cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis and importance of asymptomatic bacteriuria in adults.

There are now laboratory means of screening and identifying people who, although they are free from the signs of urinary tract infection, fit into abnormal groups owing to the high numbers of bacteria and leukocytes in their urine. Chronic bacteriuria and pathologic pyuria, with or without symptoms, have important physiologic and pathologic consequences. It is the physicians opportunity to recognize and treat these asymptomatic as well as symptomatic urinary tract infections. If untreated and uncorrected, the result, with progressive frequency over a period of 10–15 years, is increased morbidity, especially with pregnancies, structural damage to the kidneys, kidney stones, uremia, hypertension, and premature death.
The Techniques of Communications Interception

This chapter considers the technical evolution of communications interception. In addition to providing crucial technical background to the topic, it explains in detail the technological reasons that led to the emergence of RIPA and CALEA, as well as the structural changes that the wiretapping of digital communications posed for the actors involved in it. After a brief description of the technology of analog wiretapping, there will unfold an account of the barriers to communications interception posed by the digitization of telecommunications. Finally, changes in communications interception in the digital telecommunications environment—as facilitated by RIPA and CALEA—will be outlined and discussed.
GFAAS DETERMINATION OF TRACE Cr(III) AND Cr(VI) AFTER ITS SEPARATION BY COPRECIPITATIONFLOATATION WITH ALUMINIUM HYDROXIDE

A method for determination of trace Cr(Ⅲ) in natural water and drinking water by GFAAS after separation by coprecipitationfloatation with Al(OH)3 has been studied.Cr(Ⅵ) was determined also after being reduced by FeSO4.Conditions of Cr(Ⅲ) floatation such as pH,the amount of floatation agent and coprecipitatorAluminium added,the flow rate of nitrogen gas,the floatation time etc were discussed.The influence of coexisting elements was investigated.The detection limit is 0027μg/L (n=15).For Cr(Ⅲ) concentration level of 05μg/L,the RSD is 34% and the recovery of Cr(Ⅲ)is 960～1040%.
The Hasse invariant of the Tate normal form E5 and the class number of Q(−5l)

Abstract It is shown that the number of irreducible quartic factors of the form g ( x ) = x 4 + a x 3 + ( 11 a + 2 ) x 2 − a x + 1 which divide the Hasse invariant of the Tate normal form E 5 in characteristic l is a simple linear function of the class number h ( − 5 l ) of the field Q ( − 5 l ) , when l ≡ 2 , 3 modulo 5. A similar result holds for irreducible quadratic factors of g ( x ) , when l ≡ 1 , 4 modulo 5. This implies a formula for the number of linear factors over F p of the supersingular polynomial s s p ( 5 ⁎ ) ( x ) corresponding to the Fricke group Γ 0 ⁎ ( 5 ) .
Deciphering the genetic diversity and population structure of Turkish bread wheat germplasm using iPBS-retrotransposons markers

Research activities aiming to investigate the genetic diversity are very crucial because they provide information for the breeding and germplasm conservation activities. Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops globally by feeding more than a third of the human population around the world. During present investigation, a total of 74 Turkish bread wheat accessions (54 landraces and 20 cultivars) were used as plant material and iPBS-retrotransposons marker system was used for the molecular characterization. 13 polymorphic primers used for molecular characterization resulted a total of 152 bands. Range of calculated diversity indices like polymorphism information content (0.11–0.702), effective numbers of alleles (1.026–1.526), Shannon’s information index (0.101–0.247) and gene diversity (0.098–0.443) confirmed higher genetic variations in studied germplasm. Bread wheat landraces reflected higher genetic variations compared to commercial cultivars. Analysis of molecular variance resulted that higher (98%) genetic variations are present within populations. The model-based structure algorithm separated 74 bread wheat accessions in to two populations. Diversity indices based on structure evaluated population’s revealed population B as a more diverse population. The principal coordinate analysis and neighbor-joining analysis separated 74 bread wheat accessions according to their collection points. Genetic distance for 74 Turkish bread wheat accessions explored Bingol and Asure accessions as genetically diverse that can be used as parents for breeding activities. The extensive diversity of bread wheat in Turkish germplasm might be used as genetic resource for the exhaustive wheat breeding program. For instance, accessions Bingol and Asure were found genetically diverse and can be used as parents for future breeding activities.
The Nomination of Three New Judges to the D.C. Circuit: To Support and Defend the Constitution

