cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing the precautionary principle in the regulation of genetically modified organisms

This article seeks to clarify and then assess the regulatory legitimacy of the Precautionary Principle (PP). The investigation proceeds by way of an example, the commercialisation of genetically modified pest protected plants (GMPPPs). First, I sort the various formulations of the PP into two categories - weak and strong. Weak versions afford regulators significant latitude as to what counts as a good reason for approving or denying permission to commercialise environmentally risky technology. Strong versions restrict regulators to consider environmental risk in isolation from possible benefits. Then I argue that in domestic contexts the weak formulations are unobjectionable, justifiable, and otherwise legitimate. However, these formulations are problematic in the context of international trade agreements (e.g. The Cartagena Protocol). Finally, I argue that strong formulations of the PP should be rejected as legitimate regulatory responses to the environmental risks of GMPPPs.
Hindered transport of macromolecules in isolated glomeruli. II. Convection and pressure effects in basement membrane

The filtration rates for water and a polydisperse mixture of Ficoll across films of isolated glomerular basement membrane (GBM) were measured to characterize convective transport across this part of the glomerular capillary wall. Glomeruli were isolated from rat kidneys and the cells were removed by detergent lysis, leaving a preparation containing almost pure GBM that could be consolidated into a layer at the base of a small ultrafiltration cell. A Ficoll mixture with Stokes-Einstein radii ranging from about 2.0 to 7.0 nm was labeled with fluorescein, providing a set of rigid, spherical test macromolecules with little molecular charge. Filtration experiments were performed at two physiologically relevant hydraulic pressure differences (delta P), 35 and 60 mmHg. The sieving coefficient (filtrate-to-retentate concentration ratio) for a given size of Ficoll tended to be larger at 35 than at 60 mmHg, the changes being greater for the smaller molecules. The Darcy permeability also varied inversely with pressure, averaging 1.48 +/- 0.10 nm2 at 35 mmHg and 0.82 +/- 0.07 nm2 at 60 mmHg. Both effects could be explained most simply by postulating that the intrinsic permeability properties of the GBM change in response to compression. The sieving data were consistent with linear declines in the hindrance factors for convection and diffusion with increasing pressure, and correlations were derived to relate those hindrance factors to molecular size and delta P. Comparisons with previous Ficoll sieving data for rats in vivo suggest that the GBM is less size-restrictive than the cell layers, but that its contribution to the overall size selectivity of the barrier is not negligible. Theoretical predictions of the Darcy permeability based on a model in which the GBM is a random fibrous network consisting of two populations of fibers were in excellent agreement with the present data and with ultrastructural observations in the literature.
Mobile High-Containment Isolation: A Unique Patient Care Modality

Abstract : During the past 15 years, several infectious viral hemorrhagic diseases, including Marburg disease, Lassa fever, and Ebola fever, have been identified. These, and other exotic diseases, are defined as highly virulent transmissible conditions caused by dangerous pathogens for which patients require specialized handling and care. High-containment isolation provides a means whereby a patient, laboratory specimens, or both can be physically separated by a microbiologic barrier, yet safely handled by attending personnel. High-containment isolation incorporates three basic principles: protective barrier, negative pressure, and filtered air. The Trexler Patient Isolator System, developed by C.P. Trexler and manufactured by Vickers, Ltd., Basingstoke, England, consists of three units: the Stretcher Isolator (SI), the Aircraft Transit Isolator (ATI), and the Bed Isolator (BI). Each unit encloses the patient in a negatively pressurized transparent polyvinyl chloride (PVC) chamber. Air is exhausted actively from the unit, creating a partial vacuum, or negative pressure, and allowing passive air intake. Air entering and exiting the units is filtered through high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that remove a minimum of 99.7% of all particles ranging in size from 0.02 to 2.0 um.
Physicalnet: cross-network applications for multi-user sensor and actuator networks

Processors keep increasing the speed at which they can execute program instructions. The bandwidth available for both wired and wireless communications keeps growing. Specialized hardware such as sensors, actuators, and hand-held devices keep improving their power efficiency and size factor. Consequently, we can expect that computers, communication infrastructures, and specialized hardware will interact more and more to form complex Cyber-physical Systems (CPSs). CPSs will revolutionize the way humans interact with the physical world. CPSs will allow the programming of applications involving globally accessible sensors and actuators, applications that are not only efficient but also robust and secure. In this essay, we focus on describing a system satisfying a possible set of CPS requirements that we motivate in the first section. As a running example, we consider an application named FireAlarm that monitors the temperature in buildings and raises the alarm in case of abnormally high temperatures.
Pharmacological characteristics of the active principles in neurohypophysial extracts from several species of fishes.

