cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pathology of the heart in sudden cardiac death

Clinical and pathologic changes in 87 patients who could not be resuscitated from an episode of sudden cardiovascular collapse are described and compared with observations from patients in the same community who were successfully resuscitated from ventricular fibrillation. Findings in patients who died suddenly generally did not differ when the patients were grouped by electrocardiographic rhythm on arrival of the mobile coronary aid unit. The pathologic changes of acute thrombosis and recent myocardial infarction did not occur with sufficient frequency in the entire group to be considered causally related to the sudden collapse, occurring in 10 and 5 percent of cases, respectively. Although most patients had evidence of obstructive coronary disease and old myocardial infarction, 8 percent had no significant vascular disease, acute thrombosis, myocarditis or valve disease that might be implicated as a factor in sudden death. There was no relation between age and severity of obstructive coronary disease or frequency of old myocardial infarction in patients who died suddenly. Complete atherosclerotic occlusion in one or more coronary vessels occurred in 51 of 87 (59 percent) and old myocardial infarction in 48 of 87 (55 percent). Although the mean age of this autopsy population was similar to that of all patients in the community who have had ventricular fibrillation on arrival of the aid unit, the nonsurvivors had a greater incidence of myocardial infarction and symptomatic heart disease (73 of 87) than did survivors. Comparison of this autopsy group with persons from the community who were resuscitated from ventricular fibrillation and subsequently had coronary angiograms indicates that the severity of coronary stenosis does not distinguish between survivors and nonsurvivors of an episode of ventricular fibrillation and suggests that other factors influence the outcome of an episode of ventricular fibrillation.
Algorithm 838: Airy Functions

We present a Fortran 90 module, which computes the solutions and their derivatives of Airy's differential equation, both on the real line and in the complex plane. The module also computes the zeros and associated values of the solutions and their derivatives, and the modulus and phase functions on the negative real axis. The computational methods are numerical integration of the differential equation and summation of asymptotic expansions for large argument. These methods were chosen because they are simple, adaptable to any precision, and amenable to rigorous error analysis. The module can be used to validate other codes or as a component in programs that require Airy functions.
Gender, personality, and serotonin-2A receptor binding in healthy subjects

Abstract The vulnerability to mood disorders, impulsive-aggression, eating disorders, and suicidal behavior varies greatly with gender, and may reflect gender differences in central serotonergic function. We investigated the relationships of gender, mood, impulsivity, aggression and temperament to 5HT 2A receptor binding in 21 healthy subjects using [ 18 F]altanserin and PET neuroimaging. Binding potentials in pre-defined regions-of-interest (ROI) were calculated using the Logan graphical method, corrected for partial volume effects, and compared by gender with age co-varied. SPM analysis was used for voxel level comparisons. Altanserin binding (BP P ) was greater in male than female subjects in the following nine ROIs: hippocampus (HIP) and Lt. HIP, lateral orbital frontal cortex (LOF) and Lt.LOF, left medial frontal cortex (Lt.MFC), left medial temporal cortex (Lt. MTC), left occipital cortex (Lt. OCC), thalamus (THL) and Lt. THL. Differences in Lt. HIP and Lt. MTL remained significant after Bonferroni correction. Gender differences were noted in the co-variation of psychological traits with BP P values in specific ROIs. Among males alone, aggression was negatively correlated with BP P values in Lt. LOF and Lt. MFC, and Suspiciousness positively correlated in LOF, Lt. LOF and Lt. MFC. Among female subjects alone, Negativism was positively correlated with BP P values in HIP, and Verbal Hostility in Lt. HIP. Altanserin binding in Lt. MTC was positively correlated with Persistence, with no significant gender effect. Gender differences in 5HT 2A receptor function in specific ROIs may mediate expression of psychological characteristics such as aggression, suspiciousness and negativism. Future studies of 5HT 2A receptor function and its relationship to behavior should control for gender.
Antecedents of Contemporary Witchcraft in the Middle Ages

Present interest in the occult can be seen i n the proliferation of horoscopes included in newspapers, in the incredible business of the palm reader, and i n the tremendous popularity of books like the Exorcist or Rosemary's Baby. I n such interest, the witch has always held a special place, and it should come as no surprise that witches frequently are female. As Elizabeth Tuckerpoints out i n her essay, the practice of herbal “magic” was often the task of so-called “wise women” in the Middle Ages, who specialized in “white witchcraft,” the cure o f disease with herbal mixtures. Such “white witchcraft,” however, was not favorably looked upon by the Church fathers; one wonders i f the distrust of female practitioners of “magic” had more to do with the fact that they were women who did not, for one reason or another, fit into society. The belief in the dual nature of the witch should not be overlooked; if the witch healed, she could also destroy. That duality remains today i n the instructions for witchcraft in such works as Paul Huson's Mastering Witchcraft.
The Power of the States in U.S. Presidential Elections

