cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacokinetics of Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate following Intra-Arterial and Oral Dosing in the Rat

The pharmacokinetics of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)-1, 3-propanediol tetranitrate, 1) were studied in rats following a single intra-arterial or oral dose (2 mg/kg) of the 14C-labeled drug. Blood levels of the tetranitrate and its metabolites were determined using a thin-layer radiochromatographic procedure. The apparent systemic clearance of 1 was 0.61 ∓ 0.16 L/min/kg (mean ∓ SD, n = 6) which exceeded the value of normal cardiac output in rats. The steady-state volume of distribution was 4.2 ∓ 1.1 L/kg (n = 6), and the elimination half-life was estimated at 5.8 ∓ 0.6 min (n = 6). Blood levels of 1 were only detectable (higher than 4.0 ng/mL) in three of the six rats examined after the oral dose. The trinitrate derivative (2, 2-bis(hydroxymethyl)-1, 3-propanediol trinitrate, 2) the active metabolite of 1, was not detectable following oral dosing with the tetranitrate. The oral bioavailability of 1 was in the range of 0–8%. in spite of the low water solubility of 1 (i.e., 1 μg/mL), a rather high fraction of the radioactive oral dose [25.7 ∓ 10.3% (n = 4) versus 62.4 ± 14.5% (n = 4) from the intraarterial dose] was recovered in the urine. A significant portion of the intra-arterial dose (32.7 ∓ 11.0%, n = 4) was eliminated in feces, indicating enterohepatic recycling of radioactivity. Analysis of the metabolite pattern in urine indicated extensive metabolism of 1, 2, and the dinitrate derivative 3 (2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)-1, 3-propanediol dinitrate). Less than 0.2% of the dose was recovered as unchanged drug and 2 following either route of administration.
Oxidation of cholesterol in heated tallow

Preliminary thin layer and gas chromatography data indicate that tallow cholesterol is oxidised when tallow is exposed to high temperatures (180°C) for an extended period. This may be of some significance to human health since some of these oxidation products may be angiotoxic and/or carcinogenic and tallow is used as a deep-fat frying medium in some fast-food restaurants.
Layer thickness effect on ductile tensile fracture of ultrahigh carbon steel-brass laminates

Laminated metal composites containing equal volume percentage of ultrahigh carbon steel (UHCS) and brass were prepared in three different layer thicknesses (750, 200, and 50 μm) by press- bonding and rolling at elevated temperature and were tensile tested at ambient temperature. A dramatic increase in tensile ductility (from 13 to 21 to 60 pct) and a decrease in delamination tendency at the UHCS-brass interfaces were observed as the layer thickness was decreased. The layer thickness effect on ductility is attributed to residual stress whose influence on delamination is decreased as the layer thickness is decreased. Suppression of delamination inhibits neck for- mation in the UHCS layers, allowing for extended uniform plasticity. For a given layer thick- ness, the tensile ductility decreases as the ratio of hardness of component layers is increased.
Unbalanced Globin Chain Synthesis in Erythroid Precursor Cells of Heterozygous αThalassaemia

Globin biosynthesis was studied in both erythroid precursors and reticulocytes of three individuals with heterozygous alpha-thalassaemia. In contrast to the finding of equal or nearly equal alpha and beta chain synthesis in the marrow of patients with heterozygous beta-thalassaemia previously examined, our studies showed equal degrees of unbalanced globin synthesis in both reticulocytes and nucleated-erythroid cells of alpha-thalassaemia heterozygotes. Greater stability and less susceptibility to proteolysis of the excess beta-chain formed in alpha-thalassaemia may explain our findings.
Environment-dependent performance and fitness of Iris brevicaulis, I. fulva (Iridaceae), and hybrids

We tested the relative fitness of two Louisiana Iris species (Iris brevicaulis and I. fulva) and their first-generation backcross hybrids in three experimental watering treatments: dry, field capacity, and flooded. Leaf area expansion rate, gas exchange (A(max), g(s), c(i)), and biomass at final harvest were measured for each species and hybrid class in all three environmental treatments. Fitness (based on total biomass) of the four genotypic classes differed significantly with environment. All genotypic classes performed most poorly in the dry treatment. The fitness ranking of genotypic class also changed across environments (significant genotypic class by treatment interaction) with hybrid genotype fitness shifting relative to parental genotypes. Integrating over all treatments, backcrosses to I. fulva showed the lowest fitness, whereas backcrosses to I. brevicaulis outperformed I. fulva. The differences in fitness were apparently achieved by a combination of differences in photosynthesis and allocation. In this system, hybrids are not necessarily less fit than their parents, and the relationship between hybrid and parental fitness is influenced by environmental conditions, lending support to the Hybrid Novelty model of hybrid zone evolution.
Qualifying exams for medical students: are both major finals and continuous assessment necessary?

