cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Katheter — Realität und Ideal

Eines der altesten und doch gebrauchlichsten Instrumente in der Urologie ist der Katheter. In fruheren Zeiten verwendete man Katheter aus Naturstoffen, wie z. B. Rohr. Diese wurden fortlaufend in ihrer Struktur verbessert, was Anfang dieses Jahrhunderts zu den selbsthaftenden Foley-Ballon-Kathetern fuhrte.
Myristicyclins A and B: Antimalarial Procyanidins from Horsfieldia spicata from Papua New Guinea.

Myristicyclin A (I) and B (I) show antimalarial activity, though the therapeutic potential of the latter is limited due to its hemolytic nature.
Breastfeeding and Food Allergy

Breast milk is a living source of nutrition for babies and is currently recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics as well as the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Breast milk complements a baby’s immune system, supplementing undeveloped defenses with immune factors while also creating the foundation for both the innate and adaptive immune systems. Such immune development includes tolerance of the environment and, in the case of food allergy, formation of an IgE antibody response. Breast milk was thought to be protective against food allergy, and recent research with mice strengthens this paradigm. This chapter reviews the immature immune system, the immunology and nutrition of breast milk, the literature exploring breast milk and food allergy, and the current recommendations regarding breast milk and the prevention of food allergy.
Publishing in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine: tips from an associate editor.

Citation:Jindal RD. Publishing in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine: tips from an associate editor. J Clin Sleep Med. 2020;16(7):997–998.
Flue Gas CO2 Capture via Electrochemically Mediated Amine Regeneration: Desorption Unit Design and Analysis

We analyzed the performance of an electrochemical desorption unit to be implemented in an electrochemically mediated amine regeneration (EMAR) process, which separates CO2 and regenerates the amine...
Fluorescent Janus emulsions for biosensing of Listeria monocytogenes

Here we report a sensing method for Listeria monocytogenes based on the agglutination of all-liquid Janus emulsions. This two-dye assay enables the rapid detection of trace Listeria in less than 2 h via an emissive signal produced in response to Listeria binding. The biorecognition interface between the Janus emulsions is assembled by attaching antibodies to a functional surfactant polymer with a tetrazine/transcyclooctene click reaction. The strong binding between Listeria and the Listeria antibody located at the hydrocarbon surface of the emulsions results in the tilting of the Janus structure from its equilibrium position to produce emission that would ordinarily be obscured by a blocking dye. This method provides rapid and inexpensive Listeria detection with high sensitivity (<100 CFU/mL in 2 h) that can be paired with many antibody or related recognition elements to create a new class of biosensors.
Transitions in an uncertain labor market: implications for meaningful work

Abstract Scholars are increasingly recognizing meaningful work as an intrinsically valuable experience and as a critical factor for facilitating positive workplace outcomes, such as work engagement, job satisfaction, and performance. However, transitions in the current labor market present unique challenges to the experience of meaningful work. As societal values shift, automation changes the labor market, and platform economies rise, the future is increasingly uncertain for workers trying to obtain meaningful work. This chapter outlines meaningful work from its historic roots to its current challenges and explores perspectives relevant to maintaining meaningful work in a volatile context. We pay particular attention to transitions caused by industrialization, precariousness, and uncertainty as fundamental barriers to meaningful work and how these barriers may change as technology and other factors continue to transform the economy.
Adsorption of short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) from water/wastewater

Since the regulations for the manufacture and use of long-chain PFAAs have become increasingly stringent, there is a tendency to replace them with short-chain homologs. Adsorption is considered the most cost-effective treatment for thermally, chemically, and biologically stable PFAAs. Many types of adsorbents have been synthesized for the removal of short-chain PFAAs. This review therefore provides a summary of adsorbents (synthesis, capacity, and kinetics), mechanisms (uptake mechanisms and influencing factors), and applications, including large-scale setups and point-of-use/point-of-entry (POU/POE) units, for the removal of short-chain PFAAs. Although short-chain PFAAs with their relatively high intraparticle diffusion rates can be more easily removed at the initial stage than the long-chain ones, their low hydrophobicity makes it difficult for them to compete in the long-term with the more hydrophobic organics in the solution (including the long-chain compounds) for binding sites, not to mention the fact that the already adsorbed short-chain PFAAs can be replaced by the long-chain ones. The most commonly applied adsorbents for PFAA removal have been carbonaceous adsorbents. Yet, significant changes are required to alter or modify the main adsorptive mechanism of hydrophobic interaction of carbonaceous adsorbents in order to improve their low removal capacity for short-chain PFAAs in the presence of long-chain compounds. Also, polymeric adsorbents, particularly amine-functionalized ones, are of limitless tunability for selective PFAA removal, which makes them promising for future applications. Future research should also focus on innovative treatment strategies for simultaneous long-chain and short-chain PFAA removal, development of novel adsorbents with better selectivity for short-chain PFAAs, and evaluation under environmentally-relevant conditions.
Chapter 7: Exploring Plus-Size Exercise Apparel as a Social Justice Issue; Understanding How All Pants ARE NOT Created Equal

