cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Developmental Hypothyroidism on Auditory and Motor Function in the Rat

Deafness is a common result of severe hypothyroidism during development in humans and laboratory animals; however, little is known regarding the sensitivity of the auditory system to more moderate changes in thyroid hormone homeostasis. The current investigation compared the relative sensitivity of auditory function, motor function, and growth to the effects of moderate to severe perinatal hypothyroidism in the rat. Rats received propylthiouracil (PTU) in drinking water at concentrations of 0, 1, 5, and 25 ppm from Gestation Day 18 until postnatal day (PND) 21, and the effects on their offspring were evaluated. At 1 ppm, PTU did not affect any of the measured endpoints. Serum thyroxin concentrations were sharply reduced in the 5 and 25 ppm PTU groups at all ages sampled (PND 1, 7, 14, and 21). Marked reductions in serum triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations were also detected for all ages > or = 7 at 25 ppm PTU, whereas no effects of 5 ppm PTU on serum T3 were apparent until PND 21. Compared to the controls, pups exposed to the highest dose of PTU demonstrated a delay in eye opening, reduced body weights, decreased and/or delayed preweaning motor activity, and persistent, postweaning hyperactivity. Only slight and transient effects on eye opening and ontogeny of motor activity were seen at the intermediate dose of PTU (5 ppm). Reflex modification audiometry revealed that, compared to controls, adult offspring from the 5 and 25 ppm treatment groups showed dose-dependent auditory threshold deficits (35 to > 50 dB) at all frequencies tested (1, 4, 16, 32, and 40 kHz). Such dose-dependent effects indicate that the developing auditory system may be sensitive to mild hypothyroidism, suggesting the possible need for routine audiometric screening for infants and children at risk for iodine deficiency, myxedema, and/or exposure to thyrotoxic environmental agents.
Electron Relaxation in Colloidal InP Quantum Dots with Photogenerated Excitons or Chemically Injected Electrons

Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy has been used to characterize charge carrier relaxation from the second excited state (1P) to the first excited state (1S) in colloidal indium phosphid...
Women and lung cancer: does oestrogen play a role?

Summary Smoking-related disease remains a major public-health problem. Large numbers of women continue to smoke, and new smokers are almost as likely to be female as male. Lung cancer is still a largely incurable disease; annual lung-cancer mortality in women exceeds that of breast cancer, and lung cancer now accounts for 12% of all new female cancer cases. The results of several studies suggest that women are more susceptible than men to lung cancer and to conditions that predispose to this cancer, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There is still much controversy about whether there is an increased lung-cancer risk in women across all populations. Many epidemiological studies have been negative or equivocal when comparing male and female lung-cancer risk. This article is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all epidemiological studies, or of all possible lung-cancer risk factors. Lung-cancer incidence and risk in women are discussed, and evidence for possible mechanisms of increased female risk are presented, including the role of oestrogen in the development of lung cancer.
Limited potential for terrestrial carbon sequestration to offset fossil-fuel emissions in the upper midwestern US.

Many carbon dioxide (CO2) emission-reduction strategies currently under consideration rely on terrestrial carbon (C) sequestration to offset substantial proportions of CO2 emissions. We estimated C sequestration rates and potential land areas for a diverse array of land-cover changes in the Upper Midwest of the US, a “best case” region for this study because of its relatively modest CO2 emissions and the large areas of cropland potentially available for conversion. We then developed scenarios that apply some of the most widespread mitigation strategies to the region: the first, which aimed to offset 29% of regional CO2 emissions, required the unrealistic loss of two-thirds of working cropland; the second, which estimated the emission offset attainable by conversion of 10% of harvested croplands (5.8% of the US total), resulted in <5% CO2 emissions reduction for the region (<1.1% of total US emissions). There is limited capacity for terrestrial C sequestration, so strategies should aim to directly reduce C...
Antibiotic effects of circulin against certain gram-negative plant pathogens.

SummaryCirculin possesses high in vitro activity against several gram-negative plant pathogens.
Determination of a substance P antagonist in human plasma and urine using high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet absorbance and tandem mass spectrometric detection☆

Abstract A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay using ultraviolet (UV) detection was developed and compared with a HPLC method with tandem mass spectrometric (HPLC/MS-MS) detection for the determination of a substance P receptor antagonist 2( S )-((3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzyl)-oxy)-3( S )-phenyl-4-((3-oxo-1,2,4-triazol-5-yl)methyl)morpholine (Fig. 1, Ia , L-742 694) in human plasma and urine. The drug was isolated from the biological matrix through liquid-liquid extraction. In the HPLC/UV method, the samples were initially injected onto a cyano Hypersil column, and the chromatographic region containing the peaks of interest was heart-cut onto an analytical C-18 Hypersil column via a column switching device. The analyte was quantified by monitoring absorbance at 205 nm. The limit of quantification for I extracted from 1 ml of plasma or urine was 2.5 ng ml −1 , and the assays were validated in the concentration range 2.5–500 ng ml −1 . The HPLC/MS-MS method was validated in the concentration range 0.2–500 ng ml −1 . Both assays provided data with precision, measured as coefficient of variation, better than 10% at all points within the standard curve range and with adequate accuracy.
Reasons for Nondaily Smoking among Young Adults: Scale Development and Validation.

