cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A randomized comparison of once-monthly or twice-monthly high-dose aerosolized pentamidine prophylaxis.

Results Ten of the 146 (7 percent) evaluable subjects developed PCP during the year study period, and there was no difference in the efficacy of the two regimens. Among patients receiving secondary prophylaxis, the attack rate of PCP at 1 year was 11 percent. This compares favorably with a 1-year attack rate of 19 percent in similar patients receiving standard dose (300 mg) prophylaxis and suggests, but does not prove, a dose-response effect. Concentrations of pentamidine in BAL fluid were not significantly different among the three lobes of the lung. Intrapulmonary pentamidine did not accumulate during the year of study. Aerosolized pentamidine was associated with a marginal but statistically significant increase in the residual volume, decreased flow rates, and increased airway reactivity. Objective The optimal regimen of aerosolized pentamidine is unknown. Published data suggest that there is a dose-response effect and that the occurrence of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) has been associated with prolongation of the interval between doses. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and physiologic effects of two high-dose regimens of aerosolized pentamidine prophylaxis. Design Prospective, randomized study of 300 mg twice monthly vs 600 mg once monthly during a 1-year observation period. Pentamidine concentrations in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were measured and serial pulmonary function was measured. Setting A large teaching hospital in San Francisco. Patients One hundred fifty-one adult (age >18 years) men with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Of 146 evaluable patients, prophylaxis was primary (no prior PCP) in 108 (75 percent) and secondary (one prior episode of PCP) in 38 (25 percent). Measurements Date and diagnosis of PCP, occurrence of drug toxicity, pulmonary function testing, and concentrations of pentamidine in BAL and plasma. Conclusions The data suggest, but do not prove, that a dose-response effect has been demonstrated, and that high-dose aerosolized pentamidine may further reduce the attack rate of PCP. These preliminary observations should be confirmed in a double-blind trial comparing 300 mg with 600 mg administered once monthly. The clinical relevance of the adverse pulmonary effects is unclear and requires further investigation.
Silicide formation for Co/Ti/Si structures processed by RTP under vacuum

Abstract Rapid thermal processing of Co/Ti/Si samples induces the growth of cubic intermetallic compounds as a first step of the reaction. For temperatures above 750°C, a ternary phase Ti 0.75 Co 0.25 Si 2− x appears simultaneously with disilicides of the excess metal, in excess with respect to that stoichiometry. In the reverse Ti/Co/Si structures, Co is also the main diffusing species at low temperatures. Co atoms react at both interfaces, this time to form Co silicides and intermetallic compounds. As soon as Si atoms become mobile, the same ternary phase formation occurs. The existence of this stable silicide of a new type is confirmed by the analysis of bulk samples of the same composition prepared by arc melting. This study is the first report of the formation of such a ternary compound for thin film structures.
Do Results Justify an Aggressive Strategy Targeting the Pedal Arteries for Limb Salvage

We initiated a strategy to bypass all of the significant popliteal and tibial disease in the setting of limb-threatening ischemia beginning in September 1986. Of 194 infrapopliteal bypasses performed for limb salvage during the ensuing 6 years, 111 (57%) autogenous vein bypasses were performed to the pedal vessels at or distal to the ankle. By life table analysis, primary graft patency at 60 months for pedal bypasses was 57%, with salvage of failed grafts resulting in secondary patency of 61%. Limb salvage was 64% at 60 months. Of 33 graft thromboses, 24 (73%) resulted in eventual limb loss. Five limbs were amputated due to wound complications or progressive forefoot sepsis despite patent pedal grafts. More bypasses were performed to the dorsalis pedis than the posterior tibial at the ankle (78 vs 33), but patency and limb salvage were similar. Bypasses to the pedal arteries resulted in superior limb salvage compared with peroneal bypass when forefoot tissue necrosis was present (63 vs 33% at 36 months, P = 0.048). Pedal grafts had comparable overall patency (57 vs 64%) and limb salvage (64 vs 75%) to more proximal tibial bypasses. Pedal bypass provides acceptable long-term outcomes for both patency and limb salvage. When forefoot ischemic tissue loss is present, pedal bypass, when feasible, appears preferable to peroneal bypass.
Decontamination of pleuropneumonia-like organism (PPLO) infected tissue cultures.

PPLO-verunreinigte Zellkulturen wurden mit Novobiocin® PPLO-eliminierend behandelt. Nach dem Empfindlichkeitstest folgte die Bestimmung der Toxizitat dieses Antibiotikums fur Gewebekulturzellen. Anschliessend wurden maximale, fur Zellen nichttoxische Konzentrationen verwendet. Die entwickelte Methode ermoglicht, den Wirkungsgrad dieser antibiotischen Behandlung zu bestimmen.
Validation of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) albedo retrieval algorithm : Dependence of albedo on solar zenith angle

[1] The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF)/albedo algorithm uses multiday, multiband MODIS surface reflectance products from Terra and Aqua to produce a global albedo product at a 500 m resolution (Collection 5). This paper evaluates the ability of the MODIS albedo product to represent albedos at all diurnal solar zenith angles through a comparison with field measurements from the Surface Radiation Budget Network (SURFRAD) and the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains (ARM/SGP) stations. The results show that, for most of the sites, the overall accuracy of the MODIS albedo is within 0.05 and shows an increasing negative bias and increased RMSE as zenith angle increases beyond 70°–75° as compared to the ground observations. The full inversion of the MODIS BRDF/albedo algorithm has a higher inversion quality than the backup algorithm. Site heterogeneity and spatial-scale mismatch between the MODIS and ground observations are the major factors contributing to the discrepancy between the MODIS albedo and the field measurements.
Chemical control of a greenbug on sorghum and infestation effects on yields.

