cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stretta as the initial antireflux procedure in children.

Abstract Background The Stretta procedure is an endoluminal antireflux procedure using radio frequency to induce collagen tissue contraction, remodeling, and modulation of lower esophageal sphincter physiology in an effort to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Although Stretta has been widely reported in the adult GERD literature as a viable initial surgical option, similar use in children has not been reported. The authors present the first report of Stretta as the initial antireflux procedure in children with GERD, evaluating indications, safety, and efficacy. Method The charts of 8 children (aged 11-16 years) who received Stretta between January 2003 and September 2003 were retrospectively reviewed under an Institutional Review Board protocol. All patients had documented GERD preoperatively. Three children required concomitant feeding tube placement (percutaneous gastrostomy tube, group A). Five children with isolated severe GERD refractory to aggressive medical therapy received Stretta only (group B). Results Stretta was successfully completed in all 8 children. In group A, 1 child developed a postoperative aspiration, which was successfully treated. All 3 children had resolution of their GERD symptoms (ie, feeding intolerance, emesis) and were able to tolerate full enteral nutrition post-Stretta. In group B, 3 of 5 children are currently off medications and asymptomatic on short-term follow-up (6-15 months). Of the remaining 2, 1 experienced symptomatic relief immediately postprocedure, but symptoms recurred off medications. Stretta was deemed unsuccessful in the remaining patient, and Nissen fundoplication was subsequently performed without difficulty. Conclusions Stretta can be safely and successfully used as the initial antireflux procedure for children with GERD. Concomitant Stretta with PEG is an attractive option in children with preexisting GERD who require long-term feeding access. Longer follow-up and a larger patient population are needed to better confirm the safety and efficacy of Stretta presented in this report.
Direct Photon and Neutral Meson Production at Fermilab Fixed-Target Energies

Abstract Measurements of the production of high-pT direct photons and neutral mesons by a 515 GeV/c π − beam and 530 and 800 GeV/c proton beams in interactions with Be, Cu, and H2 targets are presented. Ratios of direct photon and π 0 cross sections measured on the nuclear targets are compared with results from theoretical models. The direct-photon, π 0 , and π 0 π 0 cross sections are compared with NLO pQCD calculations and expectations based on a phenomenological parton-kT model.
Ultrafast order parameter dynamics and critical phenomena of ising-nematic phase in iron pnictides

Femtosecond-resolved polarimetry characterizes a two-step polarization recovery after non-equilibrium photoexcitation of BaFe 2 As 2 . This underpins the nematicity as an independent degree of freedom responsible for the anisotropy, which demonstrates a benchmark approach to anisotropic quantum fluids.
Stability result with application to adaptive control

We prove a relatively simple stability result for a particular system of time-varying difference equations. We then display its usefulness in analysing the stability and convergence of discrete-time adaptive control systems. In particular, we apply our result to demonstrate the stability and convergence of two disparate adaptive control schemes.
Anticoagulation with anisindione in patients who are intolerant of warfarin.

Patients who require oral anticoagulation usually receive warfarin. We used an indanedione drug, anisindione, in two patients who were intolerant of warfarin but who needed long-term oral anticoagulation. The use of this alternative oral anticoagulant is reviewed. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Preparations of psi-peptide bond and peptide-aldehyde inhibitors of atrial granule serine proteinase, a candidate processing enzyme of pro-atrial natriuretic factor.

Pseudo-peptide bond inhibitors (ψ-bond inhibitors) and peptide-aldehyde inhibitors of atrial granule serine proteinase, the candidate processing enzyme of pro-atrial natrieuretic factor, are prepared in high yield and purity by novel synthetic routes. The ψ-bond compounds retain essential residues for enzyme binding, but place the enzyme inhibition site in the midst of the peptide sequence. Thus, Bz-APR-ψ-LR and Bz-APR-ψ-SLRR can be considered “readthrough inhibitors” of atrial granule serine proteinase. The most potent ψ-peptide, Bz-APR-ψ-SLRR (IC50=250 ΜM), is about fivefold less potent than the best peptide-aldehyde inhibitor (EACA-APR-CHO), and both the ψ-bond and peptide-aldehyde compounds are competitive, reversible inhibitors of the enzyme. The ψ-bond peptides containing two C-terminal Arg residues are three-to tenfold more potent than the analogous compounds containing only one C-terminal Arg residue, confirming the importance of both Arg residues in the enzyme processing recognition site. As expected, because of their moderate potencies, the ψ-peptides are not useful affinity ligands for purification of atrial granule serine proteinase, but both peptide aldehydes are effective affinity ligands [Damodaran and Harris (1995),J. Protein Chem., this issue].
Educational Supervision and Knowledge of Self-Concept.