On June 4, 2013, Barack Obama nominated Patricia Millett, Robert Wilkins, and Cornelia Pillard3 to fill vacancies on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Some Republicans immediately objected. Describing his nominations as wholly political, they alleged that President Obama sought to pack the court, invoking rhetoric used against the FDR presidency to cast aspersions and plant a negative seed in the minds of those who do not know much about judging, or judges, or courts, or even American government. These Republicans argued that the nominees were, or would inevitably evolve into judicial activists, skewing the federal appeals court5 to the "left." Inherent to the Republicans' assertion-and, indeed, the Democratic response-was a critical assumption: the decision-making of judges is substantially affected by their ideology at the time of appointment. Moreover, the objectors explicitly asserted and the proponents implicitly assumed that those different votes would affect the panels ideologically in such a way that the outcome of a significant number of cases would change in ways important to the political agendas of each party. But one basic premise at the heart of this assumption was incorrect, at least to the extent that the behavior of the judges on the D.C. Circuit over the past five years is an indicator. I analyzed the 1009 merit opinions issued by that court between January 1, 2009 and December 6, 2011 and found that the judges on the D.C. Circuit have rarely chosen to dissent, and most opinions are unanimous. When judges have dissented, panel composition is not statistically related to that decision. To put it simply, a D.C. Circuit judge is no more or less likely to dissent from the majority opinion if he or she sits on an ideologically "pure" or "mixed" panel.
Investigating Drug Addiction Discourse on YouTube

Drug addiction has become one of the most severe social problems in the United States. Recent research has turned attention to the possibility of using social media to detect opioid usages and offer interventions. However, most prior studies focus on textual and networking-based social media such as Twitter and Facebook. There is limited understanding of how video-based platforms, such as YouTube, allow creators to share drug addiction-related videos and discourse addiction problems. This work is an initial step to fill this knowledge gap by analyzing 166 YouTube videos. We found that YouTubers leverage videos to disclose personal addiction experiences, provide professional recommendations, and express addiction-related opinions and lifestyles. Therefore YouTube videos discuss more of the risks, blames, and solutions of drug addiction. *Trigger warning: this paper contains substance abuse, addiction, and mental illness.
Development of Guanidinium-Rich Protein Mimics for Efficient siRNA Delivery into Human T Cells.

RNA interference is gaining attention as a means to explore new molecular pathways and for its potential as a therapeutic; however, its application in immortal and primary T cells is limited due to challenges with efficient delivery in these cell types. Herein, we report the development of guanidinium-rich protein transduction domain mimics (PTDMs) based on a ring-opening metathesis polymerization scaffold that delivers siRNA into Jurkat T cells and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMCs). Homopolymer and block copolymer PTDMs with varying numbers of guanidinium moieties were designed and tested to assess the effect cationic charge content and the addition of a segregated, hydrophobic block had on siRNA internalization and delivery. Internalization of fluorescently labeled siRNA into Jurkat T cells illustrates that the optimal cationic charge content, 40 charges per polymer, leads to higher efficiencies, with block copolymers outperforming their homopolymer counterparts. PTDMs also outperformed ...
Cell-mass maximization in fed-batch cultures: sufficient conditions for singular arc and optimal feed rate profiles.

Complete solutions are provided for cell-mass maximization for free and fixed final times and constant and variable yields. The optimal feed rate profile is a concatenation of maximum, minimum and singular feed rates. The exact sequence and duration of each feed rate depends primarily on the initial substrate concentration, and degenerate cases arise due to the magnitude constraint on the feed rate and the length of final time t f. When the final time is free and not in the performance index, it is infinite for constant yield so that any form of feed rate leads to the same amount of cells, while for variable yield the singular feed rate is exponential and maximizes the yield. For fixed final time the singular feed rate for constant yield is exponential and maximizes the specific growth rate by maintaining the substrate concentration constant, while for variable yield, it is semi-exponential and the substrate concentration starts near the maximum specific growth rate and moves toward the maximum yield. A simple sufficient condition for existence of singular feed rate requires an existence of a region bounded by the maxima of specific growth and cellular yield. Otherwise, the optimal feed rate profile is a bang-bang type and the bioreactor operates in batch mode.
Estimation of the Pareto law from underreported data: A further analysis

Abstract Estimation of parameters of the Pareto income distribution is discussed for the situation when data are underreported, i.e., observed with negative random bias. Specifically it is proved that maximum likelihood estimates are consistent and asymptotically normal in large samples, and formulae for the large-sample standard errors are given. The large-sample theory illustrates how some important results from mathematical statistics apply to non-standard statistical models.
Highway Noise and Acoustical Buffer Zones

Highway noise generation could be reduced at the source, but shielding by various types of barriers and protection of the exposed population by adequate zoning can also reduce its impact. The adequacy of solid barriers to attenuate noise is well established. However, the use of vegetative barriers by themselves or in combination with solid barriers may often be advantageous. Vegetation is known to be more effective in reducing noise of high frequency. Characteristics of vegetative barriers which affect noise attenuation are: density, pattern, height, species, undergrowth, ground condition, and location in relation to noise source and receiver. Atmospheric parameters which influence noise propagation are: wind and temperature gradients, wind direction, wind speed, temperature, and humidity. Optimal width of buffer zones depends on source characteristics, e.g., speed, type, propagation path conditions, and land use characteristics.
Increased lymphatic pressure without increased neck vein pressure during intravenous infusions