Students' performance in the Final Examination at Bristol Medical School was compared to their performance as assessed by in-course assessment. Over the six-year period studied, 5.5% of the 734 students failed the final examination at the first attempt but all subsequently passed. The overall continuous assessment score was a significant predictor of failure by the students in the final examination. It is argued that in the light of these findings and because of the documented disadvantages of a major final examination, such an examination is unnecessary.
Widely electrically tunable long-period fiber gratings with ferroelectric relaxor poly(vinylidene fluoride - trifluoroethylene - chlorofluoroethylene) terpolymer as second cladding

We demonstrate an widely electrically tunable long-period fiber grating with ultrathin first cladding and ferroelectric relaxor poly(vinylidene fluoride - trifluoroethylene - chlorofluoroethylene) terpolymer as the second cladding. Large Kerr effect is found in the terpolymer where a refractive index change of -2.6% can be induced under an electric field of 80MV/m. Simulations and experiments show that electrodes and the index matching between terpolymer and fiber have significant effect on the tuning range. An 18nm resonant wavelength shift is achieved by the terpolymer when electric field of 50MV/m is applied. On the other hand, over 100nm shift is observed by index matched terpolymer/PMMA blend as the temperature changes from 25 o C to 100 o C (temperature tuning). To realize this index matching condition, ZnS/terpolymer nanocomposite was developed which allowed the index of the composite to be varied over a large range while maintaining large electro-optical response. A simulation result predicts that large electrical tuning of the resonance band can be realized by the the index matched nanocomposite.
ABNORMAL SUCKING BEHAVIOR IN CNS-DAMAGED PREMATURE INFANTS

Sucking behavior in growing premature infants has received little attention. Non-nutritive (NNS) and nutritive (NS) sucking was measured by suckometer 30 minutes prior to routine feedings, in 11 premature, AGA infants at 5-12 weeks of age, mean corrected age (C.A.) = 39-40 weeks. Six infants had intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) by cranial ultrasound and computerized tomography. Non-IVH (n=5) infants included 2 with methadone abstinence syndrome, 2 with apnea/bradycardia treated with methylxantnines, and 1 with hydrancephaly. Sucking rate (sucks/sec) was measured during continuous (or the longest) sucking bursts.
Shubnikov–de Haas-like oscillations in millimeterwave photoconductivity in a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas

Millimeterwave photoconductivity in a high-mobility $\mathrm{GaAs}\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{Al}}_{x}{\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}\mathrm{As}$ two-dimensional electron gas exhibits giant amplitude oscillations in a weak magnetic field. These oscillations resemble the Shubnikov--de Haas effect but their period is determined by $\ensuremath{\omega}/{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{C},$ where $\ensuremath{\omega}$ and ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{C}$ are the millimeterwave and cyclotron frequencies, respectively. The major observations can be explained in terms of Landau-level transitions between spatially shifted oscillators. A ${2k}_{F}$ momentum transfer is accompanying the transition where ${k}_{F}$ is the electron Fermi wave number.
Electrokinetic pumping of liquid propellants for small satellite microthruster applications

For most orbital maneuvers, small satellites weighing less than 10 kg require propulsion systems capable of producing thrust in the micro-Newton to milli-Newton force range. At this scale, electrokinetic (EK) pumping offers a method to precisely meter liquid propellants under purely electrical control at pressures and flow rates well-suited for microthruster applications. After exploring a variety of materials and surface treatments for the electrokinetic pumping media, we have demonstrated EK pumping of anhydrous hydrazine using both packed-capillary and larger sintered-monolith pump designs. Hydrogen peroxide has proven difficult to directly pump electrokinetically, but we have shown the utility of delivering peroxide and other electrokinetically incompatible liquids indirectly using in-line reservoirs with fluidic isolation to separate the pump working fluid from the propellant. Directly- and indirectly-pumped propellants have been delivered to novel capillary microthrusters with integrated catalyst beds and plasma-formed micronozzle structures. Specific impulses up to 190 s have been shown for hydrazine in non-optimized capillary thrusters at a mass flow rate of 1.5 mg/s. Controlled thrust pulses with a maximum continuous thrust of 1.5 mN, minimum impulse bit of 7 μN-s, and average specific impulse of 110 s have been demonstrated with the electrokinetically pumped microthruster assembly.
WE‐A‐201B‐01: Evaluation of Quantitative Error of a Commercially‐Available Positron Emission Mammography Scanner

Purpose: To evaluate the overall quantitative accuracy of, the PEM Flex Solo II (Naviscan Inc., San Diego, CA) positron emission mammographyscanner, and to assess the relative contributions of error from attenuation, scatteredphotons and count‐rate. Method and Materials: The overall error was measured in 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12‐cm thick breast phantoms with uniform background activity (0.07 μCi/cc), simulated lesions (2:1, 5:1 and 10:1 lesion‐to‐background ratios) and cysts. The effect of count‐rate was determined by comparing the overall error to the error at lower background activity concentration (0.007 μCi/cc) for each thickness. The error due to attenuation was measured for each thickness by comparing the maximum pixel values in a point source embedded in non‐radioactive gelatin to the maximum pixel value of the same point source scanned in air. The error due to scatter was determined by comparing the sum of all pixel values in the image volume of the point source in each thickness of gelatin to the sum of all pixel values from the point source in air. Results: The overall background error in 4 to 12‐cm thick phantoms was 0%±7% to −32%±7%, respectively. The minimum error in lesions was −24%±4% for 2:1 lesion‐to‐background ratio in 4‐cm thick phantoms, and increased with phantom thickness and lesion‐to‐background ratio. The error contributed by count‐rate was approximately −24%±9% for 4 to 8‐cm thicknesses, −30%±6% for 10‐cm and −8%±8% for 12‐cm. Attenuation contributed −51%±10% to −77%±5% for 4 to 12‐cm thicknesses, respectively. Scatter contributed 23%±2% for all thicknesses. Conclusion:Images from the PEM Flex Solo II cannot be used for accurate quantitation due in part to the lack of corrections for count‐rate, attenuation and scatter. Even with these corrections, limited angle tomography will be an obstacle to achieving accurate quantitation.
Hyperchloraemic metabolic acidosis slows recovery in children with diabetic ketoacidosis: a retrospective audit.