(1971). Educational supervision and knowledge of self‐concept. The Teacher Educator: Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 20-25.
Applying the reciprocal dose principle to heterogeneous phantoms: practical experience from Monte Carlo studies.

The reciprocity theorem states that for any pair of regions in a uniform isotropic or uniform scatter less model, the specific absorbed fraction ( Phi ) is independent of which region is designated source and which is designated target. Although the conditions of these models are not met by phantoms heterogeneous in tissue composition and density, calculations with a Monte Carlo radiation transport code show that in many cases the reciprocal Phi s from photon radiation are approximately equal. In these cases one may speak of the 'reciprocity principle'. Previous workers have estimates that the principle is valid within a factor of 2 (Snyder, 1970) or within about 20% (Mayneord and Clarke, 1975), except when one of the organs in the pair considered is the skeleton, where the reciprocal Phi s may differ by as much as a factor of 4. The author finds that the principle holds within at least 10% when both organs are of near-unit-density. When one of the organs is near the tissue-vacuum boundary (skin, breasts, or testes), the reciprocal Phi s may differ by as much as 10% or so at energies where scattering is marked. When one of the organs is the lungs or the whole body, a comparable error may occur at some energies. It is concluded that more extensive use of the reciprocity principle in internal dose computations in heterogeneous phantoms is warranted.
Can topological indices transmit information on properties but not on structures

A survey of several topological indices (TIs) is provided according to the nature (integers or real numbers) of the local vertex invariants (LOVIs) and of the resulting molecular descriptor (TI). The 1st generation TIs such as the Wiener index when both the LOVIs and the TI are integers have a very high degeneracy. This fact can become an asset for the problem under discussion: when confronted with the “inverse problem” (reverse engineering) such indices lead to a combinatorial explosion of possible solutions. On the other extreme, TIs with very low degeneracy may also offer the possibility to transmit information on properties but not on structures, because they may be too difficult to lend themselves to reverse engineering in a reasonable amount of time. Several such indices are discussed: the novel second-generation index G (derived from the average distance-based connectivity index J in order to include a dependence on graph size and cyclicity), and third-generation indices such as the triplet TI denoted by DN2S(4) or the Kier–Hall index TOTOP. The intercorrelation of these indices is discussed: G is almost linearly-correlated with DN2S(4), and shows a different type of correlation with TOTOP.
The issue of microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva: An evaluation of the criteria of diagnosis and methods of therapy

Current literature on definition, metastatic potential, and treatment of microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva is reviewed. There is marked disparity among the various reports about the features of this lesion that are most crucial in predicting the propensity to recur or metastasize. Nonuniformity of the techniques for measuring stromal invasion is noted among many of them as well. The issue of conservative versus more aggressive surgical treatment of microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva is discussed within the context of the reviewed data. One should exercise prudence in determining which affected patients are appropriate candidates for conservative surgical therapy.
Joint optimization of airline pricing and fare class seat allocation

Although researchers have considered them as separate optimization problems, airline pricing and seat inventory control are interrelated and should ideally be considered as a single optimization problem. This article presents an approach for modeling the combined effects of pricing and fare class seat allocation on realized passenger demand, with the objective of solving for the optimal fares and fare class booking limits jointly and simultaneously. In our model, the underlying demand volume is a function of fares and we develop an approach for determining the impact of booking limits on the proportion of underlying demand that is accepted. On the basis of this insight, we formulate and solve a revenue maximization problem in which both fares and booking limits are the decision variables in a simplified problem with two fare classes and two booking periods.
Nanofabric PLA Architecture with Double Variable Redundancy

