cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ionization in the Winds of Early-B Stars: Constraints Imposed by EUVE

Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) spectral observations of e CMa (B2 II) provide significant new information about the ionization dynamics of its wind, its mass loss rate, and the interaction of its wind with the soft X-ray/EUV radiation field. We present results from wind ionization calculations which show how EUV radiation, emitted predominantly in the form of Fe IX-XVI lines from plasma with T ∼ 1 - 3 × 106 K, significantly alters the ionization state of its wind. EUV photons from the hot plasma photoionize He II in the cool portion of e CMa’s wind, producing anomalously high abundances of He III. The subsequent recombination from He III results in He II Lα (304 A) and Lβ (256 A) lines which are observed by EUVE. Also observed is O III λλ 374, which results from the O III λλ 304 multiplet being pumped by He II Lα — the Bowen mechanism (Cassinelli et al. 1995). We report on initial results from numerical simulations which show the effect of the Bowen mechanism on the O III 374 A line emission.
Reliability investigations of printed circuit boards

Summary form only given. Reliability is one of the key performance measures of current printed circuit boards. This paper deals with the reliability of various PCB base materials. The influence of plated Cu-thickness, surface finish metallization and aspect ratio and the possible difference between connections on the outer and inner layers of a board are considered.
"Uncapping" in Higher Education: A Primer.

Beginning January 1, 1994, institutions of higher education will be required to document cause for dismissal of tenured faculty 40 years of age or older. Chronological age will no longer be a legally acceptable cause for dismissal. Certain governance problems are expected to result from this change in federal law (i.e., “uncapping"). Academic gerontologists, especially older gerontologists, could build on both their academic training and their personal experience to help solve these genuine dilemmas.
Construction of boundary quadrature formulas using wavelets

This paper gives a refinement of a general method for the construction of multivariate numerical integration formulas that use merely boundary points as evaluation points. Boundary quadrature formulas are constructed by using the optimal dimensionality-reducing expansion and quadrature formulas for the integrals of periodic functions with wavelet weights. Boundary quadrature formulas are also used to solve boundary value problems of partial differential equations.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Does γ-irradiation improve the plateaux characteristics of self-quenchinf GM counters?

Abstract We were unable to substantiate the claim platethe plateaux characteristics of GM counters could be improved by γ-irradiation.
An experimental model for the therapy of mouse neuroblastoma

Abstract Adult A/J mice were inoculated in the right thigh intramuscularly with 10 6 C-1300 murine neuroblastoma cells. A palpable tumor developed in 8–10 days; median survival time was 22 days. Radiation fractionation studies showed a dose-dependent increase in survival time. Results of radiation therapy without fractionation suggest that therapy should be started within 2 days postoperatively. Combination of radiation therapy and cytosine arabinoside was not significantly better than radiation therapy alone with respect to survival time, but median tumor appearance time was somewhat delayed. Thus, this study suggests that the murine neuroblastoma preparation may be useful in screening technique to test therapy active against human neuroblastoma and may assist in the design of optimal surgical adjuvants for this disease.
Treatment of canine osteoarthritis with insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and sodium pentosan polysulfate*

The potential therapeutic effects of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and sodium pentosan polysulfate (PPS) were evaluated in an anterior cruciate ligament-deficient canine model of osteoarthritis (OA). A control group of animals received no treatment or surgery (N). The remaining four groups of animals received anterior cruciate transection and either no treatment (OA), intra-articular IGF-1 (IGF-1), intra-muscular PPS (PPS), or a combination of intra-articular IGF-1 and intra-muscular PPS (IGF-1/PPS). All therapy was begun 3 weeks after surgery and continued for 3 weeks. At 6 weeks, articular cartilage from the femoral condyle was evaluated for anatomy, histology (Mankin grade) and biochemistry. Anatomically, only cartilage from dogs in the IGF-1/PPS group approximated that found in N. Mankin scores indicated less severe disease in both PPS and IGF-1/PPS groups compared with the OA group. Consistent with histology, the level of active neutral metalloproteinase was lower in cartilage from the PPS group compared with the OA group. Active and total neutral metalloproteinase, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP), total collagenase, uronate and hydroxyproline contents were all near normal in the IGF-1/PPS group. In a model of mild OA, therapeutic intervention with IGF-1 and PPS appeared to successfully maintain cartilage structure and biochemistry. From these data, it is hypothesized that proteinase activity was successfully blocked by PPS, and that this allowed the observed growth factor induced effects. As we unravel the various factors that regulate cartilage metabolism, it is becoming apparent that combinations of agents will be needed to effectively control cartilage repair in OA. The addition of PPS to IGF-1 shows promise as a therapeutic intervention and introduces a new rational approach to therapy of OA.
Defective Tamm-Horsfall Protein in Patients With Interstitial Cystitis