INTRODUCTION Given the increased rates of nondaily smoking and the lack of validated measures to assess factors related to nondaily smoking, we aimed to develop a measure of reasons for nondaily smoking among young adults. Specifically, we developed a scale assessing reasons or triggers for nondaily smoking and examined its reliability, factor structure, and concurrent validity. METHODS We administered an online survey to 2,000 students at six colleges in the Southeastern US, and 718 (35.9%) returned a completed survey. The current analyses focused on the 95 participants who reported nondaily smoking (i.e., smoking between 1 and 29 days of the past 30 days). In addition to the items created for scale development, measures included socio-demographics, other measures of motivation and confidence/self-efficacy, past smoking/quitting history, readiness to quit, and other psychosocial factors related to smoking. RESULTS The 19-item Reasons for Nondaily Smoking Scale (RNS) demonstrated an average score of 45.36 (SD = 15.55) and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha of 0.79). Factor analysis of the items extracted four factors which accounted for 57.4% of score variance: Social influences; Enhancing buzzes and positive affect; Negative affect regulation; and Lack of concern of addiction. Concurrent and discriminant validity were documented. CONCLUSIONS Developing validated measures designed to assess factors associated with nondaily smoking will enhance our ability to address this growing public health concern. The development and validation of the RNS for young adults may be critical in informing our intervention strategies and potentially for effecting or predicting cessation among young adult nondaily smokers.
Therapeutic implications of implantable device-based monitoring of patients with heart failure

Heart failure is one of the most common medical problems faced by patients and clinicians. It has the potential for high morbidity and mortality, and its overall financial cost to society is enormous. Management of heart failure is often difficult and time consuming, and is sometimes frustrating. The usual signs and symptoms of heart failure may not be obvious early in an exacerbation, which has prompted the development of other methods to identify early and subtle clinical changes to initiate early intervention. Current implantable devices, such as defibrillators and pacemakers, can monitor changes in heart rate and heart rate variability, patient activity, arrhythmia frequency, and thoracic impedance, all of which may be markers of clinical decline. Newer implantable devices can also measure right ventricular pressures, oxygen saturation, and pulmonary artery pressures. Many of these technologies have been shown to be feasible and potentially helpful, but outcomes data showing reductions in morbidity and mortality are currently limited. Importantly, none of these newer technologies should be used in isolation; all must be used in combination with clinical findings to provide effective disease management.
Trichinella spiralis: phospholipase in challenged mice and rats

Mice challenged with 400 larvae of T. spiralis showed greatly elevated phospholipase levels in tissues of the small intestine from 5 to 29 days after infection, after which the levels returned to those of the uninfected controls. Related to these rises in enzyme levels were greatly increased numbers of eosinophils in the bone marrow. Increases strikingly above those in the controls were noted from 8 to 20 days after infection. In rats challenged with 3000 larvae, the enzyme levels were elevated from 4 to 18 days, and the eosinophils were increased during the same periods. A working hypothesis is proposed to explain these phenomena.
Chemical vapor discrimination using a compact and low-power array of piezoresistive microcantilevers

A compact and low-power microcantilever-based sensor array has been developed and used to detect various chemical vapor analytes. In contrast to earlier micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) array sensors, this device uses the static deflection of piezoresistive cantilevers due to the swelling of glassy polyolefin coatings during sorption of chemical vapors. To maximize the sensor response to a variety of chemical analytes, the polymers are selected based on their Hildebrand solubility parameters to span a wide range of chemical properties. We utilize a novel microcontact spotting method to reproducibly coat a single side of each cantilever in the array with the polymers. To demonstrate the utility of the sensor array we have reproducibly detected 11 chemical vapors, representing a breadth of chemical properties, in real time and over a wide range of vapor concentrations. We also report the detection of the chemical warfare agents (CWAs) VX and sulfur mustard (HD), representing the first published report of CWA vapor detection by a polymer-based, cantilever sensor array. Comparisons of the theoretical polymer/vapor partition coefficient to the experimental cantilever deflection responses show that, while general trends can be reasonably predicted, a simple linear relationship does not exist.
Disengaging solutes in shale‐ and petroleum‐derived jet fuels by altering GC programmed temperature rates

