cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characteristics and transplantation of the porcine neonatal pancreatic cell clusters isolated from 1- to 3-Day-Old versus 1-Month-Old pigs☆

Porcine neonatal pancreatic cell clusters (NPCCs) isolated from 1- to 3-day-old pigs (I-A) cured diabetic nude mice within 8 weeks after transplantation. To shorten the latent period between transplantation and reversal of hyperglycemia, we studied NPCCs isolated from 1-month-old pigs (I-B). One- to 3-day-old or 1-month-old pig pancreata were cut into fragments, digested by collagenase, and then studied for islet characteristics. In addition, 300 cultured NPCCs were transplanted under kidney capsule of nondiabetic nude mice. At 1 and 3 months after transplantation, the grafts were removed to measure the insulin content and beta-cell mass. Immediately after isolation, I-B was larger than I-A (0.211 +/- 0.006 vs 0.189 +/- 0.003 mm(2), P =.0003) and after a 6-day culture period, I-B contained more insulin than I-A (6.8 +/- 1.4 vs 2.3 +/- 0.2 microg/150 NPCCs, P =.02). However, the stimulation indices of I-A and I-B during static incubation with 500 mg/dL glucose (26.5 +/- 3.2 vs 23.9 +/- 1.7) or 500 mg/dL glucose plus 50 mol/L IBMX (41.9 +/- 4.4 vs 62.2 +/- 14.0) were not significantly different. Furthermore, neither I-A nor I-B showed first or second phase insulin secretion during sequential perifusion with 100 or 300 mg/dL glucose. In nondiabetic recipients, the insulin content of the graft at 1 month after transplantation was 0.3 +/- 0.0 and 0.3 +/- 0.1 microg, and the beta-cell mass of the graft at 3 months was 0.069 +/- 0.022 and 0.067 +/- 0.023 mg in mice receiving I-A or I-B, respectively (P >.05). Our data indicate NPCCs isolated from 1- to 3-day-old and 1-month-old pigs have different characteristics but similar transplantation effects.
New Limit on Lorentz- and CPT-Violating Neutron Spin Interactions

We performed a search for neutron spin coupling to a Lorentz- and $CPT$-violating background field using a magnetometer with overlapping ensembles of K and $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ atoms. The comagnetometer is mounted on a rotary platform for frequent reversal of its orientation. We measure sidereal oscillations in the signal to search for anomalous spin coupling of extra-solar origin. We determine the equatorial components of the background field interacting with the neutron spin to be ${\stackrel{\texttildelow{}}{b}}_{X}^{n}=(0.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.6)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}33}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ and ${\stackrel{\texttildelow{}}{b}}_{Y}^{n}=(2.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.6)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}33}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$, improving on the previous limit by a factor of 30. This measurement represents the highest energy resolution of any spin anisotropy experiment.
The potential contributions of behavioral finance to Post Keynesian and institutionalist finance theories

In their paper "Behavioral Finance and Post Keynesian-Institutionalist Theories of Financial Markets," Raines and Leathers discuss how the theories of Keynes, Davidson, and Galbraith could explain financial bubbles and crises and show how those theories are both confirmed by actual events and supported by some findings in behavioral finance. The current paper comments on their discussion and explores the potential contributions of behavioral finance to future developments of Post Keynesian and Institutionalist theories in other fields in finance, especially portfolio theory and asset pricing theory.
The role of stem cell transplantation for chronic myelogenous leukemia in the 21st century

The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), a treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), has largely replaced curative strategies based on allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). Nevertheless, SCT still remains an option for accelerated/blastic-phase and selected chronic-phase CML. Transplant outcomes can be optimized by peritransplant TKIs, conditioning regimen, BCR-ABL monitoring, and relapse management. Controversies exist in transplant timing, pediatric CML, alternative donors, and economics. SCT continues to serve as a platform of “operational cure” for CML with TKIs and immunotherapies.
Estimation of aerosol optical depth, pressure elevation, water vapor, and calculation of apparent surface reflectance from radiance measured by the airborne visible/infrared imaging spectrometer (AVIRIS) using a radiative transfer code

The Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) is an imaging spectrometer that measures spatial images of the total up welling spectral radiance from 400 to 2500 nm at 10 nm spectral intervals. Quantitative research and application objectives for surface investigations require conversion of the measured radiance to surface reflectance or surface leaving radiance. To calculate apparent surface reflectance an estimation of aerosol optical depth is required for compensation of aerosol scattering and absorption across the spectral range. Determination of other atmospheric characteristics such as atmospheric water vapor and surface pressure is also required. In this paper we describe a set of algorithms to estimate aerosol optical depth, atmospheric water vapor, and surface pressure height from the AVIRIS measured radiance. Based upon these determined atmospheric parameters we described an algorithm to calculated apparent surface reflectance from the AVIRIS measured radiance using a radiative transfer code.
Secondary ion emission

Abstract The Saha—Langmuir equation that describes the equilibrium emission process, surface ionization, has also been used to describe ion yields observed in the non-equilibrium emission process, sputtering. In describing sputtering, it is probably best to include the potential due to an image charge in the expression for negative as well as positive ion yield and to treat the work function and the temperature as parameters having limited physical significance. Arguments are presented to suggest that sputtered material is not emitted from a plasma.
Residential Attainment of Now-Adult Gautreaux Children: Do they Gain, Hold or Lose Ground in Neighborhood Ethnic and Economic Segregation?