All recommended insecticides (disulfoton, parathion, demeton, malathion, and diazinon) provided satisfactory initial control but little or no residual control of C-biotype Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) on sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. Losses in grain production in untreated compared with treated plots varied from 2% (1.4 bu/acre) to 45% (27.0 bu/acre) depending on time and intensity of greenbug infestations.
The Pharmacist Shortage and Medication Errors: Issues and Evidence

The paper, as part of this special issue in error prevention, reviews and discusses evidence in the literature related to the impact of the pharmacist shortage on medication errors. The paper examines past research regarding the impact of pharmacists on medication errors, as well as a recent unique survey that attempted to directly examine the impact of the shortage on medication errors. The paper finds a collection of suggestive anecdotal evidence indicating the pharmacist shortage is having a negative impact on medication errors. In addition, several suggestions are made for future research regarding the relationship between pharmacists, the health system, and medication errors.
The mechanical properties of poly(ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) with emphasis on the large compressive strain response

Abstract The mechanical properties of PEEK 450G have been extensively investigated. The compressive properties were measured at strain rates between 1 × 10 −4 and 3000 s −1 and temperatures between −85 and 200 °C. The tensile properties were measured between the strain rates of 2.7 × 10 −5 and 1.9 × 10 −2 s −1 and at temperatures between −50 and 150 °C. The Taylor impact properties were investigated as a function of velocity and various large-strain compression tests were undertaken to explain the results. The fracture toughness was investigated as a function of temperature and compared with previous literature. Additionally, the fracture surfaces were studied by microscopy. As with all semi-crystalline polymers the mechanical response is a strong function of the strain rate and testing temperature. A previously reported phenomenon of darkening observed in Taylor impacted samples is shown to be due to reduced crystallinity brought about by large compressive strain. For samples deformed to large compressive strains using a variety of techniques and strain-rates the measured Vickers hardness was found to decrease in accordance with reduced crystallinity measured by other techniques.
Influences of stress on the measurement of mechanical properties using nanoindentation: Part II. Finite element simulations

The finite element method has been used to study the behavior of aluminum alloy 8009 during elastic-plastic indentation to establish how the indentation process is influenced by applied or residual stress. The study was motivated by the experiments of the preceding paper which show that nanoindentation data analysis procedures underestimate indentation contact areas and therefore overestimate hardness and elastic modulus in stressed specimens. The NIKE2D finite element code was used to simulate indentation contact by a rigid, conical indenter in a cylindrical specimen to which biaxial stresses were applied as boundary conditions. Indentation load-displacement curves were generated and analyzed according to standard methods for determining hardness and elastic modulus. The simulations show that the properties measured in this way are inaccurate because pileup is not accounted for in the contact area determination. When the proper contact area is used, the hardness and elastic modulus are not significantly affected by the applied stress.
A Portable Neutron Spectrometer/Dosimeter

As part of the continuing DOE effort to upgrade personnel neutron dosimetry, the Health Division at Los Alamos has developed a portable, battery-operated, computerized neutron spectrometer/dosimeter. The instrument has a built-in tissue-equivalent LET neutron detector, 128-channel pulse height analyzer with integral liquid crystal display, and a microcomputer system which calculates dose and dose rate from neutrons incident on the detector. The instrument will, at the user's option, display a raw data spectrum or a spectrum of rad or rem as a function of keV per micron of equivalent tissue. The dosimeter will also calculate and display accumulated dose in millirad and millirem, as well as giving the user neutron dose rates in millirad and millirem per hour.
Sucrose tasting and dental caries in man

Abstract Sucrose taste levels were determined on 20 radiographically and clinically confirmed caries-resistant adults and 20 susceptible subjects. The method employed for measurement of sucrose taste-sensitivity was essentially that of Harris and Kalamus (1951) with the sucrose concentrations ranging from 5 to 50 mM/l. in increments of 5 mM/l. Eighty-five per cent of the resistant subjects had a sucrose taste-threshold of 20 mM/l. and above as compared to 10 per cent of the susceptible subjects. These findings may be a reflection of more basic physiologic and genetic differences between the two groups. Further examination of factors which may alter taste acuity are indicated.
FEMALE VS. MALE ABSENCE RATES: A TEMPORAL ANALYSIS

