cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The specificity of monoclonal fluorescence polarization immunoassay for cyclosporine in recipients of simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplants

Simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplant (SPK) recipients have a higher rate of acute organ rejection than do recipients of a kidney-alone transplant. The etiology of this increased number of rejection episodes is unknown. Cyclosporine (CsA) monitoring in SPK recipients is an important tool in the care of these patients. Many centers use the monoclonal fluorescence polarization immunoassay (mFPIA) to monitor CsA levels in this group of organ recipients. The reported specificity of the mFPIA for the CsA parent compound has varied in several studies but has not been systematically studied in recipients of an SPK transplant. Twelve recipients of an SPK transplant from 1 month to 3 months after surgery had serial simultaneous whole blood high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mFPIA CsA concentrations evaluated. A control group of 15 nondiabetic kidney-alone recipients underwent a similar evaluation. The average mFPIA/HPLC ratio in recipients of an SPK was 1.71 +/- 0.05 (r = 0.94), whereas it was 1.56 +/- 0.03 (r = 0.98) in the kidney-alone group (p > 0.01). Interpatient variability (range, 1.41 to 2.13) was very high in the SPK group, whereas intrapatient variability was lower. Seven patients had AUC profiles. The average AUC mFPIA/HPLC ratio was not significantly different from each patient's respective trough ratios. Our study suggests that the mFPIA overestimates CsA parent compound to a greater extent in SPK recipients than in kidney-alone recipients. In addition, the large interpatient variability in the specificity of the mFPIA makes assessing individual patient's levels problematic.
Human Service Administrators' Knowledge About Immigration Policy: Associations With Attitudes, Political Ideology, and Organizational Practices

To be effective, providers of human services must be knowledgeable about immigration policy. This study aims to (a) assess the accuracy of human service administrators’ knowledge about state immigr...
Transformations of cyclopropane in rigid hydrocarbon systems using platinum(II)

Abstract Using the cyclopropane adducts of the norbornyl system, platinacyclobutane complexes were prepared. In this article, the reactions of these platinum(IV) complexes with heat, CH 2 N 2 and DMSO are discussed. In each case, a unique olefinic product has been produced. In another reaction, the platinacyclobutane of phenylcyclopropane is treated with CH 2 N 2 to produce styrene.
Hyphomycetes in rain water, melting snow and ice

The investigations performed by direct microscopy method or bait technique (fragments of plants, cellophane, snake skin) using rain water flowing from trees, different types of roofs and melting snow and ice allowed determination of 146 species including 55 new to Poland. Aero-aquatic species were predominant and only several belonged to typically aquatic Hyphomycetes .
BMD Screening in Older Women: Initial Measurement and Testing Interval

Screening is the early diagnosis of presymptomatic disease among well individuals in the general population.(1) The purpose of osteoporosis screening using bone mineral density (BMD) testing by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is to identify a presymptomatic condition (osteoporosis as defined by World Health Organization diagnostic criteria) that can be treated to prevent an adverse clinical outcome (fragility fractures). An osteoporosis screening program primarily targets the prevention of hip and clinical vertebral fractures because these fractures are associated with the majority of morbidity and health care utilization attributable to osteoporotic fractures. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force(2) (USPSTF) assigned osteoporosis screening an evidence grade B based on findings from prospective cohort studies of DXA testing and results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrating that pharmacologic therapy in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis(3–6) reduced the incidence of fractures. Until recently, prospective data regarding an osteoporosis screening interval were lacking,(7) and several organizations(8–13) recommended BMD screening intervals of about 2 to 5 years based on expert opinion.
Purification and characterization of two glutathione S-transferase isozymes from Indica-type rice involved in herbicide detoxification

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs; EC 2.5.1.18) are key metabolic enzymes catalyzing the detoxification of several herbicides in many plants. Rice GSTs catalyze the conjugation of the herbicide pretilachlor with glutathione and this reaction is enhanced following treatment with the safener fenclorim. In our ongoing studies to characterize rice GSTs, we have isolated two GST isozymes from etiolated shoots of Teqing (indica type) rice and purified them by means of fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) using the following steps: ammonium sulfate precipitation, phenyl superose HR5/5 column, superose 12 HR gel column, GSTrap affinity column, monoQ column, and MonoP column chromatography. The two GST isozymes were purified to homogeneity and partially characterized. Kinetic analysis, molecular mass analysis by native and SDS-PAGE gel chromatography, isoelectric focusing analysis, optimum pH analysis, substrate specificity analysis, and inhibitor analysis revealed the existence of two different GST isozymes of rice. The first isozyme, designated Os GST I-I, was found to be a constitutively expressed homodimer composed of two copies of the 30-kDa subunit (Os GST I). The second GST isozyme, designated Os GST II-III, is a heterodimer composed of one 25-kDa (Os GST II) and one 28-kDa (Os GST III) subunit. Constitutive expression of the second isozyme is very low, but its activity is induced considerably by the herbicide safener fenclorim. Os GST II-III appears to play an important role in the safening action of fenclorim, which protects rice against injury caused by the pretilachlor.
Availability of antibiotics without prescription in New York City.