Overlapping chromatographic peaks of components from different hydrocarbon classes can be disengaged by exploiting their shifts in relative retention behavior with changes in linear rates of programmed temperature. Many co-eluting species in complex chromatograms of shale- and petroleum-derived jet fuels can be resolved without varying stationary phase, column length, or initial column temperature. Retention indices were simultaneously determined on two bonded-phase, fused silica capillary columns of slightly different polarities at three different linear programmed temperature rates. For certain hydrocarbon types, no change in index values was observed with an alteration in programming rate. However, the indices of other hydrocarbon classes shifted uniformly with programmed temperature rates on each of the two stationary phases. When applied, this phenomenon could help resolve coeluting members of different or even the same hydrocarbon type and elucidate their probable structure. The overall precision of the retention indices, i.e., the mean standard deviation at the 95% confidence levels, was less than ±0.13 for either column at any of the three programming rates. Since the above technique is automated, it could also be a useful screening tool to search for specific hydrocarbons in a myriad of unknown components of a complex hydrocarbon mixture.
MATTER DISTRIBUTION IN A FALSE VACUUM BUBBLE

The dynamics of matter distribution that may contaminate a false vacuum bubble is considered. In the case of uniform dust distribution, it is shown that the distribution eventually collapses (expands) if the matter energy density is greater (smaller) than twice the false vacuum energy density. The effect of matter distribution on the dynamics of the bubble wall is discussed.
Microfabrication techniques and applications

The impact of advances in integrated circuit fabrication techniques on other microtechnologies is examined. The key techniques, photolithography and etching, are discussed. Applications of these techniques to the fabrication of diffraction gratings, thin windows, and photoresist molds for electroplating are described. >
History of the Development and Growth of Thermosetting Polymers

Abstract Fibrous proteins are cross-linked through the disulfide linkages of cystine; animal and vegetable proteins can be cross-linked by the reaction of tannic acid, chromic acid, or formaldehyde; and natural rubber can be vulcanized by heating with sulfur. However, most thermosetting polymers are synthetic polymers. These include saturated polyesters (Glyptals) synthesized by Smith in 1901, phenolic plastics produced by Baekeland in 1907, urea and melamine plastics produced by John and Henkel in 1918 and 1935, alkyds patented by Kienle in 1933, glycol maleates patented by Ellis in 1937, and epoxy resins patented by Schlack in 1933. Many of these developments were made prior to the advent of commercial synthetic thermoplastics. However, because their fabrication is more labor intensive than that of thermoplastics, thermosetting plastics now account for less than 20% of all plastics produced. Nevertheless, over 2.5 million tons of these thermosets are produced annually and the use of these cross-linked p...
Treatment of a horizontal root fracture by vital root submergence

Abstract Cervical third horizontal root fractures in immature permanent teeth often present complicated and unpredictable treatment options. This case report describes the successful management of a horizontal root fracture in an open apex tooth by vital root submergence and subsequent nonsurgical root canal therapy.
Metabolic Occurrences in Total Parenteral Nutrition Patients Managed by a Nutrition Support Team

Few reports have been published examining the impact of a nutrition support service on avoiding serious metabolic complications in hospitalized patients receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN). We report a high frequency of metabolic abnormalities, with 33% of patients having at least one laboratory value outside the normal range during their course of TPN. Nonetheless, only 13 abnormalities in 11 patients were associated with adverse clinical symptoms in 2747 courses of TPN over 7 years (0.47%). Data were obtained by retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained nutrition support team database. This report is offered as a standard of care to be attained.
Automatic client-server partitioning of data-driven web applications

Current application development tools provide completely different programming models for the application server (e.g., Java and J2EE) and the client web browser (e.g., JavaScript and HTML). Consequently, the application developer is forced to partition the application code between the server and client at the time of writing the application. However, the partitioning of the code between the client and server may have to be changed during the evolution of the application for performance reasons (it may be better to push more functionality to the client), for correctness reasons (data that conflicts with multiple clients cannot always be pushed to clients), and for supporting clients with different computing power (browsers on desktops vs. PDAs). Since the client and server use different programming models, moving application code from client to server (and vice versa) reduces programmer productivity and also has the potential to introduce concurrency bugs. In this demonstration, we advocate an alternative solution to this problem: we propose developing applications using a unified declarative high-level language called Hilda, and show how a Hilda compiler can automatically (and correctly) partition Hilda code between the client and the server using a real Course Management System application. We illustrate our techniques using two clients: a powerful laptop machine and a less powerful PDA.
Relationship between muscle length and moment arm on EMG activity of human triceps surae muscle