Pituitary extracts from a marine teleost (Pollachius virens), a cyclostome (Petromyzon marinus) and an elasmobranch (Squalus acanthias) have been subjected to a variety of biological assays. The activities of these extracts have been determined on rat blood pressure, rat antidiuresis, rat uterus in vitro, rabbit milk ejection, fowl blood pressure, the hen oviduct in vitro and the bullfrog bladder in vitro. The patterns of relative activities on these assays for each species have been compared to the patterns for known neurohypophysial hormones and related synthetic analogues. The evidence suggests that arginine vasotocin (8-arginine oxytocin) is the major active neurohypophysial peptide in the teleost and cyclostome. Oxytocin also appears to be present in the teleost. The neurointermediate lobe of the elasmobranch contains a pattern of activities that cannot be readily attributed to any of the known neurohypophysial peptides or synthetic analogues that have been examined to date.
Superoxide dismutase decreases early reperfusion release of conjugated dienes following regional canine ischemia.

Oxygen radical-induced myocardial lipid peroxidation may cause injury during regional ischemia and reperfusion. However, in vivo detection of lipid peroxidation is difficult. Since conjugated dienes are lipid peroxidation products of unsaturated fatty acids, we evaluated the potential value of detection of these double-bonded fatty acids as a marker of oxygen radical injury. In seven untreated and five superoxide dismutase-treated anesthetized dogs exposed to 90 min of coronary occlusion and subsequent reperfusion, coronary sinus plasma draining the ischemic and reperfused region was assayed for dienes. Lipids were extracted and diene optical density measured at 233 nm wavelength. Superoxide dismutase (5 mg/kg, total dose) was infused into the left atrium during ischemia and the first 30 min of reperfusion. Coronary sinus diene optical density increased in untreated animals at 5 and 10 min of reperfusion (reperfusion optical density (x±SEM): 5 min=1.49±0.20 absorbance units, 10 min=1.36±0.06; both p<0.05 vs preocclusion optical density=1.10±0.05 and 25 min reperfusion=1.20±0.07). No increase in diene optical density occurred in superoxide dismutase-treated dogs. Myocardial lipid peroxidation products, as conjugated dienes, increased in coronary sinus plasma during early reperfusion and this increase was prevented by superoxide dismutase infusion.
Internet-Based Expressive Writing for Kidney Transplant Recipients: Effects on Posttraumatic Stress and Quality of Life

Transplantation can be conceptualized as a traumatic stressor that may lead to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and poorer quality of life (QOL). This pilot study examined an Internet-based expressive writing (EW) intervention adapted for kidney transplant recipients with the goal of improving transplant-related PTSD and QOL and general health-related QOL. Forty-eight participants were randomly assigned to EW or medical fact writing conditions. Internet-based EW was found to be feasible, to be safe, and to lead to significantly better transplant-related QOL. Both writing groups showed a decrease in PTSD severity, with the expressive writers demonstrating a trend toward significantly less PTSD arousal symptoms. This pilot study provides initial support for the use of Internet-based EW with medical patients.
EXAMINING AN ALTERNATIVE TO SCORE EQUATING: A RANDOMLY EQUIVALENT FORMS APPROACH

Randomly equivalent forms (REF) of tests in listening and reading for nonnative speakers of English were created by stratified random assignment of items to forms, stratifying on item content and predicted difficulty. The study included 50 replications of the procedure for each test. Each replication generated 2 REFs. The equivalence of those 2 forms was evaluated by comparing the raw-score distributions focusing on the greatest difference in the cumulative distributions. For listening, 10 replications produced cumulative distributions that differed at some point by more than 0.10, and 4 replications produced differences greater than 0.15. For reading, only 3 replications produced differences greater than 0.10. The difference between the results for listening and reading reflects the greater variation, within strata, in the difficulty of the listening items. The REF procedure may become more effective if item difficulty can be predicted more accurately.
Item similarity and proactive interference in short-term memory

The present paper addresses the question of the nature of interitem similarity effects in short-term retention. An interference theory prediction is pitted against an opposing expectation based on a cognitive strategy subjects could use in the “release-from-PI” paradigm. The experiment consisted of three conditions that differed in the extent of overlap among items in the short-term retention task. Results supported interference theory, in that increasing the interitem similarity of the to-be-recalled items resulted in a substantial decrease in correct recall.
Numerical And Analytical Theory Of The Time Response Of A Simple Multiquantum Well Avalanche Photodiode

Numerical and analytical calculations for the time course of a simple GaAs/AlGaAs multi-quantum well avalanche photodiode are presented. The numerical calculations are based on an ensemble Monte Carlo calculation. The numerical results are obtained by an iterative method in which the parent electrons, those generated from photon absorption, are first simulated yielding the daughter electron and hole distributions. The daughter hole distribution is then simulated based on the time and spatial location of each particle's birth obtained from the previous simulation. The analytical formulation is based on the model of a marked filtered Bernoulli branching process. The analytical results are obtained from a generalized version of previously derived equations for the staircase avalanche photodiode. Both analytical and numerical results are presented for single-carrier initiated, single-carrier multiplication (SCI-SCM) devices. A comparison between the two calculations is addressed. Only simulation results are presented for single-carrier initiated, double-carrier multi-plication (SCI-DCM) devices.
Incorporation of labelled dietary n-alkanes into cuticular lipids of the grasshopper Melanoplus sanguinipes

