cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of vegetable proteins on iron and zinc absorption and availability in humans

This review discusses research on the effects of vegetable protein diets on iron and zinc absorption and availability. Constituents of vegetables can have either a positive or negative effect on iron absorption. Although the use of soy protein to extend beef patties was found to decrease nonheme iron absorption in some studies, the use of soy-extended beef on a regular basis was not found to deleteriously affect the iron status (serum ferritin levels) of adult men, menstruating females or school age subjects. Factors such as phytic acid level, dietary fiber content or protein source of vegetable protein diets have been implicated in decreasing the utilization of iron and zinc by humans. The effect of the molar ratio of phytate on the zinc of the diet is controversial: some studies find a decrease in zinc absorption with an increase in the phytate to zinc molar ratio; other studies find zinc absorption more dependent on the total amount of zinc in the meal than on the presence of phytic acid. Since many people meet their energy and protein requirements from vegetable sources, attention should be given to the mineral availability of these diets.
Prevalence and correlates for nonmedical use of prescription opioids among urban and rural residents.

Abstract Background In the United States, rural areas have reported an increase in overdose deaths secondary to nonmedical use of prescription opioids. Little is known about the differences in nonmedical use of prescription opioids among urban and rural adults. Methods Using the 2008–2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, we examined the prevalence of nonmedical use of prescription opioids in urban and rural counties and determined bivariate and multivariate associations, stratified by county. We also compared type of opioids, stratified by county. Results Among 75,964 respondents, the prevalence of nonmedical use of prescriptions opioids was similar among residents in urban and rural counties (4.7% vs. 4.3%, p = 0.15). Urban and rural residents with severe psychological distress and nonmedical use of other prescription medications were more likely to report nonmedical use of opioids. Urban residents whose first use of illicit drugs was between the age of 18 and 25 and who reported alcohol use were more likely to report nonmedical use. Black and Hispanic urban residents were less likely to use prescription opioids nonmedically compared to white urban residents. Rural residents were more likely than urban residents to use acetaminophen with propoxyphene (61.1% vs. 55.8%, p = 0.02), methadone (14.8% vs. 9.1%, p = 0.003) and acetaminophen with codeine (3.5% vs. 1.9%, p = 0.05). Conclusions Prevalence and risk factors related to nonmedical use of opioids are similar between urban and rural residents; however rural residents report propoxyphene, codeine, and methadone use more than their urban counterparts. Prevention and treatment interventions may need to be tailored for specific communities.
Completions for partially ordered semigroups

A standard completion γ assigns a closure system to each partially ordered set in such a way that the point closures are precisely the (order-theoretical) principal ideals. If S is a partially ordered semigroup such that all left and all right translations are γ-continuous (i.e., Y∈γS implies {x∈S:y·x∈Y}∈γS and {x∈S:x·y∈Y}∈γS for all y∈S), then S is called a γ-semigroup. If S is a γ-semigroup, then the completion γS is a complete residuated semigroup, and the canonical principal ideal embedding of S in γS is a semigroup homomorphism. We investigate the universal properties of γ-semigroup completions and find that under rather weak conditions on γ, the category of complete residuated semigroups is a reflective subcategory of the category of γ-semigroups. Our results apply, for example, to the Dedekind-MacNeille completion by cuts, but also to certain join-completions associated with so-called “subset systems”. Related facts are derived for conditional completions.
An Unobserved Components Model of the Yield Curve

We develop an unobserved component model in which the short-term interest rate is composed of a stochastic trend and a stationary cycle. Using the Nelson–Siegel model of the yield curve as inspiration, we estimate an extremely parsimonious state-space model of interest rates across time and maturity. The time-series process suggests a specific functional form for the yield curve. We use the Kalman filter to estimate the time-series process jointly with observed yield curves, greatly improving empirical identification. Our stochastic process generates a three-factor model for the term structure. At the estimated parameters, trend and slope factors matter while the third factor is empirically unimportant. Our baseline model fits the yield curve well. Model generated estimates of uncertainty are positively correlated with estimated term premia. An extension of the model with regime switching identifies a high-variance regime and a low-variance regime, where the high-variance regime occurs rarely after the mid-1980s. The term premium is higher, and more so for yields of short maturities, in the high-variance regime than in the low-variance regime. The estimation results support our model as a simple and yet reliable framework for modeling the term structure.
Real-time author co-citation mapping for online searching

Author searching is traditionally based on the matching of name strings. Special characteristics of authors as personal names and subject indicators are not considered. This makes it difficult to identify a set of related authors or to group authors by subjects in retrieval systems. In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of a prototype visualization system to enhance author searching. The system, called AuthorLink, is based on author co-citation analysis and visualization mapping algorithms such as Kohonen's feature maps and Pathfinder networks. AuthorLink produces interactive author maps in real time from a database of 1.26 million records supplied by the Institute for Scientific Information. The maps show subject groupings and more fine-grained intellectual connections among authors. Through the interactive interface the user can take advantage of such information to refine queries and retrieve documents through point-and-click manipulation of the authors' names.
Isolation of plasma membranes from mammary gland by two-phase polymer partitioning