Abstract Purpose : The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of both muscle length and moment arm (MA) on the electromyographic (EMG) and force output of the triceps surae (TS) muscle. Relevance : It is well recognized that changes in muscle length affect both the muscle's force generating capacity as well as its twitch speed. This relationship is well established in animal preparations. Contrary to animal experiments where length can be directly manipulated in isolated muscles, human experiments require that all muscle length changes be secondary to changes in a joint angle. Such experimental manipulations therefore produce changes in not only muscle length, but also in the muscle's MA. The relative effect of muscle length and MA changes on muscle EMG has not been determined in previous experiments. Method : This study was executed in two phases. First, using fresh human cadaver lower limbs, data were gathered describing the relationship between knee and ankle angle changes for maintenance of a constant TS muscle length, while its MA at the ankle joint has been changed. In the second phase of the study, results obtained from phase one were applied to 10 healthy adult human subjects to measure the EMG (surface and fine wire) activity of TS at three different conditions: when both length and MA were shortened, when muscle length was decreased given a constant MA and when MA was shortened given a constant muscle length. Results : A significant increase in muscle activity was found as both the length and MA of TS muscle were shortened. A similar pattern of increased muscle activity was observed when the MA was shortened given a constant muscle length. No significant change in TS activity was found when muscle length was shortened, given a constant MA at the ankle joint. Conclusion : The findings of this study indicate that changes in the Achilles tendon MA predominate over the muscle length variations in determining the level of TS activity when generating plantar flexion torque.
SOME RECENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO PANEL FLUTTER RESEARCH

5 Donnell, L. EL, "Stability of thin-walled tubes under torsion," NACA Kept. 479, pp. 95-115 (1934). 6 Flugge, W., Stresses in Shells (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1962). 7 Green, A. and Zerna, W., Theoretical Elasticity (Oxford University Press, London, 1954). 8 Gerard, G. and Becker, H., "Handbook of structural stability, Part III—Buckling of curved plates and shells," NACA TN 3783 (August 1957). 9 Hess, T. E., "Stability of orthotropic cylindrical shells under combined loading," ARS J. 31, 237-246 (1961). 10 Timoshenko, S. and Gere, J., Theory of Elastic Stability (McGraw-Hill Book Co. Inc., New York, 1961). 11 Love, A. E., A Treatise on the Mathematical Theory of Elasticity (Dover Publications, New York, 1944). 12 March, H. W., Norris, C. B., Smith, C. B., and Kuenzi, E. W., "Buckling of thin-walled plywood cylinders in torsion," Forest Products Lab. Rept. 1529 (June 1945). 13 March, H. W., "Buckling of long, thin plywood cylinders in axial compression," Forest Products Lab. Rept. 1322-A (March 1956). 14 Novozhilov, V. V., The Theory of Thin Shells (P. Noordhoff Ltd., Groningen, The Netherlands, 1959). 15 Von Karman, T. and Tsien, H. S., "The buckling of thin cylindrical shells under axial compression," J. Aeronaut. Sci. 8,303-312(1941). 16 Ho, B. P. C. and Cheng, S., "Some problems in stability of heterogeneous aeolotropic cylindrical shells under combined loading," AIAA J. (to be published).
A Test of the Cognitive Complexity Interpretation of the Least Preferred Coworker Scale

Cognitive complexity has been offered (Mitchell, 1970; Foa, Mitchell, and Fiedler, 1971) as an alternative conceptualization of Fiedler's (Fiedler, 1967) measure of leadership (i.e., the Least Preferred Coworker Scale—LPC). In order to establish the validity of this proposition, the completed LPC scales of 287 airmen were analyzed. ANOVA tests for linear trend revealed that, contrary to current theorizing, low LPC is more closely related to cognitive complexity (as operationalized by LPC item-variability) than is high LPC.
Radial distribution of fictive temperatures in silica optical fibers

Abstract The fictive temperature of glass samples influences many glass properties including mechanical strength and fatigue characteristics. A distribution in fictive temperature on a cross-section of a commercial silica glass communications fiber was determined by measuring the profile of the IR reflection band wavenumber of the silica fundamental structural band at ∼ 1122 cm −1 as a function of radial position using an FTIR with a microscope attachment. Results showed a lower peak wavenumber which corresponds to a higher fictive temperature near the surface of the as-received fiber. Upon annealing, this surface characteristic disappeared and a nearly constant peak wavenumber was obtained across the fiber cladding indicating that the high fictive temperature of the commercial fiber surface was produced during the fiber drawing process. The different mechanical fatigue behavior of silica fibers from those of bulk silica glasses may be due to the observed high fictive temperature of the fiber surface.
How tropical humidity self‐organizes into moist and dry regions

Numerical simulations have shown that the moisture in the tropical troposphere has a tendency to spontaneously aggregate, forming separate wet and dry regions. To learn more about how this self-organization occurs, Craig and Mack introduced a simple equation for the tropical troposphere moisture budget and conducted numerical simulations that included convective moistening and horizontal mixing. Based on their simulations, the authors propose that a feedback process in the troposphere causes moisture to aggregate, beginning on small scales and then coarsening to larger scales. Wet regions become wetter and dry regions become drier as the self-organization continues.
Bioimaging-based detection of mislocalized proteins in human cancers by semi-supervised learning.

