cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recognition, Pathogenesis, and Treatment of Different Stages of Nephropathy in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Nephropathy is a common microvascular complication among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and a major cause of kidney failure. It is characterized by albuminuria (≥300 mg/d) and a reduced glomerular filtration rate and is often present at the time of diabetes diagnosis after the kidney has been exposed to chronic hyperglycemia during the prediabetic phase. A low glomerular filtration rate ( 2 ) is also an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events and death. Detection of diabetic nephropathy during its initial stages provides the opportunity for early therapeutic interventions to prevent or delay the onset of complications and improve outcomes. An intensive and multifactorial management approach is needed that targets all risk determinants simultaneously. The strategy should comprise lifestyle modifications (smoking cessation, weight loss, increased physical activity, and dietary changes) coupled with therapeutic achievement of blood glucose, blood pressure, and lipid goals that are evidence-based. Prescribing decisions should take into account demographic factors, level of kidney impairment, adverse effects, risk of hypoglycemia, tolerability, and effects on other risk factors and comorbidities. Regular and comprehensive follow-up assessments with appropriate adjustment of the therapeutic regimen to maintain risk factor control is a vital component of care, including referral to specialists, when required.
Maternal prepregnancy body mass index and initiation and duration of breastfeeding: a review of the literature.

Abstract Background: Previous studies have found an association between maternal obesity and overweight and breastfeeding (BF) difficulties, including delayed lactogenesis and shorter duration of BF. Biological, psychological, and mechanical causes have been linked with poor BF outcomes. Other review articles on this topic have included studies that measured maternal body mass index (BMI) in the postpartum period instead of prenatally, presenting difficulties in teasing out the role of gestational weight gain and prepregnancy BMI on BF success. My objective was to evaluate the relationship between maternal prepregnancy BMI, including comorbidites associated with overweight and obesity such as diabetes mellitus, and BF initiation and duration. Methods: Four PubMed searches were conducted, retrieving 13 articles. Results: Of the 12 studies reviewed that assessed the association between prepregnancy maternal BMI category and BF initiation, 9 found an association between maternal overweight or obesity and del...
Properties of lipid bilayer membranes separating two aqueous phases: water permeability.

Water permeability coefficients of lipid bilayer membranes have been determined at 36°C both by diffusion exchange of THO and by volumetric measurement of net water flux. Diffusion exchange studies yield a value of 4·4 ± 0·5 microns sec −1 for the permeability coefficient, which is independent of the phosphatidyl choline preparation employed. A range of values, 17·3 to 104 microns sec −1 has been obtained for the permeability coefficient calculated from measurement of net water fluxes occurring when a sodium chloride concentration gradient exists across the membrane. Although reproducibility is good with any one phosphatidyl choline preparation, different osmotic permeability coefficients are obtained for membranes made with different phosphatide preparations. The difference between the diffusion exchange coefficient and the osmotic permeability coefficient can not be attributed to stagnant layer effects or to a chemical isotope effect.
Thermals with background rotation and stratification

Scaling analysis and experiments are used to study the evolution of thermals in the presence of background rotation. When the ambient environment is homogeneous, the thermal rises and expands until it reaches a critical height where the Rossby number becomes approx. 1. The thermal then stops expanding and rises in a column. Both the critical height and column radius scale with (F(0)f(exp -2))(exp 1/4). F(0) is the initial thermal buoyancy and f is the Coriolis frequency. The thermal vertical velocity is independent of f. When the background is stratified with buoyancy frequency N, the thermal rises to a neutral buoyancy level which scales with (F(0)N(exp -2))(exp 1/4). For N/f less than 0.6 column formation occurs before the thermal reaches the neutral level. For N/f greater than 0.6 the thermal reaches the neutral level before rotation is important. In both regimes, geostrophic adjustment eventually causes the formation of a baroclinic vortex consisting of an anticyclonic lens of thermal fluid at the neutral level and cyclonic circulation below. The lens has Nh/fl approximately 1. The lens thickness 2h and the radius l obey relations of the form (F(0)N(exp-2) )(exp 1/4)(N/f)(exp m). However, the exponents m are different in the two regimes. Themore » relevance of these results to deep-ocean convection and hydrothermal venting is discussed. 20 refs.« less
The influence of ionization chamber and phantom design on the measurement of lung dose in photon beams

Lung dose correction factors, commonly defined as the ratios of ionization chamber readings in the heterogeneous and homogeneous phantoms, have been compared with those based on accurately determined doses. An analysis of stopping power values, P wall values, and measurements in lunglike and waterlike materials showed that the wall material and thickness are not very critical in the determination of lung dose correction factors under conditions of electronic equilibrium. When lateral electronic equilibrium is not established due to the extended range of scatteredelectrons in the low density material,P repl differs significantly from unity for ionization chambers with thick walls which do not match the lungmaterial in density. An attempt has been made to characterize this effect as a function of photon energy, lung density, field size, and wall thickness.
Bicyclobutonium ion versus cyclopropylcarbinyl cation chemistry: the cycloaddition reaction with ethene in the dilute gas phase

