cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism

Abstract We present four treatment categories for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and describe the results of studies of patients in each category. These categories are primary surgical, secondary surgical, "biochemical" hyperparathyroidism and medical management with oral administration of neutral phosphate. The importance of the parathyroid surgeon as a diagnostician during parathyroid exploration is stressed from the point of view of the detection and aggressive surgical treatment of parathyroid chief cell hyperplasia. Short-term (1 to 2 weeks) and long-term (5 to 29 months) studies of the state of parathyroid function in relation to calcium homeostasis after successful resection of hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue are described. Although incomplete, our 5 year prospective study of "biochemical" hyperparathyroidism shows that in approximately 20 per cent of these patients the disease progresses to where our criteria for surgical intervention are met and that no one criterion or combination of criteria has been identified as being of predictive value in determining which patients will ultimately require surgical intervention. In patients with persistent or recurrent hyperparathyroidism, chronic oral treatment with neutral phosphate was successful in decreasing serum calcium from more than 12.0 mg/dl to less than 11.0 mg/dl in four of seven patients, but significant increases in serum creatinine occurred in three of these seven patients. Significant decreases in serum calcium did not occur in patients with serum calcium values less than 11.0 mg/dl, and there were no changes in serum creatinine in this group. Nephrolithiasis was controlled in seven of eight patients, but the specific effectiveness of neutral phosphate treatment in all these patients could not be assessed because only two had metabolically active disease at the start of treatment.
The Welfare State Nobody Knows: Debunking Myths about U.S. Social Policy and Welfare Discipline: Discourse, Governance, and Globalization

The Welfare State Nobody Knows: Debunking Myths about U.S. Social Policy. By Christopher Howard. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2007. 260p. $21.95 paper.These two books on the American welfare state seek to challenge conventional understandings of redistributive policy and politics in the United States. Christopher Howard does so by looking at the many tools of social policy that, he argues, have been downplayed or ignored in most academic research. In addition to the well-known social insurance and transfer programs such as Social Security and public assistance, he argues, tax expenditures subsidizing private welfare provision (e.g., child tax credit), regulatory policies, minimum wage laws, tort laws, housing loan guarantees, and entities such as the Pension Benefits Guarantee Corporation should all be included within the definition of the welfare state. Doing so reveals that the American welfare state is not a “chronic underachiever” but, in fact, “large and far-reaching” (p. 1). Howard cautions, however, that this heterogeneous mix of social policy tools does not make the American welfare state particularly effective. On the contrary, given enduringly high rates of poverty and widening income inequality in this country, the welfare state is paradoxically both extensive and limited in its ability to address some of the greatest social problems in the United States.
Cognitive deficits in compulsive checkers: An exploratory study

Abstract Compulsive-checking behavior can be conceptualized as resulting, in part, from a memory failure. In order to determine if memory difficulties are associated with compulsive checking, the performance of college-student checkers were compared with the performance of non-checkers on a number of cognitive tasks hypothesized to be relevant to understanding checking behavior. Using the Checking and Cleaning subscales of the Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory, four groups of subjects were identified: (1) Cleaning Checkers ( N = 13); (2) Noncleaning Checkers ( N = 13); (3) Cleaning Noncheckers ( N = 13); and (4) Noncleaning Noncheckers ( N = 15). It was hypothesized that the cognitive deficits studied would characterize individuals with cheeking compulsions, but not persons with non-checking compulsions (i.e. Cleaning Noncheckers) or normal controls (i.e. Noncleaning Noncheckers). Compulsive checkers were found to have a poorer memory for prior actions than non-checkers and were also found to underestimate their ability at distinguishing memories of real and imagined events, a process referred to as reality monitoring. Both of these deficits were specific to compulsive checkers and can be viewed as contributing to the likelihood that an individual will engage in checking behavior. If an individual has difficulty in recalling whether an intended action has been executed, they may be inclined to engage in checking behavior to insure the intended action is carried out. Similarly, a tendency to underestimate reality-monitoring ability could result in increased checking behavior as the individual attempts to reduce his/her uncertainty over whether a previous behavior actually occurred or merely was thought to occur. It is concluded that the study of cognitive deficits in compulsive checking is a potentially fruitful avenue for further inquiry.
Effect of Oxygen Concentration and Distribution on the Compression Properties on Titanium Foams

The effect of oxygen in solution and surface oxide on the properties of titanium foams under compression is discussed in this report. The authors present a simple method to discriminate the amount of oxygen coming from the oxide and from the solid solution. Oxygen in solution has an impact on the hardness, yield strength and ductility while surface oxide has little impact on the compression properties within the concentration evaluated.
Charge exchange mass spectrometry at high energy