Summary Introduction Hyperchloraemic metabolic acidosis (HMA) can occur in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), from urinary loss of bicarbonate precursors as ketones, or iatrogenically from chloride administration. Objective To determine whether children with DKA given normal saline developed HMA, and whether HMA delayed their recovery. Setting 13 Bed combined Paediatric Intensive Care/High Dependency Unit. Methods Retrospective analysis of the venous biochemistry of 59 admissions with DKA, recording the times to recovery from acidosis and normalisation of anion gap, and total intravenous chloride load. Results Twenty-nine (49%) were newly diagnosed diabetics. The median age was 12 (interquartile range, IQR 8.2–15.4) years. The initial pH in 23 (39%) was 7.3, bicarbonate>15mmol/l and anion gap p =0.0005. However, in 14 patients (24%), the difference was >6h. These patients did not differ significantly in age or initial pH but had a lower initial bicarbonate (median 5 versus 7.8mmol/l, p =0.002), narrower anion gap (median 29.5 versus 31.6mmol/l, p =0.038), and took longer to normalise the bicarbonate: median 26.1 versus 10.5h, p Conclusion The anion gap (AG) normalises earlier than bicarbonate in children with DKA treated with normal saline, and children with persisting HMA recover from acidosis more slowly.
The Slope of Change: An Environmental Management Approach to Reduce Drinking on a Day of Celebration at a US College

Abstract Objective: This research extends the literature on event-specific environmental management with a case study evaluation of an intervention designed to reduce student drinking at a university's year-end celebration. Participants: Cornell University undergraduates were surveyed each May from 2001 through 2009. Sample sizes ranged from 322 to 1,973. Methods: Randomly sampled surveys were conducted after a large, annual spring campus celebration. An environmental management plan was initiated in 2003 that included increased enforcement of the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) law. Results: In the short term, drinking at the campus celebration decreased while drinking before the event increased. Over time, the intervention significantly reduced high-risk drinking on the day of the event, especially among those under the age of 21. Conclusion: These findings are contrary to the argument that enforcement of MLDA laws simply leads to increased high-risk drinking, and therefore have implications for how c...
Painful knee locking caused by gouty tophi successfully treated with allopurinol.

Although arthroscopic removal is the usual treatment for intra-articular tophi, surgery is not always an option. This Case Study demonstrates that continuous urate-lowering therapy is a suitable alternative: in a 67-year-old man, painful locking of the knee secondary to intra-articular tophi was alleviated following continuous allopurinol therapy. Resolution of the tophi was demonstrated by CT.
Office-based laser surgery of the larynx: cost-effective treatment at the office's expense.

Objective. While office-based laser surgery (OBLS) for benign laryngeal disease is cost-effective for the patient, the financial impact on the office offering the service has not been characterized...
Differences between kick sampling techniques and short-term Hester-Dendy sampling for stream macroinvertebrates

Abstract. Differences among sampling techniques are of crucial importance when interpreting the results of aquatic biomonitoring studies. We compared two commonly used variations of the kick sampling technique with the Hester-Dendy (multi-plate substrate) technique in an urban impacted stream. The effect of sample pooling on data interpretation was also examined. Hand scrubbing and disrupting substrates yielded more hydropsychid caddisflies than either kick sampling or Hester-Dendy samples. Total macroinvertebrate abundance, species richness, and Shannon's diversity (H') were all lower in Hester-Dendy samples than in samples taken by kick sample or by hand scrubbing substrates. Species richness pooled within sampling technique was highest in kick samples and lowest in Hester-Dendy samples. Richness of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) pooled among sampling techniques was higher in Hester-Dendy samples than in either kick samples or substrate-scrubbed samples. Relatively subtle differences a...
Measuring Health Gaps between the Rich and the Poor: A Review of the Literature and its Implications for Health Research in Africa.