Postnodal intestinal lymphatic pressure increases during rapid intravenous infusions with Ringer solution in sheep. Part of the lymphatic pressure increase is due to increased venous pressure at the lymphatic outflow (the neck veins). We tested the hypothesis that other factors besides increased neck vein pressure may cause increased lymphatic pressure during intravenous infusions. We placed cannulas into postnodal lymphatic vessels in eight sheep. After the sheep recovered from the surgery, we infused Ringer solution [46 +/- 21 (SD) ml/kg body wt in 30 min] intravenously into the sheep and inflated a balloon in the inferior vena cava. We adjusted the balloon inflation to prevent any increase in neck vein pressure during the infusions. At baseline, the intestinal lymphatic pressure was 15.5 +/- 2.5 cmH2O. During the infusions, lymphatic pressure increased significantly, and for the last 10 min of the infusion period, intestinal lymphatic pressure was 24.0 +/- 6.1 cmH2O. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that factors in addition to increased neck vein pressure may cause increased intestinal lymphatic pressure during rapid intravenous infusions.
High population persistence in a system with high turnover

The concept of turnover—the repeated extinction and immigration of populations in ecological communities—has been prominent for many years1. Here we show that a system of island orb spiders has consistently high turnover during a five-year period. This might seem to imply that most populations are ephemeral, but ˜50% of the populations present in the system at any one time are persistent over at least the moderately long term. Curves of persistence through time for ensembles of populations are more concave than exponential curves, indicating highest extinction rates in young populations; species vary greatly in the slope of this population 'persistence curve'. In any one-year period, small populations become extinct much more frequently than larger populations. Over longer periods, however, larger populations do not diminish and become extinct; instead, smaller populations re-immigrate and become extinct repeatedly. The total number of individuals belonging to populations becoming extinct during intervals of up to five years is small compared to those persisting. Thus, a layer of small, ephemeral populations is superimposed against a backdrop of large, persistent populations.
Trace metal-ion catalysis of oxidation of aqueous hydrogen sulfide by outer-sphere oxidants

Abstract Stopped-flow kinetic studies have been conducted on the oxidation of aqueous H 2 S in acetate buffers (pH ∼5) at 25 °C. The oxidants studied include [IrCl 6 ] 2− , [Ru(NH 3 ) 5 isn] 3+ , [Ru(NH 3 ) 5 py] 3+ , and [Ru(NH 3 ) 4 bpy] 3+ . In all cases, the reactions are highly sensitive to catalysis by Cu 2+ at the 2 μM level. In the presence of chelating ligands such as oxalate, EDTA, phenanthroline, and bathophenanthrolinedisulfonate the rates are substantially inhibited relative to reactions with no added metal ions. It is clear that the rates obtained without added chelating ligands or metal ions are due to catalytically active amounts of metal ions unavoidably present as impurities. This sensitivity to adventitious catalysis is likely a general characteristic of outer-sphere oxidations of H 2 S in acetate buffers. On the other hand, with Na 9 P 2 W 15 Nb 3 O 62 as the oxidant in borate buffers (pH ∼9) the reaction rates are insensitive to the presence of EDTA or 2 μM Cu 2+ ; this difference may be either a pH effect of a reflection of an inner-sphere mechanism.
Avrainvilleol, a brominated diphenylmethane derivative with feeding deterrent properties from the tropical green alga avrainvillea longicaulis

Abstract A new brominated diphenylmethane derivative, avrainvilleol, has been isolated from the green alga Avrainvillea longicaulis , and its structure determined by chemical and spectral methods. Avrainvilleol was toxic toward reef fishes at 10 μg/ml levels, showed antibacterial activity and at 800 ppm induced significant feeding deterrence in the tropical damselfish Pomacentrus coeruleus .
Molecular basis of the delayed rectifier current I(ks)in heart.

J. Kurokawa, H. Abriel and R. S. Kass. Molecular Basis of the Delayed Rectifier Current I(Ks)in Heart. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology (2001) 33, 873-882. Electrical activity underlies the control of the frequency, strength, and duration of contraction of the heart. During the cardiac cycle, a regular rhythmic pattern must be established in time-dependent changes in ionic conductances in order to ensure events that underlie normal cardiac function. This pattern must be tightly regulated by sympathetic nervous activity to ensure a physiologically relevant relationship between diastolic filling and ejection times with variable heart rate. The duration of the ventricular action potential is controlled in part by a slowly activated potassium channel current, I(Ks). The molecular identity of the subunits that comprise the channels conducting this current is important, not only for understanding the fundamental mechanisms that control electrical activity in healthy individuals, but also for understanding the molecular basis of at least one inherited human disease, LQTS-1. This brief review summarizes key points of information regarding the molecular determinants of the activity of these channels, their relationship to human disease, and what is known, and yet to be discovered, about the molecular determinants of the regulation of this channel by sympathetic nervous activity.
Comparison of electrophoretic patterns of uterine fluid from rabbits and mammals having delayed implantation.