The C4H7+ cations were formed from cyclopropylcarbinyl, cyclobutyl and homoallyl chlorides via chloride atom loss from the radical cations in a chemical ionization source. Their structures were probed on a short time-scale (of the order of 10−6 s) as a function of internal energy by utilizing collisionally activated dissociation with tandem mass spectrometric methods. The results show that the radical cations of cyclopropylcarbinyl and homoallyl chlorides generate primarily the cyclopropylcarbinyl cation, 3, whereas the radical cation of cyclobutyl chloride generates a substantial amount of bicyclobutonium ion, 4. Ion 4 reacts with nucleophiles via multiple competing reaction pathways, unlike 3. Ion 3 undergoes a cycloaddition reaction with ethene to generate the cyclopentylcarbinyl cation. Ion 4, although reactive with ethene, does not generate, to any appreciable degree, the cyclopentylcarbinyl cation. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Media Portrayals of Romantic Relationship Maintenance: A Content Analysis of Relational Maintenance Behaviors on Prime-Time Television

Maintenance behaviors play an important role in sustaining relational states, especially within committed romantic relationships. Limited research, however, has considered media portrayals of these behaviors. From the framework of social cognitive theory, this content analysis examined relational maintenance behaviors portrayed by committed romantic couples (heterosexual, gay, and lesbian) on prime-time network television. The frequency of maintenance behaviors (positivity, understanding, self-disclosure, assurances, relationships talks, tasks, and networks) varied by type, valence, program genre, and couple type (married/civil union or cohabitating). Results indicated that comedies featured more frequent relationship maintenance behaviors than dramas. In addition, comedies exhibited more frequent negative maintenance behaviors than dramas. Differences also existed between couple regarding the types of maintenance behavior exhibited. No sex differences in maintenance behaviors were observed between male a...
Questions about DISC1 as a genetic risk factor for schizophrenia

A welcome change in psychiatric genetics has been the widespread recognition of the essential role of uncompromising statistical rigor and replication. Put simply, the genome is a big place and it is trivially easy to find false leads, non-significant but “suggestive” genomic findings that an integrative scientist might find “intriguing”. Indeed, due to advances in sequencing technology, the next few years are certain to see an explosion in observations of unique events in people with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. Some of these will be claimed to be causal. However, the paucity of results from exome sequencing of sizable samples in autism 1-3 and schizophrenia 4, 5 combined the surprisingly high rates of deleterious exonic variation in apparently normal people 6 indicate that it will be very challenging to delineate disease-related variants from background noise. For example, even with the improbably optimistic assumptions that 1% of schizophrenia cases are caused by fully penetrant mutations in one gene that has no confounding background variation, observing 10 deleterious mutations in 1,000 cases and 0 in 1,000 controls would not be clearly delineated from the distribution of test statistics across 15-20,000 genes. 7 In reality, locus heterogeneity, incomplete penetrance, and realistic background variation will make this task markedly more difficult. As there is already an influential example of a unique genomic event, it is timely to review the genomics of “Disrupted in Schizophrenia 1” (DISC1), a t(1;11) (q42.1;q14.3) † structural variant identified using cytogenetic methods. 8, 9 Over 20 years after the initial report, the status of DISC1 as a risk factor for schizophrenia remains unclear and perhaps polarized: some researchers are convinced that it is a proven etiological factor in schizophrenia and others convinced it is not. Other groups await empirical data to resolve its role. Indeed, my group has found non-significant but “intriguing” results about DISC1 twice, and both times its salience faded with more data. 10, 11 The purpose of this editorial is to review the genetic evidence for the involvement of DISC1 in schizophrenia. There are important unanswered questions that need to be resolved for DISC1 to be established as a bona fide genetic risk factor for schizophrenia.
Generic Antiepileptic Drugs: Current Controversies and Future Directions

The Food and Drug Administration requires rigorous testing of generic formulations of antiepileptic drugs to assure bioequivalence to the brand product and asserts that all approved formulations are interchangeable. Physician surveys, case reports, and “switchback” rates from large-scale generic conversions imply that all generic formulations may not be equal to the brand drug for all patient groups. This review presents the current state of the data on bioequivalence and therapeutic equivalence and proposes a series of studies to better clarify the risks of generic formulation substitution in susceptible populations. Until such studies are completed, when switching to generic formulations, health-care providers and people with epilepsy would do well to proceed cautiously and understand the potential risks and benefits of substitution. Extra caution may be needed for patients at highest risk of seizure complications, such as the pregnant patient, patients with recurrent status epilepticus, or patients who have been seizure-free for long periods of time and are driving.
Corrosion and Protection of a Conductive Silver Paste