Purpose: Normal urinary Tamm-Horsfall protein shows a urothelial cytoprotective effect against potentially toxic compounds in urine that may injure the urothelium and cause bladder disease. One such disease is interstitial cystitis. In patients with interstitial cystitis this protective effect is decreased. We hypothesized that a difference in Tamm-Horsfall protein in patients with interstitial cystitis exists that may be involved in disease pathogenesis.Materials and Methods: Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay the urinary Tamm-Horsfall protein concentration was determined in patients with interstitial cystitis and control subjects. Sialic acid content was measured by high performance liquid chromatography based assay. The structure of the protein glycosylation chains was analyzed using matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry.Results: The mean Tamm-Horsfall protein concentration was not significantly different in patients with interstitial cystitis and controls (2...
On constrained motion

The general explicit equations of motion for constrained discrete dynamical systems are obtained. These new equations lead to a simple and new fundamental view of constrained motion where the forces of constraint may be ideal and/or non-ideal.
Study and Application of APS in Ultra Supercritical Unit

The automatic plant startup and shutdown control system (APS) of ultra supercritical unit was studied and analyzed in this paper. According to the difficulties and features of APS design, complete architecture structure and hierarchical control method of APS system were proposed. The interface software between APS and modulation control system (MCS) was developed. The whole process control strategies of feed water system, fuel system, air-flue gas system, bypass system and deaerator water level system were optimized. These strategies realized the whole process control of fuel, feed water and induced & draft fan. The special control strategies of main steam temperature, boiler dry-wet state transition and hot cleaning were also proposed in this paper. It first realized the automatic startup and shutdown of ultra supercritical unit in China.
Toroidal field effects on dipole equilibrium and stability at finite plasma pressure

The influence of a toroidal magnetic field on the equilibrium and stability of a plasma confined by the magnetic field of a point dipole is considered, since it may be necessary to introduce a toroidal magnetic field to smooth electron heating or other asymmetries in the toroidal direction that can lead to toroidal electric fields and a loss of confinement due to radial E×B drift. To begin, a toriodal magnetic field is shown to restore confinement by reducing electron heating departures from axisymmetry. Then the Grad–Shafranov equation for a point dipole in the presence of a toroidal field is solved to explicitly demonstrate that an equilibrium exists. Finally, it is shown that a toroidal magnetic field destabilizes the otherwise stable point dipole ballooning modes at high plasma pressure. Consequently, if a toroidal magnetic field is necessary to remove toroidal heating asymmetries in a dipole equilibrium, the heating may have to be performed transiently or at lower plasma pressures.
Changes in element contents of selected lichens over 11 years in northern Minnesota, USA

Abstract Four species of lichen (Cladina rangiferina, Evernia mesomorpha, Hypogymnia physodes, and Parmelia sulcata) were sampled at six locations in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness three times over a span of 11 years and analyzed for concentrations of 16 chemical elements to test the hypotheses that corticolous species would accumulate higher amounts of chemical elements than terricolous species, and that 11 years were sufficient to detect spatial patterns and temporal trends in element contents. Multivariate analyses of over 2770 data points revealed two principal components that accounted for 68% of the total variance in the data. These two components, the first highly loaded with Al, B, Cr, Fe, Ni and S, and the second loaded with Ca, Cd, Mg and Mn, were inversely related to each other over time and space. The first component was interpreted as consisting of an anthropogenic and a dust component, while the second, primarily a nutritional component. Cu, K, Na, P, Pb and Zn were not highly loaded on either component. Component 1 decreased significantly over the 11 years and from west to east, while component 2 increased. The corticolous species were more enriched in heavy metals than the terricolous species. All four elements in component 2 in H. physodes were above enrichment thresholds for this species. Species differences on the two components were greater than the effects of time and space, suggesting that biomonitoring with lichens is strongly species dependent. Some localities in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness appear enriched in some anthropogenic elements for no obvious reasons.
Infrared studies of the role of monoclinic structure in the deformation of polyethylene

Abstract The transformation from the orthorhombic to the monoclinic structure has been observed by means of infrared spectroscopy in shaken preparations of single crystals of polyethylene, mixed crystals of polyethylene and perdeuteropolyethylene, and physical mixtures of single crystals of these two polymers. Annealing of such shaken samples results in the conversion of the monoclinic back to the orthorhombic structure, but with an accompanying change from the (110) folding characteristic of single crystals to (200) folding. The monoclinic structure thus appears to be an intermediate state in the fold-plane transformation which can occur upon deformation. Both unannealed and annealed physical mixtures give evidence of ciliary penetration.
Fundamental q, Cash Flow, and Investment: Evidence from Farm Panel Data

This study used a 1976–1992 panel data set to test whether farm machinery investors face finance constraints. Tests were based on fundamental q investment equations in which cash flow was added as an additional explanatory variable. Results indicated that (1) credit constraints were generally not a problem during the 1970s boom, (2) credit constraints became a problem during the 1980s and early 1990s because of tighter credit and/or more conservative financial managerial styles, (3) the investment-cash flow relationships of low-debt and older-operator farms were not significantly affected by farm business cycles, and (4) the investment-cash flow relationships of high-debt and young-operator farms were affected strongly by business cycles. Debt level was the strongest determinant of credit constraints; asset size and operator age were less important.
Quantifying the stress relaxation modulus of polymer thin films via thermal wrinkling.

