cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Visual cortex in aging and Alzheimer's disease: changes in visual field maps and population receptive fields

Although several studies have suggested that cortical alterations underlie such age-related visual deficits as decreased acuity, little is known about what changes actually occur in visual cortex during healthy aging. Two recent studies showed changes in primary visual cortex (V1) during normal aging; however, no studies have characterized the effects of aging on visual cortex beyond V1, important measurements both for understanding the aging process and for comparison to changes in age-related diseases. Similarly, there is almost no information about changes in visual cortex in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia. Because visual deficits are often reported as one of the first symptoms of AD, measurements of such changes in the visual cortex of AD patients might improve our understanding of how the visual system is affected by neurodegeneration as well as aid early detection, accurate diagnosis and timely treatment of AD. Here we use fMRI to first compare the visual field map (VFM) organization and population receptive fields (pRFs) between young adults and healthy aging subjects for occipital VFMs V1, V2, V3, and hV4. Healthy aging subjects do not show major VFM organizational deficits, but do have reduced surface area and increased pRF sizes in the foveal representations of V1, V2, and hV4 relative to healthy young control subjects. These measurements are consistent with behavioral deficits seen in healthy aging. We then demonstrate the feasibility and first characterization of these measurements in two patients with mild AD, which reveal potential changes in visual cortex as part of the pathophysiology of AD. Our data aid in our understanding of the changes in the visual processing pathways in normal aging and provide the foundation for future research into earlier and more definitive detection of AD.
A laboratory exercise to improve student understanding of dominant pole analysis and high-frequency modeling of Field Effect Transistors

In the quest for increased student understanding of the principles underlying high-frequency response of Field Effect Transistor amplifiers, a laboratory exercise employing a unique method to determine the intrinsic transistor model capacitances was used. The method employs two simple measurements: determination of the high 3-dB frequency for a common-source amplifier being driven by a Thevenin source with two different output resistance values. Circuit simulation results utilizing these experimentally determined intrinsic capacitances show much greater correlation to experimental results than those typically obtained using manufacturer-supplied values. Students participating in the laboratory exercise reported good gains in knowledge levels and reasonable gains in confidence levels.
De-risking Scale-up of a High Shear Wet Granulation Process Using Latent Variable Modeling and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

In the development of wet granulated drug products, two primary sources of variance (disturbance) include the operational scale of the high shear wet granulation (HSWG) process and active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) lot-to-lot variability, particularly for formulations containing a high drug load. This paper presents a novel Process Analytical Technology strategy using latent variable modeling with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to reduce risk in scale-up operations of the HSWG process while simultaneously accounting for API lot-to-lot variability, even with limited manufacturing history. The process involves building a partial least square (PLS) model among the API material properties, the HSWG process parameters, and the NIRS end points of the HSWG process based on small-scale design of experiment batches. The PLS model is then used in an optimization framework to find suitable small-scale mechanical process parameters (impeller/chopper speed) that approximate a previous large-scale operation so as to keep the NIRS end point of large-scale operation constant. Prior to making additional large-scale batches with a new lot of API, NIRS end points of large-scale HSWG with the new API lot are predicted based on the PLS model developed from the small-scale operation. If the predicted NIRS end point for the HSWG using the new API lot is not within the target region, the risks associated with the scale-up operation can then be significantly reduced by modifying other HSWG process parameters such as the total amount of water added or total granulation time to achieve the target region. A case study is presented that demonstrates the effectiveness of this methodology during development and scale-up of a drug product manufactured using a HSWG process.
THE IMPACT OF NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE

Application of new understanding, equipment and techniques to the care of high risk newborns has led to a generalized decrease in neonatal mortality. Studies related to morbidity and follow-up are under way in our own and in other centers. In Kentucky, a state which ranks very low economically, a reduction of approximately 30% in neonatal mortality has occurred in 10 years. In one of the first nurseries to develop neonatal intensive care a reduction of over 40% was recorded. Major contributing factors in this achievement have been the development of neonatal intensive care units in the state's two medical schools, intra- and extra-mural programs for education of medical and nursing personnel, improvement in regional care with few infants born in hospitals with under 1000 deliveries, and family practitioner, obstetric and pediatric cooperation. Tables, graphs, pictures will be utilized to illustrate changes in patterns of mortality, equipment, education, care and types of problems encountered.
The Dissociation Pressure of Some Lithium Copper Oxides and Lithium Peroxide

