cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Response to Comment on: Harrison et al. β-Cell Function Preservation After 3.5 Years of Intensive Diabetes Therapy. Diabetes Care 2012;35:1406–1412

We appreciate the critical review of our article by Aizawa and Yamauchi (1), and we are pleased they found the study well designed and straightforward (2). Their critiques relate to 1 ) exclusion of reporting insulin sensitivity and 2 ) lack of a significant drug wash-out period prior to β-cell assessment. We did not perform a direct measure of insulin sensitivity using a hyperinsulinemic-euglyceimc clamp as this did not represent one of our main outcomes and would have added a significant technical and financial burden to the study. We attempted to estimate insulin sensitivity using indirect methods such as homeostasis model assessment of …
The Backscattering of Positrons and Electrons

Beta-rays from a point source, backscattered by materials of various atomic numbers $Z$ have been collected over a $2\ensuremath{\pi}$ solid angle and also over narrow solid angles at various obliquities. In all cases electrons are backscattered to a greater extent than positrons. The number and energy spectrum of the backscattered beta-rays depend strongly on the direction of emergence and on $Z$. In spite of the use of hetero-energetic sources, the results can be interpreted qualitatively on the basis of multiple scattering, in terms of a "sidescattered" and a "diffused" component.
Routine transesophageal echocardiography for the evaluation of cerebral emboli in elderly patients

Background: Approximately 20% of cerebral infarctions are cardioembolic in nature. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is widely regarded as the initial study of choice for evaluating cardiac source of embolism. Although the majority of cerebrovascular accidents occur in elderly patients, the value of TEE in this population is poorly defined. Methods: We compared 491 patients older than 65 years with suspected embolic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) who had undergone TEE evaluation between April 2000 and February 2004 to an age-, sex-, and time-matched control group that consisted of 252 patients. Studies were reviewed for abnormalities associated with thromboembolic disease. Results: The overall incidence of stroke risk factors was significantly higher in the study than in the control group. However, the four patients with left atrial thrombi had a history of atrial fibrillation. Although ascending and aortic arch sessile atheromata were observed more frequently in the study than control group, there were no significant differences in the incidence of either complex or mobile aortic atheromata. The incidence of atrial septal aneurysm was higher in the stroke/TIA group, but not in association with patent foramen ovale. Finally, there were also no differences in the incidence of spontaneous echocontrast, and/or patent foramen ovale between study and control groups. Conclusions: We conclude: (1) There is a higher incidence of abnormalities implicated as sources of thromboembolic disease on TEE in elderly patients with cerebral infarctions, but (2) this incidence is driven by the presence of sessile aortic atheroma and atrial septal aneurysm. Until the benefits of specific therapies for these conditions are known, routine TEE in elderly patients with suspected embolic neurological events appears to be unwarranted.
Increased proliferation of CD8+ T cells in SAP-deficient mice is associated with impaired activation-induced cell death.

Defective signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM)-associated protein (SAP) is responsible for the human X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome. Defects in T helper 2, natural killer, natural killer T and B cells have been demonstrated in SAP-deficient humans and mice, and increased proliferation of CD8+ T cells has been observed. In the current study, we investigated the properties of CD8+ T cell proliferation and activation-induced cell death (AICD), using OT-I T cell receptor (TCR)-transgenic mice on either wild-type (WT) or SAP–/– background. Interestingly, we found that ovalbumin peptide-activated SAP–/– CD8+ T cells have lower AICD compared to their WT counterparts. Furthermore, the induction of p73, a key mediator of TCR-induced apoptosis through the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, was significantly reduced at both the mRNA and protein levels in the activated mutant cells. Meanwhile, a reduced level of activated caspase 9 was observed in the mutant cells. We conclude that reduced AICD in activated SAP–/– CD8+ T cells is associated with impaired p73 induction, indicating that the initiation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway might be impaired. Our data demonstrate an intrinsic defect in SAP–/– CD8+ T cells and shed light on the increased responsiveness of CD8+ T cells in SAP–/– mice.
ADAR1 Forms a Complex with Dicer to Promote MicroRNA Processing and RNA-Induced Gene Silencing

Adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs) are involved in RNA editing that converts adenosine residues to inosine specifically in double-stranded RNAs. In this study, we investigated the interaction of the RNA editing mechanism with the RNA interference (RNAi) machinery and found that ADAR1 forms a complex with Dicer through direct protein-protein interaction. Most importantly, ADAR1 increases the maximum rate (Vmax) of pre-microRNA (miRNA) cleavage by Dicer and facilitates loading of miRNA onto RNA-induced silencing complexes, identifying a new role of ADAR1 in miRNA processing and RNAi mechanisms. ADAR1 differentiates its functions in RNA editing and RNAi by the formation of either ADAR1/ADAR1 homodimer or Dicer/ADAR1 heterodimer complexes, respectively. As expected, the expression of miRNAs is globally inhibited in ADAR1(-/-) mouse embryos, which, in turn, alters the expression of their target genes and might contribute to their embryonic lethal phenotype.
The Role of Aspirin in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Women