One of the possible uses for a conductive paste is as an adhesive in interconnect technology that could replace PbSn solder. The interconnections are expected to perform under a variety of environmental conditions, and with an applied voltage. Thus knowledge of their corrosion and dissolution resistance is of utmost importance. This is a study of the dissolution and protection of polymer/metal composite films, prepared with a high loading of silver or gold particles. Electrochemical tests were conducted in a droplet of triple-distilled water with or without benzotriazole (BTA) and BTA derivatives. Results indicate that, in spite of some protection obtained by the polymer, silver paste dissolution at high anodic potentials is rapid, reaching values of 10 -1 A/cm 2 , which corresponds to a catastrophic silver removal rate of at least 35.6 nm/s. With a reservoir of azole in the corrosive environment, this rate can be reduced by up to five orders of magnitude. This azole effect greatly reduces the probability of electrolytic silver migration, but the Ag dissolution rate is still higher than the anodic activity shown by Au paste under the same conditions.
VERTEX: biological implications of total attenuation and chlorophyll and phycoerythrin fluorescence distributions along a 2000 m deep section in the Gulf of Alaska

Abstract A 2000 m deep section of total attenuation and chlorophyll and phycoerythrin fluorescence from 26° to 59°N latitude in the northeast Pacific is discussed in terms of inferred biological processes. Photic zone distributions of these quantities vary from nutrient-limited conditions in the subtropics to light-limited conditions in the subarctic. Phycoerythrin-containing organisms, probably Synechococcus, contribute to a strong, near-surface orange fluorescence signal in the Gulf of Alaska. We now recognize that the fluorescence minimum (about 300 m) between the photic zone and the tertiary fluorescence maximum may be related to secondary producers that “repackage” organic matter produced in the photic zone. The tertiary fluorescence maximum (about 1000 m) is a continuous feature of the oxygen minimum zone in the North Pacific. The presence of phycoerythrin in the tertiary maximum is consistent with heterotrophic cyanobacteria and other unidentified microbial assemblages in the oxygen minimum, though there is no strong biological evidence that this is true.
Zinc-induced paracrystalline aggregation of glutamine synthetase

Abstract The unique capacity of glutamine synthetase to form highly insoluble paracrystalline aggregates in the presence of Zn2+ and Mg2+ mixtures is the basis of a new simple procedure for the isolation of the enzyme from crude extracts of Escherichia coli. Under optimal conditions (pH 5.85, 25 °C, 1.5 m m ZnSO4 and 50 MgCl2 over 95% of the enzyme is precipitated from crude extracts; differential extraction of the precipitate with dilute buffer (pH 7.0) containing 2.5 m m MgCl2 leads to high yields of almost pure glutamine synthetase. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the purified enzyme shows it to consist of one major protein and two minor protein components, all of which exhibit glutamine synthetase activity. The major component appears to be identical with the enzyme previously isolated by the older more tedious procedure of Woolfolk et al. (1966). The γ-glutamyl transferase activity of enzyme isolated by the new procedure is the same as that isolated by the older method, but its biosynthetic activity is 25–35% lower. In all other respects examined (i.e., divalent ion specificity, pH optimum, apparent Km values for substrates, susceptibility to feedback inhibition and physical properties) enzymes prepared by the old and the new procedures are indistinguishable. From studies with pure glutamine synthetase isolated by either procedure, it has been established that paracrystalline aggregation does not occur until 9–10 equivs of Zn2+ are bound per mole of enzyme. The high specificity of Zn2+ in inducing enzyme aggregation, suggests that its binding provokes a unique conformational state of the enzyme. This is supported by the fact that addition of Zn2+ to relaxed (divalent cation free) enzyme elicits a change in the ultraviolet spectrum of the enzyme that is qualitatively different from that caused by either Mg2+ or Mn2+. Moreover, in contrast to Mg2+, the binding of Zn2+ decreases the fluorescence associated with the binding of 2-p-toludinyl-naphthalene-6-sulfonic acid to the enzyme, suggesting that Zn2+ binding is accompanied by a decrease in the number of exposed hydrophobic regions on the enzyme.
Power of Ambiguity. Cultural Improvisations on the Theme of Temporary Marriage

The objective of this paper is to describe cultural improvisations on the theme of temporary marriage, mut'a (sigheh in colloquial Persian)2 in Iran; I wish to bring to light the relationship between the law of the institution of temporary marriage, and certain common motifs of behavior of the Iranian people. I do not presume that the following is an exhaustive compilation of such improvisations; rather, it consists of those that I have been able to identify. While the terminology used is partly mine and partly indigenous, the descriptions of sigheh variations is entirely indingenous. By identifying variations of temporary marriage I wish to describe: (1) the internal diversity of the institution which reflects the entire spectrum of male-female relationships; (2) how it is adapted to fit within the rules and ethics of a sex-segregated society; (3) the ways people deal with ambiguities and ambivalence in a culture permeated by rigid social norms; (4) the ways Iranians use their ideological "maps" to guide their behavior in a highly gender-differentiated "territory." 3
Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Targeted Therapy of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