The purpose of this research is to test the importance of temporal trends within absenteeism data for males and females. The data support previous findings of higher absenteeism rates for women when compared to men. The data also indicate the importance of temporal trends as suggested by Dansereau, Alutto, and Markham (1978). Conclusions are drawn concerning the use of absence rates as dependent variables.
Open-ended mineralogical/textural rock classification

Abstract An open-ended rock classification is described based on mineralogical and textural characteristics. The objective of this classification is to reduce prejudice in rock classification by minimizing the importance of determining to which group (igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic) a sample belongs prior to classification. A dynamic database is developed with representative rock samples displaying a wide range of mineralogical and textural characteristics. A FORTRAN-77 based, neural network algorithm is designed and described to aid the use of the database for classification of an unknown sample. Mineralogy/chemistry and texture are evaluated separately using parallel neurons; in this manner, an unknown sample is classified mineralogically/chemically, and classified texturally. Classification of rocks in this manner, including more detail of texture, provides a vehicle to interpretation of rock forming processes, for which a plan is presented.
SOME PHYSICOMECHANICAL AND NUTRITIONAL PROPERTIES OF BARBERRY (BERBERIS VULGARIS L.) FRUITS

ABSTRACT The barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.) fruits growing wild in Turkey were analyzed for some physical (dimensions, geometric mean diameter, sphericity, bulk density, fruit density, volume, terminal velocity, hardness and porosity) and chemical (moisture, reducing sugar, ascorbic acid, total anthocyanin and phenolics, crude protein, crude oil, crude energy, crude fiber, ash, pH, acidity, alcohol-soluble extract and color) properties. Mineral content of barberry fruits growing wild in Turkey was determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. The average pulp mass ratio, thickness, width, length, mass, volume, geometric mean diameter, sphericity and projected area were measured as 75.59%, 3.51 mm, 3.32 mm, 7.69 mm, 0.07 g, 71 mm3, 4.46 mm, and 0.58 and 0.2535 cm2, respectively. The energy, reducing sugar, protein, cellulose, oil, ash, acidity, ascorbic acid, total phenolics, total anthocyanin and soluble solid matter values of barberry fruits were established as 69.25 kcal/g, 6.52%, 10.32%, 9.42%, 0.84%, 1.12%, 3.10%, 256.48 mg/kg, 789.32 mg/100 g, 931.05 mg/kg and 19.4%, respectively. It is very important to evaluate the technological properties of equipment used in harvesting, transportation, storage and processing of fresh fruits. Also, the information supplied on the proximate composition of the barberry fruit is highly beneficial for human nutrition. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The chemical properties such as ascorbic acid, anthocyanin and phenolic compounds, reducing sugar, crude protein, crude fiber, crude oil, ash and mineral contents of barberry fruits are mostly important for human nutrition and processing. In addition, it is very important to establish the physical properties of equipment used in harvesting, transportation, storage and processing of fresh fruits. However, further studies are necessary to understand the physical properties for equipment design and to provide necessary information for the use of wild edible fruits.
Loop formation of microtubules during gliding at high density

The microtubule cytoskeleton, including the associated proteins, forms a complex network essential to multiple cellular processes. Microtubule-associated motor proteins, such as kinesin-1, travel on microtubules to transport membrane bound vesicles across the crowded cell. Other motors, such as cytoplasmic dynein and kinesin-5, are used to organize the cytoskeleton during mitosis. In order to understand the self-organization processes of motors on microtubules, we performed filament-gliding assays with kinesin-1 motors bound to the cover glass with a high density of microtubules on the surface. To observe microtubule organization, 3% of the microtubules were fluorescently labeled to serve as tracers. We find that microtubules in these assays are not confined to two dimensions and can cross one other. This causes microtubules to align locally with a relatively short correlation length. At high density, this local alignment is enough to create 'intersections' of perpendicularly oriented groups of microtubules. These intersections create vortices that cause microtubules to form loops. We characterize the radius of curvature and time duration of the loops. These different behaviors give insight into how crowded conditions, such as those in the cell, might affect motor behavior and cytoskeleton organization.
Integrator for measuring magnetic fields

A voltage integrator designed for interface to a computer is described. It is used to integrate the EMF developed around a loop of wire when the magnetic field through the loop is changed. The integrator is inexpensive, stable, and provides field measurements accurate to 0.1%.
Retrovirus vectors displaying the IgG-binding domain of protein A.

We have designed and constructed retrovirus particles displaying the IgG-binding domain of protein A. We fused the gene for the synthetic antibody-binding portion of protein A with the envelope gene of ecotropic Moloney murine leukemia virus. The fusion gene was coexpressed in ecotropic retroviral packaging cells, and retrovirus particles with IgG-binding activities were recovered. In principle, the protein A-envelope chimeric retrovirus complexed with specific monoclonal antibody could be used for cell-targeted gene delivery.
Lamotrigine blocks NMDA receptor-initiated arachidonic acid signalling in rat brain: implications for its efficacy in bipolar disorder.