Cardiovascular disease is the nation's number one killer of women. Through its actions on platelet inhibition, aspirin is an effective agent for primary and secondary cardiovascular disease prevention and for use with cardiac interventions. However, the evidence for aspirin's effectiveness in women differs by age and indication compared to men. As primary prevention, low dose aspirin is recommended for women over age 65 to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke while younger women at high risk for stroke may benefit from aspirin. Aspirin has benefits in other selected patient groups, including diabetics and patients presenting with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction acute coronary syndrome (NSTEMI/ACS), peripheral arterial disease, stroke, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Alternative platelet therapy using dipyridamole or clopidogrel, alone or with aspirin, provides some improved ...
Mechanics and mechanisms of fatigue damage and crack growth in advanced materials

AbstractThe mechanisms of fatigue-crack propagation in ceramics and intermetallics are examined through a comparisonof cyclic crack-growth behavior in ductile and brittle materials. Crack growth is considered to be a mutualcompetition between intrinsic mechanisms of crack advance ahead of the crack tip, which promote crack growth,and extrinsic mechanisms of crack-tip shielding behind the tip, which impede it. In this paper, we examine andmodel the widely di•ering nature of these mechanisms, with emphasis on behavior in ceramics at ambient andelevated temperatures, and compare their speciﬁc dependencies upon the alternating and maximum driving forces(e.g., DK and K max ), thereby providing a useful distinction of the process of fatigue-crack propagation in thesedi•erent classes of materials. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. Keywords: Fatigue-crack growth; Crack-tip shielding; Ceramics; Intermetallics 1. IntroductionThere has been increasing interest in the use of high-strength, brittle materials, such as ceramics,intermetallics and their respective composites for structural applications where cyclic loading is critical.Much of the interest has focused on elevated temperature applications, e.g., for automobile andaerospace engine components. In the case of ceramics for biomedical implant devices, however,properties at ambient temperatures are also critical. Examples are the use of Si
Habituation of the nictitating membrane reflex response in the intact frog

Abstract Habituation of the nictitating membrane reflex response was measured in the intact bullfrog. A stimulus map was created, and stimulating electrode pairs directly opposed across the eye proved to be the optimal loci for cutaneous electrical stimulation. The response was found to exhibit all of the parametric characteristics of habituation. To date, this represents what is perhaps the simplest intact vertebrate preparation demonstrating habituation. The response was also found to exhibit a surprising periodicity in response amplitude when unchanging stimuli were infrequently presented over long periods of time. The convenience, reliability and successful behavioral assessment strongly recommend this preparation as an ideal simple vertebrate model system for further examination of the neural basis of behavioral plasticity.
Lithography process margin enhancement using illumination based assist pattern

The dawn of the Sub 100nm technology has brought many new exciting challenges for lithography process such as Immersion, OPC, asymmetry illumination, and so on. But, these new technology brought about new problems we face today due to shrinkage of the feature size. Some of the problems such as PR defect, ID bias and Mask Error Factor(MEF) are very important, but the most critical of all for lithography engineer is low process margin created by these technologies. In this study, we will be presenting the result of the Illumination based assist feature that enhances the lithography process margin for both Exposure Latitude (EL) and Depth Of Focus (DOF), while retaining safety of the scum generation by positioning the assist feature proportional to the illumination for 60nm device. Also, by automatically generating illumination based assist feature on the peripheral region of the mask, we will show that it levels the Critical Dimension (CD) uniformity for pattern of the same dimension located at both cell and peripheral region of the mask. Results will be tested on the mask feature size of 60nm and will be analyzed for both process margin and CD uniformity.
Solution of Abel’s Integral Equation Using Tikhonov Regularization

This paper presents a method based on Tikhonov regularization for solving one-dimensional inverse tomography problems that arise in combustion applications. In this technique, Tikhonov regularization transforms the ill-conditioned set of equations generated by onion-peeling deconvolution into a well-conditioned set that is more stable to measurement errors that arise in experimental settings. The performance of this method is compared to that of onion-peeling and Abel three-point deconvolution by solving for a known field variable distribution from projected data contaminated with artificially-generated error. The results show that Tikhonov deconvolution provides a more accurate field distribution than onion-peeling and Abel three-point deconvolution, and is more stable than the other two methods as the distance between projected data points decreases.Copyright © 2005 by National Research Council of Canada
The relationship of acidosis and growth retardation

Summary Young male albino rats were subjected to the following procedures: Group IA, unilateral nephrectomy; Group IB, unilateral nephrectomy and 4 per cent ammonium chloride in the diet; Group II, 4 per cent ammonium chloride and 0.1 per cent acetazolamide in the diet; Group III, 13 per cent carbon dioxide in the ambient air; Group IV, 0.4 per cent acetazolamide in the diet. Pair-fed controls were maintained under normal conditions. These various regimens produced acidosis which was hyperchloremic in Groups IB, II, and IV and hypochloremic in Group III. In Groups IB, II, and III, retardation of growth as manifested by weight gain and femur length was produced. This retardation in growth was not necessarily proportional to the degree of acidosis. In Group IV, in spite of severe hyperchloremic acidosis, no growth retardation was produced during the experimental period of 40 days. The results of these experiments seem to indicate that acidosis may bear some relationship to retardation of growth. However, more problems are created than are solved by this work. Studies of hormone regulation of growth, tissue analyses, accurate studies of intake and loss of metabolites, and calorimetric studies of acidotic rats and patients all remain to be done in order to elucidate the basic mechanisms reponsible for the retardation of growth produced in these experiments and observed in renal disease.
Ethylene-regulated expression of a carnation cysteine proteinase during flower petal senescence.