It is shown that charge exchange mass spectra using various reagent ions can be determined on a commercial double focusing mass spectrometer. The experiment relies upon the presence of a collision region held at a potential above ground with the product ions being selected by their unique kinetic energies. Cyclohexene has been studied in detail and the results are in agreement with previous thermochemical and field ionization kinetics data. Agreement with reported charge exchange spectra of n-propanol, taken at lower energies, is good. The present results, including both the variation of spectra with reagent gas and the small range of kinetic energies present in the charge exchange beam, indicate that a resonant or near resonant process is involved. Thus, the internal energy of the nascent ion is defined within quite narrow limits, just as is the case for charge exchange at lower energy.
Alterations of the Climate of a Primitive Equation Model produced by Filtering Approximations and Subsequent Tuning and Stochastic Forcing

A comparison is made of the simulated climates of nonlinear models based on the primitive equations (PE), balance equations (BE), and quasi-geostrophic (QG) equations. The models and numerical procedures are identical in all possible respects. The models are highly truncated spectral forms of Lorenz's (1960) energy preserving two-layer model. Two means of making use of the information contained in the (presumed known) short-term prediction error statistics are investigated. An unrealistically high level of thermal forcing is used so that the model climates are sufficiently different to allow any improvements due to the empirical methods to be observed. The general tuning problem is outlined and the QG model is tuned, using data obtained from a PE model run, to minimize the mean squared short term prediction error.
Reducing relative humidity to control the house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae.

Background: Indoor relative humidity (RH) is the key factor that determines the survival and population development of the house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae. Maintaining RH below 50% is one recommendation in a comprehensive plan to reduce house dust mites and mite allergen levels in homes. Even when mean daily RH is reduced below 50%, RH may rise above 50% intermittently for brief periods because of activities in the home (eg, cooking, bathing, and ventilation). Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine how brief daily periods of moist air alternating with long spells of low ambient RH (0% or 35%) influence population survival and growth of D farinae. Methods: Population growth was determined for D farinae at daily RH regimens of 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours at 75% or 85% RH alternating with 22, 20, 18, and 16 hours at 0% or 35% RH. Results: D farinae populations declined at daily regimens of 2 hours at 75% or 85% RH alternating with 22 hours at 0% or 35% RH. Daily regimens of 4, 6, and 8 hours at 75% RH alternating with 20, 18, and 16 hours, respectively, at 35% RH provided sufficient moisture for small growths in population size. These growths after 10 weeks were reduced by 98.2%, 98.0%, and 97.3% for daily regimens of 4, 6, and 8 hours, respectively, at 75% RH (with the remainder of the day at 35% RH) compared with the growth of populations continuously exposed to 75% RH. Continuous exposure to 85% RH inhibited population growth, but alternating daily regimens of 16, 18, and 20 hours at 35% RH allowed small populations to develop, although they were reduced by 99.4%, 98.8%, and 99.1% compared with population growth at a continuous 75% RH. Conclusion: This study indicates that maintaining mean daily RH below 50%, even when RH rises above 50% for 2 to 8 hours daily, effectively restricts population growth of these mites and thus the production of allergen. To completely prevent population growth of D farinae, RH must be maintained below 35% for at least 22 hours per day when the daily RH is 75% or 85% for the remainder of the day. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999;104:852-6.)
Higher Order Computations of the Convection-Diffusion Equation With Curved Boundaries

In computational heat transfer and fluid mechanics, high order accuracy methods are desirable in order to reduce computational effort or to obtain more accurate solutions for a given mesh coarseness. On structured grids, the finite difference method is especially easy for deriving and implementing higher order schemes. In spite of this advantage, for complex geometries high order schemes have not been attractive due to the restriction of the structured grid in dealing with curved boundaries. Therefore, for complex geometries most computational methods are based on finite element or finite volume methods with unstructured or boundary-fitted mesh at the expense of difficult and complicated implementation. For this reason, few computations for complex geometries have attempted more than near-second-order accuracy. In our paper, we demonstrate a high order scheme to deal with curved boundaries of complex geometries in Cartesian coordinate system using the finite difference method, taking advantages of the ease and simplicity of structured grid. The method is based on an extension of the full second order methods presented previously by Jung et al. [2000] and Lee and Chen [2002]. The temperature distributions and maximum errors in a cylindrical solid and an annulus where the velocity distribution is given were calculated with a third order accurate scheme, and compared with exact solutions. Theoretical derivations and numerical experiments show that true third order accuracy have been attained in advection-diffusion problems with curved boundaries. The results reinforce the assertion that the same concepts can be extended to any order accuracy so far as such accuracy is deemed desirable for the problem of interest.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Effect of initial corticosteroid therapy on coronary artery aneurysm formation in Kawasaki disease: a meta-analysis of 862 children.