An aqueous polymer two phase partition method was adapted for isolation of plasma membranes from mammary gland of lactating rats. Plasma membranes isolated by this method were enriched 23-fold in activity of the plasma membrane marker phosphodiesterase I and were depleted, relative to homogenates, in activities of enzymes which are markers for intracellular organelles and endomembranes. Yields of plasma membranes obtained by this method were 0.3 +/- 0.1 mg protein/g wet tissue weight. Plasma membranes were isolated more rapidly and yields were more consistent than those obtained with density gradient centrifugation methods which have been applied for isolation of plasma membranes from mammary gland.
Quasi 2-day oscillation of the ionosphere: A statistical study

Abstract A large database of hourly ionosonde measurements, encompassing more than 20 stations during 1957–1991, is examined for evidence of the quasi-two-day (QTD) oscillation. A QTD (frequencies between 0.50±0.08 day−1) oscillation in ƒ o F 2 at the 95% confidence level is found to exist with the following characteristics: 1. 1. Amplitude variations primarily in the range ±0.4–1.0 MHz; 2. 2. Occurrence frequency (i.e. in a given month, at a given station, the percentage of years in which a QTD event was detected) maximizing at about 30–60% during local summer in both hemispheres; 3. 3. At mid-latidues, zonal structure corresponding either to westward propagation with zonal wavenumber s = 1, or a stationary oscillation with indeterminable zonal wavenumber; at lower latitudes (ca. 20°) a much broader spectrum of wavenumbes (s = −2 to s = +4) is evident; 4. 4. No variation in occurrence frequency with solar cycle. At the same confidence level a QTD oscillation in hmF2 occurs much less frequently than ƒ o F 2 , with typical amplitudes of order ±8–16 km.
The Uba2 and Ufd1 proteins of Saccharomyces cerevisiae interact with poly(A) polymerase and affect the polyadenylation activity of cell extracts.

Poly(A) polymerase is responsible for the addition of the adenylate tail to the 3′ ends of mRNA. Using the two-hybrid system, we have identified two proteins which interact specifically with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae poly(A) polymerase, Pap1. Uba2 is a homolog of ubiquitin-activating (E1) enzymes and Ufd1 is a protein whose function is probably also linked to the ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation pathway. These two proteins interact with Pap1 and with each other, but not with eight other target proteins which were tested in the two-hybrid system. The last 115 amino acids of Uba2, which contains an 82-amino acid region not present in previously characterized E1 enzymes, is sufficient for the interaction with Pap1. Both Uba2 and Ufd1 can be co-immunoprecipitated from extracts with Pap1, confirming in vitro the interaction identified by two-hybrid analysis. Depletion of Uba2 from cells produces extracts which polyadenylate precursor RNA with increased efficiency compared to extracts from nondepleted cells, while depletion of Ufd1 yields extracts which are defective in processing. These two proteins are not components of polyadenylation factors, and instead may have a role in regulating poly(A) polymerase activity.
Fiber Outgrowth From Anterior Hypothalamic and Cortical Xenografts in the Third Ventricle

Fetal grafts of the anterior hypothalamus (SCN/AH) containing the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) restore circadian rhythms to SCN-lesioned host hamsters and rats following implantation into the third ventricle. Previous studies suggest that intraventricular SCN/AH grafts are variable in their attachment sites, the extent of their outgrowth, and the precise targets innervated in the host brain. However, the use of different methods to analyze graft outgrowth in this model has previously led to inconsistent results. We have reevaluated the outgrowth of fetal rat SCN/AH grafts implanted in the third ventricle of hamsters by using two methods: the carbocyanine dye, 1,1'dioctadecyl-3,3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine percholate (DiI), was placed directly onto grafted tissue; and a donor-specific neurofilament marker was used in conjunction with xenografts. We examined the specificity of outgrowth by comparing SCN/AH xenografts with that of control cortical (CTX) xenografts. To evaluate whether SCN/AH graft efferents arise from the donor SCN, we used micropunch grafts that contained minimal extra-SCN tissue. The results show that the use of a donor-specific neurofilament marker reveals more extensive SCN/AH graft outgrowth than DiI. SCN/AH graft efferents project into areas normally innervated by the intact SCN. However, this outgrowth is variable among graft recipients, is not specific to SCN/AH tissue, and does not necessarily derive from the donor SCN. The precise functional role of neural efferents arising from SCN/AH grafts in the restoration of circadian clock function and the extent of SCN-derived efferents remain to be determined.
Relationship between dorsal brainstem sleep sites and intracranial self-stimulation