This paper examines the extent to which Chicago's Gautreaux residential mobility program affected children's residential attainment. Low-income black families voluntarily relocated into mostly white or mostly black city and suburban neighborhoods. The paper integrates quantitative and qualitative data collected eight to 22 years after participants' initial move into their placement neighborhoods. The primary programmatic goal of desegregation was accomplished; now-adult children's origin, placement and current neighborhoods average 85.6, 29.9 and 44.5 per cent black residents respectively. Now-adult children's residential mobility decisions have located them, on average, in ethnically integrated, low-poverty neighborhoods; children placed in mostly black, high-poverty neighborhoods and those placed in mostly white, low-poverty neighborhoods have relocated to ethnically balanced low- to moderate-poverty neighborhoods. Suburban placement was key in determining the level of children's initial relocation and ...
Solar sail mission applications

The paper discusses the concept and the current baseline configuration of a reusable solar sail vehicle using light pressure for propulsion. The range of characteristic accelerations which solar sail vehicles might achieve during early years of operation is estimated to be from 0.2 to 1.3 mm/sq sec, with overall sail efficiency about 80 to 90%. Operating without the expenditure of propellant, the vehicle has the potential of delivering large payloads throughout the solar system. Detailed attention is given to various possible missions of the solar sail vehicle operating as an Interplanetary Shuttle. The vehicle may deliver payloads to the inner planets, asteroids, short period comets, or sun polar orbits and then return to earth, possibly with samples. It may also be used for outer planet missions or solar system escape. An 800-m sail may return samples totaling 200 kg from Mars and deliver them to an earth orbital laboratory. The first mission for the solar sail may be rendezvous with Halley's comet in 1982.
Anion influence on the binding of divalent cations to phosphatidylcholine.

Abstract We have used the osmotic pressure technique of Rand, Parsegian and co-workers (Nature 259 (1976) 601–603) to investigate the effect of anion species on the binding of M 2+ to dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers. Calcium and magnesium salts show a complex behavior which is consistent with both anion binding and screening. We observe virtually no change, within the accuracy of our experiment, in the decay of repulsive pressure with inter-bilayer separation for the acetate and nitrate salts of magnesium and calcium; however, the chloride salt does show a different pressure decay. At any given bilayer separation, 35 A w A , with calcium and magnesium salts present, the anions produce a decrease in the repulsive pressure in the order acetate − > Cl − > NO 3 − .
Clinical outcome after radiofrequency catheter ablation of focal atrial fibrillation triggers.

Ablation of Focal Atrial Fibrillation. Introduction: Ablative therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF) by targeting initiating triggers, usually in or around the pulmonary veins, has been reported by several centers. Evidence for an overall improvement in quality of life (QOL) and amelioration of symptoms is lacking. Methods and Results: Seventy-one patients undergoing attempted ablation of focal AF were followed for 60 ± 33 weeks. QOL and symptom questionnaires were completed 1 month before and 6 months after electrophysiologic study. Twenty-three patients (32%) underwent electrophysiologic mapping but no ablation because of either insufficient or multifocal ectopy; the other 48 patients (68%) underwent attempted ablation. Sixteen of 48 patients (33%) undergoing ablation, or 16 (23%) of 71 on an intention to-treat basis, were found at last follow-up to have persistent sinus rhythm without antiarrhythmic drugs. Patients who underwent mapping without ablation reported no improvements in any QOL or symptom score, whereas patients who had long-term successful ablation had significant improvements in all six QOL measures. Interestingly, patients who developed AF recurrence after ablation still reported significant improvements in 4 of 6 QOL measures. Four of 48 patients (8.3%) undergoing ablation developed pulmonary vein stenosis. Conclusion: Paroxysmal AF can be treated successfully in some patients by ablating initiating triggers in the pulmonary veins; however, in our experience the recurrence rate (32/48 [68%]) and risk of pulmonary vein stenosis (8%) after ablation are high. Patients with recurrent AF after ablation of focal AF triggers have significant improvement in QOL and symptoms compared with before ablation. Patients and their physicians should carefully balance the risks and benefits before considering ablation.
Voting over investment

Abstract The effect that differences in economic systems have on capital accumulation is analyzed in a growth model where individuals have different endowments and different time preferences. The economic systems differ in whether government or the private sector select investment levels. Government is not modeled as a benevolent dictator who maximizes a welfare function, but is instead modeled as a democratic process. The outcome of the democratic process depends on the voting rules. Majority vote equilibria lead to less capital accumulation than would result if investment decisions were made by the private sector or if the investment decisions were made by a welfare-maximizing dictator. Super-majority equilibria — more specifically outcomes in the minmax set — lead instead to a Pareto-efficient capital accumulation.
The role of life history and behavior in explaining unionid mussel distributions

