cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacokinetics of Peptides and Proteins

Protein-based therapeutics represent a rapidly growing class of new therapeutics for numerous indications. Low permeability and susceptibility to proteolytic degradation limit their oral bioavailability, and hence they are commonly administered by intravenous, subcutaneous or intramuscular routes. The distribution of protein therapeutics is usually limited to the extracellular space and takes place mainly by the processes of convective transport. Proteins are mainly eliminated by nonspecific catabolic degradation carried out by the ubiquitous presence of proteases and peptidases in the body, with intracellular uptake as a major prerequisite. Immunogenicity is a frequently encountered challenge of protein therapeutics that can affect their disposition, efficacy and toxicity. Combination therapy with protein therapeutics may potentially lead to drug–drug interactions, though such clinical events have rarely occurred. Rapid scientific advancements, unmet medical needs and high profit margins have been some of the motivating factors for the rapid emergence of next-generation protein therapeutics. An understanding of the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion processes of protein therapeutics is critical for their successful development. Keywords: pharmacokinetics; peptide therapeutics; immunogenicity; allometry; drug delivery; ADME ; drug–drug interaction
Planning the Drilling of the Samail Ophiolite in Oman

For more than a decade, plans have been afoot for scientific drilling in the Samail ophiolite in Oman. The ophiolite is a thrust sheet of oceanic crust and shallow mantle, emplaced on the Arabian continental margin 95 to 70 million years ago, which has tilted and eroded so that one can now observe sections extending from 0 to more than 15 kilometers below the paleo-seafloor. Plans to study formation and evolution of the ophiolite have been spurred by recent interest in ongoing alteration and weathering, the associated sub-surface biosphere, and the possibility of carbon storage via accelerated mineral carbonation.
Detection of asparagine and glutamine in peptides sequenced by dipeptidyl aminopeptidase I via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A simple, straightforward method for differentiating asparaginyl (or glutaminyl) dipeptides from aspartyl (or glutamyl) dipeptides is described. The technique involves two separate methods to form methyl esters. The first, employing 0.1 n HCl/methanol at room temperature for 4 hr, reveals all dipeptides except nonvolatile Asn-and Gln-containing dipeptides. The second procedure, with 0.1 n HCl/MeOH at 45°C for 16 hr, solvolyses the Asn/Gln residues, and new pairs of Asp or Glu dipeptides occur. This approach proved feasible with a synthetic pentadecapeptide, scotophobin, containing Asn-Asn and Gln-Gln as part of its primary structure.
EUS-guided trucut biopsy for diagnosis of an esophageal stromal tumor: case report.

EUS is a sensitive method for detection of intraand extra-intestinal mass lesions and peri-intestinal lymphadenopathy.1,2 EUS-guided FNA (EUS-FNA) can be performed during the diagnostic examination. EUSguided FNA is safe and has a sensitivity for detecting malignancy of 60% to over 90%, depending on site.3,4 However, several problems may arise. Determination of the adequacy of specimens at the time of the procedure by a cytopathologist or cytotechnician may not be possible in all institutions. Furthermore, the diagnosis of certain neoplasms, such as lymphoma, stromal tumors, and well-differentiated pancreatic adenocarcinoma often is difficult based on interpretation of cytologic specimens alone.3,5,6 Larger-caliber cutting needles have been developed for a variety of indications, including evaluation of both GI and non-GI tissues, and have been shown to be safe and to provide accurate results.2-12 The investigators developed a trucut biopsy needle for use with an echoendoscope (QuickCore; Wilson-Cook Medical Inc., Winston-Salem, N.C.). Our experience with EUS-guided trucut biopsy (EUSTCB) in a swine model demonstrated that histologic material representative of the target organ sampled could be acquired safely.13 A case of an esophageal leiomyoma is reported wherein EUS-TCB established the diagnosis when EUS-FNA was non-diagnostic.
A review of bacteria-animal lateral gene transfer may inform our understanding of diseases like cancer.

Lateral gene transfer (LGT) from bacteria to animals occurs more frequently than was appreciated prior to the advent of genome sequencing. In 2007, LGT from bacterial Wolbachia endosymbionts was detected in ∼33% of the sequenced arthropod genomes using a bioinformatic approach. Today, Wolbachia/host LGT is thought to be widespread and many other cases of bacteria-animal LGT have been described. In insects, LGT may be more frequently associated with endosymbionts that colonize germ cells and germ stem cells, like Wolbachia endosymbionts. We speculate that LGT may occur from bacteria to a wide variety of eukaryotes, but only becomes vertically inherited when it occurs in germ cells. As such, LGT may happen routinely in somatic cells but never become inherited or fixed in the population. Lack of inheritance of such mutations greatly decreases our ability to detect them. In this review, we propose that such noninherited bacterial DNA integration into chromosomes in human somatic cells could induce mutations leading to cancer or autoimmune diseases in a manner analogous to mobile elements and viral integrations.
CO2 Uptake and Fixation by Endosymbiotic Chemoautotrophs from the Bivalve Solemya velum