Abstract 1. 1. Uterine fluids of a variety of mammals having delayed implantation were analyzed by acrylamide gel electrophoresis and compared to those of the rabbit where implantation is not delayed. 2. 2. The uterine fluids of the rabbit taken between the fourth and ninth days post coitum show the presence of a protein-band which is absent during the first 3 days of pregnancy and in the non-pregnant uterus. 3. 3. This same band is absent in the electrophoretic pattern of serum taken from the same animals. 4. 4. A similar phenomenon is absent in the northern fur seal, armadillo and laboratory rat but may be present in low concentration in the mink. 5. 5. An hypothesis is presented which suggests that this protein is related to the rapid growth phase of blastocysts.
Heat resistance of ascospores of Neosartorya fischeri as affected by sporulation and heating medium

Abstract Ascospores of three strains of Neosartorya fischeri grown on three different sporulation media were evaluated for heat resistance in apple juice, grape juice and 0.1 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0). The type of sporulation medium did not affect heat resistance of ascospores. Ascospores (approx. 10 6 /ml, initial viable population) of all three strains survived heat treatment at 84° C for 120 min. The rate of thermal inactivation of ascospores was lower in apple juice than in grape juice and phosphate buffer. Fumaric acid (1 and 2%) at pH 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 greatly increased the rate of heat inactivation of ascospores. At similar concentrations and pH values, acetic, citric and tartaric acids resulted in moderate increases in inactivation rates. Malic acid had little influence on rates of inactivation. Rates of inactivation increased as the pH of heating media containing fumaric, citric, tartaric and acidic acids decreased. Thus, the pH and the type, percentage and molarity of organic acid in the heating medium act synergistically with heat to inactivate ascospores of N. fischeri .
Tranexamic Acid to Reduce Postpartum Hemorrhage: A MANDATE Systematic Review and Analyses of Impact on Maternal Mortality

Objective Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a major cause of maternal mortality, with almost 300,000 cases and ∼72,000 PPH deaths annually in sub-Saharan Africa. Novel prevention methods practical in community settings are required. Tranexamic acid, a drug to reduce bleeding during surgical cases including postpartum bleeding, is potentially suitable for community settings. Thus, we sought to determine the impact of tranexamic acid on PPH-related maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Study Design We created a mathematical model to determine the impact of interventions on PPH-related maternal mortality. The model was populated with baseline birth rates and mortality estimates based on a review of current interventions for PPH in sub-Saharan Africa. Based on a systematic review of literature on tranexamic acid, we assumed 30% efficacy of tranexamic acid to reduce PPH; the model assessed prophylactic and treatment tranexamic acid use, for deliveries at homes, clinics, and hospitals. Results With tranexamic acid only in the hospitals, less than 2% of the PPH mortality would be reduced. However, if tranexamic acid were available in the home and clinic settings for PPH prophylaxis and treatment, a nearly 30% reduction (nearly 22,000 deaths per year) in PPH mortality is possible. Conclusion These analyses point to the importance of preventive and treatment interventions compatible with home and clinic use, especially for sub-Saharan Africa, where the majority of births occur at home or community health clinics. Given its feasibility to be given in the home, tranexamic acid has potential to save many lives.
Phase 2 trial of pemetrexed disodium and gemcitabine in advanced urothelial cancer (E4802): A trial of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group

BACKGROUND. There is a need to identify active new regimens in patients with advanced urothelial cancer. Pemetrexed and gemcitabine are active agents in advanced urothelial cancer. A phase 2 trial of the combination of these 2 agents was performed in patients with advanced urothelial cancer who were previously untreated for metastatic disease. METHODS. Forty-six patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma received pemetrexed disodium 500 mg/m2 and gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 intravenously on Day 1, with gemcitabine repeated on Day 8. Cycles were repeated every 3 weeks for a maximum of 6 cycles. RESULTS. Two patients attained a complete response, and 12 patients attained a partial response for an overall response rate of 31.8% (90% confidence interval, 20.4%–45.2%). The median time to disease progression was 5.8 months, and the median overall survival was 13.4 months. Thirty-three patients (75%) experienced grade ≥3 neutropenia, and 5 patients (11%) had febrile neutropenia. There were 2 therapy-related deaths. CONCLUSIONS. The combination of pemetrexed and gemcitabine had moderate antitumor activity in previously untreated patients with advanced urothelial cancer at the expense of significant myelosuppression. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Cost-effectiveness of parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism.

Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) is a method to assess the outcomes of various treatment options when the costs incurred and the subsequent changes in the quality of life (QOL) are known. Guidelines for formal CEA were outlined by the Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine in 1996 [1]. Many studies in the literature claim to evaluate cost-effectiveness, but often they fail to conform to these guidelines and are therefore not considered formal analyses. Formal CEA looks at a problem not by the charges incurred, but by the actual costs. CEA can be performed from any of several perspectives: for example, the hospital, the patient, the society, or the third-party payer. CEA can be used to compare the effects of two or more competing strategies to determine which one is less costly and/or more effective. CEA asks the question, “How much does it cost to save 1 year of healthy life?” Comparisons between two or more interventions are expressed as incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) and the units are dollars per quality-adjusted life year (QALY). Sensitivity analysis is performed to determine the level of uncertainty of the results. Each variable can be changed either individually or simultaneously to determine the cumulative impact of errors on the final conclusion. CEA is not a substitute for head-to-head analyses of competing treatment regimens in prospective trials, nor is it designed to make treatment decisions for individual patients.
Location of nonlinear processes within the pupillary pathway.

The pupil oscillates in synchrony with a slow beat produced by adding two lights flickering at slightly different frequencies. This behavior shows that nonlinear processes are present within the pathway. To localize these processes, a light of one frequency was presented to one eye, while a light of a different frequency was presented to the other. No pupil oscillations were seen in response to the beat in these dichoptic conditions, but when both lights were superimposed and presented to the same eye a powerful pupillary response was produced. We conclude that the nonlinearity giving rise to the pupil’s beat response occurs before the pathways from the two eyes join and hence is neural rather than muscular in origin. Furthermore, the lack of a pupil response in the dichoptic conditions suggests that the signals from the two eyes may combine linearly.
The Diaryl Oxazole PC-046 is a Tubulin-Binding Agent with Experimental Anti-Tumor Efficacy in Hematologic Cancers

Microtubule targeting agents are among the most widely used chemotherapeutics for both solid and hematological malignancies. This study characterizes the diaryl-oxazole based anticancer agent PC-046, which was originally identified for development based on selective activity in deleted in pancreas cancer locus 4 (DPC4/SMAD4) deficient tumors. PC-046 has growth inhibitory activity in a variety of tumor types in vitro, and efficacy in SCID mice was shown in human tumor xenografts of MV-4-11 acute myeloid leukemia, MM.1S multiple myeloma, and DU-145 prostate cancer. Pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated relatively high oral bioavailability (71%) with distribution to both plasma and bone marrow. No myelosuppression was seen in non-tumor bearing SCID mice given a single dose just under the acute lethal dose. The COMPARE algorithm in the NCI-60 cell line panel demonstrated that PC-046 closely correlated to other known tubulin destabilizing agents (correlation coefficients ≈0.7 for vincristine and vinblastine). Mechanism of action studies showed cell cycle arrest in metaphase and inhibition of tubulin polymerization. Overall, these studies show that PC-046 is a synthetically-derived, small molecule microtubule destabilizing agent. Advantages over existing microtubule destabilizing agents include ease of synthesis, lack of MDR cross-resistance, good oral bioavailability and the lack of acute myelotoxicity.
Polymer decoration on carbon nanotubes via physical vapor deposition

The polymer decoration technique has been widely used to study the chain folding behavior of polymer single crystals. In this article, we demonstrate that this method can be successfully adopted to pattern a variety of polymers on carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The resulting structure is a two-dimensional nanohybrid shish kebab (2D NHSK), wherein the CNT forms the shish and the polymer crystals form the kebabs. 2D NHSKs consisting of CNTs and polymers such as polyethylene, nylon 66, polyvinylidene fluoride and poly(L-lysine) have been achieved. Transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to study the nanoscale morphology of these hybrid materials. Relatively periodic decoration of polymers on both single-walled and multi-walled CNTs was observed. It is envisaged that this unique method offers a facile means to achieve patterned CNTs for nanodevice applications.
Special articles: guidelines for performing ultrasound guided vascular cannulation: recommendations of the American Society of Echocardiography and the Society Of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists.

TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGEIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Methodology and Evidence Review . . . . . . .46Ultrasound-Guided Vascular Cannulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47Ultrasound Principles for Needle-Guided Catheter Placement . . . .
Effects of water on dynamically recrystallized grain-size of olivine

Abstract Recrystallized grain-size versus stress relationship for olivine has been determined under water-poor and water-rich conditions. We found that when the water content in olivine exceeds ∼800 ppm H/Si, the size of recrystallized grains is about two to three times larger than under water-poor conditions, compared at the same stress level. Microstructural observations of deformed samples show that the ratio of recrystallized grain size to that of subgrains increases significantly with water content and that the volume fraction of grains containing subgrain-boundaries is smaller under water-rich conditions than under water-poor conditions. These observations suggest that the enhancement of grain-boundary mobility by water is more significant than that of dislocation recovery, leading to a larger size of recrystallized grains under water-rich conditions.
Leucocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (g-6-pd) activity in g-6-pd deficient subjects.