Objective. Kawasaki disease is an acute vasculitis of infancy and childhood. When untreated, 15% to 25% of patients develop coronary artery aneurysms. Although the use of aspirin and intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) as initial therapy is well established, the role of corticosteroids is uncertain. The objective of this study was to identify clinical trials that compared the rate of coronary aneurysm formation after initial therapy with corticosteroids or an appropriate control and to determine the overall efficacy of corticosteroid therapy for the initial treatment of Kawasaki disease. Methods. Published studies were identified by searches of the Medline and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases as well as hand searches of selected references. Studies were included when (1) all subjects had a stated diagnosis of Kawasaki disease; (2) a corticosteroid preparation was included as part of the initial management of the disease process; (3) a therapeutically matched control group was included for the entire study, or subsets of patients that received a therapeutic intervention identical to the experimental group except for the inclusion of a corticosteroid compound could be identified; and (4) 2-dimensional echocardiography or coronary artery catheterization was performed at least 2 weeks after therapy to detect the presence of coronary aneurysms. Included studies were evaluated for quality and heterogeneity. Meta-analysis was performed using a fixed-effects model. Results. Eight studies fulfilled criteria for inclusion. Because 2 of these studies provided adequate detail to permit evaluation of 2 subgroups each, a total of 10 groups were available for evaluation. The significant heterogeneity that existed among the 10 studies (Q = 21.9, I2 = 59.0) was eliminated when 2 studies with markedly different study designs were removed (Q = 5.59, I2 = 0.00). Meta-analysis of the remaining 8 studies revealed a significant reduction in the incidence of coronary artery aneurysms among patients who received corticosteroid therapy plus aspirin ± IVIG compared with aspirin ± IVIG alone (odds ratio [OR] 0.546; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.371–0.803); the benefit of corticosteroid therapy was maintained when study subsets of aspirin alone (OR: 0.601; 95% CI: 0.392–0.921) or aspirin + IVIG (OR: 0.352; 95% CI: 0.136–0.909) were compared with matched regimens that contained corticosteroids. Conclusion. The inclusion of corticosteroids in aspirin-containing regimens for the initial treatment of Kawasaki disease reduces the incidence of coronary aneurysms.
Gene Therapy and Chronic Pain

Chronic, unremitting pain is perhaps the most common reason that patients seek medical care. In general, conservative techniques, such as medical management, are implemented as first-line therapy. Local anesthesia and lytic procedures, followed by interventional techniques, such as dorsal column stimulation and intrathecal drug delivery systems, are second-line therapies. However, for refractory and severe pain, which is not adequately controlled by other modes of therapy, new emerging options, including molecular or gene therapy, may become more widely utilized as experimental results are translated into clinical options.
Reading Vocabulary Knowledge and Deafness

With respect to reading vocabulary knowledge and deafness, this article addresses two broad questions: (1) Why is vocabulary knowledge related to reading comprehension ability? (2) How is reading vocabulary (i.e., word meanings) acquired? The article argues that the answers to these questions are best addressed by a vocabulary acquisition model labeled the knowledge model. In essence, this model asserts that both breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge are critical. It is necessary to teach vocabulary, especially to poor readers, who are not likely to derive many word meanings from the use of context during natural or deliberate reading situations. On the basis of theoretical and research syntheses, the article offers implications for vocabulary instruction for deaf children and adolescents.
Pyrophosphate-Based Gemini Surfactants

Two series of pyrophosphate-based gemini surfactants [diimidazolium (1) and disodium P,P‘-dialkyl pyrophosphate (2) (a, R = 1-octyl; b, R = 1-dodecyl; c, R = 2-dodecyl)] were synthesized, along with a series of imidazolium monoalkyl phosphate surfactants (3a−c) for comparison. The surfactants were characterized by measurement of their Krafft temperatures (Tk) and critical aggregation concentrations (cac's). The Tk and cac values of the pyrophosphate surfactants are lower than those of their conventional phosphate surfactant counterparts. Aggregated surfactants 1 and 3 in D2O were characterized by 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopy, and solutions of 1c and 3c in H2O were characterized by phase-contrast optical microscopy and cryogenic high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (cryo-HRSEM). By optical microscopy, fiberlike aggregates were observed for gemini surfactant 1c, and both fibers and rod/tubule-like aggregates were observed for its single-chain counterpart 3c. By cryo-HRSEM, lamellar ice was observed f...
A controlled study of the effects of thyrotoxicosis and propranolol treatment on mineral metabolism and parathyroid hormone immunoreactivity.