Misuse of antibiotics in the community has been associated with emergence of increasingly antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. Although antibiotics in the United States are to be prescribed by a health care provider, the extent to which they are obtained by other means is not known. The purpose of this article is to describe a survey of the availability of nonprescription antibiotics in neighborhood independent businesses in several Manhattan, New York, neighborhoods. A survey was conducted of 101 stores in three neighborhoods—one primarily Hispanic; one primarily black, non-Hispanic; and one primarily white, non-Hispanic. Antibiotics were available in all stores in the Hispanic neighborhood (n=34), but in none of the others (P<.001). If efforts to rationalize the use of antibiotics are to be successful, the beliefs and cultural norms of subpopulations must be considered, and interventions must be culturally relevant.
Using metabolic flux data to further constrain the metabolic solution space and predict internal flux patterns: the Escherichia coli spectrum

Constraint-based metabolic modeling has been used to capture the genome-scale, systems properties of an organism's metabolism. The first generation of these models has been built on annotated gene sequence. To further this field, we now need to develop methods to incorporate additional “omic” data types including transcriptomics, metabolomics, and fluxomics to further facilitate the construction, validation, and predictive capabilities of these models. The work herein combines metabolic flux data with an in silico model of central metabolism of Escherichia coli for model centric integration of the flux data. The extreme pathways for this network, which define the allowable solution space for all possible flux distributions, are analyzed using the α-spectrum. The α-spectrum determines which extreme pathways can and cannot contribute to the metabolic flux distribution for a given condition and gives the allowable range of weightings on each extreme pathway that can contribute. Since many extreme pathways cannot be used under certain conditions, the result is a “condition-specific” solution space that is a subset of the original solution space. The α-spectrum results are used to create a “condition-specific” extreme pathway matrix that can be analyzed using singular value decomposition (SVD). The first mode of the SVD analysis characterizes the solution space for a given condition. We show that SVD analysis of the α-spectrum extreme pathway matrix that incorporates measured uptake and byproduct secretion rates, can predict internal flux trends for different experimental conditions. These predicted internal flux trends are, in general, consistent with the flux trends measured using experimental metabolic flux analysis techniques. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Changes in the lipid class and proximate compositions of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) smolts infected with the nematode parasite Philonema agubernaculum

Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) smolts infected with the nematode Philonema agubernaculum had 36% lower mean lipid content (1.4%) than nonparasitized coho salmon (2.2%) harvested simultaneously from the same outmigration. Lengths, weights, and condition factors, as well as protein and moisture content, did not differ significantly between the two groups. Lipid class compositions differed significantly between the parasitized and nonparasitized fish. None of the nematode-infected fish contained detectable triacylglycerols (TAG) or monoacylglycerols (MAG). In contrast, mean TAG and MAG contents of the nonparasitized fish totaled 5.5% of the extracted lipid. Infected smolts had lower cholesterol contents than did uninfected coho (17% for infected, 33% for uninfected). Parasitized fish had significantly higher levels of free fatty acids (mean of 57% for parasitized vs. 35% for nonparasitized) as well as the phospholipids phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC). However, the PC/PE ratios for infected and noninfected coho did not differ significantly (2.2 for infected vs. 2.0 for uninfected). These differences suggest that the parasitic nematodes are either harvesting storage energy directly from the coho or are placing additional energetic demands on the fish to cope with the infection.
Fluorol 7GA: An efficient yellow-green dye for flashlamp-pumped lasers

Abstract An efficient, stable, and inexpensive dye which lases from 5300 A to beyond 6000 A is described. Simple procedures are given for isolation of the pure crystalline dye from the impure industrial material.
Effect of nitrate, organic carbon, and temperature on potential denitrification rates in nitrate-rich riverbed sediments

A study conducted in 1994 as part of the US Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program, South Platte River Basin investigation, examined the effect of certain environmental factors on potential denitrification rates in nitrate-rich riverbed sediments. The acetylene block technique was used to measure nitrous oxide (N2O) production rates in laboratory incubations of riverbed sediments to evaluate the effect of varying nitrate concentrations, organic carbon concentrations and type, and water temperature on potential denitrification rates. Sediment incubations amended with nitrate, at concentrations ranging from 357 to 2142 μmol l−1 (as measured in the field), produced no significant increase (P > 0.05) in N2O production rates, indicating that the denitrification potential in these sediments was not nitrate limited. In contrast, incubations amended with acetate as a source of organic carbon, at concentrations ranging from 0 to 624 μmol l−1, produced significant increases (P < 0.05) in N2O production rates with increased organic carbon concentration, indicating that the denitrification potential in these sediments was organic carbon limited. Furthermore, N2O production rates also were affected by the type of organic carbon available as an electron donor. Acetate and surface-water-derived fulvic acid supported higher N2O production rates than groundwater-derived fulvic acid or sedimentary organic carbon. Lowering incubation temperatures from 22 to 4°C resulted in about a 77% decrease in the N2O production rates. These results help to explain findings from previous studies indicating that only 15–30% of nitrate in groundwater was denitrified before discharging to the South Platte River and that nitrate concentrations in the river generally were higher in winter than in summer.
‘Scooty Girls’: Mobility and Intimacy at the Margins of Kathmandu