An upregulated brain arachidonic acid (AA) cascade and a hyperglutamatergic state characterize bipolar disorder (BD). Lamotrigine (LTG), a mood stabilizer approved for treating BD, is reported to interfere with glutamatergic neurotransmission involving N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). NMDARs allow extracellular calcium into the cell, thereby stimulating calciumdependent cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) to release arachidonic acid (AA) from membrane phospholipid. We hypothesized that LTG, like other approved mood stabilizers, would reduce NMDAR-mediated AA signaling in rat brain. An acute subconvulsant dose of NMDA (25 mg/kg) or saline was administered intraperitoneally to unanesthetized rats that had been treated p.o. daily for 42 days with vehicle or a therapeutically relevant dose of LTG (10 mg/kg/.d). Regional brain AA incorporation coefficients k* and rates Jin, AA signals, were measured using quantitative autoradiography after intravenous [1- 14 C]AA infusion, as were other AA cascade markers. In chronic vehicle-treated rats, acute NMDA compared to saline increased k* and Jin in widespread regions of the brain, as well as prostaglandin (PG)E2 and thromboxane B2 concentrations. Chronic LTG treatment compared to vehicle reduced brain cyclooxygenase (COX) activity, PGE2 concentration, and DNA binding activity of the COX-2 transcription factor, NF-κB. Pretreatment with chronic LTG blocked the acute NMDA effects on AA cascade markers. In summary, chronic LTG like other mood stabilizers blocks NMDA-mediated signaling involving the AA metabolic cascade. Since markers of the AA cascade and of NMDAR signaling are up-regulated in the postmortem BD brain, mood stabilizers generally may be effective in BD by dampening NMDAR signalling and the AA cascade.
Worldwide regional variations in home advantage in association football

Home advantage plays an important part in determining the result of a game of football. Its existence and magnitude is well documented in England, but its causes are still not completely understood. In this study, reliable estimates of home advantage are calculated for the domestic leagues of all countries of Europe and South America, as well as a selection of countries from other continents. The results of all games during the last six seasons are used for each of these 72 countries. In Europe, home advantage in the Balkan countries, especially Bosnia and Albania, is much higher than average. It is generally lower than average in northern Europe, from the Baltic republics, through Scandinavia to the British Isles. In South America, home advantage is high in the Andean countries and lower elsewhere, especially in Uruguay. Home advantage is not unusually high or low in any of the countries from other continents. A multiple regression model for the 51 European countries, which included variables for geographical location, crowd effects and travel, accounted for 76.7% of the variability in home advantage. The large geographical variations can be interpreted in terms of territoriality being a contributing factor to home advantage.
Comments on "Issues Regarding the Assimilation of Cloud and Precipitation Data"

A recently published article by Errico et al. (2007, hereafter EBM) attempts to review issues involved in the assimilation of cloud and precipitation observations in atmospheric data analyses. The review is properly motivated by a desire to bring attention to obstacles in resolving two important problems in atmospheric data analyses. These are: 1) Utilizing satellite observations that are currently discarded in operational atmospheric data assimilation systems because of high sensitivity to clouds and precipitation, and 2) estimating the hydrologic state of the atmosphere (i.e., hydrometeors) together with standard atmospheric fields of temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind. Despite the appropriate motivation, and for most part adequate identification of main issues, the review has two important shortcomings. First, the review is inaccurate and incomplete when referring to past published research results. Second, some conclusions and recommendations are contradictory to each other. In the following comments these shortcomings are addressed.
Fabrication of Piezoelectric Ceramic/Polymer Composite Transducers Using Fused Deposition of Ceramics

The fused deposition of ceramics (FDC) technique was used to fabricate piezoelectric ceramic skeletons for the development of piezoelectric composite transducers with 2–2 connectivity for medical imaging. The green parts were designed to have 30 vol% lead zirconate titanate ceramic (PZT-5H) in the final composites. Physical characterization of the sintered samples revealed that 96% of the theoretical density was achieved. Optical microscopy showed that defects due to the FDC mode of deposition, such as small roads and bubbles, were eliminated, because of improvements in powder processing. The electromechanical properties of the final composites were similar to the properties that were obtained for conventionally made composites. A matching layer and a backing layer, as well as wires and an inductor, were added to each FDC composite to fabricate a functional medical imaging transducer. The devices were tested in water using a steel target 3.5 cm thick. Echoes from the target could be detected with all the transducers that were fabricated using FDC. The sensitivities of the transducers were similar to that of a commercial transducer. However, the ringing was much longer than that for a commercial transducer, because the backing layer was not optimized in the transducers that were fabricated using FDC.
Spatially resolved dynamics of cAMP and protein kinase A subunits in Aplysia sensory neurons