Abstract We studied mineral metabolism in 15 thyrotoxic patients and 15 controls matched for sex, age, and weight. Thyrotoxic subjects showed significantly higher serum calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, and globulin and lower serum creatinine, magnesium, and albumin. Parathyroid hormone immunoreactivity (iPTH) was measured with three different antisera. Thyrotoxic patients showed markedly reduced iPTH values in the most sensitive assay, a midregion-specific assay based on homologous antiserum BG-6. Antiserum 211 32 gave slightly reduced iPTH values, but antiserum NG-1 gave values that were increased by 65%. The limited sensitivity of these later two antisera, like that of others used earlier for such studies, may have blunted the apparent fall in iPTH (antiserum 211 32 ) or predisposed the assay to a systematic artifact (antiserum NG-1). These results show that for use in the evaluation of hypercalcemia in thyrotoxic patients, a PTH assay must first be characterized as to the expected result in uncomplicated thyrotoxicosis. Twelve of the thyrotoxic subjects entered a random order cross-over study in which propranolol and placebo were given in double-masked fashion for 6 consecutive days each. Overall, the drug did not alter calcium, phosphate, or magnesium metabolism. It lowered serum calcium only in two overtly hypercalcemic subjects, whose urinary calcium excretion did not decline. These results confirm that propranolol may reduce elevated serum calcium levels in thyrotoxicosis and suggest that in this setting the drug may have a direct or indirect effect on renal calcium metabolism.
Self-Esteem, Compensatory Self-Enhancement, and the Consideration of Health Risk

Acknowledging that one engages in risk-increasing behavior is a form of self-generated negative feedback that can engender self-protective responses. This experiment examined the use of one of these reactions, compensatory self-enhancement, following a manipulation that made high and low self-esteem participants explicitly consider their sexual risk behaviors. Participants with high (but not low) self-esteem responded to the manipulation by self-enhancing on both personality ratings and ratings of their contraceptive behavior. Positive self-ratings on personality traits were negatively associated with subsequent ratings of perceived vulnerability to sexually transmitted diseases.
Increasing Phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-Bisphosphate Biosynthesis Affects Basal Signaling and Chloroplast Metabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana

One challenge in studying the second messenger inositol(1,4,5)-trisphosphate (InsP3) is that it is present in very low amounts and increases only transiently in response to stimuli. To identify events downstream of InsP3, we generated transgenic plants constitutively expressing the high specific activity, human phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase Iα (HsPIPKIα). PIP5K is the enzyme that synthesizes phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2); this reaction is flux limiting in InsP3 biosynthesis in plants. Plasma membranes from transgenic Arabidopsis expressing HsPIPKIα had 2–3 fold higher PIP5K specific activity, and basal InsP3 levels in seedlings and leaves were >2-fold higher than wild type. Although there was no significant difference in photosynthetic electron transport, HsPIPKIα plants had significantly higher starch (2–4 fold) and 20% higher anthocyanin compared to controls. Starch content was higher both during the day and at the end of dark period. In addition, transcripts of genes involved in starch metabolism such as SEX1 (glucan water dikinase) and SEX4 (phosphoglucan phosphatase), DBE (debranching enzyme), MEX1 (maltose transporter), APL3 (ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase) and glucose-6-phosphate transporter (Glc6PT) were up-regulated in the HsPIPKIα plants. Our results reveal that increasing the phosphoinositide (PI) pathway affects chloroplast carbon metabolism and suggest that InsP3 is one component of an inter-organelle signaling network regulating chloroplast metabolism.
Modeling of the Effective Actuation Response of SMA-MAX Phase Composites With Partially Transforming NiTi

Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) composites are being increasingly investigated to address a variety of engineering problems. An application of growing interest is an SMA-MAX phase ceramic composite for use in extreme environments. By joining these two constituents, it is intended that the martensitic transformation of the SMA phase may be used with the unique kinking behavior of the MAX phases to improve the composite response. One particular intended outcome of this utilization is the development of residual stress states in the composite. These residual stress states are generated due to the formation of irrecoverable strains resulting from the interaction of the inelastic mechanisms in the system. By tailoring this stress state, the improved mechanical response of the ceramic phase under compression may be taken advantage of. These residual stress states and their effect on the effective thermomechanical response of the composite are explored in this work. To this end, a finite element model of the composite is development. Specifically, a recent 3D phenomenological constitutive model of the SMA phase is incorporated to describe the effects of martensitic transformation and a constitutive assumption for the MAX phase response associated with kink band formation is introduced. An additional non-transforming NiTi phase is noted and the role of its constitutive response is considered. This model is used to study the micromechanics of the associated composite residual stress states. The influence of these residual stresses on the effective actuation response is then investigated and the on the associated composite behavior determined. Specifically, it is shown that the variation in inactive NiTi leads to an altered actuation response.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Interpretation of Char Reactivity Profiles Obtained Using a Thermogravimetric Analyzer

Accurate knowledge of char oxidation rate parameters is of paramount importance in modeling coal combustion behavior. Generally, an isothermal thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) is used to determine the intrinsic rate parameters. However, despite operating in a kinetic controlled regime, i.e., at relatively lower reaction temperatures, the char reactivity profile (reaction rate versus burnoff) has often been observed to go through a maximum. The existence of a maximum in the reactivity profile poses a difficulty in extracting the intrinsic rate parameters. This present paper attempts to investigate the conditions that may lead to such a maximum and recommends a method to deduce the kinetic parameters from such a profile. To address this matter, a high volatile bituminous coal is pyrolzyed in a drop tube reactor (DTR) at different furnace temperatures and in a TGA. Physical and structural properties of the char samples generated in DTR were measured, and the reactivity of the resultant char samples was deter...
Therapeutic management of anger