ABSTRACTThe recent explosion in the number of scooters on the road in the Kathmandu Valley signifies a transformation of women's mobility. Scooters allow women to move from the back of a motorbike to the driver's seat. In a context in which most women were discouraged from leaving the house without a reason, the ability to drive oneself rather than call upon a male escort has pushed the gendered boundaries of acceptable behaviour for young women outwards, metaphorically and literally. This paper analyses young, unmarried women's newfound mobility and their capacity to drive to peripheral, ‘out-of-the-way’ places that offer respite from the bustle and pollution of the city, scenic views of the valley below, and something rarely achieved in the past – privacy. Scooters offer a way out of the policed realm of a young woman's home and neighbourhood, leading to exploration and a new space for the creation of intimacy.
Determination of part-per-trillion levels of atmospheric dimethyl sulfide by isotope dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Stable isotopic dilution was applied to the determination of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in ambient air at the low part-per-trillion by volume (pptrv) levels. Perdeuterated DMS was used as an internal standard in the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry determination. The isotopically labelled internal standard provided insensitivity to possible losses of DMS in sampling and analysis. The lower limit of detection (LLD) was 1 pptrv with a sample acquisition time of 2 min.
Laser-raman spectroscopic study of carbohydrates: 1-thio-β-d-hexopyranosides

Abstract Some β- d -hexopyranosides of 1-thio- d -glucose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-1-thio- d -glucose, and 1-thio- d -galactose were examined by laser-Raman spectroscopy. An anomeric CH bending vibration was found at 891 ± 7 cm -1 for all compounds investigated; thus, the anomers of these sugars can be differentiated by Raman spectroscopy. The N -acetyl group and carboxyl group can also be detected by Raman spectroscopy. Unlike protein samples, the carbohydrates in aqueous solution yield less useful information from Raman spectra than in the solid state; this is due to the extensive overlapping of carbohydrate OH bands with water OH bands.
Processing of 3D interconnected porous aluminum nitride composites for electronic packaging

Abstract A simple process was used to fabricate 3D interconnected porous aluminum nitride composites. For this purpose aluminum powders were cold pressed and sintered under controlled conditions of temperature and time to initiate particle necking and coarsening, but with minimum shrinkage. The resultant compacts were characterized for their microstructure and density using optical microscopy and pycnometry measurements. The sintered compacts contain ≈ 28% porosity comprising of 5–75 μm pores which are well connected and continuous to the surface. The pores were then infiltrated with borosilicate glass to a depth of ≈ 30–80 μm. Such composites would potentially exhibit optimum dielectric and thermal conductivity values making them viable substrate materials for electronic packaging.
Elastic-plastic dynamic analysis of axisymmetric solids

Abstract This paper presents an application of isoparametric elements for the elastic-plastic dynamic analysis of shells of revolution. General isoparametric elements with curved sides are used in the finiic element discretization. These are capable of representing solids of revolution in the form of a layered system. Structures with complex geometries and sharp discontinuities may be studied. Solutions can be obtained for both thin and thick shells because the customary Kirchhoff-Love hypothesis is not invoked. Dynamic analysis is carried out by means of step-by-step integration, the program allowing for the use of any of the schemes belonging to the Newmark family of methods (with free parameters γ and β) and the Wilson and Farhoomand θ-method. Flow theory of plasticity is used in the inelastic range and either isotropic hardening or kinematic linear hardening may be adopted. The program can analyze axisymmetric structures subjected To axially symmetric loading as well as plane stress problems. Numerical examples presented include the dynamic analyses of a simply supported beam and two spherical caps.
Failure to avoid impending collision by the golden hamster mesocricetus auratus

Three experimental situations were used to assess the ability of the golden hamster to avoid collision with an approaching object. In all three situations (one optical loom and two real looms), the animals did not avoid the looming stimulus. Any responses that were made would not have resulted in successful avoidance of an approaching object. The golden hamster lacks the ability to avoid optically specified impending collision.
A versatile time-of-flight ion scattering and recoiling spectrometer system