Everyone has the right to exercise their body, but does everyone have the same opportunity when it comes to exercise apparel? Are women of all shapes and sizes allotted the same shopping and purchasing experiences when it comes to exercise apparel? Are all yoga pants, bras, and tank tops created equal? This chapter aims to explore size inclusiveness in the exercise apparel industry and illuminates a viewpoint that all pants are not in fact created equal.
Two-Stage Approach for Segmenting Gross Tumor Volume in Head and Neck Cancer with CT and PET Imaging

Radiation treatment planning for head and neck cancers involves careful delineation of the tumor target volume on CT images, often with assistance from PET scans as well. In this study, we described a method to automatically segment the gross tumor volume of the primary tumor with a two-stage approach using deep convolutional neural networks as part of the HECKTOR challenge. We trained a classification network to select the axial slices which may contain the tumor, and these slices were then inputted into a segmentation network to generate a binary segmentation map. On the test set consisting of 53 patients, we achieved a mean Dice similarity coefficient of 0.644, mean precision of 0.694, and mean recall of 0.667.
Mammography Screening Among Latinas: Does Gender and Ethnic Patient-Physician Concordance Matter?

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Latinas. Dominican women in particular have a higher lifetime risk of breast cancer than do other Latinas in the U.S. This study examines how gender, ethnic, and language concordance between providers and patients are associated with recent mammography screening for Latina immigrant women from the Dominican Republic. We conducted structured interviews, in Spanish, with 419 Dominican women aged 40 years or older living in New York City. Using bivariate analysis and logistic regressions, we tested whether patient-provider gender, ethnic, and language concordance was associated with recent mammography when controlling for demographic covariates, breast cancer screening knowledge, and self-rated health. Gender concordance predicted recent mammography after controlling for covariates (β = 0.13). Neither ethnic nor language concordance significantly predicted recent mammography. Our findings suggest that promotion of patient-provider gender concordance may help reduce health disparities among Latinos/as and other minority groups across the United States.
Communication—functional conductive polymer binder for practical Si-based electrodes

Author(s): Zhu, T; Liu, G | Abstract: Multifunctional conductive binders represent an emerging class of polymer materials to address inherent challenges of Si electrodes for high capacity lithium-ion batteries. Advanced binders with oriented functionalities are greatly desired to facilitate the battery chemistry. We here report stable capacity cycling of a practical composite anode comprising industrial available SiOx (g60 wt%), carbon materials and a conductive polymer binder—poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-co-fluorenonecomethylbenzoic ester) (PFM). This multifunctional polymer functions as both an interface modifier and an electrode binder for high-performing SiOx composite electrodes. The viability of multifunctional conductive polymer binders was further validated in a practical full cell.
Srs2 and Pif1 as Model Systems for Understanding Sf1a and Sf1b Helicase Structure and Function

Helicases are enzymes that convert the chemical energy stored in ATP into mechanical work, allowing them to move along and manipulate nucleic acids. The helicase superfamily 1 (Sf1) is one of the largest subgroups of helicases and they are required for a range of cellular activities across all domains of life. Sf1 helicases can be further subdivided into two classes called the Sf1a and Sf1b helicases, which move in opposite directions on nucleic acids. The results of this movement can range from the separation of strands within duplex nucleic acids to the physical remodeling or removal of nucleoprotein complexes. Here, we describe the characteristics of the Sf1a helicase Srs2 and the Sf1b helicase Pif1, both from the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae, focusing on the roles that they play in homologous recombination, a DNA repair pathway that is necessary for maintaining genome integrity.
Understanding disparities and barriers associated with pediatric transplant evaluation and time to listing: Moving toward a more comprehensive picture.

Background Delayed time to listing (TTL) for pediatric transplant patients is associated with increased risks of mortality and morbidity. The full range of health disparities, sociodemographic factors, and other barriers associated with delays in listing in the pediatric transplant candidate evaluation process has not been fully examined. Methods Retrospective chart reviews were conducted for 183 kidney, liver, and heart transplant candidates ages 0-18 who were referred for evaluation during 2012-2015. Demographic information and potential barriers (e g., social/medical factors, financial concerns) were gathered from pre-transplant evaluations and included in a comprehensive model to evaluate mechanisms that explain differences in TTL. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression models, Cox proportional hazards models, and path analysis were used for analyses. Results Candidates included 26.8% heart, 33.3% liver, and 39.9% kidney patients. The most common barrier to listing was financial (71.6%), followed by caregiver psychological or substance use (57.9%), and medical problems (49.7%). Higher age, kidney, and liver organ type (relative to the heart), and presence of social, medical, administrative/motivation, and financial barriers were all directly associated with longer TTL. Public insurance was indirectly associated with TTL through social, administrative/motivation, and financial barriers. Organ type was indirectly associated with TTL through financial barriers. Conclusions Results suggest social problems, administrative issues, and financial issues act as mechanisms through which insurance type and liver transplant candidates face increased risk of delays in transplant listing time. There are numerous clinical implications and interventions that are warranted to reduce TTL among pediatric transplant candidates with co-occurring barriers.
Takings, Fairness, and Farmland Preservation