Abstract Though the preponderance of research examining anger has not supported traditional theoretical models, no comprehensive reconceptualization of anger and its expression has been offered. In this article a reconceptualization of anger and anger expression is elucidated, based on Leventhal's Perceptual Motor Theory of Emotion. Most studies on anger and anger expression have been conducted in the laboratory, and their conclusions may not adequately address the complexity of experiences noted in real-life situations. This paper examines clinically relevant aspects of the available research and presents a model for understanding therapeutic management of anger. As the Perceptual Motor Theory would claim, and as some research has borne out, contextual and attitudinal variables are processed by individuals and go on to affect subsequent emotional experiences. Thus, the paper concludes with a discussion of a number of such variables.
Monoxenic maintenance and reproduction of root-knot nematode ( Meloidogyne hapla ) on multiple-species in vitro root culture systems

The ability of tomato root tips transformed with Agrobacterium rhizogenes and non-transformed onion and dandelion root tips to regenerate and provide suitable monoxenic hosts for the maintenance of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne hapla) was investigated. Populations of M. hapla were successfully established on all root culture systems examined, but the onion root culture was overall the most effective method for long-term maintenance and reproduction of M. hapla. The use of a pre-induction medium containing the hormone α-naphthaleneacetic acid was necessary for the production of onion root culture systems but was not required for the establishment of tomato or dandelion root cultures. Differences in nematode reproduction were observed on tomato when multiple populations of M. hapla were used for inoculations.
Dynamic ligand-induced-fit simulation via enhanced conformational samplings and ensemble dockings: a survivin example.

Survivin is an anticancer drug target due to its overexpression in tumor cells in a homodimer form. Abbott Laboratories has identified a small molecule binding site near the dimerization interface in a high-throughput-screening (HTS)-NMR experiment. A benchmarking of the binding mode of the compound Abbott8 aided in the search for the ligand-induced-fit receptor structure by exploring the conformational space of the survivin dimer. We performed ensemble dockings with Abbott8 against a large set of conformations sampled via replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD). This enhanced sampling allowed the reproduction of the holo-NMR experimental binding mode. Surprisingly, the major structural change in the best-REMD snapshot corresponding to the small molecule induced-fit happens in the so-called “survivin mitosis/apoptosis switch loop”, consistent with the X-ray crystal structure of survivin-monomer/borealin/INCENP chromosomal passenger complex (CPC), as the distance between Phe93 and Phe101 increased. To v...
Mössbauer and magnetic investigation of the system Mn5−xFexGe3 (x = 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5)

Abstract Mossbauer and magnetic measurements were carried out on the compositions Mn4.5Fe0.5Ge3, Mn4FeGe3, and Mn3.5Fe1.5Ge3. Data were obtained from liquid N2 to about 600°K. The iron substitution takes place initially in the 4(d) sites of the D88 structure of Mn5Ge3 until one half of manganese is replaced; additional iron, then, may substitute in 6(g) sites. The postulated magnetic structure for Mn5Ge3 consists of ferromagnetic alignment of spins within the two sublattices and parallel alignment between them. When the Fe concentration exceeds 0.5, canting of spins occurs either between, or within, the sublattices. The limit of solubility of Fe in the structure appears to occur at, or slightly beyond, the Mn4FeGe3 composition.
The capacity of multilevel threshold functions

Lower and upper bounds for the capacity of multilevel threshold elements are estimated, using two essentially different enumeration techniques. It is demonstrated that the exact number of multilevel threshold functions depends strongly on the relative topology of the input set. The results correct a previously published estimate and indicate that adding threshold levels enhances the capacity more than adding variables. >
Chain reaction on de-halogenation of 1,2-dibromotetrafluoroethane and 1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane induced by irradiation in alcohols

Abstract Methanol and 2-propanol solutions of 1,2-dibromotetrafluoroethane and 1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane were irradiated with γ-rays after perfect de-oxygenation. The product, formed by the substitution of one of the bromine or chlorine atoms with a hydrogen atom, was observed by radiation-induced degradation and the product was also de-halogenated. The G -value of de-halogenation was more than a thousand times higher than G (e solv − ) and increased with the decreasing dose rate, meaning that a chain reaction is involved in the process. The efficiency of the degradation in 2-propanol was several times higher than that in methanol. It is concluded that the charge transfer from an alcohol radical will be the trigger of the chain reaction the same as in the degradation of hexachloroethane in alcohol solutions ( Sawai et al., 1978 ).
Diffusion in polymers: Optical techniques