The senescence of carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) flower petals is regulated by the phytohormone ethylene and is associated with considerable catabolic activity including the loss of protein. In this paper we present the molecular cloning of a cysteine proteinase and show that its expression is regulated by ethylene and associated with petal senescence. A 1600 bp cDNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction using a 5′-specific primer and 3′-nonspecific primer designed to amplify a 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase cDNA from reverse-transcribed stylar RNA. The nucleotide sequence of the cloned product (pDCCP1) was found to share significant homology to several cysteine proteinases rather than ACC synthase. A single open reading frame of 428 amino acids was shown to share significant homology with other plant cysteine proteinases including greater than 70% identity with a cysteine proteinase from Arabidopsis thaliana. Amino acids in the active site of cysteine proteinases were conserved in the pDCCP1 peptide. RNA gel blot analysis revealed that the expression of pDCCP1 increased substantially with the onset of ethylene production and senescence of petals. Increased pDCCP1 expression was also associated with ethylene production in other senescing floral organs including ovaries and styles. The pDCCP1 transcript accumulated in petals treated with exogenous ethylene within 3 h and treatment of flowers with 2,5-norbornadiene, an inhibitor of ethylene action, prevented the increase in pDCCP1 expression in petals. The temporal and spatial patterns of pDCCP1 expression suggests a role for cysteine proteinase in the loss of protein during floral senescence.
Effects of continuous military operations on physical fitness capacity and physical performance

Abstract The purposes of this study were to determine the effects of a continuous field artillery scenario on physical fitness capacity and performance and to estimate the physical intensity of the scenario by continuous heart rate monitoring. Twenty-four artillerymen comprising three, 8-man guncrews participated in an 8-day, combat-simulated operation. Body composition and measures of fitness (isokinetic strength of the arms and legs, isometric handgrip strength, dynamic lifting, and upper body anaerobic power) were determined before and immediately following the scenario. Physical performance was assessed by daily ratings from senior noncommissioned officers experienced in artillery operations. The intensity of physical activity and amount of sleep were estimated from continuously recorded heart rate using electrocardiographic tape recorders worn by the soldiers. No changes occurred in body weight or upper body anaerobic power from pre- to post-scenario. However, measures of muscular strength and liftin...
Learning to discount transformations as the computational goal of visual cortex

It has been long recognized that a key obstacle to achiev-inghuman-levelobjectrecognitionperformanceis the prob-lem of invariance [10]. The human visual system excelsat factoring out the image transformations that distort ob-ject appearance under natural conditions. Models with acortex-inspired architecture such as HMAX [9,13] as wellas nonbiological convolutional neural networks [5] are in-variant to translation (and in some cases scaling) by virtueof their wiring. The transformations to which this approachhas been applied so far are generic transformations; a sin-gle example image of any object contains all the informa-tion needed to synthesize a new image of the tranformedobject [15]. In a setting in which transformation invariancemust be learned from visual experience (such as for a new-bornhumanbaby),we haveshown that it is possible to learnfrom little visual experince how to be invariant to the trans-lation of any object [7]. The same argument applies to allgeneric transformations.Generic transformations can be “factored out” in recog-nition tasks (see ﬁgure 1) and this is key to goodrecognitionperformance. This is the reason underlying recent observa-tions that random features often perform well on computervision tasks [4,6,11,12].For simplicity consider a speciﬁc example: HMAX. Inan architecturesuch as HMAX, if an input image is encodedin terms of similarity to a set of templates (typically via adot product operation) and if the encoding is made invari-ant with respect to a transformation via appropriate poolingin C cells then recognition performance inherits the invari-ance built into the encoding. The actual templates them-selves do not enter the argument: the set of similarities ofthe input image to the templates need not be high in orderto be invariant. From this point of view, the good perfor-mance achieved with random features on some vision taskscan largely be attributed to the invariance properties of thearchitecture.
Spontaneous skin neoplasms in Long-Evans rats.

