cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Practical Syntheses of Enantiomerically Enriched γ-Lactones and γ-Hydroxy Ketones by the Alkylation of Pseudoephedrine Amides with Epoxides and Their Derivatives

Pseudoephedrine amide enolates are shown to undergo efficient alkylation reactions with epoxides as electrophiles. Reactions with monosubstituted epoxides are subject to stereochemical matching such that the pairing leading to the 1,3-syn diastereomer is a highly selective, synthetically useful process, while the pairing forming the 1,3-anti diastereomer is not. Reactions with the 1,1-disubstituted epoxide isobutylene oxide are also highly diastereoselective and synthetically useful, but ethylene oxide exhibits poor diastereoselectivity. As an alternative to the use of ethylene oxide, 2-(tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy)ethyl iodide is shown to undergo highly diastereoselective and efficient alkylation reactions with pseudoephedrine amide enolates. Interestingly, epoxides and alkyl halides are found to attack opposite π-faces of pseudoephedrine amide enolates. The products of each of these alkylation reactions are transformed efficiently into γ-lactones by acidic hydrolysis and into methyl ketones by the additi...
Mycobacterium avium-complex infections in normal and immunodeficient mice

Abstract Specific pathogen-free C57B1/6 × DBA/2 (B6D2) F1 hybrid mice were challenged aerogenically with M. avium, M. intracellulare and M. scrofulaceum and the resulting lung and spleen infections were followed over a period of several months. Growth of the mouse virulent M. avium 724 and M. intracellulare D673 was more extensive in the susceptible (Balb/c or C57B1/6) mice than it was in the resistant A/J and B6D2 strains. Oral challenge of normal C57B1/6 mice with virulent M. avium -complex serotypes resulted in substantial infection of the gut-associated lymphoid tissues, the lungs and spleen. No infection developed when the mice were infected orally with the avirulent MAC serotypes. T-cell depleted Balb/c (nude or Thxb) mice infected with virulent M. avium developed markedly enhanced lung and spleen infections compared to those seen in the immunocompetent controls. T-cell depletion did not potentiate the systemic growth of the avirulent MAC strains. The significance of these growth patterns (especially in the T-cell depleted mouse) is discussed in relation to the development of life-threatening M. avium -complex infections in patients with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
Bio-impedance measurement of body fluid as a function of the menstrual cycle

This study aims to answer some of the underlying questions in the diagnosis and management of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). A multi-frequency electrical impedance method is employed in measuring fluid levels in the body as a function of the phases of the menstrual cycle. The relationship between these measurements to the reported symptoms is investigated. The results suggest that the ratio of extrato intra-cellular fluid volumes correlates well with the physical symptoms of PMS.
The effect of calcium ions and freezing on the in vitro synthesis of pregnenolone by rat adrenal preparations

Abstract In the presence of a TPNH-generating system the synthesis of pregnenolone from endogenous precursors by the large particles (pellet 2) of rat adrenals is stimulated by Ca 2+ . Ba 2+ and Sr 2+ at higher concentrations can replace Ca 2+ . The stimulation does not appear to be due to the activation of a proenzyme. At the pH optimum of 6.2, freezing pellet 2 decreases pregnenolone synthesis. However, at pH 7.5 the previously frozen pellet 2 is more active than the normal one. These results are discussed with respect to the Ca 2+ and freezing stimulation of corticoid synthesis in adrenal whole homogenates. In the presence of TPNH and at pH 6.2, Ca 2+ stimulates the formation of pregnenolone from cholesterol but not from 20α-hydroxycholesterol, but at pH 7.5 the latter reaction is stimulated. Also, in whole homogenates at pH 7.5, Ca 2+ stimulates the transformation of 20α-hydroxycholesterol to corticoids. Evidence is presented that the stimulation by freezing of both pregnenolone and corticoid synthesis at pH 7.5 appears to be due to the stimulation of the conversion of cholesterol to 20α-hydroxycholesterol. Several observations also indicate that this step is rate limiting in the transformation of cholesterol to corticoids in adrenal homogenates.
The effect of decompressive hemicraniectomy on brain temperature after severe brain injury.

Background Animal studies have shown that even a small temperature elevation of 1°C can cause detrimental effects after brain injury. Since the skull acts as a potential thermal insulator, we hypothesized that decompressive hemicraniectomy facilitates surface cooling and lowers brain temperature.
HEALTH MAINTENANCE IN OLDER ADULTS