Background Cumulative evidence implicates the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as an important therapeutic target in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The basis for the lack of correlation between EGFR expression in the HNSCC tumor and clinical responses to EGFR inhibitors is incompletely understood. Although a variety of mechanisms likely contribute to the effectiveness of EGFR blockade, this review focuses on the biologic implications of known EGFR variations and the role of the immune system in mediating clinical responses to EGFR inhibitors. Methods A Medline review of articles published in the last 10 years (1999–present) on EGFR in HNSCC was performed in combination with preliminary data from our laboratories. Results Studies published to date suggest no association between the expression of EGFR on HNSCC tumors and clinical responses to EGFR inhibitors. Several mechanisms have been proposed to mediate clinical response to EGFR inhibitors in HNSCC. Cumulative results from our laboratories support the role of several mechanisms, including cellular immune activation and mutated EGFR variants, in contributing to the discrepancy between level of EGFR expression and clinical response to EGFR inhibitors. Conclusion The efficacy of EGFR targeted therapies may be mediated, at least in part, by the immune system and the presence of the truncated EGFR variant, EGFRvIII, among other factors. Criteria to identify the subset of patients likely to be responsive to EGFR targeted therapies are needed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2010
The D2 receptor: love it and leave it.

Occupancy of the D 2 receptor has been a foundation for the mechanism of antipsychotic action for over two decades. The introduction of atypical antipsychotics and their multiple receptor profiles coupled with functional brain imaging technology has raised questions about what once was considered to be a very tight concept. We address controversial facets to the D 2 receptor's involvement in the antipsychotic mechanism and point to future clinical research directions.
GLC Determination of Quinidines in Human Plasma

Abstract Human plasma was made alkaline and extracted with methylene chloride. To the extract was added the internal standard, cinchonine, followed by evaporation to dryness. The resultant residue was dissolved in a methanolic solution containing trimethylanilinium hydroxide. This solution was assayed by GLC for quinidines (quinidine and hydroquinidine). Evaluation of the method over a 0.5–10‐μg/ml range in human plasma gave an overall precision and accuracy of ±4.5% ( RSD and RE ). Plasma of several patients was analyzed by the present method as well as by a fluorometric method for the level of quinidines. Results from the two methods were comparable.
Role of Ovarian Hormones in the Growth of Transplantable Mammary Carcinoma

The ovarian hormone requirement for the growth of a transplantable prolactin-dependent rat mammary adenocarcinoma MTW9 (MT) has been studied. Prolactin stimulation of mammary tumor growth was supplied by coimplantation with the mammosomatotropic tumor MtTW5 (MtT). When serum prolactin measured by radioimmunoassay reached 100 ng/ml intact female rats, MT began measurable growth. Ovariectomy at the time of inoculation of both MtT and MT resulted in slight reduction in growth of MtT and complete inhibition of growth of MT, although serum prolactin rose as high as 600 ng/ml during growth of MtT in the spayed rat. Daily administration of estrogen plus progesterone started 2 months after implantation of MT and MtT in spayed rats failed to stimulate growth of MT. A second transplant of MT to such steroid-treated animals, 3 months after the first transplant failure, resulted in prompt tumor growth. Ovarian hormones are required for survival as well as growth of implants of this prolactin-requiring mammary tumor. ...
A microprocessor-controlled high-field instrument for measurement of intrinsic magnetization phenomena

Abstract A digital hysteresigraph with high magnetic field capability has been developed by incorporating a laboratory interface control unit together with a standard electromagnet and a small microprocessor. The system operates by means of electromagnetic induction alone and has generated hysteresis loops of magnetically hard materials. Preliminary studies suggest that intrinsic magnetic properties, such as microstructure and magnetocrystalline anisotropy parameters, may be determined from the approach to saturation by processing of stored data.
Effects of briefly experienced environmental complexity on open-field behavior in rats

A 24-hr group exposure to a novel complex environment produced increased open-field ambulation and rearing in rats after a 24 hr but not a 5-day exposure-test interval. The incidence of these behaviors dropped to isolated control levels on succeeding test days. The presence of complex furnishings and not conspecifics appeared to be responsible for the interactive effect of environmental treatment and test days.
Flow Detection of Nucleic Acids at a Conducting Polymer-Modified Electrode

A new protocol for electrochemical detection of nucleic acids, based on polypyrrole (PPy)-coated electrodes, is demonstrated using flow injection analysis. The conducting polymer detection scheme offers a fast, sensitive, universal detection of oligonucleotides, DNA, and RNA. The response is attributed to the adsorption/desorption of the nucleic acids onto the PPy film during the passage of the sample plug over the coated electrode. The influence of various experimental parameters of the film preparation and the electrochemical detection has been investigated. Optimal performance has been achieved using the nitrate film dopant, a detection potential of −0.15 V (vs Ag/AgCl), and a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min. Good linearity and reproducibility (RSD = 2.1%) are observed, along with very low detection limits (e.g., 6.1 × 10-16 mol of dsDNA in the 20-μL samples). Compared to common detectors based on the electroactivity of DNA, the conducting polymer detection scheme is not limited to purine-containing nucleic ac...
Balancing McLuhan With Williams: A Sociotechnical View of Technological Determinism

