cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
John Winthrop, Jr.: The Making of an Adept

The life of John Winthrop, the Younger, is presented in the context of his progress as an alchemical adept. He collected the finest library in New England in the 17th century and alchemical books were the dominant genre. He was in communication with most of the working alchemists of his time and especially admired John Dee. He traveled throughout the European world and made friends wherever he went. By the time he immigrated to America he was a recognized adept and was able to apply the principles of alchemy to his daily activities. He also established himself as an Assistant of the Massachusetts Bay Company.
Developing microsurgical milestones for psychomotor skills in neurological surgery residents as an adjunct to operative training: the home microsurgery laboratory.

Objective A variety of factors contribute to an increasingly challenging environment for neurological surgery residents to develop psychomotor skills in microsurgical technique solely from operative training. While adjunct training modalities such as cadaver dissection and surgical simulation are embraced and practiced at our institution, there are no formal educational milestones defined to help residents develop, measure, and advance their microsurgical psychomotor skills in a stepwise fashion when outside the hospital environment. The objective of this report is to describe an efficient and convenient "home microsurgery lab" (HML) assembled and tested by the authors with the goal of supporting a personalized stepwise advancement of microsurgical psychomotor skills. Methods The authors reviewed the literature on previously published simulation practice models and designed adjunct learning modules utilizing the HML. Five milestones were developed for achieving proficiency with each graduated exercise, referencing the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) guidelines. The HML setup was then piloted with 2 neurosurgical trainees. Results The total cost for assembling the HML was approximately $850. Techniques for which training was provided included microinstrument handling, tissue dissection, suturing, and microanastomoses. Five designated competency levels were developed, and training exercises were proposed for each competency level. Conclusions The HML offers a unique, entirely home-based, affordable adjunct to the operative neurosurgical education mandated by the ACGME operative case logs, while respecting resident hospital-based education hours. The HML provides surgical simulation with specific milestones, which may improve confidence and the microsurgical psychomotor skills required to perform microsurgery, regardless of case type.
Balloon: Soft-Tissue Options for the Failed Balloon

The interpositional subacromial balloon spacer (Stryker, Inc) is a relatively new treatment option for irreparable rotator cuff tears. The balloon spacer just received FDA approval in July 2021 with inclusion criteria including irreparable massive rotator cuff tears in patients 65 years of age and older. The balloon spacer has been used for just over 11 years in Europe. Although limited outcome data is currently available, it has shown promise for the treatment of irreparable rotator cuff tears. It is hypothesized to function by resisting superior translation of the humeral head, allowing for improved glenohumeral mechanics. Although minimal data are available on balloon failure, revision for balloon migration has been most often reported. Multiple soft tissue options are available in the case of balloon failure including revision balloon placement, tendon transfers, or partial cuff repair.
Induction of autophagy by zinc during acute ethanol exposure (122.1)

Autophagy is an important catabolic process for the clearance of damaged or superfluous proteins and organelles. The role of ethanol in the regulation of autophagy remains controversial, with some studies showing induction of autophagy by ethanol while others show inhibition. Nevertheless, the view that maintenance of adequate levels of autophagy protects against ethanol induced damage is widely supported. We investigated the role of zinc in the modulation of autophagic flux in human hepatoma cells VL-17A. LC3II/LC3I ratio, p62 and Beclin-1 expression and autophagosomes number were analyzed in cells incubated in medium containing 0, 10, 20 or 40µM of zinc with or without 100 mM of ethanol, in presence or absence of the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine. The effect on autophagic flux of co-incubation with lipopolysaccharide was also investigated. Lastly, labile zinc was analyzed in cells exposed to ethanol and the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine. Excess zinc had an additive effect on the induction of aut...
Lactoperoxidase: VI. Immunochemical studies on lactoperoxidase from the milk of several species

Abstract The production of specific anti-enzyme in response to immunization with purified lactoperoxidase could be demonstrated by assays of peroxidase activity on the supernatant fluids and precipitates obtained from quantitative precipitin determinations. Spectrophotometric analysis of specific precipitates formed in antibody excess for a distinctive antigen marker showed all the hemoprotein added as antigen to be quantitatively precipitated by antibody. Lactoperoxidase isolated from the milk of ruminants such as the goat and sheep were examined for their cross reactivity with anti-bovine lactoperoxidase and found to be immunochemically indistinguishable from cow's milk lactoperoxidase in their immunodiffusion and quantitative precipitin behavior. Bovine lactoperoxidase is immunologically distinct from bovine transferrin, ceruloplasmin, red protein, and lactollin as well as dog myeloperoxidase. Exposure of lactoperoxidase to proteolytic enzymes or 8 M urea does not result in any change detectable by immunodiffusion. The diffusion coefficient of bovine milk lactoperoxidase was estimated by immunodiffusion to be 5.2 × 10 −7 cm sec − .
Disturbance hydrology: challenges and opportunities

Brian A. Ebel* and Benjamin B. Mirus 1 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USA 2 Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USA 3 Department of Geological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA 4 Curriculum for Environment and Ecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Third-sound propagation in He 4 films adsorbed on silicon

The propagation of third sound on 〈100〉 crystalline silicon substrates is investigated as a function of $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ film thickness for several temperatures. Comparison is made to simultaneous measurements made on glass. Results for etched silicon with a rough surface reveal that the observed index of refraction shows substantial thickness dependence and no hysteresis. Smooth silicon is observed to be an excellent substrate for third-sound studies.
Left side first: a different approach for teaching laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication.