: Since the period of great progress against epidemic and acute diseases, a host of major chronic diseases afflicting older adults have emerged as the key health problems of our time. Concomitantly there arises the need for deeper knowledge of the causes, dimensions and subtleties of age decline in the individual's reserve capacities and resistance to disease, and the need for better understanding of the relationship of chronic diseases to environmental factors as an integral part of our search for basic measures toward health maintenance and disease prevention in older adults. The age decline in reserve capacities and in resistance to disease can either be slowed down by preventive measures and even reversed to some extent by physical exercise, or it can be further aggravated by excessive demands beyond their declining limits. The relationship of chronic diseases to environmental factors is illustrated by the effects of nutrition on the life span, on atherosclerosis and on other diseases. The relationship of obesity, diabetes and coronary heart disease to one another, to the increased ingestion of fat or sugar, to gorging, and to long-spaced, heavy meal-eating habits is discussed. In view of the sum total of environmental influences, a lifetime application of basic measures for health maintenance and disease prevention is stressed. Unfortunately, much too often a compromise with health is becoming an accepted pattern, possibly because of an increasing willingness to consider health not as a pure and incontestable human good, but as a generally desirable element, in active competition with other human needs such as economic gain or just plain pleasurable living.
Socially Shared Cognition, Affect, and Behavior: A Review and Integration

In this article, we review 4 classes of models of socially shared cognition and behavior: supraindividual models, information-processing models, communication models, and social interaction models. Our review draws on research and theory in social psychology, sociology, and organization behavior. We conclude that these innovative perspectives on socially shared behavior represent a new approach to the study of groups and are distinct from traditional models of the group mind and crowd behavior. The key processes implicated in these models focus on the potency of immediate interaction, reciprocal influence processes between individuals and groups, goal-directed behavior, negotiated processing of information and ideas, and the maintenance and enhancement of social identity. This approach to socially shared understanding is not antagonistic toward the analysis of individual-level processes but rather maintains that individual-level processes are necessary but not sufficient to build a social psychology of sh...
Intracranial Aneurysms in Patients With Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease: How to Diagnose and Who to Screen

HEN A PATIENT with autosomal dom­ inant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) presents with an acute neurologic event heralded by a sudden loss of consciousness or focal neu­ rological signs such as a dense hemiparesis, the red flag of ruptured intracranial aneurysm (ICA) is usually waved. However, in ADPKD other di­ agnostic possibilities, including infarction and embolic phenomena, must be considered. Hy­ pertension is common, occurring in 75% of ADPKD patients, I and, as in the general popu­ lation, one would expect a possible association between hypertension and cerebral vascular events. 2 In addition, mitral valve prolapse occurs in 26 % of ADPKD patients 3 and can be asso­ ciated with ventricular dysrhythmia leading to cerebral emboli. The importance of considering all possibilities in the differential diagnosis of acute neurologic events in ADPKD is under­ scored by a number of studies. Zeier et al 4 performed a retrospective au­ topsy study of 86 ADPKD patients. Twenty percent of patients died of cerebral complica­ tions, of which 70% were due to hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage, 17.5 % were due to cerebral infarction, and 11.5 % were due to rup­ tured saccular aneurysm. Similarly, Ryu 5 pre­ sented an autopsy review of 900 consecutive cases of hemorrhagic stroke from Taiwan. Eleven of 900 patients were identified with ADPKD. Seventy-five percent of ADPKD paFrom the Departmelll of Medicine. Unirersit)" o/Colorado Hl!alth Sciences Cemer. Dem-er. CO. R eceived February]]. 1993: accepted in revised/orm March 16. 1993.
Pharmacotherapy in fibromyalgia (FM) — Implications for the underlying pathophysiology

Although chronic pain states are highly prevalent, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms involved in causing pain are incompletely understood. This is especially true for the so-called chronic functional pain syndromes and pain syndromes of unknown origin, such as fibromyalgia (FM), in which no structural correlates of pain experience, in terms of a nociceptive source, can clearly be defined. In addition to limited therapeutic options and often unsatisfactory treatment, such patients often struggle with socio-medical acceptance of their pain condition. As FM has become more widely recognized, options available for treatment have grown along with our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying chronic pain experience and concomitant symptoms. The current review aims to provide an overview of existing pharmacotherapies for FM, and their implication for the underlying pathophysiology. Further we discuss some of the potential targets that have been recently identified that may hold promise for the development of novel treatments.
Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers versus glasgow coma scale and glasgow outcome scale in pediatric traumatic brain injury: the role of young age and inflicted injury.

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) are widely used clinical scoring systems to measure the severity of neurologic injury after traumatic brain injury (TBI), but have recognized limitations in infants and small children. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100B show promise as markers of brain injury. We hypothesized that the initial GCS and 6-month GOS scores would be inversely associated with CSF NSE and/or S100B concentrations after severe pediatric TBI. Using banked CSF obtained during ongoing studies of pediatric TBI, NSE and S100B were determined in CSF collected within 24 h of trauma from 88 infants and children with severe TBI (GCS 10-fold) increases in both NSE and S100B versus control. Both markers showed overall significant, inverse correlation with GCS and GOS scores. In subgroup analysis, both markers correlated significantly with GCS and GOS scores only in older (>4 years) victims of nTBI; no correlation was found for patients < or =4 years old or victims of iTBI. While confirming the overall correlations between GCS/GOS score and CSF NSE and S100B seen in prior studies, we conclude that these clinical and CSF biomarkers of brain injury do not correlate in children < or =4 years of age and/or victims of iTBI. Although further, prospective study is warranted, these findings suggest important limitations in our current ability to assess injury severity in this important population.
Biotransformation of PCBs in Contaminated Sludge: Potential for Novel Biological Technologies