Based upon our previous findings that a reciprocal relationship exists between intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, we hypothesized that the ICSS neural network is a part of the REM sleep system and fires during REM sleep. A series of experiments was designed to test a corollary to this hypothesis, that some sites involved in triggering REM sleep are also ICSS sites. We explored five locations: the locus coeruleus (LC), the medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF) (both posterior midbrain and pontine level), the dorsal longitudinal fasciculus (DLF) (midbrain), and the ventral raphe (pontine level). We obtained rate-intensity functions from each animal that displayed ICSS. High to very high (15,000 per hour) rates of ICSS were obtained at several dorsal brain sites. These sites included the LC, pontine aspects of the MLF, and posterior midbrain aspects of the MLF and DLF. ICSS from the LC is interpreted as evidence that noradrenergic ICSS sites are part of the REM sleep neural network.
A ‘Case’ for Active Learning

Review of: National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (Buffalo Case Studies) , jointly reviewed by Bard College faculty.
An integrated approach to training in research methodology and statistics

Abstract A two-term sequence in research methodology and statistics for master's degree nursing students has been described. Multiple criteria have been used to evaluate the sequence (e.g. see House, 1977), including open-book examinations as described earlier, student interest in and satisfaction with the sequence, and career intentions regarding nursing research activity. These results are detailed elsewhere (Brogan, 1980). In general, both courses have been favorably received by the students, although the research methodology course consistently is rated by the students as more interesting and more useful than the statistics course. This sequence is believed to be successful for the following reasons: 1.(1) The instructor, although not a nurse, is involved in many facets of the M.N. program and hence has close relationships with both nursing students and nursing faculty members; 2.(2) Course content repeatedly is linked to nursing research and to the students' own master's theses. 3.(3) Open-book examinations are used to measure the students' ability to apply concepts and techniques of research methodology and statistics to actual research situations.
Different Functions of MdtB and MdtC Subunits in the Heterotrimeric Efflux Transporter MdtB2C Complex of Escherichia coli

In contrast to homotrimeric transporters of the RND (resistance-nodulation-division) superfamily, which often conduct efflux transport of a wide range of substrates by the functionally rotating mechanism, the mechanism utilized by the heterotrimeric members of this family, which also perform multidrug efflux, is unclear. We examined one heterotrimeric transporter, the MdtB(2)C complex of Escherichia coli, by an extensive cysteine scanning mutagenesis of residues likely involved in ligand transport. Many such mutations in MdtC strongly decreased the level of cloxacillin transport, whereas mutations of corresponding residues in MdtB did not affect transport. Furthermore, many such residues in MdtC were covalently modified by fluorescein maleimide, which acted as a substrate and presumably produced labeling of the residues in the substrate path. In contrast, few residues in MdtB were labeled. Together with the previous data showing that the inactivation of proton translocation channel in MdtC has an only modest effect on transport yet in MdtB totally inactivated the activity, these results suggest that the two subunits, MdtB and MdtC, play very different roles, MdtC likely involved in substrate binding and transport and MdtB presumably inducing the conformational change needed for transport through proton translocation. Three-dimensional models of MdtB and MdtC, based on sequence homology with the AcrB transporter, also support this interpretation.
Stability of compressible reacting mixing layer

Linear instability of compressible reacting mixing layers is analyzed with emphasis on the effects of heat release and compressibility. Laminar solutions of the compressible boundary-layer equations are used as the base flows. The parameters of this study are the adiabatic flame temperature, the Mach number of the upper stream, frequency, wavenumber, and the direction of propagation of the disturbance wave. Stability characteristics of the flow are presented. Three groups of unstable modes are found when the Mach number and/or heat release are large. Finally, it is shown that the unstable modes are two-dimensional for large heat release even in highly compressible flow.
Gerontechnology Education: Beyond the Barriers

Multidisciplinary education lets students break outside the sometimes narrow confines of their primary discipline. Washington State University is designing new classes in health-assistive technologies that provide crossover training and experience to effectively lead research on interdisciplinary challenges and transition scientific advances into real-world solutions.
The quiescent double barrier regime in DIII-D

The quiescent double barrier (QDB) regime is a high performance regime recently identified in DIII-D and characterized by a double transport barrier structure (core and edge) that can be maintained for several seconds, often limited only by the pulse length capabilities of the DIII-D hardware. The QDB regime has been sustained for up to 25 τE with fusion performance of up to βNH89≈7. The edge barrier is ELM-free, but modulated by low frequency MHD activity that allows density control via an external cryopump. The core barrier is similar to those seen in previous internal transport barrier experiments, but is maintained without complete stabilization of turbulence. Instead, the turbulence correlation lengths become very short so as to minimize the transport length scales. The two barriers are separated by a region of high transport that is a consequence of a zero-crossing in the E×B shearing rate. These discharges typically possess highly peaked density profiles. This has several implications: narrow bootstrap current profile, reduced beta limit and increased impurity retention. We will report on studies of each of these issues.
Effect of light on sporangium formation, morphology, ontogeny, and caducity of Phytophthora capsici and ‘P. palmivora’ MF4 isolates from black pepper and other hosts