Chemoautotrophic symbioses, in which endosymbiotic bacteria are the major source of organic carbon for the host, are found in marine habitats where sulfide and oxygen coexist. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of pH, alternate sulfur sources, and electron acceptors on carbon fixation and to investigate which form(s) of inorganic carbon is taken up and fixed by the gamma-proteobacterial endosymbionts of the protobranch bivalve Solemya velum. Symbiont-enriched suspensions were generated by homogenization of S. velum gills, followed by velocity centrifugation to pellet the symbiont cells. Carbon fixation was measured by incubating the cells with 14C-labeled dissolved inorganic carbon. When oxygen was present, both sulfide and thiosulfate stimulated carbon fixation; however, elevated levels of either sulfide (>0.5 mM) or oxygen (1 mM) were inhibitory. In the absence of oxygen, nitrate did not enhance carbon fixation rates when sulfide was present. Symbionts fixed carbon most rapidly between pH 7.5 and 8.5. Under optimal pH, sulfide, and oxygen conditions, symbiont carbon fixation rates correlated with the concentrations of extracellular CO2 and not with HCO3− concentrations. The half-saturation constant for carbon fixation with respect to extracellular dissolved CO2 was 28 ± 3 μM, and the average maximal velocity was 50.8 ± 7.1 μmol min−1 g of protein−1. The reliance of S. velum symbionts on extracellular CO2 is consistent with their intracellular lifestyle, since HCO3− utilization would require protein-mediated transport across the bacteriocyte membrane, perisymbiont vacuole membrane, and symbiont outer and inner membranes. The use of CO2 may be a general trait shared with many symbioses with an intracellular chemoautotrophic partner.
Comparison of the human electro-oculographic response to green and near-ultraviolet stimuli.

We recorded the electro-oculogram from 27 normal subjects by means of green and near-ultraviolet (UVA) stimulation. After a 40-minute dark-adaptation period, baseline responses were recorded. In response to the green stimulus, the electro-oculogram increased from this level by an average (± standard error of the mean) of 49.5% ±4.0%. Although the predicted scotopic effectiveness of the ultraviolet stimulus was more than 3 log units below that of the green stimulus, the near-ultraviolet-induced electro-oculogram increased to an average of 21.9% ±3.0% above baseline. This response cannot be due to lens fluorescence to the near-ultraviolet stimulus, since two aphakic subjects had electro-oculographic responses of 32% and 76% above baseline to near-ultraviolet stimuli. Neither the green nor the ultraviolet electro-oculogram changed significantly with age. These large responses to near-ultraviolet stimulation demonstrate the need for standardizing light sources for electro-oculographic testing because the degree of near-ultraviolet irradiance varies considerably according to their design characteristics.
G protein-coupled chemoattractant receptors regulate Lyn tyrosine kinase · Shc adapter protein signaling complexes.

Receptors for chemoattractants that direct the migration of phagocytic leukocytes to sites of injury/infection also modulate many other leukocyte functions that are critical to the inflammatory response. These chemoattractant receptors, members of the G protein-coupled heptahelical receptor family, have been classically linked to cell activation via phospholipase C, calcium, and protein kinase C. We show here that activation of the N-formyl peptide chemoattractant receptor stimulates an additional protein kinase C-independent pathway through the Src-related tyrosine kinase, Lyn, in human neutrophils. We demonstrate that activation of Lyn is associated with binding to the Shc adapter protein, which becomes phosphorylated on tyrosine residues. This interaction appears to be mediated via the Shc SH2 domain. Complexes of phosphorylated Lyn and Shc with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase are rapidly formed in stimulated neutrophils, correlating with phosphatidylinositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate formation and cell activation. This signaling pathway involving a Src-related kinase and the Shc adapter protein provides a potential mechanism linking chemoattractant receptors to downstream events involving Rac activation and NADPH oxidase. Regulation of Shc by G protein-coupled receptors may also allow these receptors to modulate the activity of the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade.
Involving older Americans in the war on tobacco. The American Stop Smoking Intervention Study for Cancer Prevention.

The American Stop Smoking Intervention Study for Cancer Prevention (ASSIST) is a collaborative effort of the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, state health departments, and other public and private organizations to develop comprehensive tobacco use control programs in 17 states. The two main goals of the project are to reduce adult smoking prevalence to 15% or less and to reduce the rates of smoking initiation among adolescents by 50% by the year 2000. There is strong consensus within the tobacco-control field of what needs to be done to accomplish these goals
Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys

In Punished, Victor Rios, an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of California at Santa Barbara, examines the pervasive criminalization of Black and Latino boys in Oakland, CA. Drawi...
Cytogenetics and experimental models of sarcomas

Many sarcomas contain characteristic chromosome translocations that result in the fusion of genes from two different chromosomes. This review focuses on the translocated genes that have been identified recently in Ewing's sarcoma, peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor, clear cell sarcoma, alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, and myxoid liposarcoma. Each of these fusion genes encodes a DNA transcription factor that presumably regulates the function of other genes. Thus, a common mechanism of oncogenesis has been defined in histologically disparate varieties of sarcoma.
Automated packaging of bioinformatics workflows for portability and durability using makeflow