In this study, the biological transformation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was investigated in sludge from the Ralston Street Lagoon (RSL), a United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) designated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) site, in Gary, IN. A biological tilled soil reactor (BTSR) operating under cycling anaerobic-aerobic conditions and vermicomposting bioreactors (VBs) inoculated with Eisenia foetida earthworms were both systematically investigated. Sludge heavily contaminated with PCBs (> 500 ppm PCB as Aroclor 1248) was loaded into the BTSRs and amended sequentially with PCB-dechlorinating anaerobic sediments and then aerobic PCB biodegrading microbes. The VBs were loaded with sludge mixed in varying ratios with sterile soil and then inoculated with earthworms. Bioreactors were monitored for the duration of the studies (ranging from four to nine months) and samples were regularly removed, extracted and analyzed for PCB congener content. Appropriate biotic and negative abiotic controls were maintained under the various conditions to quantify and measure the biological transformation of the PCB's. All samples were analyzed for PCB congener concentrations by Soxhlet extraction followed by gas chromatography with electron capture detection (ECD). In the BTSRs loaded initially with 500 ppm of PCBs, a 75 % reduction of total PCB was obtained while the BTSR loaded with 140 ppm PCBs revealed only a 25 % reduction in total PCB level. Sample analyses from the VBs demonstrated total PCB reductions ranging from 55 to 66 %, although worm-free control reactors showed PCB attenuations from 48 to 68 %. Analysis of earthworms showed an increase in PCB levels in the earthworm biomass, with concentrations reaching as high as 313 ppm. Mass balance analysis of the VB results demonstrated that most of the PCBs were bioaccumulated, although some PCB elimination was demonstrated. The results from both the anaerobic-aerobic cycling BTSR and VB investigations demonstrate potential for application for site clean-up and possible bioremediation of the Ralston Street Lagoon sludge.
DGKE and atypical HUS

A new study reports that recessive loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding diacylglycerol kinase e result in atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Notably, mutations in DGKE are not associated with activation of the complement pathway, the only other identified cause of this disorder so far, and have important implications for patient management.
Occult Carcinomas of the Lung

In 1974, we reported 26 patients with roentgenographically occult lung carcinomas. In 13 (50%) of them, the tumor was localized and treated by resection while the disease was still early (Stage I). These patients have done well, and the median survival has reached 8 years. We have added 21 patients to the series since our last report. Localization was by fiberoptic bronchoscopy in all 21. Fourteen of these patients had Stage I disease and were treated by resection. Of a total of 27 patients with early disease treated by resection, none has had recurrence after follow-up extending from 2 months to 20 years. However, in 21 of the entire 47 patients (45%) a second carcinoma developed, 15 (71%) of which were second lung carcinomas.
The effects of behavioral parent training on families with young hyperactive children

We sought to assess, through two case-studies, the strengths and limitations of a time-limited, family-based behavioral intervention for preschool-aged children with attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The families completed a ten week child management training program and attended a number of follow-up sessions. Changes in parent and child functioning were assessed with a variety of rating scales, interviews, and data collected by parents at home on targeted behavior problems. Improvements were found in parents' confidence in their child management ability and knowledge of behavioral principles, in certain child behavior problems, in parental ratings of hyperactivity, and in the parent-child relationship. Implications of the findings for the treatment of young children with hyperactivity are discussed.
Potential for pesticide and nutrient savings via map-based automatic boom section control of spray nozzles

Reducing off-target chemical application errors can improve profitability and reduce pesticide and nutrient losses to the environment from agricultural operations. Off-target errors include: skipped-application, multiple-application, and unintentional-application to environmentally sensitive areas. Current spray application technologies limit the ability of producers to control pesticide application to a resolution of approximately 5-10m or greater with large self-propelled sprayers. The objective of this case study was to present a summary of results from three fields that highlight the potential benefits of automatic boom section control technology. Map-based automatic section control was achieved through the addition of a ZYNX X15 control console with a 30 channel spray electronic control unit to a self-propelled sprayer with a 24.76m boom in Shelby County, Kentucky. For each field, the sprayed area calculated with map-based automatic boom section control was compared to the total area covered by the spray boom. A reduction of 15.2-17.5% in the area applied to each field was achieved with map-based automatic boom section control versus no boom section control. As expected, savings were reduced with lower control resolution; however these arrangements still resulted in a reduction in applied areas where three sections (~8% reduction) and five sections (~11% reduction) were compared to no boom section control. Statistical analysis revealed significant reductions in control section ''on'' time from the center to exterior boom control section positions. These results indicate that map-based automatic boom section control can provide savings for producers adopting this technology.
Cinema in Central Asia: rewriting cultural histories

This is a collection of critical essays on the development of ‘national’ cinema in the five Central Asian independent states, former republics of the Soviet Union. Each author, her- or himself an e...
Commentary: What conclusions can we draw from recent analyses of anesthesia provider model and patient outcomes?

