cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A prospective study of high school wrestling injuries

We performed a prospective study to evaluate injury patterns in a large population of high school wrestlers during one season. Preseason screening was performed on 458 male wrestlers from 14 different high schools. Certified athletic trainers submitted detailed weekly team and individual injury reports. There were 219 injuries in 418 wrestlers followed throughout the season for an overall injury incidence of 52 injuries per 100 wrestlers per season and an injury rate of 6.0 injuries per 1,000 exposures. The most commonly injured areas were the shoulder (24%) and knee (17%). Injured wrestlers were an average of 5 months older and had a 32% higher experience level than noninjured wrestlers. Wrestlers with ligamentous laxity suffered fewer shoulder injuries than the other wrestlers. The majority of injuries occurred in practice (63%), although the injury rate was higher in match competitions. Sixty-eight percent of practice injuries occurred during hard wrestling, 23% during drills, and 9% during conditioning. The most common wrestling situation resulting in injury was the takedown position (68%). Our results show that the older and more experienced wrestler may be at greater risk of injury. Hard wrestling during practice and the takedown position resulted in the highest occurrence of injury.
Machine-to-man communication by speech part II: synthesis of prosodic features of speech by rule

For several years, research has gone on in an attempt to develop a reading machine for the blind. Such a machine must be able to scan letters on a normal printed page, then recognize the scanned letters and punctuation, and finally convert the resultant character strings into an encoded form that may be perceived by some nonvisual sensory modality. Within recent years, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an opaque scanner has been developed, and an algorithm for recognizing scanned letters has been devised. The output display can take many forms, but the form that we feel is best suited for acceptably high reading speeds and intelligibility is synthesized speech. Effort has recently been focused on the conversion of orthographic letter strings to synthesized speech.
Optimum full-scale subsonic wind tunnel

The needs and reasons for performing full-scale subsonic research have been studied. Full-scale wind-tunnel requirements are described; recommended size, airspeed, acoustic capabilities, and flow quality are developed; and data-acquisition systems, productivity, automation, and some cost elements are discussed. It is proposed that the optimum full-scale, subsonic wind tunnel be large enough to accommodate aerodynamic and acoustic investigations on most advanced aircraft, which exhibit complex engine/lifting-surface flow-field interactions, including advanced rotorcraft.
Comparison of seven commercial kits for detection of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi.

Five enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and two Western blot (WB) commercial kits were compared for their ability to detect antibodies toBorrelia burgdorferi. The panel of 53 test sera consisted of 25 sera positive for antibodies toBorrelia burgdorferi, 15 sera negative for such antibodies, 5 sera reactive in serologic tests for syphilis, and 8 sera containing antinuclear antibodies and/or rheumatoid factor. The rate of agreement with reference results was 93 %, 90 %, 90 % and 88 % for EIA kits from Diamedix, Cambridge Biotech, Mardx and Sigma respectively. The sensitivity and specificity was 84 % and 100 % respectively for Cambridge Biotech, 76 % and 94 % for Diamedix, 68 % and 83 % for Mardx, and 68 % and 83 % for Sigma. The three confirmatory tests, Cambridge Biotech WB, General Biometrics P39 EIA and Mardx WB, demonstrated 75 %, 60 % and 63 % agreement respectively. The sensitivity and specificity was 52 % and 100 % respectively for Cambridge Biotech WB, 24 % and 100 % for General Biometrics P39 EIA, and 44 % and 100 % for Mardx WB. The results demonstrate the variable performance of commercial serologic kits for detection of antibodies toBorrelia burgdorferi. WB appears to be a better confirmatory test than the single protein EIA.
Technical note-- XTABLES: Bridging relational technology and XML

Additional work completed after the publication of "XTABLES: Bridging relational technology and XML" (IBM Systems Journal41, No. 4, 2002) indicated that a number of figures containing XQUERY and XML commands in that paper require modifications or additions in order to be correct and complete. We present the modified figures and other queries, along with SQL commands that can be used to generate the sample data described in the original paper and those produced by the modified queries.
Expression of the Rabies Virus Glycoprotein in Transgenic Tomatoes

We have engineered tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill var. UC82b) to express a gene for the glycoprotein (G-protein), which coats the outer surface of the rabies virus. The recombinant constructs contained the G-protein gene from the ERA strain of rabies virus, including the signal peptide, under the control of the 35S promoter of cauliflower mosaic virus. Plants were transformed by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of cotyledons and tissue culture on selective media. PCR confirmed the presence of the G-protein gene in plants surviving selection. Northern blot analysis indicated that RNA of the appropriate molecular weight was produced in both leaves and fruit of the transgenic plants. The recombinant G-protein was immunoprecipitated and detected by Western blot from leaves and fruit using different antisera. The G-protein expressed in tomato appeared as two distinct bands with apparent molecular mass of 62 and 60 kDa as compared to the 66 kDa observed for G-protein from virus grown in BHK cells. Electron microscopy of leaf tissue using immunogold-labeling and antisera specific for rabies G-protein showed localization of the G-protein to the Golgi bodies, vesicles, plasmalemma and cell walls of vascular parenchyma cells. In light of our previous demonstration that orally administered rabies G-protein from the same ERA strain elicits protective immunity in animals, these transgenic plants should provide a valuable tool for the development of edible oral vaccines.
Synthesis of 4-piperidazinethiols as potential antiradiation agents