Optical techniques were applied to study gas diffusion in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and Lexan polycarbonate resinSTApoly(diphenyl-2,2-propane carbonate)! for temperatures ranging from 20 deg C to the glass transition temperatures. One raethod consists of observing the movement of a sharp colored diffusion boundary which occurs when certain radical scavenging gases (e.g., O/ sub 2/, I/sub 2/) penetrate a polymer which has been exposed to high energy irradiation. The theoretical basis and physical interpretation of the moving boundary are discussed. In essence, the color center concentration (produced by irradiation) is greater than the normal equilibrium concentration of scavenger molecules in the polymer so that the latter are trapped before they can move very far inward. The result is approximately a step-function distribution of the remaining color centers. For O/sub 2/ penetration into Lexan below T/sub g/, D (cm/sup 2// sec) = 0.014 exp {7100 cal/mole/RT}. This relation accounts for the effect of O/sub 2/ partial pressure on the penetration rate. For O/sub 2/ penetration into PMMA, below T, an activation energy of 10 kcal/mole was observed. A spectrophotometric method was used to measure the uptake of I/sub 2/ vapor in polycarbonate films. The data indicate a large change (--50 kcal/mole) in apparentmore » activation energy near 114 deg C. Several possible applications of the moving boundary technique are mentioned and the results of its use to investigate the effect of stress on the diffusion rate in the polycarbonate are presented. Tensile stresses near the yield point produce a two-fold increase in D, whereas compressive stresses of comparable magnitude cause only a slight reduction. (auth)« less
Superconductivity in the neighborhood of metallic contacts

A microscopic theory of superconductivity in contact neighborhoods based on a modification of the parameter STAN(O)V! which occurs in the previously devised expression for the energy gap epsilon = 2(h omega )/sub a//sub v/exp(-- N(O)V) is presented. The arguments have as a converse the implication that the contact region of nonsuperconducting materials should become superconducting when in contact with superconductors. The effective penetration of electrons from one region to another is limited among other things by the electron mean free path; the further superconducting electrons penetrate into the "normal area'' the smaller the energy gap should be. There should be only one transition temperature for an entire sample. (P.C.H.)
The role of hydrogen in dislocation generation in iron alloys

Abstract The embrittlement that certain metals undergo in the presence of hydrogen can be related to the ability of hydrogen to catalyze the nucleation of dislocations in those materials. The effect of hydrogen in such dislocation generation is through its interfacial adsorption which lowers the interfacial energy. It is also possible that hydrogen lowers stacking fault energies in susceptible materials which also encourages dislocation formation. A material's susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement can thus be viewed in terms of hydrogen adsorption energetics.
Effects of chlordiazepoxide and diazepam on respiration and oxidative phosphorylation in rat brain mitochondria

Abstract The effects of chlordiazepoxide and diazepam on respiration and oxidative phosphorylation of succinate, pyruvate and alpha-ketoglutarate by rat brain mitochondria were investigated polarographically. Chlordiazepoxide and diazepam were each found to decrease respiration as evidenced from decreased state 3 and 2,4-dinitrophenol-stimulated state 4 oxygen uptake in the presence of the above three substrates. The decreases in state 3 and 2,4-dinitrophenol-stimulated state 4 rates were related to the added concentration of each drug. With respiratory control indices and ADP:O ratios as an index of oxidative phosphorylation, it was found that chlordiazepoxide and diazepam decreased oxidative phosphorylation. The decrease in oxidative phosphorylation may be due in part to an increase in adenosine triphosphatase activity as evidenced from the increased rates of oxygen uptake during state 4. To achieve a given effect on the above mitochondrial functions, it was found that the concentration in vitro of chlordiazepoxide had to be five to seven times greater than that of diazepam.
The Impact of Creative Dance and Movement Training on the Life Satisfaction of Older Adults: An Exploratory Study:

This study examined the impact of dance and movement training on the life satisfaction of older adults. Members of the experimental group participated in weekly dance and movement classes for 8 months. A matched comparison group was selected Members of both groups were pretested using a global measure of life satisfaction and the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale. Analysis of covariance revealed significant positive changes in life satisfaction in the experimental group when compared to the matched group (p = .05). Observations and verbal comments support these findings.
Irrigation effect on sunflower growth, development, and water use

Abstract Sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) production in the U.S.A. has greatly increased in recent years. Some are irrigated in the southern Great Plains, but because of declining water supplies, limited irrigation is often used. To better manage available water for sunflower production, a knowledge of sunflower response to applied water is needed. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of irrigations at readily identifiable growth stages on sunflower growth, development, dry matter (DM) accumulation, total water use, and water use-plant development relationships. Sunflower irrigated at budding were 19 cm taller than those irrigated only at flowering or late flowering. Irrigation at budding also favored leaf and stem DM production. Irrigation at flowering or late flowering was important for head and especially seed development, which resulted in seed being a larger part of total DM at the final sampling. Highest seed and total DM yields were obtained with the full irrigation treatment, but they were not always significantly higher than those resulting from fewer well-timed irrigations, namely those at flowering or late flowering. Irrigation treatments affected the rate of oil accumulation in seed, and had a relatively small but significant effect on final oil percent. Linoleic and oleic acid concentrations of oil were little affected by irrigation treatments.
Octapeptide analogs of somatostatin exhibiting greatly enhanced in vivo and in vitro inhibition of growth hormone secretion in the rat