Abstract We have enhanced our existing ion scattering apparatus to perform time-of-flight ion scattering and recoiling experiments. The ion source is capable of producing almost any type of ion at energies up to 12 keV. The beam is chopped to deliver effective pulse widths as short as 40 ns, although under normal conditions pulse widths closer to 75 ns are used for data collection. Both the sample manipulator and the entire scattering chamber can be translated and rotated to ensure that the sample and detectors are properly aligned with respect to the ion beam. There are two detection legs, one for backscattered ions and one for forward scattered ions and recoils. A free flight region located before each microchannel plate detector allows the separation of charged and neutral yields that scatter or recoil from the sample surface. We discuss a method to transform the raw time-of-flight distributions to energy distributions without knowing the actual energies of the scattered ions, and we present some recent data showing the sensitivity, versatility and various implementations of the instrument.
Honor among thieves: A common's analysis of cybercrime economies

Underground forums enable technical innovation among criminals as well as allow for specialization, thereby making cybercrime economically efficient. The success of these forums is contingent on collective action twixt a variety of stakeholders. What distinguishes sustainable forums from those that fail? We begin to address these questions by examining underground forums under an economic framework that has been used to prescribe institutional choices in other domains, such as fisheries and forests. This framework examines the sustainability of cybercrime forums given a self governance model for a common-pool resource. We analyze five distinct forums: AntiChat (AC), BadHackerZ (BH), BlackhatWorld (BW), Carders (CC), and L33tCrew (LC). Our analyses indicate that successful/sustainable forums: 1) have easy/cheap community monitoring, 2) show moderate increase in new members, 3) do not witness reduced connectivity as the network size increases, 4) limit privileged access, and 5) enforce bans or fines on offending members. We define success as forums demonstrating small world effect.
A positive photoresist adhesion promoter for PMMA on GaAs MESFETs

The positive photoresist as an adhesion promoter for polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resist on GaAs is presented. It can be used with PMMA for both e-beam direct write patterning and deep-UV patterning levels. Using only 60 AA of positive photoresist as the interfacial adhesion promoter, the integrity of the PMMA is maintained during either wet chemical etching or plasma etching. The photoresist will clean up with standard metallization liftoff techniques. While only the results of adhesion with PMMA are reported, this technique can be applied to other resist systems as well. >
A Model Equation for Nonlinear Wavelength Selection and Amplitude Evolution of Frontal Waves

We study a model equation describing the temporal evolution of nonlinear finite-amplitude waves on a density front in a rotating fluid. The linear spectrum includes an unstable interval where exponential growth of the amplitude is expected. It is shown that the length scale of the waves in the nonlinear situation is determined by the linear instabilities; the effect of the nonlinearities is to limit the amplitude's growth, leaving the wavelength unchanged. When linearly stable waves are prescribed as initial data, a short interval of rapid decrease in amplitude is encountered first, followed by a transfer of energy to the unstable part of the spectrum, where the fastest growing mode starts to dominate. A localized disturbance is broken up into its Fourier components, the linearly unstable modes grow at the expense of all other modes, and final amplitudes are determined by the nonlinear term. Periodic evolution of linearly unstable waves in the nonlinear situation is also observed. Based on the numerical results, the existence of low-order chaos in the partial differential equation governing weakly nonlinear wave evolution is conjectured.
Statistics in finance

This article considers Markov chain simulation and statistical analysis of high-dimensional financial time series. In particular, we discuss Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, for example, Gibbs sampling and Metropolis-Hasting algorithm, and multivariate volatility models with applications in finance. Real examples are used to demonstrate statistical applications of the methods discussed in risk management and volatility estimation. WIREs Comp Stat 2011 3 289–315 DOI: 10.1002/wics.168 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Metastasis to the parotid gland from colorectal adenocarcinoma

This manuscript presents only the fifth reported case in the literature of colorectal carcinoma with metastasis to the parotid gland. A 66-year-old white woman, referred to Roswell Park Memorial Institute, presented with a left parotid mass and a past history of undergoing right hemicolectomy for an adenocarcinoma of the ascending colon with synchronous liver metastases. The clinical presentation and treatment of the patient are discussed with a review of the literature.
Improvement of Performance of Cardiac SPECT Camera Using Curved Detectors With Pinholes

SPECT is primarily used in the clinic for cardiac myocardial perfusion imaging. However, for SPECT, sensitivity is impaired due to the need for collimation. System resolution FWHM is poor as well . In this work the resolution of a curved detector was theoretically derived. The advantage of a curved detector over a flat detector with pinhole collimation was demonstrated for cardiac applications using theoretical derivations as well as a ray-tracing voxel-based forward projector. For the flat detector using parameters close to what was expected for the new multi-pinhole GE Discovery system, it is shown that using a paraboloid detector one may obtain a better system resolution (about 29% better on the average), keeping same pinhole opening. Alternately, sensitivity gains of as much as 2.25 may be obtained, for similar resolutions as a flat detector by just using a different pinhole with higher hole-diameter.
Trace analysis of fullerenes in biological samples by simplified liquid-liquid extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography.

