cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydrologic influences on soil properties along ephemeral rivers in the Namib Desert

Soils were examined along three ephemeral rivers in the Namib Desert to assess the influence of their hydrologic characteristics on soil properties. Soils consisted of layers of fluvially deposited, organic-rich silts, interstratified with fluvial and aeolian sands. The most significant influence of the ephemeral hydrologic regime upon soils was related to the downstream alluviation associated with hydrologic decay. This alluviation increased the silt proportion of soils in the lower reaches of the rivers. Organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous were correlated with silt content, and silt deposition patterns influenced patterns of moisture availability and plant rooting, creating and maintaining micro-habitats for various organisms. Localized salinization occurred in association with wetland sites and soluble salt content tended to increase downstream. Because of the covariance between silt and macronutrients, and the influence of silt upon moisture availability and habitat suitability, alluviation patterns associated with the hydrologic regime strongly influence the structure, productivity, and spatial distribution of biotic communities in ephemeral river ecosystems.
An assessment of the reference watershed approach for TMDLs with biological impairments

The Reference Watershed Approach (RWA) is used in TMDL development for biological and other impairments with narrative water quality criteria. The questions addressed in this research include: (1) With the RWA, how do land use classifications from different data sources (Digital Ortho-Quarter Quads (DOQQ) and National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD)) impact simulated pollutant loadings? (2) With the RWA, what is the impact of alternative water quality models (GWLF and SWAT) on pollutant loadings? (3) With the RWA, how sensitive are simulated pollutant loadings to the use of different reference watersheds? Various combinations of land use, water quality model, and reference watershed resulted in pollutant reductions that ranged from −13 to 88%. In a comparison of the use of NLCD versus DOQQ-based land use data with the GWLF model, differences in required reductions ranged from 13 to 74% for three different reference watersheds. Use of alternative water quality models with DOQQ land use data resulted in differences in required sediment reductions from −43 to 8% for the three reference watersheds. Differences in load reduction requirements were also seen when different reference watersheds were used, regardless of the water quality model or the land use source used. With DOQQ land use, required sediment reductions ranged from 18 to 88% and 37 to 82%, for the SWAT and GWLF models, respectively. These results suggest that explicit margins of safety used to account for modeling uncertainties during TMDL development may need to be substantially greater than 20% when using the reference watershed approach.
Total calcium intake and colorectal adenoma in young women

Total calcium intake appears to reduce occurrence of colorectal adenoma; however, the dose necessary for prevention in young women is unclear. We examined fine categories of calcium intake in relation to occurrence of first colorectal adenoma in a cohort of mostly premenopausal (88 %) women aged 26–60 at time of endoscopy. We conducted an analysis among 41,403 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study II and assessed intakes of calcium prior to endoscopy through participants’ responses to biannual questionnaires. Between 1991 and 2007, we documented 2,273 colorectal adenoma cases. There was a significant trend across categories of calcium intakes with lowest intakes suggestive of higher occurrence of adenoma (p = 0.03) and those in the distal colon (p = 0.03) and rectum (p = 0.04). Compared with 1,001–1,250 mg/day of calcium intake, ≤500 mg/day was suggestive of a modest increase in occurrence of adenoma (multivariable RR = 1.21, 95 % CI 0.90–1.61); there were also suggestions of an increased risk with >500 to ≤700 mg/day of calcium. The association between ≤500 mg/day of calcium intake and adenoma was stronger for multiple (RR = 2.27, 95 % CI 1.38, 3.72), large (≥1 cm) (RR = 2.01, 95 % CI 1.27, 3.21), and high-risk adenoma (≥1 cm or mention of villous histology/high-grade dysplasia) (RR = 1.76, 95 % CI 1.13, 2.72). No differences in associations were noted between jointly categorized calcium and phosphorus or magnesium intakes. Our findings suggest that low intakes of calcium, <500 and possibly 500–700 mg/day, in younger women are associated with an increased risk of multiple and advanced colorectal adenoma.
Colorectal cancer screening: Recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Abstract In December 1995, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) for the first time urged primary care clinicians to screen for colorectal cancer.1 The USPSTF is an independent expert panel charged by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) with developing preventive health guidelines based on an objective, in-depth review of available scientific data. During the release of the 1995 edition of their Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, Dr. Harold C. Sox, chairman of the USPSTF, emphasized that there is now strong new evidence of efficacy for both fecal occult blood test (FOBT) screening and for screening flexible sigmoidoscopy in the form of prospective controlled trials and high quality case-control studies. He further noted that although the panel's recommendations technically call for FOBT and/or flexible sigmoidoscopy, most clinicians will choose to recommend both screening tests for their average-risk, asymptomatic patients older than 50 years of age. Table 1 contains the summary recommendation of the USPSTF for screening for colorectal cancer. GASTROENTEROLOGY 1996;111:1381-1384
Genetics of schizophrenia: implications for treatment.