Abstract The oxygen dissociation pressures of Li3Cu2O4, Li3CuO3, and Li2O2 have been measured in the temperature range 679 to 918 K where they range from 1.4 to 77 atm. The results have been fitted to an equation of the type log (P) = A - (B/T). The equilibrium dissociation is approached from the low-pressure side in order to obtain data in a finite length of time. Formation pressures are two to five times the dissociation pressure because of a substantial volume increase during oxygen uptake. A preliminary experiment on the flux growth of Li3Cu2O4 crystals is described.
Characterization of a vacuolar proton ATPase in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Of the total ATPase activity in homogenates of the ameba, Dictyostelium discoideum , approximately one-third was inhibited at pH 7 by 25 μM 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-Cl). Upon isopycnic sucrose density gradient centrifugation, the bulk of the NBD-Cl-sensitive ATPase activity was recovered in a major membrane fraction with a broad peak at 1.16 g/ml, well-resolved from markers for plasma membranes, mitochondria, lysosomes and contractile vacuoles. The gradient peak had a specific activity of 0.5 μmol/min per mg protein. The activity was half-inhibited by 1 μM silicotungstate, 2 μM diisothiocyanatostilbene disulfonate (DIDS), 2.5 μM dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), 4 μM NBD-Cl and 20 μM N -ethylmaleimide (NEM) but was resistant to conventional inhibitors of mitochondrial and plasma membrane ATPases. That this ATPase activity constituted a proton pump was shown by the MgATP-dependent uptake and quenching of Acridine orange fluorescence by partially purified vacuoles. The Acridine orange uptake was specifically blocked by the aforementioned inhibitors. The generation of proton electrochemical gradients was suggested by the stimulation of enzyme activity by protonophores (fatty acids) and cation exchangers (nigericin). Uncoupling stimulated the ATPase activity as much as 20-fold, revealing an unusually high impermeability of the membranes to protons. ATPase activity was also stimulated by halide ions, apparently through a parallel conductance pathway. Under a variety of sensitive test conditions, the reverse enzyme reaction (i.e., incorporation of 32 P i into ATP) was not detected. We conclude that this major H + -ATPase serves to acidify the abundant prelysosomal vacuoles found in D. discoideum (Padh et al. (1989) J. Cell Biol. 108, 865–874). The finding of vacuolar H + -ATPase in a protist suggests the ubiquity of this enzyme among the eukaryotic kingdoms.
Novel vaccine strategies against emerging viruses

One of the main public health concerns of emerging viruses is their potential introduction into and sustained circulation among populations of immunologically naive, susceptible hosts. The induction of protective immunity through vaccination can be a powerful tool to prevent this concern by conferring protection to the population at risk. Conventional approaches to develop vaccines against emerging pathogens have significant limitations: lack of experimental tools for several emerging viruses of concern, poor immunogenicity, safety issues, or lack of cross-protection against antigenic variants. The unpredictability of the emergence of future virus threats demands the capability to rapidly develop safe, effective vaccines. We describe some recent advances in new vaccine strategies that are being explored as alternatives to classical attenuated and inactivated vaccines, and provide examples of potential novel vaccines for emerging viruses. These approaches might be applied to the control of many other emerging pathogens.
Prevalence and Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Hemodialysis Patients Following Hurricane Katrina

Background Patients with end-stage renal disease reliant on maintenance hemodialysis therapy may be particularly susceptible to developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after natural disasters. Study Design Cross-sectional study. Setting & Participants Patients who received treatment at 9 New Orleans, LA, metropolitan area hemodialysis units before Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005, were recruited for the study. Overall, 391 patients completed the interview between April and October 2006 (participation rate, 85.6%). Predictors Demographic, dialysis-related, and evacuation characteristics. Outcomes & Measurements PTSD was assessed by using the 17-item PTSD Checklist and defined using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria. Results Overall, 23.8% of hemodialysis patients reported symptoms consistent with PTSD. After adjustment for age and sex, black patients were 1.92 (95% confidence interval, 1.31 to 2.83) times more likely than whites to have PTSD. After age, race, and sex adjustment, PTSD was more common in hemodialysis patients who were in their first 2 years of treatment, were evacuated fewer than 2 days before the hurricane made landfall, were evacuated initially to a shelter, and missed 3 or more dialysis treatments because of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Additionally, patients who remained displaced for 3 or more months were more likely to have PTSD. Limitations Data were not available to distinguish between the presence of acute, chronic, or delayed-onset PTSD. Conclusions A substantial proportion of hemodialysis patients had PTSD symptoms approximately 1 year after Hurricane Katrina. Emergency planning for hemodialysis patients should include the identification and treatment of PTSD after future disasters.
A switchable light field camera architecture with Angle Sensitive Pixels and dictionary-based sparse coding

We propose a flexible light field camera architecture that is at the convergence of optics, sensor electronics, and applied mathematics. Through the co-design of a sensor that comprises tailored, Angle Sensitive Pixels and advanced reconstruction algorithms, we show that—contrary to light field cameras today—our system can use the same measurements captured in a single sensor image to recover either a high-resolution 2D image, a low-resolution 4D light field using fast, linear processing, or a high-resolution light field using sparsity-constrained optimization.
Moving Forward the State of the Art in Prostate Cancer Treatment: Targeted Focal Therapy