The free radical addition of thioacetic acid to 1,2-dicarbethoxy-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridazines gave high yields of 1,2-dicarbethoxy-4-S-thiolacetoxypiperidazines. The latter compounds served as the key intermediates in the preparation of 4-piperidazinethiols. The thiolacetoxy derivatives were partially hydrolyzed to afford the related 1,2-dicarbethoxy-4-piperidazinethiols. Complete hydrolysis of the thiolacetates gave rise to 4-piperidazinethiols. Finally, lithium aluminum hydride reduction of the thiolacetoxy esters produced a series of 1,2-dimethyl-4-piperidazinethiols. Only 4-piperidazinethiol hydrochloride showed appreciable anti-radiation activity.
User Defined Assembly Features and Pattern Recognition From STEP AP203

Tolerance allocation is important aspect in designing as well as manufacturing. Mating features in an assembly are important from the tolerance point of view and govern the tolerance schema. Presence of patterns within these features also plays an important role in the allocation of different tolerance classes. Identification of these assembly features and patterns are previously done manually. This research is aimed at automating these processes. The automation starts with the recognition of the assembly features in the assembly. The algorithms for feature recognition are designed such that they can handle any user defined assembly feature. The input for feature recognition is a STEP file containing information of the assembly. And the output file contains information of the recognized assembly features. Then patterns are identified from these assembly features. This paper discusses these two processes in detail. Also to facilitate the user, define new assembly features an alternate system called assembly feature tutor is developed. This paper also explains the working of this tutor.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
In-Depth Characterization of Slurry Packed Capillary Columns with 1.0-μm Nonporous Particles Using Reversed-Phase Isocratic Ultrahigh-Pressure Liquid Chromatography

Fused-silica capillary columns packed with 1.0-μm nonporous C18 bonded particles are evaluated with isocratic ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC). Improved UHPLC techniques have demonstrated column efficiencies as high as 730 000 plates/m and run pressures over 6800 bar (100 000 psi) for packed 10-μm-inner diameter (i.d.) columns. Columns as large as 150 μm have been tested with UHPLC and show no flow-induced heating effects on separation efficiencies. van Deemter plot analysis for column i.d.s ranging from 10 to 150 μm shows an increase in column efficiency with a decrease in column i.d.. Reduced parameter analysis further illustrates a decrease in reduced parameter A term and C term values with decreasing i.d. However, reduced parameter C term values for columns evaluated with UHPLC are an order of magnitude larger than C term values for larger particles at conventional pressures. Retention factors for moderately retained compounds are observed to increase with column i.d., suggesting an in...
Pharmacokinetics (PK) of lasofoxifene (LASO), a next generation selective estrogen receptor modulator

Background LASO is in late stage development for the treatment of osteoporosis. The clinical pharmacology of LASO was characterized in more than 20 Phase 1 studies. Methods The effects of LASO on the PK/PD of other drugs were evaluated. The effects of other drugs, food and hepatic impairment on LASO PK were studied in Phase I trials, whereas the effects of age, body weight, renal function and ethnicity were explored using a population PK approach. Results LASO PK appear to be linear over a broad range of doses. LASO is extensively metabolized with <2% of the dose excreted renally. The T1/2 at the 0.25 mg dose is 164 hr. Moderate hepatic impairment and inhibitors of CYP3A4 and CYP2D6, but not CYP2C9, only modestly increase exposure to LASO. Cholestyramine and food ingestion have no clinically significant effects on LASO PK. LASO did not affect the PK of CYP2E1 and CYP2D6 probe substrates or the PK of methylprednisolone, digoxin, or warfarin. The change in prothrombin time was slightly decreased when warfarin was co-administered with LASO. Age, body weight, renal function and ethnicity were not clinically important predictors of LASO PK. Conclusions LASO is pharmacokinetically stable with little potential to interact with other concomitantly administered medications. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 77, P85–P85; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.12.219
Factors affecting primary fascial closure of the open abdomen in the nontrauma patient.

