cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of alkalinity on the scaling of simulated cooling tower water

The scaling behavior of simulated cooling tower water on a heat transfer surface was investigated. The alkalinity was the main parameter investigated. The fouling vs. time curves were fitted to the equation which was derived from a simple model of the fouling process. Correlation coefficients ranging from 0.81 to 0.987 were obtained in fitting the data to the model. No particular pattern was observed for delay times and they appeared not to have a significant influence on the asymptotic fouling resistance. The latter is a complex function of the alkalinity but generally increases with alkalinity for the conditions of the experiment. Scale strength appears to be a strong function of the non-calcium carbonate components of the scale.
Ligand binding characteristics of CXCR4 incorporated into paramagnetic proteoliposomes.

Abstract The G protein-coupled receptor CXCR4 is a coreceptor, along with CD4, for the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and has been implicated in breast cancer metastasis. We studied the binding of the HIV-1 gp120 envelope glycoprotein (gp) to CXCR4 but found that the gp120s from CXCR4-using HIV-1 strains bound nonspecifically to several cell lines lacking human CXCR4 expression. Therefore, we constructed paramagnetic proteoliposomes (CXCR4-PMPLs) containing pure, native CXCR4. CXCR4-PMPLs specifically bound the natural ligand, SDF-1α, and the gp120s from CXCR4-using HIV-1 strains. Conformation-dependent anti-CXCR4 antibodies and the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 blocked HIV-1 gp120 binding to CXCR4-PMPLs. The gp120-CXCR4 interaction was blocked by anti-gp120 antibodies directed against the third variable (V3) loop and CD4-induced epitopes, structures that have also been implicated in the binding of gp120 to the other HIV-1 coreceptor, CCR5. Compared with the binding of R5 HIV-1 gp120s to CCR5, the gp120-CXCR4 interaction exhibited a lower affinity (K d = 200 nm) and was dependent upon prior CD4 binding, even at low temperature. Thus, although similar regions of X4 and R5 HIV-1 gp120s appear to be involved in binding CXCR4 and CCR5, respectively, differences exist in nonspecific binding to cell surfaces, affinity for the chemokine receptor, and CD4 dependence at low temperature.
Autonomous navigation for high altitude satellites

Abstract The determination of the orbit of high altitude satellites with an accurate horizontal charge coupled device (CCD) sensor is considered using the extended Kalman filter. The measurement nonlinearity is removed by using a coordinate transform, and the corresponding steady state error is less than the steady state error in the Cartesian coordinate system. The performance of both of the navigational filters is evaluated for a reference geosynchronous orbit as a function of measurement error. The reduction of measurement uncertainty decreased steady state errors in position and velocity.
Ventricular ectopic activity after medical and surgical treatment for recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia.

Twenty-three patients with recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia underwent Holter electrocardiographic monitoring to assess whether the frequency or grade, or both, of spontaneous ventricular ectopic activity was predictive of the therapeutic response to pharmacologic or surgical therapy as judged from electrophysiologic testing. Only infrequent, non-complex ventricular ectopic activity was noted on Holter monitoring in six patients successfully treated with antiarrhythmic agents who subsequently have been free of recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia. In only one patient did complex ventricular ectopic activity persist. In 11 (67 percent) of 16 patients in whom drug therapy failed (that is, in whom tachycardia was inducible), sustained ventricular tachycardia (7 patients) or other complex ventricular ectopic activity (4 patients) was noted during Holter monitoring on an ineffective regimen. However, 2 (20 percent) of these 11 and the remaining 5 patients (31 percent) in whom drug treatment failed showed greater than 90 percent suppression of all ventricular ectopic activity (other than ventricular tachycardia) on at least one in-effective regimen. Eleven patients in whom drug therapy failed underwent aneurysmectomy and endocardial resection. Sustained ventricular tachycardia could not be induced postoperatively by programmed electric stimulation nor has it recurred spontaneously in any patient; however, 8 (72 percent) of these 11 had persistent complex ventricular ectopic activity on Holter monitoring. It is concluded that the response of ventricular ectopic activity on Holter monitoring to antiarrhythmic or surgical therapy does not predict therapeutic success in the treatment of recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia.
Topological mass quantization and parity violation in 2 + 1 dimensional QED

Abstract We give a quantization condition for the coefficient of the topological mass term and a topological argument for the necessity of parity violation in a 2 + 1 dimensional QED, and in general in an odd number of dimensions. We also point out and rectify a technical flaw in the standard argument for the SU(2) nonperturbative anomaly.
RF Quadrupole Beam Dynamics

A method has been developed to analyze the beam dynamics of the radio frequency quadrupole accelerating structure. Calculations show that this structure can accept a dc beam at low velocity, bunch it with high capture efficiency, and accelerate it to a velocity suitable for injection into a drift tube linac.
Motoneuron Morphology and Synaptic Contacts: Determination by Intracellular Dye Injection