In the April 2009 issue of Health Services Research, Needleman and Minnick (2009) explore the relationship between anesthesia provider credentials and maternal outcomes. They pose questions with potentially significant implications for the delivery of obstetric care in the United States, where hospitals vary in the models they employ for the provision of anesthetic care for labor and delivery. This study builds upon the authors' prior work, which describes five distinct anesthesia provider models based on reports from 613 hospitals in eight states (Minnick and Needleman 2008). In the present study, they compare rates of mortality and key complications among mothers following delivery at facilities distinguished by the relative participation of anesthesiologists and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) in obstetric anesthesia care at each hospital. Needleman and Minnick use multivariable regression models in an effort to adjust for a number of observed confounders, including patient comorbidities and hospital characteristics, and conduct propensity score-matched analyses in an effort to control for patient selection according to hospital type. Despite the authors' efforts to limit the effect of important biases in this work, our review of the paper leaves us with concerns surrounding the authors' conclusions. Having found no systematic differences in the rates of patient complications in hospitals employing different anesthesia provider models, Needleman and Minnick (2009) conclude that “these findings do suggest, that at least in the area of obstetrical anesthesia services, there may be no gain in anesthesia safety from restricting which licensed providers can provide these services.” The authors cite work by an author of the present commentary that emphasizes the need for caution in making clinical or health policy recommendations based on retrospective analyses of cross-sectional data (Fleisher and Anderson 2002). In the present commentary, we discuss sources of bias that may remain in Needleman and Minnick's work due to the influence of unmeasured but potentially important clinical confounders. We ultimately find that the authors' results support multiple conflicting interpretations with drastically different implications for health policy, and put forward a similar caution in using their analyses to generate specific health policy recommendations.
Controlled colloidal synthesis of iron pyrite FeS2 nanorods and quasi-cubic nanocrystal agglomerates

Earth-abundant and nontoxic pyrite iron disulfide (FeS2) is very promising for photovoltaic applications but the phase purity and the morphology of iron pyrite nanocrystals (NCs) have a significant impact on the solar cell performance. In this work, we systematically investigated reaction conditions and the local chemical environment on the phase purity and morphology of iron pyrite NCs synthesized via the hot injection method. By using different solvents to dissolve iron and sulfur agents, varying reactant concentrations, and adding trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) or 1,2-hexadecanediol (Diol) into the reaction solution, iron pyrite short, branched and chromosome-like rods were obtained with a diameter of ∼10 nm and a length of ∼20–30 nm as well as quasi-cubic NC agglomerates with a size of ∼200 nm. Our experimental results show that the molar ratio of sulfur to iron and the reaction temperature are two critical factors in determining the crystalline phase of the synthesized materials. A mechanism involving the generation of H2S is proposed to explain the phase purity observed. The as-synthesized iron pyrite NCs can be dispersed well in chloroform, chlorobenzene, toluene, and hexane and thus are promising in solution-processable photovoltaic applications.
Government Wartime Propaganda Posters: Communicators of Public Policy

This article examines government propaganda posters of World War II as vehicles of communication from the perspectives of social psychology, us versus them propaganda techniques, and twentieth century theories of semiotics. This article also discusses the symbols used in these posters from the perspective of art as a social utility and Robert Cialdini's tendencies of human behavior. The article concludes with an examination of propaganda posters in light of narratology and the critical theories of semiotics, in particular, the writings and theories of Roland Barthes.
James Theobald, F. R. S. (1688-1759), merchant and natural historian

Although James Theobald’s background is somewhat complex, documentary sources help to place it in perspective. He was baptised on 21 June 1688 at St Mary’s Church, Lambeth, and later served an apprenticeship to his father Peter as a Barber- Surgeon from 1704 until 1712. However, the family’s real business was that of major timber merchants, importing supplies from Norway for Peter Theobald’s timber yard at Narrow Wall in Lambeth. A Chancery Proceedings case shows that both James and his younger brother Peter (born in 1694) were actively engaged in the timber trade by 1721, or even earlier. James Theobald was living at Belvedere House, near the present Royal Festival Hall site, when he wrote in 1724 to Sir Hans Sloane, requesting medical advice for a sick workman. They were evidently on friendly terms, as an entry in Sloane’s catalogue of ‘Fishes’ records: ‘Two carps from Norway given me by Mr. Theobald who hath some of them alive at his house at Belvedere near Lambeth’. It was on Sloane’s recommendation that Theobald was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society on 4 November 1725. A year later, on 23 November, he became a member of the Society of Antiquaries, having been proposed by Johann Caspar Scheuchzer, Sloane’s amanuensis and the translator of Kaempfer’s classic, the History of Japan , to which both James and his brother Peter subscribed in 1727. In the same year he and his brother were made freemen of the Barber-Surgeons Company, and James was appointed Secretary, or Co-adjutor, of the Society of Antiquaries, a post which he held from 1728 until about 1735.
Functional organization of mustached bat inferior colliculus: II. Connections of the FM2 region.