It has been shown that fundamental electronic structures such as Diodes, and FET's can be constructed using selectively doped semiconducting carbon nanotubes or silicon nanowires (CNT's, SiNW's) at nanometer scale. Memory and Logic cores using these technologies have been proposed, that use the configurable junctions in two-dimensional crossbars of CNT's. These memories and logic arrays at this scale exhibit significant amount of defects that account for poor yield. Configuration of these devices in presence of defects demands for an overhead in terms of area and programming time. In this work, we introduce a PLA (programmable logic array) configuration that makes use of design-specific redundancy in terms of number of nanowires, in order to simplify the process of programming the PLA, increase the yield and reduce the time complexity and in turn, the cost of the system.
Learning Activities for Understanding Aging

This article describes five learning activities for use in courses on aging. The activities concern knowledge of aging, aging stereotypes, personal feelings about aging, aging as portrayed on birthday cards, and old age as represented on television. These activities may help increase awareness of feelings toward aging.
“Petticoated devils”: Scottish highland soldiers in British accounts of the Indian rebellion

This article investigates the anomalies that surround the figure of the Highland soldier in accounts of the 1857 Indian Rebellion. Reading a variety of published military and historical material, I argue that the figure can be seen as a unique cultural locus in which complex and ultimately contradictory notions of alterity collide and merge. In such accounts, the figure of the Highland soldier plays a unique role in nationalist discourse as the embodiment of the British fighting essence against an insurgent barbaric foe. Highland soldiers were considered the “shock troops” of Britain's army in India, whose kilted garb was thought to incite panic among native Sepoy resisters. Yet at the same time, the figure's idealization is premised on the ethnographic assumptions as to the essential proclivity of Highland society toward warfare. As this form of society was deemed an inherently martial one, Highland soldiers were deemed naturally good fighters. Thus a colonial discourse underpins the creation of an exemp...
Magnetic Fields in Nonlinear Salient Pole Alternators

The flux densities under load are established in the cross section of salient pole alternators of low pole numbers. The two-dimensional partial differential equations describing the magnetic vector potentials are first transformed in partial difference equations and a new algorithm is given. A combination of rectangular and polar grids is used to follow the contours of the alternator. The reluctivity of the material is assumed to be the function of the magnetic induction. An iteration procedure consisting of relaxation of the vector potentials using a new form of blockrelaxation and underrelaxation of reluctivities is described. A computer program in FORTRAN language is given and applied to find the airgap radial inductions for a 2750-kVA, 2300-volt, 60-Hz, three-phase, eight-pole alternator.
DETERMINING SAMPLE SIZE FOR PLANNED AND POST HOC ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE COMPARISONS1

The purpose of this paper is to present some new procedures for estimating the appropriate (or at least, the approximate) number of subjects to include in educational experiments designed to detect differences among two or more treatments. The major appeal of these procedures is essentially threefold: (a) they do not require an estimate of the unknown within-treatment variance previously acknowledged as a difficult task for most researchers (e.g., Feldt, 1973), (b) they consist of a straightforward extension (to multi-treatment and multi-factor designs) of a concept proposed for the case in which only two treatments are compared (e.g., Cohen, 1969), and (c) they are adaptable to the testing of "planned comparisons" (cf. Hays, 1973)-both directional and nondirectional-which in certain conditions has distinct economic advantages. In addition, because of the great versatility of the basic approach, it is applicable not only to situations wherein subjects are randomly assigned to treatments (completely randomized designs), but to those wherein subjects are matched or "blocked" on some relevant control variable prior to assignment (randomized block designs), when subjects serve as their own controls (repeated measures designs), when a control variable is employed as a "covariate" in the design, or when the appropriate "experimental unit" consists of something other than individual subjects (as when groups of students or classrooms are simultaneously administered a single treatment). Due to space limitations, however, only a brief discussion of the basic approach, along with an example illustrating its usage, will be included here. To set the stage, suppose that a researcher is interested in determining whether there are performance differences associated with K independently administered .treatments. Under the assumptions of random sampling and, especially, random assignment of subjects to treatments, a one-way analysis of variance (as an extension of the two-sample t test) might be conducted to assess whether the observed mean differences in performance exceed what would have been expected on the basis of chance. Should such an F test prove statistically significant, the researcher might then wish to identify which of the K treatment means differ from one another. Thus, a multiple comparison procedure such as that of Tukey or Schefft (cf. Kirk, 1968) would generally be selected in order to determine which means or combinations of means were responsible for rejecting the hypothesis of no differences.2 While previous approaches to the determination of "sample size" have generally been framed with regard to the probability of rejecting the no-difference hypothesis per se, the present approach is framed with regard to the probability of detecting
Seasonal changes in the water metabolism of woodrats.

