cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A conformational change in concanavalin A detected by a calorimetric study of the binding of methyl α-D-mannopyranoside

Abstract The binding of methyl α-D-mannopyranoside to the lectin concanavalin A was studied by means of calorimetry. An apparent enthalpy of binding was also calculated from the variation of the equilibrium constant with temperature (van't Hoff ΔH). The ΔH measured directly was −30 to −38 kJ/mole indicating that the binding is driven by the ΔH change. In contrast, the van't Hoff ΔH was substantially smaller, about zero at pH 5.2. The difference in the ΔH measured directly and the van't Hoff ΔH implies that the conformation of concanavalin A undergoes a temperature dependent change at both pH's but most predominantly at pH 5.2. The existence of this conformational change was verified by difference absorption spectroscopy.
Critiquing Cooperation: Transboundary Water Governance and Adaptive Capacity in the Orange-Senqu Basin

: This article analyzes the effects of the Orange-Senqu transboundary water governance regime on adaptive capacity by examining the influence of international water management institutions and interstate interactions on treaty flexibility, information management, actor networks, and financial resources. This study provides fresh insights into the dynamic effects of transboundary water governance. This is done by tracing changes in the components of adaptive capacity and the patterns of resource use and allocation over the regime's life and by determining the extent to which observed changes are caused by regime performance or other factors. Drawing on document analysis and in-depth interviews, this article examines the assumption that cooperation between riparian states will enhance the ability of parties to recognize and respond to changing circumstances. It also examines the factors enabling and constraining reflexivity and joint planning in the basin.
Effect of pretreatment with androgen in the neonatal rat on LH-induced ovarian cholesterol depletion.

ConclusionsAndrogen sterilization results in the elimination of the multiphasic dose-response curve obtained with the OCD bio-assay for LH. The dose-response curve in the androgenized animals is highly reproducible, but the sensitivity of the assay is considerably reduced. The abolition of the multiphasic curve by androgen treatment suggests that endogenous LH release is responsible for the multiphasic type of response in the non-androgenized rat. A linear log dose-response relationship for LH is obtained between 0.0625 μg and 0.25 μg using a 5-hour assay time interval, and between 0.25 μg and 1.0 μg using a 7-hour assay time interval. This response is reproducible and is specific for LH.
Placental Passage of Antibodies to Dengue Virus in Persons Living in a Region of Hyperendemic Dengue Virus Infection

Maternal and umbilical cord levels of antibodies to dengue 2 and 3 viruses were compared in 54 matched pairs of specimens from subjects in the Dominican Republic. Dengue infection appeared to be hyperendemic; pregnant women experienced a 6% weekly infection rate. Titers of antibody to dengue 2 and 3 viruses were considerably higher in cord sera than in maternal sera (P smaller than 0.001 and P smaller 0.01, respectively), especially when maternal levels were low. When maternal and cord sera were compared at equal titers of dengue 2 virus, heterotypic antibodies to dengue 1 and St. Louis encephalitis viruses were higher in the cord. These findings could not be directly related to the higher levels of IgG found in cord sera or to the presence of elevated concentrations of IgM. It is concluded that antibody with increased cross-reactivity preferentially crosses the placenta. The presence of such cross-reactive antibody does not appear to sensitize infants to dengue hemorrhagic fever/shock syndrome.
General thoracic surgery is safe in patients taking clopidogrel (Plavix)

Background The objective of this study was to assess the safety of general thoracic surgery in patients taking antiplatelet (clopidogrel) therapy. Methods A prospective study was conducted of consecutive patients who underwent general thoracic surgery and who were taking clopidogrel perioperatively. They were matched using a propensity score from our prospective database of 11,768 patients. Intraoperative and postoperative outcomes were compared. Results Between January 2009 and April 2010 there were 33 patients on clopidogrel at the time of surgery and 132 controls. The most common procedures were thoracotomy with lobectomy in 11 patients (robotic in 1), video-assisted wedge resection in 6, mediastinoscopy in 4, and Ivor Lewis esophagogastrectomy in 2. Epidurals were not used. There was no intraoperative morbidity or bleeding in primary thoracotomy; however, 2 of the 4 patients who underwent redo thoracotomy had bleeding that required transfusions. None of the 8 patients receiving clopidogrel who had a coronary artery stent and underwent lobectomy had a perioperative myocardial infarction whereas 5 of the 14 control patients undergoing lobectomy who had a coronary artery stent did (P = .05). Otherwise, morbidity, mortality, and length of stay were no different. Conclusions Patients who are receiving clopidogrel and who have a coronary artery stent placed can safely undergo general thoracic surgery. The widely held belief that surgery cannot be performed without bleeding is untrue. This new finding not only eliminates much of the preoperative dilemma posed by these patients but also may reduce their risk of a postoperative myocardial infarction. However, patients who require a redo thoracotomy may be at increased risk of bleeding.
Mesh shift following laparoscopic ventral hernia repair