Rudolf Nissen reported his initial experience with fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in 1956. Dallemagne and associates and Geagea first introduced laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication in 1991. Since the advent of the minimally invasive treatment for GERD, more patients are being referred for definitive surgical treatment earlier in their disease, before its complications become debilitating. A relative constant among laparoscopic techniques has been the approach to the initial crural dissection. Most authors advocate initiating division of the hepatogastric ligament over the caudate lobe. This is then carried superiorly until the right diaphragmatic crus is encountered. The right crus is then dissected along its medial border, which reveals the esophagus. The dissection is then carried over the anterior aspect of the esophagus until the left crus is encountered. The left crus is then exposed in a fashion similar to the right. This dissection is carried down to the angle of His and then the esophagus is encircled. The difficult and dangerous portion of the dissection occurs when dissecting the crura and developing the retroesophageal window. Esophageal injuries have been reported to occur at this juncture. In a series of 17 patients with esophageal or gastric perforations during laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication, Schauer and colleagues reported that 10 of these injuries were due to improper retroesophageal dissection. As our experience in laparoscopic fundoplication increased, we began to approach the crural dissection from a different direction; namely, the left. A few factors have led us to develop this approach. First, we were concerned about possible esophageal injury while dissecting the crura and encircling the esophagus. Second, because we routinely divide the short gastric vessels to facilitate our wrap, we find it is easier to perform the occasionally difficult short gastric vessel division early in the case, when fatigue is not a factor. Third, the operation is more efficient because all the trocars can be used to retract the stomach and omentum for the division of the short gastric vessels. Fourth, the trocar location and operative strategy is ideal for instruction, allowing the instructor to use both hands to “set up” the case for the resident or fellow in training. Fifth, by dividing the short gastric vessels first, the surgeon is not tempted to try to “get away” with not dividing the short gastric vessels when the fundus is “almost” adequate for the wrap without short gastric division.
Low Road to the Heavens

Aficionados say balloon-borne observatories could rival the power of space telescopes at a small fraction of the cost. (Read more.)
Remarks on extinguishment and the response function for a burning solid propellant.

T HE presence of small amplitude pressure oscillations in a solid rocket chamber depends mainly upon the interaction between the vibrations and the combustion processes occurring in the thin region adjacent to the solid. Often the behavior seems to be dominated by the influence of pressure fluctuations; this is conveniently expressed in terms of the response function (mf/in)/(p'/p), the ratio of a small change in mass flux to a small change of pressure. Most calculations lead to results that can be put in the form1 for harmonic oscillations
Vehicles, roads, and road use - alternative empirical specifications

The authors extend their earlier empirical work by exploring alternative specifications for the relationship between vehicle ownership, road length, and the ratio of vehicles to road length, on the one hand, and income, population, pollution density, and other variables on the other. For the constancy or variability of cross-section income elasticities for each of these variables, they find that: a) the income elasticity of vehicle ownership decreases slightly with income at the national level but is constant at the urban level; b) the income elasticity of road length is constant at the national level but increases with income at the urban level; and c) the income elasticity of the vehicle to road ration decreases with income at both the national and urban level and, at high income levels, becomes negative for urban roads and for national paved roads. Comparisons of income elasticities from cross-section and time series data indicated that they are generally similar for vehicles, road length, and the vehicle to road ration at the national level. But at the urban level the time series income elasticity of road length (0.1) is much smaller than the cross-section elasticity (0.7), and the time series income elasticity of the vehicle to road ration (0.9) is much larger than the cross-section elasticities (0.1 for low income cities and -0.5 or high income cities). This means that the vehicle to road ratio (a proxy for congestion) is increasing over time in cities, almost in step with per capita income - a trend with dire consequences for urban transport. Although the urban results are somewhat alarming, the national results indicate that the vehicle to road ration nationally (especially on paved roads) is relatively low and not rising rapidly. It also shows remarkable stability across country income levels. This contrast between the national and urban results reinforces the view that urban decentralization is likely to remain the major mode of adjustment to urban congestion.
Dynamics of uranyl peroxide nanocapsules.