Dependency management remains a major challenge for all forms of software. A program implemented in a given environment typically has many implicit dependencies on programs, libraries, and other objects present within that environment. Moving applications between different runtime environments is certain to fail due to the existence of those external dependencies.Workflows particularly suffer from dependency management problems, precisely because they tie together multiple independent programs into a coherent whole. To address the problem of workflow decay, we propose applying the old idea of a "linker" into the new context of workflow systems. We have implemented a linker for the Makeflow workflow system, and extended the concept to apply recursively to executables and scripted languages within the workflow. We evaluate the system by applying it to a selection of bioinformatics workflows including BLAST, BWA, and SHRiMP, enabling them to be moved across multiple computation environments. We also show that the portability provided by packaging allows for improved performance.
Comprehensive needs assessment of clinical breast evaluation skills of primary care residents

Background: Health care reform places primary care (PC) physicians in an increasingly significant role for breast cancer screening and diagnosis. This study assessed the adequacy of traditional PC resident training to prepare physicians for this front-line role. Methods: Sixty-eight primary care residents, representing seven training programs, participated in a multidimensional needs assessment study of clinical breast evaluation skills. Results: Performance deficiencies noted in each component were most significant in (1) common breast problem management (problem-solving mean 44.51±11.01); (2) breast examination skills (mean 49.65±14.48%); and (3) lump detection sensitivity (mean 40.20±17.0%). Overall examination reliability was good (α=.82). Factorial ANOVA revealed significant performance differences among training programs. Residency programs with higher performance levels reported dedicated breast curricula, and residents rated these programs as providing more adequate training. Programs with poorer performance in breast examination lacked curriculum emphasis, with residents describing training received as poor to fair. Conclusion: This study demonstrated performance deficits in the clinical breast evaluation skills of graduating PC residents that have not been captured by traditional evaluation methodologies. This may represent a limitation in the ability of many PC physicians to effectively screen and diagnose patients with breast cancer.
Status Report Radioisotopic Propulsion Systems

Preliminary analysis of radioisotopic propulsion systems indicates considerable potential for application to scientific probes provided current engineering postulations can be realized. Typical applications, as indicated by analysis to date, would be high energy space missions such as solar probes to distances of approximately 0.05 A. U. and explorer probes in deep space out to the vicinity of Saturn. In order for the full calculated potential of these systems to be realized, the engineering feasibility of problems such as lightweight tankage, superinsulation for liquid hydrogen storage for more than thirty days in space, and tank-pressure propellant feed systems will have to be demonstrated.
Inter-ocular interference and circadian regulation of the chick electroretinogram

Illumination of a chick’s eye allows light to pass through to the retina of the contralateral eye. Electroretinographic (ERG) recording employing the scalp or comb as a reference results in shorter implicit time, higher amplitude and lower sensitivity during the day than during the night in a light:dark (LD) cycle and in constant darkness (DD). ERG recordings employing the contralateral eye as reference abolishes rhythmicity or reverses the phase angle (higher amplitudes at night). This is probably due to light transmission through the eyes to elicit visual responses in the reference. The contralateral eye is a poor choice for reference in birds and obscures physiological analyses of clock control of vision.
Sodium current in single heart muscle cells

A COMPLETE description of the sodium current, INa, in heart muscle has not been obtained despite the practical importance of such information as a rational basis for the therapy of arrhythmias. INa has been examined under voltage clamp using micropipette1 or sucrose gap methods2, but the adequacy of spatial control of voltage has been questioned and temporal resolution of the early kinetics has been unsatifactory and results therefore inconclusive3. These problems reflect the fact that heart muscle is a syncytium with restricted extracellular compartments. One of the more favourable preparations is rabbit Purkinje fibres4 and Colatsky and Tsien5 have recently performed voltage clamp studies on them with the two micro-pipettes technique. They have demonstrated the feasibility of this approach when proper precautions are taken5. Quite a different approach has been taken by other investigators such as Mehdi and Sachs6 and Powell et al.7–9, who have dispersed individual heart muscle cells and examined them with micropipette techniques. In this way the complex geometry is greatly simplified although the enzymes used in dispersion may pose another set of problems. We have followed this second approach and have isolated individual heart muscle cells from adult rats with a modified version of the dispersion method reported by Powell and Twist9. To perform electrophysiological studies we have sucked single cells into a suction pipette and used a technique which allows voltage clamp and internal perfusion10. INa has been isolated by suppression of other cardiac currents and its kinetics separated from the capacitative current transient. The success of the present approach indicates its potential usefulness in cardiac electrophysiology.
Developing a technical vocabulary on teacher planning: Preservice teachers' concept maps

