cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decreased CSF Norepinephrine and Monoamine Metabolites in Schizophrenic Patients with Brain Atrophy as Shown with CT Scans

Spinal fluid levels of homovanillic acid (HVA), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), 3-4 dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), norepinephrine (NE) and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) were evaluated in off-medication chronic schizophrenic patients with (N=B) and without (N=43) evidence of brain atrophy of computerized tomography (CT) scans. Patients with brain atrophy showed significantly lower levels of these spinal fluid constituents except MHPG. These CSF findings support the proposed subdivision of schizophrenia with and without brain atrophy. Future CSF studies need to take brain atrophy into account among variables as diet, age, sex, sleep (hours), drug conditions, clinical state, anxiety and activity.
Artificial neural networks for motion analysis

A novel approach to 3D rigid motion analysis using artificial neural network techniques is proposed. It differs from the previous works in the ways it tackles the problems of matching and motion parameter extraction among two frames. Experiments are conducted to corroborate the proposed techniques. >
Gas-metal reactions VII. Kinetics of the oxidation of thulium by oxygen and water vapor

Abstract Thulium metal was reacted with oxygen, water vapor, and mixtures of the two in the temperature range 650 °–850 °C at varying gas pressures. A gravimetric study of the oxygen and water vapor reactions showed them to follow generally a parabolic rate law, although there was some indication of a linear law at 650 °C and a cubic rate law at 850 °C. Analysis of the reaction products showed them to be Tm2O3 for both gases with the evolution of hydrogen in the water vapor reaction. Activation energies of 28.0 and 29.0 kcal/mole were found for the oxygen and water vapor reactions, respectively, indicating a similar mechanism for the two reactions. The reaction between thulium and mixtures of oxygen and water vapor was found to be more complex, apparently depending upon the microstructure of the metal samples used in the study, as well as impurities present. In some cases a highly accelerated rate was noted between 730 ° and 770 °C with the subsequent formation of a non-adherent coating. Since this did not occur at temperatures above or below this range, this is attributed to a change in structure in the coating.
Alterations in growth rate and cell cycle kinetics of rat liver tumor cells cultured in ethanol-containing medium. In vitro model of proliferative restriction in response to ethanol exposure.

Abstract Mechanisms related to the growth suppressive effect of acute ethanol exposure on liver cells were investigated using an established line of ethanol-sensitive rat hepatic tumor cells (32IIIA) and recently developed cytochemical methods for analysis of hepatocyte cell cycle kinetics. Exposure of exponentially growing 32IIIA cells to ethyl alcohol (range 10–100 mM in the growth medium) for a period of 3 days resulted in concentration-dependent decreases (4–25%) in final population density and increases (18–35%) in mean population doubling time compared to untreated cells. Viability was unaffected by ethanol exposure in the concentrations indicated and for the duration period utilized, approximating 94% under all experimental conditions. Multiparametric flow cytometric analysis revealed significant ethanol-associated differences in specific growth parameters and growth state compartments of 32IIIA hepatic tumor cell populations. Most prominent was an ethanol-associated and concentration-dependent (a) increase in the fraction of cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, (b) increase in the coefficient of variation in the G1 DNA content measurement, and (c) accumulation (in the G1 phase) of cells with a very low mean RNA content. Increases in each of these cytochemically-defined parameters reflected increasing levels of ethanol in the growth medium. This study indicates that the effects of ethanol on cultured cells of hepatic origin are quite complex. It is concluded that the inhibition of proliferation observed during acute ethanol exposure of liver-derived 32IIIA cells in vitro is due to an accumulation of cells in the G1 compartment.
Nash equilibrium strategies in directional models of two- candidate spatial competition

The standard approach to two-party political competition in a multi-dimensional issue space models voters as voting for the alternative that is located closest to their own most preferred location. Another approach to understanding voter choice is based on preferred direction of change with respect to some specified neutral point (e.g., an origin or status quo point).
Do women with statin-related myalgias have low vitamin D levels?

Background Statin intolerance is often due to myalgias. Severe vitamin D deficiency is characterized by musculoskeletal pain. We hypothesized that statin-intolerance is associated with vitamin D deficiency.
Fermentation of Fructose and Synthesis of Acetate from Carbon Dioxide by Clostridium formicoaceticum

Clostridium formicoaceticum ferments fructose labeled with 14C in carbon 1, 4, 5, or 6 via the Embden Meyerhof pathway. In fermentations of fructose in the presence of 14CO2, acetate is formed labeled equally in both carbons. Extracts convert the methyl groups of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and methyl-B12 to the methyl group of acetate in the presence of pyruvate. Formate dehydrogenase, 10-formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase, 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase, 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase, and 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase are present in extracts of C. formicoaceticum. These enzymes are needed for the conversion of CO2 to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. It is proposed that acetate is totally synthesized from CO2 via the reactions catalyzed by the enzymes listed above and that 5-methyltetra-hydrofolate and a methylcorrinoid are intermediates in this synthesis.
Visualizing large-scale parallel communication traces using a particle animation technique

