cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aortic valve replacement after substernal colon interposition

A 60-year-old man with a history of esophageal resection and substernal colon interposition required aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis. The aortic valve was approached through an 8-cm right parasternal incision over the third and fourth costal cartilages with cardiopulmonary bypass using cannulas in the right femoral artery and vein and the right atrium. The right parasternal approach provided safe exposure of the aorta and left ventricular outflow tract when substernal abnormalities precluded conventional median sternotomy.
Exercise and arthritis.

Recreational exercise has achieved great popularity. Possible benefits to participants are increased longevity, decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, improved psychological well-being, and greater fitness. A very important but as yet unanswered concern is whether regular exercise will lead to degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis. Many factors (e.g. physical characteristics of participants, biomechanical and physical features, nature of the playing surface and sport, manner of participation, preventive measures, and certain medical considerations) might influence the risk of developing osteoarthritis from sports participation. However, none of these have been evaluated. Although studies with animals have identified situations in which articular cartilage degeneration may be accelerated, experimental observations have not found normal joint motion in exercising animals to be harmful to joints. Anecdotal observations in man have suggested relationships between recreational activities and degenerative joint disease. However, those few controlled studies reported indicate that exercise need not be deleterious to joints. We interpret available data as suggesting that reasonable recreational exercise, carried out within limits of comfort, putting joints through normal motions, without underlying joint abnormality, even over many years, need not inevitably lead to joint injury.
Identification of Anti-Malarial Compounds as Novel Antagonists to Chemokine Receptor CXCR4 in Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Despite recent advances in targeted therapies, patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma continue to have poor survival highlighting the urgency to identify novel therapeutic targets. Our previous investigations have implicated chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its selective ligand CXCL12 in the pathogenesis and progression of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive pancreatic cancer; hence, CXCR4 is a promising target for suppression of pancreatic cancer growth. Here, we combined in silico structural modeling of CXCR4 to screen for candidate anti-CXCR4 compounds with in vitro cell line assays and identified NSC56612 from the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Open Chemical Repository Collection as an inhibitor of activated CXCR4. Next, we identified that NSC56612 is structurally similar to the established anti-malarial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. We evaluated these compounds in pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and observed specific antagonism of CXCR4-mediated signaling and cell proliferation. Recent in vivo therapeutic applications of chloroquine in pancreatic cancer mouse models have demonstrated decreased tumor growth and improved survival. Our results thus provide a molecular target and basis for further evaluation of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in pancreatic cancer. Historically safe in humans, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine appear to be promising agents to safely and effectively target CXCR4 in patients with pancreatic cancer.
Imaging of arteriovenous malformation following stereotactic radiosurgery

Background. Stereotactic radiosurgery allows for a high dose of focused radiation to be delivered to a small lesion such as an arteriovenous malformation (AVM). The clinical change and brain response over time to this localized high-dose radiation can be quite striking. Objective. The objective of this study to describe and analyse the imaging changes following radiotherapy for AVMs. Materials and methods. The clinical presentation and the imaging changes following radiotherapy in two patients were studied over the course of 1–2 years. Results. The imaging findings include diffuse low attenuation and contrast enhancement on CT. High-signal lesions were apparent on T2-weighted MR images with prominent contrast enhancement on T1-weighted images. Ring enhancement occurred over time. While new changes appeared over 12 months, these changes diminished during the second year. Conclusion. Radiotherapy induces inflammatory changes that are generally reversible but can lead to parenchymal destruction. These imaging changes are often nonspecific and therefore must be interpreted in light of clinical symptomatology and the time course since treatment. These patients should receive routine MR imaging within 3 months after radiosurgery with follow-up imaging at 6, 12, and 18 months.
Hydrolysis of glucose-6-phosphate in aged, acid-forced hydrolysed nanomolar inorganic iron solutions—an inorganic biocatalyst?

Phosphate ester hydrolysis is one of the most important chemical processes in biological systems. Although catalysis by the natural phosphoesterases, e.g., purple acid phosphatase (PAP) and its biomimetics, are well known in biochemistry, it has been reported that some metals and mineral phases can significantly facilitate the hydrolysis of phosphate ester. Here we report for the first time that aged, acid-forced hydrolysed nanomolar inorganic iron solutions significantly promoted the hydrolysis of glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), and that the reaction kinetics followed the Michaelis–Menten equation. The catalysis was inhibited by tetrahedral oxyanions in an order of WO4 > MoO4 > PO4. The newly formed oxo-bridge or hydroxo-bridge during the iron-aging process might contribute to this biocatalytic effect, though the detailed mechanism is still unclear. Further studies are needed in order to understand the (hydr)oxo-bridged Fe–Fe structure in water and its role in organic phosphorus transformation. This catalyst might be one of many ubiquitous sets of inorganic enzymes yet to be discovered in nature that act as a bridge between the inorganic and organic worlds, and would have played a critical role in the origin of life.
The meaning of pain relief in a clinical trial.