Introduction Septic wound complications are known to limit the ability of surgeons to perform primary fascial closure after damage control laparotomy (DCL) in patients with trauma. Factors preventing primary fascial closure after DCL in nontrauma patients, however, are unknown. We aim to identify these risk factors. Methods Institutional research board approval was obtained to review the medical records of nontrauma patients undergoing DCL between December 2006 and June 2010. Patients who died before an attempt at fascial closure were excluded. Univariate analysis was performed comparing patients with primary fascial closure to partial fascial or planned ventral hernia. Data are presented as median or percentage as appropriate. Statistical significance was considered at P Results One hundred eighty-one patients were identified (53% male), of whom 8 died before an attempt at fascial closure, leaving 173 patients within the study cohort. Primary fascial closure was achieved in 111 patients (64%), with the remaining patients receiving either partial fascial or planned ventral hernia closure. The cumulative rate of primary fascial closure plateaued by day 12 at 62%. Patients who achieved primary fascial closure had a greater incidence of pre-existent coronary artery disease (32% vs 16%) and arrhythmia (27% vs 11%). There was a superior base deficit on admission (−7 vs −9) in the primary closure cohort. There was equivalent mortality (21% vs 25%) and intensive care unit stay (9 days vs 14 days); however, the overall hospital stay (22 vs 42 days) and ventilator days (4 vs 6) in the primary fascial closure group were shortened. Success of primary fascial closure was associated with lower incidence of septic complications (39% vs 59%), enterocutaneous fistulae (4% vs 11%), and intra-abdominal abscess (14% vs 33%), as well as fewer days of open abdomen management (2 vs 6), and number of serial abdominal explorations (2 vs 4) and a lower fluid balance over the first 10 days. Conclusion The development of septic complications such as intra-abdominal abscess and enterocutaneous fistulae were associated with inability to primarily close the fascia after DCL. In addition, longer duration of open abdomen management, greater number of serial abdominal explorations, and worse base deficits were negatively associated with primary fascial closure.
Site-directed polyclonal antibodies inhibit binding of activated estrogen receptor to DNA.

Abstract We have generated three polyclonal antisera to the DNA-binding domain of the human estrogen receptor (hER). Antiserum AT2A was generated against a peptide spanning amino acids 231–245 of hER, while antisera AT3A and AT3B were generated against a peptide spanning amino acids 247–261 of hER. The interaction of these three antisera with ER has been characterized by sucrose density gradient analysis. The antisera bound to the unactivated (8S), salt-activated (4S), and heat transformed (5S) ER complex. All the antisera appeared to be site-specific since binding of salt-activated ER to the antisera was blocked by the presence of excess free synthetic peptides. Antisera AT3A and AT3B inhibited the binding to DNA of the KCl-activated 4S ER and the heat-transformed 5S ER. Although antiserum AT2A bound to ER, it did not inhibit DNA binding of activated ER complexes. The ability of antisera AT3A and AT3B to inhibit ER binding to DNA was concentration dependent. Once bound to the DNA, ER complexes were not significantly affected by incubation with the antisera, suggesting that binding of DNA to ER inhibits antibody ER interaction and renders that domain inaccessible to the antibodies. These results demonstrate that site-directed antibodies to ER inhibit binding of activated ER complexes to DNA in vitro. (Steroids 55: 551–556, 1990)
Kinetics Feasibility Study of Alcohol Sulfate Esterification Reactions in Tropospheric Aerosols

Sulfate esters have recently been identified in the secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed in the photooxidation of biogenic hydrocarbons both in laboratory and under ambient atmospheric conditions. In the present study, the kinetics feasibility of direct reactions between alcohols and sulfuric acid to form sulfate esters in aerosol particles is explored. Nuclear magnetic resonance methods were used to monitor the bulk reaction kinetics of sulfate esterification reactions for a number of simple alcohols. The experiments were carried out at various sulfuric acid concentrations and a range of temperatures in order to estimate the rate constants of such reactions in aerosols under the previously studied laboratory conditions and under ambient atmospheric conditions. The measured rate constants did not depend greatly on the identity of the reactant alcohol, but increased strongly as a function of the sulfuric acid concentration, as predicted by excess acidity theory. Because of the strong temperature dependen...
Sexually transmitted diseases and the sexually abused child

Sexually transmitted diseases pose a significant problem for children who have been sexually abused. The pattern of sexually transmitted diseases in this group reflects their changing pattern in the community at large. The prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases in sexual abuse victims is significant although it depends on a number of factors, including sexually transmitted disease prevalence in the community, the organism, and the type of abuse. The transmission route of most common sexually transmitted diseases beyond the neonatal period is accepted as sexual abuse, although the possibility of nonsexual transmission of some organisms, particularly those that can be transmitted at birth and have a long incubation and latency periods, is recognized. Mounting evidence for nonsexual transmission of human papillomavirus is generating continuing controversy. The significance of other organisms as indicators of abuse remains unclear. It is recommended that children suspected of being abused be screened for sexually transmitted diseases. There has been considerable discussion about the extent of screening. Screening should adhere to clear guidelines that address local epidemiologic issues. Screening for human immunodeficiency virus should be based on the extent of the virus in the community in which the child lives and on the nature of the abuse. Child sexual abuse must be recognized as an exposure category for human immunodeficiency virus. Test selection for evaluating sexually transmitted diseases in sexual abuse victims is a critical issue. Rapid screening methodologies should not be relied on, and if positive results are obtained, they should be confirmed using another method or even another laboratory.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Language: en
High temperature Fourier transform photoacoustic spectroscopy: sample emission effects.