Abstract Introduction The diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer have changed dramatically in the prostate specific antigen era. We are now faced with the clinical dilemma of over diagnosis and overtreatment. Targeted focal therapy offers a potential middle ground between the binary choices of active surveillance and the whole gland treatments of radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy. Methods A PubMed® search was performed using the terms “targeted focal therapy,” “focal therapy,” “hemiablation” and “transperineal mapping biopsy” to locate studies and reviews published after 2000 pertaining to targeted focal therapy of the prostate. Key articles were selected and included in this review, which covers the practical aspects of targeted focal therapy for prostate cancer. Results Three international, multidisciplinary consensus statements were located which provide best practice for patient selection in ongoing and future trials of targeted focal therapy. Other studies located for the review elaborate on the best techniques to properly stage a case of histologically confirmed prostate cancer under consideration for focal therapy and summarize outcomes reported to date in the literature. Conclusions Phase I and II studies of targeted focal therapy for prostate cancer have demonstrated safety and efficacy. With improved imaging and standardized patient selection criteria, phase III study is under way, perhaps setting the stage for a new era of prostate cancer therapy for many individuals.
Performance of communication and queueing processors under message delay limits

The authors perform an analysis and performance comparison of queueing systems operating under a message waiting-time or a delay-time constraint. Four different system admission and preemption policies are investigated. Under either a wait-time constraint or a delay-time limit, arriving messages are either always admitted (and then properly dismissed if their required residence limits are not met) or a determination is made upon arrival as to whether the new message can be served to completion within its required time limit, and only then is this message admitted. The authors investigate and compare the delay-throughput performance of these admission and service-preemption policies for communications and processing systems modeled as a single server M/G/1 queueing system. The authors also set up a cost function which incorporates cost components for system throughput, as well as for implementing the observation and monitoring function and for message residence times. >
Natural Selection for Mullerian Mimicry in Heliconius erato in Costa Rica

The natural color pattern of individuals of the unpalatable and mimetic butterfly Heliconius erato was altered to a unique nonmimetic pattern. When returned to natural populations, the nonmimetic individuals remained for shorter periods of time and received more wing damage indicative of predator attacks than did the controls. The results indicate that Mullerian mimicry was functioning to protect the butterflies from predation.
ord1, an Oxidoreductase Gene Responsible for Conversion of O-Methylsterigmatocystin to Aflatoxin in Aspergillus flavus†

Among the enzymatic steps in the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway, the conversion of O-methylsterigmatocystin to aflatoxin has been proposed to be catalyzed by an oxidoreductase. Transformants of Aspergillus flavus 649WAF2 containing a 3.3-kb genomic DNA fragment and the aflatoxin biosynthesis regulatory gene aflR converted exogenously supplied O-methylsterigmatocystin to aflatoxin B1. A gene, ord1, corresponding to a transcript of about 2 kb was identified within the 3.3-kb DNA fragment. The promoter region presented a putative AFLR binding site and a TATA sequence. The nucleotide sequence of the gene revealed an open reading frame encoding a protein of 528 amino acids with a deduced molecular mass of 60.2 kDa. The gene contained six introns and seven exons. Heterologous expression of the ord1 open reading frame under the transcriptional control of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae galactose-inducible gal1 promoter results in the ability to convert O-methylsterigmatocystin to aflatoxin B1. The data indicate that ord1 is sufficient to accomplish the last step of the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway. A search of various databases for similarity indicated that ord1 encodes a cytochrome P-450-type monooxygenase, and the gene has been assigned to a new P-450 gene family named CYP64.
Coach's autonomy support is especially important for varsity compared to club and recreational athletes.

Autonomy supportive (rather than controlling) coaching has been shown to be important for motivating athletes and for boosting their performance. However, is this especially true for elite-level athletes, who presumably face greater stress and performance pressure? To address this question we surveyed 264 student athletes (141 recreational, 83 club sport, and 40 varsity) playing on sports teams at a U.S. public university. As expected, varsity athletes were higher than the other groups in external reward motivation and lower in intrinsic motivation. Consistent with past selfdetermination theory findings, coach’s autonomy supportive behavior predicted intrinsic and identified motivation in all athletes, and also positive appraisals of the team experience. Most importantly, coach’s autonomy support was a significantly stronger predictor of these outcomes in the varsity compared to the recreational and club groups. These findings suggest that elite-level coaches should make special efforts to be autonomy supportive (rather than controlling) with their athletes.
Clinical Applications of PET in Oncology

Positron emission tomography (PET) provides metabolic information that has been documented to be useful in patient care. The properties of positron decay permit accurate imaging of the distribution of positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals. The wide array of positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals has been used to characterize multiple physiologic and pathologic states. PET is used for characterizing brain disorders such as Alzheimer disease and epilepsy and cardiac disorders such as coronary artery disease and myocardial viability. The neurologic and cardiac applications of PET are not covered in this review. The major utilization of PET clinically is in oncology and consists of imaging the distribution of fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). FDG, an analogue of glucose, accumulates in most tumors in a greater amount than it does in normal tissue. FDG PET is being used in diagnosis and follow-up of several malignancies, and the list of articles supporting its use continues to grow. In this review, the ph...
Identities on call: Impact of impression management on Indian call center agents