The viscoelastic properties of polymer thin films can have a significant impact on the performance in many small-scale devices. In this work, we use a phenomenon based on a thermally induced instab...
Web-Based Reference Resources for the Social Sciences

Summary With the growth of the World Wide Web has come a proliferation of online reference sources. Some of these are electronic versions of already existing paper sources, while others have no paper counterpart. Many of the best reference resources found on the Web are subscription-based, but a surprising number of quality resources are available free. The vastness of the Web makes it difficult to provide a comprehensive and exhaustive survey of all the resources that are currently available. This article attempts to identify some of the most significant resources across the social sciences. It includes six disciplines: anthropology, communications, history, political science, psychology, and sociology.
Postischemic Spontaneous Hyperthermia and Its Effects in Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in the Rat

Abstract This study examined the time course and effects of postischemic spontaneous hyperthermia after transient and permanent focal ischemia. Rats underwent a 90-min, 120-min, or permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Body temperatures started rising 15–20 min after MCAO and reached 39–40.5°C during the first hour. Sustained hyperthermia was observed during the rest of the first 24 h. In another experiment, rats were subjected to the same interventions, but a normothermic body temperature was maintained. Spontaneous hyperthermia significantly increased the infarct volumes measured 48 h after MCAO in all groups. Reperfusion 2 h after the onset of ischemia was not beneficial in the hyperthermic animals in contrast to the normothermic group. We also examined the effect of spontaneous hyperthermia on the temporal progression of infarcted and penumbral areas 4, 12, or 48 h after MCAO. During spontaneous hyperthermia, penumbral areas became infarcted areas more rapidly, which was most expressed at 4 h. These findings demonstrate that severe spontaneous hyperthermia can occur in rats after MCAO and that it not only increases the infarct volumes in both transient and permanent ischemia, but also accelerates the incorporation of penumbral areas into necrotic areas, which significantly decreases the window of opportunity for therapeutic interventions.
Social competition or correlated strategy

Cooperation need not be expressed identically among individuals in a group to enhance the fitness of all. Complementary tasks can be allocated differentially, with task assignment differentially affecting individual absolute fitness. Such differential task assignment is often considered a consequence of social competition to avoid fitness-limiting tasks. I suggest an alternative, evoking an area of evolutionary game theory often overlooked in analyses of cooperation, where task assignment can be fundamentally arbitrary relative to competitive ability. Dominance, implied, ritual or actual, need not be a consequence of social competition for resources within groups.
Gambling for global goods

The human species has the sad capacity to destroy the climate of this planet. Many of our current behaviors and policies are almost ideally geared to meet this “goal” as quickly as possible. The per capita CO2 emission of the United States is approximately twice that of the United Kingdom or Japan and three times that of France or Sweden. Why is this the case?
On the absence of supersymmetry anomalies in gauge theories

Abstract It is shown that N = 2 non-abelian gauge theory can be renormalized consistent with gauge invariance, supersymmetry and unitarity. There is no perturbative supersymmetry anomaly: the proof is independent of any specific regulator.
Thin-layer and full Navier-Stokes, locally-conical and three-dimensional asymmetric solutions

The unsteady, compressible thin-layer and full Navier-Stokes equations are used to numerically simulate steady and unsteady asymmetric, supersonic, locally-conical flows around a 5-deg-semiapex angle circular cone. The main computational scheme used for the present computations is the implicit, upwind, flux-difference splitting, finite-volume scheme. Comparisons of the solutions using the two sets of equations are presented for the flow asymmetry and its control. Computational studies are also presented to investigate the effects of the freestream Reynolds number and the locally-scaled Reynolds number on the flow asymmetry. These studies are carried out using the full Navier-Stokes equations. Three-dimensional, asymmetric flow solutions are also presented for a 5-deg-semiapex angle cone of unit length and a cone-cylinder configuration. The three-dimensional solutions are obtained by using the thin-layer equations and short-duration transient side-slip disturbances along with a very fine grid.
Darier's disease : a calcium-signaling perspective

Ca2+ influx evoked across the plasma membrane upon internal store depletion is essential for a myriad of cellular functions including gene expression, cell proliferation, differentiation and even apoptosis. Darier’s disease (DD), an autosomal dominant inherited disorder of the skin, arising due to mutations in the isoform 2 of the sarco (endo) plasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA2), exemplifies an anomaly of Ca2+ signaling disturbances. Owing to loss of function mutations in SERCA2, keratinocytes in DD patients have a reduced pool of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+. Importantly, the status of ER Ca2+ is critical for the activation of a class of plasma membrane Ca2+ channels referred to as store operated Ca2+ channels (SOCs). The widely expressed transient receptor potential (TRP) family of channels is proposed to be SOCs. In this review we discuss DD from the viewpoint of Ca2+ signaling and present a potential role for TRPC1 in the disease pathogenesis.
Incorporating non‐seismic information for improved positioning with anisotropic PSDM