Two hundred sixty-one neoplasms involving the skin and its appendages were observed in a total of 980 (490 of each sex) Long-Evans (LE) control rats of 7 carcinogenicity studies. All studies were 2 yr in duration and were conducted in the years 1983 through 1994. Skin neoplasms were reevaluated and classified according to current criteria and nomenclature. The various neoplasm incidences were compared to those published for Sprague-Dawley (SD), Fischer-344 (F-344), and Wistar rats. The most common neoplasms involved the mammary glands, affecting 28% of LE females. This incidence is comparable to the 31% incidence reported for SD females. Mammary gland fibroadenomas were observed in 22% of LE females compared to 19-31% of SD, 7-29% of F-344, and 4-25% of Wistar females. Mammary gland adenocarcinomas occurred in 7% of LE females in our laboratory, while incidences of 9-17% of SD, 0-2% of F-344, and 1-13% of Wistar females are reported. In LE males, the incidences of mammary gland fibroadenomas (1%) and aden...
Influence of mixed venous PO2 on diffusion of O2 across the pulmonary blood:gas barrier.

Analyses of diffusion limitation of pulmonary O2 exchange have stressed that alveolar PO2 (PAO2) is one of the most important factors to consider, but recent reports suggest that PAO2 is important only insofar as it determines the effective slope of the O2 dissociation curve. If this slope is the critical factor, mixed venous PO2 (PVO2) should also be important. This notion was examined in theoretical calculations of oxygenation along the capillary in a homogeneous lung model of normal diffusing capacity. For PAO2 = 100 torr, half-time of rise of PO2 between PVO2 and PAO2 (T 1/2) increased from 0.09 s (PVO2 = 50) to 0.32 s (PVO2 = 10), while for PAO2 = 60, T 1/2 increased from 0.18 s (PVO2 = 50) to 0.43 s (PVO2 = 10). At PAO2 = 60, diffusion equilibration after 0.75 s was virtually complete if PVO2 greater than or equal to 40 torr, but was only 80% complete for PVO2 = 10. These calculations show that at any given PAO2, PVO2 has considerable influence on the rate of diffusion equilibration of O2. Thus, situations in which PVO2 is low (e.g. when cardiac output is low in relation to O2 uptake) are associated with considerably increased vulnerability of O2 exchange to diffusion limitation, other factors remaining unchanged.
Genetic mapping of rust resistance genes in confection sunflower line HA-R6 and oilseed line RHA 397

Few widely effective resistance sources to sunflower rust, incited by Puccinia helianthi Schwein., have been identified in confection sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). The USDA inbred line HA-R6 is one of the few confection sunflower lines resistant to rust. A previous allelism test indicated that rust resistance genes in HA-R6 and RHA 397, an oilseed-type restorer line, are either allelic or closely linked; however, neither have been characterized nor molecularly mapped. The objectives of this study are (1) to locate the rust resistance genes in HA-R6 and RHA 397 on a molecular map, (2) to develop closely linked molecular markers for rust resistance diagnostics, and (3) to determine the resistance spectrum of two lines when compared with other rust-resistant lines. Two populations of 140 F2:3 families each from the crosses of HA 89, as susceptible parent, with HA-R6 and RHA 397 were inoculated with race 336 of P. helianthi in the greenhouse. The resistance genes (R-genes) in HA-R6 and RHA 397 were molecularly mapped to the lower end of linkage group 13, which encompasses a large R-gene cluster, and were designated as R 13a and R 13b, respectively. In the initial maps, SSR (simple sequence repeat) and InDel (insertion and deletion) markers revealed 2.8 and 8.2 cM flanking regions for R 13a and R 13b, respectively, linked with a common marker set of four co-segregating markers, ORS191, ORS316, ORS581, and ZVG61, in the distal side and one marker ORS464 in the proximal side. To identify new markers closer to the genes, sunflower RGC (resistance gene candidate) markers linked to the downy mildew R-gene Pl 8 and located at the same region as R 13a and R 13b were selected to screen the two F2 populations. The RGC markers RGC15/16 and a newly developed marker SUN14 designed from a BAC contig anchored by RGC251 further narrowed down the region flanking R 13a and R 13b to 1.1 and 0.1 cM, respectively. Both R 13a and R 13b are highly effective against all rust races tested so far. Our newly developed molecular markers will facilitate breeding efforts to pyramid the R 13 genes with other rust R-genes and accelerate the development of rust-resistant sunflower hybrids in both confection and oilseed sunflowers.
Correlation of screening tests to usage tests

Testing of dental materials has, since 1919, been synonymous with the testing of their physical properties. Evaluation of their cytotoxicity has been done in retrospect, following their clinical use when unnecessary damage to the patients has already occurred. Methods are today available which will prevent toxic materials from entering the market provided a mechanism is established to enforce such testing. Funding for research with the objective to establish a correlation between the less expensive initial tests in tissue culture and small animals and the usage test should be considerably increased in the interest of development of new and better materials and for maximum protection of our patients.
Experimental apparatus and software design for dynamic long-term reliability testing of a spring-mass MEMS device