The structure and dendritic connections of an identified crustacean motoneuron were analyzed by intracellular injection of dye. Some processes of the neuron end in the ganglionic neuropil, but most terminate on axons which pass through the ganglion in specific, identifiable tracts. The former processes are ipsilateral to the soma, while the latter, as well as their connections, display bilateral symmetry. Structural and functional evidence suggests that the demonstrated contacts are synaptic junctions, and that the approach can therefore be used to study patterns of synaptic organization in complex neural networks.
Social Work Education on Mental Health: Postmodern Discourse and the Medical Model

This article provides a pedagogical approach to presenting alternatives along with the traditional medical model in the context of mental health treatment and service provision. Given the current influence of the medical model in community mental health, this article outlines a rationale for challenging the model and considering alternative models and/or interpretations of severely disordered behavior. The first premise of this approach, that social workers need to avoid having the deficit-based, problem-saturated, and pathologizing language of the medical (or any other) model dominate their practice, is inherent in all strengths-based approaches to practice. The second premise, that one can utilize the postmodern language of narrative therapy to constructively discuss alternative approaches, expands on previous social work contributions in this area.
Functional characterization of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with alterations in the atpE gene

The FUD17 strain of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a photosynthesis-deficient, acetate-requiring mutant with a defect in the chloroplast atpE gene, which codes for the e subunit of the chloroplast ATP synthase. In this work, the FUD17 mutant was examined in relation to other known ATP synthase mutants as an initial step toward using this strain to generate altered versions of the atpE gene for site-directed mutagenesis of the e subunit. The FUD17 strain grows well and is normally pigmented in the dark (heterotrophic conditions), but cannot grow autotrophically in the light, even when media are supplemented with acetate. Under heterotrophic conditions, it shows no accumulation of the e subunit, and much lower levels of the α and β subunits of the chloroplast ATP synthase. FUD17 shows no light-dependent oxygen evolution and shows a strong, light-dependent alteration in its chlorophyll fluorescence. These results show that FUD17 possesses similar characteristics to other ATP synthase mutants and fails to express an assembled ATP synthase complex on its thylakoid membrane. A preliminary attempt at site-directed mutagenesis is described which produced a slightly truncated form of the e subunit, which is expressed normally in the cell.
Developmental Exposure to Estrogenic Compounds and Obesity

Obesity, defined as excessive body fat (25% for men; 30% for women), is a significant human health problem that has reached epidemic proportions in the United States over the last 2–3 decades (Oken and Gillman, 2003). Obesity and overweight are not confined to the United States. The World Health Organization has declared excessive weight as 1 of the top 10 health risks in the world, and 1 of the top 5 in developed nations. Obesity and overweight are associated with increased risk of a number of diseases and metabolic disorders including type 2 diabetes, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, gout, liver disease, asthma and pulmonary problems, gall bladder disease, kidney disease, reproductive problems, psychological and social problems, osteoarthritis, and certain cancers. Obesity is a significant health risk for adults, but it is a far more serious problem for children because the incidence of type 2 diabetes, usually considered an adult-onset disease, is dramatically increasing in children and adolescents along with the rise in obesity. Further, because overweight children have a
Developmental biology of zebrafish

The biology and genetics of zebrafish has become a very popular system in developmental biology especially because of their suitability for genetics and the transparent embryo of this small tropical fish. Studies reported briefly here demonstrate that one can use gene expression in the zebrafish embryo to find new components of important and well-studied developmental mechanisms and signal transduction pathways. The study of zebrafish developmental genetics has proven invaluable in determining many aspects of vertebrate development. Further use of this model organism promises to generate many interesting and useful data.
The T-cell antigen receptor: the minimal hypothesis revisited.

A review in which J. J. Marchalonis discusses what has been learnt about the T-cell receptor for antigen through the search for immunoglobulin-related recognition structures on antigen-specific T cells.
A numerical study of sensory-guided multiple views for improved object identification

We explore the potential on-line adjustment of sensory controls for improved object identification and discrimination in the context of a simulated high resolution camera system carried onboard a maneuverable robotic platform that can actively choose its observational position and pose. Our early numerical studies suggest the significant efficacy and enhanced performance achieved by even very simple feedback-driven iteration of the view in contrast to identification from a fixed pose, uninformed by any active adaptation. Specifically, we contrast the discriminative performance of the same conventional classification system when informed by: a random glance at a vehicle; two random glances at a vehicle; or a random glance followed by a guided second look. After each glance, edge detection algorithms isolate the most salient features of the image and template matching is performed through the use of the Hausdor↵ distance, comparing the simulated sensed images with reference images of the vehicles. We present initial simulation statistics that overwhelmingly favor the third scenario. We conclude with a sketch of our near-future steps in this study that will entail: the incorporation of more sophisticated image processing and template matching algorithms; more complex discrimination tasks such as distinguishing between two similar vehicles or vehicles in motion; more realistic models of the observers mobility including platform dynamics and eventually environmental constraints; and expanding the sensing task beyond the identification of a specified object selected from a pre-defined library of alternatives.
Inpatient Care or Outplacement: Which Is Better for the Psychiatric Medically Infirm Patient?.