The Electoral College is a uniquely American political institution, yet its impact on both the power of the American states and the relative power of citizens living in different states is not well understood. Game theorists have broached the state power problem exclusively in terms of the size of each of the states. Empirical investigators have been less systematic, basing their analyses solely on which states have been close in a single election. In this paper we present a model of state power which combines the idea of the pivotal player from game theory with an empirical model of state voting. In doing so we provide a theoretically derived and empirically meaningful assessment of state power in presidential elections. We then trace the implications of the power of the states for the relative power of individual voters, finding large disparities between voters from different states.
A generalized SSI reliability model considering stochastic loading and strength aging degradation

A generalized stress-strength interference (SSI) reliability model to consider stochastic loading and strength aging degradation is presented in this paper. This model conforms to previous models for special cases, but also demonstrates the weakness of those models when multiple stochastic elements exist. It can be used for any nonhomogeneous Poisson loading process, and any kind of strength aging degradation model. To solve the SSI reliability equation, a numerical recurrence formula is presented based on the Gauss-Legendre quadrature formula to calculate multiple integrations of a random variable vector. Numerical analysis of three examples shows this SSI reliability model provides accurate results for both homogeneous & nonhomogeneous Poisson loading processes.
Detecting nanoscale size dependence in VO2 phase transition using a split-ring resonator metamaterial.

We have measured the size dependence of a solid−solid phase transformation in discrete nanoscale volumes of vanadium dioxide (VO2) defined by split-ring resonators. By monitoring the in-coupling plasmonic mode while thermally cycling through the insulator−metal transition, we show that hysteresis width broadens with reduced interrogation volume (i.e., number of intrinsic nucleation sites). The results further imply a volume range over which both electronic and structural components of the switching exhibit similar size dependence.
Frequency curves of road traffic noise

Based on statistical properties of the noise from freely flowing traffic on a long road, an approximate formula is derived for the distribution of sound pressure levels. Distribution functions calculated from this formula check well with examples of skew distributions evaluated from field measurements.
Lattice studies of Yukawa models and extension to chiral gauge theories

Abstract We discuss recent results on lattice Yukawa models and the extension of this work to chiral gauge theories.
Application of the FUN3D Unstructured-Grid Navier-Stokes Solver to the 4th AIAA Drag Prediction Workshop Cases

FUN3D Navier-Stokes solutions were computed for the 4th AIAA Drag Prediction Workshop grid convergence study, downwash study, and Reynolds number study on a set of node-based mixed-element grids. All of the baseline tetrahedral grids were generated with the VGRID (developmental) advancing-layer and advancing-front grid generation software package following the gridding guidelines developed for the workshop. With maximum grid sizes exceeding 100 million nodes, the grid convergence study was particularly challenging for the node-based unstructured grid generators and flow solvers. At the time of the workshop, the super-fine grid with 105 million nodes and 600 million elements was the largest grid known to have been generated using VGRID. FUN3D Version 11.0 has a completely new pre- and post-processing paradigm that has been incorporated directly into the solver and functions entirely in a parallel, distributed memory environment. This feature allowed for practical pre-processing and solution times on the largest unstructured-grid size requested for the workshop. For the constant-lift grid convergence case, the convergence of total drag is approximately second-order on the finest three grids. The variation in total drag between the finest two grids is only 2 counts. At the finest grid levels, only small variations in wing and tail pressure distributions are seen with grid refinement. Similarly, a small wing side-of-body separation also shows little variation at the finest grid levels. Overall, the FUN3D results compare well with the structured-grid code CFL3D. The FUN3D downwash study and Reynolds number study results compare well with the range of results shown in the workshop presentations.
FLPe functions in zebrafish embryos

To assay the efficiency of the FLP/FRT site-specific recombination system in Danio rerio, a construct consisting of a muscle-specific promoter driving EGFP flanked by FRT sites was developed. FLPe capped RNA was microinjected into transgenic single cell stage zebrafish embryos obtained by crossing hemizygous transgenic males with wild-type females. By 48 h post fertilization (hpf), the proportion of embryos displaying green fluorescence following FLPe RNA microinjection was significantly lower (7.7%; P < 0.001) than would be expected from a cross in the absence of the recombinase (50%). Embryos that retained fluorescence displayed marked mosaicism. Inheritance of the excised transgene in non-fluorescent, transgenic embryos was verified by PCR analysis and FLPe-mediated recombination was confirmed by DNA sequencing. Sperm derived from confirmed transgenic males in these experiments was used to fertilize wild-type eggs to determine whether germline excision of the transgene had occurred. Clutches sired by FLPe-microinjected males contained 0–4% fluorescent embryos. Transgenic males that were phenotypically wild-type produced no fluorescent progeny, demonstrating complete excision of the transgene from their germline. FLPe microinjected males that retained some fluorescent muscle expression produced a small proportion of fluorescent offspring, suggesting that in mosaic males not all germline cells had undergone FLPe-mediated transgene excision. Our results show that FLPe, which is derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is an efficient recombinase in zebrafish maintained at 28.5°C.
Multifunctional nanoparticles for imaging, delivery and targeting in cancer therapy