Dusky-footed woodrats (Neotoma fuscipes) and desert woodrats (N. lepida) experience pronounced seasonal variations in the aridity of their habitats. The effects of seasonal aridity upon the water conserving abilities of these species were assessed through measurements of water conserving abilities and kidney structure of animals captured in summer and winter, and through measurements of animals' abilities to acclimate to differing water availabilities in the laboratory. Urine concentrating ability was the water conserving mechanism most responsive to changes in the availability of water. Summer and summeracclimated N. fuscipes (431.7 and 459.4 mEqCl-/1) demonstrated urine Cl- concentrating abilities substantially greater than those of winter and winter-acclimated N. fuscipes (245.7 and 337.4 mEqCl-/1). Summer, winter-acclimated, and winter N. lepida exhibited urine Cl- concentrations equivalent to those of winter N. fuscipes; summer-acclimated N. lepida exhibited markedly greater values (466.7 mEqCl-/l) equivalent to those of summer and summer-acclimated N. fuscipes. Measurements of relative thicknesses of renal cortex and medulla yielded no significant differences among the experimental groups of N. fuscipes and N. lepida, thus suggesting that both species possess equal abilities to concentrate urine. These data are confirmed by urine concentrations of summer-acclimated animals of both species. Water conserving abilities of both species correlate well with climatic and dietary plant water content data. Thus, during the dry, warm summer months (when plant moisture is reduced) N. fuscipes conserves water mainly through increased urine concentration. The laboratory acclimation data and differences between summer and winter animals strongly suggest that N. fuscipes undergoes an acclimatization to the seasonal aridity which increases gradually during spring and peaks in late summer, thus enabling this water-dependent species to exist on reduced water requirements. The uniformly low water conserving abilities of winter-acclimated, winter, and summer N. lepida physiologically verify the previous reports that this species satisfies its water requirements through utilization of succulent cactus, thereby avoiding the stress of summer aridity in its habitat. The fact that both species exhibit equal capacities to conserve water indicates that the much greater geographic distribution of N. lepida is not the result of differences in physiological water conserving abilities, but instead may be the result of specific physiological adaptation by N. lepida to utilization of cactus and other plants containing noxious or toxic compounds.
Predictors of early treatment discontinuation in a cohort of patients treated with boceprevir‐based therapy for hepatitis C infection

Summary In this real-world cohort, 49% of patients stopped boceprevir-based hepatitis C therapy early, with only 20% stopping due to treatment futility. Having more comorbidities was significantly associated with early discontinuation. Tolerability of boceprevir-based regimens may be substantially worse than reported in clinical trials, particularly for patients with comorbidities.
Heat Transfer Analysis for Gas-to-Liquids Transportation Through Trans Alaska Pipeline

Abstract Gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology involves the conversion of natural gas to liquid hydrocarbons. In this article, theoretical studies have been presented to determine the feasibility of transporting GTL products through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS). To successfully transport GTL through TAPS, heat loss along the route must be carefully determined. This study presents heat transfer and fluid dynamic calculations to evaluate this feasibility. Because of heat loss, the fluid temperature decreases in the direction of flow and this affects the fluid properties, which in turn influence convection coefficient and pumping power requirements. The temperature and heat loss distribution along the pipeline at different locations have been calculated. Fairly good agreement with measured oil temperatures is observed. The powers required to pump crude oil and GTL individually, against various losses have been calculated. Two GTL transportation modes have been considered; one as a pure stream of GTL and...
Effect of Smoking on the Cardiovascular System of Man