Large-scale scientific simulations require execution on parallel computing systems in order to yield useful results in a reasonable time frame. But parallel execution adds communication overhead. The impact that this overhead has on performance may be difficult to gauge, as parallel application behaviors are typically harder to understand than the sequential types. We introduce an animation-based interactive visualization technique for the analysis of communication patterns occurring in parallel application execution. Our method has the advantages of illustrating the dynamic communication patterns in the system as well as a static image of MPI (Message Passing Interface) utilization history. We also devise a data streaming mechanism that allows for the exploration of very large data sets. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach scaling up to 16 thousand processes using a series of trace data sets of ScaLAPACK matrix operations functions.
Effect of a Pneumatically Driven Haptic Interface on the Perceptional Capabilities of Human Operators

This paper describes experimental studies conducted using a pneumatically driven haptic interface (PHI) system. The PHI is a unilateral exoskeletal device that tracks the motion of the shoulder and elbow. The study was carried out to evaluate the impact of an exoskeletal haptic interface on human perceptional capabilities. A population of twenty subjects participated in a set of experiments that were tailored to assess force sensation, shape perception, and effect of force feedback in task performance. Using Weber fractions, we contrasted the outcome of our force sensation experiments against results reported by psychophysical researchers. The results indicated that the perception of weight (or force magnitude) through the haptic interface was significantly affected for relatively low reference force levels (4.44 N, Weber frac tion 5 0.5). The effect progressively diminished as the force level was increased, and almost matched the natural human capabilities for a reference force level of 18 N (Weber fraction 5 0.06). The haptic shape identification experiments showed that the subjects were able to identify various shapes using the PHI system (1 5 0.3 m reference length, with Weber fraction 5 0.38). This identification, however, was adversely affected by the lack of tactile sensation in the haptic device. The outcome of the force-feedback experiments demonstrated mixed results, an observation that was consistent with experimental studies of other researchers. While force feedback did not affect the time needed to complete the task, the subjects' performance was significantly improved when the experiments involved controlling the thickness of a curve drawn on a pressure-sensitive tablet.
Transplantation of lac-Z-Transduced Microvascular Endothelial Cells into the Skeletal Muscle Capillary Bed of the Rat Hindlimb Occurs Independent of the Duration of Fernoral Artery Occlusion after Injection of Cells

Abstract The skeletal muscle capillary bed may be an ideal recipient site for transplantation of genetically modified autologous endothelial cells and thus provide a basis for a technique of somatic gene therapy that would be applicable to a variety of acquired and inherited human diseases. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that adhesion of lac-Z -transduced microvascular endothelial cells (MVEC) in the skeletal muscle capillary bed in vivo is dependent on the duration of arterial occlusion after injection of the transduced MVEC. MVEC derived from the abdominal fat pad of syngeneic rats (Wistar F-455) were transfected with the BAG vector, a replication-incompetent retroviral vector containing the lac-Z gene for β-galactosidase and the Tn5 gene for selection of the transduced cells by the neomycin analogue, G418. lac-Z -transduced MVEC were radiolabeled with 125 I-PKH-95, and, after the femoral artery was occluded for 10 min, these cells (1 to 2 × 10 6 ) were injected intraarterially into the rat hindlimb. In the experimental groups the femoral artery clamp was removed at 0, 60, or 120 min after injection. A control group without pre- or postinjection femoral arterial occlusion was also studied. Adhesion of MVEC in the skeletal muscle capillary bed (mean percentage of injected 125 I activity) was determined in groups of 4 rats at 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month after injection. Adhesion of the transduced MVEC did not increase as the duration of femoral artery occlusion after injection was increased. The highest rate was found in the group subjected to only a 10-min preclamp (32% at 1 day, 17% at 1 week, and 15% at 1 month). These results indicate that mechanical forces such as capillary shear rate and perfusion pressure may not be important determinants of adhesion and incorporation of transduced MVEC into skeletal muscle capillaries. Nevertheless, these results document significant adhesion and persistence of genetically modified MVEC transplanted into the capillary bed of the skeletal muscle.
Shifting adaptive landscapes: Progress and challenges in reconstructing early hominid environments

Since Darwin situated humans in an evolutionary framework, much discussion has focused on environmental factors that may have shaped or influenced the course of human evolution. Developing adaptive or causal perspectives on the morphological and behavioral variability documented in the human fossil record requires establishing a comprehensive paleoenvironmental context. Reconstructing environments in the past, however, is a complex undertaking, requiring assimilation of diverse datasets of varying quality, scale, and relevance. In response to these difficulties, human evolution has traditionally been interpreted in a somewhat generalized framework, characterized primarily by increasing aridity and seasonality periodically punctuated by pulses or intervals of environmental change, inferred largely from global climatic records. Although these broad paradigms provide useful heuristic approaches for interpreting human evolution, the spatiotemporal resolution remains far too coarse to develop unambiguous causal links. This challenge has become more acute as the emerging paleoenvironmental evidence from equatorial Africa is revealing a complex pattern of habitat heterogeneity and persistent ecological flux throughout the interval of human evolution. In addition, recent discoveries have revealed significant taxonomic diversity and substantially increased the geographic and temporal range of early hominids. These findings raise further questions regarding the role of the environment in mediating or directing the course of human evolution. As a consequence, it is imperative to critically assess the environmental criteria on which many theories and hypotheses of human evolution hinge. The goals here are to 1) compile, review, and evaluate relevant paleoecological datasets from equatorial Africa spanning the last 10 Ma, 2) develop a hierarchical perspective for developing and evaluating hypotheses linking paleoecology to patterns and processes in early hominid evolution, and 3) suggest a conceptual framework for modeling and interpreting environmental data relevant to human evolution in equatorial Africa.
Feedback Controls and Optimal Gain Design of Delayed Periodic Linear Systems