Long-term reliability testing of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) is important to the acceptance of these devices for critical and high-impact applications. In order to make predictions on aging mechanisms, these validation experiments must be performed in controlled environments. Additionally, because the aging acceleration factors are not understood, the experiments can last for months. This paper describes the design and implementation of a long-term MEMS reliability test bed for accelerated life testing. The system is comprised of a small environmental chamber mounted on an electrodynamic shaker with a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) and digital camera for data collection. The humidity and temperature controlled chamber has capacity for 16 MEMS components in a 4x4 array. The shaker is used to dynamically excite the devices using broadband noise, chirp or any other programmed signal via the control software. Driving amplitudes can be varied to maintain the actuation of the test units at the desired level. The actuation is monitored optically via the LDV which can report the displacement or velocity information of the surface. A springmass accelerated aging experiment was started using a controlled environment of 5000 ppmv humidity (roughly 13% at room temperature), temperature of 29 °C, and ±80μm maximum displacement of the mass. During the first phase of the experiment, the resonant frequency was measured every 2 hours. From 114.5 to 450 hours under stress, measurements were taken every 12 hours and after that every 24 hours. Resonant frequency tracking indicates no changes in the structures for 4200 hours of testing.
Epiphyte—host relations in seagrass communities

Abstract Seagrasses are crucial to the life cycle of many marine organisms including over 100 species of algae. The leaves of seagrasses vastly increase the area on which algae can settle. Certain species of algae have specialized to the point that the surface of seagrass is the only environment in which they are found. Epiphytes are distributed through the water column where they are advantageously exposed to light, nutrients and wave action. Nitrate and phosphate absorbed from leaves and roots of seagrass eventually leak into adjacent water where they are available to attached organisms before excessive dilution. Transfer of organic carbon is unlikely to be important as a metabolic substrate. Potential applications that could result from an understanding of relationships between epiphytes and seagrasses might be: (a) suppression of growth where epiphytes are unwanted; (b) promotion, where they are considered desireable; and (c) observation of epiphytes to monitor environmental changes in seagrass communities. Future work should focus on: (1) what controls settlement of epiphytes; (2) whether the presence of epiphytes affects the host, and if so how; (3) exchange and/or competition for nutrients; (4) regulation of epiphytes by metabolic products from the host; (5) relative sensitivity of algal epiphytes and seagrasses to environmental parameters; (6) determination of the proportion of productivity by each component; and (7) interdependence with animals in the community.
Monte Carlo Calculation of the Transient Photocurrent in Low-Carrier-Mobility Materials

A Monte Carlo method is used to calculate the shape of the transient photocurrent under flash excitation. It is shown that some of the anomalous features of the experimental data can be explained by including surface as well as bulk trapping in the model. In particular, this simple picture predicts the observed long tail of the pulse as well as the apparent field dependence of the mobility.
SU-FF-T-118: On the Relationship Between Risk Management and IMRT Treatment Plan Optimization

Purpose: We assess the suitability of using biological and voxel‐based penalty criteria vs. different types of dose‐volume histogram (DVH) constraints that have been proposed for fluence map optimization (FMO) in IMRT by developing a rigorous relationship between treatment plan evaluation criteria based on the DVH and voxel‐based penalty criteria. Method and Materials: Viewing the IMRT FMO problem as the problem of shaping the dose distributions in structures, an analogy was established with risk management problems from the area of financial engineering.Results: On the one hand, traditional DVH constraints (bounding the dose received by a pre‐specified proportion of a structure) and CVaR constraints (bounding the tail mean dose received by a pre‐specified proportion of the structure) can be viewed as dominance constraints of the dose distribution in a structure with respect to some reference dose distribution. On the other hand, most commonly used biological criteria (tumor control probability (TCP), generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD), normal tissue complication probability (NTCP)) are equivalent to voxel‐based penalty functions, which can be viewed as utility functions that measure the desirability of dose received by voxels. We demonstrated that dominance based on traditional DVH constraints is equivalent to dominance with respect to all non‐decreasing voxel‐based penalty functions, while dominance based on CVaR constraints is equivalent to dominance with respect to all non‐decreasing convex voxel‐based penalty functions. Conclusion: If measures based on and including TCP, NTCP, and gEUD (with a∉(0,1)) are deemed sufficient to describe the effect of a dose distribution on a structure, traditional DVH constraints should not be imposed on these dose distributions. However, if traditional DVH constraints are deemed necessary to describe the effect of a dose distribution on a structure, particularly in the case of parallel structures, e.g., the liver, the abovementioned biological criteria cannot be used as alternatives to DVH constraints.
Microwave attenuation standard

A standard of attenuation for microwave measurements has been established using the heterodyne or intermediate-frequency substitution method of calibrating microwave attenuators. A preliminary model of the waveguide-below-cutoff standard attenuator has been built, tested, and improved until its accuracy is within 0.01 decibel per 20 decibels. Accuracy of the entire unit is within 0.02 decibel in the 0–10-decibel range and within 0.2 per cent of the measured attenuation in decibels in the 10–50-decibel range.
Transport of bacterial end products from the colon of Periplaneta americana