In normal subjects smoking or the injection of nicotine produces transient vascular effects on the heart and blood vessels. Apparently tobacco angina or tobacco heart is a clinical entity. Abnormal vascular responses after smoking in normal subjects may be due to hypersensitivity to nicotine, such as occurs in tobacco heart, or to the effect of nicotine on a vascular system demonstrated to be hyperreactive by the cold pressor test. Tobacco is one of the most prominent contributing factors in thromboangiitis obliterans, as thromboangiitis is rarely found in nonsmokers. The question as to whether the effects of smoking are due to sudden increased work of the heart or constriction of the coronary artery has stimulated a great amount of research. There is evidence to support both theories. The findings of abnormal ballistocardiograms before and after smoking in the offspring of hypertensive parents and after smoking in the offspring of parents with coronary heart disease are highly important. Statistically co...
Oxidation of Ultrafast Radical Clock Substrate Probes by the Soluble Methane Monooxygenase from Methylococcus capsulatus(Bath)

Radical clock substrate probes were used to assess the viability of a discrete substrate radical species in the mechanism of hydrocarbon oxidation by the soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) from Methylococcus capsulatus(Bath). New substituted cyclopropane probes were used with very fast ring-opening rate constants and other desirable attributes, such as the ability to discriminate between radical and cationic intermediates. Oxidation of these substrates by a reconstituted sMMO system resulted in no rearranged products, allowing an upper limit of 150 fs to be placed on the lifetime of a putative radical species. This limit strongly suggests that there is no such substrate radical intermediate. The two enantiomers of trans-1-methyl-2-phenyl-cyclopropane were prepared, and the regioselectivity of their oxidation to the corresponding cyclopropylmethanol and cyclopropylphenol products was determined. The results are consistent with selective orientation of the two enantiomeric substrates in the hydrophobic cavity at the active site of sMMO, specific models for which were examined by molecular modeling.
Attitude Representation: Attitudes as Patterns in a Distributed, Connectionist Representational System

How we think about the representation of attitudes has a profound impact on how we think about attitudes themselves, attitude change, and the attitude–behavior relationship. In this article, we briefly review the model of attribute representation in a distributed, connectionist memory system, which portrays attitudes as time–dependent states of the system rather than as static “things” that are “stored” in memory. This model is particularly well–suited to addressing some of the field's most pressing questions about the multiplicity of attitudes and their stability (or instability) over time. We address several of these questions from the distributed, connectionist perspective, concluding that the new model renders some questions meaningless, suggests straightforward answers to others, and hints at exciting new hypotheses about the answers to still others.
Knowledge-based process planning for electronic assembly

The conventional method of electronic assembly planning is subjective and depends greatly on the skills, memory, knowledge and experience of the planners. This gives rise to inconsistencies which in turn create problems in the manufacturing environment. Since the computer logics are systematic and consistent, it is conceivable that an automatic electronic assembly planning system would have advances over manual systems. Due to the frequent advances in technology the electronic industry is a very dynamic one. This affects the effectiveness of the current process plans and the applicability of the system that generates them. In this paper important issues which address the automatic generation of process plans will be presented. The framework of a system which takes into account the dynamic nature of the environment will be introduced as an example.
Compressive yielding of tungsten fiber reinforced bulk metallic glass composites

In-situ uniaxial compression tests were conducted on four tungsten fiber reinforced bulk metallic glass matrix composites using neutron diffraction. The results were interpreted with a finite element model. Both phases were seen to approximately obey the von Mises yield criterion. The fibers were observed to yield first and then transfer load to the matrix.
Design, syntheses, and studies of supramolecular porphyrin-fullerene conjugates, using bis-18-crown-6 appended porphyrins and pyridine or alkyl ammonium functionalized fullerenes.

Photoinduced electron-transfer processes in cis and trans functionalized bis-18-crown-6 porphyrin self-assembled with fullerene functionalized with pyridine or alkylammonium cation entities are reported. The structural integrity of the newly formed supramolecular conjugates was accomplished by optical absorption and emission, electron spray ionization mass, electrochemistry, and semiempirical PM3 calculations. A 1:2 stoichiometry of the supramolecular porphyrin:fullerene conjugates was deduced from these studies. The conjugates revealed stable “two-point”' binding involving metal−ligand coordination and alkylammonium cation−crown ether binding or only the latter type of binding depending upon the functionality of the fullerene and metal ion in the porphyrin cavity. The effect of the variation on free energy changes of charge separation and the charge recombination was achieved by varying the metal ion in the porphyrin cavity. The charge-separation rates (kCS) determined from the picosecond time-resolved e...
Optical properties of human trabecular meshwork in the visible and near-infrared region.