In unionid mussels, it has been proposed that opportunistic life histories are adaptive in flashy tributaries, while equilibrium life histories and thicker, sculptured shells are adaptive in higher order streams. We sampled the distributions of 9 common mussels along a gradient in stream size in southeastern Louisiana, USA, to test for life history and behavior traits as explanations of longitudinal pattern of species distributions. We found two species distribution groups, cosmopolitan species, and higher order stream specialists. Shell sectioning revealed that cosmopolitan species matured earlier, had shorter life cycles, possessed lighter shells, and grew faster. We also studied mussel movement and sediment erosion around shells in the laboratory, and our results indicated that cosmopolitan species had faster rates of movement, and were better at tracking receding water levels in the laboratory, all traits that could be adaptive in flashier headwater streams, but also suffered more scouring in a laboratory flume than species with heavier shells and sculpture. Our results verify that mussel life histories and behavior help in understanding mussel distributions in rivers, and also suggest that higher order stream species may be more at risk to disturbances like spates.
Study of V-Be diffusion couple by ion backscattering☆

Abstract Ion backscattering has been used to study the diffusion couple V-Be at annealing temperatures in the range 800 to 1100 K. Analysis of proton and helium backscattering allowed determination of the average composition versus depth following in situ isothermal anneals of thin vapor-deposited vanadium films on beryllium substrates. The results were interpreted as an initial diffusion governed by grain boundary migration of the beryllium through the vanadium to form a beryllium oxide surface layer. Vanadium was found to be excluded from the beryllium oxide surface layer and also from the native oxide on the beryllium substrate. The initial rapid diffusion along grain boundaries was followed by a slower diffusion into the vanadium grains. The amount of beryllium which diffused into the vanadium film obeyed a t 1 2 dependence where t is the anneal time. Complete anneal sequences were taken at two temperatures and a tentative activation energy for the diffusion of beryllium in bulk vanadium of 3.4 eV was determined. The diffusion coefficient was estimated to be 1.0 × 10−17cm2/sec at 958 K and 0.8 × 10−18cm2/sec at 903 K.
Improvements and applications of a streamwise upwind algorithm

An improved streamwise upwind algorithm has been used to study conical flow fields. In the present method, additional terms have been introduced in the cross-flow direction to prevent solution decoupling in supersonic flows, and the local Mach number is taken into account in order to evaluate the rotated differencing. It is found that the formula captures oblique shock waves in the same manner as Roe's (1986) formula, has good convergence properties, and accurately computes shear flows.
Using epidemiologic methods to test hypotheses regarding causal influences on child and adolescent mental disorders

Epidemiology uses strong sampling methods and study designs to test refutable hypotheses regarding the causes of important health, mental health, and social outcomes. Epidemiologic methods are increasingly being used to move developmental psychopathology from studies that catalogue correlates of child and adolescent mental health to designs that can test rival hypotheses regarding causal genetic and environmental influences. A two-part strategy is proposed for the next phase of epidemiologic research. First, to facilitate the most informed tests of causal hypotheses, it is necessary to develop and test models of the structure of hypothesized genetic and environmental influences on mental health phenotypes. This will involve testing the related hypotheses that there are both (a) dimensions of psychopathology that are distinct in the sense of having at least some unique genetic and/or environmental influences, and (b) higher-order domains of correlated dimensions that are all apparently influenced in part by the same genetic and/or environmental factors. The resulting causal taxonomy would organize tests of causal hypotheses regarding both factors that may broadly increase risk for multiple dimensions of psychopathology and factors that may specifically increase risk for each individual dimension. Second, it is necessary to make greater use of a number of powerful epidemiologic designs that allow rigorous tests of rival hypotheses regarding genetic and environmental causes.
Direct admission to hospitals among children in the United States.

While a decade of research and policy interventions has begun to transform hospital discharge processes, research focused on hospital admissions is lacking. Emergency departments (EDs) are increasingly serving as portals of hospital admission, contributing to national concerns about ED volumes, wait times, and discontinuity of care.1Despite this, there is a paucity of research examining other options for hospital admission. Direct admission, defined as admission to a hospital without receiving care in the hospital’s ED, is 1 alternative. Although direct admission has potential benefits for patients and health care systems, little is known about its use or effectiveness. To our knowledge, only 1 study has examined outcomes associated with pediatric direct admissions and there are no national statistics about the characteristics of this admission approach.2 To address this gap, we used a nationally representative data set to determine pediatric direct admission rates, characteristics, and costs relative to admission through EDs and characterize variation in direct admission rates across diagnoses and hospitals.
Materials, Fluid Dynamics, and Solid Mechanics Aspects of Coronary Artery Stents : A State-of-the-Art Review