Abstract Dietary hydrocarbons are incorporated into cuticular lipids of the grasshopper Melanoplus sanguinipes . Dietary secondary alcohols and ketones, however, are not incorporated into the cuticular lipids. In typical experiments from 8 to 28 per cent of the fed labeled n-alkanes are recovered in the cuticular lipids. Most of the radioactivity recovered from feeding the C 23 n-alkane and a significant amount from the C 25 was found as a secondary alcohol in the form of a wax ester. The C 29 and C 31 n-alkanes were recovered primarily unchanged as the n-alkane. Eighty-five per cent of injected acetate incorporated into the hydrocarbon fraction is in the branched hydrocarbons. These results show that the insect synthesizes its branched hydrocarbons, whereas a large part of the normal hydrocarbons can be dietary.
Incorporation of 2,6-di(4,4'-dipyridyl)-9-thiabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane into discrete 2D supramolecules via coordination-driven self-assembly.

The synthesis and characterization of three new supramolecular complexes 6−8 (a rhomboid and two hexagons) via coordination-driven self-assembly are reported in excellent yields (>90%). These assemblies have 2,6-di(4,4‘-dipyridyl)-9-thiabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane 2 as the bridging tecton. All assemblies were characterized by multinuclear NMR (1H and 31P), mass spectrometry (ESI-MS and ESI-FT-ICR), and elemental analysis. The X-ray structure of the 120° tecton 2 is also discussed.
Development milestones related to feeding status: evidence from the Child Health Supplement to the 1981 National Health Interview Survey

This study examines maternal reports of the health and attainment of developmental milestones for 1374 breast-fed v. 1414 formula-fed infants. Data were drawn from the 1981 Child Health Supplement to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS-CHS), a nationally representative sample of some 40 000 households in the United States of America. The results showed smiling to be reported earlier for the infants of breast-feeding mothers. Formula-feeding mothers were quicker to introduce their infants to solid foods, and also reported earlier success in toilet-training their infants than did breast-feeding mothers. Ratings of physical health were comparatively better for the breastfed than for the bottle-fed infants. Although partially accounted for by duration of breast-feeding, demographic factors of low family income and maternal education predicted poorer infant health. These findings suggest that feeding method may modestly influence infant social development and physical well-being.
Vertical fluxes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in dissolved, suspended and sinking phases were measured in the northern Gulf of Mexico during 2012 and 2013 to estimate rate of loss of particulate PAHs from the water column via sinking fluxes. The concentrations of suspended particulate ΣPAH 43 varied between 0.29–0.72 ng/L in 2012 and 0.17–1.31 ng/L in 2013 while dissolved ΣPAH 43 varied between 31.2–51.2 ng/L and 24.2–58.0 ng/L in 2012 and 2013, respectively. The concentrations of dissolved PAHs were found to be orders of magnitude lower than the values reported during DWH oil spill. Sediment trap-based vertical sinking fluxes of particulate ΣPAH 43 varied between 2.21–7.78 μg m − 2 day − 1 in 2012 and 1.95–2.53 μg m − 2 day − 1 in 2013. The vertical fluxes are found to be an important loss term for particle bound PAHs in this region with 3.1–6.7% of total particulate PAH inventory in the euphotic zone being lost daily via this pathway. The reported variability in the sinking rates of particle bound PAHs from the upper ocean can impact the residence time of PAHs in the upper ocean.
An Introduction to the World's Oceans, 6th Edition

This book is a significantly updated sixth edition of a popular and widely used introductory text in ocean sciences. The audience—students without a strong background in mathematics, chemistry, physics, geology, or biology, but with a basic curiosity and interest in the oceans—is an increasingly large group at most universities, where such introductory courses are offered to fulfill distributional requirements in physical science. In this latest version, the Duxburys have teamed up with Keith Sverdrup to expand sections on geology, tectonics, and seismology, and add descriptions of major interdisciplinary research programs. Almost every subject about the ocean is addressed in some way, and a rich array of additional sources of information is provided through sidebars on special topics, Internet links, and a text Web site.
Thomas Henry Huxley's lecture tour of the United States, 1876.