Abstract Introduction Traditionally, laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) is performed by placing the trocars on one side of the abdomen. Tacking the mesh on the operative side can be challenging. We hypothesized that mesh shift may occur as a result of this approach. We define mesh shift as any mesh off-center, where the center is the hernia defect. Our objectives were to evaluate whether mesh shift occurs after LVHR, and to develop a grading system to describe this phenomenon. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of patients who underwent LVHR from 2000 to 2010. We examined patient demographics, comorbidities, radiographic data, surgical data, and outcomes. Using analysis of variance, we analyzed continuous data; we used Chi squared to analyze categorical data. Of the 201 patients, we reviewed 78 postoperative computed tomography (CT) scans. Two surgeons measured mesh overlap of the fascia bilaterally at the level of the hernia defect. We compared a ratio of the two sides of overlap (least overlap/greatest overlap) and classified patients into four grades: grade I, no mesh shift (ratio of 0.5–1.00); grade II, mild mesh shift (ratio of 0.20–0.49); grade III, moderate mesh shift (>0–0.19); and grade IV, major mesh shift with recurrence ( Results A total of 48% of patients had mesh shift (grade II = 23%; grade III = 10%; and grade IV = 17%). In 92% of the patients with mesh shift, the mesh migrated away from the port placement site, resulting in decreased mesh/fascial overlap. Patients in the four groups had similar demographics, comorbid conditions, hernia characteristics, operative technique, and outcomes (excluding recurrences, which were all grade IV by definition). Whereas differences in time to follow-up CT scan in the different grades were not statistically significant, there was a trend toward increasing shift with time (mean: grade I, 20 mo; grade II, 38 mo; grade III, 50 mo; and grade IV, 26 mo; P = 0.07). A total of 26 patients (33%) had multiple postoperative CT scans. With time, it appears that mesh tended to shift with time (grade I, 68%–46%; grade II, 12%–19%; grade III, 12%–8%, and grade 4, 8%–23%). Conclusions Mesh can shift from the ideal central placement after LVHR. Mesh tends to shift away from the operative side and recurrences tend to occur on the operative side. Mesh shift may be a precursor to hernia recurrence. Recurrence may be a two-step process, beginning first with intra-operative mesh shift followed by additional factors (such mesh contraction) that may accentuate the shift and lead to recurrence. Potential solutions include increasing mesh overlap (≥6 cm), performing transcutaneous closure of central defect, securing trans-fascial sutures before tacking, placing operative side tacks first, and consider placing contralateral ports to secure the mesh.
'Nothing in Our Histories': A Postcolonial Perspective on Twelfth-Century Christian Hebraism

This essay examines how twelfth-century Christian Hebraism, as an aspect of biblical exegesis, contributed to producing Christian knowledge of the Jewish Other. It argues that Christian Hebraism was symptomatic of strategies central to the formation of Christian identity, a process to which Jews were essential not only as foils, but as collaborators. An alternative approach to Christian Hebraism, its contributions to a volatile Christian identity, and its status as both a cause and an effect of changing relations between Jews and Christians in the period, is demonstrated by the application of postcolonial discourse analysis to the psalms commentary by Herbert of Bosham.
Optogenetic-guided cortical plasticity after nerve injury

Peripheral nerve injury causes sensory dysfunctions that are thought to be attributable to changes in neuronal activity occurring in somatosensory cortices both contralateral and ipsilateral to the injury. Recent studies suggest that distorted functional response observed in deprived primary somatosensory cortex (S1) may be the result of an increase in inhibitory interneuron activity and is mediated by the transcallosal pathway. The goal of this study was to develop a strategy to manipulate and control the transcallosal activity to facilitate appropriate plasticity by guiding the cortical reorganization in a rat model of sensory deprivation. Since transcallosal fibers originate mainly from excitatory pyramidal neurons somata situated in laminae III and V, the excitatory neurons in rat S1 were engineered to express halorhodopsin, a light-sensitive chloride pump that triggers neuronal hyperpolarization. Results from electrophysiology, optical imaging, and functional MRI measurements are concordant with that within the deprived S1, activity in response to intact forepaw electrical stimulation was significantly increased by concurrent illumination of halorhodopsin over the healthy S1. Optogenetic manipulations effectively decreased the adverse inhibition of deprived cortex and revealed the major contribution of the transcallosal projections, showing interhemispheric neuroplasticity and thus, setting a foundation to develop improved rehabilitation strategies to restore cortical functions.
Morphology of three lyotropic liquid crystalline biological NMR media studied by translational diffusion anisotropy.