The application of nanoparticles for the delivery and targeting of pharmaceutical, therapeutic and diagnostic agents in cancer therapy has received significant attention in recent years. Nanopartic...
Histone H2A.Z has a conserved function that is distinct from that of the major H2A sequence variants

Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains three genes that encode members of the histone H2A gene family. The last of these to be discovered, HTZ1 (also known as HTA3), encodes a member of the highly conserved H2A.Z class of histones. Little is known about how its in vivo function compares with that of the better studied genes (HTA1 and HTA2) encoding the two major H2As. We show here that, while the HTZ1 gene encoding H2A.Z is not essential in budding yeast, its disruption results in slow growth and formamide sensitivity. Using plasmid shuffle experiments, we show that the major H2A genes cannot provide the function of HTZ1 and the HTZ1 gene cannot provide the essential function of the genes encoding the major H2As. We also demonstrate for the first time that H2A.Z genes are functionally conserved by showing that the gene encoding the H2A.Z variant of the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila is able to rescue the phenotypes associated with disruption of the yeast HTZ1 gene. Thus, the functions of H2A.Z are distinct from those of the major H2As and are highly conserved.
Alterations in immunologic mechanisms in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

No disease of the gastrointestinal tract has clearly been shown to be of immune or autoimmune etiology, although many alterations in immunologic mechanisms have been observed. This progress report has attempted to review many of these alterations and to organize them, at times by use of speculation, into meaningful patterns. Future investigation will provide data on which to base a more informed appraisal of the role of immunologic mechanisms in diseases of the gut.
Poly (C)-binding protein 1 regulates p63 expression through mRNA stability.

p63, a transcription factor and p53 family protein, plays a crucial role in tumor suppression and development of various epithelial tissues. While p63 expression is controlled mostly by post-translational modifications, recent studies indicate that transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulations are essential for proper p63 expression. Here, we investigated the regulation of p63 expression by poly (C)-binding protein 1 (PCBP1, also known as hnRNP-E1 and αCP1). We found that knockdown of PCBP1 decreases the level of p63 transcript and protein. We also found that PCBP1 regulates the stability of p63 mRNA via binding to p63 3’UTR. Additionally, we found that a CU-rich element (CUE) in p63 3′UTR is bound by and responsive to PCBP1. Together, we conclude that PCBP1 regulates p63 expression via mRNA stability.
Questionnaire Items and Types of Intelligence

(1961). Questionnaire Items and Types of Intelligence. The Journal of Genetic Psychology: Vol. 98, No. 2, pp. 265-271.
The effects of mutual concern on joint welfare

Abstract Previous studies attempting to assess the impact of concern for an opponent bargainer's welfare (orientation) upon the integrativeness of the agreements reached have produced differing conclusions. The design of an earlier experiment by Kelley and Schenitzki was replicated using a different negotiation method and task. Participants took the role of either the buyer or the seller in a two-party negotiation. Bargainers received instructions emphasizing either a Team Orientation (i.e., concern for mutual profit) or an Individualistic Orientation (i.e., concern for only one's own profit) and bargained under either a Free Communication or a Restricted Communication condition. The Team Orientation produced more integrative agreements (i.e., higher joint outcomes) than the Individualistic Orientation, regardless of the communication condition. Process data suggested that distinct processes may promote the development of integrative solutions in the two communication conditions.
3D structural model of the G-protein-coupled cannabinoid CB2 receptor.

The potential for therapeutic specificity in regulating diseases and for reduced side effects has made cannabinoid (CB) receptors one of the most important G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) targets for drug discovery. The cannabinoid (CB) receptor subtype CB2 is of particular interest due to its involvement in signal transduction in the immune system and its increased characterization by mutational and other studies. However, our understanding of their mode of action has been limited by the absence of an experimental receptor structure. In this study, we have developed a 3D model of the CB2 receptor based on the recent crystal structure of a related GPCR, bovine rhodopsin. The model was developed using multiple sequence alignment of homologous receptor sub-types in humans and mammals, and compared with other GPCRs. Alignments were analyzed with mutation scores, pairwise hydrophobicity profiles and Kyte-Doolittle plots. The 3D model of the transmembrane segment was generated by mapping the CB2 sequence onto the homologous residues of the rhodopsin structure. The extra- and intracellular loop regions of the CB2 were generated by searching for homologous Cα backbone sequences in published structures in the Brookhaven Protein Databank (PDB). Residue side chains were positioned through a combination of rotamer library searches, simulated annealing and minimization. Intermediate models of the 7TM helix bundles were analyzed in terms of helix tilt angles, hydrogen-bond networks, conserved residues and motifs, possible disulfide bonds. The amphipathic cytoplasmic helix domain was also correlated with biological and site-directed mutagenesis data. Finally, the model receptor-binding cavity was characterized using solvent-accessible surface approach. Proteins 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Activity of imidazole on the hydrolysis of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP by bovine heart and rat liver cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases

Abstract The effects of imidazole on the hydrolysis of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP by crude and partially purified phosphodiesterases obtained from bovine heart and rat liver were studied in order to determine if imidazole has an activity on cyclic nucleotide hydrolysis under conditions which might explain its ability to antagonize the effects of several hormones. Imidazole-Cl (40 m m , pH 7.4) had no effect on the hydrolysis of cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP at substrate levels below 10 μ m by the crude enzymes but increasing stimulation was observed with increasing substrate concentrations reaching a twofold stimulation at 1 m m cyclic nucleotide. Three phosphodiesterases with varying substrate specificities were partially purified from bovine heart by ammonium sulfate precipitation and diethyl aminoethyl cellulose chromatography. With these enzymes imidazole had less stimulatory activity and some inhibitory effect on the hydrolysis of 10 −4 m cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP but was without significant effect on the hydrolysis of 10 −6 m cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP. The stimulatory activity of imidazole on the hydrolysis of high levels of cyclic nucleotide was dependent on the presence of phosphodiesterase activator. The stimulatory effect of the activator and imidazole plus activator on the hydrolysis of 10 −4 m cyclic GMP by the rather cyclic GMP-specific enzyme could be eliminated by the addition of ethylene glycol-bis-(β-aminoethyl ether) N , N ′-tetraacetate (EGTA) and restored by Ca 2+ . Imidazole was without effect on the binding of cyclic AMP to a cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase from bovine heart. The lack of effect of imidazole on the hydrolysis of physiological levels of cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP suggests that the activity of imidazole to antagonize the effects of various hormones is probably not due to a direct action of imidazole on the hydrolysis of cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP.
Revealing Past Memories: Proactive Interference and Ketamine-Induced Memory Deficits

Memories of events that occur often are sensitive to interference from memories of similar events. Proactive interference plays an important and often unexamined role in memory testing for spatially and temporally unique events ("episodes"). Ketamine (NMDA receptor antagonist) treatment in humans and other mammals induces a constellation of cognitive deficits, including impairments in working and episodic memory. We examined the effects of the ketamine (2.5-100 mg/kg) on the acquisition, retrieval, and retention of memory in a delayed-match-to-place radial water maze task that can be used to assess proactive interference. Ketamine (2.5-25 mg/kg, i.p.) given 20 min before the sample trial, impaired encoding. The first errors made during the test trial were predominantly to arms located spatially adjacent to the goal arm, suggesting an established albeit weakened representation. Ketamine (25-100 mg/kg) given immediately after the sample trial had no effect on retention. Ketamine given before the test trial impaired retrieval. First errors under the influence of ketamine were predominantly to the goal location of the previous session. Thus, ketamine treatment promoted proactive interference. These memory deficits were not state dependent, because ketamine treatment at both encoding and retrieval only increased the number of errors during the test session. These data demonstrate the competing influence of distinct memory representations during the performance of a memory task in the rat. Furthermore, they demonstrate the subtle disruptive effects of the NMDA antagonist ketamine on both encoding and retrieval. Specifically, ketamine treatment disrupted retrieval by promoting proactive interference from previous episodic representations.
Explanation mode for Bayesian automatic object recognition

One of the more useful techniques to emerge from AI is the provision of an explanation modality used by the researcher to understand and subsequently tune the reasoning of an expert system. Such a capability, missing in the arena of statistical object recognition, is not that difficult to provide. Long standing results show that the paradigm of Bayesian object recognition is truly optimal in a minimum probability of error sense. To a large degree, the Bayesian paradigm achieves optimality through adroit fusion of a wide range of lower informational data sources to give a higher quality decision--a very 'expert system' like capability. When various sources of incoming data are represented by C++ classes, it becomes possible to automatically backtrack the Bayesian data fusion process, assigning relative weights to the more significant datums and their combinations. A C++ object oriented engine is then able to synthesize 'English' like textural description of the Bayesian reasoning suitable for generalized presentation. Key concepts and examples are provided based on an actual object recognition problem.
Diabetes Nurse Educators' Prioritized Elder Foot Care Behaviors

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to identify diabetes nurse educators' perceptions of the most important foot care behaviors for elderly people to enact in daily care.MethodsA structured, open-ended questionnaire was mailed to a regionally stratified random sample of 90 diabetes nurse educators. Subjects were asked to identify and rank order 8 foot care behaviors perceived important for elderly people with diabetes to enact daily. Data were transcribed and coded into categories and domains using descriptive content analysis.ResultsForty-seven diabetes nurse educators responded with a total of 346 foot care behaviors perceived important for elders. Twenty-one major foot care behavior content categories were grouped into 4 domains of descending importance: foot/nail care, footwear/shoes, general health, and foot emergencies.ConclusionsDiabetes nurse educators generated a range of baseline data for developing a reliable, valid, and patient foot care knowledge outcome measure to support national diabetes ...
Determination Of Exogenously Administered Dopamine In Infant Plasma Using Liquid Chromatography With Electrochemical Detection

