliance.
Influence of Infestations of Body Lice on Egg Production in the Hen

Abstract In the course of routine control of common body louse at the Kansas State College Poultry Farm, observations were made of the degree of infestations of several hundred White Plymouth Rocks before and after treatment. The birds were kept in several large rooms, but birds both with and without lice were found in each room. All birds were being trapnested during the period so it was possible to investigate the influence of lice on egg production. The data were obtained during two years, the first treatment of lice being made on June 25, 1946, and the second on June 12, 1947. The infestations were purposely allowed to become rather heavy before treatment. During 1946, the birds were dipped in a solution of sodium fluoride for eliminating lice, while in 1947, benzene hexachloride was applied to the roosts just before roosting time. Both methods gave what appeared to be complete control . . .