Theoretical and numerical studies have shown that surface seismic data alone do not adequately constrain VTI anisotropy parameter estimation (Tsvankin and Thomsen, 1995). The integration of sonic log, vertical checkshot, offset checkshot (OCS), and horizon-based constraints into our migration velocity analysis procedure allows us to develop models for the VTI parameters V0, e, and δ (Thompson, 1985) that are consistent with geology, measured traveltimes, and moveout of the seismic data. We show anisotropic PSDM (APSDM) examples from three marine areas, each of which exhibits marked P-wave anisotropy. Our velocity analysis procedure leads to models that are physically reasonable, and in each case we observe improved positioning accuracy compared to isotropic PSDM.
Intrinsic heterogeneity in oscillatory dynamics limits correlation-induced neural synchronization

Synchronous neural oscillations are found throughout the brain and are thought to contribute to neural coding and the propagation of activity. Several proposed mechanisms of synchronization have ga...
Influences of habitat features and human disturbance on use of breeding sites by a declining population of southern fur seals (Arctocephalus australis)

Southern fur seals Arctocephalus australis in Peru have declined gradually over the past decade, and declined dramatically (72%) as a result of low food availability during the severe El Nino in 1997–98. In 1999, seals abandoned some historically important breeding sites. This is particularly alarming because new sites were not colonized. Our objective was to examine how habitat features and human disturbance influenced whether sites were currently used, abandoned or apparently not used in the past by fur seals for breeding. Data were collected on 14 variables at 70 potential breeding sites at three guano reserves in Peru. Discriminant analysis revealed significant multivariate differences among sites currently used for breeding, abandoned sites and unused sites (F=5.97, P<0.00001), and the model classified 74% of sites correctly. Currently used sites were less likely to have human disturbance and more likely to have offshore islands, stacked rocks, tide pools and abundant shade. Separate discriminant analyses for each reserve produced similar results. Habitat associated with thermoregulation (e.g. shade or pools) may be more important to fur seals in Peru, which breed at lower latitudes and are at greater risk of overheating on land than other populations. Habitat with minimized human access may be especially important to seals in small populations in which individuals may perceive themselves as more vulnerable because of decreased vigilance and dilution effects. Seals in our study selected breeding habitat with stacked rocks, which create shade and tide pools for thermoregulation and make human access difficult; but pups might suffer higher mortality in this habitat. We hypothesize that fur seals in Peru may exhibit an Allee effect, whereby suitability of habitat varies with population abundance.
Overdistention of the urinary bladder during and after anaesthesia

Four cases are reported of patients who developed respiratory difficulty, a rise in blood pressure, or excitement during or after “non-traumatic” surgery under light nitrous-oxide-oxygen-halothane anaesthesia while receiving balanced salt solutions, intravenously, in excess of the estimated or measured blood loss. The complications were attributable to overdistention of the urinary bladder and were instantaneously relieved following removal of the urine by catheterization.
A finite element formulation for nonlinear incompressible elastic and inelastic analysis

We introduce a displacement-pressure (up) finite element formulation for the geometrically and materially nonlinear analysis of compressible and almost incompressible solids. The (up) formulation features the a priori replacement of the pressure computed from the displacement field by a separately interpolated pressure; this replacement is performed without reference to any specific material description. Considerations for incremental nonlinear analysis (including contact boundary conditions) are discussed and various (up) elements are studied. Numerical examples show the performance of the (up) formulation for two- and three-dimensional problems involving isotropic, orthotropic, rubber-like and elasto-plastic materials.
p63 and p73 are not required for the development and p53-dependent apoptosis of T cells

The recent discoveries of p63 and p73, homologs of the tumor suppressor p53, raised the possibility of a network of these family members governing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in response to stress. However, mice lacking p73 show no tendency for spontaneous tumors, and mutations in p63 or p73 are rare in human tumors, rendering any obligate role of these genes in cell death and tumor suppression unclear. In an effort to reconcile these incongruent data, we examined the genetic interactions between p53, p63, and p73 in well-established paradigms of p53-dependent and -independent T cell death using primary, genetically defined lymphocytes. Our findings challenge the generality of the notion that p63 and p73 are required for p53 function or for apoptosis in T cells.
Density Functional Studies of Methanol Decomposition on Subnanometer Pd Clusters