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase, labeled with fluorescein and rhodamine on the catalytic and regulatory subunits, respectively, was injected into Aplysia sensory neurons either in culture or in intact cell clusters. Energy transfer between the subunits, a measure of cytosolic cAMP concentration ([cAMP]), and compartmentation of the dissociated subunits were monitored by confocal fluorescence microscopy. Bath application of serotonin produced a much greater elevation of [cAMP] in the processes than in the central bodies of the neurons. The resulting gradients must drive a sizable centripetal flux of cAMP because direct microinjection of cAMP showed that it diffused readily. Perinuclear increases in [cAMP] slowly caused the translocation of the freed catalytic subunit into the nucleus to an extent proportional to the percentage of its dissociation from the regulatory subunit.
Perceptions of the Previously Convicted The Influence of Conviction Type and Therapy Participation

The present study explores individuals’ desires for social distance from violent versus non-violent offenders and investigates whether disclosure of the offender’s therapy completion influences this desire for distance. The study also investigates relationships between participants’ desires for social distance and their perceptions of therapy effectiveness with offenders. Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, 150 undergraduate participants completed measures of social distance and perceived offender therapy effectiveness. Overall, respondents indicated higher desires for social distance from offenders convicted of violent versus non-violent crimes. Respondents also reported lower desire for social distance when the offenders reported completing therapy, even when their perception of therapy effectiveness was low. The results of this study have implications for treatment development. Results attest to the value of preparing incarcerated offenders with an accurate expectation of levels and patterns of stigma to b...
Efficient, narrow-linewidth distributed-Bragg-reflector surface-emitting laser with periodic gain

Efficient, narrow-line emission from a novel vertical cavity distributed-Bragg-reflector surface-emitting laser with gain segments periodically placed on standing-wave maxima has been obtained. Clean single-longitudinal-mode spectra with >
Cell heterogeneity during the cell cycle

Using flow cytometry, populations of Chinese hamster ovary cells, asynchronous and synchronized in the cycle, were measured with respect to cellular RNA- and protein-content, as well as cell light scatter properties. Heterogeneities of cell populations were expressed as coefficients of variation (c.v.) in percent of the respective mean values. Populations of cells immediately after mitosis have about 15% higher c.v. than mitotic cell populations, regardless of whether RNA, proteins, or light scatter are measured. These data indicate that cytoplasmic constituents are unequally distributed into the daughter cells during cytokinesis and that unequal cytokinesis generates intercellular metabolic variability during the cycle. An additional increase in heterogeneity, although of smaller degree, occurs during G/sub 2/ phase. Populations of S-phase cells are the most uniform, having 20-30% lower c.v. than the postmitotic cells. Cell progression through S does not involve any significant increase in intercellular variability with respect to RNA or protein content. In unperturbed exponentially growing cultures a critical RNA content is required for G/sub 1/ cells prior to their entrance into S. The cell residence times in the equalization compartments are exponentially distributed, which may reflect the randomness generated by the uneven division of metabolic constituents to daughter cells during cytokinesis.more » The cell heterogeneities were presently estimated at two metabolic levels, transcription (RNA content) and translation (proteins). The most uniform were populations stained for RNA and the highest variability was observed after staining of proteins. This suggests that the regulatory mechanisms equalizing cells in the cell cycle may operate primarily at the level of DNA transcription.« less
The Ford Foundation's search for an American library laboratory

In the late 1950s, the Ford Foundation hoped that its library organization, the Council on Library Resources, would use its monies to sponsor a permanent library high-tech laboratory. After several years, Ford's techno-visions became tied to the hopes of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to enter the information field. Unfortunately, MIT's "Project Intrex" ended without meeting its sponsors' expectations.
Atypical emotions in relationships as correlates of the MMPI.

College student subjects (N = 77) were assessed for atypical emotional experience in each of 10 relationships, using the Situation Affect Test (Harrison, 1986). Atypical emotions in each relationship were assessed by 17 imaginary situations in which subjects' reported feelings were compared with normative expectations. The 10 relationship scores were correlated with 15 standard scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Thirty-two of the 150 resulting correlations were statistically significant (p < .05), a number shown to be well above chance expectations. Stepdown analyses showed that the Si, F, Sc, and Ma scores were positively related to atypical feelings in the 10 relationships; in contrast, the Es, Mf, and Lie scores were related to typical feelings. Atypical feelings in relation to one's self, sweetheart, prospective children, siblings, and mother were correlated (p < .05) with the MMPI scales. It is suggested that these results can be used to supplement standard MMPI interpretation in specifying possibly difficult or atypical relationships.
Semiconductor electronic concepts for neural network emulation

ABSTRACT The existence of neuron-like transient phenomena in simple circuits containing silicon p +-n-n+ diodes indicates that such devices could provide a natural hardware basis for the fabrication of neural networks. Development of this hardware basis is pursued through exploratory work on circuits which exhibit some basic features of biological neural networks. The features discussed include action potentials, refractory periods, excitation, inhibition, summation over synaptic inputs, synaptic weights, temporal integration, memory, network connectivity modification based on experience, pacemaker activity, firing thresholds, coupling to sensors with graded signal outputs and the dependence of firing rate on input current.
Loss of Cdh1 and Pten Accelerates Cellular Invasiveness and Angiogenesis in the Mouse Uterus