Echolocating bats estimate target distance by analyzing the time delay between frequency-modulated portions of their emitted ultrasonic vocalizations and the resultant echoes. In the companion paper we investigated, in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus, the representation of the predominant second-harmonic frequency-modulated component (FM2) of the mustached bat biosonar signal (O'Neill et al.: J. Comp. Neurol. 283:000–000, '89). In the present paper we report the connections of this part of the colliculus, as determined by focal, iontophoretic injections of HRP following single-unit mapping of the FM2 representation. It was found that the major inputs to the FM2 region of the inferior colliculus come from the contralateral cochlear nucleus; ipsilaterally from the medial superior olive, periolivary nuclei, and ventral and intermediate nuclei of the lateral lemniscus; and bilaterally from the lateral superior olive and dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus. This study identifies for the first time those specific regions of brainstem nuclei providing input to the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus that process FM2 information in the mustached bat. The primary outputs of the FM2 region project to the medial and dorsal divisions of the medial geniculate body. In sharp contrast to other mammals, we found little evidence of connections to the ventral division of the medial geniculate. Other regions receiving significant inputs from the FM2 area include the deep superior colliculus ipsilaterally and the ipsilateral lateral pontine nuclei. Some fibers also terminated near the midline in the dorsal midbrain periaqueductal gray. Sparse intrinsic connections were also seen to the ipsilateral dorsoposterior division of the central nucleus and to the contralateral inferior colliculus at a location homologous to the injection site in the anterolateral division. The finding that FM2 projections to the medial geniculate heavily favor the medial and dorsal divisions is consistent with the location of “FM-FM” delay-dependent facilitation neurons found by Olsen (Processing of Biosonar Information by the Medial Geniculate Body of the Mustached Bat, Pteronotus parnellii. Dissertation, Washington Univ., St. Louis, '86) in these divisions, and with thalamocortical projection patterns in this species. These findings demonstrate that for the FM portions of the biosonar signal, a transformation from a tonotopic form of processing to a more specialized, convergent pattern of organization occurs at the level of the inferior colliculus outputs.
Electrochemical oxidation of arsenious acid at a platinum electrode

Abstract At a clean Pt electrode, the As(III) oxidation wave in a cyclic voltammogram exhibited a large overpotential with respect to the thermodynamic reversible potential, and the cathodic wave of the reverse process was not present before onset of hydrogen evolution. The potential for the oxidation was found to be dependent on the electrode pretreatment, and deactivation was evident as the oxidation proceeded beyond the peak potential of the anodic As(III) voltammogram. The electrode could be reactivated by stepping to potentials less positive than the potential region at which platinum oxide was reduced. Although the cyclic voltammogram did not exhibit a reverse cathodic wave for As(V) reduction, the shape and peak height of the anodic voltammogram for an “active” electrode appeared if as a reversible two electron electrode reaction occurred. A mechanism based on the idea that lower valent forms of platinum oxide catalyze As(III) oxidation was postulated from evaluation of the potential and time dependences for actvation. The relationship between platinum oxides and arsenic ad-atoms to the As(III) oxidation is discussed. The conclusions drawn from the electrochemical results were supported by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis of the Pt surface prior to and after various pretreatments, with and without arsenic present.
The role of emotions in adaptations for exploitation

Emotion expression serves functions in exploitative resource-acquisition strategies that may not include relationship reciprocity. These include rendering victims more exploitable and signaling one's status as non-exploitable. A comprehensive theory of emotion expressions must explain their role in adaptations for exploitation, as well as evolved defenses against those pursuing a strategy of exploitation.
Interleukin-6 protects retinal ganglion cells from pressure-induced death.

Purpose The response of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) to ocular pressure in glaucoma likely involves signals from astrocytes and microglia. How glia-derived factors influence RGC survival at ambient and elevated pressure and whether the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a contributing factor were investigated. Methods Primary cultures of retinal astrocytes, microglia, and RGCs were prepared using immunomagnetic separation. Comparisons were made of RGC survival at ambient and elevated pressure (+70 mm Hg) and with pressure-conditioned medium from glia with, and depleted of, IL-6. Results Pressure elevated for 24 to 48 hours reduced RGC density, increased TUNEL labeling, and upregulated several apoptotic genes, including the early immediate genes c-jun and jun-B. Pressure-conditioned medium from astrocytes reduced RGC survival another 38%, while microglia medium returned RGC survival to ambient levels. These effects were unrelated to IL-6 in microglia medium. Neither astrocyte- nor microglia-conditioned medium affected ambient RGC survival unless depleted of IL-6, which induced a 63% and a 18% decrease in RGCs, respectively. Recombinant IL-6 equivalent to levels in glia-conditioned medium doubled RGC survival at elevated pressure. Conclusions For RGCs at ambient pressure, IL-6 secreted from astrocytes and microglia under pressure is adequate to abate other proapoptotic signals from these glia. For RGCs challenged by elevated pressure, decreased IL-6 in astrocyte medium is insufficient to counteract these signals. Increased IL-6 in microglia medium counters not only proapoptotic signals from these cells but also the pressure-induced apoptotic cascade intrinsic to RGCs.
Gender differences in rural adolescent drinking patterns.