Abstract Data from 207 subjects in the early postoperative period in a controlled clinical trial were used to examine the factors that contribute to global ratings of satisfaction with pain relief. Prerecovery to postrecovery period change scores in pain intensity were not significantly associated with level of satisfaction with pain relief. However, endpoint pain intensity, average pain intensity, recall rating of maximum pain, and actual maximum pain during the immediate postoperative period all predicted relief satisfaction. Of these predictors, average pain and change in pain were associated with relief satisfaction when controlling for all the predictors. The average pain levels reported by patients who rated themselves as being “very satisfied” and “somewhat satisfied” with the level of pain relief were 32.86 (on a 0 to 100 visual analogue scale [VAS]) and 40.00, respectively. Patients who were “slightly satisfied,” “neither satisfied nor dissatisfied,” and “slightly,” “somewhat,” and “very dissatisfied” reported similar levels of average pain during the recovery period (range = 51.37–56.32). The findings indicate that the primary variable related to relief satisfaction following surgery during the immediate postoperative period is an average of the pain intensity experienced during this time period. Perspective In order to be “very satisfied” with pain relief during the postoperative period, patients are not required to experience no pain. Rather, the study findings suggest that mild pain averaging less than 40 on a 0 to 100 VAS is adequate. However, moderate pain during the early recovery period averaging about 50 or more on a 0 to 100 VAS appears to be associated with dissatisfaction with pain relief.
Multimodal Sonographic Approach for Assessing Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Gradient

Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography has now become an additional tool in the armamentarium of the perioperative echocardiographer. The use of all sonographic tools currently at the disposal of modern ultrasound technology enabled the correct diagnosis to be made in our patient. As a consequence, additional unnecessary surgery was avoided.
Deformation path partitioning within the transpressional White Mountain shear zone, California and Nevada

Most numerical simulations of transpression zones predict a change in finite stretching direction from subhorizontal to subvertical for simple shear-dominated zones. We provide a detailed description of a dextral transpression zone, the White Mountain shear zone (WMSZ), with a range of lineation orientations and compare these natural data to numerical models. The WMSZ is characterized by steeply dipping foliations, with dominant shallowly plunging lineations and coeval subordinate domains of steeply plunging lineations. Within shallowly lineated domains, foliation geometry, shear sense indicators and quartz c-axis fabrics indicate a large component of simple shear, while microstructural and quartz c-axis fabric data from steeply lineated domains indicate a large component of pure shear. Geometric relationships between foliations and lineations and quartz c-axis fabrics demonstrate that lineation orientation has remained constant during much of the deformation history. Comparison of numerical models with the data collected from WMSZ shows that the shear zone geometry and the observed strain path partitioning do not match any of these models. We propose a conceptual kinematic model for the WMSZ involving stable segregated coeval kinematic domains of simple shear-dominated fabrics and pure shear-dominated fabrics that accommodate the transcurrent and contractional components of deformation respectively.
G̃c and R-curve fracture toughness values for aluminum alloys under plane stress conditions

Abstract The effect of specimen geometry and subcritical crack growth on the nonlinear energy fracture toughness, G c , has been examined for thin, center-cracked sheets of 2024-T3 and 7075-T6 aluminum alloys. The procedure followed was to independently vary the specimen length, L, width, w, andd crack length-to-specimen width ratio and to determine the toughness both at the onset of subcritical crack growth and at the initiation of unstable fracture. Comparisons were also made with the R-curve toughness, GR, evaluated at unstable fracture from which it was found that both G c and GR displayed the same trend of change with geometrical variables, with G c consistently higher than GR. When the nonlinear energy fracture toughness was evaluated at the onset of subcritical crack growth, it was found that the geometry dependence essentially disappeared. Scanning electron microscopic examination of some typical fracture surfaces showed that stable crack growth was accompanied by a gradual change of fracture mode from plane strain to plane stress. An analysis of possible errors in the experimental procedure showed that the scatter observed in G c values was not due to experimental errors, but apparently due to inhomogeneities in the materials. Several techniques were also introduced for the purpose of more directly incorporating crack growth into the G c determination, but it was found that they did not cause significant variation in the toughness values.
A Chapman Conference on Subsurface Water Contributions to Streamflow

A Chapman Conference on Subsurface Water Contributions to Streamflow was held October 5–9, 1980, at the New England Center for Continuing Education in Durham, N.H. The purpose of the conference was to bring together an interdisciplinary group of scientists and engineers who are actively engaged in research on the processes by which water from atmospheric precipitation moves into and through the subsurface on the way to becoming streamflow. Subsurface here means everything from the uppermost leaf or litter layer just beneath land surface down to and including the underlying saturated zone. This approach also requires consideration of evapotranspiration and capillary forces, which remove water from within the flow system either permanently or temporarily.
JAPANESE BUREAUCRATS AND POLICY IMPLEMENTATION: LESSONS FOR AMERICA?