Schizophrenia is a common, debilitating illness for which treatment is empirical and unsatisfactory. Intense efforts to identify etiological factors have been launched in order to facilitate rational therapy. Such efforts have included gene-mapping studies since a significant heritability has been proved. In common with other polygenic/multifactorial disorders, mapping efforts for schizophrenia pose daunting challenges. Faced with such complexities, attempts to detect genetic associations with pharmacological response have been initiated. Although intriguing associations have been reported, formal replication is required. Suggestions for the design of replicate studies are proposed. This review is restricted to studies that investigated response to clozapine (Clozaril®, Novartis) and other novel antipsychotic medications.
Effects of pH on 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid transport in human erythrocytes

We measured the effects of external pH on influx, efflux and net steady-state levels for 14CH3H4PteGlu1. Initial rates of uptake were inversely proportional to external pH. Lowering the pH of the suspending medium increased influx by enhancing the affinity of the carrier: the apparent Km values at pH 6, 7.2 and 8.1 were 0.14, 0.25 and 0.63 microM respectively. In contrast, Vmax was independent of external pH. Efflux rate constants at pH 6, 7.5 and 8.5 were 0.034, 0.059 and 0.067/min respectively. consequently, lowering the external pH increased steady-state levels of 14CH3H4PteGlu1.
Physics for animation artists

"Physics for Animation Artists" is a joint project by the Department of Physics and the Animation/Illustration Program at San Jose State University to develop a physics curriculum specifically for art majors planning to enter the animation industry.
Systems Analysis of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data Using a Physiologic Model of Venous Oxygenation

The authors revisit a simple mathematical model, presented in previous work, that characterizes the response of cerebral venous oxygenation to changes in blood flow and oxygen consumption. This physiologically based model can qualitatively duplicate the results of several recent empirical studies in which other authors have tested the hypothesis of linearity in the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) response to task activation, in that the experimentally found nearly linear behavior of the system and also its subtle departures from linearity are both predicted by simulations of the model. The model is simple enough that its equations can be explicitly solved. Moreover, an amended model that incorporates a varying cerebral blood volume parameter is found to have similar if not better consistency with the empirical data; indeed, this "extended" model is shown to be solvable by the same differential equation as the authors' simple one, wherein the volume is fixed as a constant. These investigations lend further indirect support to the blood oxygen level-dependent hypothesis of venous deoxyhemoglobin as the primary mechanism for fMRI signal changes during task activation, as well as for the authors' simple system as a useful physiologic model thereof. Although the authors' mathematical model does not formally represent a linear system with respect to the flow input, its underlying linear character may help partially explain the "nearly" linear behavior of the fMRI response.
Phylogeny of Celastraceae Subfamilies Cassinoideae and Tripterygioideae Inferred from Morphological Characters and Nuclear and Plastid Loci

Abstract The phylogeny of Celastraceae subfamilies Cassinoideae (120 species in 17 genera in both the Old and New World tropics and subtropics) and Tripterygioideae (39 species in seven genera) was inferred using plastid (matK, trnL-F) and nuclear (ITS and 26S rDNA) loci together with morphological characters. Subfamily Cassinoideae include those Celastraceae genera with drupes, berries, or nuts that have one to five locules and one to two seeds per locule, while Tripterygioideae include those genera with one to two seeded samaras that lack arillate seeds. We infer that both subfamilies are grossly polyphyletic groups, with Cassinoideae consisting of ≥ eight separate lineages and Tripterygioideae consisting of ≥ six separate lineages. Crossopetalum, from tropical America, is part of an early derived lineage sister to a taxonomically diverse Austral-Pacific clade. Myginda is not distinct from Crossopetalum. Gyminda + Orthosphenia + Rzedowskia + Schaefferia are a clade that is only distantly related to Cros...
Acute isolated right ventricular myocardial infarction masquerading as acute anterior myocardial infarction.

Right ventricular (RV) myocardial infarction (MI) often accompanies inferior left ventricular (LV) MI. However, isolated RV MI is very rare.1–3 A man (age range 30–40 years) presented with acute chest pain. ECG revealed ST segment elevation in leads V1–V4 (figure 1). He was taken to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory with presumptive diagnosis of acute anterior MI. However, angiography revealed a normal left coronary artery (figure 2A) and normal LV systolic function. The right coronary artery (RCA) was occluded proximally (figure 2B). A percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was performed. Post-PCI angiogram revealed …
Differential activation of limbic circuitry associated with chronic ethanol withdrawal in DBA/2J and C57BL/6J mice.