In a recent article published in this Journal, Professor Jesse Richardson attempted to refute the arguments proposed by myself and others that support the fairness of downzoning land without compensation to property owners. Central to most farmland preservation efforts is agricultural zoning, which typically involves downzoning farmland to agricultural use, precluding more intensive development. This article will briefly comment on the role compensatory programs like PDRs and TDRs should play in effective farmland preservation programs. This is true even if downzoning results in substantial diminution of land values, which means that local governments can pursue farmland preservation by putting the cost of regulation on affected landowners. Indeed, in a perfect world, I would make generous use of both PDRs and TDRs to help mitigate the sometimes harsh effects of downzoning farmland. Thus, although PDRs and TDRs both have a role to play in a comprehensive farmland system, most efforts at farmland preservation must rely heavily on agricultural zoning, without compensation, to succeed. Contrary to the impression created by Professor Richardson, I am not opposed to compensatory farmland preservation programs such as PDRs and TDRs. He emphasized the individual status of the landowner in relation to the single restriction in question.
Chapter 11 – Complement in Health and Disease

This chapter briefly reviews the biology and roles of complement in health and disease, describes traditional methods for complement measurement, and discusses recent advances for measuring the state of complement activation in vivo. The chapter concludes by discussing, in perspective, the great potential of the complement system to provide valuable biomarkers for inflammatory diseases. The currently accepted order of complement components in the classical pathway was not established until 1938 when Ueno described a cellular intermediate consisting of erythrocytes, antibody, C1, C4, and a certain “endpiece.” The complement system comprises more than 30 plasma and membrane-bound proteins that form three distinct pathways (classical, alternative, and lectin) designed to protect against invading pathogens. Many of the complement proteins exist in plasma as functionally inactive pro-proteins until appropriate events trigger their activation. Complement is shown to play important roles in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases. The chapter summarizes the broadening spectrum of clinical conditions involving complement-mediated tissue damage. A few representative clinical conditions are briefly discussed. Because the primary function of complement is to eliminate invading microorganisms and probably, cell debris, tissue damage mediated by complement almost always occurs when the complement system is faithfully executing its physiologic function. Another major function of complement is to facilitate removal of antigen–antibody complexes. A synopsis of commonly performed complement measurement assays, with special emphasis on the underlying principles and noteworthy precautions is provided. Conclusions from a pilot study that included patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other inflammatory- and immune-mediated diseases, as well as healthy control subjects, are listed.
Power Estimation of a C Algorithm Based on the Functional-Level Power Analysis of a Digital Signal Processor

A complete methodology to estimate power consumption at the Clevel for on-the-shelf processors is introduced. It relies on the Functional-Level Power Analysis, which results in a power model of the processor that describes the consumption variations relatively to algorithmic and configuration parameters. Some parameters can be predicted directly from the C-algorithm with simple assumptions on the compilation. Maximum and minimum bounds for power consumption are obtained, together with a very accurate estimation; for the TI C6x, a maximum error of 6% against measurements is obtained for classical digital signal processing algorithms. Estimation results are summarized on a consumption map; the designer can compare the algorithm consumption, and its variations, with the application constraints.
Architecture and control of a high energy density buffer for power pulsation decoupling in grid-interfaced applications

In this paper we propose a series-stacked partial power processing architecture and the associated control scheme for double-line-frequency power pulsation decoupling in single phase inverter/rectifier applications. The proposed architecture exploits series stacking of the energy storage capacitors and a buffer converter across the DC bus such that the buffer converter only experiences low voltage stress and processes only a fraction of the total buffer power, while still maintaining a close to ripple free DC bus voltage. Such arrangement results in improved efficiency and higher energy density compared to conventional active decoupling solutions. A control scheme is proposed to exploit the small remaining bus ripple to compensate the power loss in the buffer converter and balance the power cycle of the architecture. A 2 kW hardware prototype has been built to demonstrate the benefit of the proposed solution. The hardware prototype achieves significant volume reduction compared to the conventional passive decoupling solution. An energy density of 611 W/in3 (by component volume) for the hardware prototype and an efficiency above 97.9% across a wide range of power and voltage levels has been experimentally verified.
NEW DETAILED HOLOCENE PALEOMAGNETIC RECORDS WITH ANOMALOUS GEOMAGNETIC FIELD BEHAVIOR IN ARGENTINA

