cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetic characteristics of chloride-assisted oxidative dealkylation of alkylcobalamins

The recent experiments on the chloride-assisted dealkylation of alkylcobalamins by a variety of oxidants (IrCl, AuCl, Fe(H2O)5Cl2+, and PtCl), which are scattered in several previous publications, and their general kinetic characteristics are summarized. The kinetic studies are also extended to include the dealkylations of (methylaquo)−3,5,6-trimethylbenzimidazolylcobamide and protonated base-off ethylcobalamin by IrCl (1.0M Cl−) and by Fe(III) ions at 0.1M Cl−, and the demethylation of (methylaquo)−3,5,6-trimethylbenzimidazolylcobamide by AuCl (1.0M Cl−). This extension is in an effort to substantiate the general mechanism which has been previously proposed for these oxidative dealkylations. The general kinetic characteristics are described in terms of a preassociation of the reactants, followed by a rate-determining electron-transfer process to yield the R-B radical, which then undergoes further reactions to produce the products observed. The overall reactions are discussed within the framework of chlorine-bridging inner sphere electron-transfer reactions.
Lymphangiosarcoma associated with chronic filarial lymphedema.

A case of a 19-year-old inhabitant of Southern India with chronic filarial lymphedema of the right leg and subsequent lymphangiosarcoma is reported. Two additional cases of lymphangiosarcoma occurring in patients with filarial lymphedema are reviewed from the literature. Cancer 59:179–183, 1987.
Relation between depositional environment and the elemental composition of early diagenetic siderite

Early diagenetic siderites from marine and fresh-water depositional environments are characterized by distinctive compositional trends. Siderite from fresh-water environments is often relatively pure (i.e., greater than 90 mol% FeCO{sub 3}) and commonly attains end-member composition. Siderite from marine environments, however, is always extremely impure and has extensive substitution of Mg (up to 41 mol%) and, to a lesser extent, Ca (up to 15 mol%) for Fe in the siderite lattice. In addition, marine siderite generally contains less Mn and has a higher Mg/Ca ratio than fresh-water siderite. This compositional variation appears to result from differences in the chemistry of early marine and meteoric pore waters, inasmuch as early marine pore waters generally have a higher Mg{sup 2+}/Ca{sup 2+} ratio and contain less Mn{sup 2+} and Fe{sup 2+} and more Ca{sup 2+} and Mg{sup 2+} than meteoric waters.
Biophysical and marxist economics: Learning from each other

Abstract This paper describes areas in which Marxist economists can benefit from a biophysical analysis of economic production and biophysical economists can benefit from a Marxist analysis of valuation and distribution. For Marxists, I describe how biophysical analyses clarify the physical basis for production, expand the dialectic governing the extraction of surplus value, and help socialist economies manage their resource base. For biophysical economists, I describe how dialectical analysis can improve their understanding of the relation between resource quality and economic production, and how social forces influence the physical determinants of production.
Clinical aspects of nonvascular renal causes of hypertension

Many forms of renal parenchymal disease have been associated with surgically correctable hypertension. Screening of the hypertensive population with excretory urography is indicated in patients of appropriate surgical risk who are young; have acute onset of hypertension; have accompanying sings, symptoms, or laboratory findings suggesting renal parenchymal disease; or require multiple drugs or exhibit poor compliance with medical therapy.
A report of Uhl's disease in identical adult twins. Evaluation of right ventricular dysfunction with echocardiography and nuclear angiography

The first example of Uhl's disease affecting identical adult twins is reported, offering support for the contention that a congenital developmental defect or hereditable tendency is the responsible cause. In one case, echocardiography and nuclear angiography proved to be valuable in making the diagnosis. Uhl's disease in the adult should be suspected among cases of isolated right ventricular enlargement and failure complicated by ventricular dysrhythmias. The diagnosis may be made using a combination of noninvasive tests, obviating the need for cardiac catheterization.
Differences in stunting prevalences calculated from two similar growth references may be large and inconsistent in undernourished children.

Background : In 2000, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a set of growth references that address limitations of the internationally recommended 1977 National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) references. Aim : This study compares length-for-age Z -scores (LA Z -scores), height-for-age Z -scores (HA Z -scores), and age-specific stunting prevalences of undernourished children using the 1977 NCHS versus the 2000 CDC references. Subjects and methods : Data come from > 2000 children from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Study in the Philippines. Anthropometric data were collected bimonthly from birth to 2 years, at 8.5 and 11.5 years, and at 15 years in girls and 16 years in boys. Z -scores and stunting prevalences are compared between references. Results : LA Z -scores were generally lower using the 1977 references, and stunting prevalences were higher from 0 to 2 years, with some crossover. Differences in HA Z -scores after 8.5 years of age were inconsistent in both ...
Characterization and direct quantitation of ceramide molecular species from lipid extracts of biological samples by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