Abstract Although no animal model exactly duplicates clinically defined alcoholism, models for specific factors, such as the withdrawal syndrome, are useful for identifying potential neural determinants of liability in humans. The well-documented difference in withdrawal severity following chronic ethanol exposure, between the DBA/2J and C57BL/6J mouse strains, provides an excellent starting point for dissecting the neural circuitry affecting predisposition to physical dependence on ethanol. To induce physical dependence, we used a paradigm in which mice were continuously exposed to ethanol vapor for 72 h. Ethanol-exposed and air-exposed (control) mice received daily injections of pyrazole hydrochloride, an alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor, to stabilize blood ethanol levels. Ethanol-dependent and air-exposed mice were killed 7 h after removal from the inhalation chambers. This time point corresponds to the time of peak ethanol withdrawal severity. The brains were processed to assess neural activation associated with ethanol withdrawal indexed by c-Fos immunostaining. Ethanol-withdrawn DBA/2J mice showed significantly ( P
A rapid and simple method for determination of halothane, isoflurane and sevoflurane in blood using gas chromatography

We have developed a technique to determine the concentration of volatile anesthetics (halothane, isoflurane and sevoflurane) in blood that is a modification of a method used for volatile anesthetics in Krebs solution. Methylene chloride was the internal standard and chloroform was used to extract the volatile anesthetic from blood. The congealed blood proteins were separated from the chloroform solvent (containing anesthetic) using a two-compartment vial that filtered out the proteinaceous material during centrifuging. Recovery averaged 102%. Linearity was excellent (r = 0.992-0.999) in the 50-600, 50-300 and 50-300 microg/mL range for halothane, isoflurane and sevoflurane, respectively. Intra-day and inter-day precisions were likewise excellent, with relative standard deviations <5.3 and <7.1%, respectively. Accuracy ranged from 0.8 to 9.5% of the estimated theoretical value. Extracted anesthetic in chloroform solvent was stable over 4-5 days, with <3% variability. The time from obtaining the blood sample to determination of the concentration from the chromatographic peak was 15 min or less.
A Simple Model of the Modular Structure of Transcriptional Regulation in Yeast

Resolving the general organizational principles that govern the interactions during transcriptional gene regulation has great relevance for understanding disease progression, biofabrication, and biological systems in general. The available genome-level monitoring technologies and the best understood biological work on gene regulation are together providing us with unprecedented amounts of data and universal modeling frameworks in which to reason about regulatory systems on a computational level. Gene regulatory systems exhibit modularity in their regulatory sequences as well as in the corresponding gene expression. This modularity has a nontrivial, general combinatorial structure that can be studied and generalized to model classes of regulatory systems. Here, we study computationally the combinatorial nature of transcriptional regulation by assuming a one-to-one relationship between shared patterns in genome-wide gene-expression and cis-region modules. In our combinatorial framework, the DNA binding events are complementary to their expression counterparts, and together let us approximate the underlying regulation structure. Our model maps regulatory systems onto hierarchical structures which can be approximated by conflating existing large scale gene expression and ChIP-chip data. We have developed methods for building regulatory hierarchies and identifying the basic functional units, or modules, of transcriptional regulation. We validate our model using yeast data by showing agreement of our predictions with experimental data, and using the hierarchies to resolve a finer structure of co-regulation.
Critical phenomena in nonaqueous microemulsions

Abstract The pseudoternary phase diagrams of the four-component system glycerol, sodium dodecyl sulfate, hexanol and decane with the weight ratio of hexanol to decane equal to 100/0, 90/10, 75/25, 50/50, and 25/75 were determined at 30°C. The systems gave only isotropic solutions and no liquid crystalline phases. The nonaqueous regions corresponding to the W/O microemulsion region in aqueous systems suggested critical behavior as demonstrated by the convergence of tie lines and by light scattering intensity which gave a pronounced maximum at the point of converging tie lines. This maximum was transferred to higher glycerol/hexanol ratios with added surfactant and to smaller ratios with added decane. Viscosity measurements were made for the solutions on the demixing line. There was no anomalous viscosity values around the points of converging tie lines.
Skin Tests in the Diagnosis of Allergic Conditions

Allergic disorders may be classified into four main categories of immunologic hypersensitivity reactions: type I, immediate or anaphylactic; type II, cytotoxic; type III, involving immune complexes; and type IV, delayed or cell mediated. Type I reactions are those most commonly encountered in clinical allergy. They may be well defined by skin testing, provided the patients to be tested are carefully selected and the tests are applied properly and interpreted critically. Major indications for direct skin testing are: (1) to separate atopic from nonatopic patients; (2) to help in identifying specific allergens in atopic persons; and (3) to reassess the allergic profile in patients receiving immunotherapy. Other indications for skin-testing, of more limited applicability, include: (1) screening for hypersensitivity to vaccines; (2) testing for reactivity to drugs (and particularly penicillin); (3) testing for immediate and delayed reactions in such conditions as bronchopulmonary aspergillosis; and (4) in evaluation of patients with reactions to insect stings. Skin-testing has limited usefulness in early infancy, in chronic urticaria, in the investigation of food allergies, in atopic dermatitis not accompanied by other manifestations of atopy, or in allergic reactions to drugs other than penicillin. A checklist to be consulted prior to performing or interpreting skin tests should include: (1) assurance of the potency of the extract used in testing; (2) knowledge of the nonspecific irritant properties of any extracts used for testing; (3) history of administration of antihistamine drugs or epinephrine prior to testing; and (4) the correlation of skin test results with clinical history. The help of a qualified allergist should be sought if: (1) skin test results are at variance with the historical data; or (2) systemic reactions are induced by skin testing; or (3) the patient fails to respond to the therapy dictated by the skin test results. Alternatives or supplements to skin-testing include RAST testing and measurement of histamine release from sensitized leukocytes. These have rendered passive transfer testing (PK or Prausnitz-Kustner) substantially obsolete. Direct allergy skin testing remains the most sensitive, most specific, and most reliable method presently available to the physician for investigation of IgE-mediated allergic disorders.
Recent progress in two-dimensional continuous wavelet transform technique for fringe pattern analysis