Measuring variations and gaps in health and wellbeing across individuals, social groups and societies is a critical issue confronting social scientists in their quest to explain why gaps in health between the rich and the poor persist within and across societies. This article provides a systematic review of the measurement of inequalities and their implications on rural and remote health. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using online databases and other collections of published research on measuring health gaps between the rich and the poor in order to trace the development of this field of inquiry. Despite the enormous information on the subject area, it is not always easy to disentangle the independent effects of social class or socio-economic status (SES) on health inequalities from genetic or biological differences when analyzing racial/ethnic, gender or age gaps in mortality and morbidity. The meaning of SES or social class also varies from one culture to the other. Despite decades of work in this field, it is not clear what it is about SES or social class that is associated with inequalities in health. Is it simply a question of access to resources? And on the issue of measurement, studies from various disciplines have shown that it is important to employ a raft of measures in order to measure and present the distributions fully from various angles and value judgments. In the rural African context, tackling vertical and horizontal inequalities in health requires tackling the root causes of poverty and promoting social policies that empower individuals and communities. Hence, the review discusses recent methodological developments that hold promise for addressing the knowledge gap that remain. We hope that researchers will reflect on the dynamics in measures of inequalities discussed in this paper as they continue to assess the status of health in Africa’s contemporary and largely dominated rural population.
Effects of inducers and inhibitors on the metabolism of aflatoxin B1 by rat and mouse.

Abstract The microsomal metabolism of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) via various pathways and the induction and inhibition specificities of these pathways were examined in Sprague-Dawley rats, inbred strains of mice, and recombinant inbred lines derived from AKR/J and C57L/J cross. The data suggests that the metabolism of aflatoxin B1 is catalyzed by at least three different enzymes of the microsomal mixed function oxygenase system: one that mediates conversion to aflatoxin M1 (AFM1-hydroxylase) is cytochrome P-448-linked and is associated with the Ah locus at the level of regulatory genetic factors: the other two enzymes which are cytochrome P-450-linked, mediate the metabolism of aflatoxin B1 to aflatoxin Q1 (AFQ1-hydroxylase) and to AFB1-2,3-oxide (metabolic activation). Although AFQ1-hydroxylase and metabolic activation, measured in vitro as the formation of DNA-alkylating metabolite(s), are not clearly distinguishable on the basis of induction and inhibition responses, the two activities can be distinguished on the basis of their kinetic parameters and genetic regulation: (a) the apparent Km of the metabolic activation pathway is almost three orders of magnitude (19.7 × 10−4 M) higher than that of AFQ1-hydroxylase (0.7 × 10−4), [B. D. Roebuck and G. N. Wogan, Cancer Res.37, 1649 (1977)]; and (b) while both activities are induced by phenobarbital (PB) and depressed by 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC), unlike the metabolic activation, differences in the 3-MC-induced depression of AFQ1-hydroxylase activity were noted in Ah responsive and nonresponsive strains. Kinetic studies revealed that metabolic activation of AFB1 is linear with the time of incubation up to 20 min, with up to 2 mg of microsomal protein in the incubation, and has a pH optimum of 7 to 7.4. While PB pretreatment, relative to control, enhanced the apparent Vmax 3-fold, 3-MC depressed it about 60 per cent; however, the apparent Km values of the three microsomal preparations were of the same order of magnitude (1.3 to 2 × 10−3 M). Under the conditions of the incubation, the minimum number of binding sites in DNA was estimated to correspond to a resultant specific activity of 8–9 nmoles AFB1-metabolite bound/μmole DNA-P.
Familiarity Breeds Plasticity: Distinct Effects of Experience on Putative Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurons in Inferior Temporal Cortex

Primates have a remarkable capacity to recognize a vast array of visual objects, an ability that depends on experience. In this issue of Neuron, Woloszyn and Sheinberg (2012) report that putative excitatory and inhibitory neurons in inferior temporal cortex exhibit distinct influences long-term visual experience.
Composition of Turkey Uterine Fluid

Abstract Sodium, K, Ca and Mg concentrations of turkey uterine fluid were determined. The cation composition (expressed in m M/liter) of fluid from 11 hens carrying shell-less eggs averaged: Na 100.9; K 17.3; Ca 3.7 and Mg 1.0. The concentration of these ions in fluid from 15 hens carrying hard-shelled eggs averaged: Na 37.4; K 73.6; Ca 5.9 and Mg 7.9. Fluid from hens carrying hard-shelled eggs averaged 0.2% protein, pH 8.3 and had an osmotic pressure of 263 milliosmoles per liter.
Doramectin efficacy against the kidney worm, Stephanurus dentatus in sows

Abstract Sixteen sows passing Stephanurus dentatus eggs in their urine were bought on the local market and placed in individual pens with solid concrete floors in an open-sided barn. Water was supplied by nipple waterers and sows were fed individually 1.8 kg feed daily. First, urine samples were taken at dawn on days −8 and −7 and weights were taken on day 0. Sows were assigned to one of two groups on the basis of average urine egg counts and weights. Group T1 sows were each injected IM in the neck with sterile saline at the rate of 1.5 ml per 50 kg and group T2 sows were each injected IM with doramectin at the rate of 300 μg kg −1 on day 0. Urine samples were again taken on days 56 and 57 and the sows were necropsied on day 57. Urine of all doramectin treated sows were test negative worm eggs on days 56 and 57 as was one control sow, whereas the average count for controls was 3762 eggs ml −1 . No worms were found in doramectin treated sows and a total of 499 were found in the controls for an average of 62 per sow. The majority of worms were in the perirenal area and kidneys, a few were scattered in liver, lungs, abdominal muscles and peritoneal cavity. The efficacy of doramectin against Stephanurus dentatus in sows was 100% ( P
An unusual presentation of a ruptured degenerative fibroid in a perimenopausal woman.