In recent years, American business has attempted to learn the secrets of Japanese business success. This paper asks whether it would be equally useful to examine Japanese public administration to determine why the Japanese government seems to be so much more successful than American government in implementing public policies. It is widely agreed that policy implementation in the United States involves considerable “slippage” between policy intent and achievement. By contrast, scholars agree that Japanese public policy is usually implemented effectively and efficiently. This paper argues that the Japanese case has three important implications for the United States: effective policy implementation is possible, better implementation would result from allowing civil servants to participate more fully in policy formulation, and the development of an elite corps of top civil servants could make a major contribution to better policymaking and implementation.
Effects of electrical stimulation and reversible lesions of the olivocerebellar pathway on Purkinje cell activity in the flocculus of the cat.

Abstract The activity of Purkinje cells (P-cells) in the flocculus of 8 lightly anesthetized cats and one alert cat was recorded for periods of up to several hours each. The resting simple spike (SS) rate in the anesthetized cats was 37 ± 21Hz (mean ± standard deviation), similar to that observed in the alert cat. Complex spikes (CSs) were evoked by an electrode placed in the climbing fiber (CF) decussation or inferior olive (IO). For each P-cell, SS activity was suppressed completely at or above a cut-off frequency of evoked CSs; median cut-off rate was 5 Hz (range 1–10 Hz, 15 cells). Reversible lesions of the CF pathway were made by microinjection of 1–10 μl of saturated lidocaine into the IO or CF decussation. This abolished spontaneous CS activity and produced two reversible effects on SS discharge: (1) an increase in mean SS rate of 98%, from 23 ± 13 to 40 ± 18Hz (11 cells); and (2) a decrease of 50% in the variability of SS firing rate. Similar effects were observed in two P-cells whose CF axons were lesioned mechanically. These results show that electrical stimulation and reversible lesions in areas previously shown to alter the gain of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) also alter CF input to the flocculus, suggesting that the gain changes were caused by changes in CS rate. This study confirms and extends the observation that a reciprocal relationship exists between CS rate and SS background rate, and therefore further suggests that the changes in the gain of the VOR might be due to changes in SS background rate.
On the physics of a long decay X-ray event

A long decay X-ray event (LDE) which appeared as an expanding loop system on the solar limb on 13–14 August 1973 was well observed temporally (with Skylab ATM S056 and S054 X-ray telescopes) and spectrally (with S082A XUV spectroheliograph). We summarize and supplement the extensive discussion in the literature. In addition, a one-dimensional hydrodynamic study is undertaken to investigate both increasing and decreasing phases of the event. Results indicate that the inferred temperature gradients along the loops during the heating phase are consistent with unrestricted dynamic and conductive flows along magnetic field lines. Furthermore, we conclude that it cannot be unequivocally stated that enhanced emission at the tops of loops is due to pressure gradients along the field lines. Finally, the large emission measure variations in the 105–106 K plasma during the event's decline may be due simply to the temperature dependence of radiative decay within a multi-loop configuration.
New approaches to hybrid polymers that contain phosphazene rings

New methods are described for the incorporation of cyclophosphazene rings into macromolecules. These include polynorbornenes with cyclophosphazene side units produced by ROMP reactions, polystyrenes linked to phosphazene rings by azide coupling processes, and cyclolinear polymers by ADMET and Heck coupling reactions. These last species are wavelength-emission tailored electroluminescent materials.
Residual effects of lead poisoning on Denver Developmental Screening Test scores.

Subtest and Total scores on the Denver Developmental Screening Test were examined for a group of 22 preschool- aged low-income children who had been lead-poisoned, then medically deleaded. Pretest scores were obtained before blood lead elevations occurred;posttest scores were obtained an average of 4.5 months after deleading. Pretest scores were comparable to those of a matched Control group, but posttest scores on the Fine Motor-Adaptive subtest declined, indicating significant residual effects of lead poisoning.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Lecture Capture: Lessons Learned from an Undergraduate Political Research Class

This article presents the results of a 4-year quasi-experimental study of the effectiveness of lecture capture in an undergraduate political research class. Students self-enrolled in either a traditional in-class lecture-discussion section or a fully online section of a required political research course. The class sessions from the in-class section were recorded and provided asynchronously to the online students. The instructor, course assignments, exams, and supplemental materials were the same for the in-class and online sections. The two types of sections were compared on course-embedded academic performance measures and on the completion rates of the course and of the course assignments, controlling for prior cumulative grade point average (GPA), prior credits completed, and gender. The mean overall course score for the online students was slightly, but significantly, lower than scores for the in-class students. The students’ GPAs interacted with the type of section such that the difference between i...
Chironomidae (Diptera) of Baldwin Lake, Illinois, a cooling reservoir