The article titled â€œRealising Virtual Reality: A Reflection on the Continuing Evolution of New Media,â€ presented a technological deterministic analysis on the evolution of virtual reality. A major criticism of the technological deterministic viewpoint is that it does not consider context of use and human agency. Looking specifically at the work of Raymond Williams and other British Cultural Studies researchers, this response argues for a more balanced viewpoint of technology, determined more so by cultural use than by technological enforcement.
Recent findings in the use of intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring in parathyroid disease.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW To discuss recent findings and controversies regarding intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring (IPM) in guiding parathyroidectomy. RECENT FINDINGS IPM is being frequently used in guiding surgeons to complete excision of abnormal glands during parathyroidectomy for sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism (SPHPT). This adjunct is now being used in many centers around the world and has become a standard of care in the treatment of SPHPT. As the use of this technique developed, the understanding of what was necessary to return patients with hyperparathyroidism to a eucalcemic state, namely, excision of all parathyroid tissue secreting high amount of parathyroid hormone, was recognized. Two major controversies have developed during the evolution of IPM guided parathyroidectomy. One is that gland excision based on this modality may not recognize all abnormal glands, which, if not excised, will result in operative failure or recurrent hyperparathyroidism. The second disagreement is a technical one and concerns the best intraoperative protocol to be used. SUMMARY Parathyroidectomy for SPHPT is highly successful regardless of the operative approach used. Despite the controversies summarized in the present review, IPM has been shown to be accurate as an adjunct to guide parathyroidectomy and has changed the operative management of SPHPT.
Serotyping for Homotransplantation XXVIII Sib‐Pair Assay for NonHL‐A Antigens

Summary. Negative results were obtained in an investigation of 118 selected lymphocytotoxic antisera for activity against antigens determined by a locus or loci independent of the HL-A locus. The sera studied were those not readily identifiable in terms of either generally recognized or tentative HL-A antigenic specificities, and accordingly were considered appropriate for study to search for nonHL-A antibodies. It is concluded that antisera active in lymphocytotoxicity tests against nonHL-A antigens are quite rare. The investigation utilized a sib-pair method based on the consideration that sibs alike at the HL-A locus should react alike, except for technical error, to sera detecting only HL-A antigens and that most such alike sibs should frequently react differently to sera detecting nonHL-A antigens. Details of the method are described and its sensitivity is illustrated by showing that several red cell antigens were readily detected as determined by loci independent of the HL-A locus.
Response to hepatitis B vaccination by liver transplant candidates.

Liver transplantation (OLTx) is a procedure offered to individuals with advanced liver disease who are expected to live less than a year. Despite improvement in the care of transplant recipients, these patients are exposed to large volumes of blood and, as a result, are at risk to acquire hepatitis. Currently, the only vaccines available for the prevention of hepatitis are those that induce a response to HBsAg. In this study, 144 patients awaiting OLTx and 15 controls were vaccinated three times, once a month, intramuscularly in the deltoid using the Merck Hepatovax plasma-derived vaccine. This schedule was continued regardless of whether or not OLTx occurred before the series was completed. For the 15 controls, the response rate was 93% and for individuals with end-stage liver disease, it ranged from 44 to 54% (P<0.004). No difference in the percentage of those developing antibody was detected between groups based upon disease indication or whether the vaccination series was completed before or after OLTx. Of the following: WBC, lymphocytes (percent and number), CD3+ cells (percent and number), CD4+ cells (percent and number), CD8+ cells (percent and number), CD4+/CD8+ ratio, and B cells (percent and number), only the absolute WBC (P<0.05) distinguished between those who did and did not develop antibody. These data suggest: (1) those with chronic liver disease respond less well to Hepatovax than do controls; (2) a rapid sequence of vaccinations is capable of producing antibody in normals and those with liver disease; (3) no difference is evident between those who completed their vaccination schedule before or after OLTx; and (4) among patients with chronic advanced liver disease, a higher total WBC is associated with an increased rate of seroconversion.
Exploring online identity representation: a response to ‘heteronarrative analysis’

This paper represents a response to Kaufmann's article in this issue on the subject of heteronarrative analysis. The author highlights three elements of Kaufmann's argument to be especially persuasive: the use of narrative as an organizing principle of identity; the propensity of identity to be inflected by heteronormative logic; and the use of photographic and electronic media to disrupt identity. This analysis concludes with a suggestion that emerging methodologies designed to explore gender and identity should be carefully interrogated at the philosophical level of understanding if they are to provide useful insights.
NEW CONCEPTS OF BONDING IN NONPERIODIC METALLIC SYSTEMS

Abstract Using the generalized valence bond method, we have examined numerous Li atom clusters (up to 13 atoms). Our conclusion is that the optimum metallic bonding involves singly-occupied orbitals localized interstitially, e.g., in bond midpoints, triangular hollows, and tetrahedra. For Li13+, the low energy isomers have local five-fold symmetry axes (as in an icosahedron) but lead to low overall symmetry. The guiding principle is that the optimum structures (denoted OPTET) optimize the number of tetrahedral hollows while keeping the sharing of vertices below a threshold. These OPTET structures are significantly more stable than the high-symmetry icosahedral, hcp-like and fcc-like clusters. Speculations are given on the relevance of these results for amorphous metallic systems.
Perceptions of risk in intimacy and social participation.