Light greatly affected the formation, morphology, ontogeny and caducity of sporangia in both Phytophthora capsici and ‘P. palmivora’ MF4. On carrot agar plates, sporulation was enhanced in continuous light, whereas no sporangia formed in the dark. Sporangia formed in the dark when the agar-disc-in-water technique was employed. Umbellate arrangement of sporangia was observed in cultures incubated in the light and was considered a light-induced response. In the dark, sporangium arrangement was irregular and many sporangia were round-based, wider, and with low length to breadth ratios. These sporangia were not easily dislodged from the vegetative mycelium. The importance of the effect of light on pedicel length, L/B ratio, caducity, and other morphological features of sporangia in the taxonomy of these phytophthoras is discussed.
Inelastic electron tunnelling spectroscopic study of lubrication

Inelastic electron tunnelling spectroscopy reveals the vibrational spectrum of organic molecules on the oxide of a metal–oxide–metal junction1–3 . A vibrational mode of frequency ν appears in the tunnelling spectrum as a peak in the second derivative of voltage with respect to current, d2V/dI2, at a voltage V = hν/e (where h is the Planck's constant, and e is the electron charge). Both IR and Raman active modes can be observed. Tunnelling spectroscopy4,5 has been used as an effective surface probe in the studies of adhesion6–8, biochemistry9,10, water pollution11, damage due to electron beam irradiation12, or UV irradiation13, surface chemistry and catalysis14–18. We report here a new application of tunnelling spectroscopy—to lubrication—and present spectra of 1,2 hexadecanediol, hexadecanol and hexadecanoic acid and relate the results to their properties as boundary lubricants for aluminium. Because diols give the best results in both friction measurements and tunnelling spectra, we studied the adsorbtion of the smallest diol, ethylene glycol, and found that both OH groups react with the alumina surface.
A comparative analysis of approaches for determining optimal price and order quantity when a sale increases demand

Abstract Both average cost (or profit) and present value of cost (or profit) methods have been used in developing inventory policies. Although the present value method represents the costs and revenues better, both methods generate identical solutions for the classical EOQ case. This paper discusses the differences between the two methods and illustrates situations where these two methods generate drastically different policies. Specifically, when a supplier reduces the price of a product temporarily, a retailer might place a special order and offer a discount on these units to its customers to increase demand. This paper uses an average profit method to develop profit functions for different combinations of supplier's sale period and retailer's replenishment time and presents methods for determining the optimal price and order quantity. Experiments are then conducted to compare the results of average profit and present value of profit approaches for solving the problem. The results indicate that these models may generate drastically different policies for the problem and neither model will consistently generate a larger order quantity. This paper suggests that the present value approach be used to determine optimal policies when there is a temporary change in price and demand.
Rituals of Dying, Burrows of Anxiety in Freud, Proust, and Kafka: Prolegomena to a Critical Immunology

Drawing on Walter Benjamin's and Sigmund Freud's scattered reflections, the author eleborates a psychic immunology that serves to counteract trauma. In Modernity, he claims, immunity as described by psychoanalysis is a vital property. In rhetorical terms, the textual figure immunity can be described as analeptic prolepsis. The term immunity can make a crucial contribution to literary theory, as textual strategies of paradigmatic Modern narrations are shown to provide antigenes against imminent threats. In his reading of Marcel Proust's A la recherche du temps perdu and Kafka's Der Bau—authors from the French and the German literary tradition—the author shows how thematic material that, on the surface, seems to deal, in one case with jealousy and in the other with an animal's attempt to secure his burrow, is used to form anxiety as an attempt to anticipate the author's imminent death.
Separation and purification of horseradish peroxidase by membrane affinity chromatography

Abstract Concanavalin A (con A) was immobilized on Mercerized macroporous cellulose membranes and used as a ligand for membrane affinity chromatography. Three activation and immobilization methods involving 2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine, glutaraldehyde or diazotization were employed and compared. To obtain information about the effectiveness of the membranes, the adsorptions of ovalbumin and γ-globulin on the prepared affinity membranes were investigated under a variety of conditions. The prepared affinity membranes were employed for the separation and purification of peroxidase from horseradish and commercial peroxidase, respectively. The separation and purification were monitored by determining the peroxidase activity, using 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbencidine (TMB) as substrate. For the separation from horseradish, a 24.5% recovery and a 142-fold enrichment was achieved; for the purification of a commercial sample, a 71% recovery and a 2.3-fold enrichment was reached.
Wave attenuation experiments over living shorelines over time: a wave tank study to assess recreational boating pressures