Abstract Recent literature has focused on a need to develop a technical vocabulary in the teaching profession. Concept mapping, a technique of graphically representing concepts and their hierarchical interrelationships along two dimensions, was used to examine the growth of student teachers' knowledge concerning planning over three sequenced courses. Quantitative and content analysis of the maps indicated that students developed a more shared, technical vocabulary reflecting course content and evidencing greater hierarchical organization. The study provides information about the nature of and growth of student teachers' thinking, and demonstrates a means of monitoring the growth of student teachers' conceptual development over a course.
Is primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the kidney a distinct entity

BACKGROUND Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) constitute a family of neoplasms of presumed neuroectodermal origin, most often presenting as bone or soft tissue masses in the trunk or axial skeleton in adolescents and young adults. As a soft tissue neoplasm, PNET arising in the kidney has not been well described, with only three cases previously reported. METHODS Four patients with PNET of the kidney were diagnosed and treated at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The authors reviewed the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features and outcomes of these cases and of those previously described. RESULTS The authors' patients were age 4-20 years. They presented with unilateral renal masses and metastatic disease in the lymph nodes (three patients), lungs (three patients), bone (two patients), liver (one patient), and bone marrow (one patient). Treatment included surgery, radiotherapy, and multiagent chemotherapy. Three of the patients died of progressive disease within 14 months of diagnosis. Features and outcomes were similar to those of the three previously reported cases. CONCLUSIONS PNET of the kidney appears to be a distinct entity. Although rare, it must be included in the differential diagnosis of renal tumors in children and young adults. Patients usually present with advanced disease and show poor response to combined-modality therapy. Cancer 1997; 79:2243-50. © 1997 American Cancer Society.
Can we model the educational process

Abstract Operational analysis has not yet made a contribution to the improvement of the educational process. There are several reasons for this. First, relative to the magnitude of the job of teaching our youth, financial support for educational research and analysis has been much smaller than for other problem areas, e.g., health. The second difficulty is in the relationship between operational analysis and theory. The more complete the theory, the better the system designs resulting from analysis. For education there is no theory. Worse, there are few efforts to develop such theory. It must be recognized, however, that the phenomenon called learning is very complex. The lack of theory means that the system design proceeds with more uncertainty. Large “safety factors” must be built in. This means that educational systems have to be expensive. Large, continuing financial support is required; first, to build up present school systems, so that they perform well under existing, changing circumstances; and, second, to support research that will provide theories and models which in turn will lead to more effective learning systems.
Attention: the mechanisms of consciousness

A number of recent papers and books discuss theoretical efforts toward a scientific understanding of consciousness. Progress in imaging networks of brain areas active when people perform simple tasks may provide a useful empirical background for distinguishing conscious and unconscious information processing. Attentional networks include those involved in orienting to sensory stimuli, activating ideas from memory, and maintaining the alert state. This paper reviews recent findings in relation to classical issues in the study of attention and anatomical and physical theories of the nature of consciousness.
Reproductive interference via interspecific pairing in an amphipod species complex

Many species experience reproductive interference defined as interspecific mating interactions that reduce the fitness of individuals in at least one of the species. We examined reproductive interference among three cryptic amphipod species that co-occur in the vegetated zone of lakes. Because these animals form precopulatory pairs and males commonly have indiscriminant mating behavior, we predicted that (1) there would be interspecific pairing, (2) interspecific pairing would be more common when conspecifics were rare, and (3) interspecific pairing would be more common in species combinations where males are larger than females. Using color phenotypes to distinguish species, a novel discovery reported here, we conducted experiments to evaluate patterns of interspecific pairing. In a no-choice experiment (i.e., amphipods had access to mates of only one species), we observed a low rate (5 %) of interspecific pairing and 80 % of these cases involved males that were larger than females. In a second experiment where individuals had access to conspecific mates at varying relative abundance, only 0.04 % of the pairs observed were between heterospecifics, suggesting that the interspecific pairing observed in the no-choice experiment was an artifact of not having access to conspecific mates. Our results suggest that at least one sex has sufficient species-recognition abilities to circumvent the formation of interspecific pairs; therefore, reproductive interference may be minimal in these species.
Large efficiency improvements in BEAMnrc using directional bremsstrahlung splitting

The introduction into the BEAMnrc code of a new variance reduction technique, called directional bremsstrahlung splitting (DBS), is described. DBS uses a combination of interaction splitting for bremsstrahlung, annihilation, Compton scattering, pair production and photoabsorption, and Russian Roulette to achieve a much better efficiency of photon beam treatment head simulations compared to the splitting techniques already available in BEAMnrc (selective bremsstrahlung splitting, SBS, and uniform bremsstrahlung splitting, UBS). In a simulated 6 MV photon beam (10 x 10 cm2 field) photon fluence efficiency in the beam using DBS is over 8 times higher than with optimized SBS and over 20 times higher than with UBS, with a similar improvement in electron fluence efficiency in the beam. Total dose efficiency in a central-axis depth-dose curve improves by a factor of 6.4 over SBS at all depths in the phantom. The performance of DBS depends on the details of the accelerator being simulated. At higher energies, the relative improvement in efficiency due to DBS decreases somewhat, but is still a factor of 3.5 improvement over SBS for total dose efficiency using DBS in a simulated 18 MV photon beam. Increasing the field size of the simulated 6 MV beam to 40 x 40 cm2 (broad beam) causes the relative efficiency improvement of DBS to decrease by a factor of approximately 1.7 but is still up to 7 times more efficient than with SBS.
Catheter pericardiocentesis for delayed tamponade after cardiac valve operation