The morphologies of three dilute liquid crystalline phases, which are widely used for biological NMR spectroscopy, are investigated by the study of tracer self-diffusion. The aqueous liquid crystalline media investigated include the common phospholipid bicelle medium, a phase consisting of a mixture of pentaethyleneglycol mono dodecyl ether and hexanol, and a medium containing cetylpyridinium bromide and hexanol. Threonine and water were used as tracer molecules for probing the aqueous environment, and tetramethylsilane (TMS) was for probing the lipophilic environment. Pulsed field gradient NMR was used to measure tracer self-diffusion rates in three orthogonal directions. Although results for the water-soluble tracers in bicelle media do not contradict the widely accepted disk-shaped bicelle model, the high TMS diffusion rate observed in the bilayer plane requires extensive transient edge-to-edge contacts of such disks. This morphology is essentially that of a heavily perforated lamellar bilayer phase an...
Some unusual behavior of fish erythrocytes in hypotonic saline solutions

Abstract 1. 1. An unusual erythrocyte behavior in hypotonic saline solutions has been observed in several species of marine fishes. 2. 2. A relationship has been observed between osmotic fragility of fish erythrocytes and cell volume in certain species. 3. 3. Incubation of fish erythrocytes revealed a greater increase in the fragility of the unusual erythrocytes than in normal erythrocytes. 4. 4. Similarities in the behavior of some fish erythrocytes and those of pathological human erythrocytes have been noted.
CONSTITUTIVE MODELING OF GEOSYNTHETICS

Abstract A constitutive model for geosynthetics is presented that incorporates components describing direction-dependent elastic, plastic and time-dependent creep properties. The model is compared to a series of uniaxial tension tests performed on a biaxial geogrid and a woven geotextile. Tension tests to which model predictions are compared include fast and slow monotonic tension, constant load creep tests and two series of cyclic tension. The model is shown to offer reasonable predictions of in-air tensile load–strain properties commonly associated with geosynthetic materials.
Heat loss in Dumbo: a theoretical approach

A flat plate model was used to calculate heat loss from the pinnae of the animated elephant Dumbo. In conditions of high wind velocity and large gradients, Dumbo could potentially dissipate more heat than he produces. This suggests that he may need the large ears to help lose the excess heat produced while flying.
Thermal Decomposition of C10−C14 Normal Alkanes in Near-Critical and Supercritical Regions: Product Distributions and Reaction Mechanisms

Thermal decomposition of C10−C14 n-alkanes was studied under near-critical and supercritical conditions. The primary products were C1−Cm-2 n-alkanes and C2−Cm-1 1-alkenes, and the secondary products were cis- and trans-2-alkenes, n-Cm-1, n-Cm+1, and Cm+2−C2m-2 normal and branched alkanes, where m is the number of carbon atoms in the reactant. The relative yields of the primary and secondary products were dependent upon the reaction conditions. Product distributions exhibited large pressure dependence in the near-critical region. The observed product distributions and changes in product composition with reaction conditions were explained by a modified free radical mechanism.
Potato Response to Nitrogen Form and Nitrification Inhibitors

Several previous experiments where nitrification inhibitors have been used with potato have resulted in yield and/or tuber quality reductions, especially when used in combination with all-ammonium fertilizer N sources. This experiment examined the effectiveness of inhibitors over a 3-year period when used with several N sources with varying ammonium-N contents, all applied at emergence on an irrigated loamy sand in central Wisconsin. In 3 of 6 site-years, use of an inhibitor increased total tuber yield with one or more of the N sources. Inhibitor use also sometimes increased tuber N accumulation and apparent recovery of applied fertilizer N. However, in 4 of 6 site-years, inclusion of an inhibitor with all-ammonium fertilizer N decreased harvested U.S. No. 1 tubers. This decrease was primarily due to an increased proportion of off-shape cull tubers, likely in response to the aversion of potato to ammonium nutrition. While use of inhibitors may have some application for potato production on irrigated sandy soils, it is clear that when they are used, the N fertilizer should be a mixed ammonium/nitrate fertilizer source.
Novel Transplant Strategies in Adults with Acute Leukemia

Autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is regularly used as a curative treatment option for patients with various disorders, including acute leukemia in adults. The past decade has witnessed dramatic improvements in the reduction of treatment-related mortality (TRM), in part attributable to improved supportive care but also due to better graft selection and donor-to-recipient matching regimens, and the emergence of reduced-intensity conditioning in place of myeloablative conditioning. Despite these advances, HCT remains plagued by the risk of relapse or failure due to graft-versus-host disease, infectious complications, and TRM. This article reviews new approaches that may improve overall patient outcome.
Knowledge and Conversation

Good conversations open up a common world. The boundaries of that world are defined by shared knowledge. The normative content of knowledge is the concern of general education, and its force comes to life as background knowledge in conversations and in the way we experience the world. Background knowledge is present in memory. Information technology tends to make memory dispensable and ignorance normal—it is no longer the absence of knowledge, but rather the ability to know, the availability of information, accessed when needed. The result is an attenuation of our being in the world.
Pulsed Laser Mixing of Metal Overlayers on Ceramics

Pulsed laser mixing has been used as surface modification technique for the improvement in the mechanical properties of ceramics. Thin metallic layers of nickel were deposited on structural silicon nitride and were irradiated with Xenon Chloride (XeCl) laser pulses. The laser parameters were optimized to lead to the formation of mixed layers. The mixed interfacial layers were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Rutherford Backscattering (RBS) techniques. Detailed heat flow calculations were performed to simulate the effects of intense laser irradiation on metal coated ceramic structures. The melt lifetimes and the interfacial temperatures obtained using these calculations, were applied to understand the laser mixing phenomena occuring in these layered structures. Thermodynamics of chemical reactions between the metal overlayers and the substrate were done to predict the formation of mixed interfacial layers during laser irradiation.
DSIP reduces amphetamine-induced hyperthermia in mice.