Detailed palaeomagnetic studies were performed in several archaeological and geological sections dated with diverse relative and absolute methods. Data from 360 cores obtained in eight sites across eastern Argentina are reported. Characteristic remanence magnetization directions was determined by progressive alternating field demagnetization. Remanence directions showed anomalous geomagnetic field behavior far removed from the present magnetic field showing oblique normal, oblique reverse and reverse polarities during the latest Pleistocene and Holocene with evidence of a possible field excursions were recorded in several stratigraphic sections spanning ~11-0.5 kya. Computed virtual geomagnetic poles from those directions tend to be concentrated over North America, Europe, Eastern Asia, Africa and Australia. The hypothesis of the anomalous geomagnetic field directions is probably related with 14 C fluctuations and solar activity is discussed.
The Adolescent in Family Therapy: Breaking the Cycle of Conflict and Control

Introduction. The Process of Therapy: Principles and Pitfalls. Adolescent Development. Eating Disorders. Depression and Suicide. Violence, Delinquency, and Other Problem Behaviors. Psychosis. Underachievement and Other School-Related Problems. Problems of "Leaving Home". Multiproblem Families Epilogue: The ARCH.
Othering Obama: How Whiteness is Used to Undermine Authority

In this paper, I argue that the sociocultural structuring property of whiteness has been utilized to marginalize President Obama and effectively undermine his presidential authority. Whiteness functions in a largely invisible and ostensibly deracialized way to normalize the interests, needs, and values of whites, while at the same time marginalizing and devaluing the voice of people of color. Analyzing the health care debate through this theoretical lens generates insights into how the debate reproduced the system of racial oppression, and how whiteness functions in political discourse.
Fast Translation Invariant Multiscale Image Denoising

Translation invariant (TI) cycle spinning is an effective method for removing artifacts from images. However, for a method using $O(n)$ time, the exact TI cycle spinning by averaging all possible circulant shifts requires $O(n^{^{^{^{}\!\!}}2})$ time where $n$ is the number of pixels, and therefore is not feasible in practice. Existing literature has investigated efficient algorithms to calculate TI version of some denoising approaches such as Haar wavelet. Multiscale methods, especially those based on likelihood decomposition, such as penalized likelihood estimator and Bayesian methods, have become popular in image processing because of their effectiveness in denoising images. As far as we know, there is no systematic investigation of the TI calculation corresponding to general multiscale approaches. In this paper, we propose a fast TI (FTI) algorithm and a more general $k$ -TI ( $k$ -TI) algorithm allowing TI for the last $k$ scales of the image, which are applicable to general $d$ -dimensional images ( $d = 2, 3, \ldots $ ) with either Gaussian or Poisson noise. The proposed FTI leads to the exact TI estimation but only requires $O(n \log _{2} n )$ time. The proposed $k$ -TI can achieve almost the same performance as the exact TI estimation, but requires even less time. We achieve this by exploiting the regularity present in the multiscale structure, which is justified theoretically. The proposed FTI and $k$ -TI are generic in that they are applicable on any smoothing techniques based on the multiscale structure. We demonstrate the FTI and $k$ -TI algorithms on some recently proposed state-of-the-art methods for both Poisson and Gaussian noised images. Both simulations and real data application confirm the appealing performance of the proposed algorithms. MATLAB toolboxes are online accessible to reproduce the results and be implemented for general multiscale denoising approaches provided by the users.
An Overview of Tax Issues for Synagogues (and Other Religious Congregations)

This 9 page document discusses the issues that most often have (or should have) been asked in the many years that I have been giving pro bono advice to synagogues locally and nationally: (a) requirements for setting compensation; (b) lobbying and political activities; (c) substantiation of charitable contributions, (d) charitable fundraising, (e) payroll taxes and withholding for clergy, (f) parsonage and housing allowances, and (g) discretionary funds. The summary of the applicable rules is designed to help guide lay leaders and congregational staff, whether volunteer or professional. Each topic appears on a single page, so that a page or pages can easily be distributed to those who have need of or interest in a particular topic; congregations have my permission to do so. Two versions of the document follow. The first speaks specifically of “synagogues” and includes some discussion, such as the treatment of cantorial soloists, limited to that context. The second version, developed after a reader asked permission to adapt the guide for use at his church, speaks more generally of “religious congregations” rather than “synagogues.”
Plant development affects arthropod communities: Opposing impacts of species removal

We examined the hypothesis that developmental phase changes from juvenile to mature growth in plants affect the distribution of common herbivores, which in turn affect the rest of the arthropod community. Using naturally occurring clones of cottonwoods, we compared the arthropod communities found in the mature zones of upper tree canopies, in juvenile zones at the base of mature trees, and in juvenile ramets that have suckered from the roots of mature trees. Mature zones were shown to support 23% greater species richness and 108% greater relative abundance than juvenile ramets. Of 17 common arthropod taxa, 8 showed significantly higher abundances on one developmental zone over another; 4 had higher abundances on mature zones, and 4 had higher abundances on juvenile ramets. The juvenile zones of mature trees resembled a transition zone, supporting intermediate species richness and relative abundance. We also detected a significant clone effect on arthropod relative abundance, indicating that plant developm...
Linear dispersive shear waves in two-layer elastic medium