Eighty-four geriatirc ward patients were randomly assigned to groups targeted for outplacement planning or inpatient care. During the following year, half of the former were placed in community settings while nearly all of the latter remained in the hospital. Neither the physical health, level of self-care, or psychiatric condition ratings of the two groups changed differentially over that time. However, the mean Morale Inventory score of the outplacement sample improved while that of the in-patient group remained static. Additional analyses were run between three groups - outplacement planning subjects who were released, those who were not released, and inpatient planning men who were not released. These results confirmed those of the first analyses; the only significant difference appeared on the Morale Inventory, the patients who left showing more improvement than the other two groups. The results argue for an increased emphasis on outplacement programs among geriatric patients.
Independently-addressable micron-sized biosensor elements

With the continuing development of micro-total analysis systems and sensitive biosensing technologies, it is often desirable to immobilize biomolecules onto a surface in a small well-defined area. A novel method was developed to electrochemically attach DNA probes to micron-sized regions of a gold surface using biotin-LC-hydrazide (BH). Previously, we have found that the radical produced during the oxidation of BH will attach to a wide variety of electroactive surfaces. An array of micron-sized gold band electrodes (75 microm wide) was fabricated onto glass microscope slides and BH was deposited onto each electrode through the application of an oxidizing potential. Subsequent attachment of avidin to the biotinylated surface created the 'molecular sandwich' architecture necessary for further immobilization of biotinylated biomolecules to the surface. In this work, we utilized biotinylated DNA probes of varying sequence to illustrate the specificity of the attachment scheme. The immobilization of avidin, DNA probe, and hybridization of DNA target is visualized with fluorescence tags and the spatially selective attachment and hybridization of unique DNA sequences is demonstrated.
The British Slugs

MR. J. W. TAYLOR has just published part ii. of his admirable “Monograph of the Land and Freshwater Mollusca of the British Isles,” containing a discussion of the slugs of the genus Arion. It is a matter of interest that, notwithstanding the great amount of information gathered in recent years, the beautiful bicoloured varieties of A. ater appear to hold their own as truly endemic inhabitants of Britain. These are three in number, though Mr. Taylor treats the third as merely a subvariety.
Audience design affects acoustic reduction via production facilitation

In this article, we examine the hypothesis that acoustic variation (e.g., reduced vs. prominent forms) results from audience design. Bard et al. (Journal of Memory and Language 42:1–22, 2000) have argued that acoustic prominence is unaffected by the speaker’s estimate of addressee knowledge, using paradigms that contrast speaker and addressee knowledge. This question was tested in a novel paradigm, focusing on the effects of addressees’ feedback about their understanding of the speaker’s intended message. Speakers gave instructions to addressees about where to place objects (e.g., the teapot goes on red). The addressee either anticipated the object, by picking it up before the instruction, or waited for the instruction. For anticipating addressees, speakers began speaking more quickly and pronounced the word the with shorter duration, demonstrating effects of audience design. However, no effects appeared on the head noun (e.g., teapot), as measured by duration, amplitude, and perceived intelligibility. These results are consistent with a mechanism in which evidence about addressee understanding facilitates production processes, as opposed to triggering particular acoustic forms.
Differences in interconcept organization between nouns and verbs

This study tested a hypothesis proposed by Huttenlocher and Lui (1979, Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 18, 141–162) that there are systematic differences between nouns and verbs regarding interconcept semantic organization. Specifically, sets of nouns tend to be interrelated according to a hierarchical organization, whereas sets of verbs (depicting actions and events) tend to be interrelated according to a matrix organization. In two experiments, college students performed three tasks on sets of 16 nouns versus 16 verbs. A binary sort task provided “hierarchical organization (HO) scores” for a given word set, whereas a similarity rating task (for pairs of words) furnished “matrix organization (MO) scores.” We assessed the extent to which the HO and MO scores could predict clustering of words in an unconstrained sort task (in which each of the 16 words was assigned to one of N categories). The analyses confirmed the hypothesis. We discuss the implications of these findings with respect to the representation and semantic organization of nouns versus verbs.
Repair and reconstruction of rotatory instability of the knee