Background and Objectives Despite disparate treatment parameters, similar success in laser trabeculoplasty (LT) is attained using the argon (514.5 nm) and diode (810 nm) laser. However, the mechanism of this success remains unresolved. To further understand LT, this study characterizes the optical properties of trabecular meshwork (TM). Study Design/Materials and Methods Reflectance was measured from 10 TM samples over wavelengths of 400–820 nm, using an integrating sphere/spectrophotometer. Corrections were made for reflections at boundaries of refractive index mismatch. Kubelka-Munk coefficients were calculated and converted to linear transport coefficients. Results Scattering greatly dominated absorption. The scattering and absorption coefficients were, respectively, 141.20 ± 15.80 cm−1 and 4.89 ± 1.95 cm−1 at 514.5 nm, and 94.44 ± 15.03 cm−1 and 0.0874 ± 0.111 cm−1 at 810 nm (estimated anisotropy of 0.90). The corresponding penetration depths (1/e) were 69 μm (514.5 nm) and 106 μm (810 nm). Conclusion The absorption coefficient of 514 nm energy is two orders of magnitude greater than 810 nm energy, while scattering coefficients are much closer. The fluence used at 514.5 nm is higher at the surface than that at 810 nm, but falls below it deep within the TM due to the differential absorption. Therefore, similar initial therapeutic effects are obtained with 810 nm using less total absorbed energy. Thermal damage resultant from excess energy deposited at 514.5 nm may be related to the lack of success in repeat argon LT, pointing out the need for studies of repeat diode LT. Lasers Surg. Med. 25:348–362, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Complement-requiring neutralizing antibodies in cattle to infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus

Six-month-old calves were given one injection or two injections 14 days apart, with a vaccine strain of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) virus. Six months later the calves received a similar injection. Serum neutralizing antibody titers to IBR virus were determined with and without complement (C′). Nine days after the 1st injection, titers were 16- to 64-fold higher with than without C′. Complement-requiring neutralizing (CRN) antibodies rapidly decreased relative to non-CRN (NCRN) antibodies. Titers 6 months after the 1st injection, although low, were the same or twofold higher with than without C′. An injection of IBR virus at 6 months stimulated the production of NCRN, but not CRN, antibodies. Differences between titers determined with and without C′ of healthy, adult cattle were low. It was concluded that early in the primary response CRN antibodies were preferentially produced compared with NCRN antibodies and, that if this phenomenon occurs in naturally infected cattle, this observation could be useful from a diagnostic point of view. A possible effect of the injection at 14 days in prolonging the CRN antibody response was also observed.
Laboratory-derived light and temperature preferences of juvenile mysid shrimp, Mysis diluviana

ABSTRACT The depth selection behaviors of juvenile mysids, Mysis diluviana, exposed to different temperature and light gradients in the laboratory were compared to those observed in previous studies on adult mysids to determine whether mysid light and temperature preferences have an ontogenetic component. Juvenile mysids most strongly preferred 11 °C, which is 5 °C higher than those most preferred by adults, but both size classes completely avoided temperatures of 16 °C and greater. Juveniles and adults preferred light levels between 10-5 and 10-6 lx, or ∼10-7 and 10-8 “mylux” — a unit of brightness specific for mysid vision; however, juveniles did not display avoidance behaviors until 10-0.6 mylux (∼44 lx), compared to adults which avoid light levels of 10-3 mylux, or ∼0.1 lx, and above. Because the differences in preferences between juveniles and adults were more pronounced in relation to temperature than to light, we expect stronger vertical separation of mysid size classes during periods of the year w...
Reproductive performance of female rats treated with cyclophosphamide and/or LHRH agonist