Abstract A simple, rapid liquid chromatography method is described for the measurement of exogenously administered dopamine in infant plasma, using electrochemical detection and 3,4 dihydroxybenzylamine hydrobromide as the internal standard (IS). The mobile phase consisted of a monochloroacetate buffer (pH=3.0) with sodium octyl sulfate as the ion-pairing agent, and 2.5% acetonitrile. A biophase IIR reverse phase column was used, and the electrochemical detector was set at +650 mV versus Ag/AgCl. The retention times of IS and dopamine were 3.3 and 6.5 minutes, respectively. The recovery of dopamine following an alumina extraction procedure ranged from 75 to 80%. The inter- and intra-day coefficients of variation using this method were less than 10% and less than 5%, respectively. The major advantages of this method include use of a very small volume of plasma sample (20 μl) and ability to determine very wide ranges of plasma concentrations of dopamine following its administration intravenously. The method...
In vitro response to basic protein in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis: Effect of pretreatment with basic protein in incomplete adjuvant

Abstract Guinea pigs injected with myelin basic protein (BP) in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) fail to develop experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) after challenge with BP in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Such protected animals fail to manifest significant in vitro lymphocyte proliferative responses to BP 13 days after BP/CFA in comparison to animals with EAE. Other BP/IFA-BP/CFA animals develop significant albeit modest responses to BP 21 and 28 days after BP/CFA but do not develop EAE. There was little effect on the response to tuberculin (OT). Guinea pigs receiving only BP/IFA develop a modest transient reactivity to BP and no EAE. CFA alone after BP/IFA elicits a normal response to OT and has no effect on the response to BP.
Enhancing microcantilever capability with integrated AC electroosmotic trapping

Microcantilevers are finding wide applications in detecting biochemical agents. However, their usage has been limited to highly concentrated samples to ensure sufficient deposition of agents onto cantilevers. A pre-concentration or enrichment step will expand their application range to more dilute, practical samples and real-time detection. This paper reports the integration of in-situ particle concentrators on microcantilevers. Only a thin metal layer on microcantilevers is required to generate microfluidic convection of particles from solution bulk onto microcantilever surfaces, greatly enriching local particle counts and enhancing sensitivity of the system. A working prototype is presented in the paper. Preliminary experiments concentrating latex particles were conducted and the particle concentration effect has been experimentally verified using AFM probes as microcantilevers. As ACEO concentrator has no dependence on particle properties, the method is expected to be applicable to bio-particles collection.
Two Organisms of a Commercial Lactic Starter

Summary 1. Two cultures of streptococci were isolated from a commercial starter. These two cultures seemed to be necessary in order to reproduce acidity and flavor of the original starter. 2. One culture was evidently a strain of the Streptococcus lacticus group. It produced a high acidity in milk and but little volatile acidity. 3. The other culture seemed to correspond to organisms of the Streptococcus kefir type. It produced but little total acidity in milk and when grown with the Streptococcus lacticus culture produced considerable volatile acid. 4. Gas was observed in the original starter. This was undoubtedly due to the growth of the organism of the Streptococcus kefir type, since when grown with the Streptococcus lacticus culture there was a gas formation similar to the original starter. It was further observed that carbon dioxide was formed by the culture when grown in peptone milk. 5. Associative action between the two cultures was very noticeable. The results indicated that the Streptococcus lacticus type through its growth converted the nitrogenous material of the milk into a form more available for the Streptococcus kefir type and as a result the growth of the latter was increased. 6. The results reported represent a study of only one commercial starter. It remains to be determined whether the cultures are the same in all starters.
Computational estimates of membrane flow and tension gradient in motile cells.

All parts of motile cells, including the plasma membrane, have to translocate in the direction of locomotion. Both directed intracellular membrane transport coupled with polarized endo- and exocytosis and fluid flow in the plane of the plasma membrane can contribute to this overall plasma membrane translocation. It remains unclear how strong a force is required to generate this flow. We numerically solve Stokes equations for the viscous membrane flow across a flat plasma membrane surface in the presence of transmembrane proteins attached to the cytoskeleton and find the membrane tension gradient associated with this flow. This gradient is sensitive to the size and density of the transmembrane proteins attached to the cytoskeleton and can become significant enough to slow down cell movement. We estimate the influence of intracellular membrane transport and actin growth and contraction on the tension gradient, and discuss possible ‘tank tread’ flow at ventral and dorsal surfaces.
Detection of platelet-activating factor in amniotic fluid of complicated pregnancies.