We studied the results of treatment in 110 of 129 consecutive patients who had knee instability for which they underwent reconstruction of the knee ligaments at the Mayo Clinic. Thirty-one patients underwent different types of extraarticular reconstruction. Nine (29%) had recurrence of the knee giving way, and 11 (36%) had objective signs of instability on examination. Fifty-five patients underwent combined extraarticular and intraarticular reconstruction with either the Lam-Jones patellar tendon (PT) procedure (21 knees) or the Zarins-Rowe semitendinosus and iliotibial band (ST & ITB) procedure (34 knees). Only two knees (10%) with PT procedure and three knees (9%) with ST & ITB procedures continued to have giving way. Three patients in each group had recurrence of instability. Twenty-four knees with acute instability had either primary repair (17 knees) or primary reconstruction with ST & ITB procedures (7 knees). The results in these knees were superior to the results in the knees reconstructed for chronic instability. On the basis of our 2 year results, we believe that a combined intraarticular and extraarticular reconstruction is the procedure of choice in chronic knee instability and is a useful procedure in acute knee instability with irreparable tears of the anterior cruciate ligament.
Generalization of Hopkins’s formula to a class of sources with arbitrary coherence

Hopkins’s formula [ Proc. R. Soc. London Ser. A208, 263 ( 1951)] is shown to apply to optical instruments provided that the light source can be represented by a planar, quasi-homogeneous source that satisfies an additional specific mathematical condition. It is shown that a large class of sources other than strictly incoherent sources permit the use of Hopkins’s formula.
Presentation and Outcome of Histoplasmosis in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients Treated with Antitumor Necrosis Factor alpha Therapy: A Case Series

Background: Antitumor necrosis factor alpha (aTNF) therapies are commonly used in the treatment of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, inhibition of the TNF-alpha pathway predisposes to serious infections, including histoplasmosis, which is the most common invasive fungal infection in individuals on aTNF therapy and carries a high mortality rate when associated with delayed diagnosis. Few data exist on the frequency, presentation, and appropriate treatment of pediatric patients with histoplasmosis on aTNF therapy. Methods: Following Institutional Review Board approval, cases were identified then reviewed with their primary gastroenterologist and infectious disease specialists. Results: Herein we describe histoplasmosis in five pediatric patients receiving aTNF therapy for IBD in an endemic area. Conclusions: Histoplasmosis is an important complication of treatment with TNF-alpha neutralizing agents. Children with IBD treated with aTNF therapy who develop the infection may present with minimal pulmonary symptoms. While discontinuation of aTNF therapy is important initially, few data exist to determine when and how aTNF therapy can be reinstituted. Recognition of Histoplasma capsulatum is often delayed due to the overlap of symptoms with some of the extraintestinal manifestations of IBD and other more prevalent infectious complications. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2011;)
Inexpensive aerial videography acquisition, analysis, and reproduction

We describe a relatively inexpensive and easy-to-use hardware/software system for use in acrial videography of wetlands and other habitats. Advantages of the camcorder we used over older models include its use of three charge-coupled device sensors. Hi-8 recording format, and fast shutter speeds. We classified several wetlands in the Sandhills of Nebraska and, for our purposes, the color video images were as good as scanned 35-mm aerial photographs taken at the same altitude. The mean (±SE) of the percent difference in areas classified from video and scanned photographs for three observers was 1.54 ± 0.16 %. The commercial (Adobe Photoshop) and public domain (NIH Image) software we used are excellent and inexpensive for interactive image classification and quantification. A low cost ink-jet printer was used to reproduce video or photographic images suitable for ground-truthing or other uses.
TU‐C‐214‐10: Analysis of Difference of Daily Setup Variations for Intensity‐ Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) Prostate Patients between KV Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) and Electromagnetic Tracking System (Calypso)

Purpose: To analyze difference of guidance for daily setup verification between kilovoltage (kV) Cone Beam Computed Tomography(CBCT) and electromagnetictracking system (Calypso) for prostate cancer patients receiving Intensity‐Modulated Radiation Therapy(IMRT). Methods: Sixteen prostate patients' data sets were analyzed. The daily treatment table shifts given by CBCT and Calypso systems to bring the patient's Planning Target Volume (PTV) to isocenter were noted. Calypso transponders were used as fiducial markers and patients shifted based on CBCT findings. Calypso system was then utilized to show the setup (residual) error. 577 CBCT images and Calypso data pairs were analyzed, with three shifts recorded for each. The number of times in which the shift difference (in absolute terms) between CBCT and Calypso agreed within 3 mm was recorded. Then the vector length of the residual errors determined by Calypso was calculated and compared to the 3D Clinical Target Volume (CTV)‐PTV margin (8 mm). Results: There were 424 cases (73.5 %) where the shift differences between CBCT and Calypso agreed within 3 mm in all three orthogonal directions. After the patient was shifted to isocenter by the CBCT data, there were 526 cases (91.2 %) where the vector length of the residual errors determined by Calypso was less than 8 mm and thus within the PTV margin; a frequency distribution for residuals gave a median vector of 4.3 mm. Conclusions: The CBCT and Calypso systems are complimentary for daily setup verification in IMRT prostate patients. Residual error due to intrafraction motion was less than 5 mm after CBCT alignment. Hence, margin reduction appears feasible allowing for further dose escalation. In addition, shape deformation data provided by CBCT for prostate and Organs at Risk (OARs) essential for facilitating real‐time geometric treatment adjustments.
Efficient generation of 50-fs red pulses by frequency doubling in LiB3O5

Abstract We report frequency-doubling of femtosecond pulses from a mode-locked Cr:forsterite laser with efficiency as high as 44%, using lithium triborate (LiB 3 O 5 ). The single-pass efficiency is nearly 4 times as large as values obtained previously with femtosecond pulses of nanojoule energies. Red pulses as short as 45 fs are generated with average power > 100 mW at 620 nm. The dependence of the harmonic pulse duration on fundamental pulse duration is investigated over a range from 100 fs to 40 fs.
Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan with neurite-inhibiting activity is up-regulated following peripheral nerve injury.