It is well known that, across all populations (based on geographic location, race, ethnicity, age, and sex), coronary artery disease (CAD) is the single most common cause of death. The commonly performed revascularization procedures for the treatment of symptomatic CAD are percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) by itself or followed by the deployment of either a bare-metal stent (BMS) or a drug-eluting stent (DES). In the latter type, a drug that is either embedded in polymeric or nonpolymeric coating(s) on the stent surface or directly attached to the stent surface elutes into the blood stream at a controlled rate over a period of time, typically 14-30 days. Over the years, there has been a steady decline in the use of PTCA and a concomitant sharp increase in the use of stents, with DESs being the predominant choice in the last 3 years. The present contribution represents a critical review of the literature on the materials, fluid dynamics, and solid mechanics aspects of both BMSs and DESs, with special reference to in-stent restenosis and in-stent thrombosis, these being risks that present commonly.
Supernumerary limbs in amphibians: Experimental production in Notophthalmus viridescens and a new interpretation of their formation

Abstract The formation of supernumerary limbs was studied in the adult newt, Notophthalmus viridescens. Forelimb blastemas at the stages of medium bud and early digits were either transplanted to the contralateral forelimb with their dorsal-ventral axis opposed to that of the limb stump, or removed, rotated through 180°, and replaced on the same limb stump with both dorsal-ventral and anterior-posterior axes opposed to those of the stump, or as a control, removed, and replaced in normal orientation. Supernumerary limbs were produced in both experimental series, but not in the controls. Following contralateral transplantation, supernumerary limbs arose close to the graft junction at the two positions where dorsal limb tissue was in contact with ventral limb tissue. Both dorsal and ventral supernumerary limbs were of the same handedness as the limb stump and they were mirror-images of the regenerate developing directly from the transplanted blastema. Following 180° rotation, supernumerary limbs arose close to the graft junction at those positions where anterior-ventral and posterior-dorsal limb tissues were in contact. The supernumerary limb which arose in the posterior-dorsal position with respect to the limb stump was a mirror-image of the transplant, and was therefore of opposite handedness to both transplant and stump. The supernumerary limb which arose in the anterior-ventral position was of the same handedness as both transplant and stump. A new model of pattern regulation in epimorphic fields which can account for these results and which has retrospective value in the interpretation of earlier experiments on developing limbs is discussed.
Homo erectus: Ancestor or evolutionary side branch?

Controversies in paleoanthropology wax and wane, but substantial interest is currently focused on Homo erectus. This species has traditionally been regarded as a member in good standing of the human family, where it is placed as an evolutionary intermediate between earlier Homo habilis and later Homo sapiens. Recently, however, some workers have questioned whether the species exists at all. If its populations have been transformed slowly toward the modern condition, and if continuity with living people can be demonstrated in many geographic regions, then any separation of Homo erectus from Homo sapiens must be largely arbitrary. In that case, only one species should be recognized and this slowly changing lineage would have to be called Homo sapiens. Other paleontologists adopt a different view, arguing that Homo erectus is not only anatomically distinctive but also restricted in its geographic distribution. They claim that the fossils from Java and China are so specialized in appearance that they cannot lie in the mainstream of human evolution. Homo erectus, strictly defined as limited to the Far East, probably went extinct without issue. If so, more modern populations must have evolved from another source, perhaps one outside of Asia altogether.
A comparison of survey methods to evaluate macrophyte index of biotic integrity performance in Minnesota lakes

Abstract Aquatic macrophytes shape trophic web dynamics, provide food and refuge for macroinvertebrates and fish, and increase nutrient retention, sediment stabilization, and water clarity. Macrophytes are well-suited as indicators of ecological health because they are immobile, relatively easy to sample and identify, and respond to anthropogenic disturbance on an ecological time scale. Aquatic plant monitoring programs can provide valuable information to water resource managers, especially in conjunction with macrophyte-based indices of biotic integrity (IBI). However, there are several current sampling designs and the precision of IBI scores has not been evaluated across different surveys. We evaluated the performance of the Minnesota macrophyte-based IBI for two survey designs; a point intercept (PI) survey and a belt transect (BT) survey. PI surveys are time intensive, especially on large lakes, whereas BT are less time intensive and have been used historically in Minnesota. Our objectives were to compare the PI surveys with BT surveys on the same lakes, and to modify the BT survey (MT survey) to improve information obtained from BT surveys. BT surveys consistently overestimated IBI scores compared to the PI method (t = 6.268, df = 60, p
WRN helicase expression in Werner syndrome cell lines.