In linear isotropic elasticity, cases exist where pure shear waves are possible even in bounded media; these have a nondispersive mode with propagation speed equal to that in an infinite medium. For these cases, consideration of a two-layer medium shows the existence of dispersion which vanishes only with equality of the propagation speeds. The present study uses the method of asymptotic expansions; a uniformly valid approximation is obtained to describe the speed and dispersive nature of these waves. The elegance of this approach is brought out by derivation of the basic result of this study viz., Jeffrey equation to describe the farfield structure of these waves.
Structural design of sealing glasses

Requirements for enhanced component performance and reliability have led to the development of novel glass compositions for a variety of hermetic sealing applications. The development of technologically useful glass compositions was based on an understanding of the relationships between the molecular-level glass structure and important physical properties. The properties of the alkaline earth aluminoborate glasses for lithium batteries are sensitive to changes in B- and Al-coordination number, characterized by solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In general, the most useful compositions have structures that are dominated by tetrahedral Band Al-sites. Mixed alkali aluminophosphate glasses were developed for aluminum electrical connectors. The properties of sodium aluminophosphate glasses depend on the O/P ratio and significant property changes (e.g. maxima in T g and refractive index) occur when O/P exceeds the pyrophosphate limit at 3.5. Associated with these property changes is a decrease in the average Al-coordination number, from six to four, at O/P > 3.5. Raman spectroscopy provides additional information about the aluminophosphate network. Finally, zinc borophosphate glasses are developed for seals in flat panel displays. Boron-11 NMR shows that tetrahedral borons are preferred in xB 2 O 3 (1-x)(PO 3 ) 2 and in yB 2 O 3 (1 - y)Zn 2 P 2 O 7 glasses for x < 0.4 and y < 0.2. Raman spectroscopy reveals the concomitant evolution from a phosphate to a borophosphate network with increasing x and y.
Innovativeness and Information Processing Confidence

Summmy.-This study examined the hypothesis that there should be a positive and significant relationship between innovativeness and informationprocessing confidence. A Pearson product-moment correlation of .43 (N = 41, p < -05) confirmed the hypothesis. Imovativeness has been linked to such psychological variables as opinion leadership, product interest, venturesomeness, personal competence (6), dogmatism ( 3), self-confidence, information seeking ( I), and cognitive complexity (5). Another useful psychological variable that can be linked theoretically to innovativeness is confidence in information processing. In reviewing the literature no articles were located that explicitly relate such confidence to innovativeness. According to Rogers (7), the rate of diffusion of an innovation is positively related to a person's perception of the innovation in terms of four characteristics: relative advantage, compatibility, communicability, and divisibility. The fifth characteristic mentioned by Rogers (7), complexity, is negatively related to the rate of diffusion. It is assumed that those individuals with high confidence in information processing are more likely to perceive more information about an innovation's five characteristics-relative advantage, compatibility, communicability, divisibility and complexity-than an individual with low confidence. This follows McGuire's (4) thoughts when he argues that self-confidence ". . . is positively related to attention and comprehension since lack of self-esteem is usually associated with distractibility, lack of intelligence and social withdrawal." The purpose of this exploratory study was .to test the link between innovativeness and information-processing confidence. It was hypothesized that the correlation between innovativeness and confidence in information processing would be positive and significant. Subjects were 41 students enrolled in two business school classes. The scale developed by Hurc, Joseph, and Cook (2) and the scale advanced by Wright (9) were used to measure innovativeness and confidence, respectively. The innovativeness scale had 20 Likert-type questions (range 20 to 140) whereas the confidence scale involved 10 ~ikert-t~~e cquestions (range 10 to 70).? 'School of Management, Syracuse, NY 13210. The responses were scored as follows: scrongly agree = 7, agree = 6, moderately agree = 5, undecided = 4, moderately disagree = 3, disagree = 2, strongly disagree = 1. The same response format was used for both sets of questions in the present study. The aforementioned response format was used by Hurc, Joseph, and Cook ( 1977), whereas a 9-point scale with endpoints labelled "definitely true" and "definitely false" was used by Wright (1975). A high score reflects innovativeness and confidence in information processing.
Definitional dominance distributions for 20 English homographs

In order to establish the relative dominance of the various alternative meanings of 20 homographs, 100 subjects were given printed lists of words and asked to write a definition for each. Definitions were categorized and the frequency of definitions corresponding to each alternative meaning noted. Substantial variation in meaning dominance imbalance across homographs was observed. A high degree of correspondence between the dominance levels determined in this manner and those obtained by alternative methods was noted.
Increased sensitivity and clustering of elementary Ca2+ release events during oocyte maturation.