Abstract Fullerene (C60) has several potential biomedical and industrial applications. While pure fullerene is not soluble in water, nanoparticles of the fullerene aggregates (nano-C60) can be prepared in water solutions. The concentration of nano-C60 in biological media after systemic exposure could be very low and requires trace analytical methods to be developed for the toxicological and pharmacokinetic studies of the nanomaterial. A serious drop in extraction efficiency was observed when the concentration was under 0.5 μg/mL using traditional liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) protocols. The evaporation of the solvent extract to dryness was found to be the main reason for the efficiency drop and an improved evaporation method was proposed to overcome this problem. Optimal proportion of glacial acetic acid (GAA) was used to solublize the proteins and surfactants in the biological samples, so that the emulsion problem was eliminated during LLE. Magnesium perchlorate was used to destabilize the nano-C60 particles in the water solution and promoted the solvent extraction. A simplified LLE method was developed for high throughput while preserved the advantages of the traditional LLE. The developed method was used for trace analysis of fullerenes in protein containing media and tape-stripped skin samples. Under optimal experimental conditions, the detection limit was 0.34 ng/mL and the recovery was in the range of 94–100% (n = 5) at a concentration of 10 ng/mL nano-C60 in the biological media.
The allocation of scarce resources over time

Abstract This paper treats the problem of allocating a scarce resource over time. It is assumed that a federal tax is placed on the consumption of the resource in order to discourage initially high and wasteful usage under free market conditions. The resource is thereby conserved in the interest of more efficient usage later on when it becomes increasingly scarce. It is assumed that a saving technology is in the works which, at some future, random, time, will provide an alternative resource or device that will essentially eliminate economic dependency on the scarce resource. The problem is, that if too much resource is set aside in the near future, the saving technology may render this sacrifice a useless gesture in conservation; on the other hand, if too little is set aside, there will be unnecessary hardship when the resource runs out. As the arrival time of the saving technology is not known in advance, the problem is to determine the optimal trade-offs between using too much at the start (and then running out) and not using enough at the start (and not needing it later when the technology arrives). Once the optimal consumption pattern is determined, the next problem is to devise a taxing strategy which encourages consumption to obey the desired pattern.
New and novel failure analysis technique of COL package device with WBC non conductive epoxy and The failure mechanisms of the electrical shorting of the die back to the lead

Chip on Leads or COL is a package without the Die Flag or Die Attach Pad (DAP), where the Die is bonded directly on the leads using non-conductive epoxy as the electric isolation material between the die back and the leads. Problem arises when the electrical isolation between the die back and leads has failed. Identifying the electrical short path between the die back and the leads is a challenge for failure analysis of COL package. One need to understand the device bill of material (BOM), bonding diagram and package structure before this COL die back to lead short failure mode can be confirmed by a method of combination of die isolation from the package and micro-probing. Thermal-Induced-Voltage-Alteration (TIVA) was then used to locate the physical bridging between die back and lead. This paper entails the challenge in identifying the electrical shorting path on bench, the TIVA and progressive FIB technique. Failure mechanisms are also discussed.
Plant mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades: Negative regulatory roles turn out positive

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascades are a standard player in the signal transduction literature for diverse organisms (1–3). Previous work has shown that specific MAP kinases become activated during plant responses to pathogens, suggesting a role for MAP kinase cascades in disease resistance. However, no function-blocking experiments had demonstrated a causal role until the work of Frye et al. (4) on the Arabidopsis EDR1 gene that was presented in a recent issue of PNAS. In a related development, Petersen et al. (5) have just published work showing that disruption of the Arabidopsis MPK4 MAP kinase gene also alters plant defense activation. It is surprising that, for all plant species, these are only the second and third characterized mutants known to carry a disrupted kinase from a MAP kinase cascade. Equally striking, both papers revisit a theme established by the first known plant MAP kinase cascade mutant and reinforced in a separate study (6, 7): the MAP kinase cascade as a negative regulator of the relevant biological response. However, the probability of crosstalk among MAP kinase cascades, discussed below, suggests that this negative regulatory activity of MAP kinase cascades could be misleading.
Prostaglandins and estradiol-induced attenuation of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction.

Pretreatment with estradiol (20 mg IM) attenuated vasoreactivity to decreases in inspired PIo2, lowered baseline resistance measured under conditions of maximal vasodilation (PIo2=0 mm Hg), and appeared to increase prostaglandin release in isolated, blood-perfused lungs of juvenile female sheep. Indomethacin (40 μg/ml) inhibited prostaglandin release and restored hypoxic vasoreactivity in estrogen-treated lungs, but did not alter the estrogen-induced decrease in baseline resistance. These results suggest that estradiol enhanced the production of prostaglandins which secondarily attenuated hypoxic vasoreactivity. The estradiol-induced decrease in baseline resistance, however, must have been mediated by some other mechanism.
Pharmacokinetics of bupropion, a novel antidepressant agent, following oral administration to healthy subjects.