E-cadherin (CDH1) is a cell adhesion molecule that coordinates key morphogenetic processes regulating cell growth, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. Loss of CDH1 is a trademark of the cellular event epithelial to mesenchymal transition, which increases the metastatic potential of malignant cells. PTEN is a tumor-suppressor gene commonly mutated in many human cancers, including endometrial cancer. In the mouse uterus, ablation of Pten induces epithelial hyperplasia, leading to endometrial carcinomas. However, loss of Pten alone does not affect longevity until around 5 mo. Similarly, conditional ablation of Cdh1 alone does not predispose mice to cancer. In this study, we characterized the impact of dual Cdh1 and Pten ablation (Cdh1d/d Ptend/d) in the mouse uterus. We observed that Cdh1d/d Ptend/d mice died at Postnatal Days 15–19 with massive blood loss. Their uteri were abnormally structured with curly horns, disorganized epithelial structure, and increased cell proliferation. Co-immunostaining of KRT8 and ACTA2 showed invasion of epithelial cells into the myometrium. Further, the uteri of Cdh1d/d Ptend/d mice had prevalent vascularization in both the endometrium and myometrium. We also observed reduced expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors, loss of cell adherens, and tight junction molecules (CTNNB1 and claudin), as well as activation of AKT in the uteri of Cdh1d/d Ptend/d mice. However, complex hyperplasia was not found in the uteri of Cdh1d/d Ptend/d mice. Collectively, these findings suggest that ablation of Pten with Cdh1 in the uterus accelerates cellular invasiveness and angiogenesis and causes early death.
Gluconeogenesis in Ruminants: Propionic Acid Production from a High-Grain Diet Fed to Cattle

Effects of amount of feed intake on in vivo remen propionate production and the reproducibility of measurements of propionate production rates were investigated in five dairy steers weighing 142 to 228 kg. Each steer received 275 g of an 80%-grain diet every 2 hours, and three of the five steers later received 500 g/2 hours. Rumen propionate pool sizes and production rates were determined at both intakes by administering a single dose of [1-14C] propionate via rumen fistula and observing decreasing specific activity of rumen propionate for 4 hours. A linear regression equation was calculated from the natural logs of decreasing specific activity. Propionate pool sizes averaged 30.6 and 47.4 g, and production rates averaged 579 and 1032 g/day at feed intakes of 275 and 500 g/2 hours. Thus, propionate production changed in almost direct proportion to feed intake. Acetate to propionate ratios were about 3:1 in rumen fluid. Considerable variability in estimates of propionate pool sizes and production rates was found both within and among steers. The results indicate propionate production is nearly equivalent to blood glucose turnover determined previously; all propionate produced in the rumen, however, is not used for glucose synthesis.
Adsorption rates for sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide in beds of activated carbon

The adsorption rates and equilibrium constants are important parameters in the a priori design of activated-carbon beds employed to separate carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide from air and combustion gases. In particular, intraparticle diffusivities in the macro- and micropore regions and the adsorption equilibrium constant are parameters that laboratory studies must establish. The University of California reported the parameters for CO/sub 2/ in 1979. The values of the parameters for adsorption of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide on the common types of activated carbon indicate that intraparticle transport strongly affects the overall adsorption rate. Consequently, particle size and pore-volume distribution information are prerequisites for the careful design of activated-carbon beds for these gases.
Use of intralesional verapamil to dissolve Peyronie's disease plaque: a long-term single-blind study.

Abstract Objectives. Multiple conservative therapies for the treatment of Peyronie's disease have been offered with variable and poor response rates. Calcium channel blockers have been shown in vitro and in vivo to inhibit secretion and synthesis of extracellular matrix, including collagen, glycosaminoglycans, and fibronectin, as well as causing increased collagenase and anti transforming growth factor-beta activity. Calcium antagonists, including verapamil, are effective in stimulating the remodeling and degradation of extracellular matrix in tissue by altering the metabolic pathways of fibroblasts. Recently, a pilot study (1994) showed preliminary promising results in treating plaque caused by Peyronie's disease. This randomized single-blind placebo-based study (1994 to 1996) was undertaken to confirm the hypothesis. Methods. In this randomized single-blind study, 14 patients completed the study and were divided into two groups: the verapamil treatment group (n = 7) or the control saline group (n = 7). Verapamil or saline was injected directly into the Peyronie's plaque once a week for 6 months. Patients were evaluated before and after treatment with duplex ultrasound to confirm the extent of the lesion and to measure volume of the plaque, and by interview and mailed questionnaire 3 months after treatment. Patients being treated with oral calcium antagonists were excluded from the study. Results. A decreased plaque volume was measured in 57% of the verapamil-treated men versus 28% in the control group ( P P P Conclusions. This randomized single-blind study suggests that intralesional injection of calcium channel blocker may be a reasonable approach in some selected patients for the treatment of Peyronie's disease with noncalcified plaque and penile angulation of less than 30°. Patients whose plaque failed to respond to intralesional verapamil therapy within 3 months or whose angulation was greater than 30° at presentation were more likely to benefit from surgery.
Analysis of automatically generated vehicle system control software in a HIL environment