Call center agents located in India present themselves at work in a manner that stands in stark contrast to their non-work identities. The impression management tactics they use include using Western names, foreign accents, and scripts that convey physical proximity to customers. This study examines the cognitive demands placed on call center agents as they manage such impressions. The data show that the cultural differences between customers and agents and the use of a telephone as a communication medium intensified demands on agents. In coping with these demands, the agents reassessed their work and non-work identities. At one end of the continuum, some of the call center agents segmented their non-work identities from their work identities. At the other end, call center agents chose to experiment with and incorporate parts of their work identities into their non-work identities, thereby creating hybrid identities. This article discusses implications of these findings for impression management and identity exploration.
Communication and rational responsiveness to the world

Donald Davidson has long maintained that in order to be cre- dited with the concept of objectivity - and, so, with language and thought - it is necessary to communicate with at least one other speaker. I here examine Davidson's central argument for this thesis and argue that it is unsuccessful. Subsequently, I turn to Robert Brandom's defense of the thesis in Making It Explicit. I argue that, contrary to Brandom, in order to possess the concept of objectivity it is not necessary to engage in the practice of interpersonal reasoning because possession of the concept is independently integral to the practice of intrapersonal reasoning.
Phosphorus, Potassium and Leucaena Pruning Interactions on Corn in Haiti

Few P and K fertility studies have been conducted on Haitian soils. Alley cropping is promoted in Haiti but has not been studied in relation to P and K fertility. The effects of P and K fertilizer and leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) De Witt) pruning mulch applications on corn (Zea mays L.) were assessed in field experiments on Rhodudalfs over limestone at Salagnac, Lithic Hapludolls over limestone at Bergeau and Typic Hapludalfs over basalt at St. Georges, Haiti. Complete block designs arranged in incomplete factorials of P and K rates were carried out during three seasons. Additional treatments consisted of 30 Mg ha−1 of leucaena prunings applied with and without 60 kg P and 40 kg K ha−1. Grain yield and net income were analyzed and a surface response curve was fitted on treatments without pruning applications. The soils differed markedly in response to P and K with significant PXK interactions. Without leucaena prunings, response surface analysis predicted maximum yields with applications of 95–117 kg P ha−1 and 51–72 kg K ha−1 and maximum net returns with applications of 0.22–89 kg P ha−1 and 43–79 kg K ha−1. Leucaena pruning applications increased yield at all sites. Highest net income was obtained at Salagnac and St. Georges with leucaena prunings applied with P and K, at Bergeau with prunings applied without P and K, suggesting that alley cropping with judicial fertilizer use is a good economic alternative for low resource farmers. Soil parent material and mineralogy should be considered in making fertilizer recommendations.
Use of fibrinolytic agents in the management of complicated parapneumonic effusions and empyemas

BACKGROUND: Standard treatment for pleural infection includes catheter drainage and antibiotics. Tube drainage often fails if the fluid is loculated by fibrinous adhesions when surgical drainage is needed. Streptokinase may aid the process of pleural drainage, but there have been no controlled trials to assess its efficacy. METHODS: Twenty four patients with infected community acquired parapneumonic effusions were studied. All had either frankly purulent/culture or Gram stain positive pleural fluid (13 cases; 54%) or fluid which fulfilled the biochemical criteria for pleural infection. Fluid was drained with a 14F catheter. The antibiotics used were cefuroxime and metronidazole or were guided by culture. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive intrapleural streptokinase, 250,000 IU daily, or control saline flushes for three days. The primary end points related to the efficacy of pleural drainage--namely, the volume of pleural fluid drained and the chest radiographic response to treatment. Other end points were the number of pleural procedures needed and blood indices of inflammation. RESULTS: The streptokinase group drained more pleural fluid both during the days of streptokinase/control treatment (mean (SD) 391 (200) ml versus 124 (44) ml; difference 267 ml, 95% confidence interval (CI) 144 to 390; p
Adaptive potentiation in rod photoreceptors after light exposure