Discrete aqueous metal oxide polyionic clusters that include aluminum polycations, transition-metal polyoxometalates, and the actinyl peroxide clusters have captivated the interest of scientists in the realm of both their fundamental and applied chemistries. Yet the counterions for these polycations or polyanions are often ignored, even though they are imperative for solubility, crystallization, purification, and even templating cluster formation. The actinyl peroxide clusters have counterions not only external, but internal to the hollow peroxide capsules. In this study, we reveal the dynamic behavior of these internal alkali counterions via solid-state and liquid NMR experiments. These studies on two select cluster geometries, those containing 24 and 28 uranyl polyhedra, respectively, show that the capsules-like clusters are not rigid entities. Rather, the internal alkalis both have mobility inside the capsules, as well as exchange with species in the media in which they are dissolved. The alkali mobili...
AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE PERMUTATION t‐TEST

The small sample power and the probability of a Type I error of a permutation test were investigated for the two-sample problem. Empirical probabilities were obtained under the null and various alternative conditions for the permutation t-test and, for comparison, Student's t-test and the Mann-Whitney 17-test for normal, uniform and skewed populations. Values of the empirical α were within sampling variation bounds of the theoretical α, and the power values for the permutation t-test were generally close to those of Student's t-test and the theoretical values. For the skewed population, the power values of the permutation t-test were higher than those of Student's t-test if the means were positively related to the sample sizes.
In vitro ovulation, prostaglandin synthesis, and proteolysis in isolated ovarian components of yellow perch (Perca flavescens): Effects of 17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one and phorbol ester

Abstract The present study investigated the effects of 17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20 B-P) on (1) ovulation of isolated perch follicles in which the extrafollicular (EF) ovarian tissue had been removed; (2) prostaglandin F (PGF) and prostaglandin E (PGE) synthesis in EF tissue and intact ( = follicles attached to EF tissue) and isolated follicles by radioimmunoassay and [14C]arachidonic acid incorporation; and (3) proteolysis in EF tissue and intact and isolated follicles by substrate sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In addition, the ovulatory and proteolytic effects of the phorbol ester, phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), and the calcium ionophore A23187 on 17,20B-P-stimulated follicles were also studied in the presence/absence of indomethacin (IM) and nordihydroguaiaretic acic (NDGA). Ultrastructural analyses revealed that the preparation of isolated follicles also removed the surface epithelium of the follicle. While 17,20B-P stimulated ovulation and an increase in PGF and PGE in incubates of intact perch follicles, it did not in incubates of isolated follicles. In contrast, PMA, A23187, and a combination of PMA and A23187 stimulated ovulation of these isolated follicles. PMA A23187 -induced ovulation could be blocked by NDGA but not IM, and two hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (11- and 15-HETEs) were capable of partially reversing the NDGA block. Incorporations with [14C]arachidonic acid revealed that the EF tissue had a significant potential to produce PGF; however, 17,20B-P did not stimulate an increase in PGF or PGE (measured by RIA) in incubates of EF tissue alone. In addition, neither ovulation nor an increase in prostaglandins was observed in cocultures of isolated follicles and EF tissue. One major protease (66 kDa) was observed in the medium during incubation of intact and isolated perch follicles. No protease activity was present in incubates of EF tissue alone. Protease activity in 17,20B-P-stimulated incubates of intact tissue was significantly higher than in steroid-stimulated incubates of isolated follicles. Protease activity increased in the medium during incubation with PMA or a combination of PMA and A23187. This activity was blocked by NDGA but not IM. The NDGA block was partially reversed by 11-HETE. The combined results suggest that there is an interaction of EF tissue and follicle that is necessary, particularly for the stimulation of ovulation and prostaglandin production. Further, the results with phorbol esters and NDGA suggest that the follicular control of ovulation in perch may involve protein kinase C acting through the production of a lipoxygenase product.
Flavonoids from Maclura tinctoria

Seven flavonoids, including two new natural products, were isolated from an ethanol extract of the bark of Maclura tinctoria (L.) Gaud. The new compounds are steppogenin 4'-O-beta-D-glucoside and orobol 5,3'-di-O-methyl-8-C-glucoside. Orobol, steppogenin, aromadendrin, dihydromorin and orobol 7-O-beta-D-glucoside were also isolated.
Evaluation of the utility and cost-effectiveness of obtaining histopathologic diagnosis on all routine tonsillectomy specimens.