A 55-year-old woman in a perimenopausal state presented with severe suprapubic pain and fever. Physical examination revealed a tender pelvic mass measuring 24 weeks in size. Ultrasound of the pelvis and CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis showed a 12 cm mass arising from the posterior wall of the uterus with irregular margin inferiorly, raising suspicion of a ruptured mass. The patient was treated conservatively and discharged from the hospital with regular simple analgaesia. She had an elective total hysterectomy bilateral salpingo-oophrectomy and frozen section the following week and histology revealed a benign leiomyoma with extensive necrosis. Moreover, intraoperatively, the fibroid was found to have ruptured its capsule. This case illustrates that a ruptured degeneration of uterine leiomyoma should be considered as one of the differential diagnoses for all women presenting with abdominal pain and a large fibroid mass regardless of their hormonal status or age.
Timing of Plasma Exchange Therapy for Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia Purpura: A Brief Clinical Observation

Plasma exchange is the mainstay of therapy for thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura. In this study, the authors retrospectively examined variables that may predict outcome in 18 patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura. They found that the time to first plasma exchange from admission and time to first dose of intravenous steroid are important in influencing outcome. A rise in platelets and a fall in lactic dehydrogenase 3 days after plasma exchange were also found useful in predicting survival. Therefore, early recognition and intervention in this disease is warranted.
Field-ion studies of microstructures and transformations in long-range-ordered alloys

Abstract The FIM has been shown in recent years to be a useful tool in the study of microstructures of ordered alloys. Although most of the studies to data have been of a qualitative nature they have shown that it is possible to obtain detailed information about rotational and translational domain boundaries, order-disorder interfaces and local variations in the degree of order. This type of information can be particularly useful in the study of order-disorder transformations.
Abstract B18: Targeting rapamycin-induced autophagy in cancer

Mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is an important regulator of cell cycle progression and proliferation, and is a target of the inhibitor rapamycin. The 40S ribosomal S6 Kinase 1 (S6K1) is one of the best characterized downstream targets of mTORC1. The mTORC1/S6K1 pathway is hyperactivated in many types of cancer, contributing to cancer pathogenesis and progression. Autophagy is a cellular mechanism conserved in all eukaryotes, whose role is to maintain homeostasis of the cell under stress-induced conditions by recycling intracellular components. In cancer, autophagy may serve to protect cancer cells from cell death and may contribute to acquired drug resistance. The mTORC1/S6K1 signaling pathway is an important regulator of autophagy. One of the concerns that arise with the use of mTORC1 inhibitors, such as rapamycin analogs (or rapalogs), is that rapalogs promote autophagy and cause cell senescence, which protects cancer cells from undergoing apoptosis. Recent evidence suggests that a possible mechanism by which mTORC1 regulates autophagy may involve the tumor suppressor programmed cell death protein 4 (PDCD4), which is a downstream target of S6K1. Inhibition of mTORC1/S6K1 signaling causes upregulation of PDCD4 expression, which correlates with increased autophagy induction. We observed that suppressing PDCD4 expression in combination with rapamycin reduces autophagy and causes cancer cells to undergo cell death via apoptosis. Our results indicate that such strategy prevents rapamycin-induced upregulation of autophagy, while maintaining inhibition of mTORC1/S6K1 signaling, and promotes progression to apoptosis. Citation Format: Anya Alayev, Rose B. Snyder, Marina K. Holz. Targeting rapamycin-induced autophagy in cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Third AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research; Sep 18-22, 2013; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(19 Suppl):Abstract nr B18.
The development of a new small-scale smoke toxicity test method and its comparison with real-scale fire tests.

Abstract A comprehensive methodology has been developed for obtaining and using smoke toxicity data for fire hazard analysis. This bench-scale method can simulate diverse fire conditions and identify extremely toxic smoke under both pre- and post-flashover conditions. However, incidence data show that most of the fire deaths in the U.S. occur outside the room of fire origin from smoke and toxic gases that are generated from a fire under post-flashover conditions. Therefore, the most relevant real-scale combustion conditions to simulate in the bench-scale apparatus would be the post-flashover conditions which are achieved by using radiant heat, a high heat flux, and correcting the bench-scale carbon monoxide (CO) results to agree with CO yields observed in real-scale post-flashover fires. The number of test animals (Fischer 344 male rats) is minimized by using the N-Gas Model to estimate the LC 50 value from the chemical analysis of the smoke. The current N-Gas Model predicts the toxicity of complex fire gas mixtures based on a large data base of experimental results of individual and mixed gases that include CO, CO2, reduced O2, HCN, HCl, HBr, and NO X . The prediction is checked with a small number of animal tests and an approximate LC 50 value is determined. The bench-scale results have been validated with full-scale room wall burns of a limited number of materials of widely differing characteristics chosen to challenge the system. The toxic potency values are assessed to determine if the smoke from a material or product is unusually or extremely toxic and can then be used in computations of fire hazard.
ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE GENETIC FINE STRUCTURE