Abstract The possible contribution of fermentation products produced by the anaerobic bacterial hindgut flora of Periplaneta americana was examined with respect to the physiology of the host. The microbial flora of the ileum and colon produced readily detectable quantities of short chain acids in vivo. Experiments where [14C] acids were injected into the hindgut indicated these products were transported out through the gut wall in vitro and in vivo. Other data underscore the importance of considering the metabolic capabilities of the gut microflora when using dyes as controls in studies on insect gut function.
Microstructure of the irradiated U3Si2/Al silicide dispersion fuel

Abstract The silicide dispersion fuel of U 3 Si 2 /Al is recognized as the best performance fuel for many nuclear research and test reactors with up to 4.8 gU/cm 3 fuel loading. An irradiated U 3 Si 2 /Al dispersion fuel ( 235 U ∼ 75%) from the high-flux side of a fuel plate (U0R040) from the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR)-8 test was characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The fuel was irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) for 105 days. The average irradiation temperature and fission density of the U 3 Si 2 fuel particles for the TEM sample are estimated to be approximately 110 °C and 5.4 × 10 27 f/m 3 . The characterization was performed using a 200-kV TEM. The U/Si ratio for the fuel particle and (Si + Al)/U for the fuel–matrix-interaction layer are approximately 1.1 and 4–10, respectively. The estimated average diameter, number density and volume fraction for small bubbles ( 20 m −3 and ∼11%, respectively. The results and their implication on the performance of the U 3 Si 2 /Al silicide dispersion fuel are discussed.
External ring cavity modes of semiconductor laser using photorefractive double phase-conjugate mirror

Phase-conjugate external ring cavity modes of semiconductor lasers and phase-conjugate feedback effects were investigated. The phase-conjugate ring cavity is formed with a double phase-conjugate mirror. The effects of bi- and uni- directional phase-conjugate feedback on the operating state of a laser diode were studied. When the bidirectional phase- conjugate feedback is above -40 dB, the output spectrum of the laser is broadened and the operating state of the laser changes to multimode state. It was experimentally observed that in the ring cavity two opposite traveling waves, which are phase conjugates of each other, propagate.
Negative Instances in Mathematical Concept Acquisition: Transfer Effects between the Concepts of Commutativity and Associativity

Negative instances have been considered by mathematicians to be essential to the understanding of advanced mathematical concepts (Gelbaum & Olmsted, 1964; Steen & Seebach, 1970). Dienes (1964) argues for the use of negative instances in the teaching of mathematics to elementary and secondary school children. Bereiter and Engleman (1966) and Markle and Tiemann (1970) state explicitly that all instructional sequences designed for concept learning should include negative instances. Yet, in a review of over 250 experimental studies in concept attainment, Clark (1971) found 26 studies that reported a debilitating effect for negative instances on concept attainment and only 11 that did not report a debilitating effect for negative instances. Markle and Tiemann (1972) state that, despite such laboratory evidence, positive and negative instances "are of equal importance in the teaching of real concepts." In a review of research, Bourne and Dominowski (1972) support the contention that for simple, conjunctive concepts a series of positive instances is to be favored over any mixture of positive and negative instances, but that for more difficult concepts, such as disjunction, the advantage of positive instances is either absent or negative instances are favored. Both Clark (1971) and Bourne (1967) agree that the research in concept attainment is restricted in nature and that the concepts studied in schools are quite different. There is some evidence from recent educational research that negative instances are valuable components of classroom instruction (Tennyson, Woolley, & Merrill, 1972; Shumway, 1971).
Phthalocyanine-loaded graphene nanoplatform for imaging-guided combinatorial phototherapy.

We report a novel cancer-targeted nanomedicine platform for imaging and prospect for future treatment of unresected ovarian cancer tumors by intraoperative multimodal phototherapy. To develop the required theranostic system, novel low-oxygen graphene nanosheets were chemically modified with polypropylenimine dendrimers loaded with phthalocyanine (Pc) as a photosensitizer. Such a molecular design prevents fluorescence quenching of the Pc by graphene nanosheets, providing the possibility of fluorescence imaging. Furthermore, the developed nanoplatform was conjugated with poly(ethylene glycol), to improve biocompatibility, and with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) peptide, for tumor-targeted delivery. Notably, a low-power near-infrared (NIR) irradiation of single wavelength was used for both heat generation by the graphene nanosheets (photothermal therapy [PTT]) and for reactive oxygen species (ROS)-production by Pc (photodynamic therapy [PDT]). The combinatorial phototherapy resulted in an enhanced destruction of ovarian cancer cells, with a killing efficacy of 90%–95% at low Pc and low-oxygen graphene dosages, presumably conferring cytotoxicity to the synergistic effects of generated ROS and mild hyperthermia. An animal study confirmed that Pc loaded into the nanoplatform can be employed as a NIR fluorescence agent for imaging-guided drug delivery. Hence, the newly developed Pc-graphene nanoplatform has the significant potential as an effective NIR theranostic probe for imaging and combinatorial phototherapy.
Islamic law and the social context of exchange in the medieval middle east