Abstract The effects of delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) have not been fully determined. Besides sleep-inducing activities, effects on locomotor, stress-reduction, and temperature-regulation have been published. It was reported that DSIP reversed the increase in temperature of rats injected at room temperature with 15 mg d-amphetamine per kg body weight. We examined this effect in mice with 9 different concentrations of DSIP in addition to D-Ala 4 -DSIP and an analog, DSIP-P, phosphorylated at the serine in position 7. A reduction of the increased temperature was observed in mice but not in rats. This effect was only significant after pretreatment with 0.1 and 150 nmol DSIP/kg, but not the other doses. D-Ala 4 -DSIP decreased the rise in temperature between 50–150 nmol/kg, but DSIP-P showed no such effect nor was DSIP able to significantly reduce the increase of temperature induced by the larger dose of 30 mg/kg d-amphetamine. A bell-shaped dose-response curve was found for D-Ala 4 -DSIP; for DSIP two active dose ranges were observed. Thus, complex dose-effect relationships seem to exist for DSIP (and perhaps its analogs) in thermoregulation.
Mechanical properties of partially sintered materials

In powder materials that are sintered only in the initial stage, a continuous network of pores remains in the structure. Here the mechanical properties of partially sintered materials are investigated in relation to processing parameters, sintering behavior, and microstructure, using, as a model material, W prepared by the activated sintering technique at low firing temperatures. Hardness and fracture toughness of partially sintered W are found to be critically dependent on the interparticle neck size of W sintered particles, which is in turn affected by the sintering additives. While fracture toughness is apparently solely a function of densification and interparticle neck size, hardness scales with a factor that combines both sintered density and densification. Existing analytical models for these scaling behaviors are compared critically with the new data.
Fingerprinting lymph node metastases.

Within a decade of its invention, the technology commonly termed “DNA fingerprinting” transformed forensic science and had a huge impact on the legal system. Thanks to this procedure, which combines polymerase chain reaction for sequence amplification and capillary electrophoresis as a sensitive high-throughput detection method, it is now practical to evaluate small amounts of degenerated DNA and interrogate multiple known sites of highly variable genetic sequence, known as microsatellites. In forensic sciences, a perfect match of sequence at multiple microsatellites is used to assign identity with near certainty. This technology is applicable to the degraded DNA of formalin-fixed tissues and has been successfully applied to breast cancers by Ellsworth et al.1 In the article by Becker et al.,2 this same research group has interrogated 26 microsatellite loci scattered across the genome and has applied statistical models to estimate the similarity between the primary tumor and each nodal metastasis in 26 patients with node-positive breast cancer. This work builds on previous studies that have applied techniques such as DNA ploidy, immunohistochemical markers, fluorescent in situ hybridization, comparative genomic hybridization, and gene expression profiling to explore the clonal progression model of cancer due to its characteristic genomic instability.
Magnetism and electronic transport in the concentrated Kondo system (UxLa1-x)2Zn17.

Magnetization, resistivity, and magnetoresistivity have been studied in the concentrated Kondo system (U/sub x/La/sub 1-//sub x/)/sub 2/Zn/sub 17/ (x = 0.05, 0.3, 0.9, 1), from 0.35 to 295 K and in magnetic fields up to 6.7 T. The effective magnetic moment per U atom is independent of concentration whereas the paramagnetic Curie-Weiss temperature varies monotonically from -120 K in U/sub 2/Zn/sub 17/ to -7 K in (U/sub 0.05/La/sub 0.95/)/sub 2/Zn/sub 17/. At low concentrations U behaves like a Kondo impurity, but concentration effects on the transport properties already show up in alloys with x = 0.3. Resistivity data show that the Kondo temperature increases with x through the whole series. In U/sub 2/Zn/sub 17/ and (U/sub 0.9/La/sub 0.1/)/sub 2/Zn/sub 17/, the similar behavior observed above 50 K is in qualitative agreement with the independent Kondo impurity model. A marked difference is found in the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity in the magnetically ordered phase (4.7 K for x = 0.9 and 9.8 K for x = 1). In contrast to the large drop seen in U/sub 2/Zn/sub 17/ an increase is observed in (U/sub 0.9/La/sub 0.1/)/sub 2/Zn/sub 17/.
Wnt meets Warburg: another piece in the puzzle?