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine differences in rural adolescent male and female drinking patterns, problem drinking behavior, and the factors associated with problem drinking behavior. Methods: An anonymous written survey was administered to 2,297 adolescents, aged 12 to 18 years, in a rural Mississippi River Delta county. Potential risk factors for problem drinking behavior examined included demographic, behavioral, peer, and parental characteristics. Drinking patterns were examined separately for male and female adolescent drinkers. Results: Individual factors associated with problem drinking behavior for these rural adolescents were consistent with previous research. However, these factors were gender specific in prevalence. Males were more likely than females to report all of the behavioral and peer risk factors associated with problem drinking, except depressive symptoms, which were more frequently reported by females than males. The interactions of gender with race and gender with peer approval of drinking were significantly associated with problem drinking. The ratio of male to female problem drinkers among African-American adolescents was twice as high as the ratio among Caucasian adolescents. Females were much more strongly influenced by peer disapproval of drinking than were males. Conclusions: Prevention and intervention programs may be more effective for rural females if they target depression and focus on support systems, whereas intensive programs for adolescents with multiple high risk behaviors may be more effective for rural males.
Fibronectin Stimulates Endothelin-1 Synthesis in Rat Hepatic Myofibroblasts via a Src/ERK-Regulated Signaling Pathway

Background & Aims Liver injury serves as an excellent model of wound healing, characterized by increased synthesis of various cytokines and peptides, including the vasoactive peptide endothelin-1. In the liver, wound healing is mediated by effector cells such as hepatic stellate cells, which cause tissue contraction. Endothelin-1 has autocrine effects on stellate cells and induces their contractile activities. We explored the role of various extracellular matrix components, particularly of fibronectin, in regulating endothelin-1 production during liver injury. Methods Hepatic stellate cells were isolated from normal and injured rats. Real-time polymerase chain reaction immunoblot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analyses were used to measure specific variables, including endothelin-1 production. Preproendothelin-1 promoter activity was determined by a luciferase assay. Stellate cell contraction was measured by a gel contraction assay. Results Fibronectin stimulated transcription of preproendothelin-1 messenger RNA and expression of endothelin through an integrin-dependent pathway in activated hepatic stellate cells. In these cells, fibronectin induced phosphorylation/activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) through a Shc- and Src-dependent mechanism; ERK activation was required for fibronectin-induced endothelin-1 expression. Fibronectin stimulation by stellate cells induced expression of smooth muscle α-actin and endothelin-1-mediated autocrine stellate cell contraction. Stellate cells isolated from injured livers of rats exhibited increased basal phosphorylation levels of Src, Shc, and ERK, as well as increased endothelin-1 synthesis. Conclusions Fibronectin stimulates activated stellate cells to produce endothelin-1 and contract, via an ERK-dependent signaling pathway. The resulting autocrine functional effects of endothelin-1 are likely to be important in the wound-healing process in injured liver.
Plasminogen activator activity in preovulatory follicles during the ovulatory cycle of the chicken

The stages of follicular maturation of a preovulatory follicle in the chicken can be divided into an extended proliferative phase (prior to the LH surge) and a brief ovulatory phase (after the LH surge). There is evidence to suggest that plasminogen activator (PA) may play a role in follicular maturation and ovulation in the chicken. The objective of this study was to determine whether PA activity changes in the stigma (site of follicular rupture) and nonstigma regions of the theca layer, granulosa layer, and germinal disc region (germinal disc and adjacent granulosa cells; GDR) during the transition from the proliferative phase to the ovulatory phase and immediately before ovulation. The largest preovulatory follicle (F1) and the second-largest follicle (F2), which would have ovulated first and 26 h later, respectively, were collected at 8 h and 2 h before ovulation (before and after the LH surge, respectively), and at 0.5 h (immediately before ovulation). PA activity in the stigma region of the theca layer in the F1 and F2 follicles was very low at 8 h before ovulation (before the LH surge) and increased dramatically (9-fold) at 2 h before ovulation (after the LH surge). PA activity in the stigma region of the F1 follicles remained high as the follicles prepared to ovulate (0.5 h before ovulation), whereas in the stigma region of the less mature F2 follicles it decreased to a level similar to that measured 8 h before ovulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mutual exclusion of strains of tobacco mosaic virus.