Abstract Background . Late tamponade is a rare cause of morbidity and mortality after cardiac valve operation. We describe our recent experience with this entity. Methods . This is a single institution, procedure-matched, retrospective review of patients undergoing pericardiocentesis more than 7 days after cardiac operation, during a 7-year period. Results . Pericardiocentesis for delayed tamponade was performed in 43 of 9,612 patients. Although isolated valve operation accounted for 17% of all patients overall, 76% of patients undergoing pericardiocentesis (33 of 43) had undergone isolated valve operation. The average age in this group was 58 years, compared to an average of 68 years in all patients. Patients presented with tamponade an average of 18 days after operation. Positive predictors included elevated prothrombin time on presentation. Of the patient cohort 75% presented with dyspnea, 61% with inability to diurese, and 61% with hypotension. Echocardiography detected effusions in all patients, but specific echocardiographic signs of tamponade were present in only 30%. Of the patients, 97% were successfully treated by pericardiocentesis. All were safely restarted on warfarin. One patient required pericardial window. Conclusions . Delayed cardiac tamponade is more common after isolated valve operation, as opposed to coronary artery bypass grafting and valve/coronary artery bypass grafting. It tends to occur in the third postoperative week in younger patients who are aggressively anticoagulated. Pericardiocentesis with catheter placement is highly effective, and patients can be reanticoagulated safely. This series underestimates the incidence of late tamponade, as some patients may present to outside facilities. The diagnosis is aided by a high degree of suspicion.
Instrumentation for Deep Ocean Research

Instruments for use in the deep ocean must operate under great hydrostatic pressure. The current practice of enclosing instruments in pressure resistant housings may become obsolete since many electronic components have been found to operate satisfactorily even at a pressure of 1000 atmospheres. The instrument system which successfully located and identified the THRESHER hulk contains interesting acoustic, magnetic, and photographic sub-systems. The ship which carries this system has been uniquely configured for deep ocean research.
Hydrogen bonding on iron: correlation of adsorption and desorption states on Fe(100) and perturbation of the FeH bond with coadsorbed CO

Abstract Electron energy loss vibrational spectra suggest that hydrogen first adsorbs on Fe(100) in four-fold hollows ( β 2 ) and converts to sites of lower ligancy ( β 1 ) with increasing coverage. The β 1 state desorbs with pseudo first-order kinetics with an activation ener of 14.1 kcal/mol. The β 2 state exhibits a vibrational frequency of 700 cm −1 , indicative of adsorption in four-fold hollows. With increasing coverage this mode is replaced by a vibration at 1000 cm −1 , indicative of conversion of adsorbed H to an asymmetric position within the four-fold hollow. Adsorption of CO onto the H-covered surface causes an increase in the frequency of the mode near 1000 cm −1 associated with movement to a position of lower ligancy within the four-fold hollow.
Deep levels in type-II InAs/GaSb superlattices.

The theory of ${\mathit{sp}}^{3}$-bonded substitutional deep impurity levels is extended to type-II gap-misaligned InAs/GaSb superlattices. The theory predicts that some shallow impurities (donors or acceptors) in either bulk InAs or bulk GaSb can become deep traps in a thin-layer superlattice. This happens because the deep levels associated with point defects in either InAs or GaSb layers (when measured relative to the valence-band maximum of InAs) are much less sensitive to changes of the layer thicknesses of the superlattice than the superlattice band edges. Some common column-IV dopants may lose their amphoteric character [i.e., being a donor when substituting for the column-III host atom (${\mathit{C}}_{\mathrm{In}}$ in InAs) and an acceptor when substituting for the column-V host atom (${\mathit{C}}_{\mathrm{As}}$ in InAs)] and become deep traps for some superlattice layer thicknesses and can even become ``false valence'' dopants (e.g., ${\mathit{C}}_{\mathrm{In}}$ is predicted to be an acceptor in a 10\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}10 InAs/GaSb [001] superlattice) for other layer thicknesses. The deep-level splitting and shifting in the type-II superlattice is found to follow the same physics as in the type-I superlattice. A semiconductor-semimetal-semiconductor transition is predicted to occur as the InAs layer thickness increases.
Inhibition of Sulfathiazole Crystal Growth by Polyvinylpyrrolidone