In the last half of the 19th century the English biologist-educator—rhetorician, Thomas Henry Huxley (1825—95), was a leading expositor and advocate of science, and of Darwinism in particular. At scientific meetings and conventions, in classroom lectures, public presentations, commemorative addresses, after-dinner speeches, books and essays, articles, book reviews and letters to newspapers, he clarified and defended the world of science, often duelling en route with orthodox theology and the older conservative scientists. Friend and foe attested to his rhetorical expertise. His fame and influence was by no means limited to Great Britain, for the European continent and the United States soon knew him well, and indeed the English-speaking world and other areas also came to know of his works.
Structural Determinants of Indole Amine Action on in Vitro Insulin Release1

The structural specificity for inhibition of glucose stimulated insulin secretion by indole amines such as serotonin, was studied in an in vitro golden hamster pancreas system. Serotonin is the most potent inhibitor in this series, tryptamine is a weaker inhibitor of insulin release, while 5–methoxytryptamine, melatonin and 5–hydroxyindole acetic acid (S—HIAA) have no inhibitory activity. The inhibition of insulin secretion by serotonin is blocked by some (methysergide maleate) but not blocked by other (cinanserin) serotonin antagonists. It is concluded that in both the indole amine and catecholamine series there is a decrease in inhibitory potency with reduction of the number of hydroxyl groups on the aromatic ring; absence of the aliphatic amine group results in complete loss of inhibitory action.(Endocrinology 91: 809, 1972)
The product of availability: understanding the economic underpinnings of constant connectivity

Constant connectivity and total availability to clients is the rule rather than the exception in many contemporary workplaces. Enabled by developments in information and communication technologies (ICTs), total availability of employees is possible and presumed. Scholars have explored how new technological affordances, cultural shifts, individual personality traits, and/or the development of social expectations that reinforce norms of constant connectivity have led to this state of affairs. We argue that a key factor has been overlooked in current scholarship about stress, intensive work, and constant connectivity. That is, current economic conditions are creating a marketplace in which firms increasing sell the availability of their employees as part of the services offered by the firm. In this paper we use qualitative data to illustrate how total availability is an integral aspect of the 'product' offered by professional service firms and is becoming increasingly prevalent in other service industries. We conclude with a discussion of how the HCI community might address this situation as a design challenge. Drawing on the work of Goffman and Perlow, we suggest that designers attend to the ways in which organizations might maintain front stage impressions of total availability while collectively managing individual time to restrict total availability behind the scenes.
Simvastatin treatment of pulmonary hypertension: an observational case series.

Background Statins confer cardiovascular benefits beyond the reduction of serum cholesterol through antiproliferative and antiinflammatory mechanisms and induction of endothelial nitric oxide expression. In pneumonectomized rats injected with monocrotaline, simvastatin reversed established pulmonary hypertension and conferred a 100% survival advantage Study objectives To evaluate the safety and efficacy of simvastatin for treatment of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) Design Open-label observational study performed at Stanford University Medical Center. Sixteen patients with primary and secondary causes of PAH, World Health Organization (WHO) classes I (n = 2), II (n = 4), III (n = 3), IV (n = 7), are described. Simvastatin was prescribed at 20 to 80 mg/d and continued in the absence of adverse effects Measurements and results Serial measurements of 6-min walk (6MW) performance, hemodynamics, and echocardiographic estimates of right ventricular systolic pressures (RVSPs) were recorded on each patient. Simvastatin treatment was not associated with hepatic dysfunction, muscle necrosis, or other adverse events. Individual patients demonstrated improvements in 6MW performance, improvements in cardiac output, or decreases in RVSP that may be attributable to simvastatin treatment. Overall, the rate of disease progression appeared to be attenuated, and WHO class IV patients demonstrated improved survival Conclusions Simvastatin treatment appears safe in patients with PAH
The Gay Librarian: A Comparative Analysis of Attitudes Towards Professional Gender Issues

Librarianship is a feminized profession, and like teaching, nursing, and social work with which it shares the occupational traits of a "semi-profession," its low status and prestige have been attributed to a negative feminine image. To date, discussion of a corresponding male librarian image, general male issues, and the broader topic of gender issues has been minimal within the profession, while serious discussion of gay male librarians and their professional identity has been virtually nil. This study compares the responses of straight and self-identified gay males to an exploratory survey of male members of the American Library Association. The topics covered by the survey include reasons for entry into the field, the existence and identity of a male librarian stereotype, and gender issues generally, including gender stratification of work and sexual discrimination and/or harassment. Self-identified gay subjects share many characteristics in common with the straight cohort, including the identification of a gay male stereotype and some denial surrounding gender equity issues. On the other hand, the tentative findings of this exploratory study raise the question of whether both gay and straight male subjects overestimate the number of gay men in librarianship. The report concludes with an update on gay issues within the profession since the survey was completed, and recommendations for further research.
Synthesis, characterization and crystal structures of Nickel(II) complexes containing sterically hindering Benzimidazole ligands