With sea level rise, erosion, and human disturbances affecting coastal areas, strategies to protect and stabilize existing shorelines are needed. One popular solution to stabilize while conserving intertidal habitat is the use of “living shoreline” techniques which are designed to mimic natural shoreline communities by using native plants and animals. However, little information is available on the success of living shoreline stabilization. This project evaluated the wave energy attenuation associated with living shorelines that contained Crassostrea virginica (eastern oyster) and/or Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass) in a wave tank. Four living shoreline techniques were assessed, including a control (sediment only), oysters alone, cordgrass alone, and a combination of oysters plus cordgrass. Time since deployment (newly deployed, one-year after deployment) was also assessed to see how wave energy attenuation changed with natural oyster recruitment and plant growth. Wave energy was calculated for each newly deployed and one-year old shoreline stabilization treatment using capacitance wave gauges and generated waves that were representative of boat wakes in Mosquito Lagoon, a shallow-water estuary in Florida. All one-year old treatments attenuated significantly more energy than newly-deployed treatments. The combination of one-year old S. alterniflora plus live C. virginica was the most effective as this treatment reduced 67 % of the wave energy created by a single recreational boat wake, compared to bare sediment. Natural resource managers and landowners facing shoreline erosion issues can use this information to create effective stabilization protocols that preserve shorelines while conserving native intertidal habitats.
Reading Medicine in the Codex de la Cruz Badiano

This paper explores how the Codex de la Cruz Badiano illustrates the ability of indigenous Mexicans to appropriate European forms to their own ends, even when seemingly conforming to European traditions and theories. To fully appreciate the Codex readers must reevaluate the concepts of literacy and cultural assimilation in the light of the bicultural nature of sixteenth-century Mexico. The European "contamination" seen by many scholars might actually reflect indigenous ethnocentricity and misinterpretation of European texts, rather than the wholesale acceptance of European culture.
Reflectance/illumination separation for 3D scenes

The spectral radiance measured by an airborne sensor is dependent on the spectral reflectance of the ground material, the orientation of the material surface, and the atmospheric and illumination conditions. We present a non-linear algorithm to estimate the surface spectral reflectance given the sensor radiance spectrum corresponding to a single pixel. The algorithm uses a low-dimensional subspace model for the reflectance spectra. The solar radiance, sky radiance, and path-scattered radiance are dependent on the environmental condition and viewing geometry and this inter-dependence is considered by using a coupled subspace model for these spectra. The algorithm uses the Levenberg-Marquardt method to estimate the subspace model parameters which are used to determine the reflectance spectrum. We have applied the algorithm to a large set of 0.42-1.74 micron sensor radiance spectra simulated for different atmospheric conditions, materials, and surface orientations. We have also examined the utility of the algorithm for reflectance recovery in digital imaging and remote sensing image generation (DIRSIG) scenes that contain 3D objects.
Radiographic observation of chamber formation in Nautilus pompilius

Radiographic observation of four immature Nautilus pompilius shows that new chamber formation commences when approximately half of the cameral liquid of the last formed chamber has been osmotically removed. At this time, the septal mantle is rapidly moved forward in the body chamber, where it reattaches to the internal shell wall and begins calcification of a new septum. Throughout this time, apertural shell growth rates remain constant. The time between successive chamber initiations increased during ontogeny; in the four specimens monitored here, time between two successive chamber formation events ranged between 85 and 132 days and showed no apparent lunar correlation.
The bone morphogenetic protein system in mammalian reproduction

Using molecular, cellular, and genetic approaches, recent studies examining the role of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family of growth factors in the reproductive system have led to significant breakthroughs in our understanding of mammalian reproduction and fertility. Gene expression studies have revealed that key components of the BMP system (ligands, receptors, signaling molecules, and binding proteins) exhibit coordinated spatial and temporal expression patterns in fundamental cell types throughout the reproductive system. Availability of recombinant BMPs has enabled functional studies that have demonstrated important biological activities of BMPs in controlling cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in reproductive tissues. The physiological importance of the BMP system for mammalian reproduction has been further highlighted by the elucidation of the aberrant reproductive phenotypes of animals with naturally occurring mutations or targeted deletions of certain BMP family genes. Collectively, these studies have established the concept that the BMP system plays a crucial role in fertility in female and male mammals. The purpose of this article is to review the evidence underpinning the importance of the BMP system in mammalian reproduction.
Duodenal ulcer disease in the hospitalized elderly patient

The clinical presentation, hospital course, and outcome of duodenal ulcer disease in elderly patients were reviewed from the records of 168 patients admitted to a municipal hospital over a three-year period. All patients had an active duodenal ulcer confirmed by either endoscopy and/or surgery. Patients were separated into one of two groups: an elderly patient group (≥60) and a young patient group (<60). The demographics, past clinical history, symptomatology, physical examination features, admitting laboratory data, hospital course, and outcome of these groups were compared. The elderly group, while having the same duration of acid peptic disease, had significantly less complaints of epigastric pain just prior to admission (P=0.01) and less alcohol usage (P=0.03) when compared to the younger patient population. The older patient population on the other hand did have a more complicated course of acute disease characterized by a greater rebleeding rate (P=0.004), larger transfusion requirement (P=0.03), and a more prolonged stay of hospitalization with a higher mortality (P=0.003).
Near-single sideband modulation in strong optical injection-locked semiconductor lasers