Abstract The two-dimensional continuous wavelet transform (2D-CWT) technique for fringe pattern analysis has recently drawn considerable attentions because of its superior characteristics over other fringe analysis techniques. However, the conventional 2D-CWT technique has a few shortcomings that have restricted its applications. In this paper, a few important advances to cope with the limitations of the 2D-CWT technique are presented. With these advances, the 2D-CWT technique is capable of accurately, quickly and automatically analyzing fringe patterns that contain complex fringes as well as noise and defects.
Nanometer distance measurements on RNA using PELDOR.

A rapid increase in RNA structural studies has been seen in the past few years, in part due to the interest in the multitude of cellular functions performed by RNA. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy is a useful technique for studying biopolymer structure under physiologically relevant conditions. We present herein the use of pulsed electron double resonance for the determination of a 35 ± 2 A distance between two spin label nitroxides that were linked to specific positions within an RNA.
Nature of serotonin-activated adenylate cyclase during development of Schistosoma mansoni

The trematode Schistosoma mansoni possesses an adenylate cyclase that is stimulated by serotonin. During development from the newly transformed schistosomulum to the adult stage, the serotonin-stimulated activity of adenylate cyclase increases. Our results show that the apparent affinity of the receptor for serotonin is the same at all stages tested. Serotonin receptors were characterized by testing the ability of agonists and antagonists to influence cyclase activity. The order of potency of antagonists is similar to that seen in Fasciola hepatica and is different from that characteristic of mammalian serotonin receptors. The nature of serotonin receptors in S. mansoni appears to be unchanged during development from cercaria to adult. Forskolin, which activates adenylate cyclase at the catalytic subunit, increases cyclase activity at all stages of development with no change in affinity. Forskolin and serotonin act synergistically to activate cyclase, and the degree of potentiation is the same (four-fold) at all stages of development, indicating that the coupling between the serotonin receptor and the catalytic component of cyclase is fully developed in the schistosomulum. The synergism between serotonin and forskolin is characterized by an increase in Vmax with no effect on the affinity for either serotonin or forskolin. The Ka for potentiation of serotonin action by forskolin is lower than the Ka for direct activation of cyclase by forskolin. The change in adenylate cyclase activity during development from schistosomulum to adult does not appear to be attributable to a change in the nature of the serotonin receptor, the catalytic component, or the coupling mechanism between these two components. Instead, there appears to be an increase in the total receptor-coupled enzyme system.
How does ASD symptomology correlate with ADHD presentations

Elevated rates of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms have been documented in the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) population. However, the recent restructuring of the ASD diagnostic category and its respective symptom structure has elicited concern about how these changes may impact prevalence rates, the deliverance of services, and the rates of comorbid psychopathology. At present, few researchers have investigated the prevalence rates of specific ADHD presentations within ASD populations. As we seek to increase our understanding of ADHD symptom manifestation in ASD populations it is important to establish base rates of attention and hyperactive symptoms. The current manuscript sought to investigate the prevalence of inattention and impulsive symptoms in 1722 infants and toddlers. Individuals were separated into three diagnostic groups for analyses, a DSM-5 ASD group, an atypically developing group, and a DSM-IV-TR ASD group. Initial analysis extended previous research by demonstrating significantly elevated rates of inattention/impulsive symptoms in toddlers meeting DSM-5 criteria for ASD when compared to the DSM-IV-TR ASD and atypically developing groups. Additional analysis demonstrated that ASD symptom severity was positively correlated with inattention/impulsive symptoms regardless of primary diagnosis. Lastly, analyses examined the exhibition of inattention and impulsive symptoms separately within diagnostic groups. Results suggest that the expression of impulsive and inattentive symptoms did not significantly differ within diagnostic groups.
The hydrolysis of rat thyroglobulin by thyroidal enzymes.