One of the most common abnormalities of cancer cells is their predilection to engage in a high rate of glycolysis despite the continued availability of oxygen. First described by Otto Warburg, this phenomenon of aerobic glycolysis (or the Warburg effect) has recently been proposed to result from cancer-associated alterations in signal transduction pathways. In this issue of The EMBO Journal, Pate et al provide further support for this hypothesis by demonstrating that Wnt signaling plays an important role in establishing aerobic glycolysis as a mechanism to support in vivo cancer cell proliferation.
Surgical infections--pathogen versus host.

Abstract An attempt has been made to present a useful classification of the etiological factors in the development of surgical infections. The role of the host has been emphasized, but the author in no way wishes to draw attention away from the importance of strict adherence to aseptic and antiseptic principles. A few simple tests combined with a thorough clinical evaluation will usually detect the nature of abnormalities of host resistance. A newly developed test for measuring neutrophil function appears to be particularly useful. A cyclical variation in the neutrophil function of the healthy persons has been discovered which may be of importance in the pathogenesis of unexpected infections.
Induction and amplification of T-lymphocyte proliferative responses to periodate and soybean aggtutinin by human adult vascular endothelial cells

Abstract Human mononuclear phagocyte (Mφ) populations were compared to adult human endothelial cells (HEC) for their respective abilities to influence the proliferative responses of purified human T lymphocytes to the mitogenic agents Na-m-periodate (10 − 4 ), soybean agglutinin (SBA), or allogeneic cells. HEC and Mφ were both capable of inducing proliferative responses of allogeneic T lymphocytes in mixed-lymphocyte culture. Under low cell density culture conditions, purified T-lymphocyte proliferative responses to IO − 4 or SBA could be restored by addition of syngeneic Mφ or HEC. At higher cell density culture conditions, proliferation of T cells to IO − 4 could be amplified more by HEC than Mφ. T-lymphocyte proliferative responses to SBA were amplified by addition of HEC but were suppressed by addition of Mφ. These findings indicate that human adult HEC are unique and potent accessory cells for T lymphocytes. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate that accessory cell functions of HEC can be discriminated from those of Mφ.
Cardiovascular physiology and diseases of the rabbit.

This article reviews what is known about the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases in the pet rabbit. Current knowledge is based on anectodal reports, derived from research data using the rabbit as an animal model of human cardiovascular diseases, but most importantly canine and feline cardiology. It is likely that, as cardiovascular diseases are more often recognized, more specific information will soon become available for the treatment of the pet rabbit with cardiac disease.
Educating next-generation civil engineers about smart structures technology

The implementation of smart structures technology in the design, construction and maintenance of civil and mechanical systems have been shown beneficial to the performance enhancement, operating efficiency and reliability of structural systems. However, most of today's engineering students are unaware of the remarkable properties of smart sensors and many applications of smart structures technology. It is thus desirable to prepare the future engineers of the society for the cutting-edge technologies in smart structures, for which they may see broad application in their generation. Pioneering work in incorporating smart structures technologies into civil engineering curriculum has been done by the writer at Lehigh University and is described in this paper. In particular, a graduate-level course entitled "Smart Structural Systems" has been taught in the Spring Semester of Year 2004 at Lehigh University. To better convey the course material to students, a smart structures test-bed, which is used not only to showcase various technological aspects of a smart structural system but also offer students an opportunity to gain hands-on experience by doing experiments has been under development at Lehigh University. The hands-on experience that could be developed with the smart structures test-bed is believed being essential for students to have a good understanding and mastering of the smart structures technologies.
Future prospects of accelerator science for particle physics

Future advances in understanding fundamental questions of nature require revolutionary developments in accelerator science to allow several orders of magnitude enhancements in terms of energy, intensity, faster timing, and higher resolution [1]. The challenges of the 21st century (energy, power, environment, resources, cost, and space) also play a significant role in the development of accelerator tools. In this overview article, we consider several recent developments and ideas that may become steps in addressing the challenges and which may find their way into designs of accelerator tools of the future.
Dietary antioxidant and anti-inflammatory intake modifies the effect of cadmium exposure on markers of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress

Chronic cadmium exposure may cause disease through induction of systemic oxidative stress and inflammation. Factors that mitigate cadmium toxicity and could serve as interventions in exposed populations have not been well characterized. We used data from the 2003-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to quantify diet׳s role in modifying associations between cadmium exposure and oxidative stress and inflammation. We created a composite antioxidant and anti-inflammatory diet score (ADS) by ranking participants by quintile of intake across a panel of 19 nutrients. We identified associations and effect modification between ADS, urinary cadmium, and markers of oxidative stress and inflammation by multiple linear regression. An interquartile range increase in urinary cadmium was associated with a 47.5%, 8.8%, and 3.7% increase in C-reactive protein (CRP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), respectively. An interquartile range increase in ADS was associated with an 7.4%, 3.3%, 5.2%, and 2.5% decrease in CRP, GGT, ALP, and total white blood cell count respectively, and a 3.0% increase in serum bilirubin. ADS significantly attenuated the association between cadmium exposure, CRP and ALP. Dietary interventions may provide a route to reduce the impact of cadmium toxicity on the population level.
Determination of the noninductive current profile in tokamak plasmas