Mutations in the chromosome 8p WRN gene cause Werner syndrome (WRN), a human autosomal recessive disease that mimics premature aging and is associated with genetic instability and an increased risk of cancer. All of the WRN mutations identified in WRN patients are predicted to truncate the WRN protein with loss of a C-terminal nuclear localization signal. However, many of these truncated proteins would retain WRN helicase and/or nuclease functional domains. We have used a combination of immune blot and immune precipitation assays to quantify WRN protein and its associated 3′→5′ helicase activity in genetically characterized WRN patient cell lines. None of the cell lines from patients harboring four different WRN mutations contained detectable WRN protein or immune-precipitable WRN helicase activity. Cell lines from WRN heterozygous individuals contained reduced amounts of both WRN protein and helicase activity. Quantitative immune blot analyses indicate that both lymphoblastoid cell lines and fibroblasts contain ~6 × 104 WRN molecules/cell. Our results indicate that most WRN mutations result in functionally equivalent null alleles, that WRN heterozygote effects may result from haploinsufficiency and that successful modeling of WRN pathogenesis in the mouse or in other model systems will require the use of WRN mutations that eliminate WRN protein expression.
306 INSULIN, GLUCAGON AND GROWTH HORMONE (GH) IN RELATION TO CLINICAL CONDITIONS IN PREMATURE INFANTS

Blood insulin, glucagon and GH were measured at 0-12, 13-24, 25-48, 49-72 and 73-96 hours of age, and were compared to birth weight above or below 1000 gm, gestational age above and below 32 weeks, size appropriate or small for gestational age, and the presence of chronic in-utero stress, perinatal asphyxia, central nervous system hemorrhage, and mortality in 31 premature infants. Plasma (P) insulin very often was undetectable (85.2%) and p. glucagon was detected in most of the samples (75.4%). P. levels of insulin and glucagon were not related to clinical conditions other than to birth weights. Infants weighing 1000 gm or less more often had measurable insulin and glucagon as compared to those weighing over 1000 gm. This finding was noted only when they were appropriate for their gestational age. Premature infants with adequate in-utero growth seemed to have adequate insulin secretion before they reached 1000 gm and were ready for the future fetal growth. When the actual growth spurt took place, these infants often did not have circulating insulin. These data suggest that circulating insulin detected may not be the biologically active form. In contrast to insulin, GH did not seem to be related to fetal growth. Infants with birth weights of 1000 gm or less and perinatal asphyxia had GH that were often 2.5 ng/ml or less. All infants with GH 2.5 ng/ml or less died. No infant with chronic in-utero stress had GH 2.5 ng/ml or less. These data support the concept that severe insult may shut off GH secretion as in hypopituitarism, and chronic stress may increase GH secretion.
Affinity labeling of the acetylcholine receptor in the electroplax

The receptor for acetylcholine in the electroplax of Electrophorus electricus is affinity labeled in situ in a two-step process consisting of reduction by dithiothreitol followed by alkylation with tritiated 4-(N-maleimido)-α-benzyltrimethylammionium iodide. From the effect of these and other reagents on the response of the electroplax to cholinergic agents it has been inferred that dithiothreitol reduces an S—S group in the vicinity of the acetylcholine binding site on the receptor and that MBTA alkylates one of the SH-groups thus produced three orders of magnitude faster than other SH groups present. Furthermore, the alkylation by MBTA is specifically blocked either by prior affinity oxidation of the reduced receptor with dithiobischoline or by the simultaneous presence of hexamethonium. Consequently, the portion of the labeling of the dithiothreitol-treated electroplax by [3H]MBTA, which is eliminated by prior treatment with dithiobischoline and by the presence of hexamethonium, is considered to be specific for the receptor. This portion is 10 to 20% of the total labeling. The asymptotic limit of the specific labeling yields an estimate of the quantity of receptor binding sites. The quantity of acetylcholinesterase catalytic sites is fourfold to sevenfold as great. The average surface-density of receptor binding sites in the synaptic area of the electroplax membrane is approximately 3000 sites per μm2.
A twice-mixed creole?: Tracing the history of a prosodic split in the Saramaccan lexicon

Saramaccan, a maroon creole of Suriname, shows evidence of having a split lexicon where the majority of its words are marked for pitch accent but an important minority are marked for tone. The basic origins of this split would appear to be clear: pitch-accented words represent transfer of a European-like accent system, while tonal words represent transfer of an African-like tone system. If this is the right account, its apparent simplicity raises an important question: Why didn’t it happen more often? While a definitive answer cannot yet be given, it is suggested that a likely explanation is that the split lexicon was not a product of creolization but, rather, the result of a restricted kind of language mixing, which took place after marronage, and that this mixing was employed as a means of establishing a distinct speech variety for the nascent Saramaccan community.
School Governance and Information: Does Choice Lead to Better-Informed Parents?