FT-IR PAS measurements have been made of the optical properties of powdered samples at temperatures up to 350° C. These indicate that sample emission must be taken into account and that photoacoustic emission spectroscopy can be used to obtain spectral data. The experiments are discussed in terms of a model of an ideal FT-IR. It is shown that the high temperature spectra must be interpreted in terms of an absorption and sample emission signal that have a relative phase difference of 180°.
Effect of Estrogen on Urethral Function and Nerve Regeneration Following Pudendal Nerve Crush in the Female Rat

Purpose: We tested the hypothesis that estrogen promotes improvement in urethral function and nerve regeneration following bilateral pudendal nerve crush in ovariectomized female rats.Materials and Methods: A total of 52 female rats underwent ovariectomy 6 days before bilateral pudendal nerve crush. Estrogen and sham capsules were subcutaneously implanted at the time of nerve crush in 16 and 14 of these rats, respectively, while 22 served as unoperated controls. Seven days following nerve crush urethral LPP testing was performed using urethane anesthesia. Spinal cord sections containing motoneurons of Onufrowicz’s nucleus were subjected to in situ hybridization to detect the expression of βII tubulin mRNA, a marker of the neuroregenerative response.Results: Mean LPP ± SEM was significantly decreased after pudendal nerve crush in sham treated animals compared to unoperated controls (32.1 ± 6.8 vs 54.4 ± 11.6 cm H2O). Rats with an estrogen implant had an LPP of 42.5 ± 16.8 cm H2O, which was significantly gr...
Intervention in the library: The effect of increased responsibility on bystanders' willingness to prevent a theft.

Two field experiments tested the hypothesis that a bystander's increased responsibility to act increases the likelihood of his helping the victim of an emergency. In Experiment 1, an individual asked or did not ask the bystander to protect his property in his absence. In Experiment 2, the presence/absence of an unattentive confederate was varied orthogonally to the request/no request manipulation. The results of both experiments indicated that bystanders who received a prior request for protective assistance felt more personally responsible for protecting the individual's property and were more likely to prevent a theft of that property than were bystanders who received no request. The presence of a confederate in Experiment 2 decreased bystanders' felt responsibility and their willingness to intervene on the victim's behalf. The results were interpreted as support for the “felt responsibility” proposition of the Latane and Darley (1970) model of bystander intervention.
Y-Stent embolization technique for intracranial bifurcation aneurysms

Wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms often require the use of the technically complex Y-stent technique, which has recently been shown to narrow bifurcation angle in a hemodynamically favorable manner. We sought to evaluate the single center efficacy and safety of Y-stent supported aneurysm coil embolization. All patients undergoing Y-stent supported coiling between September 2006 and December 2012 were identified; records were analyzed for procedural results and complications, with follow-up evaluated for occlusion rate and neurological adverse events. Twenty consecutive patients underwent technically successful Y-stent supported coiling, with complete aneurysm occlusion achieved in 19/20 cases (95%). There were no peri-procedural clinically evident neurological complications following Y-stenting. Clinical follow-up was available for a mean of 20.0months and radiographic follow-up was available for a mean of 18.5months. During the follow-up period, three patients (15%) required re-treatment with through-stent coiling for recanalization. At latest follow-up, Raymond grade I occlusion was achieved in 16 patients (80%), Raymond grade II occlusion achieved in four patients (20%) and Raymond grade III occlusion in zero patients. Y-stenting for complex intracranial aneurysms appears effective in achieving durable aneurysm occlusion with an acceptable safety profile. Though the procedure is technically more complex than single-stent procedures, the Y-stent configuration should be considered when single-stent supported coiling is not feasible or sufficient.
Mass spectrometric detection of dioxirane, H2COO, and its decomposition products, H2 and CO, from the reaction of ozone with ethylene

Abstract Dioxirane has been detected in the gas phase, by means of photoionization mass spectrometry, as a product of the low temperature reaction of ozone with ethylene. Hydrogen and carbon monoxide are found to be products of the decomposition of dioxirane. The significance of these observations to atmospheric chemistry is discussed.
Human Fibroblasts Bind Directly to Fibrinogen at RGD Sites through Integrin αvβ3

Abstract Fibroblast migration into the blood clot initially filling a wound requires close interaction between fibroblasts and the matrix of the fibrin clot. However, very little is known about the specific receptor–ligand interactions that mediate fibroblast attachment to fibrin. Using an attachment assay developed to measure even relatively weak interactions, we demonstrate here that normal human dermal fibroblasts can attach to substrates coated with fibrinogen, fibrin, or the fibrinogen breakdown product I-9D. Fibroblast attachment to these ligands did not require the presence of fibronectin on the cell surface or as a component of the substrate. Cells treated with cycloheximide and monensin, to limit the synthesis and secretion of endogenous fibronectin, attached as well as untreated cells. The synthetic peptide GRGDS inhibited adhesion to fibrinogen, fibrin, and fibrinogen I-9D by about 60%, while the control peptide GRGES had no substantial effect. We conclude that attachment to these ligands is mediated at least partially by direct interactions between the substrates and one specific receptor, the integrin αvβ3. Affinity chromatography demonstrated that αvβ3 from detergent lysates of fibroblasts bound to a fibrinogen matrix and was eluted with EDTA. Furthermore, antibodies against the αvβ3 complex or against the αv subunit inhibited fibroblast attachment to fibrinogen and fibrin by 50–70%. An inhibitory antibody against the integrin β1 subunit had no effect. The observation that integrin antagonists could not produce complete inhibition suggests that there may be other fibroblast cell surface proteins that can bind directly to fibrinogen.
A dual promoter lentiviral vector for the in vivo evaluation of gene therapeutic approaches to axon regeneration after spinal cord injury