Motivation: There is a long-term interest in the challenging task of finding translocated and mislocated cancer biomarker proteins. Bioimages of subcellular protein distribution are new data sources which have attracted much attention in recent years because of their intuitive and detailed descriptions of protein distribution. However, automated methods in large-scale biomarker screening suffer significantly from the lack of subcellular location annotations for bioimages from cancer tissues. The transfer prediction idea of applying models trained on normal tissue proteins to predict the subcellular locations of cancerous ones is arbitrary because the protein distribution patterns may differ in normal and cancerous states. Results: We developed a new semi-supervised protocol that can use unlabeled cancer protein data in model construction by an iterative and incremental training strategy. Our approach enables us to selectively use the low-quality images in normal states to expand the training sample space and provides a general way for dealing with the small size of annotated images used together with large unannotated ones. Experiments demonstrate that the new semi-supervised protocol can result in improved accuracy and sensitivity of subcellular location difference detection. Availability and implementation: The data and code are available at: www.csbio.sjtu.edu.cn/bioinf/SemiBiomarker/. Contact: nc.ude.utjs@nehsbh Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Mental and physical strain at VDT workstations

Abstract. Abstract. There are millions of workers worldwide who use video display terminals (VDTs) on a daily basis. Over the past decade VDT users have reported a variety of health complaints that have been associated with VDTs including visual and musculoskeletal discomfort and psychological distress. In addition VDT users have expressed fears about radiation from VDTs and more recently concerns about adverse reproductive effects. This paper explores the potential health effects of working at a VDT based on an evaluation of current research literature and indicates where more research is underway or needed to better define health risks. Some conclusions about the seriousness of potential health effects are presented.
Functional evaluation of therapeutic response for a mouse model of medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma is an aggressive childhood cerebellar tumor. We recently reported a mouse model with conditional deletion of Patched1 gene that recapitulates many characteristics of the human medulloblastoma. Qualitative symptoms observed in the mouse model include irregular stride length, impaired cranial nerve function and decreased motor coordination and performance. In our current study, several quantitative behavioral assays including a mouse rotarod, a forced air challenge, a screen inversion test, a horizontal wire test, and stride length analysis were evaluated to determine the most sensitive and cost-effective functional assay for impaired neuromotor behavior associated with disease progression. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to confirm and monitor tumor growth and as an anatomical biomarker for therapeutic response. Wild type mice or medulloblastoma-prone, conditional Patched1 knockout mice were observed by behavioral assays and MRI from postnatal weeks 3–6. Bortezomib treatment was administered during this period and therapeutic response was assessed using cerebellar volumes at the end of treatment. Of the behavioral tests assessed in this study, stride length analysis was best able to detect differences between tumor-prone mice and wild type mice as early as postnatal day 37 (P = 0.003). Significant differences between stride lengths of bortezomib treated and control tumor-bearing mice could be detected as early as postnatal day 42 (P = 0.020). Cerebellar volumes measured by MRI at the end of treatment validated the therapeutic effects seen by behavioral tests (P = 0.03). These findings suggest that stride length analysis may serve as one of the more sensitive and cost-effective method for assessing new therapeutic compounds in this and other preclinical model of brain tumors.
BTS1 Encodes a Geranylgeranyl Diphosphate Synthase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Protein prenylation utilizes different types of isoprenoids groups, namely farnesyl and geranylgeranyl, to modify proteins. These lipophilic moieties attach to carboxyl-terminal cysteine residues to promote the association of soluble proteins to membranes. Most prenylated proteins are geranylgeranylated. Geranylgeranylation is catalyzed by two different prenyltransferases, the type I and type II geranylgeranyl transferases, both of which utilize geranylgeranyl diphosphate as a lipid donor. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the BET2 gene encodes the β-subunit of the type II geranylgeranyl transferase. Mutations in this gene cause a defect in the geranylgeranylation of small GTP-binding proteins that mediate vesicular traffic. In an attempt to analyze those genes whose products may interact with Bet2, we isolated a suppressor of the bet2-1 mutant. This suppressor gene, called BTS1, encodes the yeast geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase. BTS1 is not essential for the vegetative growth of cells; however, disrupting it impedes the geranylgeranylation of many cellular proteins and renders cells cold sensitive for growth. Our findings imply that BTS1 suppresses the bet2-1 mutant by increasing the intracellular pool of geranylgeranyl diphosphate.
The antinociceptive and histologic effect of sciatic nerve blocks with 5% butamben suspension in rats.

UNLABELLED: Butamben, a lipophilic local anesthetic of the ester class, produces a differential nerve block of long duration. Epidural and peripheral nerve blocks with butamben, formulated as a 5%--10% suspension, result in prolonged analgesia without significant motor blockade. We evaluated the effect of butamben sciatic nerve block on antinociception using the rat paw formalin test, as well as withdrawal latencies to thermal stimulation, and assessed histologic changes in the nerve. After right sciatic nerve block with butamben 5% or saline, responses to intradermal injection of 5% formalin were recorded in randomly selected groups of 6 animals each on days 1, 2, 5, 10, 21, and 28. In an additional group of 8 thermal challenges to both hind paws were recorded at 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, and 28 days after right sciatic butamben 5% blocks. Butamben injection decreased the formalin-induced flinches on days 2, 5, 10, 21 and 28 and decreased thermal challenges on days 1 through 17. Histologic changes were minimal. This study demonstrates a prolonged antinociceptive effect from butamben nerve block to both formalin-induced nociception and heat hyperalgesia, without an effect on gross motor function or histologic morphology. IMPLICATIONS: Butamben 5% nerve blocks produced a prolonged antinociceptive effect to formalin-induced nociception and heat hyperalgesia, without significant motor effect or evidence of substantial histologic changes.
Effects of disophenol on the isolated, perfused rat heart☆