In this paper we present an application of a semi-discretization method to the stability analysis of PID feedback controls of linear systems with time delay. The method develops a mapping of the system response in a finite-dimensional state space. Minimization of the largest absolute value of the eigenvalues of the mapping leads to optimal control gains. Numerical examples of both time-invariant and periodic linear systems are presented to demonstrate the method. The tracking control problem of linear systems with time delay is also discussed. We have found that the semi-discretization method provides accurate stability boundaries and performance contours in the parametric space of control gains, and offers an alternative to the classic design approaches of feedback controls.
Ordering in asymmetric block copolymer films by a compressible fluid.

We examine the morphological structures of asymmetric poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(1,1‘-dihydroperflurooctyl methacrylate) (PEO-b-PFOMA) thin films upon annealing in a compressible fluid, supercritical CO2 (Sc-CO2). The strong affinity between PFOMA and CO2 is found to induce phase segregation when annealing PEO-b-PFOMA films at the same temperature as compared with vacuum. In vacuum, PEO-b-PFOMA films remain disordered from 80 to 180 °C, whereas, in Sc-CO2 at 13.9 MPa, an upper order−disorder transition (UODT) between 116 and 145 °C is found. In Sc-CO2, the observed ordered structure is layers of PEO spheres embedded in the matrix of PFOMA, followed by a brush layer, in which PEO wets the substrate. The swelling isotherms of PFOMA and PEO in CO2 are correlated with the Sanchez−Lacombe equation of state (SLEOS) to estimate the interaction parameters, χPFOMA-CO2 and χPEO-CO2. The phase segregation (order) induced by CO2 relative to vacuum at a given temperature is explained in terms of two factors: (1) cop...
Reduced vertebral bone density in hypercalciuric nephrolithiasis

Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and single-photon absorptiometry were used to determine bone density at the lumbar spine and radial shaft in 62 patients with absorptive hypercalciuria, 27 patients with fasting hypercalciuria, and 31 nonhypercalciuric stone formers. Lumbar bone density was significantly lower in patients with absorptive (-10%) as well as in those with fasting hypercalciuria (-12%), with 74 and 92% of patients displaying values below the normal mean, whereas only 48% of the nonhypercalciuric stone formers had bone density values below the normal mean. In contrast, radial bone density was similar in all three groups of renal stone formers investigated. The comparison of urinary chemistry in patients with absorptive hypercalciuria and low normal bone density compared to those with high normal bone density showed a significantly increased 24 h urinary calcium excretion on random diet and a trend toward a higher 24 h urinary uric acid excretion and a higher body mass index in patients with low normal bone density. Moreover, among the patients with absorptive hypercalciuria we found a statistically significant correlation between the spinal bone density and the 24 h sodium and sulfate excretion and the urinary pH. These results gave evidence for an additional role of environmental factors (sodium and animal proteins) in the pathogenesis of bone loss in absorptive hypercalciuria. In conclusion, our data suggest an osteopenia of trabecular-rich bone tissues in patients with fasting and absorptive hypercalciurias.
Propagator Method for joint time delay and frequency estimation

A novel method of estimating the differential delay of a sinusoidal signal is considered. The new method utilizes the propagator method (PM) which does not require the eigen-decomposition of the cross-spectral matrix (CSM) in estimating the delay of a signal received at two separated sensors. Moreover, the proposed method would generate estimates of the signal frequencies. Such estimates of time delay and frequencies are based on the observation and/or covariance matrices. Computer simulation is performed to validate the new procedure.
Consumption patterns and risk assessment of crab consumers from the Newark Bay Complex, New Jersey, USA.