The chironomid fauna of Baldwin Lake, a closed-cycle cooling reservoir for a power plant, was sampled monthly to semi-monthly for one year at four stations, two in the discharge channel and two in the main basin. Qualitative samples were also taken elsewhere and with multiple-plate samplers. Twenty-four species were collected. Annual mean population density was less than 100 larvae m−2 in the channel, 1037 M−2 in the main basin. Three species of Tanypodinae formed over 96 percent of the larval population in the main basin: Tanypus stellatus Coquillett, Procladius bellus (Loew), and Coelotanypus concinnus (Coquillett). The principal species on the multiple-plate samplers were Dicrotendipes nervosus (Staeger), Glyptotendipes lobiferus (Say), and Parachironomus monochromus (Wulp). Temperatures of 35°C or more in the channel virtually eliminated the chironomids, whereas temperatures up to 32°C in the main basin increased the number of generations of T. stellatus from the usual two to four at Station 3 and three at Station 4. Station 3 had almost 1,000 degree-days more heat than Station 4.
Thyroid Gland Disorder Emergencies Thyroid Storm and Myxedema Coma

Although thyroid dysfunction will develop in more than 12% of the US population during their lifetimes, true thyroid emergencies are rare. Thyroid storm and myxedema coma are endocrine emergencies resulting from thyroid hormone dysregulation, usually coupled with an acute illness as a precipitant. Careful assessment of risk and rapid action, once danger is identified, are essential for limiting morbidity and mortality related to thyroid storm and myxedema coma. This article reviews which patients are at risk, explains thyroid storm and myxedema coma, and describes pharmacological treatment and supportive cares.
Emerging Therapies in Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United States, and despite screening and early treatment, more than 27,000 men are predicted to die of the disease this year, almost all of whom will die of castrate-resistant, metastatic cancers that have progressed despite androgen deprivation therapy, also known as hormonal therapy. In recent years, an increased understanding of molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer progression and castration resistance has led to improved treatment strategies. This review focuses on emerging therapies for the treatment of castrate-resistant prostate cancer, with an emphasis on the importance of the drug targets as well as the state of current clinical trials, including those utilizing hormonal therapies, biological agents, and immunotherapy that are underway or have recently been completed.
Measurement of shallow shear wave velocities at a rock site using the ReMi technique

Abstract Shallow shear wave velocities beneath a rock site are characterized using the refraction microtremor (ReMi) technique developed by Louie [Faster, better: shear-wave velocity to 100 m depth from ReMi arrays. Bull Seism Soc Am 2001; 91: 347–64]. Ground motion from a passing train enabled capture of energy propagating parallel to the recording array. This allowed evaluation of the variation of the minimum phase-velocity of the dispersion curve envelope and better estimation of the true minimum velocity beneath the site. We use a new method to image and evaluate the dispersion curve envelope via power–slowness profiles through the slowness–frequency plots introduced by Louie [Faster, better: shear-wave velocity to 100 m depth from ReMi arrays. Bull Seism Soc Am 2001; 91: 347–64]. Data illustrated the frequency dependency of dispersion curve uncertainties, with greater uncertainty occurring at low frequencies. These uncertainties map directly into uncertainty of the inverted velocity–depth profile. Above 100 m depth velocities are well constrained with 10% variability. Variability is greatly reduced when the energy propagation is along the geophone array. Greater velocity variation is observed below 100 m depth.
Location and Scale Estimation with Correlation Coefficients

This article shows how to use any correlation coefficient to produce an estimate of location and scale. It is part of a broader system, called a correlation estimation system (CES), that uses correlation coefficients as the starting point for estimations. The method is illustrated using the well-known normal distribution. This article shows that any correlation coefficient can be used to fit a simple linear regression line to bivariate data and then the slope and intercept are estimates of standard deviation and location. Because a robust correlation will produce robust estimates, this CES can be recommended as a tool for everyday data analysis. Simulations indicate that the median with this method using a robust correlation coefficient appears to be nearly as efficient as the mean with good data and much better if there are a few errant data points. Hypothesis testing and confidence intervals are discussed for the scale parameter; both normal and Cauchy distributions are covered.
Repair synthesis in human lymphocytes provoked by photolysis of ethidium azide.