Abstract Perfusion of hearts with disophenol caused significant alterations in spontaneous heart rate, coronary flow, isometric systolic tension, metabolite levels and electrical activity. Phosphorylase a levels were normal at 10 and 100 ng ml but decreased significantly at 1000 ng ml . Disophenol markedly depressed spontaneous heart rate at 1000 ng ml and similar decreases were noted in coronary flow and isometric systolic tension. Diastolic tension, however, increased greater than threefold after 60 min of perfusion at a level of 1000 ng ml . At this concentration, serious disturbances in electrical activity were also evident. Disophenol depleted tissue glycogen, adenosine-5'-triphosphate, total adenine nucleotides and creatine phosphate levels while it elevated lactate levels. No disophenol-induced lesions, gross or microscopic, were found.
Closed‐Circuit Liquid Injection Isoflurane Anesthesia in the Horse

Six horses were administered isoflurane anesthesia by liquid injection into a closed breathing circuit according to the square root of time model. The unit dose (UD) was calculated using Lowe's formula to provide an end-tidal concentration of 1.3%, or the minimum alveolar concentration of isoflurane. The mean UD was 4.2 +/- 0.2 mL. The mean end-tidal isoflurane concentration (ETiso) for each interval after injection, and the peak and minimum concentrations for each injection interval, did not change beginning with the second injection, indicating that the square root of time model accurately predicted isoflurane uptake in the horse. Mean ETiso measured for the interval after the first injection was 0.68 +/- 0.06%, which was significantly (p < .05) lower than the mean concentration after all subsequent injections (1.1 +/- 0.1%). Mean peak end-tidal concentration was 1.1 +/- 0.25% after the first injection and 1.7 +/- 0.26% for all other injections. Mean minimum end-tidal concentration was 0.77 +/- 0.13% for all injection periods. This model proved to be an acceptable technique for administration of isoflurane anesthesia to horses.
CatMAP: A Software Package for Descriptor-Based Microkinetic Mapping of Catalytic Trends

Descriptor-based analysis is a powerful tool for understanding the trends across various catalysts. In general, the rate of a reaction over a given catalyst is a function of many parameters—reaction energies, activation barriers, thermodynamic conditions, etc. The high dimensionality of this problem makes it very difficult and expensive to solve completely, and even a full solution would not give much insight into the rational design of new catalysts. The descriptor-based approach seeks to determine a few “descriptors” upon which the other parameters are dependent. By doing this it is possible to reduce the dimensionality of the problem—preferably to 1 or 2 descriptors—thus greatly reducing computational efforts and simultaneously increasing the understanding of trends in catalysis. The “CatMAP” Python module seeks to standardize and automate many of the mathematical routines necessary to move from “descriptor space” to reaction rates for heterogeneous (electro) catalysts. The module is designed to be both flexible and powerful, and is available for free online. A “reaction model” can be fully defined by a configuration file, thus no new programming is necessary to change the complexity or assumptions of a model. Furthermore, various steps in the process of moving from descriptors to reaction rates have been abstracted into separate Python classes, making it easy to change the methods used or add new functionality. This work discusses the structure of the code and presents the underlying algorithms and mathematical expressions both generally and via an example for the CO oxidation reaction.
Hybrid genetic algorithm and augmented neural network application for solving the online advertisement scheduling problem with contextual targeting

Worldwide growth of the online community continues to push the popularity of internet marketing. Fueled by this trend, the online advertising industry is experiencing unprecedented revenue growth. One of the most important drivers of this revenue is banner advertising, which has long been a staple of the online advertising industry. Previous research has introduced quantitative models and solution approaches for the challenging basic scheduling optimization problem. We extend this work by incorporating the most common and popular trend in the in the industry, online advertisement targeting. In addition, motivated by the NP-hard nature of the resulting problem, we propose and test several heuristic and metaheuristic based solution techniques for the proposed problem.
Spirituality and Occupational Therapy: The Application of the Psychospiritual Integration Frame of Reference

This study defines and illustrates how to apply psychospiritual integration clinically in occupational therapy practice. An independent single qualitative case study design was used to identify pro...
Rapid screening of fentanyl (China White) powder samples by solid-phase radioimmunoassay.