Abstract The Newark Bay Complex (NBC) is a significant historical repository of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and dioxin-like compounds. Detection of high levels of 2,3,7,8 tetrachloro-dibenzodioxins (TCDD) and its toxicological equivalents in blue crabs in the early 1990's led to a ban on the taking and distribution of crabs from the NBC. Despite this ban and ongoing communication outreach, surveys of crabbers in 1995, 2002 and 2005 by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) showed that crabbing for recreational purposes and for significant dietary supplementation was continuing. At the time they were surveyed, the crabbers had been consuming these crabs for an average of 37% of their lives. Thus, exposure can be considered chronic. The surveys provided data on the duration, frequency and amount of NBC crab consumption. In 2004, the NJDEP sampled blue crabs in the NBC and analyzed the edible portions for 2,3,7,8 TCDD toxicity equivalent (TEQ) concentration. We have combined the survey-based exposure data and the 2,3,7,8 TCDD TEQ concentration data to produce an estimate of the lifetime cancer risk to NBC crabbers from dioxin-like compounds. We employed a point-estimate approach using discrete lower, central tendency and reasonable maximum exposure (RME) estimates of exposure factors and a probabilistic approach to exposure factors. Both approaches show central tendency lifetime cancer risk of greater than one-in-a-thousand (10 −3 ) and an upper percentile/RME risk of approximately one-in-a-hundred (10 −2 ). Little extrapolation is involved in applying the 2,3,7,8-TCDD TEQ concentration data in crabs to risk estimates in the population consuming those crabs. The ongoing and frequent nature of the crab collection minimizes the uncertainty often inherent in food recall surveys. These estimates point to the continued risk posed to NBC crab consumers and to the continuing importance of this resource which, with proper remediation, could provide ongoing benefit to the surrounding community.
9:43 Discrimination validity of the modified Scoliosis Research Society outcomes instrument in adults with scoliosis

Abstract Purpose of study: The modified Scoliosis Research Society (MSRS) questionnaire has been proposed as an instrument for measurement of disease-specific health status in patients with scoliosis. The purpose of this study is to report the discrimination validity of the MSRS instrument in differentiating between adults with and without scoliosis and to define the relationship between outcome domains and specific radiographic parameters of spinal deformity. Methods used: Adults with scoliosis and age/gender-matched controls were studied in an observational study. Discrimination validity of the MSRS questionnaire was determined by comparing the means of responses in each domain between adults with scoliosis and a control group without scoliosis. Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship of each domain of the MSRS and Short Form (SF)-36 questionnaires compared with radiographic process variables, including sagittal balance, coronal balance and major curve magnitude. of findings: A total of 180 adults were included, 146 with scoliosis and 34 without. Average age was 47 years (18 to 86 years), with 165 females and 15 males. Adults with scoliosis scored significantly lower on the MSRS and the SF-36 questionnaires in all domains: Pain (p=.0001), Function (p=.0001), Self-image (p=.0001) and Mental Health (p=.012). Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated no significant correlation between any radiographic process measure and any specific domain within the MSRS and SF-36 instruments (r Relationship between findings and existing knowledge: Previous literature has reported that scoliosis may have a limited impact on pain and function in adults. These results suggest that adult deformity has a significant and measurable impact on affected patients compared with controls. There is a poor correlation between radiographic parameters of deformity and outcome domains, including Pain, Function, Self-image, Mental Health and Satisfaction with Surgery. This finding suggests that no one process variable is most predictive of outcome using a self-assessment disease-specific instrument. Overall significance of findings: Adult patients with scoliosis have significant pain and limited function compared with unaffected controls. Process variables including radiographic measures correlate poorly with patient self-assessment of outcome. Disclosures: No disclosures. Conflict of interest: No conflicts.
Accurate, automated measurement of differential group delay dispersion and principal state variation using Jones matrix eigenanalysis

Polarization mode dispersion can be described to first order by principal states of polarization (PSPs) and a differential group delay (DGD), and to second order by wavelength variation of the PSPs and by DGD dispersion (DGDD), the wavelength derivative of DGD. The high accuracy and wavelength resolution of Jones matrix eigenanalysis allows precise measurement of DGDD and PSP variation. A fast, automated system based on a tunable laser and an accurate, real-time polarimeter is used to measure DGD, DGDD, and PSP variation by eigenanalysis of Jones matrices measured at a series of discrete wavelengths, and the system accuracy is demonstrated. Measurements at 2-nm intervals of a device whose DGDD is a known function of wavelength yield values of DGDD which differ from theory by less than 13 fs/nm. >
Photochemical production of conjugated linoleic acid from soybean oil.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), an anticarcinogenic compound with numerous other health benefits, is present mainly in dairy and beef lipids. The main CLA isomer present in dairy and beef lipids is cis 9, trans 11 CLA at a 0.5% concentration. The typical minimum human dietary intake of CLA is 10 times less than the 3 g/d suggested requirement that has been extrapolated from animal and cell-line studies. The objectives of this study were to produce CLA isomers from soybean oil by photoisomerization of soybean oil linoleic acid and to study the oxidation status of the oil. Refined, bleached, and deodorized soybean oil with added iodine concentrations of 0, 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5% was exposed to a 100-W mercury lamp for 0 to 120 h. An SP-2560 fused-silica capillary GC column with FID was used to analyze the esterified CLA isomers in the photoisomerized oil. The CLA content of the individual isomers was optimized by response surface methodology. Attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-FTIR spectra in the 3400 to 3600 cm−1 range and 1H NMR spectra in the 8 to 12 ppm range of the photoisomerized soybean oil were obtained to follow hydroperoxide formation. The largest amount of cis 9, trans 11 CLA isomer in soybean oil was 0.6%, obtained with 0.25% iodine and 84 h of photoisomerization. Lipid hydroperoxide peaks in the ATR-FTIR spectra and aldehyde peaks in the 1H NMR spectra were not observed in the photoisomerized soybean oil, and the spectra were similar to that of fresh soybean oil. This study shows that CLA isomers can be produced simply and inexpensively from soybean oil by photoisomerization.
Equilibrium of Hydrogen + Cyclopentane and Carbon Dioxide + Cyclopentane Binary Hydrates