The identification of axon growth-promoting genes, and overexpression of these genes in central nervous system (CNS) neurons projecting to the spinal cord, has emerged as one potential approach to enhancing CNS regeneration. Assessment of the regenerative potential of candidate genes usually requires axonal tracing of spinal projections, ideally limited to neurons that express the candidate gene. Alternatively, coexpression of a reporter gene such as enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) from an internal ribosomal entry site can be used to identify neurons expressing the candidate gene, but this strategy does not label corticospinal axons in the spinal cord. We therefore developed a dual promoter lentiviral vector in which a potentially therapeutic transgene is expressed from the cytomegalovirus-enhanced chicken β-actin promoter and the fluorescent protein copGFP is expressed from the elongation factor-1α promoter. The vector was constructed to be compatible with the Gateway recombination system for efficient introduction of transgenes through entry shuttle vectors. We show both simultaneous expression of a candidate and reporter gene in corticospinal and red nucleus neurons, and efficient labeling of their axons after lesions in the cervical spinal cord. This expression system is therefore an accurate and efficient means of screening candidate genes in vivo for enhancement of axonal growth.
Radiology Report Comparator: A Novel Method to Augment Resident Education

Attending radiologists routinely edit radiology trainee dictated preliminary reports as part of standard workflow models. Time constraints, high volume, and spatial separation may not always facilitate clear discussion of these changes with trainees. However, these edits can represent significant teaching moments that are lost if they are not communicated back to trainees. We created an electronic method for retrieving and displaying changes made to resident written preliminary reports by attending radiologists during the process of radiology report finalization. The Radiology Information System is queried. Preliminary and final radiology reports, as well as report metadata, are extracted and stored in a database indexed by accession number and trainee/radiologist identity. A web application presents to trainees their 100 most recent preliminary and final report pairs both side by side and in a “track changes” mode. Web utilization audits showed regular utilization by trainees. Surveyed residents stated they compared reports for educational value, to improve future reports, and to improve patient care. Residents stated that they compared reports more frequently after deployment of this software solution and that regular assessment of their work using the Report Comparator allowed them to routinely improve future report quality and improved radiological understanding. In an era with increasing workload demands, trainee work hour restrictions, and decentralization of department resources (e.g., faculty, PACS), this solution helps to retain an important part of the educational experience that would have otherwise run the risk of being lost and provides it to the trainees in an efficient and highly consumable manner.
Development of primary culture of ovine fetal hepatocytes for studies of amino acid metabolism and insulinlike growth factors

We report the development and characterization of a system of primary culture of ovine fetal hepatocytes to aid in the understanding of the cellular regulation of fetal growth and metabolism with emphasis on amino acid metabolism and insulinlike growth factor gene expression and to allow comparison to in vivo studies. Hepatocytes were isolated from late gestation fetal lambs by in situ perfusion and collagenase digestion utilizing occlusion of the ductus venosus to limit intrahepatic shunting. Hepatocytes were cultured in media modified to mimic fetal concentrations of glucose, lactate, and amino acids. Ovine fetal hepatocytes in primary culture maintain the pattern of fetal amino acid production and utilization seen across the fetal liver in vivo. Specifically, there is a net production of serine and a net utilization of glycine. Cultured ovine fetal hepatocytes specifically increase tritiated thymidine incorporation in response to insulin and insulinlike growth factor II (IGF-II). IGF-II mRNA abundance is high and IGF-I mRNA is low in cultured ovine fetal hepatocytes as in the fetal sheep liver in vivo. These data demonstrate the successful isolation of ovine fetal hepatocytes that retain some of the characteristics of the ovine fetal liver while maintained in short-term culture.
Novice teachers' encounter with national science education reform: Entanglements or intelligent interconnections?

This study centers on developing a structure and forum for novice teachers to explore science education reform documents and to link them to practice. To date, science education reform efforts have focused mainly on intended curricula (goals, standards, frameworks, etc.) and outcome-based measures (assessments). The implemented curriculum—the way teachers plan to teach—has received less attention. Moreover, the literature indicates that the gap between reform goals and practice can be attributed to the lack of attention to the implemented curriculum. In this project, 25 preservice and recently inducted science teachers analyzed the materials of Project 2061 or the National Research Council standards. A series of structured and interconnected activities allowed them to create summaries and an evaluation instrument, teachers' criteria, parallel to reform goals. Teams developed 10-day teaching units based on reform principles, then analyzed the products using the criteria they had developed. The study suggests some methods to help new teachers understand science education reform and create products that can be used for planning, teaching, and evaluation. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 34: 3–17, 1997.
Superconductivity in the Palladium-Hydrogen System