The ether phospholipid PAF (1-alkyl-2-acetyl- sn -glycero-3-phosphocholine) was originally described as a potent bioactive lipid associated with inflammatory responses. More recently, we have suggested a functional role for PAF in fetal lung maturation and the initiation of parturition. Previously, PAF was detected in the amniotic fluid of women at term during labor. A significant proportion of this PAF was associated with a lamellar body-enriched fraction. In addition, the PAF concentration was elevated in fetal rabbit lung during the latter stages of gestation and in human fetal lung in organ culture. It was therefore concluded that the PAF present in amniotic fluid during labor was, in part, of fetal lung origin. In the reported study, amniotic fluid samples were obtained from a group of patients with uncomplicated pregnancies at term "not in labor" and "in labor" and a group with complicated pregnancies. We found an eightfold greater concentration of PAF in amniotic fluid obtained from the "term, in labor" samples compared with that of the "term, not in labor" samples (40 vs. 312 fmol/ml). A twentyfold elevation in PAF (838 fmol/ml) was evident in the amniotic fluid of patients incurring "preterm labor" with an average gestational age of 32 weeks compared with the "term, not in labor" group. PAF concentrations also were elevated to 756 fmol/ml amniotic fluid in a group of patients with an average gestational age of 31.5 weeks who had premature rupture of membranes. We have previously suggested that a second autacoid, PAF, in addition to eicosanoids, may function in the initiation of parturition at term in uncomplicated pregnancies. On the basis of our findings of a severalfold increase in the PAF concentration in amniotic fluid from complicated pregnancies, it is suggested that this potent activator of myometrial contraction, together with the eicosanoids, may be a contributing factor associated with premature labor.
Interspecific play between free ranging guerezas ( Colobus guereza ) and vervet monkeys ( Cercopithecus aethiops )

Interspecific play, like other interspecific interactions, seems to be rare among free-living primates, despite the fact that polyspecific associations occur quite frequently, especially among forest-living species. A number of instances of play between young guerezas and vervet monkeys are described. This play may be dyadic, individual-group, or group-group and usually involves non-contact types of play. It is suggested that interspecific play is most likely to occur if the ranging patterns of groups of sympatric species remains the same over considerable periods of time, if animals of similar ages are of similar sizes, if social signals associated with play are similar, if play activities are performed in a similar way, and if the temporal organization of play bouts is the same.
Installation and in-beam tests of a large-bore 7 T superconducting solenoid reaction-product collector

Abstract We have constructed and installed at the Michigan State University National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory a 40 cm bore, 1 m long, superconducting solenoid ( B oz ≈ 7 T) for use as a large-solid-angle reaction-product collector lens. The device has been used to produce short-lived isomeric secondary beams and very neutron-rich nuclei ( A = 40–80). These initial tests and the magnet's performance are described.
Plasma cytokines following thermal injury and their relationship with patient mortality, burn size, and time postburn

We measured plasma levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) following thermal injury. Cytokine levels in the plasma of 27 burned patients were serially screened by ELISA and compared with cytokine levels in 16 healthy laboratory employees. The relationships between cytokine concentrations and patient mortality, burn size, and time postburn were examined. Plasma samples with detectable amounts of IL-1 beta and IL-6 were significantly more frequent in burned patients than in controls, whereas TNF alpha was undetectable in most plasma samples. All nonsurviving burned patients had detectable IL-6 levels; these were significantly higher than those of surviving patients. The IL-1 beta and IL-6 concentrations were highest during the first week after injury and declined over time. The IL-1 beta concentrations were positively correlated with burn size. These findings suggest that IL-1 beta and IL-6 may influence metabolic and immunologic responses in the first few weeks following thermal injury. Tumor necrosis factor alpha was transiently elevated in a small subpopulation of burned patients with no obvious relationship to burn size or time postburn.
The Economic Espionage Act: is the law all bark and no bite?

Multinational corporations lose billions of dollars worth of proprietary information every year due to international industrial espionage. The Unites States' response, the Economic Espionage Act, has failed to curtail the problem. This paper will consider the factors that hinder the effective enforcement of the EEA. These barriers include (a) shortcomings in the design of the law itself; (b) disinterest by victimized corporations and the government agencies charged with enforcing the law; and (c) the absence of international support to end espionage activity. After discussing the barriers, the paper will briefly discuss the viability and desirability of a potential international solution.
Determining the Repertoire of Immunodominant Proteins via Whole-Genome Amplification of Intracellular Pathogens

Culturing many obligate intracellular bacteria is difficult or impossible. However, these organisms have numerous adaptations allowing for infection persistence and immune system evasion, making them some of the most interesting to study. Recent advancements in genome sequencing, pyrosequencing and Phi29 amplification, have allowed for examination of whole-genome sequences of intracellular bacteria without culture. We have applied both techniques to the model obligate intracellular pathogen Anaplasma marginale and the human pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum, in order to examine the ability of phi29 amplification to determine the sequence of genes allowing for immune system evasion and long-term persistence in the host. When compared to traditional pyrosequencing, phi29-mediated genome amplification had similar genome coverage, with no additional gaps in coverage. Additionally, all msp2 functional pseudogenes from two strains of A. marginale were detected and extracted from the phi29-amplified genomes, highlighting its utility in determining the full complement of genes involved in immune evasion.
The effect of sand deprivation on sandbathing and marking in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus)

The sandbathing and marking behaviors of 20 Mongolian gerbils were observed after 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 days of sand deprivation. The frequency of three behavioral components of sandbathing significantly increased as a function of deprivation. Deprivation also significantly increased territorial marking; and, as expected, males marked more frequently than females. The results are examined in terms of an oil regulation hypothesis for sand-bathing. The effects of deprivation support the hypothesis.
Human body electrostatic charge (ESC) levels: are they limited by corona bleed off or environmental conditions?