The pharmacokinetics of bupropion hydrochloride, a structurally novel antidepressant agent, have been studied in healthy male and female subjects following administration of single oral doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg. Plasma drug concentrations were determined directly by a specific radioimmunoassay (r.i.a.), while urinary measurements required a prior solvent extraction to remove substances interfering in the assay. Bupropion appeared rapidly in the plasma, suggesting good absorption. Drug plasma concentration-time data were fitted well to a two-compartment open model of drug disposition by use of the computer program NONLIN. By comparison of AUC, Cmax and tmax values, the pharmacokinetics of bupropion were found to be linear across the 50-200 mg dose range in both sexes. When the data were normalized for subjects' body weights, no differences between pharmacokinetic parameters for male and female subjects were found. Mean disposition half-lives across treatments were 1.2-1.4 h for t1/2 alpha and 10.7-13.8 h for the t1/2 beta. Bupropion was extensively bound (85%) to human plasma proteins over a wide drug concentration range. Less than 1% of a 200 mg oral dose of bupropion hydrochloride appeared in the urine of 16 subjects as unchanged drug, indicating extensive metabolism of the parent compound.
Spinal Cord Injury Induced by Gun Shot Wounds: Implications for Occupational Therapy

People with spinal cord injuries secondary to gunshot wounds present with many unique occupational challenges in terms of their overall health and well-being, and often live in violent cultures that limit occupational performance. Further awareness and understanding of this subgroup can enable occupational therapists to develop appropriate strategies needed to address the many challenges faced by this population. An in-depth understanding of cultural competence is necessary in the identification, planning, and delivery of appropriate and effective treatment. Further, a case example demonstrates the significant influence occupational therapy can achieve in this area of practice.
Role of posterior parietal cortex in the recalibration of visually guided reaching.

VISUALLY guided reaching requires complex neural transformations to link visual and proprioceptive inputs with appropriate motor outputs1,2. Despite the complexity of these transformations, hand–eye coordination in humans is remarkably flexible, as demonstrated by the ease with which reaching can be adapted to distortions in visual feedback. If subjects attempt to reach to visual targets while wearing displacing prisms, they initially misreach in the direction of visual displacement. Given feedback about their reaching errors, however, they quickly adapt to the visual distortion. This is shown by the gradual resumption of accurate reaching while the prisms remain in place, and by the immediate onset of reaching errors in the opposite direction after the prisms have been removed3. Despite an abundance of psy-chophysical data on adaptation to prisms, the functional localization of this form of sensorimotor adaptation is uncertain. Here we use positron emission tomography (PET) to localize changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in subjects who performed a prism-adaptation task as well as a task that controlled for the sensory, motor and cognitive conditions of the adaptation experiment. Difference images that reflected the net effects of the adaptation process showed selective activation of posterior parietal cortex contralateral to the reaching limb.
Three-dimensional reconstruction of enamel thickness and volume in humans and hominoids

Enamel thickness is an important diagnostic characteristic in Hominoidea. However, the sample size is extremely small, relying upon mostly fractured specimens and a few sectioned specimens, providing an estimate of enamel thickness only. What is needed to fully understand the significance of enamel thickness is a non-destructive technique that is able to obtain the thickness, density, and volume of the dental hard tissues of large samples, thereby providing an accurate means of relating thickness, area, volume, and the pattern of distribution of both enamel and dentin. Investigators have attempted to circumvent this problem by developing a variety of indexes. However, we are still left with subjective descriptions, such as 'thin', 'thick', 'intermediate thick', and 'hyperthick'. The purpose of this investigation was therefore to demonstrate the ability of high-resolution X-ray computed microtomography (HRXCT), as a non-destructive method, to produce, accurately and reliably, contiguous slices revealing the thickness and area of enamel, dentin, and pulp chamber. Using imaging software, three-dimensional reconstructions were produced, which provided volume data for enamel and dentin. Three-dimensional reconstruction of HRXCT images provide, for the first time, the capability of accurately quantifying enamel and dentin thickness, distribution and volume, thereby eliminating the necessity of destructive thin-sectional analysis.
Further comments on the luminescence line shape of the free exciton in germanium

The free-exciton luminescence line shape in germanium has been measured as a function of crystal temperature and free-exciton density. In order to fit these data, the theory includes nonparabolicity effects, collision broadening, and Gaussian broadening. From this fit, the bottom of the free-exciton band is at 712.8 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.1 meV and the electron-hole droplet binding energy is 1.9 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.2 meV.
The Zeus Mission Study — An application of automated collaborative design