Band theory and phonon measurements are used to calculate the electron-phonon coupling constant wavelength for Pd and PdD. The results indicate that superconductivity is absent in Pd metal because of the large value of the Coulomb pseudopotential, and that superconductivity occurs in PdD primarily because of coupling with the optic phonons. These results are consistent with superconducting transition-temperature measurements for these systems.
NT-3 gene delivery elicits growth of chronically injured corticospinal axons and modestly improves functional deficits after chronic scar resection

Nervous system growth factors promote axonal growth following acute spinal cord injury. In the present experiment, we examined whether delivery of neurotrophic factors after chronic spinal cord injury would also promote axonal growth and influence functional outcomes. Adult Fischer 344 rats underwent mid-thoracic spinal cord dorsal hemisection lesions. Three months later, primary fibroblasts genetically modified to express human neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) were placed in, and distal to, the lesion cavity. Upon sacrifice 3 months later (6 months following the initial lesion), NT-3-grafted animals exhibited significant growth of corticospinal axons up to 15 mm distal to the lesion site and showed a modest but significant 1.5-point improvement in locomotor scores (P < 0.05) on the BBB scale, compared to control-grafted animals. Thus, growth factor gene delivery can elicit growth of corticospinal axons in chronic stages of injury and improves functional outcomes compared to non-growth-factor-treated animals.
Efficacy of moxidectin 0.5% pour-on against swine nematodes

Abstract Forty pigs with induced infections of Ascaris suum, Trichuris suis, Metastrongylus spp., Oesophagostomum dentatum and O. quadrispinulatum were assigned to five-dose groups of moxidectin 0.5% pour-on with eight pigs per dose group. The doses were: moxidectin, 0 (vehicle control), 0.75, 1.00, 1.25, and 1.50 mg/kg−1 body weight. Worm egg counts (EPG) were made from fecal samples collected on Day 2 pretreatment and on Day 14 or 15 post-treatment. Animals were ranked according to the descending order of A. suum egg counts made on Day 2 and blocked in groups of five. Pigs in blocked groups were assigned randomly to each of the five dose groups. Treatment doses were calculated on the basis of weights taken on Day 1 and were administered topically from the neck to the base of the tail. Pigs were housed by pairs in individual pens provided with self-feeders and automatic waterers. Necropsies were performed on equal numbers of pigs from each treatment group on days 14 and 15 post-treatment. Adult and larval worms were collected, identified and counted by standard parasitological techniques. All counts were transformed by Y = log10 (count +1) transformation prior to analysis. A two-way analysis of variance was conducted and treatment effect was tested for significance at the 5% level. Efficacies based on geometric means and optimal doses were as follows: Ascaris suum, 98.3% at 1.25; Metastrongylus spp., 100% at 0.75; Oesophagostomum quadrispinulatum, 100% at 1.50; and Trichuris suis, 93.5% at 0.75 . Efficacy for O. dentatum was from 81.3% to 100%; however, the average number of O. dentatum (30) was too small for significance. Two species of lungworms were present, Metastrongylus apri and M. pudendotectus but they were not speciated at necropsy. As reported for several anthelmintics, the efficacy of moxidectin was variable for Trichuris. The highest efficacy was in the 0.75 dose group with six pigs harboring a few or no worms. The lowest efficacy was in the 1.25 group with only two pigs harboring a few or no worms.
Interferometric Imaging of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect at 30 GHz

We present high signal-to-noise ratio images of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect toward the clusters CL 0016+16 and Abell 773. A null result is reported for Abell 1704. The data were obtained with the millimeter array of the Owens Valley Radio Observatory outfitted with 30 GHz receivers. Isothermal models for the cluster gas with core radii spanning 20''-100'' were fitted to the visibility data. The results suggest the central decrement ΔT0 lies within the range -700 to -820 μK for CL 0016+16 and -575 to -760 μK for Abell 773, corresponding to Compton y-values of 1.3-1.5 × 10-4 and 1.1-1.4 × 10-4, respectively. A comparison of the image of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect toward CL 0016+16 with a ROSAT image of the X-ray emission shows good correspondence; the positions agree within the uncertainties, and both images show resolved structure elongated at a position angle of ~50°. Using the core radius and ellipticity derived from the X-ray data to constrain the model parameters resulted in a decrement for CL 0016+16 of ΔT0 = -717 ± 65 μK.
Severity/concordance and diagnostic refinement in the Maudsley-Bethlem schizophrenic twin study