Objectives To evaluate the use and necessity of obtaining histopathology on patients undergoing tonsillectomy, and to provide indications and guidelines for requesting histopathology on tonsillectomy patients. Study Design At the University of Mississippi Medical Center, we have been routinely obtaining histopathologic diagnoses on every patient undergoing tonsillectomy or tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. Specimens are separated into left and right tonsils and adenoids. This study was designed at our tertiary care academic center to evaluate the necessity for obtaining histopathologic diagnosis on each of these patients. Methods A retrospective review of histopathologic reports on all patients in both pediatric and adult age groups undergoing tonsillectomy or tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy between January 1994 and December 1999 was performed. Results A total of 2438 reports were reviewed. There were 2099 in the pediatric age group and 339 were adults. None of the children had an unusual histopathology finding other than lymphoid hyperplasia. Of the 339 adults, 34 had squamous cell carcinoma and 6 had lymphoma; however, these findings were suspected preoperatively by history and clinical manifestations. Conclusions The general practice guidelines mandate obtaining histopathologic diagnoses on most of the tissues received. Based on our review, histopathology of tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy may not be necessary, especially in children. In this era of cutting excess costs of health care dollars, waving histopathology in these cases may have major implications without compromising delivery of quality care.
Dimensions of Product Quality and Country-of-Origin Effects Research

Abstract Country-of-Origin (COO) studies are frequently concerned with COO effects on consumers' perceptions of product quality. Nonetheless, there is no set of widely accepted quality dimensions in the COO literature. Consequently, COO effects on quality perceptions have been examined at different conceptual levels: product-specific attributes or general quality dimensions such as reliability and workmanship, applicable to various product categories. Even at the same conceptual level, researchers have often examined COO effects with different quality dimensions. These inconsistencies impede theory building and generalizations across COO studies. In this research, we propose Garvin's (1984) taxonomy to be adopted in conceptualizing and operationalizing product quality dimensions for the COO research. The empirical results support our proposal.
Sonar signal processing using probabilistic signal and ocean environmental models

Acoustic signals propagating through the ocean are refracted, scattered, and attenuated by the ocean volume and boundaries. Many aspects of how the ocean affects acoustic propagation are understood, such that the characteristics of a received signal can often be predicted with some degree of certainty. However, acoustic ocean parameters vary with time and location in a manner that is not, and cannot be, precisely known; some uncertainty will always remain. For this reason, the characteristics of the received signal can never be precisely predicted and must be described in probabilistic terms. A signal processing structure recently developed relies on knowledge of the ocean environment to predict the statistical characteristics of the received signal, and incorporates this description into the processor in order to detect and classify targets. Acoustic measurements at 250 Hz from the 1996 Strait of Gibraltar Acoustic Monitoring Experiment are used to illustrate how the processor utilizes environmental data to classify source depth and to underscore the importance of environmental model fidelity and completeness.
College Seniors’ Plans for Graduate School: Do Deep Approaches Learning and Holland Academic Environments Matter?

This study examines the extent to which college seniors’ plans for graduate school are related to their tendency to engage in deep approaches to learning (DAL) and their academic environments (majors) as classified by Holland type. Using data from the National Survey of Student Engagement, we analyzed responses from over 116,000 seniors attending 499 four-year institutions. Findings revealed a significant positive relationship between seniors’ uses of DAL and plans for earning a graduate degree. Further, seniors majoring in Investigative and Social environments were more likely to hold higher degree expectations. Significant interaction effects by DAL and Holland academic environment were also found. The impact of DAL on graduate degree expectations was greater for seniors majoring in Artistic environments than otherwise similar students in Investigative, Enterprising, or Social environments. In addition, the impact of DAL on degree expectations was greater for seniors in Enterprising environments than otherwise similar students in Social environments
GLOBAL PROTEOMICS REMODELING OF CARDIAC AGING AND PRESSURE-OVERLOAD INDUCED HEART FAILURE IS ATTENUATED BY SUPPRESSION RF TARGET OF RAPAMYCIN

Old age is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is one of key regulator in aging and cardiac hypertrophy through mTOR complex 1. Caloric restriction (CR) and rapamycin inhibit mTOR signaling, thereby regulating metabolism and suppressing protein
A pseudo-outbreak of purified protein derivative skin-test conversions caused by inappropriate testing materials.

Objective: To investigate a cluster of newly identified tuberculosis infections. Design: A field study was conducted including interviews; medical record reviews; checking of bills and invoices, pharmacy records, and drug manufacturer information; and clinical retesting. Setting: Community residential facilities providing comprehensive services to retarded adults. Participants: Twenty residential facility staff (not previously known to be purified protein derivative [PPD] positive). Results: Staff had been tested with 250 TU of PPD, and 9 of 20 were tuberculin positive. Retesting with 5 TU yielded no reaction. Conclusions: Reactions were attributable to testing with a product not recommended for routine PPD screening. Healthcare workers planting PPD Mantoux tests always should check the vials to ensure that the appropriate strength solution is being used.
Macroscopic Space Charge in Electrolytes during Electrolysis

SINCE the publication of Hittorf's famous paper in 1853, it has been assumed, in general, that in every small element of volume of an electrolyte undergoing electrolysis, the sum of the charges on the negative ions is equal to the sum of the charges on the positive ions, namely, that during electrolysis macroscopic space charge does not exist. Apparently, Hittorf based this assumption on some experimental results which were obtained by Faraday in 1831.
Standard modules embedding in tensor products of level one fundamental modules