A rapid, simple, and reliable method has been developed for the characterization and quantitation of ceramide molecular species directly from chloroform extracts of biological samples by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI/MS/MS). By exploiting the differential fragmentation patterns of deprotonated ceramide ions, individual 2-hydroxy and nonhydroxy ceramide molecular species were readily identified by ESI/MS/MS with the neutral loss of fragments of mass 256.2 and 327.3 which correspond to sphingosine derivatives. The ions generated from the neutral loss of 256.2 (i.e., [M - H - 256.2](-)) are unique for ceramides with N-acyl sphingosine with the 18-carbon homolog. However, the sensitivity for nonhydroxy ceramides in ESI/MS/MS with the neutral loss of 256.2 is approximately threefold higher than that for 2-hydroxy ceramides. The ions resulting from the neutral loss of 327.3 (i.e., [M - H - 327.3](-)) are specific for 2-hydroxy ceramides. Additionally, all ceramides including both 2-hydroxy and nonhydroxy forms can be confirmed and accurately quantitated by ESI/MS/MS with the neutral loss of 240.2 after correction for (13)C isotope factors. This methodology demonstrated a 1000-fold linear dynamic range and a detection limit at the subfemtomole range and was applied to directly quantitate ceramide molecular species in chloroform extracts of biological samples including brain tissues and cell cultures.
Detection of Symmetric Shapes on a Mobile Device with Applications to Automatic Sign Interpretation

We present a light-weight method for automatically detecting shapes that have an approximate rotational symmetry (e.g., a square or equilateral triangle) on discrete-space images. Our motivation is the problem of automatically detecting and recognizing hazardous material placards on a mobile platform (e.g., a mobile telephone) equipped with a camera. The proposed method is well-suited for mobile device applications, which are characterized by limited memory, processing power and battery life. It is based on comparing the magnitude of the coefficients of the Fourier series of the centralized moments of the Radon transform of the image after segmentation. However, in our approach, the computation of the Radon transform is bypassed as we obtain these coefficients directly from the rows of the Pascal Triangle of the segmented image. The Pascal Triangle of an image is composed of complex moments arranged in a pyramidal fashion similar to the binomial coefficients. These complex moments are obtained from a coarse segmentation of the shape represented by a gray-scale image. In particular, the contours of the object do not need to be precisely defined, and the shape needs not be connected. Moreover, our approach is invariant under translation, rotation, and scaling. We tested our method on images from the MPEG-7 shape database as well as images from our own database of hazardous material placards.
Surface plasmon-like sensor based on surface electromagnetic waves in a photonic band-gap material

Abstract The design and operating principles of a new type of surface electromagnetic wave sensor are described and demonstrated. The method of operation of this device is similar to surface plasmon sensors except that the surface-active material—a metal film in the case of surface plasmon sensors—is replaced by a one-dimensional photonic band-gap array. The advantages of using a photonic band-gap material instead of a metal film include enhanced sensitivity, physical, and chemical robustness, and the ability to engineer the optical response of the surface active layer to create a device that operates at any optical wavelength. Experimental results are presented that illustrate sensing action by measuring the shift in the surface mode coupling angle with surface loading.
Bucket brigades revisited: Are they always effective?

Previous work on the dynamics of bucket brigades has focused on systems in which workers can be ordered with respect to their speeds and where this ordering does not change throughout the line. While this assumption is valid in most environments, it may not be satisfied in some. We consider such environments and explore the conditions under which bucket brigades continue to be effective (compared to a traditional static allocation) with respect to self-balancing behavior and throughput performance. A two worker bucket brigade is studied where one worker is faster than the other over some part of the production line and slower over another part of the line. We analyze the dynamics and throughput of the bucket brigade in two environments with passing and blocking. We present the dynamics of the system in each region of the parameter space and provide insights and operating principles for the implementation and management of the bucket brigades under various scenarios.
Trends in Incidence and Severity of Intraventricular Hemorrhage

The incidence of germinal matrix-intraventricular hemorrhages declined from 50% in 1977 to 24% in 1985. Over the last decade intraventricular hemorrhage rates ranging from 8% to 56% were reported, leaving uncertainty as to the direction of recent intraventricular hemorrhage trends. Records of all 1950 neonates weighing 2250 g or less at birth (867 weighing 1500 g or less and 1083 weighing 1501-2250 g) at a university neonatal intensive care unit between 1986 and 1995 were studied. Intraventricular hemorrhage rate declined by 53%, from 11.5% in 1986 to 5.5% in 1995 (P < .01), and was consistent across all birthweight groups: 750 g or less from 36% to 24%, 751-1000 g from 38% to 22%, 1001-1250 g from 19% to 13%, 1251-1500 g from 12% to 2% and 1551-2250 g from 3% to 0.2% (P < .05). Proportionately, severe intraventricular hemorrhage (grades 3 ± intraparenchymal hemorrhage) declined from 70% of all intraventricular hemorrhages in 1986 to 23% in 1995 (P < .005). Overall mortality declined by 65% between 1986 a...
Uncertainty propagation of atomic weight measurement results