A density functional theory study of the decomposition of methanol on subnanometer palladium clusters (primarily Pd4) is presented. Methanol dehydrogenation through C−H bond breaking to form hydroxymethyl (CH2OH) as the initial step, followed by steps involving formation of hydroxymethylene (CHOH), formyl (CHO), and carbon monoxide (CO), is found to be the most favorable reaction pathway. A competing dehydrogenation pathway with O−H bond breaking as the first step, followed by formation of methoxy (CH3O) and formaldehyde (CH2O), is slightly less favorable. In contrast, pathways involving C−O bond cleavage are much less energetically favorable, and no feasible pathways involving C−O bond formation to yield dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3) are found. Comparisons of the results are made with methanol decomposition products adsorbed on more extended Pd surfaces; all reaction intermediates are found to bind slightly more strongly to the clusters than to the surfaces.
Polyurethanes. I. The solution polymerization of diisocyanates with ethylene glycol

Contrary to statements in the literature, it was found that useful polyurethanes could be prepared by the reaction of a diisocyanate with ethylene glycol. In this investigation m-phenylene diisocyanate, p-phenylene diisocyanate, 2, 4-toluene diisocyanate, methylene bis(4-phenyl isocyanate), durene diisocyanate, biphenylene diisocyanate, bis(4-isocyanatophenyl) sulfone, 4,4′-diisocyanatodiphenyl ether, 3,3′-dimethyl-4,4′-biphenylene diisocyanate, and 1,5-naphthalene diisocyanate reacted with ethylene glycol in solution to give the corresponding polyurethanes. The reaction of methylene bis(4-phenyl isocyanate) with ethylene glycol in dimethyl sulfoxide/4-methylpentanone-2 (50/50) gave a high molecular weight, linear polyurethane that could be solvent-cast into films and dry-spun into fibers. These films and fibers showed properties similar to those of existing commercial films and fibers.
Do clothes really make the woman? The use of attire to enhance work performance

The article reports a study relating to women and their work attire. The researchers conducted personal interviews with 20 women who were administrative staffers at a U.S. school of business administration. Their findings indicate that women chose their attire to match their organizational level, function, task, and special events of a particular day, that women chose attire to help them perform their organizational roles and they spend considerable time and energy in shopping for appropriate clothing and planning what to wear to work. In addition, their comments illustrate the emotional costs associated with dressing appropriately for work.
Trauma center brief interventions for alcohol disorders decrease subsequent driving under the influence arrests

Background:A substantial number of trauma center admissions are related to driving under the influence (DUI); however, there has been no prior report of brief intervention (BI) after injury reducing subsequent DUI arrests. The hypothesis of this study was that injured patients receiving BI would hav
Hear Me Out: A Statistic Speaks.

An educator tells the story of her experience as a beginning teacher, and describes how and why she left the classroom after two years to follow different directions within the field. Her story of professional growth, personal reflection, and self-assessment suggests that, at least in her case, statistics about attrition rates for beginning teachers need re-evaluation.
Corrigendum: weakest failure detector for wait-free dining under eventual weak exclusion

This corrigendum corrects and clarifies our remarks in [2] from SPAA 2009 about the related work in [1] regarding the status of ◊P as the weakest failure detector for boosting obstruction-freedom to wait-freedom.
1471 EARLY ENTERAL FEEDING DOES NOT AFFECT INCIDENCE OF NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS (NEC): A CONTROLLED, RANDOMIZED TRIAL

Our previous work has shown that delaying feedings for >14 days in high risk neonates does not prevent NEC (AJDC, in press). To help determine the optimal time for initiating enteral feedings, infants at High Risk for NEC were prospectively selected from all admissions <1500g using a risk scoring system we developed. Of 112 VLBW admissions, 47 were Low Risk, 22 died within 24 hours, and 9 parents refused consent. Ultimately, 34 High Risk infants were entered into the study protocol and randomly assigned to be fed on Day 1 or 7 of life. Identical feeding protocols included parenteral nutrition and a scheduled progression from sterile water to 2.5% dextrose, half-strenght, and finally full-strength formula over 7 days. The incidence of NEC and subsequent hospital course were compared. Initiating enteral feedings on Day 1 did not increase the incidence of NEC, produce a clustering of cases, or induce an earlier onset of NEC. The overall incidence of NEC was 29% (5/17) and 35% (6/17) in the Day 1 and 7 groups, respectively, compared to 4.2% (2/47) in the Low Risk neonates. Only 1 infant got NEC within 3 days of feeding (Day 7 group) and no differences were seen in obstetrical complications, BW, GA, Apgars, PDA, IVH, and respiratory or oxygen requirements. Infants fed enterally from Day 1 did show a trend toward significantly higher energy and protein intakes during the second week of life. These data suggest that providing dilute, early enteral calories does not affect the incidence of NEC, but may promote improved nutritional status in sick, high-risk, VLBW neonates.
Inverse Relationship between Luteinizing Hormone and Body Mass Index in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Investigation of Hypothalamic and Pituitary Contributions