Abstract Leaves of Nicotiana sylvestris were inoculated with mixtures of a localized necrotic and a systemic mottling strain of tobacco mosaic virus. Lesion production by the necrotic strain is inhibited by the presence of the systemic strain in the inoculum. The data obtained from a quantitative study of this phenomenon are consistent with the notion that only a single virus particle initiates and participates in a primary infection.
Biocidal Copolymers of N-Haloacryloxymnethylhydantoin

A series of new biocidal copolymers containing N-chloro-and N-bromo-acrYloxymethylhydantoin moieties have been prepared in granular form, as surface coatings and as grafts to fibers. The copolymers have been tested for bactericidal effects against Staphylococcus aureus and have been evaluated for stability in terms of retention of their biocidal halogen contents. They have been demonstrated to have potential application for polymeric materials for which a biocidal functionality might be benefical.
Some empirical and analytic relations among demographic fertility measures, with regression models for fertility estimation

Este informe trata de aclarar las relaciones existentes entre medidas diferences de fecundidad, y presenta una serie de metodos para estimar juegos de medidas directas de fecundidad con base en medidas indirectas. Las relaciones empiricas entre medidas directas e indirectas de fecundidad se estuclian mediante el uso de datos de 50 naciones para las cuales habia datos confiables correspondientes al periodo de 1955–60. Esta misma informacion se utiliza para derivar lineas de regresion para la estimacion de medidas directas de fecundidad con base solo en datos censales.
The Mini-Wright Peak Flow Meter: A Monitoring Device for the Self-management of Asthma

Peak flow meters are portable devices used for measuring peak expiratory flow and monitoring asthma symptoms. The Mini-Wright Peak Flow Meter, first developed in the 1950s, is widely accepted because of its accuracy, affordability, and portability.
Body posture identification using hidden Markov model with a wearable sensor network

This paper presents a networked proximity sensing and Hidden Markov Model (HMM) based mechanism that can be applied for stochastic identification of body postures using a wearable sensor network. The idea is to collect relative proximity information between wireless sensors that are strategically placed over a subject's body to monitor the relative movements of the body segments, and then to process that using HMM in order to identify the subject's body postures. The key novelty of this approach is a departure from the traditional accelerometry based approaches in which the individual body segment movements, rather than their relative proximity, is used for activity monitoring and posture detection. Through experiments with body mounted sensors we demonstrate that while the accelerometry based approaches can be used for differentiating activity intensive postures such as walking and running, they are not very effective for identification and differentiation between low activity postures such as sitting and standing. We develop a wearable sensor network that monitors relative proximity using Radio Signal Strength indication (RSSI), and then construct a HMM system for posture identification in the presence of sensing errors. Controlled experiments using human subjects were carried out for evaluating the accuracy of the HMM identified postures compared to a naive threshold based mechanism, and its variations over different human subjects.
Late quaternary environmental changes in the upper Las Vegas valley, Nevada

Five stratigraphic units and five soils of late Pleistocene to Holocene age crop out in dissected badlands on Corn Creek Flat, 30 km northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, and at Tule Springs, nearer to Las Vegas. The record is dominantly fluvial but contains evidence of several moister, marsh-forming periods: the oldest (Unit B) dates perhaps to the middle Wisconsin, and the more widespread Unit D falls between 30,000 and 15,000 yr B.P. Unit D therefore correlates with pluvial maximum lacustrine deposits elsewhere in the Great Basin. Standing water was not of sufficient depth or extent during either period to form lake strandlines. Between 14,000 and 7200 yr B.P. (Unit E), standing surface water gradually decreased, a trend also apparent in Great Basin pluvial lake chronologies during the same period. Groundwater carbonate cementation and burrowing by cicadas (Cicadae) accompany the moist-phase units. After 7200 yr B.P., increased wind action, decreased biotic activity, and at least 25 m of water-table lowering accompanied widespread erosion of older fine-grained deposits. Based on pack-rat midden and pollen evidence, this coincides with major vegetation changes in the valley, from sagebrush-dominated steppe to lower Mohave desertscrub.
Family Therapy as a Defense

Abstract A series of families with similar patterns in treatment were studied. These families presented requesting family therapy, with an identified patient whose symptoms spoke of attempts at independence. Four distinct phases of therapy were noted, culminating in the termination of the family therapy, by family consensus, and the continuation of treatment for the parents. In each case family therapy was selected by the parents as a defense against examining their own relationship. The notion of a family focus as a resistance to change is discussed.
Synthesis and Self-assembly Properties of Acylated Cyclodextrins and Nitrilotriacetic Acid (NTA)-modified Inclusion Ligands for Interfacial Protein Crystallization

Three different β-cyclodextrins, peracylated on the primary hydroxymethyl rim of the cyclodextrin (6-C n )7β-CD, and nine different nitrilotriacetic acid-modified inclusion ligands (R-NTA) have been prepared and their self-assembly properties characterized. These modular amphiphiles have been developed to promote two-dimensional crystallization of proteins at the lipid-water interface. Pressure-area isotherm data suggest that the occupancy of the host sites within the (6-C n )7β-CD monolayers vary as a function of the known host-guest binding constant for the unmodified β-CD host and R guest substituents. Negative-stain TEM experiments show that vesicles are formed upon mild sonication of (6-C10)7β-CD and (6-C16)7β-CD in 10 mM Tris, pH 7.4 buffer. These results indicate that (6-C n )7β-CD forms stable lyotropic phases that may be useful for templating the interfacial crystallization of histidine-tagged proteins or other molecules capable of interacting with the R-NTA guest ligands.
Inviscid Shear Flow Analysis of Corner Eddies Ahead of a Channel Flow Contraction