The noninductive part of the measured current profile has been determined for DIII-D plasmas. A technique for determining the flux surface average of the quantity $\mathbf{E}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\mathbf{B}$ and a model for the resistivity separates the current profile into inductive and noninductive portions. Analysis shows directly that neoclassical resistivity is adequate to explain the experimental observations, while Spitzer resistivity is not, and that a large noninductive current exists in plasmas for which large neutral beam current drive and pressure driven bootstrap currents are expected.
The Effect of Race and Gender on Patterns of rt-PA Use Within A Population

Abstract To date, there have been no population-based data published regarding the influence of the patient’s demographic factors on rt-PA use. We present preliminary data regarding the effect of race and gender on patterns of rt-PA use in the pre-FDA approval era, in a population with demographic and socioeconomic characteristics similar to the United States. All ischemic strokes within a biracial population of 1.3 million were identified by review of all primary and secondary hospital ICD-9-CM codes 430–438 from July 1993 to June 1994 at all hospitals in the region. The number of patients treated with rt-PA or placebo as part of the blinded NINDS rt-PA trial, as well as demographic characteristics, were recorded and analyzed. There were a total of 1973 hospitalized ischemic strokes that occurred at a hospital participating in the NINDS rt-PA trial. Patients that received rt-PA were significantly younger than those that did not (mean age 67 v 72, respectively, P = .01). Of the 413 strokes that occurred in African Americans, 2.2% were treated with rt-PA vs. 2.6% of the 1560 non-African Americans. Women (2.0%) and men (3.0%) were equally likely to receive rt-PA. The single academic center was as likely to give rt-PA as the community medical centers. In the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky population, patterns of rt-PA use in 1993–94 did not appear to vary according to race or gender, or type of medical center. These findings may be in part because of the regionally-based method of stroke care delivery in the area.
A Set of Test Life Tables for Theoretical Gerontology

Prediction of life tables, which provide the most empirical information available about the statistical properties of aging, provides a rigorous test for any theory of aging as manifested at the organismic level of biological organization. For this purpose, a set of test tables for the wild boar (Sus scrofa), domestic sheep (Ovis aries), Dall sheep (Ovis dalli dalli), African buffalo (Syncerus cafer), and hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) is reconstructed from primary data taken from the literature. The tables, which exhibit a broad range of survival characteristics, satisfy the criteria that (1) the data are statistically sound, (2) their survival functions are concave, except for the limiting case of the convex wild boar function, and (3) the species are natural populations (i.e., are in the same environment in which they evolved). Each test table is reported numerically and as a least-squares regression formula for the age-specific mortality rate over a given range of age.
Saturation and Recovery in Neutron-Irradiated Molybdenum

A high-temperature (\ensuremath{\sim}70-1200\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C) resistivity recovery study of fast-neutron-irradiated (${E}_{n}g~1$ MeV) molybdenum shows an anomalous saturation effect above about (5-10) \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{19}$ n/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. This effect is interpreted as resulting from the self-annealing of the stage-III defects at the higher fluences (\ensuremath{\sim}${10}^{21}$ n/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$) leaving essentially only the stage-IV defects after reactor ambient irradiation.
Performance analysis of a harmonica-type aeroelastic micropower generator:

This article investigates the influence of the design parameters on the performance of an aeroelastic micropower generator with the goal of minimizing its cut-in wind speed and maximizing its output power. The generator, which mimics the basic physics of music-playing harmonicas, transforms wind energy into electricity via the self-excited oscillations of a piezoelectric reed embedded within a cavity. Previously, the authors have presented and validated an analytical aeroelectromechanical model describing the response behavior of the generator. By utilizing the proposed model, this study implements a stability analysis and numerical optimization algorithms to delineate the influence of the design parameters on the device’s response. The effect of the electric load, chamber volume, and aperture size on the cut-in wind speed is investigated. The results illustrate that the cut-in wind speed can be reduced significantly if the device is designed with an optimal chamber volume, which is shown to be inversely ...
OPTIMAL CONTROL OF A SUN-SYNCHNOROUS LUNAR ORBITER

Optimal control of a spacecraft orbiting the Moon in a Sun-synchronous orbit that provides consistent illuminati on and efficient imaging for mapping is investigated in this paper. The perturbations due to the gravitational force from the Earth, Sun and the non-spherical gravity field of the Moon are utilized as a framework for deriving the equations of motion of the spacecraft. The spacecraft position is controlled to maintain a consta nt semimajor axis, eccentricity, inclination and argument of periapsis with the ascending node changing at a Sun-synchronous rate. A nonlinear model is developed that describes the dynamics of the system and then this model is converted into a line ar-like structure. This nonlinear dynamic problem is then solved by employing an optimal nonlinear control approach, known as the State Dependent Algebraic Riccati Equation i.e. the SDRE technique. Control accelerations are found using the SDRE approach to maintain the spacecraft in the desired orbit. An interesting approximate closed form solution that makes the control implementation simple is found after tracking the change in the control gains obtained from the SDRE technique. Numerical results are presented and analyzed.
Hapten-induced enhancement of monoclonal antibody binding in ELISA.