The universal signal for egg activation at fertilization is a rise in cytoplasmic Ca 2+ with defined spatial and temporal kinetics. Mammalian and amphibian eggs acquire the ability to produce such Ca 2+ signals during a maturation period that precedes fertilization and encompasses resumption of meiosis and progression to metaphase II. In Xenopus, immature oocytes produce fast, saltatory Ca 2+ waves that can be oscillatory in nature in response to IP3. In contrast, mature eggs produce a single continuous, sweeping Ca 2+ wave in response to IP3 or sperm fusion. The mechanisms mediating the differentiation of Ca 2+ signaling during oocyte maturation are not well understood. Here, I characterized elementary Ca 2+ release events (Ca 2+ puffs) in oocytes and eggs and show that the sensitivity of IP3-dependent Ca 2+ release is greatly enhanced during oocyte maturation. Furthermore, Ca 2+ puffs in eggs have a larger spatial fingerprint, yet are short lived compared to oocyte puffs. Most interestingly, Ca 2+ puffs cluster during oocyte maturation resulting in a continuum of Ca 2+ release sites over space in eggs. These changes in the spatial distribution of elementary Ca 2+ release events during oocyte maturation explain the continuous nature and slower speed of the fertilization Ca 2+ wave.
The independent regulation of protein synthesis in the major ampullate glands of Araneus cavaticus (Keyserling)

Abstract The effect of mechanical silking on the rate of protein synthesis in the major ampullate glands of the spider Araneus cavaticus has been investigated. Silking of one of the paired glands results in a greater rate of protein synthesis than in the unpulled control gland; in both in vivo and in vitro experiments. Our data indicate that the rate of protein synthesis can be regulated independently in the two silk glands. Radioisotopic label appears in the orb web more rapidly than one would expect were older silk drawn before newly synthesized silk.
Selective δ-opioid receptor antagonism by ICI 174,864 in the central nervous system

The effects of the novel gamma-opioid receptor antagonist ICI 174,864 (N,N-diallyl-Tyr-Aib-Aib-Phe-Leu-OH: Aib = alpha-aminoisobutyric acid) have been examined in the CNS in vivo using spontaneous reflex contractions of the rat urinary bladder as an index of activity. Bladder contractions were inhibited by equipotent intracerebroventricular (ICV) doses of the selective mu-agonist DAGO [D-Ala2, MePhe4,Gly-(ol)5]enkephalin and the delta-agonist DPDPE[D-Pen2, D-Pen5]enkephalin. ICI 174,864 (1-3 micrograms) administered by the same route produce a selective and reversible antagonism of DPDPE effects. At higher doses (6-15 micrograms, ICV) ICI 174,864 exhibited marked agonistic activity, producing inhibition of bladder contractions that were resistant to ICV naloxone (1-2 micrograms). Thus ICI 174,864 was considered a selective central delta-opioid receptor antagonist but its usefulness was limited by additional agonistic properties.
The Tangled Web: Gene Genealogies and the Origin of Eukaryotes

abstract: Accessing data from the genomes of organisms (individual genes) and analyzing these data using sophisticated alignment and phylogenetic methods led to the expectation that we would be able to paint a clear picture of the evolution of eukaryotes. Previous analyses based on morphology and ultrastructure failed to pinpoint both the sister taxon to eukaryotes and the branching order of eukaryotic lineages. However, the expectation that molecular data would provide resolution has not been met since a growing number of gene genealogies present conflicting hypotheses for the origin and diversification of eukaryotes. Instead of reconstructing a simple bifurcating tree of life, these gene genealogies have generated a complex picture of eukaryotic genomes whereby ancient lateral transfers (of individual genes or perhaps even entire genomes) has tangled the evolutionary history of eukaryotes. Resolution of these conflicting genealogies comes in recognizing that eukaryotes are chimeric, containing genetic i...
Does practice variation matter

The United States is a large and diverse country: its physical features vary from mountains to deserts to plains; its people live in large cities, suburbs, small towns, and on farms and include immigrants from every corner of the world; there are wide geographic variations in political affiliations
Variability in physician estimates of survival for acute respiratory failure in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Physician estimates of patient survival often influence clinical decisions. I studied physician estimates of survival for a patient with acute respiratory failure and underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to identify the factors that may influence these estimates. Physicians (n = 205) completed the same patient management problem and estimated the length of survival for the hypothetical patient. Physician estimates of survival were quite variable, ranging from one month to five years. Shorter estimates of survival were associated with acquisition of select case information: 1) subjective information from family members and a professional colleague, and 2) physiologic and functional data previously demonstrated to be predictive of survival. The study suggests that estimates of survival for the same patient may vary among physicians because of different considerations of social and physiologic case information. Physician estimates of patient survival and treatment recommendations may become more uniform with additional education or decision aids regarding the prognostication of survival.
Satellite observation of internal solitary waves converting polarity

[1] On a SPOT-3 visible image over the South China Sea continental shelf, two contrasting signatures of internal solitary waves (ISWs) are observed: darker stripes leading brighter stripes in the lower part, and brighter stripes leading darker stripes in the upper part. The authors suggest that the contrasting patterns are caused by ISWs of different polarities. A packet of ISWs is observed in the process of converting polarity due to bottom shoaling, both in the propagation direction and in the transect direction. The evolution process can be obtained by transferring information from the spatial domain to the temporal domain. The conversion process starts with the original depression ISWs passing the 160 m isobath. The evolution process can be divided into two phases: the first is the broadening of the original depression waves and the second is the appearance of the new-born elevation waves. These two phases are verified using numerical simulation.
Translating Life Course Theory to clinical practice to address health disparities.