Asymmetric modulation sidebands have been demonstrated by controlling frequency detuning of strong optical injection-locked semiconductor lasers. Near-single sideband generated by the technique significantly reduces fiber chromatic-dispersion effect with enhanced modulation bandwidth.
Time‐dependent sensitization as the cornerstone for a new approach to pharmacotherapy: Drugs as foreign/stressful stimuli

This report begins by reviewing data showing that the effects of acute exposure to stressful situations can grow with the passage of time (time-dependent sensitization; TDS) and then proceeds to suggest that the clinical syndromes of panic, delayed post-traumatic stress disorder, and bulemia represent instances of stressor-induced sensitization to subsequent stressors. Finally, it discusses data demonstrating that a host of pharmacological agents—including antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anxiolytics—also show TDS after a single or brief period of treatment and proposes that induction of this phenomenon is due to the foreign/stressful properties of drugs. The report concludes with the suggestion that the very widespread ability of drugs to trigger effects that then grow with the passage of time—independent of repeated treatment—can form the basis of a new and revolutionary approach to pharmacotherapy.
Scavenger materials for the chemical desulfurization of coal

Chemical methods for the desulfurization of coal offer an advantage over physical (gravity) methods in that both pyritic and organically bound sulfur can be removed. Research was conducted on the ability of several scavenger materials to capture the sulfur that was liberated as coal was heated in a sealed reactor. The scavenger materials, selected on the basis of the stability of their sulfides, were Mn, CaO, Na2O, and Zn. A sealed reactor approach was used to retain a large percentage of the volatile matter in the coal. In experiments where the coal and scavenger materials were physically separated, it was demonstrated that a coal containing 3.05% S initially could be desulfurized to a level of 1.4% S. Blending the coal with Na2O yielded the best results. Sulfur levels of approximately 0.5% were achieved while more than half of the volatile matter in the coal was retained. Organic sulfur was more difficult to remove than pyritic sulfur, and it appeared that new organic sulfur bonds may have formed when pyrite decomposed. The effectiveness of zinc as a scavenger material was hampered by the formation of an adherent ZnS layer on Zn particles.
Nuclear Data Sheets for A = 90☆

Abstract Experimental data for all nuclei with mass number A = 90 have been evaluated, and their corresponding level schemes from radioactive decay and reaction studies are presented. This evaluation shows levels in 90 Tc and 90 Ru from (HI, xpxnγ) reactions seen for the first time, and new levels up to spin J = 25 in 90 Mo. A new precise measurement (93Mi04) of γ rays using the 89 Y(n, γ) reaction provided a complete level scheme for 90 Y, which has superseded that of 83De27. Cutoff Date: All data received by May 1, 1997 were evaluated. General Policies and Organization of Material: See the January issue of Nuclear Data Sheets.
The effectiveness of bacterial filtration in vented wound drains

Abstract The clinical use of vented wound drains requires documentation of the maintenance of a sterile wound environment in the presence of aspirated air. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a commercially available bacterial filter under conditions of continuous aspiration of room air into a culture medium incubated for 14 days. The control (no filter) group showed growth in all specimens at 24 hr, and the filter group showed no bacterial growth during the experimental period.
Partial seizures with focal epileptogenic electroencephalographic patterns in three related female patients with fragile-X syndrome.

Epilepsy and abnormal electroencephalographic (EEG) patterns have been reported in mentally retarded males with fragile-X syndrome, but the high incidence of epilepsy in such persons has been recognized only recently. These individuals have focal spikes in the EEG similar to the benign rolandic pattern. Female carriers have very rarely been reported to have epilepsy or nonspecific abnormal EEG patterns. We report partial seizures with a focal epileptogenic EEG pattern in two sisters and their grandmother, who are all carriers of fragile-X syndrome. The sisters have mild developmental delay, but the grandmother is of normal intelligence. The mother of the two sisters is known to be a carrier of the fragile-X chromosome and is of normal intelligence, with no history of seizures. It is important for physicians to be aware of the possibility that females presenting with partial seizures of unknown cause may be fragile-X carriers, and enquiry for a family history of intellectual disability should be pursued. (...
Complications of halo fixation in the elderly.