Numerous findings support the possibility that highly sulfated proteoglycans are inhibitory molecules which, at high concentration relative to growth-promoting signals, may regulate or guide axonal growth. Although most studies implicate sulfated proteoglycans in the poor regenerative capacity of the central nervous system, inhibitory proteoglycans also may play an important role in the successful regeneration of axons within peripheral nerve. Cultured rat schwannoma and Schwann cells produce chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) which binds to and inhibits the neurite-promoting activity of laminin [Muir et al. (1989) J. Cell Biol. 109:2353]. In the present study, we found a similar neurite-inhibiting activity associated with CSPG isolated from normal adult rat sciatic nerve. Following nerve crush injury, this inhibitory activity was increased sevenfold in regenerating nerve distal to the injury. This increase was largely attenuated by in vivo administration of the proteoglycan synthesis inhibitor β-D-xyloside. In normal adult nerve, immunolabeling for CSPG core protein was concentrated in slender bands surrounding axon-Schwann cell units and within nodes of Ranvier. Following nerve crush injury, immunolabeling of CSPG and laminin became more intense in distal nerve and CSPG increased within endoneurium and surrounding nerve sheaths. Embryonic dorsal root ganglionic neurons cultured on longitudinal nerve sections extended neurites along the exposed surfaces of Schwann cell basal lamina. The length of neurites was increased 58% on normal nerve sections pretreated with chondroitinase. Even though laminin levels were elevated in basal lamina of injured nerve, neuritic growth on sections of injured nerve was not significant increased unless sections were pretreated with chondroitinase. These results indicate that inhibitory CSPG is up-regulated in injured nerve and plays a role in regulating axonal regeneration. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 34: 41–54, 1998
Gender, Development, and Democratization in Africa

This paper queries the link between gender, development, and democratization in Africa while focussing on ongoing political transitions in Kenya and Ghana. This paper looks specifically at the marginalization of women in the public life of politics, while men continue to both control state structures and determine the neophytes in the public domain. It also looks at specific women leaders in Kenya and Ghana who traverse the public and private domains, pointing to the artificiality of that dichotomy. This paper also interrogates whether or not this dawn of political transitions can bring democracy back in without bringing women in, with the same equal citizenship rights as men. The paper also demonstrates how this query is relevant in evolving democracies, as well as in sustained liberal democracies.
Including parents, foster parents and parenting caregivers in the assessments and interventions of young children placed in the foster care system

Abstract Since the release of Zero to Three's principles on assessment of young children, child welfare social workers and other professionals have improved ways to incorporate parents and parenting caregivers into their child's team. However, given the increasing numbers of young children coming into care, and their risk for long-term disability, it is imperative that child welfare social workers become the catalyst to improve options for all young foster children. This paper provides a brief overview of young children in the foster care system and discusses the role of parents and parenting caregivers in the assessment of young children. The paper then explores the interdependence of assessment and intervention and the challenges involved with including parents and parenting caregivers in the assessment of their children. The final section of the paper synthesizes the findings to make several recommendations to improve social work practice for young children in foster care and their families.
Peak aortic and carotid flow acceleration in anesthetized dogs

Peak carotid and peak aortic flow acceleration were compared during a variety of cardiovascular interventions in seven acutely instrumented anesthetized (pentobarbital 30 mg/kg, iv) dogs. Flow velocity, recorded with electromagnetic sensors, was processed electronically to give acceleration and the ratio of peak carotid to peak aortic acceleration on a beat-by-beat basis. Occlusion of the left coronary artery, occlusion of the superior vena cava and intravenous administration of sodium bicarbonate and propranolol caused both peak carotid and peak aortic flow acceleration to decrease with little or no change in their ratio. Breathing 100% oxygen and iv infusions of metaraminol, levarterenol, isoproterenol, and acetyl choline and iv injection of serotonin, papaverine, and deslanoside increased peak carotid and peak aortic flow acceleration. The ratio of peak carotid to peak aortic acceleration did not change greatly except with isoproterenol, papaverine, and acetyl choline, when peak carotid flow acceleration increased more than peak aortic flow acceleration causing an increase in their ratio. Intravenous infusion of trimethaphan camphorsulfonate and injection of histamine caused peak carotid flow acceleration to increase and peak aortic flow acceleration to decrease with an increase in their ratio. Peak carotid flow acceleration may be of use as an indirect measure of myocardial mechanical performance except during potent peripheral vasodilation.
An Evaluation of the Effects of Lithium in the Treatment of Chronic Alcoholism. II. Assessment of the Two‐Period Crossover Design