The present study examined the relations between individuals' social lives and the risks they perceived in being intimate with others. Participants maintained a variant of the Rochester Interaction Record (Wheeler & Nezlek, 1977) and completed the Risk in Intimacy Inventory (Pilkington & Richardson, 1988). The results indicated that, compared to people who perceived less risk, people who perceived more risk in intimacy had less rewarding social lives on measures of socio-emotional and socio-instrumental dimensions of interaction. Risk in intimacy concerns were particularly salient for women in their interactions with the opposite sex and for men in their interactions with the same sex. In addition, the statistical associations between perceptions of risk in intimacy and characteristics of interactions within close opposite-sex personal relationships varied as a function of participants' sex and the nature of this personal relationship.
Properties of body segments based on size and weight

Values are presented for body constants based on a study of nine male white cadavers of normal appearance and average build. The limb data are supplemented by a further analysis of 11 upper and 41 lower limbs. Techniques used in the study form standard procedures that can be duplicated by subsequent workers. Each cadaver was measured, weighed, and somatotyped. Joints were placed in the midposition of the movement range and the body was frozen rigid. Joint angles were bisected in a systematic dismemberment procedure to produce unit segments. These segment lengths were weighed, measured for linear link dimensions, and analysed for segment volumes. The segment centers of mass were located relative to link end points as well as in relation to anatomical landmarks. Finally, each segment was dissected into its component parts and these were weighed. The specific gravity of each body part was calculated separately. Data are expressed in mean values together with standard deviations and, where available, are correlated and evaluated with other values in the literature.
NBQX Blocks Acute and Late Epileptogenic Effects of Perinatal Hypoxia

Clinically, and in experimental models, perinatal hypoxic encephalopathy is commonly associated with seizures. We previously described a rat model in which hypoxia induces seizures and permanently increases in seizure susceptibility in immature rats [postnatal day (P) 10-12] but not in older rats. In the present study, we compared the effect of pretreatment with the excitatory amino acid antagonists MK-801 and NBQX versus lorazepam in our rat model of perinatal hypoxia. Animals exposed to hypoxia at P10 without treatment have frequent seizures during hypoxia and subsequently exhibit increased seizure susceptibility to flurothyl. Treatment with 6-nitro-7-sulfamoylbenzo(f)quinoxaline-2,3-dione (NBQX 20 mg/kg) effectively suppressed hypoxia-induced seizures in immature rats and also protected against permanent changes in flurothyl threshold in adulthood, whereas treatment with MK-801 (1 mg/kg) or lorazepam (LZP 1 mg/kg) did not prevent these hypoxia-related epileptogenic effects. These results suggest that activation of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazol propionic acid (AMPA) receptors may partly mediate the age-dependent epileptogenic effect of hypoxia in the perinatal period.
Coexistence of sudden cardiac death and end-stage heart failure in familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Abstract Objectives . The purpose of this study to determine the occurrence of sudden cardiac death of end-stage heart failure, two phases of the natural history hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, in closely related relatives. background . Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a genetically transmitted cardiac disease with a particularly diverse clinical and morphologic spectrum. Premature death usually occur either suddenly or as a result of progressive congestive heart failure. Methods . We describe seven families with genetically transmitted hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that were studied with echocardiography or necropsy, or both, and were selected because they were known to include relatives who had incurred either premature sudden cardiac death or the end-stage phase of the disease. Results . The seven families comprised 128 relatives; 26 died suddenly, and 9 developed end-stage heart failure (including 2 with heart transplantation) associated with left ventricular cavity enlargement, wall thinning or decreased contractility, alone or in combination, as well as loss of outflow obstruction. Patients who died suddenly did so at younger ages (23 ± 10 years) than did patients who died or required heart transplantation in the end-stage phase of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (42 ± 8 years, p Conclusions . This study demonstrate that family members with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, despite a common genetic substrate, may exibit markedly diverse and distinct exopressions of the natural history of their disease, which occur at widely separated periods of life.
Standardization of the Ballistocardiogram by Simulation of the Heart's Function at Necropsy; With a Clinical Method for the Estimation of Cardiac Strength and Normal Standards for It

The interpretation of ballistocardiograms has been attacked by a method entirely new; a physiologic experiment performed at necropsy. While the subject lies on the ballistocardiograph a normal diastolic pressure is created and the heart's function is simulated by injecting fluid into the aorta and pulmonary artery, the amount injected at each instant being recorded. The resulting ballistocardiograms can be directly compared with many aspects of cardiac function. The amplitude of the ballistocardiogram measures the maximum force exerted by the heart in moving the blood and preliminary normal standards for this estimate of cardiac strength have been set up.
Batrachotoxinin-A-ortho-azidobenzoate: A photoaffinity probe of the batrachotoxin binding site of voltage-sensitive sodium channels