Object The risk factors of halo fixation in elderly patients have never been analyzed. The authors therefore retrospectively reviewed data obtained in the treatment of such cases. Methods A discharge database was searched for patients 70 years of age or older who had undergone placement of a halo device. In a search of cases managed between April 1999 and February 2005, data pertaining to 53 patients (mean age 79.9 years [range 70–97 years]) met these criteria. Forty-one patients were treated for traumatic injuries. Ten patients had deficits ranging from radiculopathy to quadriparesis, and 43 had no neurological deficit. Adequate follow-up material was available in 42 patients (mean treatment duration 91 days). Halo immobilization was the only treatment in 21 patients, and adjunctive surgical fixation was undertaken in the other 21 patients. There were 31 complications in 22 patients: respiratory distress in four patients, dysphagia in six, and pin-related complications in 10. Eight patients died; in two ...
Effects of Dietary Thiouracil on Thyroid Activity, Egg Production, and Eggshell Quality in Commercial Layers

Abstract The effects of thyroid suppression induced during the rearing period by providing various dietary thiouracil (TU) regimens on plasma thyroxine (T4) concentrations, growth, and subsequent egg production (EP) and eggshell quality were determined in Single Comb White Leghorn chickens. Thiouracil was provided in the feed at levels of 0, .1, and .2% from 0 to 6 wk of age in Experiment 1, and at levels of 0, .05, and .1% from 6 to 16 wk of age in Experiment 2. In both experiments, T4 concentrations were reduced during TU treatment. However, T4 later became elevated at 12 and 20 wk in both dosage level groups in Experiment 1. Additionally, BW and egg weights were suppressed by both TU treatments, and EP was reduced up to Week 23 in the .1% TU-treated birds and through Week 25 in the .2% TU-treated birds. No effects on EP were noted in Experiment 2, but feed consumption (FC) was reduced during Week 6 in birds fed .05% TU and during Weeks 6, 10, and 19 in birds fed .1% TU. Both liver and thyroid weights were increased in .1% TU-treated birds relative to controls at Week 16. Eggshell quality was affected only in Experiment 2, in which birds given .05% TU had a higher relative conductance, or maximum rate of water loss, at Week 38 than 0 and .1% TU dosage levels, and .1% TU-treated birds had a higher breaking strength than 0 and .05% TU-treated birds at Week 22. Without associated effects on eggshell quality, EP may be altered through prior changes in FC, BW, and T4 concentration by using TU at a dosage appropriate for the type and age of bird.
Steady-state aerosol distributions in the extra-tropical, lower stratosphere and the processes that maintain them

Measurements of aerosol, N2O and OCS made in the Northern Hemisphere below 21 km altitude following the eruption of Pinatubo are presented and analyzed. After September 1999, the oxidation of OCS and sedimentation of particles in the extra-tropical overworld north of 45 N are found to maintain the aerosol in a steady state. This anal- ysis empirically links precursor gas to aerosol abundance throughout this region. These processes are tracked with age- of-air which offers advantages over tracking as a function of latitude and altitude. In the extra-tropical, lowermost strato- sphere, normalized volume distributions appear constant in time after the fall of 1999. Exchange with the troposphere is important in understanding aerosol evolution there. Size dis- tributions of volcanically perturbed aerosol are included to distinguish between volcanic and non-volcanic conditions. This analysis suggests that model failures to correctly pre- dict OCS and aerosol properties below 20 km in the Northern Hemisphere extra tropics result from inadequate descriptions of atmospheric circulation.
Planar orthogonal drawings of graphs

A survey of algorithms for constructing orthogonal drawings of planar graphs, where each edge is represented by a polygonal chain consisting of horizontal and vertical segments, is presented. The main quality measures considered are the minimization of the number of bends and of the area of the drawing. Only planar graphs of maximum degree 4 are considered. Any such graph has no more than 2n edges, where n is the number of vertices of the graph. >
Crystal structures of cisplatin bound to a human copper chaperone.

Copper trafficking proteins, including the chaperone Atox1 and the P1B-type ATPase ATP7B, have been implicated in cellular resistance to the anticancer drug cisplatin. We have determined two crystal structures of cisplatin-Atox1 adducts that reveal platinum coordination by the conserved CXXC copper-binding motif. Direct interaction of cisplatin with this functionally relevant site has significant implications for understanding the molecular basis for resistance mediated by copper transport pathways.
Anal Canal Resurfacing in Anal Stenosis

This chapter describes the range of surgical approaches used for anal stenosis, an uncommon but distressing condition. Anal stenosis can be anticipated after more extensive excisions of the anoderm, and they may occur in extensive condylomata and after excision of the Buschke-Loewenstein tumor, although the most common cause is hemorrhoidectomy. For more severe and higher anal canal stenoses, numerous surgical techniques have been described over the years and vary from simple stricture release with sphincterotomy to complex tissue flaps.
Phylogenetic relationships of the garter snakes based on DNA sequence and allozyme variation

Abstract We estimated phylogenetic relationships among 26 species of garter snakes (genus Thamnophis ) using allozyme and mitochondrial cytochrome b gene nucleotide sequence variation. Parsimony analyses of the two data sets give substantially different estimates of phylogeny. Several lines of evidence indicate that much of this conflict is due to error associated with the restricted number of characters in each data set. Such sampling error may be reduced by combining all the characters; we therefore present all estimate of phylogeny based on parsimony analysis of all the data combined. All our analyses support several conclusions in conflict with previous views: a very distant relationship between T. errans and T. elegans, non-monophyly of the elegans group (even excluding T. errans ), and nesting of the form validus (previously considered a member of the genus Nerodia ) within Thamnophis. The combined analysis gives an almost fully resolved tree. However, bootstrapping indicates only weak support for many clades in this tree. Furthermore, paraphyly of the assemblages of cytochrome b gene lineages within T. elegans and T. radix indicate the potential for discordance between the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and species phylogenies through the sorting of ancestral mtDNA polymorphisms. These problems suggest the need for assaying additional characters, especially ones likely to be independent of those used in the present study.
The role of complement in pregnancy and fetal loss.