(1994). Standard modules embedding in tensor products of level one fundamental modules. Communications in Algebra: Vol. 22, No. 14, pp. 5983-6020.
Japanese barberry seed predation by Rhagoletis meigenii fruit flies harboring Wolbachia endosymbionts

The phytophagous fruit fly Rhagoletis meigenii harbors the bacterium Wolbachia pipientis and, together with Japanese barberry, form a tri-partite symbiosis. R. meigenii is a seed predator of invasive Japanese barberry plants and is dependent on this insect-plant interaction for reproductive success. The endosymbiotic bacterium W. pipientis is a reproductive parasite known to alter the sex ratios of offspring and the fitness of infected host insects. We investigated Japanese barberry fruit for the degree of infestation by R. meigenii and characterized the Wolbachia strain infecting R. meigenii. Densities of R. meigenii in four naturalized stands of Japanese barberry revealed low numbers of fruit flies with high variability in the population densities observed among individual plants. Overall, R. meigenii infested roughly 10–20 % of the Japanese barberry fruits analyzed; fruit with two seeds (vs. one seed) were the most frequently infested. Approximately, 90 % of the R. meigenii tested positive for Wolbachia infection via PCR amplification of the Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) gene. No bacterial strain diversity was observed when comparing multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) profiles within or among five R. meigenii populations in Maine, although the MLST profile obtained from R. meigenii differed from three co-occurring Rhagoletis. The Wolbachia endosymbiont of R. meigenii is a member of the Wolbachia supergroup A and the ST-13 cluster complex.
The relationship between business simulations in capstone management courses and standardized test scores

Abstract Students now prefer and expect opportunities to be actively engaged in their own education. As more methods become available to engage students in experiential learning, examining the impacts of these methodologies becomes even more important. The authors sought to expand the literature by examining how various instructional methodologies may be associated with student learning in a business capstone course. This study examines the relationship between simulation and case instructional methodologies with a rarely-used outcome in the related literature, a standardized assessment of all disciplines related to the business field. Data were collected on demographics, academic performance, and instructional methodology for 1049 undergraduate students from 83 sections of the capstone strategy course from Fall 2006 to Summer 2013. The results show that the instructional methodology utilized in the course was related to scores on the standardized assessment, with the case methodology being associated with higher scores. Computer simulations were not associated with scores significantly different from sections with no experiential exercise. The implications of these findings are discussed, along with potential methods for educators using these methodologies and avenues for future research.
Clustering in Free Jets — Aggregation by Dispersion

The nature of free jet expansion is reviewed with emphasis on those features that are important in the clustering process. Thermodynamic and kinetic aspects are examined. The importance of nozzle geometry is discussed along with some of the implications of the newly developing pulsed flow technique. Some problems relating to free jet sampling into vacuum from high pressure are identified.
Vitamin Excretion by Deer

It is well established that diet influences the intestinal flora of certain species of animals and that certain vitamins of the B complex are synthesized by microorganisms in the digestive tract (Gall, Illingworth, Cowgill and Fenton, 1948; Gall, Fenton and Cowgill, 1948). This synthetic activity is of particular importance to ruminants, and those that have been studied include cows (Johnson, et al. , 1947; Pounden and Hibbs, 1948a, b ; Hibbs, and Pounden, 1948; Teeri, et al. , 1951 a , b , 1953) and sheep (Pearson, et al. , 1953). Another ruminant for which such synthetic activity might be especially important because of its sometimes rather limited diet, and one for which nothing in this connection has been reported previously, is the deer ( Odocoileus ). Such information is presented in this report in the form of fecal and urinary excretion values for nicotinic acid, riboflavin, thiamine and vitamin B12. Three male deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) provided by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department were used in this study. All were between ten and twelve months of age, and weighed as follows: No. 1, 65 lbs.; No. 2, 94 lbs.; and No. 3, 82 lbs. The animals were maintained in metabolism stalls, thus making possible the regular collection of 24-hr, urine and feces samples. Daily aliquots were preserved, …
141 PRE-ATHEROSCLEROTIC AORTIC LESIONS IN CYSTIC FIBROSIS

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency and extent of aortic precursor lesions (fatty streaks, early fibro-musculoelastic lesions, late fibromusculoelastic lesions) found at autopsy in cystic fibrosis. Patients with this disease suffer from fat malabsorption and thus provide a unique experimental model for evaluation of the hypothesis that low fat intake may prevent atherosclerosis. Other patients with debilitating disorders but with no apparent impairment of fat absorption served as controls. Autopsy material from 35 patients, 9 with cystic fibrosis and 26 with leukemia and other malignancies were studied. Fatty streaks were less common in the cystic fibrosis group (p. < .001) as were the late fibromusculoelastic lesions (p. = .007). There was no significant difference in the frequency, length, or thickness of the early fibromusculoelastic lesions. The findings suggest that fat is responsible for progression but not initiation of the fibromusculoelastic precursor lesions. The results support the concept that early restriction of dietary fat may prevent, delay, or otherwise modify atherosclerosis in the adult.
Heritability of subcortical and limbic brain volume and shape in multiplex-multigenerational families with schizophrenia