This paper statistically quantifies human body Electrostatic Charging (ESC) in an automotive environment. It shows human body ESC levels do not necessarily increase with low Relative Humidity (RH) or low temperature and are not limited by corona bleed off but rather by naturally-existing environmental ambient conditions.
Vinylierung höherer Carbonsäuren an Katalysatorschmelzen

Nach einigen Hinweisen auf die Verwendungsmoglichkeiten von Vinylestern hoherer Carbonsauren werden bekannte Verfahren zu ihrer Herstellung kurz beschrieben. Weiterhin wird uber ein neues Verfahren berichtet, wobei auch auf die Vinylierung von in α-Stellung verzweigten hoheren Carbonsauren eingegangen wird. Vinylation of Higher Carboxylic Acids on Catalyst Melt After some references about the possibilities of the use of vinyl esters of higher carboxylic acids, some known methods for the synthesis of these are described in short. A new method is then reported whereby the vinylation of the α-position of branched chain higher carboxylic acids is discussed.
Ambient levels and dry deposition fluxes of mercury to Lakes Huron, Erie and St. Clair

Ambient concentrations and dry deposition fluxes of Hg in the gas and particle phase to Lakes St. Clair, Erie and Huron were estimated with a hybrid receptor-deposition model (HRD). The ambient gas and particulate phase Hg concentrations were predicted to vary by a factor of 12 to 18 during the transport of air masses traversing the lakes. The ensemble average deposition fluxes of fine particle Hg ranged from 7 pg/m2-h to 15.3 pg/m2-h over Lake St. Clair, 0.5 to 4.2 pg/m2-h over Lake Huron and 5.1 to 20.6 pg/m2-h over Lake Erie. The deposition flux of coarse particle Hg, was in the range of 50 to 84 pg/m2-h over Lake St. Clair, 4.7 to 24.2 pg/m2-h over Lake Huron and 5.1 to 20.6 pg/m2-:h over Lake Erie. Gaseous Hg volatilized at a rate of 0.21 to 0.52 ng/m2-h from Lake Huron and 0.13 to 0.36 from Lake Erie. Gas phase Hg was deposited at a rate of 5.9 ng/m2-h and/or volatilized at a rate of 0.5 ng/m2-h from Lake St. Clair depending upon the location of the sampling site used in the HRD model. The effect of meteorological conditions, particle size distributions and type and location of the sampling sites played an important role in the transfer of atmospheric Hg to and/or from the lakes.
Lactation Duration: Influences of Human Milk Replacements and Formula Samples on Women Planning Postpartum Employment

Objective: To examine the influences of inhospital administration of breast milk replacements and receipt of formula samples on lactation duration among women planning postpartum employment. Design: Prospective design. Setting: Telephone interviews conducted prenatally and at o weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postpartum. Participants: Sixty-nine participants entered the study; 53 completed all scheduled interviews. Main Outcome Measures: Incidence and type of in-hospital human milk replacement, incidence and sources of formula samples, incidence of breastfeeding at 6 weeks postpartum, and duration of lactation. Results: During hospitalization, 19% of infants received formula; the incidence of breastfeeding at 6 weeks and duration of breastfeeding were significantly shorter in these infants compared with infants who were not fed formula. Fifty-nine percent of participants received formula samples from the hospital, 30% received samples from a physician's office, and 51% received samples by mail. Receipt of formula samples by mail was associated with reduced incidence of breastfeeding at 6 weeks and shortened duration of lactation. Conclusions: Early formula feeding and receipt of formula samples by mail may be barriers to lactation in women employed outside the home.
Novel membrane bioreactor converts waste to commodity

Abstract With support from a UK government initiative Membrane Extraction Technology Ltd, UK, has built a pilot plant incorporating its membrane technology for the efficient removal of toxic organic molecules from aqueous waste streams. Moira Mathers of the E TBPP, UK, explains.
Density functional theory study of one-dimensional growth of styrene on the hydrogen-terminated Si(001)-(3 × 1) surface

Recent experimental work has shown that the addition of styrene molecules to hydrogen-terminated Si(001) surfaces leads to the formation of one-dimensional molecular structures through a radical-initiated surface chain reaction mechanism. These nanometric structures are observed to be directed parallel to the dimer rows on the H−Si(001)−(2 × 1) surface and perpendicular to the same rows on H−Si(001)−(3 × 1). Using periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we have studied the initial steps of the radical chain mechanism on the H−Si(001)−(3 × 1) surface and compared them to analogous results for H−Si(001)−(2 × 1). On the H−Si(001)−(3 × 1) surface, one of the crucial steps of the surface chain reaction, namely, the abstraction of a H atom from a nearby surface hydride unit, is found to have a somewhat smaller activation energy in the direction perpendicular to the dimer rows (H abstraction from the nearest dihydride site) than along the rows (H abstraction from a neighboring dimer). Additionally...
Infrared detection of hot spots in energized transmission and distribution equipment