This paper contains a description of a method and apparatus used for the comparison of a vehicle system control model with the automatically generated code which represents that model. The apparatus, referred to as hardware in the loop, consists of electronic control units, hybrid electric vehicle driveline components, dynamometers, and a Nighthawk super-computer. In the method presented, the model and generated code are executed concurrently in real-time. Output from the model can then be compared with the generated code in order to ensure that the code accurately represents the model.
Learning Styles, Performance, And Attitudes Towards Technology: Focus On Business Students

here has been a significant move towards the use of technology in university academic instruction over the last 20-plus years in the United States. Colleges have jumped at the opportunity to „wire‟ their campuses, assigning vast amounts of financial resources to provide state-of-the-art instructional technology. The need to be at the forefront of the technology curve is evident in the emphasis colleges place on campus information technology in their prospectuses. Admissions offices seem to view their university‟s technological capabilities as a critical criterion for attracting, admitting, and eventually retaining good students. Moreover, most institutions now offer various forms of online instruction and academic degrees can be earned entirely through online instruction. Nevertheless, several questions have not been addressed. What are the students‟ attitudes towards technology and how do they relate to their performance? Research has revealed that students differ in their learning styles. Do students with different learning styles perceive the use technology for instruction similarly? Have preferred learning styles changed over the past 20-plus years as technology has evolved? What are the typical learning styles of today‟s undergraduate students? Does the student‟s major, gender, learning style, and/or attitude toward the use of technology for instruction affect his/her performance? Generally, it is hard to claim that the academic community fully understands how today‟s typical undergraduate student learns, and what their attitudes towards the use of technology in classroom instruction is. This study attempts to address these points and to provide a more current assessment of business students‟ learning styles and how technology relates to those styles with reference to academic performance.
Encoded Archival Description: A Structural Overview

Encoded Archival Description (EAD), the SGML Document Type Definition (DTD) for archival finding aids, has been under development for more than three years. Although it has been significantly improved during that time by feedback from early implementers and by new insights from its developers, much of EAD's basic structure dates from the design team's first meeting in July 1995 at the Bentley Historical Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan. During that week-long gathering, the EAD design team articulated its observations about traditional archival finding aids, established design goals and principles, and created the framework for the current version 1.0 DTD structure. This article examines the basic steps in building an SGML DTD and provides a structural analysis of EAD's high-level elements in light of the developers' early design goals and decisions.
Participatory Development of Fotonovelas for Environmental Education and Community Empowerment

Water quality is a serious concern for both environmental and human health. Water quality throughout the world is threatened by human activity, such as unregulated runoff of harmful substances into the watersheds. In Santa Barbara, California, the Latino community, which makes up 40% of the population, was the target of an environmental education initiative that utilized fotonovelas, an image-based informational booklet for semi-literate populations, to increase awareness of water quality issues in the community. The fotonovela project was developed to incorporate educational research into environmental education in a participatory manner that involved multiple stakeholders including the Santa Barbara County Water Agency, Project Clean Water, and the local Latino community. The project, coordinated by a team from the Agua Pura program of the University of California Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Program (UCCE), utilized critical pedagogy to determine the water quality concerns of the community and design the fotonovela’s educational message. Over 2,000 copies of the fotonovela were distributed throughout the Latino community. This chapter explores why educational research should be used in environmental education, specifically critical pedagogy which aims to empower underserved or oppressed constituents of society through the process of analyzing, naming, and characterizing issues in the form of dialogue. The fotonovela project demonstrates how environmental education initiatives guided by critical pedagogy framework and based in participatory development can be successful in changing behaviors that affect water quality in Santa Barbara.
IRA and Keogh Assets Grew 25 Percent During 1995

Total assets held in individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and Keogh plans (retirement plans for the self-employed) reached a high of $1.4 trillion as of year-end 1996. Between 1985 and 1996, total assets held in IRAs and Keogh plans increased 524 percent. During 1996, IRA and Keogh assets grew 15.7 percent, compared with a growth rate of 24.7 percent between 1994 and 1995, 9 percent between 1993 and 1994, and an average annual growth rate of 18.2 percent between 1985 and 1996. Most of the recent growth was due to rollovers from qualified retirement plans, not from new contributions to the accounts. In addition, recent evidence suggests that distributions are increasingly more likely to be rolled over into another qualified retirement vehicle than they were in the past.
Abstract 289: Reduced Uterine Perfusion Pressure (RUPP) Elicits Increased sFlt-1 Levels Not Only In The Placenta But Also Adipose Tissue