Cyclopentane (CP) forms sII hydrates, in which CP only occupies the large cavities. Small gas molecules such as hydrogen and carbon dioxide can be encaged in the small cavities. However, there are no reported data on the equilibrium conditions of CP + H2 and CP + CO2 binary hydrates, which are essential to developing CO2 capturing or H2 enriching processes. In this study, the dissociation temperature of CP + H2 hydrate pressures ranging from (2.7 to 11.1) MPa and CP + CO2 hydrates at pressures of (0.89 to 3.51) MPa was measured by using a high-pressure MicroDSC.
Bi- and triferrocene complexes containing silylenevinylenephenylene bridges. Model compounds for poly{ferrocene(phenylene)bis(silylenevinylene)}s

A series of conjugated ferrocene-based organosilicon complexes with one, two, or three ferrocene units have been prepared via hydrosilylation of alkynes with ferrocenylsilanes using Karstedt's catalyst (platinum-divinyltetramethyldisiloxane) and Rh(PPh3)3I. Reaction of 1,1‘-bis(dimethylsilyl)ferrocene (1) with 2 equiv of RC⋮CR1 (R = H, R1 = Ph, SiMe3, Fc {Fc = (η-C5H5)Fe(η-C5H4)}; R = SiMe3, R1 = Ph, Fc) gave Fe[(η5-C5H4)(Me)2SiC(R)CHR1]2 complexes (type 1) with varying regiochemical distributions. Addition of 2 equiv of dimethylsilylferrocene (2) to dialkynes R−C⋮C−X−C⋮C−R [R = H, X = C6H4 (1,4- and 1,3-), SiMe2; R = Me, X = Fc‘ {Fc‘ = (η-C5H4)Fe(η-C5H4)}; R = SiMe3, X = C6H4 (1,4- and 1,3-); R = Ph, X = nothing] resulted in Fc(Me)2Si(R)CC(H)−X−(H)CC(R)Si(Me)2Fc complexes (type 2), again with varying regiochemical distributions. The platinum-promoted hydrosilylations resulted in β-(E) and α-regioisomers, whereas the rhodium-catalyzed reactions gave primarily β-(Z) species with minor amounts of the β-(E) ...
Construction of a rationally designed human cytomegalovirus variant encoding a temperature-sensitive immediate-early 2 protein

We generated a set of cysteine-to-glycine mutations and screened them to identify a temperature-sensitive allele of the human cytomegalovirus UL122 gene, which encodes the immediate-early 2 transcriptional activating protein. The mutant allele contains a single base pair substitution at amino acid 510. In transcription activation assays, the mutant protein activated the simian virus 40 early and human cytomegalovirus UL112 promoters at 32.5°C but not at 39.5°C. We constructed a mutant virus, BTNtsUL122, in which the wild-type UL122 locus is substituted with the mutant allele. The mutant produced progeny at 32.5°C but not at 39.5°C. Although the mutant virus accumulated immediate-early transcripts and proteins at the nonpermissive temperature, it did not produce any early (UL44 and UL54) and late (UL82) transcripts and it did not replicate its DNA. The mutant's defect at the nonpermissive temperature results, at least in part, from the inability of the temperature-sensitive immediate-early 2 protein to activate early viral promoters, whose products are required for DNA replication and progression into the late phase of the virus growth cycle.
Fibrinolytic capacity following stimulation with desmopressin acetate in patients with diabetes mellitus

Abstract Tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), tissue plasminogen activator inhibitor, (PAI), and von Willebrand factor (vWF) were measured in 30 diabetics and 17 control subjects. These studies were performed to clarify the role of obesity in causing abnormalities of the fibrinolytic system in diabetics. The t-PA antigen response measured after the infusion of desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) was similar in all groups. Peak responses to DDAVP for controls, type I diabetics, and type II diabetics were 21.2 ± 9.5 ng/mL, 27.5 ± 9.0 ng/mL, and 28.8 ± 11.0 ng/mL (NS), respectively. These responses did not correlate with the body mass index (BMI) or any other of the indices examined. A significant decrease of t-PA activity as contrasted with t-PA antigen following DDAVP occurred in type II diabetics only. The decrease of t-PA activity strongly correlated with greater basal levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor in these same subjects. The plasma level of plasminogen activator inhibitor correlated with BMI but with no other index examined. In contrast to t-PA activity and PAI, vWF responses to DDAVP inversely correlated to basal vWF concentration in all groups. Basal concentrations of vWF were increased in both type I and II diabetics and showed no relationship to degree of obesity. In summary, these results suggest that type II diabetic subjects have decreased t-PA activity, which is best explained by increased levels of PAI. The increased PAI appears related to obesity and not diabetes per se.
Effectiveness of inpatient and outpatient treatment strategies for women with pelvic inflammatory disease: Results from the pelvic inflammatory disease evaluation and clinical health (peach) randomized trial