The synthesis, characterization, and crystal structures of two Ni(II) complexes with N,N-bis[2-(2′-benzimidazolyl)ethyl]amine (bbiea) (1) and N,N-bis[2-(1′-methyl-2′-benzimidazolyl)ethyl]amine (bmbea) (2) are reported. The nickel complex Ni(bbiea)(O2C2H3)(ClO4) (3) crystallizes in the space group C2/c, with a = 35.830(7), b = 14.130(3), c = 10.756(2) A, and β = 103.04(3)°. Compound 4, Ni(bmbea)(NO3)2, crystallizes in the space group P21/c, with a = 17.024(5), b = 16.516(4), c = 8.692(2) A, and β = 91.31(2)°. In 3, the bbiea ligand is coordinated to the Ni(II) ion in a facial conformation, whereas the bmbea ligand in 4 adopts meridonal geometry. Both complexes contain a single benzimidazole chelate and the remaining coordination sites are occupied by solvent molecules and/or counterions. Reactions involving large excesses of ligand-to-metal and different solvents produced only the mono-chelated complexes 3 and 4. No evidence for formation of bis-chelated complexes with Ni(II) was observed by MALDI-TOF and ...
From the culture of poverty to the culture of single motherhood: The new poverty paradigm

Women in the United States have long suffered high rates of poverty,yet it was only in the late 1970s that the "feminization of poverty" was recognized. Instead of using the emerging gender-based theoretical framework to explain women's impoverishment, however, a core of mainstream researchers relied on a familiar male-centered "culture of poverty" analysis. Rather than simply grafting women onto the extant paradigm, these scholars instead replaced male with female pathologies as central to their poverty analysis. The resulting revised paradigm, which I call the culture of single motherhood, marks a turning point in poverty scholarship in the U.S. To the belief that men were the primary victims and perpetrators of impoverishment has been added the idea that women themselves could be the cause of their own, even men's, poverty. The central thesis of this paper is that even in themost recent theorizing about poverty and its allevation we are again faced with the culture of poverty controversy albeit updated...
Combining learning styles and technology acceptance: new perspectives on online business education

As online education continues to grow worldwide, scholarly interest in the phenomenon is also rising. There is considerable research into learning styles within the field of education, but only recently has that knowledge been applied to online learning environments. Similarly, the technology acceptance model (TAM) has been widely tested in the information systems literature, but few studies of the TAM exist in higher education, let alone online learning. This paper links the research on learning styles and technology acceptance through a matrix of online course tools indexed by a student's learning style and proposes an extended TAM model.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-α and Mortality in Heart Failure A Community Study

Background— Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), an inflammatory cytokine, was reported to be elevated in trials of heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (EF) and associated with mortality. ...
Computer information systems and organization structure

A study of Computer Information Systems and Management (CISM) is described and selected results relating to changes in organizational structure in eight organizations are presented. In five of the organizations no changes in formal structure accompanied the introduction of CIS. Where organizational changes did occur, the existing structure of the organization was usually reinforced. These findings suggest that CIS is a flexible tool that is compatible with a variety of organizational design options and not a cause of design per se.
Cadmium toxicity to laboratory and field populations of Daphnia galeata mendotae.

The relationships between toxicity and exposure time (toxicity curves) or between chronic and acute toxicity have long been of fundamental importance in fish toxicology, but only recently have been analyzed for zooplankton. As a method for estimating maximum acceptable toxicant concentrations (MATC) for fish that cannot be chronically tested in the laboratory, Mount and Stephan proposed the use of application factors (MATC/96-h LC50 ratios) derived from species that can be laboratory tested. Cadmium application factors subsequently reported for three species of fish all fell within the range of 0.002 to 0.008. Studies of cadmium toxicity to laboratory Daphnia populations and zooplankton communities containing Daphnia have been reported, and the laboratory results were recently verified in the field. However, no cadmium toxicity curves or application factors have been reported for Daphnia populations. The purpose of this paper is to report on the relationship between exposure time and cadmium toxicity to laboratory and field populations of Daphnia gleata mendotae, as summarized in a cadmium toxicity curve, and to derive a cadmium application factor.
Ablating Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Successfully

The ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) poses many challenges compared with ablation for paroxysmal AF, including greater procedural complexity, longer procedural time, unclear endpoints, increased patient comorbidity with a greater risk of procedural complications, and lower success rate. Nevertheless, using a combination of patient selection, careful procedural planning of both ablation strategy and endpoints, and by setting realistic patient expectations, successful ablation may be achieved. Further improvements will come from continued technical advances as well as from greater mechanistic understanding of persistent AF, including the physiologically-targeted ablation of localized rotors and focal sources that have recently been shown to maintain human AF.
Characterization of a soluble glycolipid galactosyltransferase which occurs in bovine milk.

Abstract Bovine milk was found to contain, in soluble form, an enzyme which transfers galactose from UDPgalactose to glucosylceramide. This enzyme was partially purifed by the same procedure used to isolate the galactosyltransferase of lactose synthetase. The partially purified enzyme required detergents for activity, had a pH optimum of 7.2–7.3 and required Mn 2+ . The apparent K m calculated for glucosylceramide was 1.33 · 10 −4 M. With glucosylceramide as acceptor the product of the reaction was identified as lactosylceramide by autoradiography on thin-layer chromatograms. Lactosylceramide was also an effective acceptor for the transferase reaction but neutral glycosphingolipids or gangliosides with terminal galactose or N -acetylgalactosamine residues were ineffective or poorly effective as acceptors. Addition of α-lactalbumin inhibited the transferase reaction.
Ultrastructure of the nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial (Clara) cell of mammalian lung: II. A comparison of horse, steer, sheep, dog, and cat.