— The azide analog of ethidium was mixed with human lymphocytes and when photolyzed with visible light provoked repair synthesis as shown by incorporation of tritiated thymidine in the presence of hydroxyurea. The use of photolyzed drug, or incubation of drug-cell mixtures in the dark was without effect. These experiments should prove useful in targeting drug action sites and in studying the details of DNA repair.
Comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) Near 2.3 AU Postperihelion: Southwest Ultraviolet Imaging System Measurements of the H2O and Dust Production

The Southwest Ultraviolet Imaging System (SWUIS) imaged comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) in various bandpasses from the Space Shuttle on nine occasions during 1997 August 9–15. These observations occurred when the solar elongation of the comet was too small to permit Hubble Space Telescope and other UV observations. Here we present some first results of the continuum and gas emission measurements collected by SWUIS. We find that Hale-Bopp's dust-production parameter, Afρ, was (2.0 ± 0.8) × 105 cm when the comet was 2.33 AU from the Sun. Furthermore, we find that its water production rate, Q(H2O), was (2.6 ± 0.4) × 1029 s-1. Combining this result with both other published H2O production rates and CO production rates, we find that our measurements were made at the beginning of the period when the comet's activity was in transition from a H2O dominated to a CO-dominated state. We also find that the average rate of decrease of the water production between perihelion and 2.33 AU postperihelion was very close to r, but concerns over radio data indicate that it may have been shallower immediately postperihelion and then considerably steeper beyond about 2 AU. Such a behavior could indicate a sharply declining H2O production rate beyond 2 AU, but if this is the case, then the H2O production curve's steepening and turnoff occurred ≈1 AU closer to the Sun postperihelion than did the H2O turn-on preperihelion. An alternative explanation could be that a seasonal (i.e., obliquity-dependent shadowing) effect may have caused a reduction in illuminated area on Hale-Bopp's irregular nucleus between 1.5 and 2.3 AU outbound.
A SIMPLE PARAMETER FOR SELECTING AN ADSORBENT FOR GAS SEPARATION BY PRESSURE SWING ADSORPTION

A simple parameter is proposed for comparing the performance of two or more adsorbents for a particular binary gas separation by pressure swing adsorption. The parameter is most suitable for separations based on differences in equilibrium adsorption capacity rather than on differences in adsorption kinetics. The two main components of the parameter are the ratio of the delta loadings (differences in adsorbed amounts at high and low pressures) of the 2 gases (Δq 1/Δq 2) and the equilibrium selectivity (α1,2) of the sorbent for the strongly adsorbed species. A dimensionless sorbent selection parameter (S) is defined. For a given separation, the sorbent that yields the highest S value is the best sorbent. In the cases of sorbate-sorbent systems showing Langmuir-type isotherms, This parameter is simple to calculate and is sensitive to subtle differences in adsorption isotherms. The effectiveness of the proposed parameter was demonstrated through two examples of air separation using molecular-sieve zeolites.
Cardiac β-Adrenergic Neuroeffector Systems in Acute Myocardial Dysfunction Related to Brain Injury Evidence for Catecholamine-Mediated Myocardial Damage

Background Ten percent to 20% of potential cardiac donors with brain injury and no previous cardiac history have myocardial dysfunction. We assessed components of the β-receptor–G-protein–adenylyl cyclase complex as well as the contractile response in 10 explanted acutely failing human hearts (donor heart dysfunction [DHD]) and compared the results with 13 age-matched nonfailing (NF) organ donor controls. Methods and Results As measured by echocardiography, all DHD hearts exhibited a decreased shortening fraction (16±2%, mean±SEM). Although total and subpopulation β-receptor densities measured by [125I]iodocyanopindolol (ICYP) were similar in the DHD and NF groups, DHD hearts exhibited a 30% decrease in maximum isoproterenol-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity and a 50% decrease in the maximal response to zinterol. DHD hearts also exhibited decreases in adenylyl cyclase maximal stimulation by forskolin (211±25 [DHD] versus 295±23 [NF] pmol cAMP · min−1 · mg−1, P<.05) and 5′-guanylylimidodiphosphate (12.5...
Antitumor Agents. 172. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Deacetamidothiocolchicin-7-ols and Ester Analogs as Antitubulin Agents†

A series of novel 7-O-substituted deacetamidothiocolchicine derivatives has been synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory activity against tubulin polymerization, the binding of [3H]colchicine to tubulin, and the growth of human Burkitt lymphoma cells. Of these new derivatives, thiocolchicone (8), wherein an acetamido group in thiocolchicine is replaced by a carbonyl oxygen at C(7), was obtained from deacetylthiocolchicine (6) by Schiff's base equilibration and acid hydrolysis. Reduction of thiocolchicone with sodium borohydride yielded the racemic alcohol 9, the structure of which was verified by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Optically pure alcohols 9a,b were obtained by treatment of 9 with the optically pure reagent (1S)-(−)-camphanic chloride followed by chromatographic separation of the camphanate esters and hydrolysis of the diastereomers. X-ray crystallographic analysis established the aS,7S-configuration of 9a. Racemic and optically active esters 11−15, 11a,b, 12a, 14a, and 15a were obtain...
Solution of a difference equation in diffraction theory