General theory for uncertainty propagations of atomic weight measurement results is presented and the impact of correlation of input variables (isotope ratios and correction factors) on the overall atomic weight uncertainty is discussed. Currently all uncertainty propagations use equations that are fitted for uncorrelated isotope ratios and uncorrelated mass bias correction factors. It is shown here that the correlation of isotope ratios is significant in TIMS and multi-collector ICPMS measurements and ignoring these correlations can lead to significant underestimation of the uncertainty of atomic weight measurement results. Atomic weight uncertainties are inconsistent with reported isotope ratio uncertainties in numerous recent reports as a result of improper uncertainty propagation.
Comparison of wire-plate and plate-plate electrostatic precipitators in laminar flow

Abstract A comparison is made between wire—plate and plate—plate electrode systems used as collectors for two-stage precipitators in the case of laminar flow, for which the particle concentration distribution and the particle trajectories can be calculated by the method of characteristics. The comparison is first made on the basis that the applied field (applied voltage divided by the electrode spacing) is held the same for the two systems. In the plate—plate case the collection efficiency is a function only of the Deutsch parameter De0(w0/u)(L/d) and becomes 100% for De0=1. In the wire—plate case the efficiency is lower and the Deutsch parameter required to attain 100% efficiency is an increasing function of (h/d), the ratio of the wire—wire spacing (2h) to the duct width (2d). This behavior reflects the fact that for equal applied voltages the space-averaged precipitating field is smaller for the wire—plate case, and implies that the precipitator must be made longer to achieve 100% efficiency. If however the comparison is made on the basis of equal space-average fields at the collector, it is found that the efficiency for the wire—plate case is essentially equal to that for the plate—plate case, independent of the wire—wire spacing.
Thermal ignition of methaneair mixtures by hot surfaces: A critical examination☆

Abstract Ignition of methaneair mixtures by frictional heating is relevant to LNG transportation and mine safety. In this paper, I review experimental and theoretical work concerned with methaneair ignition by hot surfaces. Of main concern is the influence of surface size, orientation, temperature-time history, stoichiometry, and velocity on the critical surface temperature for ignition. As expected, the ignition temperature decreases with increasing size and duration and with decreasing velocity. Fuel-lean equivalence ratios near 0.7 are most conducive to ignition. Discrete, nonpyrophoric frictional sparks are too small to be incendiary, but large surfaces produce ignition around 1000°C. Using the Van't Hoff criterion, a simple correlation is developed among surface ignition temperature, size, pressure, and flow velocity consistent with previous work. For a given pressure and velocity, In L ∼ E sRT w , where L is the characteristic length of the hot surface, E the activation energy, and Tw the surface ignition temperature. The constant parameter s is equal to two for stagnant conditions, one-half for free convection and one for forced convection.
Ancient buried submarine trough, northwest Gulf of Mexico

A large buried submarine trough crosses the seaward margin of the continental shelf off the southwest coast of Louisiana. Original length was about 90 km, and width at the shelf edge was 16 km. Maximum eroded depth may have been as much as 305 m. Seismic characteristics of the prograded fill indicate cyclically repeated sequences of retrogressive deltaic and partly slumped sediments overlain by well-layered transgressive deposits. Slumping was increasingly prevalent toward the shelf edge. The cyclic sequences indicate that the trough was a passageway for large volumes of sediment onto the continental slope during several stages of lowered sea level.
Educational participation of children with spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine educational participation and accommodations for children with spinal cord injury (SCI) or disease in primary, secondary, and postsecondary educational settings. METHOD: Written surveys were developed for students with SCI and their teachers. Fifty-three participants had SCI onset before age 18 years, were at least 4 years old and enrolled in a school program, and had residual motor disability without cognitive-behavioral impairments. RESULTS: Nearly all participants were enrolled full time in regular education classrooms. Seventy-five percent of primary-level participants and 32% of secondary-level participants were qualified for special education and related services, receiving teacher aide assistance as well as occupational and physical therapy services. Most participants were graduating from high school and pursing postsecondary education. Classroom performance and grades were reported as average or above average, but curriculum modifications were commonly made, and many participants required human assistance and assistive technology in functional and classroom tasks. Access barriers were often reported by participants using wheelchairs, and those using augmentative writing aids were not fluent with these devices. CONCLUSION: Accommodations in schools for students with SCI appear to support completion and advancement to higher levels of education, but these accommodations appear to be geared toward participation rather than levels of performance and productivity that may be realistic for work and other community settings.
Spectroscopic ellipsometry of amorphous Ni0.95Tb0.05 and crystalline nickel

Abstract Spectroscopic ellipsometry was used to determine the pseudodielectric constants of thin film sputtered crystalline nickel and the concentrated amorphous Ni 0.95 Tb 0.05 alloy. The variation in ϵ 2 ( ω )/ λ , which indicates the matrix element weighted joint density of states, is found to be relatively similar for both crystalline and amorphous systems. This is interpreted in terms of related short-range order and similar d band states in both these materials.
Varying stable nitrogen isotope ratios of different coastal marsh plants and their relationships with wastewater nitrogen and land use in New England, USA.