Analogs of a superactive somatostatin (SRIF) octapeptide (code named SMS 201-995 (1)) were synthesized using solid-phase synthetic methodology and assayed for their ability to inhibit growth hormone release from cultured rat anterior pituitary cells and in sodium pentobarbital-anesthetized rats. One analog: (Formula: see text) exhibited greatly enhanced in vitro inhibitory activity (greater than 1,000x) relative to both the parent octapeptide molecule and to the 14 amino acid SRIF molecule. This analog which was also very potent in vivo contains a tyrosine residue and, given its high in vitro activity, may be of investigative importance as a radioiodinated ligand in receptor assays. An octapeptide retro-inverso analog also exhibited significant SRIF-like activity. Several very low activity octapeptide analogs were synthesized and were found to be devoid of SRIF-antagonist activity. A dodecapeptide analog previously shown to be superactive in vivo also demonstrated high in vitro activity.
Space charge limited current effect on photoconductive decay in silicon at high injection levels

The space charge limited current (SCLC) effect was analyzed on undoped crystalline silicon wafers at high injection levels. Space charge limited currents develop when the electric field from the injected carriers exceeds that of the background doping. This becomes a relevant phenomenon when applied to materials that use undoped wafers such as back-contact solar cells. It may also be applicable to silicon and non-silicon concentrator cells. The SCLC effect may be significant in the epitaxial thin film materials used in space photovoltaics. Our study uses Resonant Coupled Photoconductive Decay (RCPCD) to analyze and view SCLC via photoconductive carrier lifetime measurements. An undoped Si sample was subjected to the high injection of excess carries by using a pulsed laser source. The excess carrier densities were well above background doping, creating an excess carrier density of approximately 3 × 1017 cm−3. This is well above the background carrier density of 1.73 × 1013 cm−3 (measured by Capacitance-Voltage techniques). The SCLC is detected by observing irregularities, such as positive slope of the photoconductive decay curve in the initial, very high injection portion of the process. A theory of SCLC will be developed and data will be presented.
Turbulent drag reduction on superhydrophobic surfaces confirmed by built-in shear sensing

A drag reduction by superhydrophobic (SHPo) surfaces is experimentally confirmed for the first time in a turbulent boundary-layer (TBL) flow, which represents the flows around moving vessels. The drag reduction is measured by comparing the displacement of a SHPo surface with that of a smooth hydrophobic surface in a given flow. Since the two surfaces each with an identical set of suspending beams share the same processing conditions during the monolithic microfabrication and the same flow conditions during the TBL flow experiment, the rate of reduction is measured accurately with no bias errors. Furthermore, the air pockets on the SHPo surface are visually confirmed throughout the flow experiments to prevent any rogue surface condition affecting the measurement. The turbulent drag reduction is found to increase with the gas fraction of the SHPo surface, reaching a reduction of skin friction by as high as 70%.
Effects of growth direction on SiGe/Si heteroepitaxy

In this work we study the growth of SiGe/Si superlattices and thick SiGe layers on ( 1 00), ( 1 1 1 ),and ( 1 1 0) Si surfaces at various temperatures by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) . We find that these three growth directions give rise to different growth morphologies and defect structures. The best growth is achieved on (100) surfaces, since growth on ( 1 1 1 ) and ( 1 1 0) surfaces are much more susceptible to twin formation. The growth direction, together with growth temperature, also dictates the onset of long-range ordering in SiGe layers. Our results indicate that ordering occurs only in thick, partially-relaxed SiGe layers grown on (100) surfaces at low temperatures but not in strained-layer superlattices grown under identical conditions. Thick SiGe layers or strained-layer superlattices grown on (1 1 1) or (1 10) surfaces at high or low temperatures do not exhibit ordering.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
USE OF COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY TO EVALUATE THE INTESTINAL TRACT OF ADULT LLAMAS