A simple technique is described for solving a class of second-order functional difference equations that occur in diffraction problems involving edges and corners.
Memory loss following posttrial electrical stimulation of the hippocampus

Retention of a one-trial passive-avoidance response in rats was found to be disrupted by subconvulsive electrical stimulation of the hippocampus, which was administered immediately I following footshock. Lesions of the hippocampus or stimulation of anatomically related areas did not impair performance of the avoidance response significantly.
Prediction of Initial Set and the Thinning Response to Postbloom Chemical Thinners on Apples

Experiments were initiated to identify how and when a reasonably accurate assessment of initial fruit retention could be made and to identify a measurement method to allow early assessment of thinner efficacy. An estimate of initial fruit retention could be made when fruit enters the exponential growth stage, which is generally 6 to 9 days after petal fall and the receptacle has expanded to approximately 6 mm. There was a very good correlation between the slowing of fruit growth 4 to 7 days after thinner application and final fruit set, which led to the conclusion that following fruit growth during this critical time was a good and viable method to predict and quantify thinner response.
Friction Induced Transverse Vibrations of an Axially Accelerating String

The purpose of this study is to investigate the dynamic response of axially translating continua undergoing both the effect of friction and axial acceleration. The axially moving continuum is initially modeled as a string, neglecting its flexural stiffness; the response, with particular interest given to transverse vibrations and dynamic stability, is studied through numerical methods. A finite element method is employed to discretize the space domain and an implicit α–method is employed to integrate the resulting matrix equation in the time domain. Results are given through time history diagrams and stability considerations.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Nonlinear Dynamics of Globular Proteins

The general opinion and knowledge about nonlinear phenomena in the physical sciences has grown quite remarkably within the last 20 years. The prevalence of nonlinear processes in nature has been recognized for a long time — but until recently — also often neglected when dealing with specific problems. This approach was necessary in order to get tractable models which could be handled with the well proven linear mathematical tools, such as Fourier analysis and superposition principles. The fruitful collaboration over the last two decades between applied mathematicians, physicists, and engineers - has however brought about new mathematical tools which makes it possible to deal with certain nonlinear problems in a more systematic way. In particular, there are systems in which nonlinear and dispersive effects coexist and compete — this competition is often relieved by formation of a stable pulselike object — it is in such systems that the concept of the soliton plays a useful role. Especially when viewed as a paradigm for a new nonlinear “normal” mode. This approach has already been applied with success in a number of areas of physics where dispersive and nonlinear effects are important, i.e. condensed matter, plasmas, and optics.1 So it is with some optimism that we are now facing the similar but much more complicated problems in biological systems.
ISSUES IN COUNSELING OLDER PEOPLE

This article provides an identification and brie f discussion of some issues in counseling older people. Those considered are (a) why do we wish to provide counseling for older people?; (b) on what should such counseling be based?; (c) what might be achieved from counseling older people?; (d) how might costs be managed?; (e) when and where might counseling be provided?; (f) who might do the counseling?; (g) what approaches or procedures may be appropriate?; (h) should such counseling be evaluated? A thorough review of the literature on aging, with implications for counseling, is strongly recommended.
Satellite Microwave Detected SST Anomalies and Hurricane Intensification

Sea surface temperature (SST) from the remotely sensed infrared measurements, like the GOES, AVHRR, and MODIS, etc., show missing values of SST over the cloudy regions associated with hurricanes. While satellite microwave measurements, like the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) microwave imager (TMI), can provide SST even under cloudy conditions. Both satellite microwave measurements and buoy observations show SST increase in advance of significant hurricane intensification. Moreover, hurricane intensification may also be related to the location of high SST. Our results indicate pre-existing high SST anomaly (SSTA) located at the right side of the storm track for Hurricane Katrina. Numerical simulations also confirm the important impacts of SSTA location on hurricane intensification. Similar situations are also found for Hurricanes Rita and Wilma. In contrast, if there is no high SSTA at the right location, hurricane may not undergo further intensification. This may explain why not all tropical cyclones associated with warm waters can attain peak intensity (categories 4 and 5) during their life cycle, and partially explains why hurricanes do not reach the maximum potential intensity as calculated only according to the magnitude of SST.
Performance Enhancement of Single Flash Geothermal Power Plants

The present work investigates thermodynamic optimum conditions with respect to resource utilization by varying the operating pressure of flash drum for an existing geothermal power plant. The main focus of the study is to maximize the power output by minimizing the waste of liquid geothermal fluid re-injected to the well. For this purpose a double-flash system has been incorporated and the effect of operating at optimum flash pressures for both primary and secondary flash units is studied. An economic model is developed that calculates the total capital investment based on the cost of major equipments including pumps, flash drums, turbine generators, and condensers. From the results obtained it can be concluded that the plant at Svartsengi currently is working close to the optimum flashing pressure for the single-flash geothermal power plant. Providing an additional flash unit to convert the high temperature liquid coming from primary flash for Svartsengi and Nevada power plants increases the net power output by 12.7% and 28.9% respectively.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Is economics scientific? Is science scientific?