The stable nitrogen isotope ratios of some biota have been used as indicators of sources of anthropogenic nitrogen. In this study the relationships of the stable nitrogen isotope ratios of marsh plants, Iva frutescens (L.), Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex Steud, Spartina patens (Ait.) Muhl, Spartina alterniflora Loisel, Ulva lactuca (L.), and Enteromorpha intestinalis (L.) with wastewater nitrogen and land development in New England are described. Five of the six plant species (all but U. lactuca) showed significant relationships of increasing δ15N values with increasing wastewater nitrogen. There was a significant (P < 0.0001) downward shift in the δ15N of S. patens (6.0 ± 0.48‰) which is mycorrhizal compared with S. alterniflora (8.5 ± 0.41‰). The downward shift in δ15N may be caused by the assimilation of fixed nitrogen in the roots of S. patens. P. australis within sites had wide ranges of δ15N values, evidently influenced by the type of shoreline development or buffer at the upland border. In residential areas, the presence of a vegetated buffer (n = 24 locations) significantly (P < 0.001) reduced the δ15N (mean = 7.4 ± 0.43‰) of the P. australis compared to stands where there was no buffer (mean = 10.9 ± 1.0‰; n = 15). Among the plant species, I. frutescens located near the upland border showed the most significant (R2 = 0.64; P = 0.006) inverse relationship with the percent agricultural land in the watershed. The δ15N of P. australis and I. frustescens is apparently an indicator of local inputs near the upland border, while the δ15N of Spartina relates with the integrated, watershed-sea nitrogen inputs.
Incremental, Inductive Model Checking

IC3, a model checking algorithm for invariance properties, has inspired a fair amount of research since it was first noticed in 2011 and is now widely used in the EDA industry. It is rooted in the deductive approach to verification, central to which is the application of mathematical induction. IC3 applies induction in two ways: in the typical manner, to detect convergence to an inductive strengthening of the property, and in an incremental manner, to discover relatively inductive lemmas in response to concrete error states. Core ideas in IC3 have been lifted to algorithms for model checking LTL and CTL properties and for analyzing infinite-state systems.
Crystal deposits in the human intervertebral disc: implications for disc degeneration.

Abstract Background context Although crystal deposition in cartilage and synovial fluid has received much attention, crystal formation and the role that crystal deposits play are virtually unexplored in the intervertebral disc. In articular cartilage matrix, crystal deposits are associated with altered extracellular matrix (ECM) and cell phenotypic features, but crystal deposition in the human intervertebral disc has received much less attention. Purpose To determine the incidence of crystal deposits in the annulus and to evaluate associated disc cell and ECM features. Study design/setting Human intervertebral disc annulus tissue was obtained in a prospective study of the presence of crystals in the disc ECM. Human Subjects Institutional Review Board approved experimental studies. Patient sample Two hundred eight sequential disc specimens were submitted from surgical disc procedures performed on individuals with herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, or recurrent disc herniation. During this same time period, three disc specimens were received from nonsurgical donors and added to the study population. Outcome measures Histologic features with special attention to crystal deposition. Methods Specimens were processed undecalcified and examined for the histologic presence of crystal deposits and ECM features around the crystals. Results The proportion of specimens containing crystals was determined to be 14.7%; crystals displayed varying sizes, morphology, and polarized light birefringence features. Pyrophosphate crystals were most common, but oxalate-like crystals were also present. ECM in crystal regions showed previously recognized alterations. Conclusions This study shows that the incidence of crystal deposits in discs is approximately 15% and is thus a relatively common occurrence. These data are important because masses of crystals not only disrupt disc ECM but may also accelerate preexisting degenerative changes via an elevation in matrix metalloproteinases (as previously recognized in cartilage). Because failure of the structural integrity of the disc can result in annular tears and subsequent disc herniation, the mechanisms of crystal formation and the relationship between crystals and disc degeneration merit further investigations.
Multiple phase-screen simulation of oceanic beam propagation

Oceanic turbulence is simulated with the help of a series of 2D phase-screens and used to investigate beam propagation in the ocean. Individual phase screens are created from a model for the spatial power spectrum of oceanic turbulence that includes both temperature and salinity fluctuations. Numerical simulation is compared with the experiment and with previous results in the literature. Intensity profiles as well as scintillation data is explored for several different turbulence parameters as well as for several propagation distances to examine a wide range of naturally occurring situations.
Fluorine—an enabler in advanced photolithography