Abstract The results of polyvinylpyrrolidone inhibition of sulfathiazole single crystal growth are presented. It was found that the minimum concentration of polyvinylpyrrolidone required to inhibit completely crystal growth was a linear function of the suprsaturation ratio with an intercept of ~1.15 exhibited on the latter axis. It was also found that the minimum concentration of polyvinylpyrrolidone required for complete inhibition of crystal growth was a function of the molecular weight of polyvinylpyrrolidone used for the inhibition study. The results of inhibition studies using molecular weights of polyvinylpyrrolidone of 10,000, 40,000, and 360,000 are presented. The data suggest that the inhibition point depends on the relative rates of transport of polyvinylpyrrolidone and sulfathiazole to the crystal surface from the bulk of the solution. A model is presented that appears to be consistent with the data.
INFLUENCE OF PUBERTAL DEVELOPMENT ON THEOPHYLLINE KINETICS

Theophylline half-life (HL) doubles between childhood and adulthood. Effects of pubertal changes on HL was studied to investigate dose changes required in adolescence. Seventy asthmatics taking theophylline chronically were studied: in 48 patients, HL was determined from 3 serum levels (8, 10, 12 hrs after dose) and in 22, HL, volume of distribution (Vda) and clearance were computed from 21 timed levels over 24 hours. Age (8-18), Tanner stage (I-V), sex, height (121-182 cm), weight (23-83 kg) and skin fold thicknesses (3.6-36.3 mm) were recorded. Growth variables (height & weight velocity & lean body mass) were derived from anthropometric measurements. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed with HL as dependent variable. Half-life was significantly related (p<0.01) to developmental stage (Tanner r=0.42, and age r=0.33) and body size (height r=0.39, LBM r=0.33, weight r=0.31). LBM (kg/kg) calculated by Lohman equation and Vda (1/kg) were related (r=0.59; p<.01). Best equations for HL contained 2 variables and were: (for sex, ♂ = 0 and ♀ = 1). HL = 4.57 + 1.31 sex + 0.0687 height (r=0.48) HL - 3.54 + 1.32 sex + 0.0725 LBM (r=0.43) Thus, half-life is related to age, sex and body size during adolescence. The dose and dosing interval must be monitored closely during adolescence because metabolic -rate (HL) and body composition (Vda) both change rapidly during the teenage years.
Spatial and metabolic consequences of post-pneumonectomy lung growth

Spatial and metabolic consequences of post-pneumonectomy lung growth Barry C Gibney, DO, Mi-Ae Park, PhD, Kenji Chamoto, PhD, Grace S Lee, MD, Jan P Houdek, MD, Maximilian Ackermann, MD, Moritz A Konerding, MD, Akira Tsuda, PhD, Steven J Mentzer, MD, FACS Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Applying Environmental Policy Instruments to Used Oil

A comprehensive assessment was conducted of California's Used Oil Program, which was established in 1992 to reduce the illegal disposal, and promote the reuse, of used lubricating oil. This paper summarises selected key findings of the assessment and discusses them in the context of designing and implementing policy instruments for promoting environmentally responsible waste management. The approach known as ‘community-based social marketing’ is identified as a promising option.
Formation of complex organics in the gas phase by sequential reactions of acetylene with the phenylium ion.

In this paper, we report a study on the reactivity of the phenylium ion with acetylene, by measuring product yield as a function of pressure and temperature using mass-selected ion mobility mass spectrometry. The reactivity is dominated by a rapid sequential addition of acetylene to form covalently bonded C8H7+ and C10H9+ ions with an overall rate coefficient of 7–5 × 10–10 cm3 s–1, indicating a reaction efficiency of nearly 50% at room temperature. The covalent bonding nature of the product ions is confirmed by high temperature studies where enhanced production of these ions is observed at temperatures as high as 660 K. DFT calculations at the UPBEPBE/6-31++G** level identify the C8H7+ adduct as 2-phenyl-ethenylium ion, the most stable C8H7+ isomer that maintains the phenylium ion structure. A small barrier of 1.6 kcal/mol is measured and attributed to the formation of the second adduct C10H9+ containing a four-membered ring connected to the phenylium ion. Evidence for rearrangement of the C10H9+ adduct ...
The RIASEC Profile of Foreign Language Teachers

Abstract Vocational choice appears to crystallize during adolescence and one’s career aspirations begin to take shape later. Over 40 years ago Holland studied incoming freshman to match vocational aspirations to vocational preference profiles. Individuals seeking to become foreign language teachers were assigned a Social, Artistic, Enterprising vocational code. However, longitudinal studies were not conducted to verify if these people ever entered the teaching profession. The present study sought to determine a Holland code for inservice foreign language educators. Data analysis confirms a stable Holland profile and his earlier findings as well as highlighting interesting differences among world language educators. This study holds implications for school counselors and recruiters of prospective language teachers during a time of critical shortage.
Clinical and demographic determinants of heart rate variability in patients post myocardial infarction: insights from the cardiac arrhythmia suppression trial (CAST).