Political theorists have long argued that low information levels among average citizens provide the rationale for public policy to be guided by experts and elites. Other scholars counter that deference to elites perpetuates and even exacerbates the problem. Here we look at school choice programs as an environment to elucidate this important debate. Theories of school choice suggest that parents need to and can make informed decisions. Choice parents should have more incentives to gather information about their child’s schools than parents without schooling options. Alternatively, a lack of any increase in information levels among school choosers would suggest that having choices per se is not sufficient motivation to overcome the costs of information gathering. Analyzing data from an experimental evaluation of the Washington Scholarship Fund, we find that presenting parents with choices does lead to significantly higher levels of accurate information on measures of important school characteristics.
The Electrocardiogram and the Athlete

Physiological adaptations of the heart to prolonged, intense physical training produce electrocardiographic changes considered abnormal in untrained persons. Increased vagal tone, anatomical changes in the heart, and other less understood mechanisms are thought to cause a spectrum of surface ECG changes characteristic of trained athletes. Arrhythmias frequently seen include sinus bradycardia, sinus pauses, and supraventricular ectopic beats. Conduction abnormalities such as prolonged P-R interval, first degree AV heart block, Wenckebach type I AV heart block, non-sinus escape rhythms, and intraventricular conduction delays of right bundle branch type are also found. Other commonly seen abnormalities include right axis deviation, increased right and left ventricular voltage, ST segment elevation, diphasic and inverted T waves, and prominent U waves.
A Stabilized Switching Ignitron

Ignitrons switching high-current pulses are troubled by arc transfer to the wall. An ignitron was made with the anode closer to the cathode (1 cm) than to the wall (3 cm). It was tested successfully as a capacitor-bank crowbar (clamp) tube at 12 kv with two different current wave shapes. The first was 3 kiloamperes (ka) decaying with a 230-msec time constant (690 coulombs). The second was 55 ka decaying with a 12-msec time constant (660 coulombs). There was no indication of arc transfer damage on the wall. Also, as expected, the arc drop voltage decreased much faster (10 ?sec vs 60 ?sec) than a conventionally-spaced 5-inch ignitron and reached a 20% lower value.
Engineering and research for American defense: An address delivered at the AIEE 1940 Summer convention, Swampscott, Mass., June 24–28

NOT LONG AGO I heard an engineer, whom I regard highly, say that in his opinion engineering and research were quite similar. In spite of my great respect for his ideas, I must disagree. Research demands the willingness to try anything once, however small the chance that the result will be satisfactory. The engineer on the contrary must restrain with balanced judgment his impulses toward novelty. His profession calls for a degree of conservatism. While he should be open-minded and receptive to new ideas, he should weigh the chances before going ahead. An engineer has well said that you never know how good a design is until after you have changed it. But that same conservatism may be fatal to success in research.
Privatization, conversion, and restructuring in Russia's military‐industrial complex: Macroeconomic implications of a sector set apart

Given the prominent role that defense industry plays in Russia's economy, thorough reform of the military‐industrial complex will be a necessary condition for success in Russia's overall economic transformation. Because all aspects of defense industry reform are intimately interrelated, a discussion of any one problem in isolation necessarily understates the difficulties of the multifaceted reform required. This article will address three critical aspects of Russian defense industry reform (privatization, conversion, and restructuring) focusing on government‐level policies and their likely macroeconomic impact.
Rapid reduction in [3H]prazosin binding to gerbil forebrain membranes during bilateral common carotid artery occlusion.

Transient cerebral ischemia results in selective neuronal cell death. The mechanisms underlying this selective vulnerability to ischemia are only beginning to be elucidated. We studied the effect of ischemia on α1-adrenergic receptor binding by measuring [3H]prazosin binding in gerbil forebrain membranes after 10 min of bilateral carotid occlusion. Binding was reduced from 62 ± 3 to 33 ± 4 fmol/mg protein. Binding in the same membranes to β2-adrenergic receptors were also decreased, but not to the extent of that to β1-adrenergic receptors. Binding to muscarinic cholinergic ([3H]quinuclydil benzilate) and β1-adrenergic receptors were only slightly depressed. Surprisingly, the protein content was significantly increased in the membrane fraction studied from ischemic forebrain (68 ± 4 mg/g wet weight) compared with sham operated controls (57 ± 4). The dramatic decrease in α1-adrenergic receptor binding during ischemia is consistent with receptor binding studies of membranes pretreated with phospholipase A2 i...
Scaling of Infiltration and Redistribution of Water across Soil Textural Classes

Results with an empirically based one-parameter model showed that the pore-size distribution index (λ) described in the Brooks and Corey formulation of soil hydraulic properties can scale the soil-water retention curves below the air-entry pressure head (ψ b ) values across dissimilar soils. It is shown here that ψ b and saturated hydraulic conductivity (K s ) are also strongly related to X, and thus all hydraulic parameters may be estimated from X. The major objective here was to examine how these relationships to λ lead to relationships for infiltration and soil water contents during redistribution across soil textural classes. The Root Zone Water Quality Model simulated infiltration for four rainfall intensities and two initial pressure head conditions and redistribution for four initial wetting depths and two initial pressure head conditions in 11 textural class mean soils. All infiltration results across textural classes were scaled quite well by using the λ-derived normalization variables based on the dimensional analysis of the Green-Ampt model. Thus, if infiltration for one soil (λ) is known, infiltration for other soils (λs) can be estimated. Additionally, we present infiltration, as well as redistribution, as explicit functions of X. These functions can be used to approximately estimate infiltration and soil water contents across soil types for other soils and conditions by interpolation. This study enhances our understanding of the soil-water relationships among soil textural classes, and hopefully, provides a basis of further studies under field conditions for (i) estimating spatial variability of soil water for site-specific management and (ii) for scaling up results in modeling from plots to fields to watersheds.
Transforming the nature and scope of new product development