Photoreceptors adapt to changes in illumination by altering transduction kinetics and sensitivity, thereby extending their working range. We describe a previously unknown form of rod photoreceptor adaptation in wild-type (WT) mice that manifests as a potentiation of the light response after periods of conditioning light exposure. We characterize the stimulus conditions that evoke this graded hypersensitivity and examine the molecular mechanisms of adaptation underlying the phenomenon. After exposure to periods of saturating illumination, rods show a 10–35% increase in circulating dark current, an adaptive potentiation (AP) to light exposure. This potentiation grows as exposure to light is extended up to 3 min and decreases with longer exposures. Cells return to their initial dark-adapted sensitivity with a time constant of recovery of ∼7 s. Halving the extracellular Mg concentration prolongs the adaptation, increasing the time constant of recovery to 13.3 s, but does not affect the magnitude of potentiation. In rods lacking guanylate cyclase activating proteins 1 and 2 (GCAP−/−), AP is more than doubled compared with WT rods, and halving the extracellular Mg concentration does not affect the recovery time constant. Rods from a mouse expressing cyclic nucleotide–gated channels incapable of binding calmodulin also showed a marked increase in the amplitude of AP. Application of an insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) kinase inhibitor (Tyrphostin AG1024) blocked AP, whereas application of an insulin receptor kinase inhibitor (HNMPA(AM)3) failed to do so. A broad-acting tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor (orthovanadate) also blocked AP. Our findings identify a unique form of adaptation in photoreceptors, so that they show transient hypersensitivity to light, and are consistent with a model in which light history, acting via the IGF-1R, can increase the sensitivity of rod photoreceptors, whereas the photocurrent overshoot is regulated by Ca-calmodulin and Ca2+/Mg2+-sensitive GCAPs.
High Urinary Isoflavone Excretion Phenotype Decreases Plasma Cholesterol in Golden Syrian Hamsters Fed Soy Protein

Apparent absorption of isoflavones varies greatly among individuals but is relatively stable within an individual. We hypothesized that high urinary isoflavone excreters would show less plasma non-HDL cholesterol (non-HDL-C) than low isoflavone excreters after soy protein feeding. Fifty Golden Syrian hamsters were fed a high-fat/casein diet (n = 10) or a high-fat/soy protein diet (n = 40) for 4 wk. We identified 2 distinct urinary isoflavone excretion phenotypes based upon HPLC analysis of urinary glycitein using a pairwise correlation plots analysis, or based upon total urinary isoflavone using a hierarchical cluster test. High isoflavone excreters showed greater urinary isoflavones (P < 0.05) than did low isoflavone excreters at wk 1 and 4. The low urinary glycitein excretion phenotype was more stable than the high urinary glycitein excretion phenotype by McNemar's test. High urinary isoflavone excreters had significantly less non-HDL-C than did the low isoflavone excreters or casein-fed controls (P < 0.05). Plasma total and non-HDL-C were negatively correlated with urinary daidzein, glycitein, and total isoflavone excretion (r = -0.45 to -0.58, P < 0.05). Urinary isoflavone excretion phenotypes predicted the cholesterol-lowering efficacy of soy protein. Isoflavone absorbability, probably due to gut microbial ecology, is an important controllable variable in studies of effects of soy protein on blood lipids.
DEVELOPMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL LIABILITY RISK MANAGEMENT AND INSURANCE IN THE UNITED STATES: LESSONS AND OPPORTUNITIES

: The United States has the most developed system of environmental laws and regulations in the world. Not surprisingly, its systems for managing and insuring environmental risks are also the most evolved. Lessons can be learned from examining systems in the United States, particularly their considerable problems. The purposes of this paper are (1) to examine the development of U.S. environmental liability risk management and insurance systems, and (2) to present potential opportunities in this area for risk financing groups and other countries.
Unpacking the Black Box of Causality: Learning about Causal Mechanisms from Experimental and Observational Studies

Identifying causal mechanisms is a fundamental goal of social science. Researchers seek to study not only whether one variable affects another but also how such a causal relationship arises. Yet commonly used statistical methods for identifying causal mechanisms rely upon untestable assumptions and are often inappropriate even under those assumptions. Randomizing treatment and intermediate variables is also insufficient. Despite these difficulties, the study of causal mechanisms is too important to abandon. We make three contributions to improve research on causal mechanisms. First, we present a minimum set of assumptions required under standard designs of experimental and observational studies and develop a general algorithm for estimating causal mediation effects. Second, we provide a method for assessing the sensitivity of conclusions to potential violations of a key assumption. Third, we offer alternative research designs for identifying causal mechanisms under weaker assumptions. The proposed approach is illustrated using media framing experiments and incumbency advantage studies.
Exercise and Self-esteem in Menopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial Involving Walking and Yoga

Abstract Purpose. To examine the effects of walking and yoga on multidimensional self-esteem and roles played by self-efficacy, body composition, and physical activity (PA) in changes in esteem. Design. Four-month randomized controlled exercise trial with three arms: walking, yoga, and control. Subjects. Previously low-active middle-aged women (n = 164; M age = 49.9; SD = 3.6). Intervention. Structured and supervised walking program meeting three times per week for 1 hour and supervised yoga program meeting twice per week for 90 minutes. Measures. Body composition, fitness assessment, and battery of psychologic measures. Analysis. Panel analysis within a structural equation modeling framework using Mplus 3.0. Results. The walking and yoga interventions failed to enhance global or physical self-esteem but improved subdomain esteem relative to physical condition and strength (for walking) and body attractiveness (for both walking and yoga). Over time the effects of PA, self-efficacy, and body fat on changes...
Metal Complexes of Thiouracils III: Polarographic Studies and Correlations Among Complex Stabilities, Thiouracil Structures, and Biological Activities