Abstract Fluorine—its chemical and physical properties—plays a critical role in the development of advanced photolithography. It is widely expected that, when in a few years the critical dimensions in microelectronic devices will be less than ∼70 nm, the patterning technology of choice will be based on 157 nm light generated from molecular fluorine laser medium. Lithography at 157 nm also requires major advances in areas of fluorine science, from the growth of near-perfect calcium fluoride crystals for lenses to fluorine doping of fused silica for masks to the synthesis of fluoropolymers that would serve as pellicles, photoresists, and immersion liquids. With the expected resolution of these issues, the prospects are excellent that photolithography will continue as the main semiconductor patterning technology for at least another decade.
Time evolution of second order susceptibility in GaAs following a fast intense laser pulse

Abstract Using the technique of tight-binding electron–ion dynamics, we have calculated the evolution of the non-linear susceptibility χ(2)(ω) in GaAs during the first few hundred femtoseconds following an ultrafast and ultra-intense laser pulse. Above a threshold fluence, our simulations show that χ(2)(ω) drops to zero, in agreement with the experimental measurements. The results indicate a rapid non-thermal transition from the original tetrahedral structure to a disordered structure, and support the conclusion that structural changes following ultrashort pulses are a direct consequence of bond destabilization.
Mechanisms for production of highly charged ions

Abstract Various experimental data at high collision velocity are interpreted in terms of direct (D) and rearrangement (R) mechanisms for production of multiply charged ions. We consider double ionization in helium by protons, electrons, heavy ions, antiprotons, positrons and protons. Qualitative differences are discussed in the context of the R and D mechanisms. Multiple ionization in many electron atoms is considered as is simultaneous capture and ionization and fragmentation of methane molecules. Some other theoretical methods are briefly discussed.
Open tubular columns for gas liquid chromatography: Cleaning and recoating procedures

Procedures have been developed that permit the routine reuse of open tubular columns for the analysis of fatty acid methyl esters. Cleaning techniques are given that permit essentially endless recycling of the expensive capillary tubing with nearly 100% success in obtaining excellent columns upon recoating when using polyester liquid phases. Cost, including preparation of column, is equal to or less than the usual conventional packed column. These procedures make it both practical and economical to take advantage of the improved resolution and the reduced time for an analysis obtained with the open tubular column.
Utility of Doppler color flow imaging for identification of femoral arterial complications of cardiac catheterization

Abstract Doppler color flow and two-dimensional ultrasonographic images of the femoral region were obtained in 25 patients referred for suspected vascular complications of cardiac catheterization. Five patients had normal findings, while 23 abnormallties were noted in 20 patients, including seven femoral arteriovenous fistulae, 12 femoral pseudoaneurysms, and two patients with both femoral arteriovenous fistuals and pseudoaneurysms. Operation confirmed the abnormalities diagnosed by color flow examination in 15 of 20 patients. Three patients refused operation and one was not felt to be a surgical candidate due to high anesthetic risk. One patient died preoperatively and postmortem examination confirmed the color flow diagnosis. Etiologies of the arterial complications included percutaneous aortic valvuloplasty (6), coronary angioplasty (4), and arterial or both arterial and venous catheterization (10). Doppler color flow imaging is a reliable technique for identification of vascular complications following catheterization procedures.
Hetényi's elastic quarter space problem revisited

Abstract Transform methods are used to solve the problem of an elastic quarter space subjected to tractions on its surface. The present analysis uses the reflection principle to formulate problem as the solution of unknown residual surface tractions. A Fourier transform is taken in the direction of the edge of the quarter space. The problem is thereby reduced to decouplable integral equations, which are similar to those for the elastic quarter plane. Field quantities are obtained by performing the appropriate inverse transforms and the present results are compared with those of Hetenyi for the normally loaded case. Additional results are given for the cases of tangential surface loading.
General method for evaluating shape truncation functions of Voronoi polyhedra.

A general method is presented for evaluating shape truncation functions of arbitrary Voronoi polyhedra. Unlike some other methods developed in recent years, the method described here does not demand any particular knowledge about a Voronoi pohyhedron other than the position of the set of possible boundary planes. Besides its generality, the accuracy and efficiency of our method are also demonstrated.
Influence of freshwater sediment on the survival of Escherichia coli and Salmonella sp. as measured by three methods of enumeration

Growth and survival of enteric bacteria in freshwater sediments should be of concern to public health officials because of potential contributions of bacteria to the water column. Bacteria densities were measured in sediment and water using direct counts (DC), direct viable counts (DVC) and standard plate counts (PC). Both Salmonella sp. and Escherichia coli survived in microcosms containing autoclaved water and sediment for at least 28 d, as measured by all three methods of enumeration. Moreover, when bacteria were enumerated from sediment-containing microcosms, the DC, DVC and PC values were equivalent. Plate counts showed that both organisms were present at high densities on day 56. In addition, parallel platings on MacConkey agar of E. coli from microcosms containing sediment gave results identical to PC values, indicating that E. coli was not stressed in these microcosms. In microcosms containing water only, E. coli densities declined gradually over 2 weeks by all three measures of enumeration. By day 14, only 58% of total DC was viable as measured by DVC. Due to the protective nature of sediments, the use of standard media may be adequate to enumerate E. coli from some freshwater sediments.
The Effect of Renal Function on Serum Levels of CA 125