Background: Clinical and demographic determinants of heart rate variability (HRV), an almost universal predictor of increased mortality, have not been systematically investigated in patients post myocardial infarction (MI). Hypothesis: The study was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between pretreatment clinical and demographic variables and HRV in the Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial (CAST). Methods: CAST patients were post MI and had ≥ 6 ventricular premature complexes/h on pretreatment recording. Patients in this substudy (n = 769) had usable pretreatment and suppression tapes and were successfully randomized on the first antiarrhythmic treatment. Tapes were rescanned; only time domain HRV was reported because many tapes lacked the calibrated timing signal needed for accurate frequency domain analysis. Independent predictors of HRV were determined by stepwise selection. Results: Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) after the qualifying MI was the strongest determinant of HRV. The markedly decreased HRV associated with CABG was not associated with increased mortality. Ejection fraction and diabetes were also independent predictors of HRV. Other predictors for some indices of HRV included beta-blocker use, gender, time from MI to Holter, history of CABG before the qualifying MI, and systolic blood pressure. Decreased HRV did not predict mortality for the entire group. For patients without CABG or diabetes, decreased standard deviation of all NN intervals (SDANN) predicted mortality. Clinical and demographic factors accounted for 31% of the variance in the average of normal-to-normal intervals (AVGNN) and 13–26% of the variance in other HRV indices. Conclusions: Heart rate variability post MI is largely independent of clinical and demographic factors. Antecedent CABG dramatically reduces HRV. Recognition of this is necessary to prevent misclassification of risk in patients post infarct.
Best practices in the treatment of neuropathic pain

SUMMARY Neuropathic pain is a complex pain syndrome that remains difficult to treat. Patients fail to obtain satisfactory relief despite receiving pharmacological agents. Neuropathic pain has a significant impact on health-related quality of life. A multidisciplinary approach is recommended in the treatment of neuropathic pain. Preventative, nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatments are suggested in the management of neuropathic pain. Interventional options, such as spinal cord stimulation, intrathecal drug delivery, intravenous infusions therapies, and sympathetic nerve block, should be considered in patients with refractory neuropathic pain.
Discrete/continuous models of consumer demand with binding nonnegativity constraints

Abstract Consumers in this model are assumed to maximize utility with respect to two goods, one of which is available in several alternative forms. Decision rules of consumers are derived for two cases concerning this good: (a) either the individual chooses one of the available alternatives or (b) the individual chooses to altogether forgo its consumption. Choice probabilities, the demand equations, and the zero-consumption probability are derived and reflect the interrelatedness of the discrete/continuous choices and the binding nonnegativity constraint. We show that the traditional discrete/continuous choice models yield estimates of demand which are biased and choice probabilities which are also biased, except in a special circumstance.
Novel oxidation of RbGa3 through substitution of gold for gallium—a reapportionment of the dodecahedral clusters☆

Abstract Exploratory syntheses in the rubidium–gallium–late transition metal systems have revealed a family of nonstoichiometric compounds are formed in RbGa3−xMx systems (M=Cu, Ag and Au) that remain isostructural with RbGa3 (I4m2). Only the RbGa3−xAux products could be obtained in high yields, and these have been structurally defined for x=0.26(1) and 0.36(2) (saturation). Gold substitutes unequally on all three gallium positions in the structure of RbGa3, the anion of which consists of layers of interlinked Ga8 dodecahedral clusters plus 4-bonded gallium spacers between the layers. The effects of the oxidation of the structure by Au are well focused on a 0.19 A elongation of a short, evidently π-bond at the 4 extremes of the Ga8 dodecahedron between x=0 and x=0.36. Extended Huckel band calculations on the anion network provide insights into the distortion, which evidently reflects an unequal electron distribution of the bonding states in a deltahedron made of two types of cluster atoms.
The role of comprehension in children's observational learning of a syntactic rule.

Abstract This experiment tested the hypothesis that there is a relationship between children's comprehension of a syntactic form and the effectiveness of modeling in promoting imitation of that form. Nursery and kindergarten children received pretests for both comprehension and production of reversible passive sentences. Children who produced no passive sentences were classified either as high, intermediate, or low comprehenders on the basis of their comprehension test performance. Within each of these three groups, children were randomly assigned either to a modeling or to a no-modeling control condition. Children in the treatment condition heard a model use passive sentences to describe a series of pictures. As predicted, the imitation post-test scores of these children were significantly related to their comprehension pretest scores. No significant relationship between the post-test scores and the comprehension scores of control subjects was detected. Children exposed to the model in all three comprehension groups received significantly higher post-test scores than did their respective counterparts in the no-modeling condition. These results are discussed in terms of the hypothesis that language learning proceeds from comprehension to imitation to production.
Experimental investigation of a self-sensing active constrained layer damping treatment

A variational formulation of active constrained layer (ACL) damping treatments has indicated that the power dissipated through the active damping is the product of the electric field and the axial velocity of the piezoelectric constraining layer at the boundaries. This feature, unique to this formulation, suggests that a self-sensing and actuating piezoelectric constraining layer using rate of strain feedback may be an appropriate method of dissipating vibration energy with less instability, since the sensor and actuator are truly collocated. A partial ACL damping treatment design for an Euler-Bernoulli beam using a self-sensing actuator (SSA) as the active layer has been developed. The open loop transfer functions of the treated beam given by the SSA rate of strain circuit show great similarity to transfer functions taken from a reference sensor laminated directly to the beam. It has been shown experimentally that this beam treatment significantly increased the damping coefficient of the first mode in closed loop.
Effect of particle size distribution on catalyst effectiveness