Abstract Background Brain abnormalities of subcortical and limbic nuclei are common in patients with schizophrenia, and variation in these structures is considered a putative endophenotype for the disorder. Multiplex-multigenerational families with schizophrenia provide an opportunity to investigate the impact of shared genetic ancestry, but these families have not been previously examined to study structural brain abnormalities. We estimate the heritability of subcortical and hippocampal brain volumes in multiplex-multigenerational families and the heritability of subregions using advanced shape analysis. Methods The study comprised 439 participants from two sites who underwent 3T structural magnetic resonance imaging. The participants included 190 European-Americans from 32 multiplex-multigenerational families with schizophrenia and 249 healthy comparison subjects. Subcortical and hippocampal volume and shape were measured in 14 brain structures. Heritability was estimated for volume and shape. Results Volume and shape were heritable in families. Estimates of heritability in subcortical and limbic volumes ranged from .45 in the right hippocampus to .84 in the left putamen. The shape of these structures was heritable (range, .40–.49), and specific subregional shape estimates of heritability tended to exceed heritability estimates of volume alone. Conclusions These results demonstrate that volume and shape of subcortical and limbic brain structures are potential endophenotypic markers in schizophrenia. The specificity obtained using shape analysis may improve selection of imaging phenotypes that better reflect the underlying neurobiology. Our findings can aid in the identification of specific genetic targets that affect brain structure and function in schizophrenia.
Hosts of Lutzomyia shannoni (Diptera: Psychodidae) in relation to vesicular stomatitis virus on Ossabaw Island, Georgia, U.S.A.

. Hosts of Lutzomyia shannoni Dyar, a suspected biological vector of the New Jersey serotype of vesicular stomatitis (VSNJ) virus, were determined using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of 333 blood-fed female sandflies collected from their diurnal resting shelters on Ossabaw Island, Georgia, U.S.A. Sandflies had fed primarily on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (81%) and to a lesser extent on feral swine (Sus scrofa) (16%), two species of host infected annually with VSNJ. Other hosts were raccoons (Procyon lotor) and horses (Equus caballus) or donkeys (E. asinus), with only two (<1%) mixed bloodmeals from deer/raccoon and deer/swine. A larger proportion of feedings on feral swine was detected in maritime live oak forests than in mixed hardwood forests. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that L. shannoni is a primary vector of VSNJ virus on Ossabaw Island.
The issue of 'right to food' among the Hindus: Notes and comments

The paper starts with a comparative discussion of food in Hindu religion and law and in Indian democratic polity, examining the general question whether the Hindu system possesses at all a substantive cultural basis of its own for addressing the goal of 'food-accessibility-for-all'. Though democracy demands egalitarian 'public policy' and 'public action programmes' for food for all its citizens, the Hindu system frames the issue within its language of karma, debts and duties, and yields some moral-practical (if socially weak) formulations and four specific 'notions of shared sustenance'. But today, as dharma, history, caste, and modern India entangle with one another, there is no clear social direction, and the issue of 'right to food' also remains correspondingly muddled.
Safety of ethnic & imported herbal and dietary supplements.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has become a popular alternative therapy in the United States. TCM “herbs” include botanicals, minerals, and dried animal parts. Historically, a TCM doctor would ...
Synthesis of some novel tetracyclic imidazole derivatives

Representatives have been made of three new heterocyclic systems (IIH) containing an imidazole ring. Synthetic routes are described for compounds of type II where X = CH2 (8H-dibenzo[3,4: 6,7]cyclohept[1,2-d] imidazoles), and X = CH2CH2 (8,9-dihydrodibenzo[3,4:7,8]cyclooct[1,2-d] imidazoles) and X = S (dibenzo[2,3:6,7] thiepin] 4,5-d] imidazoles). In addition, improved syntheses are presented for some previously known compounds employed as intermediates in this work.
The effect of renal vasodilation and hypotonic volume expansion on water excretion in dogs after anesthesia and surgery