Abstract Objective: Serum assays for CA 125 are used to monitor disease status in patients undergoing treatment for epithelial ovarian cancer. While a number of benign gynecologic as well as benign and malignant nongynecologic conditions are associated with CA 125 elevations, the established "normal" range describes a healthy population of women. The metabolism and clearance of CA 125 is not well understood. Because mild degrees of renal impairment frequently occur in ovarian cancer patients, we investigated the effect of impaired renal function on basal CA 125 in a population of female dialysis patients. Methods: Twenty-five women on hemodialysis were selected at random. Patients ranged in age from 29 to 87 years. Renal disease was secondary in most cases to diabetes mellitus or hypertension. The creatinine clearance was less than 10 cc/min for all patients. The duration of dialysis ranged from 3 months to 14 years. Serum levels of CA 125 were measured using monoclonal antibodies in an immunoradiometric assay. Results: The mean of duplicate determinations for 23 of 25 (92%) patients fell within the normal range for otherwise healthy women (
Fracture Energy of Epoxy Interfaces with Layers of Different Silane Coupling Agents

We investigated the fracture energy, Gc, and the threshold fracture energy, Gth, in water at 80°C of interfaces between epoxy and layers of five silane coupling agents: (3-glycidoxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GPS), (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APS), [3-(phenylamino)propyl]trimethoxysilane (PAPS), (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPS), and [3-(2-aminoethylamino)propyl]trimethoxysilane (AEAPS) on the native silicon oxide surface. While 10-nm-thick layers of these all had similar high Gc, APS had the best overall values of Gth, but all adhesion promoters, except for AEAPS, performed roughly similarly. The results from the XPS analysis of the silicon side of the fracture surfaces suggest that for all silane layers, the fracture occurs somewhere within that layer. When the silane coupling agents were added to the epoxy, the samples with the higher threshold fracture energies exhibited a thicker layer of the epoxy remaining on the native silicon oxide surface. Silane coupling agents that perform well as dep...
Exploring Leadership and Team Communication Within the Organizational Environment of a Dental Practice

ABSTRACT Background A lack of training in leadership and communication skills can place dentists at a disadvantage, leading to high degrees of staff-related stress and turnover. A dentist's leadership style directly affects an office's communication practices, and specific leadership behaviors affect the degree of team identity, interdependence and social distance (a measure of the influential power of team members). Methods The author recruited 10 dental offices to take part in a study. Qualitative methods included in-depth interviews of one dentist, one senior staff member and one newer staff member from each office. Conclusions The interview findings show that clear and definable relationships exist between leadership behaviors—hierarchical or team-oriented organizational perspectives, proactive or laissez-faire leadership styles, and autocratic or participative decision-making processes—and the team's communication practices. Decision-making processes directly affect the degree of team identification experienced by staff members, and conflict-management tactics affect team members' sense of interdependence and social distance. Clinical Implications The findings of this study indicate that dentists should engage in participative decision-making processes that include staff members, thereby communicating their value to the practice and empowering employees. They also must become proactive in facilitating an environment that encourages collaboration and confrontation as healthy forms of conflict management. These leadership and communication behaviors are the most significant in creating a real rather than nominal team culture, which, in turn, leads to increased overall productivity, an enhanced level of services provided to patients and improved team member satisfaction.
Video task analysis of turning during activities of daily living

Nearly every daily activity that requires locomotion requires turning, yet most gait research has focused on straight ahead walking. Research on turning has primarily been limited to laboratory or clinical settings, and little is known about turning in the home or community environments. The purpose of this study was to investigate turning behavior in the field during certain activities of daily living. Eleven able-bodied subjects were filmed from a posterior view from the waist down as they walked through four courses designed to simulate activities of daily living. Subjects walked from one office to another, from an office to a parking lot, through a convenience store, and through a cafeteria. A single investigator classified each step from the video data as either straight or turning. A repeatability analysis was performed on the office to office course. Results showed that turning steps made up a considerable portion of steps taken. The office to parking lot, store, office to office and cafeteria courses had turn percentages of 8%, 35%, 45%, and 50%, respectively. The repeatability analysis revealed R(2) values of .850 or greater for four out of five turn classifications. Turning makes up a large portion of steps taken during activities of daily living, yet clinical practice focuses primarily on straight ahead walking. The results of this study suggest the need to consider turning maneuvers in clinical practice.
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT, FAMILY STRUCTURE, AND ADOLESCENT SEXUAL DECISION MAKING