Context: Patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) have increased LH relative to FSH, but LH is modified by body mass index (BMI). Objective: The objective of the study was to determine whether the impact of BMI on neuroendocrine dysregulation in PCOS is mediated at the hypothalamic or pituitary level. Participants/Interventions/Setting: Twenty-four women with PCOS across a spectrum of BMIs underwent frequent blood sampling, iv administration of GnRH (75 ng/kg), and sc administration of the NAL-GLU GnRH antagonist (5 μg/kg) in the General Clinical Research Center at an academic hospital. Main Outcome Measures: LH pulse frequency and LH response to submaximal GnRH receptor blockade were used as measures of hypothalamic function; LH response to GnRH was used as a measure of pituitary responsiveness. Results: BMI was negatively correlated with mean LH, LH/FSH, and LH pulse amplitude. There was no effect of BMI on LH pulse frequency. Percent inhibition of LH was decreased in PCOS, compared with normal ...
Use of a small-gauge needle for intrauterine fetal transfusions

Intraperitoneal intrauterine fetal transfusions have generally been performed with large-gauge Tuohy needles, which increase the risk of traumatic fetal complications. We feel that this technique can be improved by use of a small-gauge needle and continuous ultrasound visualization. A series of 20 transfusions is presented.
Small angle neutron scattering from nanocrystalline palladium as a function of annealing

Nanocrystalline materials, with grain sizes on the order of nanometers, have many interesting properties as a result of having confining grain sizes and a significant fraction of their atoms in grain boundary regions. Nanocrystalline materials may be synthesized by inert gas condensation and compaction, as developed by Gleiter and co-workers. While this processing method is very effective, it does produce specimens containing defects of various sizes. These different size defects may include voids at the grain boundary junctions, pores having the volume of individual grains, larger flaws and microcracks, and excess free volume at the grain boundaries. Evidence for the presence of these defects in nanocrystalline metals includes substantial deviations from theoretical density, positron lifetime measurements, and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements. The presence of such defects is believed to have a strong influence on the apparent strength of nanocrystalline metals; therefore, any comprehensive study of mechanical behavior should include detailed information on the defect structure of the material. As part of a study of mechanical properties and their correlation with changes in internal structure, SANS measurements were made on a series of nanocrystalline palladium (n-Pd) samples. Preliminary results of the study are described below.
Practice of coronary angioplasty in California in 1995 : comparison to 1989 and impact of coronary stenting.

Background—This study seeks to analyze changes in the practice of PTCA in California between 1989 and 1995 by use of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) data set. Methods and Results—All hospital discharges in 1995 with a procedure code for PTCA or stent were identified. The 1995 PTCA data were compared with previously published data from 1989 obtained from the same database. The number of PTCAs performed increased by 49% between 1989 and 1995, from 24 883 to 37 118. The percentage of female patients increased from 29.8% to 32.7% (P=0.0001). The percentage of diabetics increased from 14.4% to 21.6% (P=0.0001) between 1989 and 1995. Procedures on patients with a principal diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction increased from 19.3% of all PTCAs in 1989 to 27.5% of PTCAs in 1995 (P=0.0001). In-hospital mortality increased from 1.4% in 1989 to 1.9% in 1995 (P=0.0001). There were 3087 admissions with stent placement in 1995. In-hospital mortality after stent placement was 0.9% (P=...
A spin reversal system for polarized epithermal neutrons

Abstract The design and construction of a spin-reversal system for longitudinally polarized epithermal neutrons are presented. The design uses a static magnetic field parallel to the momentum of the neutron. The longitudinal field changes the direction at its midpoint. A transverse magnetic field is turned off to control the spin direction at the end of the spin flipper. The neutron spin is reversed with respect to both the neutron momentum and the static longitudinal field at the exit of the spin flipper. In the transverse field-on state the spin adiabatically follows the field direction and the spin direction is reversed. In the transverse field-off state the spin passes rapidly through the region where the solenoidal field reverses the sign and the spin direction is not reversed. With this design, the spins of an 8-cm-diameter beam of longitudinally polarized neutrons can be reversed with an efficiency greater than 88% over a range of neutron energies of more than four orders of magnitude.
Spectral Classification of the 30 Doradus Stellar Populations

An optical spectral classification study of 106 OB stars within the 30 Doradus Nebula has sharpened the description of the spatial and temporal structures among the associated clusters. Five distinct stellar groups are recognized: (1) the central early-O (Carina phase) concentration, which includes Radcliffe 136 (R136); (2) a younger (Orion phase) population to the north and west of R136, containing heavily embedded early-O dwarfs and IR sources, the formation of which was likely triggered by the central concentration; (3) an older population of late-O and early-B supergiants (Scorpius OB1 phase) throughout the central field, whose structural relationship, if any, to the younger groups is unclear; (4) a previously known, even older compact cluster 3' northwest of R136, containing A- and M-type supergiants (h and χ Persei phase), which has evidently affected the nebular dynamics substantially; and (5) a newly recognized Sco OB1-phase association, surrounding the recently discovered luminous blue variable (LBV) R143, in the southern part of the Nebula. The intricacy of this region and the implications for the interpretation of more distant starbursts are emphasized. The evidence indicates that the formation of the 30 Dor stellar content was neither instantaneous nor continuous, but rather that the stars formed in discrete events at different epochs. The average difference between the derived and calibration absolute visual magnitudes of the stars is 0.05, indicating that the classification, calibration, and adopted distance modulus (V0 - MV = 18.6) are accurate. For 70 of the stars, either the absolute value of that difference is ≤0.6 mag, or they are subluminous dwarfs or superluminous supergiants. Many astrophysically interesting objects have been isolated for further investigation. Surprisingly, in view of the presence of several O3 supergiants, the mid-Of star R139 is identified as the most massive object in this sample; it is located well along the 120 M☉ track, very near the Humphreys-Davidson limit, and it is probably an immediate LBV precursor. This work can and should be extended in three ways: (1) higher resolution and higher S/N observations of many of the stars with larger ground-based telescopes for quantitative analysis, (2) ground-based spectral classification of the numerous additional accessible stars in the field, and (3) spatially resolved spectral classification of compact multiple systems with the Hubble Space Telescope.
Room Temperature Shear Band Development in Highly Twinned Wrought Magnesium AZ31B Sheet