The possible effects of renal vasoconstriction from anesthesia and surgery on water excretion after hypotonic volume expansion (HVE) were studied in 18 well conditioned anesthetized dogs, with and without the infusion of phenoxybenzamine and acetylcholine into the renal artery of the cannulated kidney. In 6 dogs (Group 1 - Control) whose renal artery was infused with isosmotic saline, HVE resulted in a bilateral increase in GFR and UV (p < .05). ERPF, Cosm, CH2O, UNaV, UKV, RBF, RVR and MAP did not change significantly. In 6 other dogs (Group 2), whose cannulated kidney was infused with phenoxybenzamine 50 μg/min before and during HVE, GFR increased on the infused side while CH2O and UV increased bilaterally (p < .05). ERPF, Cosm, UNaV, UKV, RBF, RVR and MAP were not affected significantly. The addition of ADH, 2 mu/min into the phenoxybenzamine infusate, decreased ERPF, RBF and RVR bilaterally and CH2O on the infused side (p < .05). It had no effect upon GFR, Cosm, UNaV, UKV and MAP. In another 6 dogs, (Group 3), whose cannulated renal artery was infused with acetylcholine (20 μg/min) before and during HVE, CH2O, UV and RVR increased bilaterally (p < .05). ERPF and RBF decreased bilaterally (p < .05), whereas GFR, Cosm, UNaV and MAP were unaffected. UKV decreased on the infused side (p < .05). The addition of ADH (2 mu/min)_into the acetylcholine infusate, decreased CH2O bilaterally and increased Cosm and UKV on the control side (p < .05). It had no effect on ERPF, GFR, UV, UNaV, RBF, RVR and MAP. These observations suggest that anesthesia and surgery produce renal vasoconstriction and this together with increased ADH release, interfere with water excretion by the kidney. Previous renal vasodilation prevents these influences of anesthesia and surgery.
Model tests of turbine missile impact on reinforced concrete

Abstract The results of 25 impact tests on 1/11-scale models of reinforced concrete nuclear plant walls are presented. These tests determined experimentally the maximum velocity at which postulated turbine missiles are contained by typical reinforced concrete walls. The parameters varied were missile weight, velocity, orientation, and impact angle, as well as target design and thickness. The results showed that the NDRC perforation formula used extensively in current practice is overly conservative, whereas a newer empirical formula (CEA-EDF) gave reasonably conservative predictions of the test results. All but the most energetic postulated missiles are stopped by containment wall models, and steel liners on these walls are effective in suppressing backface concrete scabbing.
Investigating the GRNN Oracle as a Method for Combining Multiple Predictive Models of Colon Cancer Recurrence from Gene Microarrays

Abstract In previous work, we applied an advanced genetic algorithm method for feature subset selection combined with noise perturbation in an attempt to overcome the over-fitting that is typical with microarray datasets. The method was applied to a dataset from Moffitt Cancer Center and the clinical outcome to be predicted was cancer recurrence in less than 5 years. By its nature, the method yields multiple gene signatures, each as small as possible and often these signatures will share one or more genes. The question is how to combine the predictions from multiple predictors. In the previous work, we produced an ensemble prediction by a simple majority vote rule, and observed that performance on a validation set was considerably worse than on the learning set. Our conclusion was that the training and validation sets were not equally representative of the same population, and therefore could not provide reliable gene signatures. Here we report on an effort to apply a more sophisticated ensemble method, the Generalized Regression Neural network (GRNN) Oracle, but this did not allow us to reverse our original conclusion.
Study of protons in acceptor-doped KTaO3 crystals by IR and EPR techniques

Abstract In order to understand the manner of incorporation of protons into perovskite structure oxides, KTaO3 crystals containing acceptor dopants Co2+, Mn2+, Cu2+, and Fe3+ were investigated following thermal treatments in various partial pressures of O2 and H2O. IR measurements were used to monitor the proton content through the OH− absorption bands, while quantitative EPR measurements were used to determine the changes in the local environment of the dopant ion. It is shown that the introduction of protons during high-temperature treatments in H2O is accompanied by the replacement of the oxygen-ion vacancies (Vo) that initially compensated the acceptor dopants by O2− ions. In the case of the M2+ dopants, the dopant-vacancy association free energy is sufficiently strong to retain the MVO pairs even during high-temperature (900°C) treatments; thus, only 〈100〉 axial EPR spectra due to such pairs are observed. For Fe3+ dopants, however, virtually all of the Vo can be replaced by O2−, leaving the Fe3+ ion in a cubic environment. The results also show evidence for valence changes of the Co, Mn, and Cu dopants when treatments change from oxidizing to reducing atmospheres.
Modeling I/O buffers using X-parameters

X-parameters have been shown to have a wide array of applications in the modeling of nonlinear devices and systems. This work analyzes the large-signal portion of an X-parameter model of a buffer to determine the extent of its nonlinearity and use for modeling input/output buffers.
Simulation of organisms using a developmental model part 1: Basic description

Abstract We discuss a program for simulating linear arrays of cells, each one changing under the same set of rules. The action of a cell is influenced by both its neighbours. Thus, the program can be used for the simulation of linear iterative networks of identical modules. The authors' main application, however, is in the field of biology, where the program can be used to test hypotheses about the developmental rules for organisms. For this reason, the division of one cell into several cells is allowed. If developmental rules based on the hypotheses are fed in as data to the program, it will give as output the case-history of any desired number of developmental sequences, as well as statistical data concerning the development. These can then be checked against experimental results and thus the validity of the hypotheses can be established. For well-validated hypotheses the program can also be used as a predictor. The advantage of using the program described here over writing a simulator for each specific biological situation is the great reduction in programming time. A user of our program need only write a simple routine to describe the local interaction between cells and the kind of statistical data he requires, and the program will automatically work out the global behaviour of the organism and collect and print out the desired data in an acceptable form. Even a very inexperienced programmer can use our program easily and effectively for biological simulation. The program is demonstrated by applications concerning the developmental rules for red algae and for molluscan pigmentation patterns. In Part 2, we shall investigate some hypotheses concerning heterocyst formation in blue-green algae.
Results of selection for susceptibility and resistance to trypan blue teratogenesis in a four‐way outcross mouse population