fluorofentanyl, c/s- and trans-3-methylfentanyl, thienylfentanyl, or cis- and trans-3-methylthienylfentanyl. The seven samples that were negative by RIA contained s variety of substances typically found in street drug samples--caffeine, codeine, and heroin--but none of the fentanyls. Differences in fentanyl concentration between samples were quite large, up to 300-fold; however, the drug seems to be uniformly distributed within a single sample. Thus, accidental overdose Is more likely to result from the large Intersample variability in drug concentration rather than the "clumping" of fentanyl within a sample. This solid-phase RIA provides a simple, rapid, and reliable screening method for detecting fentanyl and its illicit analogs in powder samples. in minute amounts, typically from 0.001 to 1%. Therefore, it is unlikely that the fentanyls will be detected by the standard opiate screening tests currently used in forensic, criminalist, or analytical toxicology laboratories. A number of gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry techniques have been reported in the literature (5-19). However, they are not efficient screening methods because of the large number of possible analogs (over 12 analogs have been identified in illicit powder samples) and because the mass spectra of the fentanyls do not contain class-specific ions requisite for rapid screening. Radioimmunoassays typically are more efficient screening procedures and several have been reported for the analysis of the fentanyls in biological samples (20-27). However, these
Rapid Deletion-Based Subtyping System for the Manila Family of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The Manila family of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a group of clonal isolates seen throughout the Pacific Basin. Commonly used rapid molecular typing methods often leave large groups of Manila family isolates clustered together. Here we describe a simple deletion-based PCR method that improves the discrimination for Manila family isolates, with or without the use of mycobacterial interspersed repetitive-unit-variable-number tandem-repeat (MIRU-VNTR) classification, and that is both rapid and affordable. Twenty-eight Manila family isolates, classified by spoligotyping, were collected from around the Pacific Basin from 1995 to 2003 and were tested for known genomic deletions. Nine of 15 regions of difference tested were identified as potentially discriminatory, with 18 distinct patterns; of these 9, 5 were selected for optimal discrimination using 61 Manila family isolates collected from California in 2009. For this geographically limited sample, the single large cluster was reduced to 14 distinct patterns. When the isolates were tested by spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTR, the addition of deletion analysis increased the number of distinct patterns from 43 to 56. In summary, the two study groups, which together form a single group of 89 isolates by spoligotyping, were segregated into 17 subgroups by our deletion-based subtyping system.
Malignant head and neck paragangliomas: Is there an optimal treatment strategy?

Little is known about management and prognosis for malignant head & neck paragangliomas. We reviewed records of these patients to determine optimal treatment strategies. We reviewed 113 cases of head & neck paragangliomas treated at our institution from 1970 to 2005. Nineteen patients were included in the study. All had primary surgical treatment at another institution. Metastatic disease was treated with radiation, chemotherapy, or both. Survival and complications were evaluated. P values were determined by Fischer's exact test. All patients treated with chemotherapy and radiation age ≥ 40 years had disease progression. Of the patients < 40, two had stable disease; one had regression of disease with treatment. Patients without disease progression had better prognosis and were alive at last follow-up. Clinical benefit was derived from aggressive treatment. However, careful consideration of the risks of observation versus intensive therapy should be undertaken when managing these patients.
A Counseling Psychologist in Russia as a Fulbright Scholar "James in Wonderland"

This article summarizes a counseling psychologist's experience with a Senior Fulbright Teaching Lectureship at Moscow State Pedagogical University in Moscow, Russia, from February 19 to April 24, 1992. The author describes his personal and professional experiences in Moscow 6 months after the failed 1991 coup d'etat and the end of Soviet Communism. Professional perspectives on Russian psychology and impressions of the Russian people and culture are given, as well as how the author was changed by this cross-cultural experience. Encouragement is given to other psychologists and educators to apply for Fulbright awards in Russia and other countries to better internationalize counseling psychology.
Emissions of Trace Gases and Particles from Savanna Fires in Southern Africa

Airborne measurements made on initial smoke from 10 savanna fires in southern Africa provide quantitative data on emissions of 50 gaseous and particulate species, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, methane, ammonia, dimethyl sulfide, nonmethane organic compounds, halocarbons, gaseous organic acids, aerosol ionic components, carbonaceous aerosols, and condensation nuclei (CN). Measurements of several of the gaseous species by gas chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy are compared. Emission ratios and emission factors are given for eight species that have not been reported previously for biomass burning of savanna in southern Africa (namely, dimethyl sulfide, methyl nitrate, five hydrocarbons, and particles with diameters from 0.1 to 3 microns). The emission factor that we measured for ammonia is lower by a factor of 4, and the emission factors for formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, and CN are greater by factors of about 3, 20, and 3 - 15, respectively, than previously reported values. The new emission factors are used to estimate annual emissions of these species from savanna fires in Africa and worldwide.
Bikers, Aliens, And Movie Stars: Comparing The Economic Impact Of Special Events