BY LOOKING more closely at the similarities and differences among the recently initiated studies on schizophrenic twins by Tienari (1963), Kringlen (1966, 1967), and ourselves (Gottesman and Shields, 1966a, b; 1967) we may, as a result of the discussion at this Conference, harvest a set of facts that are wheat, a set of presumed facts that are chaff, and a set of data that current winnowing techniques do not permit being neatly separated into wheat and chaff. Let me review briefly the sampling procedures and earlier results of the MaudsleyBethlem Schizophrenic Twin Study conducted by Shields and myself and then supplement such information with details about the ages and diagnoses of our material as well as some extensions of our results. From the beginning of 1948 a register of all twins treated at the Maudsley and Bethlem Royal Joint Hospital has been kept. The Hospital is a short-stay post-graduate psychiatric teaching facility in Southeast London with a large outpatient department handling more than 2000 new adults and more than 300 children each year. The social class of patients is similar to that of London as a whole. Sample representativeness is enhanced by the absence of Veterans’ Hospitals, the scarcity of private psychiatrists and private hospitals, the excellent reputation of the Hospital, and the widespread acceptance of socialized medicine. The vast majority of patients come from the immediately surrounding geographical area. On admission to any department of the Hospital every patient is routinely asked whether he was born a twin; the answer is recorded on the “face sheet” and later punched onto cards for the official triennial reports. When our register was closed on 31 March 1964, 392 adult patients with twins of the same sex who had survived to age 15 were listed. We believe ascertainment to be virtually complete for all twins among an estimated starting material of 45,000 psychiatric patients seen consecutively during a 16-year period. A close check of a large subsample of patients (25,867) showed that 2.19 % of all adult outpatients and 2.56 % of inpatients were twins. About 2.39 % of persons born in the United Kingdom are twins according to vital statistics. From the latter and the Weinberg method, 28.6 % of all United Kingdom twins would be expected to be monozygotic (MZ) as would be 26.3% of all Maudsley twins; zygosity proportions of our twins do not depart from expectation (42%
Quantifying and mapping the spatial distribution of fluence inside a pulsed light treatment chamber and various liquid substrates

Abstract Pulsed light (PL) is a technology that uses short, high-energy pulses of UV-rich broad spectrum light to inactivate a range of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms in foods and on food contact surfaces. Microbial inactivation is directly related to the energy dose (fluence) received by the target microbes. Since fluence decays away from the lamp source due to light absorption and scattering phenomena, it is necessary to accurately quantify the fluence received locally within a substrate in order to design uniform antimicrobial PL treatments. The main objective of this work was to quantify and map the spatial distribution of both total and UV fluence both in air and in liquid substrates with different optical properties. Butterfield’s phosphate buffer (BPB), trypticase soy broth (TSB), and apple juice (clarified apple cider) were used as substrates and Listeria innocua was used as the challenge microorganism. A pyroelectric head, and a UV–VIS–NIR spectrophotometer connected to a 1000 μm optical fiber, were used to measure the fluence in air and the three liquid substrates. Fluence was measured at incremental distances from the lamp, along the x-, y- and z-axes. As expected, fluence decreased with increasing distance from the lamp, in all three directions. A 3-parameter Gaussian model described well the spatial distribution of fluence, both in air and in the liquid substrates. Overall, this study emphasizes the fact that substrate–light interactions affect the spatial distribution of fluence within a substrate, and these non-uniformities need to be taken into account when developing commercial applications of PL.
An evaluation of directory protocols for medium-scale shared-memory multiprocessors

This paper considers alternative directory protocols for providing cache coherence in shared-memory multiprocessors with 32 to 128 processors, where the state requirements of DirN may be considered too large. We consider DiriB, i=1,2,4, DirN, Tristate (also called superset), Coarse Vector, and three new protocols. The new protocols—Gray-hardward, Gray-software, Home—are optimizations of Tristate that use gray coding to favor near-neighbor sharing.Our results are the first to compare all these protocols with complete applications (and the first evaluation of Tristate with a non-synthetic workload). Results for three applications—ocean (one-dimensional sharing), appbt (three-dimensional sharing), and barnes (dynamic sharing)—for 128 processors on the Wisconsin Wind Tunnel show that (a)Diri B sends 15 to 43 times as many invalidation messages as DirN, (b) Gray-software sends 1.0 to 4.7 times as many messages as DirN, making it better than Tristate, Gray-hardware, and Home, and (c) the choice between DiriB, Coarse Vector, and Gray-software depends on whether one wants to optimize for few sharers (DiriB), many sharers (Coarse Vector), or hedge one's bets betweem both alternatives (Gray-software).
Evaluating diatom succession: some pecularities of the Great Lakes case

Succession of diatom communities in the Laurentian Great Lakes has several unusual aspects related to physical and chemical characteristics peculiar to these large systems and the constraints these conditions impose upon species which inhabit the Great Lakes. In such systems, paleolimnological reconstructions based on strict analogy to succession patterns in smaller lakes may be incomplete and, in some cases, positively misleading. In the Great Lakes, diatom accumulation rates appear to be regulated by interaction between concentration and supply rates of phosphorus and dissolved silicate. As phosphorus loadings increased historically, storage of diatom frustules in sediments was first increased, then limited, as concentrations of dissolved silica were reduced to levels limiting to diatom growth. Qualitative aspects of the diatom flora are also affected. Indigenous species adapted to growth in winter persist, while those with abundance maxima in summer are extirpated, presumably due to silica limitation in the summer epilimnion. Severe silica limitation also results in shifts to dominance by species whose growth strategies are particularly well adapted to sequestering dissolved silica. Because it is necessary to know the historical context in order to correctly interpret current changes in the Great Lakes diatom flora, paleolimnological studies have proven particularly valuable.
Platelet activating factor and tracheobronchial respiratory glycoconjugate release in feline and human explants: involvement of the lipoxygenase pathway.