Purpose – Over the last several decades, product development efforts have seen unacceptably high new product failure rates. One important factor is the presence of competitors who can interfere with marketing strategy and force changes that sap resources and reduce success. As industries try to improve their success, line extensions, i.e. developing products similar but different to successful products, have become more common. Simultaneously, industries have reacted by refining the new product development (NPD) process to make it more reliable and accurate. The refined development techniques are so helpful in refining product benefits with which firms are familiar that they reinforce the pressure to extend the line. The result is overcrowded markets where destructive competition destroys profitability. A “blue ocean” strategy promises to change the destructive cycle of market crowding. Originally the framework focused on overall market strategy. However, it has a direct application to NPD. Revising the N...
Concentration of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate in human leucocytes during phagocytosis.

CYCLIC adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) has been established as a mediator of various hormonal effects in the appropriate target cells1. Adenyl cyclase converts adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to cyclic AMP and is widely distributed in the membrane of mammalian nucleated cells2–4. Since the early process of phagocytosis involves the physical and chemical contact of the cell membrane to the objects and subsequent formation of phagosome, we postulated that one of the earliest biochemical changes during phagocytosis might be an activation of adenyl cyclase and an alteration of concentrations of cyclic AMP in the phagocytes.
Stabilization of the tau exon 10 stem loop alters pre-mRNA splicing.

Neurofibrillary tangles containing filaments of the microtubule-associated protein tau are found in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. Mutations in the tau gene itself cause frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism, demonstrating the critical role of tau in pathogenesis. Many of these mutations in tau are silent, are found at the 5′-splice site of exon 10, and lead to increased inclusion of exon 10. These silent mutations are predicted to destabilize a stem loop structure at the exon 10 5′-splice site; however, the existence of this stem loop under physiological conditions and its role in splice regulation are controversial. Here we show that base changes that stabilize this stem loop in vitro substantially decrease exon 10 inclusion in a wild type tau minigene and rescue the increase in exon 10 splicing caused by a dementia-causing point mutation. Moreover, we probed the intracellular structure of the tau stem loop with antisense RNA and demonstrate that the stability of the stem loop dictates antisense effectiveness. Together these results validate the stem loop as a bona fide structure regulating tau exon 10 splicing.
Great floods in the United States

From fragmentary historical notes and native legends, we are accorded a somewhat hazy view of flood-phenomena under primitive conditions and are led to the conclusion that those phenomena occasionally assumed proportions approaching more or less closely to those observed during the later record period. Reasoning from cause to effect and consideration of specific examples in many localities, support the opinion that frequencies as well as magnitudes have increased, resulting either directly or indirectly from man's occupation and disturbance of the drainage-areas, the vegetal cover, the flood-plains, and facilities for surface-detention.
Simplified Insertion of Left Atrial Pressure Monitoring Catheter

A simplified, safe, and reliable technique is described for intraoperative insertion of a left atrial monitoring catheter using modified, currently marketed plastic intravenous catheters.
The division during bacterial sporulation is symmetrically located in Sporosarcina ureae

Immunofluorescence microscopy was used to visualize the FtsZ band that marks the site of septation in Sporosarcina ureae. Image analysis indicated that the vegetative division was symmetrically located with respect to the ends of the cells. Fusions of lacZ to the sporulation loci, spollA and cotE, of Bacillus subtilis were introduced into S. ureae by mobilization of plasmids containing the fusions from Escherichia coli. The fusions showed similar patterns of sporulation-associated expression in S. ureae to those observed in B. subtilis. Formation of beta-galactosidase encoded by the spollA-lacZ fusion made it possible to identify early sporulating cells by immunofluorescence microscopy. Analysis of the position of FtsZ bands in cells expressing spollA-lacZ indicated that the location of sporulation division was symmetrical with respect to the ends of the cells, in sharp contrast to the asymmetrical location of septation in sporulating Bacilli. It is inferred that asymmetry of location of the sporulation division is not essential for the compartmentalization of gene expression that follows the division.
High-dose fentanyl reduces intraoperative ventricular fibrillation in neonates with hypoplastic left heart syndrome