Life Course Theory (LCT) is a framework that explains health and disease across populations and over time and in a powerful way, conceptualizes health and health disparities to guide improvements. It suggests a need to change priorities and paradigms in our healthcare delivery system. In “Rethinking Maternal and Child Health: The Life Course Model as an Organizing Framework,” Fine and Kotelchuck identify three areas of rethinking that have relevance to clinical care: (1) recognition of context and the “whole-person, whole-family, whole-community systems approach;” (2) longitudinal approach with “greater emphasis on early (“upstream”) determinants of health”; and (3) need for integration and “developing integrated, multi-sector service systems that become lifelong “pipelines” for healthy development”. This paper discusses promising clinical practice innovations in these three areas: addressing social influences on health in clinical practice, longitudinal and vertical integration of clinical services and horizontal integration with community services and resources. In addition, barriers and facilitators to implementation are reviewed.
Spontaneous Raman scattering by ground-state oxygen atoms.

We report the first known observation of Raman scattering by oxygen atoms. The 3P2 →3P1 and 3P2 →3P0 transitions in the electronic ground state that produced Raman shifts of 158 and 227 cm−1 were detected. These transitions were observed in a fuel-lean atmospheric H2 + O2 flame. By comparing the O electronic and O2 pure-rotational Raman-scattering intensities, we measured the polarized cross sections for the two lines to be 6 ± 1 × 10−31 and 4 ± 1 × 10−31 cm2/sr, respectively, with an excitation source at 532.1 nm. These cross sections are two to three times stronger than those predicted by a single-configuration single-excitation Coulomb approximation.
Modified Lynch procedure for chronic frontal sinus diseases: rationale, technique, and long-term results.

The modified Lynch operation (Neel-Lake) differs in several ways from the operation described by Lynch. The operation begins with an intranasal anterior ethmoidectomy. The agger nasi cells are removed by curetting forward between the frontal process of the maxilla and the septum. The middle turbinate, normal-appearing mucosa of the frontal-ethmoid complex, and frontal process of the superior maxilla are preserved. Bone removal is limited in most cases to the anterior floor of the frontal sinus, a portion of the lacrimal bone, and the bone over the anterior ethmoid cells. Another important difference is the use of soft, nonreactive material (thin Silastic® sheeting) to stent the nasal-frontal passageway. Removal of all the mucosa of the frontal-ethmoid-sphenoid complex is unnecessary for a good postoperative result, and the remaining normal mucosa hastens the process of reepithelialization of the nasal-frontal duct. The patients in our original study group have been observed for a period of 5 to 20 years (mean, 13.5 years) after the surgical procedure. This is the longest period of follow-up for any group of patients reported in the literature. The incidence of failures increased from 7% (one duct) to 20% (3 of 15 ducts) after an additional 7 years of follow-up.
Effect of organic compounds on photosynthetic oxygenation—I. Chlorophyll destruction and suppression of photosynthetic oxygen production

Abstract This paper describes the inhibition of chlorophyll synthesis and the destruction of chlorophyll in Chlorella pyrenoldosa due to the presence of selected organic compounds. Emphasis in Part I is directed toward an explanation of laboratory techniques and an evaluation of changes in photosynthetic oxygen production due to the addition of selected compounds. In Part II, which will follow the influence of certain organic compounds on the design of waste stabilization ponds will be considered. Changes in extractable chlorophyll concentrations are presented in terms of exposure time and concentration of chemical additives. Selected algal cultures were grown for a test period of 72 hr in test tubes under constant temperature conditions, with continuous illumination, and under controlled nutrient supplies. Under such conditions the chlorophyll content decreases markedly in relation to the concentration of the organic additive. For the compounds evaluated, the chlorophyll reduction seems to be a function of the substituted groups and their relative positions. Also, a direct manometric technique is described for measurement of photosynthetic gas exchange. Results show that oxygen production is suppressed by chlorinated and nitrated phenols.
Wavelength Calibration of Near-Infrared Spectra

An atlas of a thorium-argon hollow cathode lamp in selected intervals of the 1-2.5 mm region is presented. Accurate wavelengths of the ∼500 lines recorded are given in a table. This material is intended for wavelength calibration of near-infrared spectra and is especially critical for high-resolution work.
Projection of nodose ganglion cells to the upper cervical spinal cord in the rat