THE presence of proteolytic substances in the thyroid gland was first demonstrated by the digestion of a gelatin film with follicular colloid, obtained by microdissection from rat thyroids (De Robertis, 1941). Later, whole thyroid extracts were shown to exhibit hydrolytic activity at acid pH against edestin (Dziemian, 1943), and hemoglobin (Kamner et al., 1950; Weiss, 1953). The proteolysis of thyroglobulin has been accomplished with thyroid extracts from dogs and swine (Roche et at., 1950; McQuillan and Trikojus, 1953). Recently a partially purified fraction of hog thyroids has been prepared, which is rich in proteolytic activity against hemoglobin and thyroglobulin (McQuillan and Trikojus, 1953). In the present study, the hydrolysis of rat thyroglobulin by thyroidal enzyme (s) has been investigated. Some of the conditions under which proteolytic activity occurs have been examined and the products of proteolysis have been evaluated. The method has differed from that of previous workers primarily in that ...
Disinfection By-Product Formation during Long-Term Water Storage in Alaska

In many areas of Northern and Western Alaska, small streams and shallow lakes serve as community raw water supplies. These water supplies freeze completely during winter. In order to supply drinking water during the 6–9 month winter, communities store water that was treated during summer. A chlorine residual is maintained in the stored water. Raw water sources derived from surface water may be heavily laden with dissolved organic matter. At utilities where organic matter escapes treatment, the potential for accumulation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) during storage is a significant health concern. The following study was performed to evaluate this potential threat. Water was collected from five operating utilities, four that normally store water for 6–9 months and one that produces drinking water year-round. Raw, filtered (i.e., unchlorinated) and “finished” (i.e., filtered and chlorinated) water samples were collected during the summer pumping season and stored in the laboratory for 8 months. In orde...
Synthesis of functionalized carboranes as potential anticancer and BNCT agents

Carboranyl aldehydes react with α,β-unsaturated esters, ketones, and nitriles in the presence of DABCO to provide functionalized carboranyl alcohols in good yields. Acetates of these alcohols undergo a facile isomerization with a variety of nucleophiles and afford structurally interesting carboranes. Biological evaluation of these molecules exhibited impressive antiproliferative activity for brain and breast cancer cells.
INDUCTION OF XYLOGENESIS IN PITH PARENCHYMA EXPLANTS OF LACTUCA

A B S T R A C T observed. Different patterns in the differentiation of tracheids were associated with the various auxin-cytokinin treatments. All IAA-cytokinin treatments produced perpendicular strands around the periphery and tracheid formation throughout the lower half of the explants. The pattern of IAA-induced xylogenesis was modified by the particular cytokinin employed. Treatment with NAA-cytokinin induced horizontal strands which were branched, and the xylogenesis pattern was the same regardless of the cytokinin employed. The xylogenesis pattern produced by 2,4-D- cytokinin varied with the 2,4-D concentration, and was independent of the cytokinin employed. Small numbers of tracheids were observed in explants cultured under xylogenic conditions and treated with caffeine (1000 mg/liter) for the inhibition of cytokinesis.
Developing new materials for paper-based diagnostics using electrospun nanofibers.

The use of electrospun nanofibers as functional material in paper-based lateral flow assays (LFAs) was studied. Specific chemical features of the nanofibers were achieved by doping the base polymer, poly(lactic acid) (PLA), with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and polystyrene8K-block-poly(ethylene-ran-butylene)25K-block-polyisoprene10K-Brij76 (K3-Brij76) (KB). The LFAs were assembled such that the sample flowed through the nanofiber mat via capillary action. Initial investigations focused on the sustainable spinning and assembly of different polymer structures to allow the LFA format. Here, it was found that the base polymer poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), which was shown to function well in microfluidic biosensors, did not work in the LFA format. In contrast, PLA-based nanofibers enabled easy assembly. Three relevant features were chosen to study nanofiber-based functionalities in the LFA format: adsorption of antibodies, quantification of results, and nonspecific binding. In particular, streptavidin-conjugated sulforhodamine B (SRB)-encapsulating liposomes were captured by anti-streptavidin antibodies adsorbed on the nanofibers. Varying the functional polymer concentration within the PLA base enabled the creation of distinct capture zones. Also, a sandwich assay for the detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was developed using anti-E. coli antibodies as capture and reporter species with horseradish peroxidase for signal generation. A dose–response curve for E. coli with a detection limit of 1.9 × 104 cells was achieved. Finally, functional polymers were used to demonstrate that nonspecific binding could be eliminated using antifouling block copolymers. The enhancement of paper-based devices using functionalized nanofibers provides the opportunity to develop a broad spectrum of sensitive and specific bioassays with significant advantages over their traditional counterparts.
Effects of Variations in Plasma Propulsion System Performance on Mars Cargo Missions

The results of a study to analyze the effects of variations in a lithium Lorentz force accelerator propulsion system performance on a mission to Mars are presented. The total mass and the trip time required to transport a fixed payload (9000 kg) from low Earth orbit to Mars orbit for various combinations of specific mass of the power plant (from 4 to 64 kg=kW), input power (from 100 to 1000 kW), efficiency (from 30 to 75%), and either exhaust velocity (from30to60 km=s)ormass flowrate(from0.05to0:60 g=s)werecalculatedbyintegratingtheequationsofmotion of the spacecraft. The variations considered in this study were close to experimentally demonstrated values of performance parameters of a plasma thruster. The results indicate a point of diminishing return above which large increases in input power are necessary for modest decreases in trip time. The results show the existence of an optimum input power at which the total mass required is at a minimum. They also reveal the optimum exhaust velocitythatminimizes thetotal spacecraft mass,foragiven propellant flowrateandspecificmass.Atagivenpower level,thereexistsanoptimumexhaustvelocitythatminimizestriptimeaswell.Thetotaltriptimedecreasesstrongly with increasing efficiency, indicating the importance of research into increasing thruster efficiency.
Test of equal gamma-distribution means with unknown and unequal shape parameters

An approximate F test is provided for testing the equality of means for two gamma distributions when the shape parameters may be unknown and unequal. The corresponding confidence intervals associated with this test provide confidence intervals for the ratio of means when the shape parameters are unknown and unequal. The approximation is studied by Monte Carlo simulation, and asymptotic results are also derived. An approximate F test for equal shape parameters is also studied.
Agreement between weekly vs. daily assessment of appetite.