Abstract Study Objective: To determine retrospectively the effect of high-dose opiate-oxygen (O 2 ) anesthetic technique on intraoperative ventricular fibrillation in highrisk neonates. Desing: Retrospective chart review of different anesthetic techniques in a partially contemporaneous patient group (1981 to 1983). Setting: Cardiac anesthesia service at a university pediatric hospital. Patients: Forty neonates undergoing Norwood Stage I repair of hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Interventions: High-dose fentanyl-O 2 anesthesia in 30 neonates and low-dose morphine sulfate 50%-nitrous oxide (N 2 O) in 10 neonates. Measurements and Main Results: Clinical condition assessed by preoperative and intraoperative arterial blood gases, requirements for sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ), need for inotropic and pressor support, and vital signs. Outcome assessments by intraoperative ventricular fibrillation (frequency before and after bypass) and hospital mortality. Clinical condition and hospital mortality were no different. The frequency of intraoperative ventricular fibrillation was significantly different: 3% with high-dose fentanyl and 50% with morphine-N 2 O ( p Conclusions: High-dose opiate-O 2 anesthesia in these patients markedly decreased intraoperative ventricular fibrillation. Other clinical reports and recent experimental work suggest that this finding is due to high-dose opiates rather than the avoidance of N 2 O.
Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate overproduction, a new metabolic abnormality in the Lesch Nyhan syndrome

The activity of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase and the rate of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate accumulation are significantly increased in cultured lymphocytes of Lesch Nyhan patients deficient in hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase and in a clone of mutagen-induced, hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase deficient human lymphocytes. The increase in phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase activity is the cause of the abnormally high cellular phosphoribosylpyrophosphate content and possibly of the purine overproduction described in this syndrome.
Coupling the gauge-invariant supersymmetric non-linear sigma model to supergravity☆

The gauge-invariant supersymmetric non-linear sigma model is coupled to N = 1 supergravity. The results are expressed in the language of Kahler geometry. They lead to a deeper understanding of the connections between supergravity, R-invariance and the Fayet-Iliopoulos D-term. They also provide a foundation for phenomenological studies of supergravity theories.
Non-isothermal measurements in semiconductors

Abstract This paper presents a rigorous approach for non-isothermal measurement in semiconductors when thermoelectric, thermomagnetic and galvanomagnetic effects are present. The approach is based on phenomenological equations established from the theory of non-equilibrium thermodynamics and makes use of the difference in the response time of electrical and thermal phenomena. Applications are illustrated with three specific examples for which quantitative measurement procedures are developed and compared with published qualitative methods.
THE BURSTING OF THE DAM (INFINITE SETS, COUNTABLE AND OTHERWISE)

ABSTRACT This paper provides a look at infinite sets and cardinality classifications. A major concern is that of quests for numbers in a particular category (pseudoprimes, transcendentals, etc.) and the resulting infinitude stemming from generation patterns. Blending somehow into the account is a NOISE principle. It gives rise to speculation about various unclassified sets (an instructive and appealing classroom activity) and leads to a consideration of unsolved problems in mathematics as well as some unification of notions.
Interfacial behavior of epoxy/E‐glass fiber composites under wet‐dry cycles by fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy

The interfacial behavior of epoxy/glass fiber micro-composites under cycles of wet and dry environment change was investigated by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy. The adsorbed water content in the epoxy/fiber interphase under moist conditions is reduced by treating the glass fibers with a silane coupling agent, γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. This results in a significant decrease in the ring-opening polymerization of epoxy in the epoxy/fiber interphase. It is also found that the wet-dry cycles cause the significant variation of the residual adsorbed water in the interphase regions. There is an indication that the debonding in the epoxy/silane-treated fiber interphase is slower than the epoxy/heat-cleaned fiber interphase.
Ketamine/propofol admixture (ketofol) at induction in the critically ill against etomidate (KEEP PACE trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Endotracheal intubation (ETI) is commonly performed as a life-saving procedure in the intensive care unit (ICU). It is often associated with significant hemodynamic perturbations and can severely impact the outcome of ICU patients. Etomidate is often chosen by many critical care providers for the patients who are hypotensive because of its superior hemodynamic profile compared to other induction medications. However, recent evidence has raised concerns about the increased incidence of adrenal insufficiency and mortality associated with etomidate use. A combination of ketamine and propofol (known as ketofol) has been studied in various settings as an alternative induction agent. In recent years, studies have shown that this combination may provide adequate sedation while maintaining hemodynamic stability, based on the balancing of the hemodynamic effects of these two individual agents. We hypothesized that ketofol may offer a valuable alternative to etomidate in critically ill patients with or without hemodynamic instability.
In Near Ruins: Cultural Theory at the End of the Century

In Near Ruins: Cultural Theory at the End of the Century. Nicholas B. Dirks. ed. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1998. xvi. 308 pp., contributors, Index.
Oscillatory Free-Surface Displacement in an Orifice at Surface Amplitudes Below Those Required for Droplet Formation

The oscillatory free-surface displacement in an orifice periodically driven at the inlet is studied theoretically and experimentally. A potential flow analysis is applied using two different sidewall boundary conditions: no flow through the wall, and no slip at the wall. Both analyses result in surface shapes defined by Bessel functions, but with significantly different frequencies associated with the discrete modal shapes. Experimental results for two orifice diameters, 1180 µm and 794 µm, verify the general shape of the surface displacement but show a significant downward shift of the measured modal frequencies from the predicted values. This shift is shown to be a function of mode number and is thought to be a consequence of orifice edge effects.Copyright © 2002 by ASME