Abstract We have recently reported [Hall T.J., Stenzel-Poore M. and Rittenburg M.B., Sixth International Congress of Immunology, Toronto. Abstract 2.15.27, p. 108 (1986)] on the fine specificity analysis of six monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) which utilize lambda 1 (λ1) light chains, produced from BALB/c mice immunized with PC-KLH. Binding of these MAbs to PC-histone in ELISA was inhibited by the PC analogue nitrophenylphosphocholine (NPPC) but not by PC itself, thus distinguishing these group II antibodies from the group I PC binding myeloma proteins such as TEPC 15 and MOPC 603 [Leon and Young, (1971) Biochemistry10, 1424–1429]. Three of these λ MAbs showed a reproducible 2–4 fold increase in binding in ELISA at certain concns (10–100 μM) of NPPC and one of them (PCG2b-3) was chosen to examine this observation further.
Age at illness onset and left temporal lobe length in males with schizophrenia

Post-mortem data suggest that in schizophrenia, temporal lobe length may be associated with age at illness onset. We used sagittal magnetic resonance images standardly acquired in reference to a coronal pilot image to obtain linear measurements of the left hemisphere in 38 male schizophrenic patients early in the course of their illness and 21 matched normal controls. In addition to temporal lobe and anterior temporal lobe (anterior to the anterior commissure) lengths, measurements of maximal brain and skull lengths were also obtained. The data show that differences in temporal lobe length between patients and normal controls are primarily due to significant differences between the groups in the global measures of brain and skull lengths. However, within the patient group, a significant association between temporal lobe length and age at onset of psychosis was observed. The same association was observed when the anterior part of the temporal lobe was measured separately. These associations remained significant after controlling for multiple variables such as subject height and brain and skull lengths. Further statistical evaluations showed that the temporal lobe was significantly shorter among the subgroup of schizophrenics whose illness began before the age of 23. The data suggest that temporal lobe length may be a useful variable for investigating the biological heterogeneity of schizophrenia and highlight important technical issues regarding current efforts to measure the volumes of temporal lobe structures.
A Generalized Analytical Framework for SMPT in a Multicode CDMA Wireless System

Simultaneous MAC Packet Transmission (SMPT) has recently been proposed for stabilizing the throughput over wireless links, which is one of the key challenges in providing high-quality wireless multimedia services. SMPT stabilizes the wireless link by transmitting multiple packets on multiple CDMA channels in parallel in response to packet drops due to wireless link errors. These parallel packet transmissions stabilize the link layer throughput, but they also increase the interference level in a given cell of a cellular network or cluster of an ad-hoc network, which in turn reduces the number of traffic flows that can be simultaneously supported in a cell/cluster. We have recently developed an analytical framework for the class of SMPT mechanisms for a simple Bernoulli packet generation process, which does not reflect the oftentimes bursty packet generation processes encountered in real networks. In this paper we develop a generalized analytical framework for SMPT, which accommodates bursty packet traffic (and also non-bursty Bernoulli traffic). This framework expresses the system dynamics in transition probabilities for a Markov chain and calculates the effects of the interference through an iterative approach. The numerical results from our analytical framework and verifying simulations indicate that SMPT provides a significant reduction in packet loss and buffer occupancies (and delay), especially for persistent traffic bursts, in exchange for a reduced number of supported flows. Our analytical framework quantifies these system trade-offs with good accuracy and can thus be employed for resource management.
The effects of excess phosphoric acid in a Polybenzimidazole-based high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell

A series of experiments are conducted in order to investigate the performance of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell using a commercially available polybenzimidazole (PBI)-based high temperature membrane. During the study a drastic degradation in performance is observed over time and a significant amount of solid material built-up is found in the flow field plate and the membrane-electrode assembly (MEA). The built-up material is examined by the use of a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Further elemental analysis using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) finds that the built-up material contains large amount of phosphorus, thus relating it with the excess phosphoric acid found in the MEA. Additional experimental studies show that the built-up material is caused by the excess acid solution in the MEA, and when the excess phosphoric acid is removed from the MEA the fuel cell performance improves significantly and becomes very stable.
Lipid Content of the Organs of the Coconut Crab, Birgus Latro (L.) (Decapoda, Paguridea) 1)

Die Anteile der totalen und neutralen Lipide an den Organen des tropischen Birgus latro wurden gemessen. Beide Anteile waren niedrig in Kiemen und Darmen. In Kopfbrust and Scherenmuskeln war der totale Lipid-Anteil niedrig, der neutrale jedoch hoch. Die totalen und neutralen Lipid-Anteile waren hoch im Hepatopankreas und im Hoden. Offensichtlich besteht kein Zusammenhang zwischen der Umgebungstemperatur und den Lipid-Anteilen in den Organen von B. latro.
Molecular microscopy of labeled polynucleotides: Stability of osmium atoms☆