Hunger, satiation, and other aspects of appetite are frequently measured using end-anchored line ratings. This study investigated whether a single assessment of appetite, which covered the prior week, would yield the same results obtained by assessing appetite 3 days during the week. Participants were 51 women and 9 men (age mean 44.1, SD 9.8 years; BMI mean 38.0, SD 5.2 kg/m2) in a study evaluating the effectiveness of four weight control programs, three of which used sibutramine (15 mg/d). On three separate days of one week, participants rated appetite for that day. During a subsequent clinic visit, participants completed the same ratings in reference to the past week. The three daily values were averaged. All correlations between weekly and averaged daily values were strongly positive (r=0.63–0.80) and statistically significant (all p<0.001). All mean daily and weekly ratings fell within 3.3–7.2 mm of each other. Thus, good agreement was observed between the average daily assessments and one weekly assessment. The weekly assessment of appetite in the clinic appears to have several benefits, including uniformity of test administration and decreased burden on participants.
Relationship between biomechanical changes at adjacent segments and number of fused bone grafts in multilevel cervical fusions: a finite element investigation.

Object Biomechanical studies have shown that anterior cervical fusion construct stiffness and arthrodesis rates vary with different reconstruction techniques; however, the behavior of the adjacent segments in the setting of different procedures is poorly understood. This study was designed to investigate the adjacent-segment biomechanics after 3 different anterior cervical decompression and fusion techniques, including 3-level discectomy and fusion, 2-level corpectomy and fusion, and a corpectomy-discectomy hybrid technique. The authors hypothesized that biomechanical changes at the segments immediately superior and inferior to the multilevel fusion would be inversely proportional to the number of fused bone grafts and that these changes would be related to the type of fusion technique. Methods A previously validated 3D finite element model of an intact C3–T1 segment was used. Three C4–7 fusion models were built from this intact model by varying the number of bone grafts used to span the decompression: a ...
Ethics in anthropology: dilemmas and conundrums.

Abstract: This paper is a call for awareness and continual examination of the multifaceted nature of ethics and closely related ideas as they relate to anthropology. At the very least, the lack of common understanding of these ideas has been and continues to be a pressing prblem for all who practice anthropology. In this vein, abbreviated etymologies of these critical concepts are put forth as prologue to forays into ethics in the academy and of science as context for ethical maneuver. Shifting conditions in anthropology are then described in relation to altered ethical orders with examples of early hints of the contemporary scene being drawn from Oscar Lewis's commentary on the raucous reception in Mexico of his book The Children of Sanchez.
Sex differences in the Toll-like receptor–mediated response of plasmacytoid dendritic cells to HIV-1

Manifestations of viral infections can differ between women and men, and marked sex differences have been described in the course of HIV-1 disease. HIV-1-infected women tend to have lower viral loads early in HIV-1 infection but progress faster to AIDS for a given viral load than men. Here we show substantial sex differences in the response of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) to HIV-1. pDCs derived from women produce markedly more interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) in response to HIV-1-encoded Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) ligands than pDCs derived from men, resulting in stronger secondary activation of CD8(+) T cells. In line with these in vitro studies, treatment-naive women chronically infected with HIV-1 had considerably higher levels of CD8(+) T cell activation than men after adjusting for viral load. These data show that sex differences in TLR-mediated activation of pDCs may account for higher immune activation in women compared to men at a given HIV-1 viral load and provide a mechanism by which the same level of viral replication might result in faster HIV-1 disease progression in women compared to men. Modulation of the TLR7 pathway in pDCs may therefore represent a new approach to reduce HIV-1-associated pathology.
RAGE binds C1q and enhances C1q-mediated phagocytosis

RAGE, the multiligand receptor of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell surface molecules, is implicated in innate and adaptive immunity. Complement component C1q serves roles in complement activation and antibody-independent opsonization. Using soluble forms of RAGE (sRAGE) and RAGE-expressing cells, we determined that RAGE is a native C1q globular domain receptor. Direct C1q-sRAGE interaction was demonstrated with surface plasmon resonance (SPR), with minimum K(d) 5.6 μM, and stronger binding affinity seen in ELISA-like experiments involving multivalent binding. Pull-down experiments suggested formation of a receptor complex of RAGE and Mac-1 to further enhance affinity for C1q. C1q induced U937 cell adhesion and phagocytosis was inhibited by antibodies to RAGE or Mac-1. These data link C1q and RAGE to the recruitment of leukocytes and phagocytosis of C1q-coated material.
Type A monoamine oxidase catalyzes the intraneuronal deamination of dopamine within nigrostriatal, mesolimbic, tuberoinfundibular and tuberohypophyseal neurons in the rat.