Analysis of self-reported alcohol intake by alcoholic subjects participating in a two-period crossover trial of lithium versus placebo failed to demonstrate a significant effect of lithium in reducing alcohol consumption. An appraisal of the adequacy of this study design to meet the original objective of the trial was undertaken. It was impossible under this study design to simultaneously and unequivocally estimate effects of treatment periods, drug carryover, sequence group and other period by treatment interactions in addiction to the lithium/placebo effects. Presence of one or more of these additional influences on the trial outcome not only complicated the interpretation of results but diminished the power of the trial design to test the major hypothesis of interest, that lithium could reduce alcohol intake. We conclude that the two-period crossover design has serious drawbacks in this clinical trial setting and that alternative strategies need to be considered for future trials.
Biologically Inspired Phosphino Platinum Complexes

Abstract Platinum complexes containing phosphino amino acid and amino acid ester ligands, built upon the PPhNR′2 platform, have been synthesized and characterized (PPhNR′2 = [1,3-diaza]-5-phenyl phosphacyclohexane), R' = Gly (glycine) or Gly-ester (glycine ethyl ester). These complexes were characterized by 31P, 13C, 1H, 195Pt NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. The X-ray crystal structure of one of the complexes, [PtCl2(PPhNGly-ester2)2], is reported, confirming cis-square planar geometry about the platinum. These complexes provide a foundation upon which larger peptides can be attached, to allow the introduction of enzyme-like features onto small molecular catalysts.
Image Intensification of X-Ray Diffraction Patterns from Biological Structures

An image intensifier has been used to record two dimensional X-ray diffraction patterns. The details and characteristics of the system in current use are described. This system provides for the conversion of X-rays to visible light, intensification of this light for integration on a TV vidicon target, on-line computer controlled scan and readout to disk, and subsequent computer analysis of the data. The system is particularly useful for the study of weakly diffracting specimens, samples where radiation damage dictates minimal exposure, and structures where dynamic processes are involved. Results obtained to date are discussed. Comparisons are made of this system with alternate recording systems, including film and electronic devices. The potential usefulness of this system for studies utilizing high intensity synchrotron radiation is discussed.
A bivariate survival model with modified gamma frailty for assessing the impact of interventions.

Bivariate survival analysis models that incorporate random effects or ‘frailty’ provide a useful framework for determining the effectiveness of interventions. These models are based on the notion that two paired survival times are correlated because they share a common unobserved value of a random variate from a frailty distribution. In some applications, however, investigators may have some information that characterizes pairs and thus provides information about their frailty. Alternatively, there may be an interest in assessing whether the correlation within certain types of pairs is different from the correlation within other types of pairs. In this paper, we present a method to incorporate ‘pair-wise’ covariate information into the dependence parameter of the bivariate survival function. We provide an example using data from the Framingham Heart Study to investigate the times until the occurrence of two events within an individual: the first detection of hypertension and the first cardiovascular disease event. We model the dependence between these two events as a function of the age of the individual at the time of enrolment into the Framingham Study.
Sleep Disorders and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children: A Missing Differential Diagnosis

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is a common diagnosis among children. Symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder include inattention, motor restlessness, and impulsivity. Associa...
Toxicity to fathead minnows of endrin in food and water

Fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) were exposed during a partial chronic toxicity study to endrin concentrations in the water or food, or both, for 300 days encompassing reproduction. Tissue residues were analyzed at preset intervals for first-generation fish, and were also determined for embryos, larvae at hatch, and 30-day progeny. Gas-chromatographic and liquid-scintillation techniques were used to monitor the contribution of endrin from each source. The food was clams that had accumulated 14C-endrin when exposed to an endrin water concentration similar to that to which the fish were exposed. Higher endrin tissue residues were accumulated from the water than from food. Maximum concentration factors were 0.8 from the food and 13,000 from the water. Residues contributed by endrin in the food were additive to those from the water at all life stages. Endrin in the food (0.63 ppm) significantly reduced survival of the fathead minnows, and fish exposed to both endrin sources had lower survival than those exposed to either source alone. Endrin residues in embryos and larvae were highest and larval survival lowest for progeny of adults exposed to endrin in both food and water. Survival of 30-day progeny was significantly reduced at all test exposures (0.63 ppm in the food, water exposures of 0.14 and 0.25 ppb, and all combinations of food and water exposure).
Photosynthetic reaction centers: interfacing molecular genetics and optical spectroscopy