Although potentiometric studies of cupric ion-thiouracil mixtures were unable to permit the estimation of stability constants of the resultant complexes due to their instantaneous precipitation, the stoichiometric titer provided evidence for the formation and precipitation of either the mixed ligand complex of cupric ion with thiouracil and hydroxide ions (V) or the dimer, containing two cupric ions and two thiouracil anions (VII), and the complex of one cupric and two thiouracil ions (IV). Synthesis, isolation, and characterization of precipitated complexes gave evidence of the formed mixed ligand complex V that lost a molecule of water on drying to give bis(2-thiouracil)-μ-oxodicopperII (X). Polarographic studies showed a one-electron change attributable to the reduction of the singly charged complex of a cupric ion and a thiouracil anion (III) to an uncharged complex of a cuprous ion and a thiouracil anion at the dropping mercury electrode. The one-electron change could not be attributed to the reduction of the latter complex to copper metal since thiouracil reduction of cupric ion does not occur in acidic solution. Analyses of the △E1/2, data for the difference between complex half-wave potential and the half-wave potential of cupric-ion reduction to the cuprous state provided estimates of approximately 0.1 for the ratio of the dissociation constant of the singly charged complex of a cupric ion and a thiouracil anion (III) to the dissociation constant of the uncharged complex of a cuprous ion and a thiouracil anion. It was not possible to determine the absolute values of the cupric-ion complexes' stability constants from polarography. The relative tendency of metal ions to complex with thiouracils, Cu+2 >> Pb+2 > Cd+2 >> Ni+2 ~ Zn+2, is consistent with the “natural order” of such transition metals, their relative ionic radii, their electronic structure, and the concept that “soft acids” prefer to complex with “soft bases.” The presence of a free sulfhydryl group at the 2-position of pyrimidines appears necessary both for metal complexation and for antithyroid activity. Substituents on the ring nitrogens of thiouracil or alkyl substitution on the sulfur, which prevented the possibility of hydrogen tautomerism to the sulfur atom, destroyed complexation ability and biological activity. Substituents at the 5-position with high electronegativity decreased the pK'a of 2-thiouracils, reduced the stability constants of the metal complexes, and minimized the antithyroid activities.
Seismic Hazard Study for New York City Area Bridges

In the early 1990s, site-specific studies were conducted to evaluate the seismic hazard for four New York City area transportation construction projects. The rock motions developed as a result of the four independent site-specific studies reflected wide disparities in the ground motions for the city area. An expert panel was assigned the task of developing rock motions for the New York City area that can be applied uniformly for the design of new structures and retrofitting of existing structures. Summarized are the findings and the resulting changes to the New York State Department of Transportation requirement for evaluating ground motions in the city area, namely, importance classification, performance criteria, two-level seismic hazards, and site amplification factors.
Analysis of α-keratins in the horns of rhinoceros and buffalo by non-native capillary isoelectric focusing

A capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF) method under denaturing condition has been developed for separation of α-keratins, highly cross-linked biomacromolecules, in horns of rhinoceros and buffalo. The α-keratins were denatured in 8 M urea and separated in the presence of ampholytes with applicable pH ranges of 3–7 or 3–10. In the preliminary results, it was demonstrated that the α-keratins in the horns of buffalo or rhinoceros might have their own unique isoelectric focusing profiles. The analyses of more samples from different rhinoceros and buffalo are presently underway, with the final goal to establish a fast and convenient method for identification of the source (buffalo or rhinoceros) of an unknown powdered sample.
Within-session observations of rats leverpressing in the presence of free food

Rats trained to leverpress on a continuous reinforcement schedule for food pellets were observed during a 40-min choice session during which pellets could be obtained freely from a cup or by leverpressing. All rats initially ate from the cup but alternated a mean of 16 times between pellet sources, earning a mean of 52% of the pellets consumed. The rats earned food during a mean of 13 of the 20 possible 2-min intervals and took pellets freely during a mean of 12 intervals. There were both more alternations and more leverpresses during the first half of the session.
353: Determinants of neonatal hypoglycemia in women with type II and gestational diabetes mellitus