Abstract Polynucleotides and modified polynucleotides reacted with osmium tetroxide and bipyridine or dicarboxybipyridine to bind one or two osmium atoms per nucleotide were viewed in a high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscope under conditions where the osmium atoms are visible. The micrographs show the individual osmium atoms in a configuration determined by their specific chemical bonding with the nucleic acid molecule and with a number and average spacing that is consistent with the expected value. Although the bonds are broken during the imaging, many osmium atoms are found to be contained within the narrow band of the polynucleotide strand and to move less than 5 A between scans of the same area. These results suggest that it is possible to obtain structural information on macromolecules to a resolution of 5 to 10 A using osmium as a specific stain.
Electromagnetic generation of Rayleigh waves at MHz frequencies

A contactless method of generating ultrasonic Rayleigh waves at MHz frequencies in metals using the electromagnetic generation technique is described. The method requires the use of photographic printed circuit techniques for the production of the meander coil transducers. Excellent efficiency is achieved and insertion losses are as low as 78 dB in aluminum with an external magnetic field of 5 kG and a frequency of 4.75 MHz.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of AmBisome (liposomal amphotericin B) for treatment of visceral leishmaniasis.

In August 1997, AmBisome (liposomal amphotericin B, Nexstar, San Dimas, CA) was the first drug approved for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The growing recognition of emerging and reemerging infections warrants that safe and effective agents to treat such infections be readily available in the United States. The following discussion of the data submitted in support of the New Drug Application for AmBisome for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis shows the breadth of data from clinical trials that can be appropriate to support approval for drugs to treat tropical diseases.
ACTIVATION OF THE mTOR PATHWAY BY LOW LEVELS OF XENOESTROGENS IN BREAST EPITHELIAL CELLS FROM HIGH-RISK WOMEN

Breast cancer is an estrogen-driven disease. Consequently, hormone replacement therapy correlates with disease incidence. However, increasing male breast cancer rates over the past three decades implicate additional sources of estrogenic exposure including wide spread estrogen-mimicking chemicals or xenoestrogens (XEs), such as bisphenol-A (BPA). By exposing renewable, human, high-risk donor breast epithelial cells (HRBECs) to BPA at concentrations that are detectable in human blood, placenta and milk, we previously identified gene expression profile changes associated with activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway genesets likely to trigger prosurvival changes in human breast cells. We now provide functional validation of mTOR activation using pairwise comparisons of 16 independent HRBEC samples with and without BPA exposure. We demonstrate induction of key genes and proteins in the PI3K-mTOR pathway--AKT1, RPS6 and 4EBP1 and a concurrent reduction in the tumor suppressor, phosphatase and tensin homolog gene protein. Altered regulation of mTOR pathway proteins in BPA-treated HRBECs led to marked resistance to rapamycin, the defining mTOR inhibitor. Moreover, HRBECs pretreated with BPA, or the XE, methylparaben (MP), surmounted antiestrogenic effects of tamoxifen showing dose-dependent apoptosis evasion and induction of cell cycling. Overall, XEs, when tested in benign breast cells from multiple human subjects, consistently initiated specific functional changes of the kind that are attributed to malignant onset in breast tissue. Our observations demonstrate the feasibility of studying renewable human samples as surrogates and reinforce the concern that BPA and MP, at low concentrations detected in humans, can have adverse health consequences.
A three-dimensional regional modeling study of the impact of clouds on sulfate distributions during TRACE-P

[1] The University of Wisconsin Nonhydrostatic Modeling System (UWNMS) is combined with an aqueous sulfur chemistry module to simulate the sulfate transport in east Asia during the Transport and Chemical Evolution Over the Pacific (TRACE-P) period. The simulated results are compared with in situ and satellite measurements collected during the TRACE-P period. The comparisons showed overestimates of sulfate mixing ratios by 20% between 1 and 6 km and underestimates by 30% near the surface and by 50% above 6 km. The comparisons of the sulfate mixing ratios between the simulation and the measurements for a case study of a convective system showed an excellent agreement in the background sulfate mixing ratios. The simulated sulfate mixing ratios in cloudy regions, however, were underestimated by a factor of 2. Volume-integrated sulfate mass in the model domain is calculated. Significant amounts of sulfate (volume-integrated mass 1.5 × 106 to 7.5 × 106 kg) are released into air after being produced in clouds through the oxidation of sulfur dioxide by hydrogen peroxide. Instantaneous sulfate mass within clouds varies from 0.2 × 106 to 3.5 × 106 kg. Sulfate mass removed through precipitation is in the ranges between 0.01 × 106 and 1.8 × 106 kg. Sulfate mass in ice clouds was 2 orders of magnitude smaller than that in liquid clouds. This study shows that the sulfate input to the atmosphere exceeds the sulfate removed from the atmosphere through precipitation in the east Asian region during the TRACE-P. Consequently, east Asia in spring can be an important source region of sulfate and thus can offset the sulfate loss through precipitation scavenging in other regions of the globe.