Abstract Objective: Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a common and morbid intraperitoneal infection. Although most women with pelvic inflammatory disease are treated as outpatients, the effectiveness of this strategy remains unproven. Study Design: We enrolled 831 women with clinical signs and symptoms of mild-to-moderate pelvic inflammatory disease into a multicenter randomized clinical trial of inpatient treatment initiated by intravenous cefoxitin and doxycycline versus outpatient treatment that consisted of a single intramuscular injection of cefoxitin and oral doxycycline. Long-term outcomes were pregnancy rate, time to pregnancy, recurrence of pelvic inflammatory disease, chronic pelvic pain, and ectopic pregnancy. Results: Short-term clinical and microbiologic improvement were similar between women randomized to the inpatient and outpatient groups. After a mean follow-up period of 35 months, pregnancy rates were nearly equal (42.0% for outpatients and 41.7% for inpatients). There were also no statistically significant differences between outpatient and inpatient groups in the outcome of time to pregnancy or in the proportion of women with pelvic inflammatory disease recurrence, chronic pelvic pain, or ectopic pregnancy. Conclusion: Among women with mild-to-moderate pelvic inflammatory disease, there was no difference in reproductive outcomes between women randomized to inpatient treatment and those randomized to outpatient treatment. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;186:929-37.)
Resampling of hypotheses after negative instances

Ninety subjects were run under each of three conditions in a conjunctive concept identification experiment. For one problem, a subject was presented a repetition of the initial positive instance on the trial on which resampling would occur if the subject had not started with the correct hypothesis. For another problem, the subject was presented a new positive instance on that trial; and for a third problem, he was presented a negative instance on that trial. Hypothesis samples were assessed using blank trials following resampling. It was found that a repetition of the original positive instance and a negative instance resulted in about equal problem difficulty, while presentation of a new positive instance produced the best performance. Blank trial assessments corroborated the finding. It was concluded that memory for the initial focus was important in the resampling process.
Influence of Age on Rate of Immune Response of Mice to Formolized Equine Encephalomyelitis Virus

SummaryThe rate of development of neutralizing antibodies in serum of mice immunized with formalin-inactivated virus of Eastern equine encephalomyelitis has been shown to increase progressively with age. The antibodies in serum of mice immunized at a very early age did not reach the maximum titer found in mice immunized when older.The low degree of active immunity to intracerebral injection of active virus induced in mice 14 days old at the beginning of immunization did not increase from 2 to 4 weeks after immunization. During that interval, mice immunized at 3 months of age maintained a high degree of active immunity.
Relationship between local structure and relaxor behavior in perovskite oxides.

Despite intensive investigations over the past five decades, the microscopic origins of the fascinating dielectric properties of $AB{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ relaxor ferroelectrics are currently poorly understood. Here, we show that the frequency dispersion that is the hallmark of relaxor behavior is quantitatively related to the crystal chemical characteristics of the solid solution. Density functional theory is used in conjunction with experimental determination of cation arrangement to identify the 0 K structural motifs. These are then used to parametrize a simple phenomenological Landau theory that predicts the universal dependence of frequency dispersion on the solid solution cation arrangement and off-center cation displacements.
Relation between molecular orientation and morphology of a multiblock copolymer melt confined in cylindrical nanopores

Abstract The morphologies of multiblock copolymer melts (for simplicity, we consider tetra blocks) and their configurations when they are confined in cylindrical nanopores were examined by Lattice Monte Carlo simulations. The dependence of their morphologies and of the configurations of the copolymers (through the radius of gyration) on the nanopore diameter, intersegment interaction energies (repulsive interaction energies between different kinds of segments of the copolymers), and attractive interactions between one kind of segments and the surface of the nanopore was investigated. The results indicate that the morphology of a copolymer melt is connected to the configuration of the copolymer chain. It was found that: (i) stacked disks are generated when the polymer chains are preferentially directed along the nanopore axis, and (ii) helixes or lamellae parallel to the nanopore axis are formed when the copolymer chains are preferentially directed normal to the nanopore axis.
Modeling and assimilation of root zone soil moisture using remote sensing observations in Walnut Gulch Watershed during SMEX04