GESTATIONAL DIABETES MELLITUS GLADYS RAMOS, ALETHEA HANLEY, JENNIFER AGUAYO, CARRI WARSHAK, THOMAS MOORE, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, University of California, San Diego, California OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk factors associated with neonatal hypoglycemia in neonates of mothers with Type II and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study was performed evaluating neonates of Type II and GDM women treated with diet, glyburide and insulin. Maternal characteristics, glycemic control, and neonatal hypoglycemia were assessed. Statistical methods included bivariate analyses. RESULTS: In 2001-2004, 259 mother and neonate pairs were identified. Sixtyeight (26%) were treated with diet, 110 (42%) with glyburide, and 81 (31%) with insulin. The incidence of neonatal hypoglycemia (capillary blood sugar 45mg/ dL) was 20% (51/259). The incidence was significantly lower in the diet treated group (3%, 2/68, p 0.001) when compared to the glyburide (24%, 26/110) and insulin (28%, 23/81) groups. The rate of neonatal hypoglycemia between the glyburide and insulin groups did not vary with diabetes type (type II diabetics (35%) vs. A2 GDM (22%), p 0.07) or medication type (glyburide (24%) vs. insulin (28%), p 0.50). Mean fasting and postprandial values at 36 weeks (fasting 90.3 15 vs. 92.1 14, p 0.30 and postprandial 13.7 22 vs. 130.7 26, p 0.11) and during the last week of pregnancy (fasting 86.5 11 vs. 89.4 15, p 0.33 and postprandial 127.4 16 vs. 124 24, p 0.35) did not differ between glyburide and insulin groups. Neonatal hypoglycemia was associated with macrosomia (p 0.001) and the incidence progressively increased with increasing birth weight (p 0.003). The rate of macrosomia did not vary between treatment groups (diet 15% vs. pharmacotherapy 19%, p 0.47 or glyburide 16% vs. insulin 24%, p .27). Macrosomia was significantly associated with maternal body mass index upon presentation to prenatal care (p 0.005). CONCLUSION: Women with type II and GDM treated with glyburide and insulin have a higher incidence of neonatal hypoglycemia than diet treated patients. A strong determinant for the development of neonatal hypoglycemia was macrosomia. Macrosomia itself was strongly associated with maternal obesity.
Impedance formulation of single oscillating nanospheres at optical frequencies

In this paper, we present an accurate impedance representation of a nanosphere oscillating at optical frequencies. The model utilizes spherical surface charge characterization of the dominant mode to develop an equivalent impedance model. The proposed model develop a LC based surface plasmon resonance expression for metallic nanoparticles, thereby providing basic building blocks to develop electronic circuit models of more complex plasmon-based structures. The simulation results demonstrate that our model provides an accurate closed-form solution for typical sizes of nanosphere.
Quantum of optical absorption in two-dimensional semiconductors

The optical absorption properties of free-standing InAs nanomembranes of thicknesses ranging from 3 nm to 19 nm are investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Stepwise absorption at room temperature is observed, arising from the interband transitions between the subbands of 2D InAs nanomembranes. Interestingly, the absorptance associated with each step is measured to be ∼1.6%, independent of thickness of the membranes. The experimental results are consistent with the theoretically predicted absorptance quantum, A Q = πα/n c for each set of interband transitions in a 2D semiconductor, where α is the fine structure constant and n c is an optical local field correction factor. Absorptance quantization appears to be universal in 2D systems including III–V quantum wells and graphene.
The Effects of Aircraft Wake Dynamics on Contrail Development

Results of large-eddy simulations of the development of young persistent ice contrails are presented, concentrating on the interactions between the aircraft wake dynamics and the ice cloud evolution over ages front a few seconds to approx. 30 min. The 3D unsteady evolution of the dispersing engine exhausts, trailing vortex pair interaction and breakup, and subsequent Brunt-Vaisala oscillations of the older wake plume are modeled in detail in high-resolution simulations, coupled with it bulk microphysics model for the contrail ice development. The simulations confirm that the early wake dynamics can have a strong influence on the properties of persistent contrails even at late times. The vortex dynamics are the primary determinant of the vertical extent of the contrail (until precipitate ton becomes significant): and this together with the local wind shear largely determines the horizontal extent. The ice density, ice crystal number density, and a conserved exhaust tracer all develop and disperse in different fashions from each other. The total ice crystal number can be significantly reduced due to adiabatic compression resulting from the downward motion of the vortex system, even for ambient conditions that are substantially supersaturated with respect to ice. The fraction of the initial ice crystals surviving, their spatial distribution and the ice mass distribution are all sensitive to the aircraft type, ambient humidity, assumed initial ice crystal number, and ambient turbulence conditions. There is a significant range of conditions for which a smaller transport such as a B737 produces as significant a persistent contrail as a larger transport such as a B747, even though the latter consumes almost five times as much fuel. The difficulties involved in trying to minimize persistent contrail production are discussed.
Clozapine-Associated Extrapyramidal Reaction

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of extrapyramidal reaction associated with a dosage increase of clozapine.CASE SUMMARY:A 44-year-old white man with a 20-year history of chronic paranoid schizophrenia was admitted to an inpatient psychiatric facility. His prior medications restarted on admission were clozapine 650 mg at bedtime, haloperidol 10 mg at bedtime, clonazepam 2 mg/d, and aspirin 325 mg/d. Two days after admission (hospital day 3), clozapine and clonazepam were discontinued, and he was prescribed haloperidol 5 mg every morning and 10 mg every evening. Stabilization occurred over the following 24 days, with progressively lower dosages of haloperidol and increasing dosages of clozapine. Haloperidol was discontinued on day 24. On day 47, the patient was agitated and making bizarre statements; thus, the morning dose of clozapine was increased by 50 mg (total 450 mg/d). On day 48 at 2200, a dystonic reaction was diagnosed; he received intramuscular diphenhydramine 50 mg, which caused the reaction to subside...
Planning graph as the basis for deriving heuristics for plan synthesis by state space and CSP search