In an earlier paper [1], a detailed examination was made of the structure of a small portion of the genetic map of phage T4, the rII region. This region, which controls the ability of the phage to grow in Escherichia coli strain K, consists of two adjacent cistrons, or functional units. Various rII mutants, unable to grow in strain K, have mutations affecting various parts of either or both of these cistrons. The topology of the region; i.e., the manner in which its parts are interconnected, was intensively tested and it was found that the active structure can be described as a string of subelements, a mutation constituting an alteration of a point or segment of the linear array. This paper is a sequel in which inquiry is made into the topography of the structure, i.e., local differences in the properties of its parts. Specifically, are all the subelements equally mutable? If so, mutations should occur at random throughout the structure and the topography would be trivial. On the other hand, sites or regions of unusually high or low mutability would be interesting topographic features.
MODELING RHEOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR OF GELATINIZING STARCH SOLUTIONS USING MIXER VISCOMETRY DATA

A Brookfield RVTD mixer viscometer was used to gelatinize 5.5, 6.4, and 7.3% (d.b.) native corn starch solutions, and a 6% bean starch solution. Torque, the dependent variable, was used to estimate parameters in a generalized viscosity model. The independent variables were impeller speed, temperature (50–95°C), concentration, temperature-time history, and strain history. The starch dispersions thickened with decreasing temperature and had an Arrhenius activation energy between 6.4 and 12.7 kJ/mol. There was no evidence that retrogradation caused this effect. First-order reaction kinetics was accurate (9.8% standard deviation) in describing viscosity increase during gelatinization. After initial gelatinization, torque decayed exponentially with time. Predicted curves followed experimental pasting curves when interactions among the independent variables were accounted for in the model. The major variables controlling the pasting process were temperature-time history before peak torque, strain history between peak torque and cooling, and temperature during cooling.
Sonography of testicular microlithiasis.

The sonographic appearance of testicular microlithiasis detected in a patient presenting with torsion is described. A “speckled” pattern of multiple, tiny bright echoes is produced by calcific concretions in the seminiferous tubules and seems to be characteristic of microlithiasis. Although this condition is not treatable, it should be recognized because it is often associated with extratesticular abnormalities and can obscure superimposed testicular disease.
Revisiting the Bay of Pigs and Vietnam Decisions 25 Years Later: How Well Has the Groupthink Hypothesis Stood the Test of Time?

Even after a quarter of a century, the groupthink hypothesis remains an influential framework for understanding the origins of group decision making fiascoes. Much of the original empirical evidence for this hypothesis was derived from a series of incisive qualitative studies of major policy fiascoes, including the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion and U.S. military escalation of the Vietnam War. In the 25 years since the groupthink hypothesis was first formulated, new evidence, including recently declassified documents, rich oral histories, and informative memoirs by key participants in these decisions have become available to scholars, casting new light on the decision making process behind both the Bay of Pigs and Vietnam. Much of this new evidence does not support Janis's original characterization of these processes. In particular, it suggests that dysfunctional group dynamics stemming from group members' strivings to maintain group cohesiveness were not as prominent a causal factor in the deliberation process as Janis argued. Instead, the evidence suggests that the decision making process was heavily influenced by how Presidents Kennedy and Johnson construed their options. Both Kennedy and Johnson tended to evaluate their alternatives primarily in terms of their political consequences, especially the desire to avoid what they construed as unacceptable political losses and potential damage to their reputations. Viewed in aggregate, this new evidence suggests that the groupthink hypothesis overstates the influence of small group dynamics, while understating the role political considerations played in these decisions. Thus, although both decisions may have been seriously flawed, the logic of this failure should be attributed to political psychological rather than social psychological processes.
On the preparation of as-produced and purified single-walled carbon nanotube samples for standardized X-ray diffraction characterization

Abstract The aim of this research was to specify proper sample conditioning for acquiring representative X-ray diffraction (XRD) profiles for single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) samples. In doing so, a specimen preparation method for quantitative XRD characterization of as-produced and purified arc-discharge SWCNT samples has been identified. Series of powder XRD profiles were collected at different temperatures, states, and points of time to establish appropriate conditions for acquiring XRD profiles without inducing much change to the specimen. It was concluded that heating in the 300–450 °C range for 20 minutes, preferably vacuum-assisted, and then sealing the sample is an appropriate XRD specimen preparation technique for purified arc-discharge SWCNT samples, while raw samples do not require preconditioning for characterization.
The effect of Fc fragments of IgG on human mononuclear cell responses.