Abstract Soil moisture status in the root zone is an important component of the water cycle at all spatial scales ( e.g. , point, field, catchment, watershed, and region). In this study, the spatio-temporal evolution of root zone soil moisture of the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW) in Arizona was investigated during the Soil Moisture Experiment 2004 (SMEX04). Root zone soil moisture was estimated via assimilation of aircraft-based remotely sensed surface soil moisture into a distributed Soil–Water–Atmosphere–Plant (SWAP) model. An ensemble square root filter (EnSRF) based on a Kalman filtering scheme was used for assimilating the aircraft-based soil moisture observations at a spatial resolution of 800 m × 800 m. The SWAP model inputs were derived from the SSURGO soil database, LAI (Leaf Area Index) data from SMEX04 database, and data from meteorological stations/rain gauges at the WGEW. Model predictions are presented in terms of temporal evolution of soil moisture probability density function at various depths across the WGEW. The assimilation of the remotely sensed surface soil moisture observations had limited influence on the profile soil moisture. More specifically, root zone soil moisture depended mostly on the soil type. Modeled soil moisture profile estimates were compared to field measurements made periodically during the experiment at the ground based soil moisture stations in the watershed. Comparisons showed that the ground-based soil moisture observations at various depths were within ± 1 standard deviation of the modeled profile soil moisture. Density plots of root zone soil moisture at various depths in the WGEW exhibited multi-modal variations due to the uneven distribution of precipitation and the heterogeneity of soil types and soil layers across the watershed.
Raman Spectroscopy Provides a Powerful Diagnostic Tool for Accurate Determination of Albumin Glycation

We present the first demonstration of glycated albumin detection and quantification using Raman spectroscopy without the addition of reagents. Glycated albumin is an important marker for monitoring the long-term glycemic history of diabetics, especially as its concentrations, in contrast to glycated hemoglobin levels, are unaffected by changes in erythrocyte life times. Clinically, glycated albumin concentrations show a strong correlation with the development of serious diabetes complications including nephropathy and retinopathy. In this article, we propose and evaluate the efficacy of Raman spectroscopy for determination of this important analyte. By utilizing the pre-concentration obtained through drop-coating deposition, we show that glycation of albumin leads to subtle, but consistent, changes in vibrational features, which with the help of multivariate classification techniques can be used to discriminate glycated albumin from the unglycated variant with 100% accuracy. Moreover, we demonstrate that the calibration model developed on the glycated albumin spectral dataset shows high predictive power, even at substantially lower concentrations than those typically encountered in clinical practice. In fact, the limit of detection for glycated albumin measurements is calculated to be approximately four times lower than its minimum physiological concentration. Importantly, in relation to the existing detection methods for glycated albumin, the proposed method is also completely reagent-free, requires barely any sample preparation and has the potential for simultaneous determination of glycated hemoglobin levels as well. Given these key advantages, we believe that the proposed approach can provide a uniquely powerful tool for quantification of glycation status of proteins in biopharmaceutical development as well as for glycemic marker determination in routine clinical diagnostics in the future.
Ultrasonic Propagation and Scattering in Duplex Microstructures with Application to Titanium Alloys

A general model for elongated duplex microstructures is proposed for modeling scattering-induced ultrasonic longitudinal attenuation in hexagonal polycrystals for application to titanium alloys. The material system consists of microtextured regions (MTRs) which are formed by much smaller α crystallites with preferred orientations. Their preferred orientation is represented by a modified Gaussian orientation distribution function. Scattering induced by MTRs and by crystallites is added to obtain ultrasonic attenuation in the medium. The effective elastic properties of MTRs are determined and used to obtain the scattering-induced MTR attenuation and backscattering. Crystallite attenuation is estimated by the untextured attenuation coefficient factored by a texture transition function. The total attenuation is obtained by combining solutions for microtextured region attenuation and crystallite attenuation. Spectroscopic attenuation and backscattering measurements are performed on a forged sample of titanium alloy. Reasonable agreement is found between experiment and the model predictions with a given texture parameter.
Progress in lead-copper resonator technology

A simple and effective method for the direct fabrication of lead alloy superconducting films on copper resonators is described. A set of four βopt = 0.068 quarter-wave resonators (QWRs) for the Stony Brook linac retrofit project prepared with these techniques can produce continuous accelerating fields of 3.0–4.0 MV/m (22–28 MV/m peak surface field) in both tests and routine on-line linac operation.
Serotonin in the Small Intestine of Conventional and Germ-free Chicks

THE function of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) in the tissues of the small intestine is not understood even though it is found in relatively large quantities, particularly in the enterochromaffin cells1. The most frequently repeated interpretation ascribes control of intestinal motility and vascular permeability to serotonin2,3. Thus, if the tonus of the gut is dependent on serotonin-levels, germ-free animals, which possess poor tonus of the tract and distended caeca4, might be expected to have a lower serotonin content in the gut than conventional animals. On the contrary, however, this communication provides evidence that intestinal serotonin-levels are actually depressed by the presence of micro-organisms in the lumen of the gut.
A cost-effectiveness analysis of water-saving measures for the Water Framework Directive: the case of the Guadalquivir River Basin in Southern Spain

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the still scarce literature on Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) in the context of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) in water scarce areas illustrated through a case study in Southern Spain. CEA is the preferred method to select policy measures to achieve the good ecological status of water bodies as prescribed by the WFD. It generates a ranking of the measures, according to the ratio between the equivalent annual cost and the reduction of impacts, to select the measures to be included in the Program of Measures (PoM). Here, the water-saving measures discussed in the public participation process for the elaboration of the PoM for the Guadalquivir River Basin are analysed using CEA. A methodological approach, including uncertainty for cost and efficiency of measures is proposed. A comparison between pressure and impact analysis of the effectiveness of measures shows that, in the context of the WFD, CEA should be based on the impact of the measures rather than on the pressure reduction, as the latter can lead to a misleading ranking of the water-saving measures.
Salmeterol Use and Risk of Hospitalization Among Emergency Department Patients With Acute Asthma