Most recent strides in scaling up planning have centered around two competing themesdisjunctive planners, exemplified by Graphplan, and heuristic state search planners, exemplified by UNPOP, HSP and HSP-r. In this paper, we present a novel approach for successfully harnessing the advantages of the two competing paradigms to develop planners that are significantly more powerful than either of the approaches. Specifically, we show that the polynomial-time planning graph structure that the Graphplan builds provides a rich substrate for deriving a family of highly effective heuristics for guiding state space search as well as CSP style search. The main leverage provided by the planning graph structure is a systematic and graded way to take subgoal interactions into account in designing state space heuristics. For state space search, we develop several families of heuristics, some aimed at search speed and others at optimality of solutions, and analyze many approaches for improving the cost-quality tradeoffs offered by these heuristics. Our normalized empirical comparisons show that our heuristics handily outperform the existing state space heuristics. For CSP style search, we describe a novel way of using the planning graph structure to derive highly effective variable and value ordering heuristics. We show that these heuristics can be used to improve Graphplan's own backward search significantly. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach vis a vis the state-of-the-art in plan synthesis, we present AltAlt, a planner literally cobbled together from the implementations of Graphplan and state search style planners using our theory. We evaluate AltAlt on the suite of problems used in the recent AIPS-2000 planning competition. The results place AltAlt in the top tier of the competition plannersoutperforming both Graphplan based and heuristic search based planners.
Theory of 3He Submonolayers in 4He Films

In recent years there has been an enormous effort to understand the behavior of strongly interacting many-fermion systems in two-dimensions. Most of the impetus has been provided by electronic systems because of the intense interest in high temperature superconductivity and the quantum Hall effect. 3He physically adsorbed into the surface of 4He superfluid films provides an additional example of a strongly interacting many-fermion system in two-dimensions. In pioneering work on this system, Gasparini and coworkers measured the specific heat and extracted many interesting physical parameters. 1There are two observations which they made which are very important. First, they pointed out that there was evidence that the 3He was occupying more than one transverse state. Second, they noted that the specific heat signal indicated the presence of a phase transition which connected a low-temperature degenerate state with a high-temperature classical state.
Radiation from current distributions

The fundamental approach to an understanding of microwave antennas is necessarily based on electromagnetic theory. This chapter therefore begins with a discussion of the field equations and the general properties of an electromagnetic field; the treatment is necessarily cursory, being intended as a summary of material that is familiar to the reader. This theory is then applied to the simplest problem of antenna theory, the calculation of the radiation fields due to known current distributions. A discussion of certain idealized current distributions illustrates the principles of superposition and interference and furnishes a theoretical guide to the design of various antenna feeds.
Immunophenotypic diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in paraffin sections. Co-expression of L60 (Leu-22) and L26 antigens correlates with malignant histologic findings.

The recent availability of monoclonal antibodies immunoreactive to T- or B-lineage antigens in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue has permitted the adaptation of frozen-section immunodiagnostic criteria to paraffin-embedded tissue. Among a variety of reactive lymphoid processes, monoclonal antibody L26 showed a pattern of staining consistent with pan-B reactivity. Antibodies L60 (Leu-22) and UCHL-1 showed a pan-T and T-subset pattern of reactivity, respectively. In benign processes, L26 and L60 (or UCHL-1) were not coexpressed. In contrast, among 77 B-lineage non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, 42% showed aberrant co-expression of L26 and L60. The L26+/L60+ phenotype was most common in small lymphocytic lymphomas (80%) but was also noted in one third of diffuse large cell lymphomas. Expression of UCHL-1 was not identified in B-lineage neoplasms but was found, along with L60, on four of five T-lineage lymphomas studied as controls. The authors conclude that the anomalous coexpression of L60 and L26 antigens is a unique feature of B-lineage lymphomas and can be used for the immunodiagnosis of these malignancies in routinely processed tissue.
Control of artifacts in plasma adenosine determinations.

AbstractThe literature concerning the role of adenosine (ADO) in physiology reveals no agreement about plasma ADO concentrations and suggests two main sources of error in these determinations: rapid ADO uptake by red blood cells or rapid ADO production from ADO nucleotides, which may be released by any cell lysis or platelet aggregation during plasma preparation. We therefore studied ADO concentrations in plasma from normal human forearm venous blood. ADO was determined by a highperformance liquid chromatographic procedure with a sensitivity of 3 nM (original plasma). Observed ADO concentrations ranged from 894 nM to 8.2 nM depending on the conditions of plasma preparation. In plasma prepared in plastic tubes from 4.5 ml of blood drawn into a plastic syringe containing 1.5 ml of an isotonic stopping solution (pH 7.4) containing heparin (60 units ml), dilazep (40 μM), EGTA (40 μM, EDTA (40 μM), erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl) adenine (40 μM), and α,β-methylene adenosine-5′-diphosphate (525 μM), the plasma AD...