In the elucidation of the mechanism by which certain photosynthetic bacteria convert light into chemical energy, genetics has become intertwined with biophysical techniques. While X-ray crystallography has yielded an atomic resolution structure of the photosynthetic reaction center (RC), optical spectroscopy remains the most important technique for screening mutants. Newly developed imaging devices and genetic techniques should enable biophysicists to characterize rapidly the spectra of extremely large numbers of RC and light harvesting (LH) antennae mutants. The intrinsic pigments of the RC and LH antennae act as spectroscopic reporters for assembly and function of these integral membrane proteins. To optimize this genetics/spectroscopy interface, new algorithms that relate the structure of the genetic code to the physico-chemical properties of the amino acids are being developed to design libraries of mutants.
Approximately Optimal Carryover Levels for Wheat in the United States

This paper presents results of stochastic simulations of adherence to a first-period first-order certainty equivalence decision rule for approximately optimal wheat stocks in the United States. The decision rule is obtained by maximizing a first-order approximation of the discounted sum of expected producers' plus consumers' surplus less storage costs over a long-time horizon. For comparative purposes, stochastic simulations of the present system for holding stocks are also given in the paper. Stock levels under the present system were found to be higher than the certainty equivalence stock levels.
Membrane Thickness Dependence of Nanopore Formation with a Focused Helium Ion Beam

Solid-state nanopores are emerging as a valuable tool for the detection and characterization of individual biomolecules. Central to their success is the realization of fabrication strategies that are both rapid and flexible in their ability to achieve diverse device dimensions. In this paper, we demonstrate the membrane thickness dependence of solid-state nanopore formation with a focused helium ion beam. We vary membrane thickness in situ and show that the rate of pore expansion follows a reproducible trend under all investigated membrane conditions. We show that this trend shifts to lower ion dose for thin membranes in a manner that can be described quantitatively, allowing devices of arbitrary dimension to be realized. Finally, we demonstrate that thin, small-diameter nanopores formed with our approach can be utilized for high signal-to-noise ratio resistive pulse sensing of DNA.
FoxO1 and SIRT1 regulate β-cell responses to nitric oxide

For many cell types, including pancreatic β-cells, nitric oxide is a mediator of cell death; paradoxically, nitric oxide can also activate pathways that promote the repair of cellular damage. In this report, a role for FoxO1-dependent transcriptional activation and its regulation by SIRT1 in determining the cellular response to nitric oxide is provided. In response to nitric oxide, FoxO1 translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and stimulates the expression of the DNA repair gene GADD45α, resulting in FoxO1-dependent DNA repair. FoxO1-dependent gene expression appears to be regulated by the NAD+-dependent deacetylase SIRT1. In response to SIRT1 inhibitors, the FoxO1-dependent protective actions of nitric oxide (GADD45α expression and DNA repair) are attenuated, and FoxO1 activates a proapoptotic program that includes PUMA (p53-up-regulated mediator of apoptosis) mRNA accumulation and caspase-3 cleavage. These findings support primary roles for FoxO1 and SIRT1 in regulating the cellular responses of β-cells to nitric oxide.
ESTIMATING FLUCTUATING VITAL RATES FROM TIME-SERIES DATA: A CASE STUDY OF APHID BIOCONTROL

Many ecological time series describe population dynamics. Indirectly, these data also provide information about the vital rates (e.g., birth rates, mortality rates) un- derlying these dynamics, but extracting this information from the data can be difficult. Here, we present a method for estimating fluctuating vital rates from ecological time series by using a model to re-code information in observed dynamics into information about unobserved vital rates. This model construction differs from most current models by re- placing strong assumptions about the functional relationships dictating population dynamics with more conservative assumptions about how vital rates change with time. Thus, this method is a tool for analyzing time-series data that avoids strong assumptions about the mechanisms driving population dynamics. Our work is motivated by studying the biological control of pea aphids in alfalfa in south-central Wisconsin. Pea aphid populations are consistently held below economic threshold, although the source of this regulation is unclear. Here, we analyze monitoring data to understand the role that a specialist parasitoid plays in aphid biocontrol. Our mod- eling methodology allows us to estimate the vital rates that determine aphid dynamics (in particular, parasitism) without making arbitrary assumptions about the relationship between parasitism and aphid or parasitoid density. We find that, while parasitism depresses aphid population growth rate substantially, declines in aphid population growth rates do not coincide with increases in parasitism. Therefore, parasitism cannot be responsible for the density-dependent regulation of aphid populations observed in the field.
Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Enhances Peripheral Nerve Regeneration