Batrachotoxin (BTX) is one of a group of potent lipid-soluble neurotoxins which binds voltage-sensitive sodium channels. Here we show that [3H]batrachotoxinin-A-ortho-azidobenzoate ([3H]BTX-OAB), a photolabile derivative of BTX, binds covalently upon irradiation to the BTX sodium channel site of rat cerebral cortical synaptoneurosomes. Another ligand specific for the BTX sodium channel receptor, batrachotoxinin-A 20-alpha-benzoate (BTX-B), competitively inhibited the specific binding of [3H]BTX-OAB. The specific binding of [3H]BTX-OAB was increased by the addition of Leiurus quinquestriatus quinquestriatus scorpion venom (ScTx) and inhibited by veratridine, a member of the same class of sodium channel activators. Examination of the [3H]BTX-OAB-labeled components revealed that over 90% of the specifically incorporated [3H]BTX-OAB was recovered in lipid extracts of photolabeled synaptoneurosomes. Addition of tetrodotoxin (TTX) to the binding mixture increased the specific incorporation of [3H]BTX-OAB into protein components as much as 15-fold. Increasing the incubation temperature from 25 degree C to 37 degrees C had a similar but less marked effect. We conclude that the BTX binding site lies at a lipid-protein interface and that treatments which induce conformational changes in the sodium channel protein (i.e. addition of TTX) can result in a reorientation of BTX at its binding site relative to the protein and lipid domains of voltage-sensitive sodium channels.
Dialyzable lymphoid extract (DLE) from mice resistant to STZ-induced diabetogenesis can interrupt the progress of diabetes in STZ-treated CD-1 mice.

DLE was prepared from the minority of euglycemic CD-1 mice, previously injected with STZ, and was administered to hyperglycemic CD-1 male mice 1, 2 and 3 weeks after completion of multidose STZ. Mice treated with DLE derived from 2 x 10(7) (IX) or 10(8) lymphocyte equivalents (lymph.equ) were significantly less hyperglycemic than the saline treated controls (P 3,500 Dalton fraction of CD-1 DLE were significantly less hyperglycemic than either the control mice or those treated with the 3,500 Dalton fraction of CD-1 derived DLE revealed slightly more islets of a slightly greater size with less surrounding inflammation than either control mice or mice treated with the < 3,500 Dalton fraction of DLE.
A Stochastic Model for BOD and DO with Random Initial Conditions and Distance Dependent Velocity

Abstract A random differential equation arises in stream pollution models when the initial conditions are stochastic and the stream velocity is distance dependent. The mean squared solution gives the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and the dissolved oxygen (DO) at any distance downstream from the pollution source. The probability density function and some of the moments of the BOD and DO are obtained, thus completely characterizing the BOD and DO process. An example illustrates the results and compares them with previous ones.
Comment on "Spreads of Oil Slicks on a Natural Body of Water"

Brief discussions of previous investigations in the aerospace sciences and technical comments on papers published in the AIAA Journal are presented in this special department. Entries must be restricted to a maximum of WOO words, or the equivalent of one Journal page including formulas and figures. A discussion will be published as quickly as possible after receipt of the manuscript. Neither the AIAA nor its editors are responsible for the opinions expressed by the correspondents. Authors will be invited to reply promptly.
Somatic embryogenesis from leaves and anthers of grapevine

Abstract Leaves less than 5 mm long from greenhouse-grown and in vitro-grown plants of Vitis vinifera cultivar ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ and greenhouse-grown V. rupestris ‘St. George’ (synonym ‘du Lot’) and PI 200692 produced somatic embryos when cultured on Nitsch and Nitsch (NN)- and Murashige and Skoog (MS)-based media. Similarly, translucent-pale green anthers from greenhouse-grown and vineyard-grown plants of V. vinifera ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’, ‘Cardinal’, ‘Grenache’, ‘Sauvignon Blanc’, ‘Thompson Seedless’ (synonyms ‘Sultanina’, ‘Sultana’) and ‘White Riesling’, V. rupestris ‘St. George’ and PI 200692 and V. vinifera × rupestris ‘Ganzin No. 1’ also produced somatic embryos on NN or MS media. Only those leaves cultured on solid media exhibited embryogenic competence, and this occurred preferentially when explants were buried beneath the medium surface. Anthers initiated somatic embryos on solid medium and also when transferred from liquid to solid. Several growth-regulator combinations stimulated somatic embryogenesis from both leaf and anther tissues and one, NN supplemented with 1.0 mg l−1 2-naphthoxyacetic acid and 0.2 mg l−1 6-benzylaminopurine, was effective with explants of all genotypes which proved embryogenically competent, but was not always associated with the optimal response. Genotype, explant type and source, culture procedure and culture medium composition all influenced the embryogenic response, as did the condition of the donor plants. Proliferation of embryogenic tissue occurred when pieces were cultured on fresh medium of the same formulation as that which induced somatic embryogenesis from explants. With regular transfers, such tissue maintained its embryogenically competent state for over 1 year. Isolation and incubation of somatic embryos on media with and without growth regulators stimulated apical root and shoot axis growth, resulting in plant development. Plants were readily transferred to soil and appeared morphologically normal.
Host/guest deuteration effects on mixed crystals