A four-way cross mouse population was established and four successive generations of animals were treated with trypan blue, selection being applied for susceptibility and resistance to the teratogen. The selection was successful, 26.8 ± 1.7% of all animals in the susceptible line (CBHA-S) being abnormal and only 8.6 ± 1.7% of resistant (CBHA-R) individuals being affected by the treatment. An unselected control line (CBHA-C) produced an intermediate frequency of abnormality when treated. The vast majority of the abnormalities produced were of the tail and involved kinking, shortening, vertebral fusions and the occurrence of a completely novel malformation—an accessory tail. Both the proportion of litters affected by the treatment and the proportion of abnormal individuals within affected litters differed in the selected lines.
Climate Records Covering the Last Deglaciation

The oxygen-18/oxygen-16 ratio of molecular oxygen trapped in ice cores provides a time-stratigraphic marker for transferring the absolute chronology for the Greenland Ice Sheet Project (GISP) II ice core to the Vostok and Byrd ice cores in Antarctica. Comparison of the climate records from these cores suggests that, near the beginning of the last deglaciation, warming in Antarctica began approximately 3000 years before the onset of the warm Bolling period in Greenland. Atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane concentrations began to rise 2000 to 3000 years before the warming began in Greenland and must have contributed to deglaciation and warming of temperate and boreal regions in the Northern Hemisphere.
Deactivation of macrophages by transforming growth factor-|[beta]|

Macrophage activation—enhanced capacity to kill, in a cell that otherwise mostly scavenges—is essential for host survival from infection and contributes to containment of tumours. Both microbes and tumour cells, therefore, may be under pressure to inhibit or reverse the activation of macrophages. This reasoning led to the demonstration of macrophage deactivating factors from both microbes1,2 and tumour cells3–5. In some circumstances the host itself probably requires the ability to deactivate macrophages. Macrophages are essential to the healing of wounds and repair of tissues damaged by inflammation. Yet the cytotoxic products of the activated macrophages can damage endothelium, fibroblasts, smooth muscle and parenchymal cells (reviewed in ref. 6). Thus, after an inflammatory site has been sterilized, the impact of macrophage activation on the host might shift from benefit to detriment. These concepts led us to search for macrophage deactivating effects among polypeptide growth factors that regulate angiogenesis, fibrogenesis and other aspects of tissue repair. Among 11 such factors, two proteins that are 71% similar proved to be potent macrophage deactivators: these are transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF- β1) and TGF- β2.
Alterations in mitochondrial membrane fluidity by lipid peroxidation products

Age-related damage to the mitochondrial membrane, including decreased membrane fluidity, has been attributed to free radical reactions. Our previous studies point to lipid peroxidation as a primary cause in age-related changes in membrane fluidity. This report offers new evidence that lipid peroxidation-modulated decreases in membrane fluidity are mediated through two aldehydic lipid peroxidation products, 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Hepatic mitochondria were isolated from both ad libitum fed (AL) and dietary restricted (DR) rats of different ages. Introduction of the aldehydes was found to decrease mitochondrial membrane fluidity, although the fluidity decrease induced by HNE was more pronounced than that induced by MDA. It seems likely that HNE modifies membrane fluidity by direct interaction with membrane phospholipids, as shown by the generation of a fluorescent complex between HNE and membrane phospholipids. Finally, HNE and MDA were isolated and quantitated in mitochondria. Their levels clearly differentiated between animals of different age and dietary groups. These data indicate that the reactive products of lipid peroxidation, especially HNE, may play an important role in mediating the decreased mitochondrial membrane fluidity observed in aging animals.
Brownian dynamics simulations of copolymer-stabilized nanoparticles in the presence of an oil-water interface.

We describe predictions of properties of copolymer-stabilized nanoparticles in the presence of an oil-water interface based on Brownian dynamics simulations. These simulations provide information regarding the equilibrium and diffusion properties of the stabilized particles. The hydrophilic part of the copolymer is modeled as a polyelectrolyte and is described at the Debye-Huckel level. Both block and random copolymers are considered. The surface area of particles at the fluid interface and the diffusion properties of the particles give some guidance into the copolymer architectures that may be most useful for stabilizing nanoparticles at fluid interfaces. We find based on our results that a conservative recommendation to enhance transportability in a water phase and attachment to an oil-water interface would be to design nanoparticles with a random copolymer attached to them.