Background: Adjunctive measures to enhance nerve repair have focused on a variety of trophic factors that alter the physiologic response to nerve injury through Schwann cell-axonal interactions. Objective: To evaluate the effects of two trophic factors, ciliary neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor, on axonal response to injury. Design: A prospective, randomized, blinded animal study with a placebo control using lactated Ringer's solution. Interventions: Rat sciatic nerves were transected and repaired as a model of injury following which experimental factors were delivered in vivo through an implantable osmotic pump. Outcome Measures: Functional nerve recovery, muscle mass, and gene expression in the three experimental groups were evaluated. Results: The ciliary neurotrophic factor group (n=6) showed a higher sciatic functional recovery (P=.003) and preservation of affected muscle mass (P=.03) compared with the nerve growth factor (n=8) and control (n=8) groups. Molecular analysis of injured nerves showed no difference in expression of ciliary neurotrophic factor, myelin basic protein, or low-affinity neurotrophin receptor messenger RNA among the three groups. Conclusion: These data suggest that ciliary neurotrophic factor may serve as an important neurocytokine for axonal regrowth during peripheral nerve regeneration.
Angiotensin II-induced myocardial fibrosis in rats: role of nitric oxide, prostaglandins and bradykinin.

Objective: Chronic elevations in plasma angiotensin II (AngII) are associated with an efflux of plasma macromolecules into the perivascular and contiguous interstitial space. This is followed by the appearance of macrophages and type I collagen-producing, fibroblast-like cells that precede the accumulation of fibrous tissue at these sites. Whether this perivascular and interstitial fibrosis is a direct effect of AngII on collagen turnover of these cells or an indirect response mediated by nitric oxide, prostaglandins and/or bradykinin released in response to AngII, is uncertain. Methods: We measured perivascular and interstitial fibrosis (picrosirius-stained tissue) in response to 14-day infusion of AngII (150 ng/kg/min, s.c.) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Treated animals were compared to untreated controls and to groups receiving AngII together with either an NO-synthase inhibitor [ NG -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) 10 mg/kg/day in drinking water], a cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor (indomethacin, 2 mg/kg/day in drinking water), or a bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist (Hoe140, 115 ng/kg/min, s.c.). Results: When left and right ventricles of treated rats were compared to untreated controls, AngII led to a respective 68 and 48% increase in perivascular collagen volume fraction (PCVF) and a 54 and 22% increase in interstitial collagen volume fraction (ICVF). Co-administration of AngII + L-NAME did not attenuate either PCVF or ICVF while indomethacin significantly attenuated PCVF by 37 and 33% of left and right ventricle, respectively, but did not alter ICVF in either ventricle when compared to AngII-treated animals. Co-administration of AngII + Hoe140 completely prevented perivascular and interstitial collagen accumulation with the extent of perivascular fibrosis comparable to untreated controls. Conclusion: The perivascular and interstitial fibrosis of the rat right and left ventricles seen in association with the exogenous administration of AngII is mediated by the release of bradykinin and prostaglandins, and therefore is an indirect response to elevated circulating AngII.
SPEAKING UP CONSTRUCTIVELY: MANAGERIAL PRACTICES THAT ELICIT SOLUTIONS FROM FRONT-LINE EMPLOYEES

Ideas that could enable organizations to improve their operating processes often come from front-line workers who voice concerns and share ideas about how to solve problems. Our study is among the ...
Behavior and Ecology of Burrowing Owls on the Oakland Municipal Airport

Among owls, the Burrowing Owl, Speotyto cunicularia hypugaea, presents an unusual opportunity for study, being colonial, diurnal, and crepuscular, as well as nocturnal. These owls occur in many places around the San Francisco Bay area. Though eliminated by civilization from some sites, they have moved into others, particularly those created by bayfill projects. One of the largest populations of Burrowing Owls in the Bay Area is on the Oakland Municipal Airport, Alameda County, California, where this study was conducted. The major part of the study covers the period from October 1964 to August 1966. Virtually all of the airport owls were legbanded to permit field identification of individuals, and to facilitate study of the population as a whole. Shorter periods of observation were made in March and July 1967.
Bounds on the greedy routing algorithm for array networks

We extend previous work on greedy routing for array networks by providing bounds on the average delay and the average number of packets in the system. We analyze the dynamic routing problem, where packets are generated at each node according to a Poisson process. Each packet is sent to a destination chosen uniformly at random. Packets are routed greedily, first moving to the correct column and then to the correct row. Packets require unit time to travel across a directed edge between nodes; only a single packet can cross an edge at any given time, and packets waiting for an edge are buffered. Our bounds are based on comparisons with computationally more simple queueing networks, and the methods used are generally applicable to other network systems. A primary contribution of the paper is a new lower bound technique that also improves on the previous lower bounds by Stamoulis and Tsitsiklis for heavily loaded hypercube networks. [11] On heavily loaded array networks, our lower and upper bounds differ by only a small constant factor.We further examine extensions of the problem where our methods prove useful. For example, we consider variations where edges can have different transmission rates or the destination distribution is non-uniform. In particular, we study to what extent optimally configured array networks outperform the standard array network.
Supersymmetry and position operators for a dirac particle

Abstract The position and spin operators of Pryce, including the Newton-Wigner coordinates, are shown to be gauge invariant extensions, in the context of the recently developed pseudoclassical supersymmetric theory of a Dirac particle.