Background The safety of inhaled long-acting β 2 -agonists (LABAs) in the treatment of chronic asthma remains controversial and has not been evaluated in emergency department (ED) patients with acute asthma. Objective To determine whether ED patients undergoing long-term LABA therapy would have increased risk of asthma-related hospitalization compared with those not undergoing LABA therapy and whether concurrent long-term inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy would mitigate this risk. Methods Prospective cohort study of patients aged 12 to 54 years with acute asthma in 115 EDs. Four patient groups were created based on their asthma regimen: no ICS or salmeterol (group A), salmeterol monotherapy (group B), ICS monotherapy (group C), and combination ICS and salmeterol (group D). Results Of the 2,236 included patients, group A had 1,221 patients (55%), group B had 48 patients (2%), group C had 787 patients (35%), and group D had 180 patients (8%); 489 patients (22%) required hospitalization. In a multivariable model controlling for 20 factors and using group A as the reference, group B had an increased risk of hospitalization (odds ratio [OR], 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0–4.9), whereas groups C (OR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.8–1.5) and D (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.8–1.9) did not. Conclusion Among ED patients with acute asthma, those undergoing salmeterol monotherapy had an increased risk of hospitalization; however, this risk was not seen among patients undergoing combination ICS-salmeterol therapy. Our findings provide data from a unique ED population on clinical response to acute asthma treatment among patients undergoing long-term LABA therapy.
Theoretical predictions on the response properties of potentiometric gas sensors based on internal polymer membrane electrodes

SUMMARY The appropriate equilibrium expressions and known thermodynamic equilibrium constants are used in calculations on the expected response properties of polymer membrane electrode-based ammonia and carbon dioxide gas sensors. Slopes, detection limits, Nernstian response ranges and selectlvities of such devices are shown to be a function of the initial pH, ionic strength and equilibrium constant of the internal electrolyte buffer used within these probes. Previously reported data for an ammonia sensor of this type correlate well with the theory. The poor response characteristics of carbon dioxide sensors based on internal carbonate-responsive membranes is also explained via the model presented. Future prospects and considerations for the development of other gas sensors of this type are discussed. Potentiometric gas sensors based on internal glass pH electrodes (e.g., for CO*, NH3, NOz, etc.) have become routinely used in numerous procedures for clinical and environmental analysis [l--3]. Measurements with these sensors are based on the diffusion of the analyte gas through a gas-permeable membrane into a thin film of electrolyte solution in contact with the glass pH electrode. The diffusing gas participates in an equilibrium reaction with the electrolyte in the thin film producing a pH change in this layer. Several workers have developed models for predicting the response properties of these sensors [ 4-71. It has been shown that the detection limits and Nernstian response ranges of these devices are dependent on the composition and concentrations of the internal electrolytes used within these probes (e.g., NH&l for the NH3 sensor, NaHC03 for the CO2 sensor, etc.). Recently, m an attempt to overcome certain limitations of the conventional gas sensors, new types of potentiometric gas probes have been developed [ 8-121 . These new sensors utilize internal polymeric ion-selective membrane electrodes as internal sensing elements within the traditional gas-sensing configurations. In one case, the conventional glass pH electrode can be replaced by an inexpensive polymer pH-responsive membrane [ll, 121, although for this approach, the response properties and selectivities of the resulting sensors are analogous to the conventional probes because the mechanism of response
The crystal and molecular structure and circular dichroism spectra of (-)-2,3-bornanedione α- and β-hydrazones

Abstract The structures of the α- and β-hydrazones of (-)-bornane-2,3-dione, C10H16N2O, were confirmed as the 3E and 3Z geometric isomers, respectively, from 3-dimensional counter data. Both crystallize in the orthorhombic space group P212121 with Z = 4. Call dimensions are 6.832(1), 11.526(3), 12.883(2) A for the α-isomer and 7.313(1), 11.214(2), 12.681(1) A for the β-isomer. Both were solved by direct methods and refined by full matrix least squares. In contrast to 2,3-bornanedione, which has an unusually long (1.540 A) sp2C(2)-sp2C(3) bond length, the hydrazones have a more normal C(2)-C(3) bond length (1.469 A). There is intermolecular N-HμNH-bonding in the crystals of both the α- and β-hydrazones; in the β-isomer there is also clearly an intramolecular N-HμOC H-bond. For each isomer there is a small right-handed skew sense (α: +4.5°, β: +2.5°) to the torsion angle formed about OC-CN. Both isomers exhibit (-) Cotton effects near 350 nm in their circular dichroism spectra in a KBr matrix or in dioxane solution, but become (+) in n-heptane. Analysis of the 13C-NMR spectra of the α- and β-hydrazones is discussed.