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disorder characterized by new-onset hypertension. Placental ischemia is causative in this disorder with the release of antiangiogenic factors such as sFlt-1 into the maternal circulation promoting endothelial dysfunction and hypertension. Obesity is a major risk factor for preeclampsia, but the mechanisms are far less understood. Recent evidence suggests that adipose tissue is a source of sFlt-1. This study tested the hypothesis that placental ischemia produced by RUPP elicits an increase of sFlt-1 levels in both placental and adipose tissue from normal pregnant rats. Timed-pregnant Wistar-hannover rats (20 wks old) on NIH31 standard chow were subjected to RUPP (N=15) on gestational day (GD)14 or remained normal pregnant (NP, N=14). Rats were implanted with carotid catheters on GD18 and fasted overnight. On GD19, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) was assessed in conscious, restrained rats. Statistical significance was P<0.05. MAP was greater in RUPP (114±2 v 101±1mmHg) with reduced fetal weight (1.73±0.02 v 1.88±0.01g) but similar placental weight (RUPP: 0.45±0.03 v NP: 0.47±0.03g). Although RUPP reduced body weight (297±7 v 343±6g), visceral adipose tissue weight was not altered (RUPP: 11.5±1 v NP: 13.2±1g). Total cholesterol was increased (RUPP: 223±35 v NP: 156±6mg/dL) but there was no difference in free fatty acids (RUPP: 8±2 v NP: 8±2mg/L) but reduced triglyceride levels (RUPP: 265±38 v RUPP: 659±100mg/dL). RUPP reduced leptin (3.2±0.2 v 4.2±0.4ng/mL) and adiponectin (2.8±0.2 v 3.3±0.2ug/mL) with increased fasting glucose levels (191±6 v 163±8mg/dL). Very interestingly, RUPP increased sFlt-1 levels in placenta (4702±375 v 3903±309pg/g tissue) and retroperitoneal adipose tissue (179±28 v 76±22pg/g tissue). These data indicate that RUPP-induced hypertension in normal pregnant rats promotes metabolic disturbances along with increases in sFlt-1 not only the placenta but in the adipose tissue. In conclusion, we propose that placental ischemia-induced hypertension is exaggerated in states linked to increased accumulation of adipose tissue, such as in diet-induced or genetic obesity, due to amplified metabolic derangements and increases in sFlt-1 levels from both placental and adipose sources.
Effects of Nutritional Factors on the Formation of Anthraquinones by Rubia cordifolia Plant Cells in Suspension Culture

Rubia cordifolia cells reached a maximum dry weight 20 days after inoculation, while their anthraquinone content decreased during the early period of the logarithmic phase of growth and then increased to 50 µmol per g-dry weight after 25 days.The influence of some nutritional factors affecting anthraquinone formation, i.e. sucrose, myoinositol, auxin, inorganic nitrogen source etc. were examined. A high sucrose concentration, auxins, myoinositol and inorganic nitrogen sources brought about marked increases of anthraquinone formation. However, kinetin had scarcely any effect on anthraquinone formation.
Suitability of the hypo-osmotic swelling test for assessing the viability of cryopreserved sperm

Objective To determine whether the hypo-osmotic swelling test can assess viability of frozen spermatozoa. Design Fresh semen specimens were divided into two aliquots: one was not processed and the other was processed by swim-up. Both aliquots were then cryopreserved by the liquid nitrogen vapor method. Setting Andrology laboratory at a tertiary care facility. Patient(s) Eleven volunteers with proven fertility. Intervention(s) The hypo-osmotic swelling test and the sperm viability assessment by Hoechst 33258 (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, MO) and eosin-nigrosin stains were performed in each aliquot. Main Outcome Measure(s) The results of hypo-osmotic swelling test as indicated by swelling of sperm tails were compared with the viability results obtained by Hoechst 33258 stain before freezing and by Hoechst-33258 and eosin-nigrosin stains after freezing. Result(s) The hypo-osmotic swelling test and Hoechst 33258 viability results were correlated highly in unprocessed and processed fresh specimens ( r =0.95). After cryopreservation, there was no correlation between hypo-osmotic swelling test and Hoechst 33258 or between hypoosmotic swelling test and eosin-nigrosin. Prefreeze sperm processing did not influence the postthaw results. Viability assessed by Hoechst 33258 and eosin-nigrosin was well correlated ( r =0.72). Conclusion(s) The hypo-osmotic swelling test can accurately evaluate viability in fresh human spermatozoa but not in cryopreserved ones. Thus, this test cannot be used to select viable cells in cryopreserved samples for assisted reproductive procedures, such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
The Impact of False and Nuisance Alarms on the Design Optimization of Physical Security Systems

Despite the known degrading impact of high nuisance and false alarm rates (NAR/FAR) on operator performance, analyses of security systems often ignores operator performance. We developed a model to analyze the impact of nuisance alarm rates on operator performance and on overall system performance. The model demonstrates that current methods that do not account for operator performance produce optimistic estimates of system performance. As shown in our model, even low NAR/FAR levels and the associated alarm queueing effect can increase operator detect and response time, which in turn reduces the amount of time the response force has to interrupt the intruder. An illustrative analysis shows that alarm processing times can be higher than the assessment time due to queue wait times and that systems with only one or two operators can become overwhelmed as NAR increases, decreasing system performance.