Abstract An important facet of transmission and substation operation is preventive maintenance of energized electrical apparatus. Problems in energized equipment often appear as hot spots due to local thermal overloads or bad electrical connections. An excellent method of locating these hot spots is remote detection of the infrared radiation emitted. This paper is a survey of infrared detection systems suitable for this application. The first part of the paper is a brief tutorial introduction to infrared detection and imaging systems. Following this introduction, a survey of commercially available systems suitable for remote detection of hot spots is presented. Finally, the highlights of new developments in infrared technology are briefly discussed and the results of the investigation are summarized.
On the Internal Structure of Calcified Tube Walls in Serpulidae and Spirorbidae(Annelida,Polychaeta)

Internal structure of calcified tube walls of 12 species of Serpulidae and 2 species of Spirorbidae (Polychaeta) were studied using scanning electron microscope. Inner surface of tubes was smooth. The vertical structure of tube walls of six serpulid species was porous. Circular pores and meander slender pores were observed. Tube walls comprised orderly arranged prismatic-like crystals of 1.3-10.0μm long by 0.2-1.8μm wide.
Processing of microcellular polyester composites

A new method of producing microcellular polyester composites is developed. The microcellular foam which is produced by supersaturating the polyester resin with nitrogen is cured by dielectric heating. The lightweight composite contains about 10 μm size bubbles. By substituting the microcells for the particulate fillers of the conventional composites, the weight of the composite is reduced by 30 to 40 percent. A theoretical analysis based on classical nucleation theory is applied to predict the rate of nucleation. The diffusion controlled bubble growth is modeled and the theoretical prediction is in good agreement with experiment. The mechanical behavior of the microcellular composite has also been examined. Toughness is improved significantly whereas the flexural strength remains the same as that of a conventional sheet molding compound.
High Energy Ion Beam Mixing in Al2 O3

The ion beam mixing technique has been employed to mix metal atoms into the surface layers of Al 2 O 3 . Ion beams of Fe + and Zr + in the 1 to 4 MeV energy range were used to irradiate Al 2 O 3 specimens on the surfaces of which films of chromium or zirconium had been evaporated. Some specimens were irradiated at elevated temperatures of 873 or 1173 K. Rutherford backscattering (RBS) and channeling methods were used to measure the metal atom depth profiles near the surface. Analyses of the backscattering data included binary collision calculations using the codes TRIM and MARLOWE. The significance and limitations of high energy (>1 MeV) beams for ion beam mixing experiments is discussed. Evidence was found for radiation enhanced diffusion and/or solubility of zirconium and chromium in Al 2 O 3 at 873 K.
Application of binomial distributions to quality assurance of quantitative chemical analyses

Abstract Data from the analyses of reference samples often must be used to determine the quality of the data being produced by laboratories that routinely make chemical analyses of environmental samples. When a laboratory analyzes many reference samples, binomial distributions can be used in evaluating laboratory performance. The number of standard deviations (that is, the difference between the reported value and most probable value divided by the theoretical standard deviation) is calculated for each analysis. Individual values exceeding two standard deviations are considered unacceptable, and a binomial distribution is used to determine if overall performance is satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Similarly, analytical bias is examined by applying a binomial distribution to the number of positive and negative standard deviations.
Deciphering subcellular processes in live imaging datasets via dynamic probabilistic networks

Motivation: Designing mathematical tools that can formally describe the dynamics of complex intracellular processes remains a challenge. Live cell imaging reveals changes in the cellular states, but current simple approaches extract only minimal information of a static snapshot. Results: We implemented a novel approach for analyzing organelle behavior in live cell imaging data based on hidden Markov models (HMMs) and showed that it can determine the number and evolution of distinct cellular states involved in a biological process. We analyzed insulin-mediated exocytosis of single Glut4-vesicles, a process critical for blood glucose homeostasis and impaired in type II diabetes, by using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM). HMM analyses of movie sequences of living cells reveal that insulin controls spatial and temporal dynamics of exocytosis via the exocyst, a putative tethering protein complex. Our studies have validated the proof-of-principle of HMM for cellular imaging and provided direct evidence for the existence of complex spatial-temporal regulation of exocytosis in non-polarized cells. We independently confirmed insulin-dependent spatial regulation by using static spatial statistics methods. Conclusion: We propose that HMM-based approach can be exploited in a wide avenue of cellular processes, especially those where the changes of cellular states in space and time may be highly complex and non-obvious, such as in cell polarization, signaling and developmental processes. Contact:kresimir.letinic@yale.edu; derek.toomre@yale.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.