The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) in leucocytes was studied in the following groups of Greek people.
Preparation and characterization of thin parlodion membranes

Parlodion membranes 95 to 500 A. thick have been prepared on a glass surface by dipping a clean glass plate into the Parlodion solution and subsequently evaporating the solvent under controlled conditions by keeping the glass plate vertical in a metallic frame and covered with an inverted beaker. The membrane may be floated off on to an aqueous surface. Capacitance measurement established the thickness of the membrane. Electrical resistance and isothermal diffusion potentials arising across them when they separate different salt solutions have also been measured at room temperature.
Online Dating and Conjugal Bereavement

This study examined self-presentation in the online dating profiles of 241 widowed and 280 divorced individuals between 18 and 40 years old. A content analysis of open-ended user-generated profiles assessed the presence or absence of various themes, including the user's marital status, the backstory of their lost relationship, and whether they engaged in sense-making regarding that lost relationship. Results indicated that about one-third of widowed individuals discussed their loss in their profiles. In addition, about one-third of the widowed profiles included explicit reference to a philosophy of life, and about 16% mentioned sense-making or cognitive reappraisals of their bereavement. Many profiles included some articulation of a vision of a future partnership. Results also revealed a significant correlation between widowed individuals including a backstory and their likelihood of exhibiting sense-making in their profiles. Finally, unlike the widowed users, divorcees provided much briefer mentions of their lost relationships, used less sense-making language, and were less likely to articulate an explicit vision of future partnerships. Overall, the results suggest that for widowed individuals, online dating sites may function as venues to explore their past experiences and engage in the construction of a post-loss identity or a post-loss "ideal self".
Olanzapine and fluperlapine mimic clozapine in preventing MK-801 neurotoxicity

Antagonists of the N-methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) subtype of glutamate receptor (e.g., phencyclidine, ketamine, MK-801) cause a schizophrenia-like psychosis in humans and neurotoxicity in the adult rat brain. We report here that clozapine and structurally related agents (olanzapine, fluperlapine, loxapine, amoxapine) can prevent NMDA antagonist neurotoxicity in the rat with a rank order corresponding to their ability to mimic the antipsychotic properties of clozapine.
Effects of age and sex on retention of mercury by methyl mercury-treated rats

Abstract Male and female Long Evans rats 7, 15, 20, 24, or 56 days old received a single subcutaneous injection of 1 μmol of methyl mercury-203/kg and the whole body retention of radiomercury was determined for up to 139 days thereafter. For rats dosed at 7 or 15 days of age, whole body clearance of mercury was extremely slow until animals reached 17 to 18 days of age. Subsequent excretion was monoexponential in the 7-day-old group and biexponential in the 15-day-old group. For rats dosed at 20, 24, or 56 days of age, onset of excretion was immediate and the pattern of clearance was biexponential. In rats dosed at 56 days of age, the retention of mercury by the average male and average female was significantly different (p = 0.001). No sexual difference in the estimate of whole body retention of mercury was seen in the other age groups. The presence of an interval of very slow excretion of mercury in young rats and the subsequent slower excretion of mercury in these animals than in rats dosed with methyl mercury later in life suggest that increased hazards of methyl mercury exposure in early life may be related to increased retention of the organomercurial or inorganic Hg.
Liquid membranes for flue gas desulfurization

Abstract A number of aqueous liquid membranes were tested to study their efficacy in flue gas desulfurization. A simulated flue gas containing SO 2 , CO 2 , O 2 , N 2 and moisture was used as the feed gas. The candidate membrane liquids were immobilized in microporous polypropylene Celgard® 2400 films. Permeabilities of the above species through the liquid membranes and the selectivities were determined using a sweep gas technique at 25°C. The feed and sweep gases were kept at essentially atmospheric pressure. The liquids tested as membranes included water, and aqueous solutions of NaHSO 3 , Na 2 SO 3 , sulfolane, sulfolene, Fe 2+ EDTA, and Fe 3+ EDTA. Very favorable SO 2 permeabilities, and SO 2 /CO 2 and SO 2 /N 2 selectivities were obtained using some of these immobilized liquid membranes. Experimental permeabilities of SO 2 have been compared with predictions from equilibrium approximation as well as from non-equilibrium boundary layer approximation.
The Political Party Activity of Washington Lobbyists