Abstract Fc fragments of IgG increased the endogenous production of prostaglandin E by mononuclear cells in culture and monocyte monolayers. The proliferative response of lymphocytes to tetanus toxoid in the presence of Fc fragments or in supernatants derived from monocytes treated with Fc fragments was suppressed. Coculture with Fc fragments and indomethacin inhibited endogenous prostaglandin E production and increased the proliferative response to tetanus toxoid. Fc fragments also induced an increase in the production of IgM by peripheral blood cells and tonsil B cells. Antigen was not required for this increased immunologlobulin synthesis. Monomeric IgG, Fab fragments, and albumin had no effects on the immune response. Aggregated myeloma IgG, but not the monomeric IgG, produced effects similar to that of Fc fragments.
Abstract B1: Dual mTORC1/mTORC2 inhibition limits tumor growth, VEGF production and vascular regrowth

Inhibitors of VEGF signaling target tumor angiogenesis and inhibit tumor growth; however, the effects of antiangiogenic therapy are often transient. Cessation of treatment or dose interruption can induce rapid regrowth of tumor vessels and tumor relapse. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that upon withdrawal of VEGFR inhibitors, tumor vessels can rapidly repopulate the tumor on the tracks of the empty basement membrane sleeves (1,2). This rapid vessel regrowth is mediated, at least in part, by the interaction of VEGF produced by the tumor and VEGF receptors expressed on endothelial cells. Neutralization of the VEGF ligand combined with VEGFR inhibition may provide more complete VEGF signaling blockade, however the combination of bevacizumb, a monoclonal antibody to VEGF ligand, and sunitinib, a mulitkinase/pan-VEGFR inhibitor, has resulted in significant clinical toxicity (3). As an alternative approach, we reasoned that inhibition of VEGF production would decelerate the regrowth of tumor vessels following VEGFR inhibition. We sought to reduce VEGF production in the tumor by targeting the mechanism for VEGF translation using a selective inhibitor of mTOR. The mTOR kinase is a critical signaling hub which regulates multiple cellular networks including cap-dependent translation. The translation of many cellular growth factors, including VEGF isoforms, is regulated by the 4E-BP1 complex, which is in turn regulated by mTOR. ATP-competitive, selective inhibitors of mTORC1/mTORC2, OXA-01 and OSI-027 (ASP4786) can attenuate 4E-BP1 phosphorylation more completely than rapamycin, an allosteric inhibitor of mTORC1. In RIP-TAg mouse pancreatic tumors, OXA-01 dramatically reduced VEGF production whereas rapamycin, was less effective. Interestingly, OXA-01-mediated reduction in VEGF was associated with decreased vessel growth and normalization of the vascular architecture, but not vascular regression. In contrast, treatment with a selective inhibitor of VEGF receptors, OSI-930, resulted in substantial vascular regression but no decrease in tumor VEGF levels. Upon discontinuation of OSI-930 tumor vessels rapidly regrew, and this regrowth was diminished by OXA-01 treatment but not with rapamycin. Another key mTORC2 activity is regulation of the Akt signaling cascade, a central mediator of cellular survival. Inhibition of mTORC1/mTORC2 with OXA-01 induced tumor cell apoptosis in vivo, and this was enhanced when combined with the VEGFR inhibitor, OSI-930. In order to explore the clinical feasibility of this total VEGF blockade approach, we tested the combination of OSI-027, an mTORC1/mTORC2 inhibitor in clinical trials, and sunitinib, an approved multikinase/VEGFR2 inhibitor, in human tumor xenografts. The combination decreased the growth of human tumor xenografts to a greater degree than either single agent. Together these data demonstrate one mechanism for co-targeting angiogenic ligand production as well as inhibition of VEGFR signaling to provide maximal blockade of VEGF signaling and to limit vessel regrowth after cessation of the VEGFR inhibitor.
Outcome study of kleptomania patients treated with naltrexone: a chart review.

Purpose This study examines the response to treatment in 17 patients with kleptomania who were treated with naltrexone as monotherapy for up to 3 years. Methods Patients were treated with naltrexone (range, 50-200 mg/day) and were assessed at each clinic visit for stealing behavior, urges to steal, and for overall symptom severity. Liver function tests were examined regularly during treatment. Results Comparison of baseline symptoms with the most recent follow-up visit showed that 13 patients (76.5%) reported reduction in their urges to steal, and 7 (41.1%) reported no stealing behavior. In addition, 9 (52.9%) were rated as being either "not ill at all" or having "very mild" kleptomania symptoms at the most recent clinic visit. The mean effective dose of naltrexone was 135.3 +/- 38.6 mg/day. Monthly liver function tests revealed no elevations or abnormalities. Conclusion These findings from a clinical setting suggest that a substantial percentage of patients report clinically significant improvement in kleptomania symptoms when treated with naltrexone.
Communicating bad news.

Ms Roberts, a 54-year-old African American woman with cirrhosis due to hepatitis B, presented with a new right upper quadrant abdominal pain. A computed tomographic scan showed a poorly defined mass with indistinct borders located near the portal vein. The likely diagnosis was hepatocellular carcinoma, probably unresectable due to proximity to the portal vein. A gastroenterologist tells her that the mass may represent cancer but that a liver biopsy is needed to establish the diagnosis. She agrees to the biopsy. Her physician reads the biopsy report while Ms Roberts is sitting in a clinic examining room.
Maintaining vitality in the mature dental practice

The authors interviewed dentists who had practiced for more than 10 years; they reviewed the literature, and the statistics on the mature dentist and practice. The authors' findings on the current status of, the changes in, and the maintenance of vitality in the well-established and mature dental practice are discussed in this third article on the four seasons of dentistry.
Where do all the proteins go