Recurrent spontaneous abortion is a significant health problem; 50 to 70% of all conceptions fail. Although in the majority of the cases the cause is unknown, an immune mechanism involving the inappropriate recognition of the embryo by the mother’s immune system has been proposed. Complement activation has been proposed as a common effector in causing fetal injury initiated by different triggers. The adaptive immune system can harness innate immune mechanisms. Appropriate complement inhibition is an absolute requirement for normal pregnancy. Deficiency of complement inhibitors in mice leads to progressive embryonic lethality due to inflammation. In a murine model of antiphospholipid antibody-induced pregnancy loss we demonstrated that complement activation is required for fetal injury. Activated Th1 cells may also induce pregnancy loss through the activation of the complement cascade. Recruitment and activation of inflammatory effector cells by C3a, C5a and the C5b-9 MAC, leads to fetal injury and pregnancy loss.
Logical properties of foundational relations in bio-ontologies

Objective: We compare the advantages of specifying the semantics of foundational relations in bio-medical terminology systems using different types of formal deductive systems: first-order logic (FOL) and description logics (DLs). Method: As our focus example, we use a terminology whose basic terms are supposed to designate proper parthood relations, subdivision relations, and surrounded-by relations. Each type of relation captures an important and distinct aspect of the spatial organization of anatomical structures: the general part-whole structure (proper parthood), the division of salient anatomical objects into discrete, tree-like structures (subdivision-of), and the nesting of anatomical objects into containers (surrounded-by). We show that all three types of relations are strict partial orderings (i.e., asymmetric and transitive). Ontologies whose purpose is to specify the semantics of terms referring to these types of relations must include axioms strong enough to formally distinguish among them. We compare the extent to which axioms characterizing proper parthood, subdivision, and surrounded-by relations can be represented in first-order logic and various description logics. Conclusions: The development of bio-medical ontologies requires a rigorous formal analysis of foundational relations. Different kinds of formal tools may be used in this process. Ideally, an analysis in a highly expressive language, such as first-order logic, should be worked out in conjunction with analyses in less expressive but computationally tractable deductive systems such as description logics.
Bipartisanship, Partisanship, and Ideology in Congressional-Executive Foreign Policy Relations, 1947-1988

This paper examines two perspectives on the nature of congressional-executive relations in the making of American foreign policy: the bipartisan perspective, which says that politics stops at the water's edge, and the political perspective, which sees foreign policy as subject to the same partisan and ideological disputes that characterize domestic policy-making. The results demonstrate that the bipartisan perspective applies best to the Cold War years, and that the political perspective applies throughout the postwar era. The Vietnam War, hypothesized to have been a major catalyst in the breakdown of a bipartisan approach to foreign policy, cannot be shown to have produced a major watershed in the postwar record.
Time-dependent relationship between the dorsal hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex in spatial memory.

The prefrontal cortex and the dorsal hippocampus have been studied extensively for their significant roles in spatial working memory. A possible time-dependent functional relationship between the prefrontal cortex and the dorsal hippocampus in spatial working memory was tested. A combined lesion and pharmacological inactivation technique targeting both the dorsal hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex was used (i.e., axon-sparing lesions of the dorsal hippocampus combined with reversible inactivation of the medial prefrontal cortex, or vice versa, within a subject). A delayed nonmatching-to-place task on a radial eight-arm maze with short-term (i.e., 10 sec) versus intermediate-term (i.e., 5 min) delays was used as a behavioral paradigm. Here we report that the dorsal hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex process short-term spatial memory in parallel, serving as a compensatory mechanism for each other. The role of the dorsal hippocampus, however, becomes highlighted as the time-window for memory (i.e., delay) shifts from short-term to a delay period (i.e., intermediate-term) exceeding the short-term range. The results indicate that the time window of memory is a key factor in dissociating multiple memory systems.
Technology and Real Estate Brokerage Firm Financial Performance

This study investigates the impact of Internet usage on the financial performance of residential real estate brokerage firms using a database of over 1,700 observations. Factor loadings and a factor score for Internet usage are developed. The results show that Internet use is positively related to revenue and net income, and negatively related to net margin. In a second stage analysis, Internet use is found to be positively associated with franchise affiliation, affiliation with a referral/relocation network and firm size, while negatively related to firm age, single-office firms and location in the West and South (relative to the Northeast).