Abstract The purpose of the Zeus Mission Study was threefold. As an element of a graduate course in spacecraft system engineering, its purpose was primarily educational — to allow the students to apply their knowledge in a real mission study. The second purpose was to investigate the feasibility of applying advanced technology (the power antenna and solar electric propulsion concepts) to a challenging mission. Finally, the study allowed evaluation of the benefits of using quality-oriented techniques (Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and Taguchi Methods) for a mission study. To encourage innovation, several constraints were placed on the study from the onset. While the primary goal was to place at least one lander on Europa, the additional constraint of no nuclear power sources posed an additional challenge, particularly when coupled with the mass constraints imposed by using a Delta II class launch vehicle. In spite of these limitations, the team was able to develop a mission and spacecraft design capable of carrying three simple, lightweight, yet capable landers. The science return will more than adequately meet the science goals established QFD was used to determine the optimal choice of instrumentation. The lander design was selected from several competing lander concepts, including rovers. The carrier design was largely dictated by the needs of the propulsion system required to support the mission, although the development of a Project Trades Model (PTM) in software allowed for rapid recalculation of key system parameters as changes were made. Finally, Taguchi Methods (Design of Experiments) were used in conjunction with the PTM allowing for some limited optimization of design features.
Growth of human foreskin fibroblasts in a serum-free, defined medium without platelet-derived growth factor

The hormones which support growth, in vitro, of normal, neonatal human foreskin fibroblasts were determined. Whereas thrombin and hydrocortisone were major growth stimulants, platelet-derived growth factor was not. Human foreskin fibroblasts grew in a serum-free, biochemically defined medium consisting of epidermal growth factor (100 ng/ml), insulin (100 ng/ml), transferrin 10 micrograms/ml), thrombin (1 microgram/ml), ascorbic acid (10 micrograms/ml), and hydrocortisone (5 x 10(-5) M) in a 1:1 mixture of Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium and Ham's F-12, supplemented with ovalbumin (1 mg/ml) and trace elements. The growth achieved was comparable to that achieved with 5% fetal bovine serum. Neither platelet-derived growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, nor somatomedin activity increased proliferation. This serum-free medium, designated Defined Medium F, provides a biochemically defined system for growth and limited subcultivation of human foreskin fibroblasts in vitro.
Insulin stimulation of phosphorylation of elongation factor 1 (eEF-1) enhances elongation activity

To examine the role of phosphorylation of the elongation factor eEF-1 in regulation of translation, 32P-labeled 3T3-L1 cells were deprived of serum, then incubated in the presence or absence of 10 nM insulin for 15 min. eEF-1 was purified by affinity chromatography on tRNA-Sepharose and shown to be phosphorylated on the alpha, beta and delta subunits. Phosphorylation of eEF-1alpha was stimulated sixfold in response to insulin, beta was stimulated fourfold and delta was threefold. The rate of elongation assayed with eEF-1 from insulin-stimulated cells was over twofold greater than with eEF-1 from serum-deprived cells. When eEF-1 from insulin-treated cells was subjected to two-dimensional tryptic phosphopeptide mapping, nine phosphopeptides were obtained with the alpha subunit, one with the beta subunit and three with the delta subunit. When compared with phosphopeptide maps of alpha, beta and delta subunits of eEF-1 phosphorylated in vitro by the insulin-stimulated multipotential protein kinase, the maps of the beta and delta subunits were identical. Five phosphopeptides obtained with the alpha subunit in vivo were identical to those obtained with S6 kinase in vitro; the remainder were unique. To examine whether protein kinase C had a role in phosphorylation of eEF-1 in response to insulin, protein kinase C was down-regulated by prolonged exposure of 3T3-L1 cells to 4beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Phosphorylation of the alpha, beta and delta subunits was stimulated 2.5-fold in response to insulin, with elongation activity stimulated to a similar extent, suggesting that protein kinase C had no effect on stimulation of elongation in response to insulin. Thus, stimulation of eEF-1 activity in response to insulin appears to be mediated primarily by multipotential S6 kinase. This data is consistent with previous studies on stimulation of initiation via phosphorylation of initiation factors by multipotential S6 kinase [Morley, S. J. & Traugh, J. A. (1993) Biochemie (Paris) 95, 985-989].
Finite element formulations for problems of large elastic-plastic deformation

An Eulerian finite element formulation is presented for problems of large elastic-plastic flow. The method is based on Hill's variational principle for incremental deformations, and is suited to isotropically hardening Prandtl-Reuss materials. The formulation is given in a manner which allows any conventional finite element program, for "small strain" elasticplastic analysis, to be simply and rigorously adapted to problems involving arbitrary amounts of deformation and arbitrary levels of stress in comparison to plastic deformation moduli. The method is applied to a necking bifurcation analysis of a bar in plane-strain tension. A unified general formulation of finite element equations, both Lagrangian and Eulerian, for large deformations, with arbitrary choice of the conjugate stress and strain measures, and a discussion is given of other proposed formulations for elastic-plastic finite element analysis at large strain.
Improving Outcomes in Patients With Bipolar Disorder Through Establishing an Effective Treatment Team