In the llama, signs of colic are obscure and may be exhibited as persistent sternal recumbency and anorexia even in the presence of a surgical lesion. Diagnostic methods for evaluation of abdominal disorders are limited. As a result, surgical intervention may be prolonged and increase the risk of mortality and postoperative complications. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of computed tomography to evaluate the llama intestinal tract. Eighteen hours prior to the computed tomography scan, six llamas were given barium sulfate (15%) via an orogastric tube. Following induction of general anesthesia, the llamas were positioned in sternal recumbency, and 10 mm contiguous slices were obtained from the diaphragm to the tuber ischiadicum. Structures that were consistently identified included the first, second, and third compartments (C1, 2, and 3), small intestine, spiral colon, and ascending colon. C1 was easily identified in the cranial aspect of the abdomen due to its large size relative to the other compartments and characteristic saccules. C2 was located cranial, ventral, and to the right of C1, while C3 was visualized as a tubular structure to the right and ventral to C1 and C2, C3 was traced caudally until it turned dorsally and continued cranially to a dilated ampulla in the right cranial abdomen delineating the entrance to the small intestine. The spiral colon was identified consistently in the left ventral caudal abdomen. Structures that could not be conclusively identified included the cecum and mesenteric lymph nodes. Computed tomography allowed a consistent evaluation of the major intestinal structures associated with colic in the llama. Thus, computed tomography is a potentially valuable noninvasive diagnostic tool to effectively evaluate the abdominal cavity and differentiate medical from surgical lesions in the llama.
The lipoproteins of serum in infancy and childhood

Summary Determinations of the concentration of certain lipoprotein molecules (S f 10–20 class) are reported for 147 normal children ranging in age from birth to 15 years. These molecules previously have been shown to be associated with atherosclerosis. Similarity of values was found for normal male and female children. Boys had significantly lower values than those previously determined for normal male adults, but the levels for girls approximate the range for young normal female adults. No correlation was present between the concentrations of these lipoproteins in the sera of newborn infants and their mothers. No significant correlation was noted between the total serum cholesterol and the level of the S f 10–20 class. The data presented would indicate that children can tolerate a much higher intake of fat per unit of body weight than adults without showing comparable increases in concentration of the S f 10–20 molecules.
Projections from the cerebral cortex to intralaminar nuclei in monkey

The distribution of degenerating fibers within the intralaminar nuclei was studied following lesions of the cerebral neocortex in Macaca mulatta, M. nemestrima, M. irus, Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus and Saimiri sciureus. Degenerating fibers were revealed by the Nauta silver method. The cortex rostral to the central sulcus appeared to be the principal source of cortical fibers projecting to intralaminar nuclei. Very few degenerating fibers were observed in intralaminar nuclei following parietal, temporal or occipital lobe lesions. Efferent fibers of the prefrontal lobe terminated predominantly in paracentral and parafascicular nuclei. Premotor cortex projected mainly to central lateral and parafascicular nuclei. Motor cortex projected to central lateral and centromedian nuclei. The projection from motor cortex to the ventrolateral centromedian nucleus was topographically distributed, with fibers from leg area terminating lateral to those from arm area.
Mixed moments of L-functions

In this paper we will study the main term of mixed moments of L-functions associated to holomorphic cusp forms of integral weight on congruence subgroups of odd and squarefree level.
Using the Quality of Well-Being Scale to assess Quality of life in out-of-treatment drug users

Abstract The Quality of Well-Being Scale (QWB) was developed for use with diverse patient and general population samples. This study investigated its use with a sample of out-of-treatment drug users. The QWB was administered to 75 out-of-treatment drug users. A linear regression model was developed using the QWB score as the dependent variable and items from the Risk Behavior Assessment (RBA) as independent variables. The sample consisted of 18 women and 57 men. The mean QWB score was .703 (SO = .12, range .51 to 1.0). The final multivariate regression model included six variables: days used other opiates in the last 30, ever in outpatient drug free treatment, income in the past 30 days from welfare, the number of times gave sex for drugs in the past 30 days, ever being in prison/jail drug treatment, and the number of days in the last 30 used amphetamines. This model accounted for 85% of the variance in QWB scores. Different modalities of drug treatment appear to influence QWB scores in different ways. Ou...
Cytokine expression in human labial minor salivary gland epithelial cells in health and disease

Abstract Microdissection of biopsy material from labial minor salivary glands followed by RT-PCR demonstrates extensive production of cytokines IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, TGF-β, and IFN-γ in both normal glands and in glands affected by Sjogren's syndrome. Continuation of these studies should expand our knowledge of normal salivary gland function and the pathogenis of Sjogren'syndrome.
Coherent Optical Photons from Shock Waves in Crystals

(Received 24 August 2005; published 11 January 2006)We predict that coherent electromagnetic radiation in the 1–100 THz frequency range can be generatedin crystalline materials when subject to a shock wave or solitonlike propagating excitation. To ourknowledge, this phenomenon represents a fundamentally new form of coherent optical radiation sourcethat is distinct from lasers and free-electron lasers. The radiation is generated by the synchronized motionof large numbers of atoms when a shock wave propagates through a crystal. General analytical theory andNaCl molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate coherence lengths on the order of mm (around20 THz) and potentially greater. The emission frequencies are determined by the shock speed and thelattice constants of the crystal and can potentially be used to determine atomic-scale properties of theshocked material.