Clorgyline (0.3–10mg/kg, i.p.) inhibited type A monoamine oxidase (5-hydroxytryptamine as substrate) but not type B monoamine oxidase (phenylethylamine as substrate) in homogenates of rat striatum and olfactory tubercle; deprenyl (0.3–3 mg/kg, i.p.) inhibited type B but not type A monoamine oxidase in these homogenates. The same doses of clorgyline increased concentrations of dopamine in striatum, and dopamine and norepinephrine in the olfactory tubercle, median eminence and posterior pituitary; they also reduced the concentrations of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and the rate of synthesis of dopamine (DOPA accumulation after a decarboxylase inhibitor) in the same brain regions. On the other hand, the administration of deprenyl at doses that markedly inhibited type B monoamine oxidase did not alter the concentrations of dopamine, norepinephrine and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid or the rate of accumulation of DOPA in these brain regions. In addition, only clorgyline significantly lowered serum concentrations of prolactin. These results suggest that type A monoamine oxidase catalyzes the intraneuronal deamination of dopamine within terminals of nigrostriatal, mesolimbic, tuberoinfundibular and tuberohypophyseal dopamine neurons.
Effects of amitriptyline, desipramine and zimeldine, alone and in combination with ethanol, on information processing and memory in healthy volunteers.

Interactions of three antidepressants--amitriptyline, desipramine and zimeldine--with a single 0.8 g/kg body weight dose of alcohol were studied in healthy male volunteers. The dependent variables were performance measurements in the Continuous Performance Task and a cognitive memory task. Alcohol and desipramine showed different and specific deleterious effects on cognitive and memory functions, whereas amitriptyline produced a more generalized impairment. Zimeldine slightly improved performance in the Continuous Performance Task and antagonized effects of alcohol in both tasks. Language: en
Voices of Culturally Diverse Faculty on Strategies for Facilitating Their Success in Academia

Despite the benefits of culturally diverse faculty (CDF) in nursing education, studies on strategies to help them succeed in academia are lacking. The purposes of this article were to identify factors important for CDF's academic success by first surveying faculty teaching strategies that may be useful for CDF as they work with students, and to explore some factors that may be useful for administrators/leaders to help CDF be successful in academia. Data from 20 participants who met the inclusion criteria were used for data analysis. CDF seem to incorporate cultural issues in their teaching. A summary of teaching strategies and factors that CDF want from administrators/leaders are listed in this study.
Effects of Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol, Smoking, and Illicit Drugs on Postpartum Somatic Growth

The association of fetal growth retardation with prenatal exposure to alcohol, smoking, opiates, and cocaine is well documented, but relatively little is known about the effects of these exposures on postpartum growth. This study assessed physical growth from birth through 6.5 and 13 months in 412 black, inner-city infants recruited on the basis of their mothers' use of alcohol and/or cocaine during pregnancy. Prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with a slower rate of growth during the first 6.5 postpartum months. This postnatal growth retardation was associated with maternal drinking during a critical period--the latter part of gestation--and was not related to drinking at the time of conception or to postnatal exposure to alcohol from breast-feeding. By contrast, smoking and cocaine use during pregnancy were associated with faster postnatal weight gain. Although maternal smoking was correlated with shorter stature at 6.5 and 13 months, this effect was attributable to maternal drinking during pregnancy, suggesting that the association of maternal smoking with shorter childhood stature reported elsewhere may be due to prenatal alcohol exposure, which was not controlled in prior studies.
The impact of transportation disruptions on supply chain performance

This paper investigates the effect of a transportation disruption on supply chain performance using system dynamics simulation, comparing a traditional supply chain and a vendor managed inventory system (VMI) when a transportation disruption occurs between 2 echelons in a 5-echelon supply chain. The greatest impact occurs when transportation is disrupted between the tier 1 supplier and warehouse. In the traditional structure the retailer, warehouse, and tier 1 supplier experience the greatest inventory fluctuations and the highest goods in transit to their facilities. These impacts are less severe for the VMI structure, although unfilled orders are approximately the same for each.
Optical properties and applications of dendrimer–metal nanocomposites

The use of novel nanostructured materials for optical applications continues to be an important issue for the creation of new devices. New materials including metal nanoparticles have played an important role for applications in photonics, biology, as well as medicine. This review primarily concerns the use of one particular metal nanoparticle topology, dendrimer–metal nanocomposites. The focus of this review is to describe the optical properties of dendrimer–metal nanocomposites as well as functionalized dendrimer–metal nanocomposites. The description of various synthetic methodologies to produce transition metal (Au, Ag, Pd, Pt, and Cu) dendrimer nanocomposites as well as lanthanide ion-cored dendrimers are presented in this review, with further details regarding the basic characterization of these systems. The experimental procedures of the optical measurements used to probe the steady-state and time-resolved dynamics in these novel nanoparticle architectures are provided. Analysis of optical propertie...
The influence of abciximab use on clinical outcome after aortocoronary vein graft interventions