This paper compares the economic impact of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Roswell UFO Festival, and the Sundance Film Festival in Park City. The three cities and special events are evaluated based on information relating to population, income, home valuation, event estimates for number of visitors and expenditures, and city sales tax information. Park City is the leader in population growth, household income growth, and median home value growth for the years 2000-2007. In fact, population growth for Roswell and Sturgis is on the decline despite rising median household income and home valuations. Participation and dollar value of the event is clearly dominated by the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (420,000 annual participants generating $130 million in expenditures), followed by the Sundance Film Festival (39,000 annual participants generating $60 million in expenditures), and the Roswell UFO Festival (10,000 annual participants generating $1.25 million). The results of this study clearly imply the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is integral to the economic healthy of the region, the Sundance Film Festival is an important and growing special event for the U.S. film industry, and the Roswell UFO Festival helps the city maintain a unique identity that might not otherwise exist.
Proposed use of the T phase in tsunami warning systems

A striking correlation between the occurrence of a short-period earthquake phase (T phase) traveling through the ocean with the speed of sound in sea water and the occurrence of tsunamis has been observed. The characteristics of the T phase are described and the data upon which the correlation is based are presented. Although further study is needed, the evidence at hand warrants the inclusion of instruments suitable for recording the T phase in tsunami warning systems. It is quite possible that SOFAR listening stations would be valuable adjuncts in the detection of tsunami-producing earthquakes since they offer the best means of recording the T phase.
Superficial doses in treatment of breast with tangential fields using 4 MV x-rays

Abstract When treating intact and postoperative breast with high energy X-rays, exact knowledge of the dose to superficial structures is essential in order to minimize acute skin reactions and assure adequate dose when the disease extends to the surface of the skin. These objectives generally can be met with appropriate use of bolus material. In treatments with tangential fields, the variation of the angle of incidence upon the curved surface influences the electron fluence in the superficial region and thus the dose buildup. The superficial dose distribution has been analyzed for 4 MV X-rays using single and opposing tangential beams, the latter combination representative of a typical breast treatment. Buildup curves were measured with phosphorescence dosimeters at different points at shallow depths below the curved surface of a breast phantom. A geometrical model is developed which indicates that the buildup curves for oblique angles of incidence can be calculated from the curve for perpendicular beam incidence except in cases of extreme tangential angles. For single field irradiation, the depth of dose maximum in the principal plane varies between 2 mm at the apex of the breast and about 8 mm for perpendicular incidence. On the exit side of the beam, a dose reduction is observed over about 2 mm. The measured data are applied to the calculated dose distribution for a breast treatment with 30° wedges. This approach makes it possible to determine the optimum use of bolus to meet the clinical objectives.
The impact of prostate size, median lobe, and prior benign prostatic hyperplasia intervention on robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: technique and outcomes.

Abstract Background Large prostate size, median lobes, and prior benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) surgery may pose technical challenges during robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP). Objective To describe technical modifications to overcome BPH sequelae and associated outcomes. Design, settings, and participants A retrospective study of prospective data on 951 RALP procedures performed from September 2005 to November 2010 was conducted. Outcomes were analyzed by prostate weight, prior BPH surgical intervention ( n =59), and median lobes >1cm ( n =42). Surgical procedure RALP. Measurements Estimated blood loss (EBL), blood transfusions, operative time, positive surgical margin (PSM), and urinary and sexual function were measured. Results and limitations In unadjusted analysis, men with larger prostates and median lobes experienced higher EBL (213.5 vs 176.5ml; p p =0.002), and larger prostates were associated with more transfusions (4 vs 1; p =0.037). Operative times were longer for men with larger prostates (164.2 vs 149.1min; p =0.002), median lobes (185.8 vs 155.0min; p =0.004), and prior BPH surgical interventions (170.2 vs 155.4min; p =0.004). Men with prior BPH interventions experienced more prostate base PSM (5.1% vs 1.2%; p =0.018) but similar overall PSM. In adjusted analyses, the presence of median lobes increased both EBL ( p =0.006) and operative times ( p p =0.014). However, prostate size did not affect EBL, PSM, or recovery of urinary or sexual function. Conclusions Although BPH characteristics prolonged RALP procedure times and increased EBL, prostate size did not affect PSM or urinary and sexual function.
Alternative Ac/Ds transposition induces major chromosomal rearrangements in maize

Barbara McClintock reported that the Ac/Ds transposable element system can generate major chromosomal rearrangements (MCRs), but the underlying mechanism has not been determined. Here, we identified a series of chromosome rearrangements derived from maize lines containing pairs of closely linked Ac transposable element termini. Molecular and cytogenetic analyses showed that the MCRs in these lines comprised 17 reciprocal translocations and two large inversions. The breakpoints of all 19 MCRs are delineated by Ac termini and characteristic 8-base-pair target site duplications, indicating that the MCRs were generated by precise transposition reactions involving the Ac termini of two closely linked elements. This alternative transposition mechanism may have contributed to chromosome evolution and may also occur during V(D)J recombination resulting in oncogenic translocations.