Afferent fibers mediating pain from myocardial ischemia classically are believed to travel in sympathetic nerves to enter the thoracic spinal cord. After sympathectomies, angina pectoris still may radiate to the neck and inferior jaw. Sensory fibers from those regions are thought to enter the central nervous system through upper spinal cord segments. We postulated that axons from nodose ganglion cells might project to cervical cord segments. The purpose of this study was to determine the density and pathway of vagal afferent innervation to the upper cervical spinal cord. Following an injection of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) into the upper cervical spinal cord, approximately 5.8% of cells in the nodose ganglion contained reaction product. Cervical vagotomy did not diminish the density of WGA-HRP labeled cells in the nodose ganglion. However, a spinal cord hemisection cranial to the injection site eliminated labeling of nodose cells. These data indicate that a portion of vagal afferent neurons project from the nodose ganglion to the upper cervical spinal cord. In addition, vagal afferent fibers reach the spinal cord via a central route rather than through dorsal root ganglia.
The effective interaction for unbound nucleons and the optical potential

Abstract The effective interaction for an unbound nucleon in a complex nucleus is studied with particular emphasis upon the relationship of the unbound state interaction with the interaction for bound states. A successful unified treatment of unbound and bound states is given, and the unbound state effective interaction is related to the standard “optical model”. The attractive force for an unbound nucleon is shown to be of an exchange type and is best represented by a non-local, energy-independent potential which can be calculated, at least for not too high incident nucleon energy, from the attractive interaction between bound nucleons in a nucleus. We relate the unbound state potential to the bound state effective force as calculated by Negele using Hartree-Fock theory. A non-local potential used by Elton, Webb, and Barrett in a successful analysis of electron scattering is shown, with minor modification, to work remarkably well in an analysis of elastic scattering of protons. Excellent agreement with experiment is obtained for the differential cross section and the polarization of protons with an incident energy up to 60 MeV scattered from 40 Ca, 58 Ni, 120 Sn and 208 Pb. The real potential parameters are shown to be independent of the incident energy and physically reasonable; the imaginary potential parameters agree with expectations from Fermi gas and collective models. Bound state energy levels are also calculated with no readjustment of the real potential parameters in order to check the consistency of the interaction with the bound states, and the results are in good agreement with Negele. The interaction of Skyrme as modified by Vautherin and Brink is also used in an analysis of elastic proton scattering. Good results are obtained for the differential cross section and the polarization for 20 MeV protons scattered from 58 Ni. At higher incident proton energy, and for larger nuclei, the results are poorer.
PREPARATION OF ULTRA-HIGH-PURITY SUBMICRON REFRACTORY OXIDES

A method was developed for preparing ultra- high-purity submicron powders of refractory oxides from transition metal alkoxides. Compounds of the type M(OR)3 and M(OR)4, where R is an alkyl group such as C4H9-, were thermally decomposed to oxides at 325° to 450°C at atmospheric pressure. Techniques were perfected to prepare, on a continuous basis, 99.95+% zirconia and hafnia with an average particle size of 100 to 200 A. The fine-particle zirconia powder is cubic at room temperature and transforms completely to monoclinic when heated above 40O°C. The powder densifies at a considerably lower temperature than commercial spectrographic-grade (99.9%) zirconia.
Rapid Dissociation of Human Apurinic Endonuclease (Ape1) from Incised DNA Induced by Magnesium

Repair of apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites is initiated by AP endonucleases, such as the human Ape1 protein (also called Hap1, Apex, and Ref1). This and related enzymes show strong dependence on divalent cations, particularly magnesium. Here we explore the role of this metal in different stages of the Ape1 reaction: substrate binding, cleavage, and product release. We examined DNA binding using an electrophoretic approach and DNA cleavage in single-turnover and steady-state reactions. Magnesium at low to moderate concentrations accelerated both substrate and product release by wild-type Ape1 protein. For a mutant Ape1 protein with an aspartate to alanine substitution at residue 308, substrate in preformed protein-DNA complexes was more efficiently cleaved before release in contrast to wild-type Ape1, whereas product release was accelerated dramatically. The magnesium dependence of steady-state AP endonuclease reactions was sigmoidal for both wild-type and the aspartate 308 to alanine protein but was not sigmoidal for an aspartate 283 to alanine derivative of Ape1. These results show that magnesium affects both DNA interactions with and phosphodiester cleavage by Ape1 and can change the rate-limiting step of the reaction. Structural studies will need to be interpreted in the context of these diverse effects of the metal.
On the creep behavior of silver—III. Impurity effects

Abstract Impurities concentrated at the grain boundary inhibit grain boundary sliding thereby allowing a larger amount of grain deformation for a given amount of sliding, thus improving the creep ductility. These impurities are more effective in the presence of oxygen. It is suggested that primary ends with the onset of sliding, thus the extent of the primary stage can be used as an indication of the ease of sliding.