Failure mechanisms were studied in wrought AZ31B magnesium alloy after forming under different strain paths. Optical micrographs were used to observe the shear band formation and regions of high twin density in samples strained under uniaxial, biaxial, and plane strain conditions. Interrupted testing at 4 pct effective strain increments, until failure, was used to observe the evolution of the microstructure. The results showed that shear bands, with a high percentage of twinned grains, appeared early in the samples strained under biaxial or plane strain tension. These bands are similar to those seen in uniaxial tension specimens just prior to failure where the uniaxial tensile ductility was much greater than that observed for plane strain or biaxial tension conditions. A forming limit diagram for AZ31B, which was developed from the strain data, showed that plane strain and biaxial tension had very similar limit strains; this contrasts with materials like steel or aluminum alloys, which typically have greater ductility in biaxial tension compared to plane strain tension.
Lipopolysaccharide prevents cell death caused by glutathione depletion: possible mechanisms of protection.

Abstract Glutathione is an important cellular antioxidant present at high concentrations in the brain. We have previously demonstrated that depletion of glutathione in mesencephalic cultures results in cell death and that the presence of glia is necessary for the expression of toxicity. Cell death following glutathione depletion can be prevented by inhibition of lipoxygenase activity, implicating arachidonic acid metabolism in the toxic events. In this study we examined the effect of glial activation, known to cause secretion of cytokines and release of arachidonic acid, on the toxicity induced by glutathione depletion. Our data show that treatment with the endotoxin lipopolysaccharide activated glial cells in mesencephalic cultures, increased interleukin-1β in microglia and caused depletion of glutathione. The overall effect of lipopolysaccharide treatment, however, was protection from damage caused by glutathione depletion. Addition of cytokines or growth factors, normally secreted by activated glia, did not modify L -buthionine sulfoximine toxicity, although basic fibroblast growth factor provided some protection. A large increase in the protein content and the activity of Mn–superoxide dismutase, observed after lipopolysaccharide treatment, may indicate a role for this mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme in the protective effect of lipopolysaccharide. This was supported by the suppression of toxicity by exogenous superoxide dismutase. Our data suggest that superoxide contributes to the damage caused by glutathione depletion and that up-regulation of superoxide dismutase may offer protection in neurodegenerative diseases associated with glutathione depletion and oxidative stress.
CAMPing in the PACU: Using complementary and alternative medical practices in the PACU

This case study will show the effectiveness of various forms of holistic healing (Therapeutic Touch, Healing Touch, Reiki, and reflexology) when used during the perianesthesia period for reduction of stress and pain. Brief introductions of each of the forms of complementary medicine will be provided with correlation to the case study. The reader will see how the nurse interprets the physical and emotional changes of the patient and identifies how and when to intercede with complementary forms of healing.
Scintillation Photon Detection and Event Selection in High Resolution Positron Emission Tomography

The scintillation photon detection and event selection subsystem for the high spatial resolution Donner 600-channel positron emission tomograph is described. The tomograph spatial resolution of better than 3.0 mm, FWHM, is obtained by using 600 closely-packed bismuth germanate 3 mm thick scintillation detectors. Each detector has its own 13.5 mm diameter photomultiplier and event selection channel, consisting of two fast pulse amplifiers, a charge integrator, a differential pulse height discriminator and precision time delay for event strobing. The event selection channel is capable of starting a timing cycle from the first photoelectron emitted from the photocathode. It is also capable of discriminating between true events and noise and of eliminating events occurring simultaneously in two adjacent channels. Adjustments of the event strobing time and two discriminator levels are performed by a computer.
Determinants of successful balloon valvotomy in infants with critical pulmonary stenosis or membranous pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum

Objectives. This study reviewed our experience with percutaneous balloon valvotomy in infants with critical pulmonary stenosis or membranous pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum and defined the anatomic and hemodynamic characteristics of infants in whom this procedure is successful and provides definitive therapy. Background. Unlike children with valvular pulmonary stenosis, the follow-up of infants with critical pulmonary stenosis undergoing percutaneous balloon valvotomy is limited. Methods. Between December 1987 and August 1992, percutaneous balloon valvotomy was attempted in 12 infants with critical pulmonary stenosis (n = 10) or pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (n = 2). Two outcome groups were identified: Group A patients are acyanotic, have mild residual pulmonary stenosis and have not required operation; Group B patients have required operation. Results. Of the 12 infants, 11 had a successful balloon valvotomy procedure. Group A patients (n = 7) have a residual gradient of 22 ± 18.7 mm Hg (mean ± SD) at follow-up of 3.2 years (range 1.2 to 5.0). In Group B (n = 5), operation was required for inability to cross the pulmonary valve (n = 1) or persistent severe hypoxemia for ⪰2 weeks after valvotomy (n = 4). Significant differences (p ≤0.01) between the two groups (Group A vs. Group B) were identified in pulmonary valve annulus (Z value) 8.1 mm (−1.1) versus 5.5 mm (−3.4); tricuspid valve annulus (Z value) 14.0 mm (0.8) versus 8.8 mm (−1.8); right ventricular volume 65 versus 29 ml/m2; and Lewis index 10.9 versus 8.9. Conclusions. Percutaneous balloon valvotomy is effective and likely to provide definitive therapy in infants with critical pulmonary stenosis or membranous pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum who have a tricuspid valve annulus >11 mm, pulmonary valve annulus ⪰7 mm and right ventricular volume >30 ml/m2.
Mutagenicity of dibenz[a,c]anthracene and its derivatives in Salmonella typhimurium TA100.

Abstract The mutagenic activities of dibenz[ a , c ]anthracene (DB[a,c]A), and its 11 derivatives, including 3 diols, 6 phenols and 2 oxepines, were studied in the TA100 strain of Salmonella typhimurium at doses varying from 0 to 20 μg/plate in the presence of a rat-liver S9 (9000 × g ) preparation. Among the diols of DB[a,c]A tested DB[a,c]A-10,11-diol was the most mutagenic compound. However, it was consistently less mutagenic than the parent hydrocarbon. Oxepine-1 and oxepine-2 which are believed to be the photoisomerized products of DB[a,c]A-1,2 oxide and DB[a,c]A-3,4-oxide, respectively, were also less mutagenic than DB[a,c]A. In contrast to these results, 4-hydroxyDB[a,c]A was almost twice as active as DB[a,c]A, and 2-hydroxy- and 3-hydroxyDB[a,c]A were even more (4–6-fold) mutagenic than DB[a,c]A. The remaining phenols were relatively inactive or weakly active in this mutagenicity assay. These results provide initial evidence that the bay-region theory may not be applicable to the mutagenesis of DB[a,c]A, and that the angular ring substituted phenols of DB[a,c]A may be involved in the metabolic activation of this highly mutagenic hydrocarbon.
A Comparison of Methods for Computing the Sigma-Coordinate Pressure Gradient Force for Flow over Sloped Terrain in a Hybrid Theta-Sigma Model

In connection with the employment of the sigma coordinates introduced by Phillips (1957), problems can arise regarding an accurate finite-difference computation of the pressure gradient force. Over steeply sloped terrain, the calculation of the sigma-coordinate pressure gradient force involves computing the difference between two large terms of opposite sign which results in large truncation error. To reduce the truncation error, several finite-difference methods have been designed and implemented. The present investigation has the objective to provide another method of computing the sigma-coordinate pressure gradient force. Phillips' method is applied for the elimination of a hydrostatic component to a flux formulation. The new technique is compared with four other methods for computing the pressure gradient force. The work is motivated by the desire to use an isentropic and sigma-coordinate hybrid model for experiments designed to study flow near mountainous terrain.
Comparison of nutrient intake levels in older adults as estimated by self-administered versus interview-assisted food frequency questionnaires

Abstract Quantitative food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) have been found to quickly determine an individual's usual nutrient intake; however, few researchers have addressed the assessment of nutrient level profiles of older adults based on the method of FFQ administration. The purpose of this study was to examine the adequacy of FFQ methodology in older adults. A short, 34-item, food frequency questionnaire (SFQ) was adapted from the 98-item Health Habits and History Questionnaire (HHHQ) developed by the National Cancer Institute, and both instruments were administered to 42 older adults. The SFQ was self-administered and the HHHQ was interview-assisted. Nutrient profiles were examined based on the self-administered short form (SA-SFQ), the interview-assisted long form (IA-HHHQ), and a subset of the long form mimicking the short form (IA-SFQ). IA-SFQ and SA-SFQ correlations for energy and 12 nutrients ranged between r = 0.27 and r = 0.58. Mean nutrient levels for protein, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, and phosphorus were significantly different between IA-SFQ and SA-SFQ. These data suggest that, for older adults, the method of FFQ administration may significantly alter the resulting nutrient intake profiles.