A treatment gap exists between the efficacious treatments available for patients with bipolar disorder and the usual care these patients receive. This article reviews the evolution of the collaborative care treatment model, which was designed to address treatment gaps in chronic medical care, and discusses the efficacy of this model when applied to improving outcomes for patients with bipolar disorder in the primary care setting. Key elements of collaborative care include the use of evidence-based treatment guidelines, patient psychoeducation, collaborative decision-making with patients and with other physicians, and supportive technology to facilitate monitoring and follow-up of patient outcomes. Integrating psychiatric and medical health care can assist in achieving the goal of bipolar disorder treatment, which is full functional recovery for patients.
Severe iatrogenic hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure (HAAF) describes the syndromes of defective glucose regulation and hypoglycemia unawareness. Originally characterized in type 1 diabetes, the author of this Viewpoint suggests that HAAF is also a component of iatrogenic hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes, and represents a barrier to glycemic control.
Viscous Flow Structure Interaction

Considerable research activities in vibration and seismic analysis for various fluid-structure systems have been carried out in the past two decades. Most of the approaches are formulated within the framework of finite elements, and the majority of work deals with inviscid fluids. However, there has been little work done in the area of fluid-structure interaction problems accounting for flow separation and nonlinear phenomenon of steady streaming. In this paper, the Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) finite element method is extended to address the flow separation and nonlinear phenomenon of steady streaming for arbitrarily shaped bodies undergoing large periodic motion in a viscous fluid. The results are designed to evaluate the fluid force acting on the body; thus, the coupled rigid body-viscous flow problem can be simplified to a standard structural problem using the concept of added mass and added damping. Formulas for these two constants are given for the particular case of a cylinder immersed in an infinite viscous fluid. The finite element modeling is based on a pressure-velocity mixed formulation and a streamline upwind Petrov/Galerkin technique. All computations are performed using a personal computer.
Brightness function: Effect of area and duration

The dependence of perceived brightness on flash luminance and duration was determined for dark-adapted observers, with target size, retinal location, and wavelength varied parametrically. In the first series of experiments, observers made magnitude estimations of the brightness of flashes of varying luminance and duration. Perceived brightness varied as a power function of luminance, with simple fractional exponents: 1, (1/2), (1/3). The exponents for brightness depend upon both target size and flash duration. The second series of experiments determined how the Broca–Sulzer brightness enhancement shifts to briefer or longer durations with changes of luminance. Observers adjusted the duration of constant-luminance flashes to produce a maximally bright flash. The flash duration producing maximum brightness varied as a power function of luminance with simple fractional exponents: −(1/2) for point sources and −(1/3) for extended sources. The regularity of the exponents suggests that a simple mechanism underlies the encoding of brightness information in the dark-adapted state.
Material and optical approaches to exciton polaritons in multiple quantum wells: Formal results.

The theory of exciton polaritons in multiple quantum wells with arbitrary interwell spacings between successive wells is approached from two alternative viewpoints. The material approach considers the Green's function for the coupled exciton-electromagnetic modes of the structure viewed as the interband elementary excitations of the crystal. The optical approach considers the light transmitted and reflected given an incident electromagnetic wave in linear-dispersion theory or, equivalently, the behavior of the modes of the vacuum fluctuations in the context of quantum electrodynamics. The optical approach is formulated in terms of transfer matrices. The complementary nature of the two methods is discussed. The theory describes T-mode polaritons and also a type of LZ-mixed-mode polaritons [a special case of LT-mixed-mode polaritons, in the terminology of K. Cho, Solid State Commun. 33, 911 (1980)] in multiple quantum wells. It is shown, however, that the effects of LZ mixing are negligibly small for GaAs/${\mathrm{Al}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$As multiple quantum wells in which the constituent wells are of width much less than the relevant optical wavelength.
Effectiveness of isotope depleted ZnO to minimize radiation build-up in boiling water nuclear reactors

Abstract Isotopically depleted zinc oxide ceramics are used to reduce radiation build-up in BWR s (Boiling Water Reactors) by incorporating zinc ions in the corrosion film of stainless steel piping in the cooling system of the nuclear reactor. Volatile precursors of zinc oxide suitable for gas centrifugation were converted into zinc oxide powder by several methods; namely, 1) direct oxide conversion, 2) carbonate conversion and 3) sol-gel conversion. These powders were characterized as regarding particle size distribution, specific surface area and thermal properties (TG, DTA and DSC). The analysis of trace contaminants was carried out using Atomic Emission Spectroscopy. The morphology of the powders was observed using scanning electron microscopy and their sinterability was evaluated using a high temperature dilatometer. Discs were pressed using a mechanical double action press and sintered in an air atmosphere. The ceramic microstructure was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The objective of this paper is to present the key materials characteristics of the depleted zinc oxide powders and the respective ceramic bodies made thereof.