Islamic law purports to be unchanging and valid throughout the Islamic world. Nevertheless, a close examination of the medieval Islamic law of sate shows that the concept of local knowledge plays a considerable part in it On the one hand, the distinction between legitimate exchange and usury depends on the adequacy of the information available to the purchaser of goods or services; on the other hand, this stress on information leads to insistence that transactions must conform to the local custom of the merchants. Local custom thus comes in, as one might say, through a side door as a source of law, without being explicitly recognised as such.
Building and organizing internet collections

This paper discusses the evolution of Internet information servers in libraries, from their typical origin as maverick systems department experiments, to the current state where libraries must address the need to incorporate network-based information into the traditional work of collection management, acquisitions, and cataloging. Does the traditional model of information acquisition and organization apply to network-based information? where nearly anyone can be both a provider and a consumer of information from the comfort of their personal computer, what role do libraries have? How should the library profession respond to the proliferation of gopher and world wide web servers?
MALE NURSES' SEX-ROLE ORIENTATION AND VALUES

Scores on the Bern Sex-role Inventory and the Study of Values were compared for 66 female nurses and 56 male nurses in central Florida. The men were frequently categorized as sex-typed and rarely a...
Discovery and optimization of potent broad-spectrum arenavirus inhibitors derived from benzimidazole

A chemically diverse library of about 400,000 small molecules was screened for antiviral activity against lentiviral pseudotypes with the Lassa virus envelope glycoprotein (LASV GP) gene incorporated. High-throughput screening resulted in discovery of a hit compound (ST-37) possessing a benzimidazole core which led to a potent compound series. Herein, we report SAR studies which involved structural modifications to the phenyl rings and methylamino linker portion attached to the benzimidazole core. Many analogs in this study possessed single digit nanomolar potency against LASV pseudotypes. Compounds in this benzimidazole series also exhibited nanomolar antiviral activity against pseudotypes generated from other arenavirus envelopes indicating the potential for development of a broad-spectrum inhibitor. Ultimately, lead compound ST-193 was identified and later found to be efficacious in a lethal LASV guinea pig model showing superior protection compared to ribavirin treatment.
A dynamic method to study the transmission of social foraging information in flocks using robots

To understand the mechanisms underlying the flow of social information in foraging groups, it is important to manipulate the behaviour of individuals and study the responses of flock members under different ecological and social conditions. Some studies have attempted this using three-dimensional models, like robots. Our goal was to assess the foraging and scanning behaviour of adult house finches, Carpodacus mexicanus, in response to robots mimicking different types of behaviours in artificial flocks (three linearly placed enclosures, with robots at the periphery and a live animal at the centre). We recorded whether live animals reacted to (1) the presence/absence of robots, (2) the motion of robots in relation to static robots, (3) variations in the type of robot behaviour and (4) the direction of the responses (increasing or decreasing their foraging effort). Adult house finches reacted differently to the presence, motion and behaviour of robots, and they spent more time foraging and less time scanning, which led to increasing seed intake, as the robots simulated body movement that could be associated with successful foraging behaviour (more handling time) or antipredator behaviour. Responses to robots were similar to those given to live conspecifics. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of using robots in social foraging research and conclude that robots are suitable to test some hypotheses on the foraging and antipredator behaviour of flocks.
Prevalence, patterns, and correlates of spit tobacco use in a college athlete population

We surveyed varsity athletes (N = 1,328) in 16 California colleges about their patterns of spit (smokeless) tobacco (ST) use, related habits, reasons for use, and preferred methods for quitting. Prevalence of use was analyzed by sport and demographic characteristics, and patterns of use in players using snuff exclusively, using chewing tobacco exclusively, and those using both were compared. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated, adjusting for ethnic group. Prevalence was highest in Whites (44%) and Native Americans (48%) and lowest in African Americans (11%), and higher in varsity baseball (52%) than varsity football players (26%), in players attending rural colleges, and among those who ever smoked cigarettes or used alcohol. Forty-one percent of ST users initiated regular use during their high school years. Athletes who used snuff exclusively used it more intensively and for more years than those who used chewing tobacco exclusively. Snuff users indicated a greater perceived need for ST, but also were more ready to quit. These data suggest ST programs with prevention and cessation components are appropriate for high school as well as college athletes. Such interventions should focus on baseball players, distinguish snuff from chewing tobacco users in planning quit strategies, integrate intervention programs for cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption, provide training in refusal skills, and attempt to change social norms in support of ST use by integrating popular peers and significant others (e.g., wives/girlfriends) to endorse nonuse of ST.
Pediatric Liver Retransplantation: Outcomes and a Prognostic Scoring Tool