It has been suggested that platelet activating factor (PAF) may participate in many aspects of bronchial asthma, including stimulation of mucus secretion. Feline tracheal and human bronchial explant production of respiratory glycoconjugates (RGC) in response to platelet activating factor (PAF) was investigatet, in order to differentiate the actions of this putative mediator on mucus secretion. PAF caused a dose-dependent increase in RGC release in concentrations ranging from 100–0.5 μM during a 1–2 hours incubation with either feline or human explants, and the effect was inhibited by the PAF receptor antagonists Ro 19-3704. Several lines of evidence suggest that PAF enhances RGC release indirectly through stimulation of the production of lipoxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid. 1) Incubation of 10 μM PAF together with arachidonic acid (100 μg/ml) enhances PAF's stimulatory effect on RGC release in cats. 2) The cyclooxygenase inhibitor ibuprofen (65 and 420 μM) either failed to effect or slightly enhanced PAF induced RGC release in both species. 3) The combined cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase inhibitor nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) as well as the putatively specific 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor L-651, 392 (both at 50 μM) inhibited the response to PAF in both species. 4) The putative LTD4 receptor antagonists (L-660, 711, 100 μM) slightly reduced the PAF secretory response in human bronchi. We conclude that PAF causes specific receptor mediated RGC release. This response is indirectly mediated through the generation of lipoxygenase metabolite formation including 5-lipoxygenase pathway metabolites.
Squeezing from k-photon anharmonic oscillators

Abstract We consider the squeezing obtained from the interaction of coherent light with anharmonic oscillators with interaction hamiltonians of the form (a+)kak, k⩾2. We show that while the overall degree of squeezing decreases with increasing k, enhanced squeezing may be obtained at least for some values of the average photon number in the incident beam.
The photodissociation dynamics of cyclic sulfides probed with tunable undulator radiation

Abstract The combination of tunable synchrotron radiation with photofragment translational spectroscopy has been used to probe the photodissociation dynamics of a variety of cyclic sulfides. The results demonstrate the many advantages of using synchrotron radiation in place of electron impact ionization in photochemistry studies. Our universal and selective experimental approach is easily able to distinguish the ground state S(3P) and the first excited state S(1D), for example, and provides photoion yield spectra of all products. These measurements afford unambiguous identification of the primary decay pathways, as well as unique insights into the properties of the product species, often radicals or transient metastable species.
PCR vs "PCAren't" Limitations of PCR-Based Assays Performed on Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Mucosal Biopsy Specimens

Clostridium difficile remains the most common nosocomial cause of diarrhea and is becoming an increasingly important community-acquired infection.1,2 Antibiotic resistance, as well as the recently identified BI/NAP1/027 strain, is responsible for more cases of severe C difficile –associated diarrhea worldwide.3 The diagnosis of C difficile infection is usually based on a combination of history of antibiotic use, the presence of pseudomembranes on colonoscopy, appropriate histology on biopsy, and confirmatory laboratory stool tests for either the C difficile toxin or bacterial toxin genes. Most clinical laboratories employ a C difficile –associated toxin enzyme immunoassay (EIA). These assays are technically easy to perform and have a rapid turnaround time. Although they have specificities ranging from 65% to 100%, the sensitivities are limited, ranging from 31% to 99%.4 Recently, US Food and Drug Administration–approved, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–based molecular assays performed on stool lysates have been increasingly recognized as the most sensitive and specific methods of diagnosing C difficile . These assays target C difficile toxin genes rather than the toxins themselves, with a sensitivity from 77% to 100% and a specificity from 93% to 99%.5–7 The tissue diagnosis of C difficile in a gastrointestinal mucosal biopsy specimen is generally straightforward, although some infections (eg, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli , Shigella , and toxin-producing Clostridium perfringens ) may produce similar features both macroscopically and morphologically. Ischemia is frequently in the histologic differential diagnosis as well, and the distinction between the two is extremely important because the treatments are different. In their article in this issue of the American Journal of Clinical Pathology , Wiland and colleagues8 examine the degree of interobserver agreement in the histologic diagnosis of C difficile colitis and correlate the histologic findings with clinical data. They also …
Older People and Health Care Reform

This discussion of older people and health care reform begins with a brief overview of the patterns through which older people use health care services and account for one third of total U.S. health care expenditures. Particular attention is paid to high usage rates at advanced old ages because the American older population is rapidly becoming older, within itself, indicating that future health care costs for older people may be enormous. Following this are analyses of measures to reform Medicare, proposals to ration the care of older people, and issues involved in expanding public long-term-care insurance. The article concludes by considering what impact the politics of older persons and old-age interest groups may have as American health care reform efforts unfold in the next few years.