Two morphologic characteristics have been used to define the nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial cell: abundant agranular endoplasmic reticulum (AER) and membrane-bound ovoid granules. To assess the ultrastructural homogeneity of this cell type in the lungs of large domestic mammals used as experimental models in pulmonary research, we evaluated lungs of horse, steer, sheep, dog, and cat. Bronchioles of known anatomic location were examined by electron microscopy following fixation by airway infusion at standard pressure and processing by selective embedding techniques. Nonciliated bronchiolar epithelium of the horse and sheep had numerous ovoid granules (averaging above 15 per cell) and abundant AER. Granules were scarce (averaging less than 2 per cell) in steer and dog and absent in cat. AER was minimal in these species compared to horse and sheep. Glycogen was the dominant cytoplasmic feature in steer, dog, and cat, variable in sheep and rare in horse. Large mitochondria with few cristae and densely sta...
Spectral nature of luminosity associated with the surface flashover process

The luminous events associated with the breakdown along the surfaces of large band gap insulators such as polycrystalline alumina and monocrystalline quartz in vacuum were investigated using a phototube and a very sensitive photomultiplier tube (PMT). The spectral nature of the light emitted during breakdown was resolved (in terms of the wavelength) by interfacing a monochromator with the PMT. In the case of the monocrystalline quartz specimen, the breakdown luminosity was observed to be associated with defects located at 2.76 and 1.91 eV below the conduction band edge. The breakdown luminosity of polycrystalline alumina was found to be associated with the defects corresponding to energy levels at approximately 1.91, 2.25, 2.45 and 2.76 eV. The formation of these defects is discussed in terms of the nonstoichiometric nature of the lattice structure at the surface. The samples were found to emit light when no breakdown occurs. This emission is attributed to the deep level defects. The observed results suggest that the surface flashover process is primarily controlled by the defect or trapping centers located within the forbidden gap of the insulators. >
Portfolio Theory and Nonprofit Financial Stability

This article models and tests for the factors that influence financial predictability for a nonprofit organization. Financial portfolio theory is used to model a nonprofit organization's optimal combination of revenue streams in order to minimize financial risk. The optimal combination of funding from government and other sources depends on the variance and covariance between the sources of revenue. Data from nonprofit foster care organizations in New York State are used to show that nonprofit organizations that are more dependent on government funding as a source of revenue have more predictable revenues.
The Effect of the Endothelial Cell Cortex on Atomic Force Microscopy Measurements

We examined whether the presence of the cell cortex might explain, in part, why previous studies using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to measure cell modulus (E) gave higher values with sharp tips than for larger spherical tips. We confirmed these AFM findings in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and Schlemm’s canal (SC) endothelial cells with AFM indentation ≤ 400 nm, two cell types with prominent cortices (312 ± 65 nm in HUVEC and 371 ± 91 nm in SC cells). With spherical tips, E (kPa) was 0.71 ± 0.16 in HUVEC and 0.94 ± 0.06 in SC cells. Much higher values of E were measured using sharp tips: 3.23 ± 0.54 in HUVEC and 6.67 ± 1.07 in SC cells. Previous explanations for this difference such as strain hardening or a substrate effect were shown to be inconsistent with our measurements. Finite element modeling studies showed that a stiff cell cortex could explain the results. In both cell types, Latrunculin-A greatly reduced E for sharp and rounded tips, and also reduced the ratio of the values measured with a sharp tip as compared to a rounded tip. Our results suggest that the cell cortex increases the apparent endothelial cell modulus considerably when measured using a sharp AFM tip.
Pathways Linking Positive Emotion and Health in Later Life

Numerous changes in physiological functioning accompany the aging process. Gradual declines in fundamental aspects of the neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and immune systems contribute to increased risks for morbidity and mortality. Importantly, alterations in physiological processes are not invariant with age but are influenced by individual differences in vulnerability and resilience that accrue across the life span. In this review, I focus on what is known about positive emotion as a contributing factor in lowering morbidity and mortality in older adults. I describe plausible pathways that may underlie the association between positive emotion and health and review illustrative studies examining these pathways. The findings point to new research questions that pose important research opportunities.
Administration of medicines in food and drink: a study of older inpatients with severe mental illness.