Abstract The usefulness of models that describe the world lies in their simplicity relative to what they model. But simplification entails inaccuracy, so models should be treated as provisional. Nancy Cartwright's account of science as a modeling exercise, in which fundamental laws hold true only in theory—not in reality, given the complexities of the real world—suggests that Rational Choice Theory (RCT) should not be rejected on the traditional basis of its lack of realism: that, after all, is to be expected of any simulacrum model. But when RCT has been extended to domains, such as politics, in which there is no necessary reason to expect systemic pressures against people who depart too far from the model, RCT is a simulacrum without any particular claim to expressing underlying causal laws. This cautions against the tendency to rest content with models and to treat their assumptions as if they were true.
Recombinant retrovirus vectors for the expression of MHC class II heterodimers

Class II antigens are critical in determining the fate of vascularized allografts across major histocompatibility differences. We have recently developed a new approach to induce transplantation tolerance in miniature swine by creating MHC class II antigen “molecular chimerism” in bone marrow cells of potential recipients through retrovirus-mediated gene transfer. As part of this project, the ability of a recombinant double-expression vector (ZQ32N) to express MHC class II DQA and DQB was investigated. Flow cytometry analyses of ZQ32N transfected virus-producer cells demonstrated the cell surface expression of DQa/DQb heterodimers, thus suggesting a correct transcription, translation, and transport of the swine polypeptides to the cell surface. The analyses of RNA isolated from virus particles produced from ZQ32N transfected virus-producer cells indicated the DQ sequences to be correctly packaged. However, the DQ-negative cells transduced with the ZQ32N retrovirus did not show any DQ-retrovirus surface expression. Southern and Northern blot analyses of ZQ32N transfected and transduced cells strongly suggested DNA rearrangements and deletions which could account for transgene expression loss. An analysis of transduced cell genomes suggested DNA recombinations targeted to homologous sequences within the recombinant provirus. The implications of the sequence instability in designing vectors for gene therapy of organ transplantation are discussed.
Coupling between autoionizing states in atomic strontium

I present a theory and calculations of transitions between autoionizing states in Sr. Such transitions are found to become significant at photon fluxes above 1029 photons/cm2 s and tend to leave the ion in excited states. Examples of transitions to the excited ionic states 4d and 5p are presented. Their dependence on laser intensity is found to be quite intricate.
Short- and Long-Term Implicit Memory in Aging and Alzheimer's Disease

Implicit memory processes were investigated via picture naming in healthy young and older adults and in persons with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). Repetition priming in picture-naming was intact in all groups over the course of a short retention interval (seconds), and only the AD group revealed a deficit over a longer interval (72 hours). In addition, the AD group showed impaired procedural memory, with no benefit of practice on picture-naming. Impaired long-term priming was related to severity of AD. Both theoretical and methodological implications are discussed.
Plasmodium falciparum: Recrudescence of Parasites in Culture

The basis of recrudescence, the reappearance of malaria parasites after chemotherapy or after failure of immune suppressions of the parasites, was studied in cultures of Plasmodium falciparum. When the cultured parasites were exposed eight times over a 4-day period to 5% D-sorbitol, which destroyed infected RBCs containing trophozoites or schizonts, they showed recrudescence several days after cessation of treatment. Pyrimethamine-sensitive parasites were cleared by 10(-6) M pyrimethamine; pyrimethamine-resistant parasites also were cleared by 10(-4) M pyrimethamine. Both groups of parasites underwent recrudescence in the same manner as those exposed to 5% D-sorbitol. These recrudescent parasites were found to be as susceptible to these treatments as were the parasites before treatment. Therefore, our results strongly suggest that a subpopulation of the parasites escapes the effect of drugs by a mechanism other than drug resistance.
Studies on the Effect of Butylated Hydroxytoluene on Mycoplasma synoviae

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is one of the antioxidants added to human and animal feed products in concentrations ranging from 50 to 200 ppm to delay degradation of the labile lipid components. BHT is known to be an inactivator of mammalian and bacterial viruses that contain lipid. Results of in vitro studies showed that 10 ppm of BHT in Mycoplasma medium prevented growth of each of the six Mycoplasma synoviae (Ms) isolates. BHT added at 100, 200, and 400 ppm in the feed did not have any significant in vivo effect on the Ms serological responses or show any chemoprophylactic effect on birds infected with Ms.
Confinement Analysis in Symmetric and Asymmetric Nanoscale Slab Slot Waveguides