Abstract The subcellular localization of a protein can be very informative in identifying its function and in understanding the regulatory mechanisms by which it is controlled. Past efforts to define protein localization have typically entailed methods of immunological and fluorescence-based detection applied to a limited number of gene products. Several current studies are shifting this paradigm – utilizing traditional and novel approaches in molecular biology, proteomics, histochemistry and bioinformatics to define protein localization on a proteome-wide scale. Selected studies highlighting each of these approaches are presented here as an overview of the diverse avenues by which protein localization may be investigated for the identification of new drug targets.
A Lightweight Method for Automated Design of Convergence in Network Protocols

Design and verification of Self-Stabilizing (SS) network protocols are difficult tasks in part because of the convergence property that requires an SS protocol to recover to a set of legitimate states from any state in its state space. Once an SS protocol reaches a legitimate state, it remains in the set of legitimate states as long as there are no faults, called the closure property. Distribution issues exacerbate the design complexity of SS protocols as processes should collaborate and take local actions that result in global convergence. Most existing design techniques are manual, and mainly focus on protocols whose global state can be corrected if the local states of all processes are corrected, called the locally correctable protocols. After manual design, an SS protocol has to be verified for closure and convergence. Previous work observes that verifying SS protocols is a harder problem than designing them as developers have to ensure the correctness of closure and convergence functionalities and their noninterference. An algorithmic method for the design of convergence generates protocols that are correct by construction, thereby eliminating the need for verification.In order to facilitate the design of SS protocols, this article presents a lightweight method for algorithmic addition of convergence to finite-state nonstabilizing protocols, including nonlocally correctable protocols. The proposed method enables the reuse of design efforts in the development of different self-stabilizing protocols. Moreover, for the first time (to the best of our knowledge), this article presents an algorithmic method for the addition of convergence to symmetric protocols that consist of structurally similar processes. The proposed approach is supported by a software tool that automatically adds convergence to nonstabilizing protocols. We have used the proposed method/tool to automatically generate several self-stabilizing protocols with up to 40 processes (and 340 states) in a few minutes on a regular PC. Surprisingly, our tool has synthesized both protocols that are the same as their manually designed versions as well as alternative solutions for well-known problems in the literature (e.g., Dijkstra’s token ring, maximal matching, graph coloring, agreement and leader election in a ring). Moreover, the proposed method has helped us detect a design flaw in a manually designed self-stabilizing protocol.
Secondary Wind Speed Maxima Inside Plant Canopies

Abstract It is noted that wind profiles measured in forest and crop canopies normally contain a secondary maximum or a region of very small shear beneath the level of greatest foliage density. One-dimensional models utilizing a turbulent transport coefficient cannot predict a reversed velocity gradient and, as a result, profile analyses normally imply coefficients that are unrealistic or nonsensical. Examination of the equation for the local rate of change of Reynolds stress u′w′ shows that the velocity gradient can reverse in sign if the divergence of the turbulent transport of stress is of opposite sign and exceeds in magnitude the pressure-velocity gradient correlation. Direct measurements of the turbulent transport of u′w′ in corn (Zea mays L.) indicate that its value is considerably larger than in the air layers above and show that stress is transported downward from the upper parts of the vegetation. A one-dimensional model of canopy flow which solves the equations for momentum, Reynolds stress and ...
Discriminative PCR of Bordetella pertussis from closely related Bordetella species using 16S rDNA Gene

Background : Polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) detection is useful to diagnosis of pertussis at initial stage because the growth rate of Bordetella pertussis (B. pertussis) is relatively slow. Currently, the primer set for the insertion sequence IS481 (BP primer) is used widely for PCR detection of B. pertussis. However, the cross-reactivity of BP primer set with Bordetella holmesii (B. holmesii) was reported recently. Therefore, discrimination of B. pertussis and B. holmesii is needed in PCR step. For this reason, we developed new primer sets based on 16S rDNA sequence for diagnostic use and estimated the efficiency of these new primer sets. Materials and Methods : The specific PCR primers were designed from the aligned sequence matrix of 16S rDNA genes of various Bordetella species. The specificity of designed primers were estimated using clinically important 4 Bordetella species, B. pertussis, B. holmesii, Bordetella parapertussis (B. parapertussis) and Bordetella bronchiseptica (B. bronchiseptica). The sensitivity to B. pertussis of designed primers was also estimated and compared with BP primer set. Results : As the results, the developed new primer set successfully distinguished B. pertussis and other Bordetella species containing B. holmesii. In the sensitivity assay, the detectable limits of 16S-F2/16S-R1 primer set for B. pertussis were revealed as 5 pg of genomic DNA and 10 5
Conservation training of three cerebral palsied children

Three cerebral palsied children between approximately 6 and 11 years of age participated in conservation training. At the outset of training, these children were performing below age level compared with the normal population. A training procedure emphasizing the verbal rule of conservation and minimizing the motor demands of the task resulted in rapid acquisition of trained tasks and generalized mastery of two nontrained conservation tasks. Both trained and generalized mastery were retained over the longest tested interval of 9 weeks. It was suggested that conservation can be acquired and retained with little motor involvement in the original learning.
On the homotopy type of A(ΣX)

Abstract We prove that the functor X ↦ A ( Σ X ) from connected pointed spaces to spectra, given by Waldhausen’s K -theory, splits as a product of its Goodwillie derivatives.