Background: Difficulties in administering medicines to older people are common, and medicines are sometimes mixed with food and drink to aid administration. Little is known about this practice or that of covert administration. This study aims to examine the nature, frequency, safety, reasons for and documentation of the administration of medicines in food and drinkMethods: A cross-sectional survey of mainly older adults, who were inpatients at a U.K. tertiary referral centre, was carried out, and nursing staff and consultant psychiatrists were interviewed.Results: Of the 110 patients, 34 (30.9%) were receiving medication mixed with food or drink, although for only 52.9% was the procedure documented in the patient's care plan and for 64.7% was it documented on the medication chart. No associated safety issues were identified. The main reasons for this practice were swallowing difficulties (61.8%) and refusal to swallow tablets (47.1%). Thirteen out of 110 (11.8%) patients were receiving covert medication, most commonly antipsychotics and anxiolytics or hypnotics. All were detained and lacked capacity to consent. Most had dementia but a few had chronic schizophrenia. For only 46.2% was covert administration documented in the care plan and for 69.2% on the medication chart.Conclusions: Administration of medication in food or drink and covert medication were common in this group of hospitalized patients with severe mental illness. Before administering medication covertly it is important to discuss the matter with the multidisciplinary team and, where appropriate, with the patient's relatives. It is also important to ensure that supporting documentation has been completed in order to avoid medico-legal difficulties.
Ultrathin strained-SOI by stress balance on compliant substrates and FET performance

Ultrathin, strained-silicon-on-insulator (s-SOI) structures without a residual silicon-germanium (SiGe) underlayer have been fabricated using stress balance of bi-layer structures on compliant borophosphorosilicate glass (BPSG). The bi-layer structure consisted of SiGe and silicon films, which were initially pseudomorphically grown on a silicon substrate and then transferred onto BPSG by a wafer bonding and SmartCut process. The viscous flow of the BPSG during a high-temperature anneal then allowed the SiGe/Si bi-layer to laterally coherently expand to reach stress balance, creating tensile strain in the silicon film. No dislocations are required for the process, making it a promising approach for achieving high-quality strained-silicon for device applications. To prevent the diffusion of boron and phosphorus into the silicon from the BPSG, a thin nitride film was inserted between the bi-layer and BPSG to act as a diffusion barrier, so that a lightly doped, sub-10-nm s-SOI layer (0.73% strain) was demonstrated. N-channel MOSFETs fabricated in a 25-nm silicon layer with 0.6% strain showed a mobility enhancement of 50%.
Acute myocardial infarction complicated by heart block in the elderly: Prevalence and outcomes

Abstract Background Although second- and third-degree heart block (HB) are common conduction disorders associated with acute myocardial infarction (MI), patient characteristics and HBs association with outcomes, particularly among the elderly, remain poorly defined. Methods We evaluated 106,780 Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older treated for acute MI between January 1994 and February 1996 for development of HB. HB and non-HB patients were compared by univariate analysis, and the influence of HB on outcomes was evaluated by unadjusted and multiple logistic regression. Results HB was documented in 5048 (4.7%) patients; 1646 presented with HB and 3402 developed HB during hospitalization. HB was more common among patients with inferior infarctions than anterior infarctions (7.3% vs 3.0%, P =.001), particularly the cohort of patients with inferior MI treated with reperfusion therapy (8.3%). HB patients had higher rates of in-hospital mortality (29.6% vs 17.5% vs non-HB patients, P =.001). After adjustment for demographic and clinical factors, HB remained an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality (relative risk [RR] 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.34-1.48), but HB had no prognostic significance at 1 year among hospital survivors (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.88-1.01). Mortality risks varied on the basis of MI location. Both anterior MI (RR 1.46, 95% CI 1.30-1.63) and inferior MI (RR 1.52, 95% CI 1.39-1.66) patients with HB had increased risks of in-hospital mortality. There was a trend toward increased mortality among patients with anterior MI (RR 1.15, 95% CI 0.99-1.32) at 1 year, whereas those with inferior MI were at lower risk (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.75-0.98). Conclusions HB is a common complication of acute MI in elderly patients, particularly among patients with inferior MIs who received reperfusion therapy. HB is independently associated with short-term but not long-term mortality. (Am Heart J 2001;141:47-54.)
Combined radiation and hyperthermia: Comparison of two treatment schedules based on data from a registry established by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG)