HE LOBBY PROCESS is fundamentally a communication process. Pressure groups have specific policy positions that they wish decision makers to adopt. Their problem is to devise ways of getting their point of view across to the decision makers. What kinds of communications will convince the decision maker that he should adopt their point of view? The basic method of communication, which all pressure groups follow, is to inform the government official of the facts and arguments which support the group's policy position. This method appears to be very straightforward and uncomplicated; however, the mere tendering of a communication does not guarantee its sympathetic reception by a decision maker. For every point of view there is usually at least one, if not several, competing points of view-all seeking attention. The governmental environment seems saturated with noise, talking, and writing. As one lobbyist put it, "The people in Congress are operating in a vacuum filled with noise." Every important decision maker seems rushed for time as hundreds of people compete for his attention. In such an environment it is crucial that the group's facts and arguments gain access to the official when he is in a receptive frame of mind and that they be presented in their most favorable light. It is little wonder that most groups have discovered that they must hire a personal envoy, who is skilled in communication and negotiation, to represent them before the government if they wish to compete adequately with all the other points of view seeking adoption. The practice of hiring envoys to represent groups at the seat of government has become so universal that a group still cannot feel assured that its point of view will receive favorable attention; thus, they seek alternative ways of making a governmental decision maker receptive to their communication. Many lobbyists operate on the assumption that offering the official some value or good will tend to make him more receptive. It is popularly believed that lobbyists
Option value and the price of teardown properties

Abstract The introduction of uncertainty over the future price of structural capital into a model of teardowns implies a value to delaying the demolition vs. preservation decision, and that the market price of a redeveloped property may increase with its quantity of structural capital. Using data from an active teardown market, we test the model’s prediction that hedonic price function coefficients depend on the expected time between sale and demolition. As predicted, structural variables have significant effects on the sales prices of both teardown and non-teardown properties, and the effects are generally much larger the lower the estimated teardown probability.
Security of Academic Library Buildings

The art of recognizing, anticipating, and reducing potential security risks and deficiencies in academic libraries is becoming increasingly important to library administrators. Visual and psychological measures, proper planning and supervision, and the use of security awareness checklists are vital for successful operational and physical security around the perimeter, the exterior barriers, public areas, and general work areas of academic library buildings. This article provides a basic awareness checklist and a discussion of the physical and operational security of academic library buildings.
Impact of lower body negative pressure induced hypovolemia on peripheral venous pressure waveform parameters in healthy volunteers

Lower body negative pressure (LBNP) creates a reversible hypovolemia by sequestrating blood volume in the lower extremities. This study sought to examine the impact of central hypovolemia on peripheral venous pressure (PVP) waveforms in spontaneously breathing subjects. With IRB approval, 11 healthy subjects underwent progressive LBNP (baseline, −30, −75, and −90 mmHg or until the subject became symptomatic). Each was monitored for heart rate (HR), finger arterial blood pressure (BP), a chest respiratory band and PVP waveforms which are generated from a transduced upper extremity intravenous site. The first subject was excluded from PVP analysis because of technical errors in collecting the venous pressure waveform. PVP waveforms were analyzed to determine venous pulse pressure, mean venous pressure, pulse width, maximum and minimum slope (time domain analysis) together with cardiac and respiratory modulations (frequency domain analysis). No changes of significance were found in the arterial BP values at −30 mmHg LBNP, while there were significant reductions in the PVP waveforms time domain parameters (except for 50% width of the respiration induced modulations) together with modulation of the PVP waveform at the cardiac frequency but not at the respiratory frequency. As the LBNP progressed, arterial systolic BP, mean BP and pulse pressure, PVP parameters and PVP cardiac modulation decreased significantly, while diastolic BP and HR increased significantly. Changes in hemodynamic and PVP waveform parameters reached a maximum during the symptomatic phase. During the recovery phase, there was a significant reduction in HR together with a significant increase in HR variability, mean PVP and PVP cardiac modulation. Thus, in response to mild hypovolemia induced by LBNP, changes in cardiac modulation and other PVP waveform parameters identified hypovolemia before detectable hemodynamic changes.
Using the MATRICS to guide development of a preclinical cognitive test battery for research in schizophrenia.

Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are among the core symptoms of the disease, correlate with functional outcome, and are not well treated with current antipsychotic therapies. In order to bring together academic, industrial, and governmental bodies to address this great ‘unmet therapeutic need’, the NIMH sponsored the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) initiative. Through careful factor analysis and consensus of expert opinion, MATRICS identified seven domains of cognition that are deficient in schizophrenia (attention/vigilance, working memory, reasoning and problem solving, processing speed, visual learning and memory, verbal learning and memory, and social cognition) and recommended a specific neuropsychological test battery to probe these domains. In order to move the field forward and outline an approach for translational research, there is a need for a “preclinical MATRICS” to develop a rodent test battery that is appropriate for drug development. In this review, we outline such an approach and review current rodent tasks that target these seven domains of cognition. The rodent tasks are discussed in terms of their validity for probing each cognitive domain as well as a brief overview of the pharmacology and manipulations relevant to schizophrenia for each task.
Neglected landraces of collard (Brassica oleracea L. var. viridis) from the Carolinas (USA)