Abstract When calculating the effectiveness factor for a distribution of catalyst particle sizes, the average particle radius defined by Eq. (12) should be employed. Then, in the asymptotic limit of strong intraparticle diffusion resistance all plots of effectiveness factor vs Thiele modulus, regardless of the shape of the particle size distribution, will be identical to the plot for a uniform particle size. Outside the asymptotic limit one must take into account the distribution of particle sizes, Eq. (5), for precise calculations. However, an analysis based upon the log-normal distribution indicates that the use of an average particle radius is quite reasonable for values of the parameter β less than about 0.5 (Fig. 1). If errors of the order of 32% can be tolerated, then calculations based upon the average radius can be employed for values of β less than unity.
Joining techniques for a reduced activation 12Cr steel for inertial fusion energy

Abstract At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, we are developing a reduced activation ferritic martensitic steel that is based on the ferritic martensitic steel HT-9. As a part of the development of this steel, we tested a series of welding processes for characterization, including conventional welds (electron beam, tungsten inert gas, and laser) as well as solid-state welds (hot isostatic pressing). We also heat treated the joints at various temperatures between 750 °C and 1050 °C to find a suitable normalization scheme. The modified HT-9 reduced activation ferritic martensitic steel appears highly suitable to welding and diffusion bonding. All welds showed good quality fusion zones with insignificant cracking or porosity. Additionally, a heat treatment schedule of 950 °C for one hour caused minimal grain growth while still converging the hardness of the base metal with that of the fusion and heat-affected zones. Also, modified HT-9 diffusion bonds that were created at temperatures of at least 950 °C for two hours at 103 MPa had interface tensile strengths of greater than 600 MPa. The diffusion bonds showed no evidence of increased hardness nor void formation at the diffusion bonded interface.
Limited Resequencing for Mixed Models with Multiple Objectives

This research presents a problem relevant to production scheduling for mixed models – production schedules that contain several unique items, but each unique item may have multiple units that require processing. The presented research details a variant of this problem where, over multiple processes, resequencing is permitted to a small degree so as to exploit efficiencies with the intent of optimizing the objectives of required set-ups and parts usage rate via an efficient frontier. The problem is combinatorial in nature. Enumeration is used on a variety of test problems from the literature, and a search heuristic is used to compare optimal solutions with heuristic based solutions. Experimentation shows that the heuristic solutions approach optimality, but with opportunities for improvement.
The regulation of hemostasis: The protein C system

We speak very frequently of the normal clotting time. In a glass tube?... Glass tubes have held the center of the stage for quite a long time but the process of clotting is now observed in plastic ...
1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate: from ionic liquid prototype to antitype

This viewpoint will discuss the role of the publication of the title crystal structure in the exponential growth of research in the field of ionic liquids, including helping visualize these salts while at the same time allowing gross over simplification of the field which still hampers research progress and understanding today.
ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE SHOOT APEX OF CHENOPODIUM ALBUM AND CERTAIN OTHER SEED PLANTS

The ultrastructure of cells of the vegetative shoot apices is described for Chenopodium album, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana and K. laxiflora, Bryophyllum daigremontianum, Nicotiana rustica, and N. tabacum (Maryland Mammoth), and Ginkgo biloba. A less intensive study was made of the last three listed. The structures and organelles usually associated with meristematic cells were observed: dictyosomes, plastids (in various stages of development), mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), vacuoles, lipid droplets, and plasmalemma. In addition, spherosome-like structures were observed in all zones of the shoot apices. Also, multivesicular bodies were observed in C. album and B. daigremontianum. Ribosome density is greater in cells of the flank meristem. Proplastids, plastids with prolamellar bodies, or grana have a differential distribution in the apex, characteristic for a particular species. Confirmation could not be given to the concept that vacuoles arise as a series of local dilations in long extensions of the so called "smooth ER." The tonoplast and ER are distinguishable at the time of inception of a vacuole, although the tonoplast may arise from the ER. Rapid growth of a vacuole and/or fusion with other vacuoles may result in irregularly shaped prevacuoles. No vacuoles were observed to originate from cisternae of dictyosomes in the species studied.
Towards prospective life cycle assessment: Single wall carbon nanotubes for lithium-ion batteries

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is increasingly recognized as the proper framework for understanding the environmental impacts of nanotechnologies. In practice, applying LCA to nanotechnology is problematic. The performance, emissions, and inventory data collected at the laboratory scale may not be representative of the commercial scale. Despite the high uncertainty, LCA may guide nascent technologies towards being environmentally beneficial through early identification of leverage points. This research applies novel LCA methods based on laboratory-scale manufacturing data and battery performance modeling to quantify the energy tradeoffs associated with nano-enabled lithium ion batteries. At present, the large energy demands of nanomanufacturing processes make commercial scale application of nano-enabled batteries impracticable. This case study reveals both the challenge and value of applying prospective LCA to nanomaterials.