This study uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to determine what aspects of parental involvement are related to sexual initiation, whether parental involvement explains the association between family structure and sexual debut, and whether these relationships differ among boys and girls or among non-Latino/a white, African American, and Latino/a adolescents. Results indicate that among young women and non-Latino/a white adolescents, four aspects of parental involvement—shared dinnertime, participation in shared activities, rela- tionship quality, and communication about sex—are significantly and inde- pendently related to sexual initiation. When these young people have positive relationships with their parents, share mealtimes, and participate in shared activities, they are less likely to initiate sex. With a few excep- tions, these parenting practices are not related to sexual debut among young men or African American and Latino/a adolescents. Findings also suggest that parental involvement does not mediate the association between family structure and sexual debut; rather, these aspects of adoles- cents' family lives are independently related to adolescent sexual initiation. Sexual debut is a significant step for many young women and men in the transi- tion from adolescence to adulthood. Though the decision to have sex is often made independently of parents, previous research links sexual debut to adoles- cents' family life. The connection between family structure and adolescents' sex- ual initiation is well established: young people who live with two biological par- ents initiate sexual intercourse at an older age than do adolescents in other family types (Albrecht and Teachman 2003). However, researchers are still unable to account for the family processes and dynamics that explain why family structure influences sexual behavior. Parenting practices are one aspect of these family processes that may act as an
Stratigraphy and Economic Potential of Castle Gate Area, Carbon County, Utah: ABSTRACT

Unexcelled exposures of the coal-bearing Blackhawk Formation near Castle Gate, Utah, provide a cross section of sediments deposited by wave-dominated deltas along the western shoreline of the Cretaceous Interior seaway. Four sandstone tongues resulted from deltaic sedimentation, each overlain by thick coal. A clear genetic relationship exists between the occurrence of coal and geometries of paleoshorelines and fluvial channels. Coals are thickest where underlain by thin shoreface sandstones, and they pinch out abruptly against beach-ridge sandstones responsible for swamp proliferation. Fluvial channels subsequently cut wide swaths in swamp deposits normal to shoreline trends. Commonly, thick coals of different seams occur together, as the compaction of vegetation controll d subsequent swamp accumulation. Excellent exposures and considerable subsurface data provide the details necessary to construct a predictive exploration model useful in the Cretaceous coals of the central Rockies. Cretaceous deltaic deposits also create hydrocarbon potential, as three facies associated with Blackhawk deposition produce ideal stratigraphic relationships for hydrocarbon accumulation. Porous delta-front sandstones interfinger with the underlying organic-rich marine shale of the Mancos formation. Shale and siltstone of the flood plain then cap the sandstone. Hydrocarbons derived from the marine shale or from associated coal may accumulate in porous sands of stream channels or in mouth-bar or beach-ridge deposits of the delta front. A clear understanding of deltaic sedimenta ion, provided by analysis of the Blackhawk model, could aid in predicting the occurrences of similar subsurface sandstones. End_of_Article - Last_Page 947------------
Induction cues for tegument formation during the transformation of Schistosoma mansoni cercariae.

Adult schistosomes are parasitic blood flukes that have a continuous double lipid bilayered membrane surrounding the entire worm. This tegumental membrane is synthesised during invasion of the vertebrate host by free-swimming infectious forms called cercariae. As cercariae invade their final hosts they lose their tails and encounter a changing environment that includes altered temperature, sugar concentration and osmolarity. We have identified a glucose transporter protein designated SGTP4 that is found exclusively in the outer adult tegument and on membranous vesicles within the tegumental cytoplasm. By using immunofluorescence analysis to monitor the appearance and distribution of SGTP4 we can track the process of new tegumental membrane formation and examine the cues that trigger this developmental pathway. Cercariae in water do not transform their tegument while those incubated in rich medium do so rapidly. We have examined which of the many constituents of rich medium are responsible for triggering this transformation. Incubation in a solution of moderate osmolarity (120 mOsM PBS) is sufficient by itself to trigger tegument transformation, albeit at a slower rate relative to incubation in rich medium. Adding either glucose (to 100 mM) to the solution or increasing the temperature of incubation (from 22°C to 37°C) further increased the rate of tegument biogenesis. The introduction of glucose together with an increase in the incubation temperature further accelerated the process, suggesting that these factors act synergistically to promote transformation rates. The critical nature of osmolarity in inducing the process is highlighted by the fact that transformation proceeds as efficiently in 360 mOsM alone as it does in rich medium. While the fatty acids linolenic acid (cis-9, cis-12, cis-15-octadecatrienoic acid at 1 mM) and capric acid (Decanoic acid, at 0.1 mM) have both been proposed to stimulate tegumental transformation, we show that neither promotes the morphogenesis of a normal schistosomulum tegument. The schistosomicide praziquantel (to 1 mM) has no detectable effect on new tegument formation.
Weight control and prevention of metabolic syndrome by green tea