Abstract The phosphorescence characteristics of twelve guest/host mixed crystal systems were investigated. A large thermally-activated intermolecular effect of host deuteration on the phosphorescence of the guest was noted. All observed effects can be rationalized using a kinetic model which implies thermal activation of triplet guest to triplet host, entrapment of energy at defects in the host exciton band, and the effects of deuteration on the thermal band gaps.
Sensitive Detection of Oversulfated Chondroitin Sulfate in Heparin Sodium or Crude Heparin with a Colorimetric Microplate Based Assay

In this work we describe a 96-well microplate assay for oversulfated chondroitin sulfate A (OSCS) in heparin, based on a water-soluble cationic polythiophene polymer (3-(2-(N-(N′-methylimidazole))ethoxy)-4-methylthiophene (LPTP)) and heparinase digestion of heparin. The assay takes advantage of several unique properties of heparin, OSCS, and LPTP, including OSCS inhibition of heparinase I and II activity, the molecular weight dependence of heparin-LPTP spectral shifts, and the distinct association of heparin fragments and OSCS to LPTP. These factors combine to enable detection of the presence of 0.003% w/w spiked OSCS in 10 μg of heparin sodium active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) using a plate reader and with visual detection to 0.1% levels. The same detection limit for OSCS was observed in the presence of 10% levels of dermatan sulfate (DS) or chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) impurities. In addition, we surveyed a selection of crude heparin samples received by the agency in 2008 and 2009 to determine avera...
Transcriptional Regulation of the Human iNOS Gene in Vascular-Smooth-Muscle Cells and Macrophages: Evidence for Tissue Specificity

We have cloned the 5' upstream -1034 to +88 fragment of the human inducible nitric oxide synthase (hiNOS) gene and demonstrate its competence to promote luciferase gene transcription in vascular-smooth-muscle (VSM) cells and macrophages. Sequential 5' end-deletions localized positive regulatory elements of hiNOS transcription in VSM A7r5 cells downstream of nucleotide -205 and demonstrated the functional importance of the resident NF-kappaB site (nucleotides -115 to -106). The hiNOS promoter/enhancer was induced strongly by LPS and IFN-gamma, and modestly by IL-1beta in RAW 264.7 cells, but not in VSM cells. Truncation of the NF-kappaB site markedly diminished, but did not eliminate, LPS-inducibility. Sodium salicylate and ibuprofen down-regulated the basal transcriptional activity of the hiNOS promoter/enhancer in VSM but not in RAW 264.7 cells. These results indicate that the transcriptional regulation of the hiNOS gene features considerable complexity and tissue specificity.
“The Price You Pay”: How Female Professional Chefs Negotiate Work and Family

Work–family conflict can act as an important, and gendered, mechanism underlying women’s under-representation in male-dominated occupations. This study uses in-depth interviews to explore the experiences of female professional chefs in order to understand how women in a prestigious, yet male-dominated service occupation manage barriers relating to their balance of work and family responsibilities. Conflict between work and family responsibilities often stemmed from the long work hours expected of chefs and played a role in some of our participant’s decisions to leave kitchen work. Respondents in this study negotiate work–family conflict using three strategies: (1) delaying/forgoing childbearing to succeed as a chef; (2) leaving kitchen work for another job in the culinary field; and (3) adapting either work or family to make the two roles more compatible. Our conclusion discusses the implications of these strategies for gender inequality in the workplace, particularly for women in male-dominated occupations.
Variability in Leaf and Litter Optical Properties: Implications for BRDF Model Inversions Using AVHRR, MODIS, and MISR

Abstract Canopy radiative transfer models simulate the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of vegetation covers with differing leaf and soil spectral and canopy structural characteristics. Numerical inversion of these models has provided estimates of vegetation structural and biophysical characteristics from multiangle, remotely sensed optical data. The number of angularly unique observations compared to BRDF model parameters largely determines the accuracy of retrievals. To increase this ratio, additional observations of a target must be acquired and the BRDF models and inversions must be simplified. The former will occur when the EOS instruments become available. Previous studies suggest that simplification of BRDF model inversions may best be accomplished by constraining the leaf optical parameters. This study focused on full-range (400–2500 nm) leaf and litter spectral properties convolved to AVHRR, MODIS, and MISR optical channels. Using a diverse array of woody plant and grass species, we found robust and readily usable interrelationships among spectra through correlation, regression, and principal components analyses. Significant differences between green leaf and litter optical properties and their sensor-specific interrelationships indicate that green leaf optical constraints may be useful with BRDF retrievals to detect the onset of canopy senescence. These findings will provide increased efficiency in canopy BRDF model inversions by decreasing the number of observations required to retrieve canopy structural and biophysical information from multiangle remotely sensed data.
Reshaping the image of computer science in only fifteen minutes (of class) a week

Low undergraduate enrollments in computer science will not meet the future demand of employers. Some reasons for the low enrollments are computer science's nerdy image, lack of understanding of the field, and low motivation for learning programming. We propose to change the image of computer science by exposing students to applications of computing and its impact on their lives through reading and discussing recent news articles in 15 minutes of class. We call this component of our courses the Broader Issues in computer science. In this paper, we present our motivation for the Broader Issues component, how we implemented the component in CS0 and CS1 courses, and our evaluation of the component, including student reactions to and impact of the component.