Nine to twenty-nine percent of pediatric liver transplant recipients require retransplantation. No previous pediatric study has proposed a prognostic scoring system. We have used the United Network for Organ Sharing transplantation database to conduct a retrospective cohort study of patients who were less than 18 years of age when they received their retransplant (n = 1130). Using a random two-thirds of the subjects, we developed a prognostic scoring system by performing a multivariate Cox analysis with non-laboratory clinical characteristics. The scoring system was verified in the remaining one-third of the subjects. Stratifying the verification group into risk groups by prognostic score demonstrated its predictive value. Those in the low-risk category had survival similar to that of primary liver transplant recipients. Those in the high-risk category had 2.4 (95% confidence interval: 1.6-3.7) times the risk of death or retransplantation as those in the low-risk category. Risk factors in the scoring system included being on life support at the time of retransplant, receiving a split liver graft, and having an original diagnosis of neonatal cholestasis, familial cholestasis, paucity of bile ducts, or congenital abnormalities. Protective factors in the scoring system included older age at the time of transplantation and having acute rejection contribute to graft failure. In conclusion, with simple clinical characteristics, this scoring tool can modestly discriminate between those children at high risk and those children at low risk of poor outcome after liver retransplantation.
Isothermal kinetic calorimeter applied to emulsion polymerization

A method for the direct measurement, by means of the heat of reaction, of essentially instantaneous polymerization rates is described. The polymerization is carried out isothermally, and the evolved heat is measured electrically over short time intervals. Applied to emulsion polymerization, the technique reveals several previously unobserved features.
The failure of serum albumin to affect capillary permeability in the isolated rabbit heart.

Abstract The method of local tissue clearance was used to measure capillary permeability-surface area products (PS) for [3H]inulin and [14C]sucrose in the left ventricular wall of the isolated rabbit heart. As soon as a heart was excised, its coronary arteries were perfused with Ringer solution at 37° for at least 30 min before clearance trials were begun. In paired trials, Ringer perfusion fluid containing 1% bovine serum albumin (Sigma) was compared with protein-free Ringer solution in terms of sucrose PS (PSs), inulin PS (PSi), and the PS ratio ( P i P s ). With or without protein, the mean P i P s was significantly less than the ratio of the free diffusion coefficients. With the untreated albumin, flow resistance rose markedly, and the PSs of both solutes fell but not P i P s . To remove the unidentified vasoactive contaminant (which apparently resisted dialysis), the albumin was “defatted” by the procedure of R. F. Chen (1967 , J. Biol. Chem. 242, 173–181). Defatted albumin (1% in the perfusion fluid) did not affect the volume of distribution (λ) of sucrose or inulin in the myocardium, the heart rate, coronary flow, flow resistance, PSs, PSi, or P i P s . Apparently bovine serum albumin does not influence capillary permeability in the rabbit heart. A protein effect on permeability, however, could have been missed if it has a long latent period (more than 15 min) or a long persistence (more than 30 min).
Effect of puromycin on incubated adipose tissue and its response to dexamethasone, insulin, and epinephrine

1. 1. Puromycin (10−4 M), puromycin aminonucleoside (10−4 M) and dexamethasone (4·10−8 M) decreased the uptake and conversion of glucose to CO2, glyceride-glycerol and fatty acid by incubated rat-adipose tissue. These substances had little effect on the metabolism of fructose or pyruvate by adipose tissue. Puromycin blocked or decreased the incorporation of glucose, fructose, and pyruvate carbon into protein; aminonucleoside and dexamethasone had little effect. 2. 2. Puromycin blocked the stimulation of protein synthesis by insulin but did not alter the other actions of insulin or the effects of dexamethasone and epinephrine on adipose tissue. 3. 3. Insulin decreased the conversion of pyruvate to lactate and increased its conversion to fatty acid in the presence and the absence of puromycin.
Magnetic Semiconductor Quantum Wells in High Fields to 60 Tesla: Photoluminescence Linewidth Annealing at Magnetization Steps

Magnetic semiconductors offer a unique possibility for strongly tuning the intrinsic alloy disorder potential with applied magnetic field. We report the direct observation of a series of step-like reductions in the magnetic alloy disorder potential in single ZnSe/Zn(Cd,Mn)Se quantum wells between O and 60 Tesla. This disorder, measured through the linewidth of low temperature photoluminescence spectra drops abruptly at -19, 36, and 53 Tesla, in concert with observed magnetization steps. Conventional models of alloy disorder (developed for nonmagnetic semiconductors) reproduce the general shape of the data, but markedly underestimate the size of the linewidth reduction.
Observation of Magic Numbers within NO/NH3 Mixed Cluster Ions

The metastable decomposition of photoionized NO/NH3 clusters has been investigated employing a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The metastable dissociation spectra of the most prominent...
Public screening for lung disease: experience with the NIH Lung Health Study.

Abstract The Lung Health Study is the first major initiative of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in screening for and intervention in early lung disease. The objective of the study is to identify cigarette smokers who have early disease and determine whether an intervention program of smoking cessation and bronchodilator therapy will alter the course of their disease. After an extensive screening program, 5,887 participants have been randomized to one of three groups: usual care, intervention with smoking cessation and the use of a placebo inhaler, and intervention with smoking cessation and the use of ipratropium bromide. All participants will be followed for 5 years. Preliminary data from the screening indicate that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is more prevalent than was previously recognized, that it is widespread in women as well as men, and that it is far more common in young individuals than was thought. Approximately twothirds of the study participants have hyperreactive airways. Preliminary data from the Lung Health Study indicate that screening for lung function can be carried out in a costeffective manner.