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of abciximab use on clinical outcome in aortocoronary vein graft interventions. BACKGROUND Although large randomized trials have demonstrated a significant benefit of abciximab use in the setting of percutaneous coronary interventions, there is relatively little data with respect to the use of this agent in percutaneous vein graft interventions. METHODS Three hundred and forty-three patients were identified; 210 undergoing vein graft intervention without abciximab and 133 patients with abciximab. RESULTS There were differences in baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics between the two groups; advanced age, unstable angina, older vein grafts and thrombus containing lesions were relatively common in both groups. Angiographic and procedural success rates were similar with or without the use of abciximab (89% vs. 92%, p = 0.15, and 85% vs. 91%, p = 0.12, respectively). The in-hospital composite end point of death/Q-wave myocardial infarction (QWMI)/repeat revascularization was similar between the two groups. Utilizing statistical modeling to adjust for baseline differences between the groups, abciximab use did not influence the cumulative long-term composite end point of death/MI/repeat revascularization. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that in this relatively high-risk population undergoing aortocoronary vein graft interventions, the administration of abciximab periprocedurally does not appear to reduce major adverse clinical events.
Enhancing transplant safety: a new era in the microbiologic evaluation of organ donors?

CDR, US Public Health Service, Ofﬁce of Blood, Organ,and Other Tissue Safety (proposed), Division ofHealthcare Quality Promotion, National Center forPreparedness, Detection, and Control of InfectiousDiseases, Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases,Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),Atlanta, GA
The frequency and clinical significance of congenital defects of the posterior and anterior arch of the atlas

Object In this study the authors investigated the anatomical, clinical, and imaging features as well as incidence of congenital defects of the C-1 arch. Methods The records of 1104 patients who presented with various medical problems during the time between January 2006 and December 2006 were reviewed retrospectively. The craniocervical computed tomography (CT) scans obtained in these patients were evaluated to define the incidence of congenital defects of the posterior arch of C-1. In addition, 166 dried C-1 specimens and 84 fresh human cadaveric cervical spine segments were evaluated for anomalies of the C-1 arch. Results Altogether, 40 anomalies (2.95%) were found in 1354 evaluated cases. Of the 1104 patients in whom CT scans were acquired, 37 (3.35%) had congenital defects of the posterior arch of the atlas. The incidence of each anomaly was as follows: Type A, 29 (2.6%); Type B, six (0.54%); and Type E, two (0.18%). There were no Type C or D defects. One patient (0.09%) had an anterior arch cleft. No...
Stability of sucrose drinking curves in genetically heterogeneous mice

Fifteen genetically heterogeneous mice were given a simultaneous choice of five sugar concentrations: 0% (tap water), 15%, 30%, 45%, and 60% sucrose. Individual differences in sucrose drinking accounted for 60% of the total variability in the experiment, and sucrose patterns for individual Ss neither corresponded to each other nor to the mean curve. These massive differences in drinking patterns proved to be stable and reliable over time so that an “error” model, which depends solely upon random fluctuations around the mean curve, seems untenable.
QCD and rising cross sections.

We show that parton-parton scattering processes in QCD drive a rapid increase in the proton-proton scattering cross section at high energies, and use a diffraction-scattering formalism to obtain quantitative predictions for ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{tot}}$, ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{inel}}$, and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{el}}$ at Superconducting Super Collider and cosmic-ray energies. We also predict a very rapid increase in the number of minijet events with \ensuremath{\surd}s .
An experimental investigation of cross‐layer optimal packet size in space Internet

Studies of optimal packet size determination in space communication can be found in the literature. However, they are done in an analytical manner. In this paper, we present an experimental study of the cross-layer optimal packet size for a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) Internet Protocol (IP) enhancement, Space Communication Protocol Standards (SCPS), using a personal computer (PC)-based testbed. We study the optimal packet size at the medium access control (MAC) layer considering the cross-layer interactions at the physical layer. We investigate how the cross-layer MAC packet size needs to be adjusted for optimal throughput performance based on the feedback of the bit-error rate (BER), space-link delay and symmetric/asymmetric channel-rate configurations at the physical channel, and find the cross-layer optimal packet size for the maximum throughput over the space-Internet channels. We find that the default TCP/IP packet size of 1500 bytes for the terrestrial Internet should be chosen as the cross-layer MAC packet size for optimal throughput performance over space channels with round-trip time (RTT) around 250 ms and BER⩽10−6. As the channel BER at the physical layer increases, the optimal MAC packet size should be reduced to around 1000 bytes. We also find that it is more significant to have an optimal packet size for asymmetric channel than symmetric channel but the optimal packet size remains the same at a given BER for both channel ratios in our experiment. To our knowledge, this is the first paper to investigate the cross-layer optimal MAC packet size over space-Internet channel in the proposed approach. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.