Abstract A registry established by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group provides data for assessing the impact of clinical heating in a set of non-randomized patients treated with hyperthermia in participating member institutions from 1 77 to 6 81 . This analysis focuses on tumor response when localized hyperthermia is produced by microwave and applied pursuant to two distinctly different treatment schedules. Hyperthermis treatments were biweekly and combined with daily radiation treatments in one patient group, and combined with biweekly radiation treatment in another. Sample X consists of 65 patients who received a course of therapy using combined hyperthermia and radiation in consecutive treatment sessions each separated by at least 48 hours, but no more than 96 hours. Sample Y consists of 34 patients who received further radiation after the start of a course of combined therapy—either between or at the end of a series of combined treatment sessions. The average length of heat treatment was 72 minutes for Sample X and 32 minutes for Sample Y patients. None of the patients received concurrent chemotherapy; all received between 3 and 13 hyperthermia treatments; all had superficial, measurable tumors. On the average, Sample X patients received 704 total minutes of heat compared to Sample Y patients who received 233 total minutes of heat. Total tumor radiation doses ranged from 17.0 Gy to 44.0 Gy among Sample X patients with 92.3% receiving radiation at either 3 Gy or 4 Gy per fraction. In Sample Y the range for total tumor dose was 16.0 Gy to 70.2 Gy with 73.4% of the patients receiving radiation at 2.5 Gy or less per fraction. Generally, the two treatment schedules achieved similar levels of tumor response. Among treated tumors in Sample X and Sample Y, complete regression rates were 52.4 and 61.8%, respectively, and partial regression rates were 16.9 and 14.7%. Adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma in both samples responded well to these combined treatments. Only in Sample X was there a statistically significant trend of decreasing complete regression rate when the treated tumor sizes increased. Best responses to treatment generally occurred between 28 and 84 days after completion of the combined therapy course. There were no differences between the two samples with respect to median days to best response or response duration. Blister, ulcer or wet desquamation were reported in 47.7% of Sample X as the maximum skin reaction. In contrast, only 20.6% of Sample Y had these complications. No correlation could be found, however, between reported worst skin reaction and therapy characteristics including maximum skin temperature, maximum tumor temperature, total minutes of heat and total radiation dose. Further investigation of heat dose and treatment scheduling variations is needed with controlled randomized studies.
Effect of metabolic inhibitors on ATP and citrate content in PC3 prostate cancer cells.

BACKGROUND. In normal prostate epithelial cells low m-aconitase activity decreases citrate oxidation leading to citrate accumulation. In prostate cancer cells m-aconitase activity is increasedandcitratecontentislower.Theeffectofinhibitionofm-aconitaseonATPproduction by prostate cancer cells (PC3) is not known nor is the contribution of glycolysis versus respiration. METHODS. ATP content of PC3 cells as affected by inhibition of m-aconitase (fluoroacetate (FA), zinc), inhibition of glycolysis (2DxG), or respiration (DNP, oligomycin) was determined. The ability to maintain ATP using glucose or glutamine as sole substrate was also determined. Intermediates including ATP, lactate, glucose, and glutamine were assayed in neutralized perchloric acid (PCA) cell extracts, virgin, and conditioned medium by enzymaticfluorometry. RESULTS. Data show that inhibition of m-aconitase, glycolysis, or respiration alone did not decrease ATP content. Inhibition of both glycolysis and respiration were required to decrease ATP content. PC3 cells were able to produce ATP with either glucose or glutamine as sole substrate. Though FA clearly inhibited m-aconitase there was no evidence that zinc had a similar effect. CONCLUSION. PC3 cells can support ATP production when m-aconitase is inhibited by using glycolysis or oxidation of substrate (e.g., glutamine) entering the TCA cycle distal to citrate. Prostate 67: 1211–1218, 2007. # 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO BENZODIAZEPINE DISCONTINUATION

Non-medical use of benzodiazepines is rare among patients with anxiety disorders. Numerous studies have found that non-medical use, or abuse, of benzodiazepines occurs usually among patients with histories of alcohol and drug abuse--those who use those drugs to get "high". This article distinguishes between medical and non-medical use of benzodiazepines in clinical practice, and offers practical approaches to discontinuation of benzodiazepine treatment for both medical and non-medical users of those medicines. The major barrier to clear thinking about the abuse of benzodiazepines is the confusion of "addiction" and "withdrawal". Addiction means high, unstable dosing outside medical and social boundaries for "recreational" purposes, loss of control over use, and continued use despite clear evidence of harm. Alcoholism and heroin addiction are typical examples of addiction (Kalant, 1989). In contrast, withdrawal is a pharmacological consequence of discontinuation of a substance on which a person has become dependent. Many drug-addicted people have only minor withdrawal symptoms when they stop drug use. Many medical patients, with no evidence of addiction, have withdrawal symptoms when they stop treatment, especially when they stop abruptly (e.g. surgical patients using narcotic analgesics and epileptics using benzodiazepines or barbiturates in their treatment). Addiction to benzodiazepines, in the sense of loss of control over use and continued despite harm, is virtually limited to people with pre-existing drug or alcohol abuse, while withdrawal symptoms after prolonged daily use are common among medical users of benzodiazepines. The serious nature of both drug abuse and anxiety disorders is not emphasized sufficiently during medical school or in the professional literature. The distress and disability from which both groups of patients and their families suffer is profound. Fortunately, both drug abuse and anxiety patients receive tremendous benefit from successful treatments, both pharmacological and nonpharmacological (DuPont, 1986a; DuPont, 1984). This article discusses the use of benzodiazepines in two distinct populations--drug abusers and patients with anxiety disorders--and helps clinicians distinguish between the use of benzodiazepines in the two groups. The central distinction made in this article is reflected in the common use of the words "drugs" and "medicines". The former term often denotes non-medical substance use, while the latter term refers to traditional pharmacotherapy.