A common garden crop grown in the coastal plain region of North and South Carolina (United States) is the non-heading, leafy green type of Brassica oleracea L. known as collard (B. oleracea L. subsp. oleracea convar. acephala (DC.) Alef. var. viridis L.). Predominantly a fall and winter vegetable in this region, collard is often the only green planting to be found in the yard or garden of a rural home during these cool seasons. Historically, the traditional collard patch and even commercial fields were planted with unique varieties perpetuated by individual seed savers, and collectively, the regional diversity for this crop was probably very significant for well over a century. Genetic erosion of this collard germplasm pool has been severe in recent decades as commercial hybrids have been adopted by both large-scale producers and home gardeners. Although a significant number of collard landraces are being perpetuated to this day, existing diversity among landraces still grown in the region is now in the hands of an aging population of seed savers who maintain germplasm through on-farm preservation. From 2003 to 2006, we explored the coastal plain region of North and South Carolina in search of collard gardens containing traditional landraces. Exploration trips were conducted mid-winter to early spring. About 90 samples of collard were obtained from seed savers during the course of this exploration. Observations of morphological differences of these landraces indicate that significant diversity exists in this group. Obtained landraces are being deposited into the U.S. plant introduction collection and will be available for future use. This preserved collection could prove to be an important new source of genes for B. oleracea improvement.
Preventing osteoporosis with exercise: A review with emphasis on methodology

Exercise is thought to have considerable potential as a preventive for osteoporosis. We critically examined 27 studies that address the prophylactic role of exercise in osteoporosis. The results from both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies showed that differences in bone mass were more pronounced in the axial skeleton as opposed to the peripheral compact skeleton. The 17 cross-sectional studies demonstrated greater bone mass among highly trained athletes compared with sedentary subjects, while results among recreational athletes were inconsistent. The 10 prospective investigations examining the effect of exercise on bone mass yielded conflicting results; only one study of six found an overall positive response in compact bone mass at the radial site, and only one study examining the spine showed a significant gain among the exercisers. Additionally, all the prospective investigations included serious methodologic flaws; most failed to employ a randomized design, appropriate estimates of sample size were lacking, none provided information on blind outcome assessment, and most studies were of short duration. Current evidence suggests that exercise may have only limited value in affecting bone mass in the short term and widespread recommendations for the prophylactic use of exercise should await further validation using better methodological rigor.
Decision model for optimizing respirator protection.

Respirators are widely used for protection against inhaled toxins. The emphasis of research and implementation effort has evolved through several stages: the respirator device itself, use situation, respirator program factors under employer control, individual worker factors not under employer control, and occupational health systems. For this study, a computer-simulation decision assistance model was developed to assess the impact of various factors on the number of workers receiving adequate protection. Factors include the respirator protection factor, identification of sites needing respirator protection, selection of proper device, availability when needed, frequency of ever use, regularity of use among users, and variability in personal susceptibility or other factors. This analysis demonstrates that for both moderate-risk and high-risk (i.e., IDLH, immediately dangerous to life and health) exposures under current circumstances, the actual protection afforded depends upon the optimization of program factors and detection of atypical outlier persons and worksites. Therefore, programs and research must focus on these areas. Occupational medicine specialists should help optimize these areas and, in addition, use each case of respiratory protection failure as an index case to improve the overall programs.
Reserpine augmentation of desipramine in refractory depression: clinical and neurobiological effects.

Early studies showed dramatic improvement in some depressed patients when a brief course of parenteral reserpine was added to ineffective tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) treatment. We treated eight patients with DSM-III melancholic major depression with desipramine (DMI)≥2.5 mg/kg/day (plasma levels>125 ng/ml) for at least 4 weeks. All patients failed to respond and received reserpine 5 mg IM b.i.d. over 2 days, in seven cases as a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. One patient had dramatic resolution of depressive and psychotic symptoms within 48 h, but relapsed within 2 weeks; two other patients had transient hypomanic symptoms. Depression ratings did not significantly change for the sample as a whole, but plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (MHPG) decreased and CSF levels of homovanillic acid (HVA) and 5-hydroxy-indoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) increased. Despite robust effects on central monoamine metabolism, reserpine augmentation appears insufficiently effective for routine use in managing refractory depression.
Automatic scale selection for medical image segmentation

The scale of interesting structures in medical images is space variant because of partial volume effects, spatial dependence of resolution in many imaging modalities, and differences in tissue properties. Existing segmentation methods either apply a single scale to the entire image or try fine-to-coarse/coarse-to-fine tracking of structures over multiple scales. While single scale approaches fail to fully recover the perceptually important structures, multi-scale methods have problems in providing reliable means to select proper scales and integrating information over multiple scales. A recent approach proposed by Elder and Zucker addresses the scale selection problem by computing a minimal reliable scale for each image pixel. The basic premise of this approach is that, while the scale of structures within an image vary spatially, the imaging system is fixed. Hence, sensor noise statistics can be calculated. Based on a model of edges to be detected, and operators to be used for detection, one can locally compute a unique minimal reliable scale at which the likelihood of error due to sensor noise is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold. In this paper, we improve the segmentation method based on the minimal reliable scale selection and evaluate its effectiveness with both simulated and actual medical data.