Green tea (Camellia sinensis, Theaceace) is the second most popular beverage in the world and has been extensively studied for its putative disease preventive effects. Green tea is characterized by the presence of a high concentrations of polyphenolic compounds known as catechins, with (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) being the most abundant and most well-studied. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a complex condition that is defined by the presence of elevated waist circumference, dysglycemia, elevated blood pressure, decrease serum high-density lipoprotein-associated cholesterol, and increased serum triglycerides. Studies in both in vitro and laboratory animal models have examined the preventive effects of green tea and EGCG against the symptoms of MetS. Overall, the results of these studies have been promising and demonstrate that green tea and EGCG have preventive effects in both genetic and dietary models of obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia. Various mechanisms have been proposed based on these studies and include: modulation of dietary fat absorption and metabolism, increased glucose utilization, decreased de novo lipogenesis, enhanced vascular responsiveness, and antioxidative effects. In the present review, we discuss the current state of the science with regard to laboratory studies on green tea and MetS. We attempt to critically evaluate the available data and point out areas for future research. Although there is a considerable amount of data available, questions remain in terms of the primary mechanism(s) of action, the dose-response relationships involved, and the best way to translate the results to human intervention studies.
An analytical and experimental investigation of the response of the curved, composite frame/skin specimens

Six-foot diameter, semicircular graphite/epoxy specimens representative of generic aircraft frames were loaded quasi-statistically to determine their load response and failure mechanisms for large deflections that occur in airplanes crashes. These frame/skin specimens consisted of a cylindrical skin section co-cured with a semicircular I-frame. The skin provided the necessary lateral stiffness to keep deformations in the plane of the frame in order to realistically represent deformations as they occur in actual fuselage structures. Various frame laminate stacking sequences and geometries were evaluated by statically loading the specimen until multiple failures occurred. Two analytical methods were compared for modeling the frame/skin specimens: a two-dimensional shell finite element analysis and a one-dimensional, closed-form, curved beam solution derived using an energy method. Flange effectivities were included in the beam analysis to account for the curling phenomenon that occurs in thin flanges of curved beams. Good correlation was obtained between experimental results and the analytical predictions of the linear response of the frames prior to the initial failure. The specimens were found to be useful for evaluating composite frame designs.
Structure–function relationships of the NMDA receptor antagonist peptide, conantokin-R

Conantokin-R (con-R) is a gamma-carboxyglutamate-containing 27-residue neuroactive peptide present in the venom of Conus radiatus, and acts as a non-competitive antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. This peptide features a single disulfide bond, a type of structural element found in most classes of conotoxins, but not in other conantokins. The NMDA receptor antagonist activity of chemically synthesized con-R was determined through an assay involving inhibition of the spermine-enhanced binding of the NMDA receptor channel blocker, [(3)H]MK-801, to rat brain membranes, and yielded an IC(50) of 93 nM. This value represents a 2-5 times better potency than con-G or con-T, the other two characterized conantokins. Circular dichroism (CD) analysis of the metal-free form of con-R is indicative of a low alpha-helical content. There is an increase in alpha-helicity upon the addition of divalent cations, such as Ca(2+), Mg(2+), or Zn(2+). Isothermal titration calorimetry experiments showed one detectable Mg(2+) binding site with a K(d) of 6.5 microM, and two binding sites for Zn(2+), with K(d) values of 150 nM and 170 microM. Residue-specific information of the conformational state of con-R was obtained by two-dimensional (1)H-NMR. Analyses of the alpha-proton chemical shifts, NOE patterns, and hydrogen exchange rates of the peptide indicated an alpha-helical conformation for residues 1-19. Synthetic con-R-derived peptide variants, containing deletions of 7 and 10 amino acid residues from the carboxy-terminus of the wild-type peptide, displayed unaltered cation binding and NMDA receptor antagonist properties. The alpha-helical secondary structures of the two truncation peptides were more stable than full-length con-R, as evidenced by CD measurements and reduced backbone hydrogen exchange rates. These results provide experimental evidence that the structural elements common to the three conantokins thus far identified are the primary determinants for receptor function and cation binding/secondary structure stability.
Russel and Mary Wright's Guide to Easier Living and the “New American Way of Life”

ABSTRACTAmerican designers Russel and Mary Wright's seminal home design advice book, Guide to Easier Living, first published in 1950, provided thousands of Americans with instructions for creating flexible and easily maintained homes appropriate for the new, more informal, “American Way of Life” of the post-Second World War era. Embedded in their guide, however, is a strong undercurrent of nationalism which stems from the Wrights' belief that a distinctly American identity for American design, free from European influences, must be created and that only American design could best serve the American people. This article explores how the Wrights' nationalistic vision of American design was both shaped and transmitted in the Guide to Easier Living and its proscribed day-to-day living and housekeeping practices and how their zealous nationalism can be seen as a part of an ongoing trend in American society recognizable in various layers of its culture.