The steady rotational flow of an inviscid fluid in a two-dimensional channel toward a sink or a contraction is treated. The velocity distribution at upstream infinity is approximated by a linear combination of uniform flow, linear shear flow, and a cosine curve. The combinations were adjusted to simulate flows ranging from laminar to turbulent. Vorticity is assumed conserved on streamlines. The resulting linear equations of motion are solved exactly. The solution show the dependence of the corner eddy separation and reattachment on flow geometry and approach flow vorticity and velocity distribution typified by a shape factor.
Tubular transport capacity in human kidney cortex slices after prolonged preservation in collins 2 solution

Abstract In vitro proximal tubular transport of para-aminohippurate (PAH) and N-methylnicotinamide (NMN) was determined in 4 human kidneys which had been preserved in cold Collins 2 solution for a mean of 37.8 hours but could not be utilized for transplantation. All 4 kidneys actively transported PAH and three fourths transported NMN. These results show that the proximal tubules of Collins 2-preserved kidneys retain substantial ability for active transport of organic compounds.
3D artificial impedance surfaces

Artificial impedance surfaces (AISs) fabricated with an array of metallic patches are used for holographic leaky-wave antennas, artificial magnetic conductors, high-impedance surfaces, frequency selective surfaces, etc. AISs are typically fabricated as 2D planar structures, but for some applications, it is desirable to have an AIS on a 3D surface. We present here a method for mapping AIS patterns onto arbitrary 3D surfaces with minimal distortion. This method can be used with direct-write printing. We also outline a method for using standard 2D printed circuit board techniques for realizing 3D AISs.
Pharmacokinetic studies using micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography with in vivo capillary ultrafiltration probes

Abstract Micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC) is shown to be a quantitative method for the determination of theophylline in capillary ultrafiltrates of biological systems. MECC exhibits reproducibility in migration times of 1.3% relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) ( n = 31) and peak heights of 3.0% R.S.D. ( n = 28). MECC and reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) are shown to be complementary techniques for the determination of theophylline in ultrafiltrate samples. In vivo sampling of awake, freely moving rats is achieved using capillary ultrafiltration probes implanted in subcutaneous tissue. The ability of MECC coupled with in vivo capillary ultrafiltration to determine theophylline pharmacokinetics is demonstrated. The half-life of elimination for a 15 mg/kg intraperitoneal dose of theophylline was determined to be 3.1 ± 0.4 h for MECC and 3.2 ± 0.4 h for LC ( n = 4, mean ± standard error of the mean). Concurrent results for derived pharmacokinetic parameters (area under the curve, volume of distribution, concentration at time zero and clearance) were obtained for MECC and LC.
Theory of shear-induced melting of colloidal crystals.

We propose a theory of shear-induced melting of colloidal crystals based on a nonequilibrium generalization of first-order freezing theory. The results agree qualitatively with experiment.
Comparing assessments of DSM-IV substance dependence disorders using CIDI-SAM and SCAN

Abstract The main question addressed by this paper is whether DSM-IV substance dependence diagnoses obtained from two different instruments (the semi-structured WHO Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry, SCAN and the highly structured WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview — Substance Abuse Module, SAM) are as consistent as diagnoses obtained from a single instrument (SAM) administered twice. Such comparisons of results from the two different instruments provide some measure of validity of the lay-administered SAM and of the underlying diagnostic concepts. Chance-corrected concordance was estimated using the κ coefficient for SAM/SCAN (test/validation) and SAM/SAM (test/retest) comparisons. Analyses of agreement between SAM and SCAN for DSM-IV dependence diagnoses indicated good agreement for alcohol and cocaine, and fair agreement for opiates and cannabis. SAM/SAM (test/retest) agreement was excellent for alcohol and opiate dependence, good for cocaine dependence, and fair for cannabis dependence. Agreement on individual dependence criteria was generally consistent with overall diagnostic agreement though more variable. Notable was the poor agreement for cannabis criteria in the SAM/SCAN protocol. This may indicate that the dependence syndrome is less applicable to cannabis, while the consistency of agreement for alcohol, opiate, and cocaine dependence criteria supports the validity of these dependence syndromes. Finally, these data indicate that both the clinical (SCAN) and non-clinical (SAM) interviews can be used effectively for a variety of substances and dependence diagnoses.
Electric-Field-Induced Infrared Absorption in Diamond

In the presence of an external electric field, certain Raman-active vibration modes in diamond-type crystals also become infrared active, giving rise to an absorption proportional to the first-order change in the electronic polarizability per unit cell with the relative displacement of atoms, $\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}\ensuremath{\alpha}}{\ensuremath{\partial}u}$. We have observed such a transmission minimum and from its characteristics we have determined the electric-field-induced effective ionic charge and $\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}\ensuremath{\alpha}}{\ensuremath{\partial}u}$.