Using the recently derived analytical TM modal field expression and the transcendental dispersion relation for a general nanoscale asymmetric slab slot waveguide, the confinement performance in symmetric vs. asymmetric geometries was systematically analyzed and compared.
Antacid-Induced Hypermagnesemia in a Patient with Normal Renal Function and Bowel Obstruction

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of severe hypermagnesemia caused by magnesium hydroxide in a woman with normal renal function.CASE SUMMARY:A 42-year-old Hispanic woman with schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder was transported from jail to the emergency department with confusion, abdominal pain, vomiting, and constipation. She had been treated in jail with magnesium hydroxide, ordered as milk of magnesia 30 mL po each night and Maalox 30 mL po three times daily. Additional medications included lithium carbonate 300 mg po three times daily, chlorpromazine 150 mg po three times daily, benztropine mesylate 1 mg po twice daily, and docusate sodium 100 mg po each morning. Her temperature was 35.1 °C, blood pressure 108/58 mm Hg, heart rate 112 beats/min, and respiratory rate 24 breaths/min. She would respond only briefly to voice or painful stimuli. Her abdomen was distended and diffusely tender. Laboratory tests included serum magnesium concentration 9.1 mEq/L (normal 1.3–2), blood urea nitrogen 16 mg/dL (8...
Defining obesity: an adventure in cardiovascular disease epidemiology

Abstract While the association of overweight and health, as well as longevity, has been scrutinized in volumes of research, the association of overweight with cardiovascular disease is a dominant theme in the medical literature. This report will detail the arguments and present selected summaries of published reports that support the emerging consensus that overweight and obesity have the major causal role in the ongoing epidemic of cardiovascular disease in the United States. Examples will include relative risk and attributable risk estimates for several metabolic perturbations caused by overweight, including type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Results of the Nurses Health Study, which found a fivefold increased risk of type 2 diabetes among women with body mass index between 24.0 and 24.9 compared to the referent group with body mass index ≤22, will be highlighted. The presentation will also explicitly identify the position of excess adiposity in the causal chain that leads from overnutrition to the majority of cardiovascular disease. Based on the position in the causal sequence, a strategy for defining the threshold of “overweight” will be described. From the foregoing, it is concluded that the overweight threshold should be no higher than body mass index =25. Finally, it is concluded that the majority of men and women with a body mass index between 22 and 25 are overweight and should be identified and appropriately counseled to improve nutrition and increase physical activity.
Fatal case of cephalexin-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis.

Purpose:To describe a case of toxic epidermal necrolysis likely caused by cephalexin with a review of the literature.Case:An 80-year-old male with a known allergy to cephalosporins, residing at a l...
spxA2, encoding a regulator of stress resistance in Bacillus anthracis, is controlled by SaiR, a new member of the Rrf2 protein family

Spx, a member of the ArsC (arsenate reductase) protein family, is conserved in Gram-positive bacteria, and interacts with RNA polymerase to activate transcription in response to toxic oxidants. In Bacillus anthracis str. Sterne, resistance to oxidative stress requires the activity of two paralogues, SpxA1 and SpxA2. Suppressor mutations were identified in spxA1 mutant cells that conferred resistance to hydrogen peroxide. The mutations generated null alleles of the saiR gene and resulted in elevated spxA2 transcription. The saiR gene resides in the spxA2 operon and encodes a member of the Rrf2 family of transcriptional repressors. Derepression of spxA2 in a saiR mutant required SpxA2, indicating an autoregulatory mechanism of spxA2 control. Reconstruction of SaiR-dependent control of spxA2 was accomplished in Bacillus subtilis, where deletion analysis uncovered two cis-elements within the spxA2 regulatory region that are required for repression. Mutations to one of the sequences of dyad symmetry substantially reduced SaiR binding and SaiR-dependent repression of transcription from the spxA2 promoter in vitro. Previous studies have shown that spxA2 is one of the most highly induced genes in a macrophage infected with B. anthracis. The work reported herein uncovered a key regulator, SaiR, of the Spx system of stress response control.
Position estimation of transceivers in communication networks

With rapid developments in wireless sensor networks, there is a growing need for transceiver position estimation independent of GPS, which may not be available in indoor networks. Our approach is to use range estimates from time-of-flight (TOF) measurements, a technique well suited to large bandwidth physical links, such as in ultra-wideband (UWB) systems. In our UWB systems, pulse duration less than 200 psecs can easily be resolved to less than a foot. Assuming an encoded UWB physical layer, we first test positioning accuracy using simulations. We are interested in sensitivity to range errors and the required number of ranging nodes, and we show that in a high-precision environment, such as UWB, the optimal number of transmitters is four. Four transmitters with /spl plusmn/20 ft. range error can locate a receiver to within one or two feet. We then implement these algorithms on an 802.11 wireless network and demonstrate the ability to locate a network access point to approximately 20 feet.