Abstract Previous studies addressing the ovarian protective effects of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone agonists (LHRHa) against adverse effects of chemotherapy have examined histologic and /or hormonal parameters without evaluating reproductive performance. In this report, we initially established a model for chronic treatment of female rats with cyclophosphamide (CTX) that allowed long term survival. In a second experiment, thirty seven female cycling rats (age: 70 days) were divided into 4 treatment groups. They were given either CTX (4 mg/kg/day, 5 days/week) for a total of 76 days (217 mg/kg) and/or the LHRHa leuprolide (Lupron) 5 μg/day by subcutaneous minipump (Alza) for 98 days. LHRHa was started 10 days before CTX and ended 12 days after the last CTX injection. All LHRHa-treated rats entered persistent diestrus. At the end of treatment, most rats treated with CTX only were in persistent estrus. Breeding was started at 218 days of age. A laparotomy to count implantation sites was performed 15 to 16 days after vaginal plug/sperm was demonstrated. All nonpregnant rats were remated. Chi square and ANOVA were used for statistical analysis. The data presented demonstrate that: 1. LHRHa given before and after CTX increased the pregnancy rate/mating (from 4/11 to 9/10; P
Do differences in relationship and partner attributes explain disparities in sexually transmitted disease among young white and black women

Using data from 1695 respondents aged 15 to 24 years to the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth, we examined black/white differences in marital history and sex with older, casual, and nonmonogamous partners, as well as the associations of these differences with self-reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease (STD) history. Although characteristics of sexual partners and relationships often differed by race, this did not explain racial disparities in STDs.
Desperate or Deviant? Causes of Criminal Behavior Among TANF Recipients

As state welfare rolls declined significantly throughout the 1990s and into the new millennium, female criminality was on the rise. Under these circumstances, we examine the links between gender, welfare receipt, financial hardship and crime. We ask, did the 1996 welfare reform legislation affect the criminal behavior of current and former recipients? Does going off welfare increase the likelihood of committing an offense, as many critics of the reform argued that it would? Or is there more crime among women who remain on the rolls, as the culture of dependency argument suggests? Using the Illinois Families Study (IFS), a longitudinal study of individuals who were receiving welfare in Illinois in 1998, we explore trends in arrest by welfare receipt and employment. We find that financial hardship, in both the forms of unemployment and non-receipt of welfare, is significantly associated with an increased hazard of criminal behavior.
Academic physiatry. An attractive alternative.

Abstract This presentation will review academic programs and discuss the pros and cons of academic practice. The role of the academic physiatrist in the future and the requirements for improving academic programs will be addressed. Like any other medical specialty, the viability of physical medicine and rehabilitation depends on its acceptance as an academic discipline. In recent years, there has been a number of positive indicators for strengthening academic physiatry including: increased educational exposure to medical students, increased number of residency programs and percentage filled and increased emphasis on research activities. Academic practice of physiatry should appeal to the individual with the following goals in life: (1) increase involvement in scholarly activities; (2) be on the cutting edge of new techniques and concepts of practice; (3) become a recognized expert in subspecialization areas; (4) vary practice more evenly between direct and indirect patient care activities; (5) work in an intellectually stimulating environment but with some constraint on one's destiny; (6) obtain adequate but not high financial rewards supplemented by a high benefit package; and (7) make a significant impact on the future of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the national level. Because academic physiatry will significantly influence the determination of what is rehabilitation and who will practice it, we must strive to improve the quantity and quality of academic programs. Areas especially needing attention are research and education to establish the scientific basis of the field and to train qualified personnel. To meet these goals, high quality clinical and scholarly programs with subspecialization, an adequate financial base and good marketing program will be necessary.
Transient Thermal Deformations of the Interphase in Polymer Composites

Abstract Heterodyne micro-interferometry was utilized to measure out-of-plane transient displacements in the interphase due to thermal cycling. In-situ measurements were made on single carbon fiber/epoxy samples with interphases of varying glass transition temperature. Interphase properties were tailored such that one set of samples had fibers which were coated with a low Tg resin, another set had a higher Tg coating, and in the third set the fibers were uncoated. The interferometric data demonstrated that interphase Tg has a significant effect on the rate and magnitude of the thermal deformations at the fiber/matrix interface. The presence of a low Tg interphase caused an increase in the magnitude of the thermal displacements due to a local softening of the matrix and increase in coefficient of thermal expansion. In addition, the rate at which the displacements increase was also higher due to the reduction in Tg. Samples with untreated fibers (no tailored interphase) behaved as if a low Tg interphase had...
Intercalation chemistry and energy storage

Abstract The reaction between lithium and titanium disulfide is used to show the relationship between intercalation chemistry and electrochemical energy storage. The maintenance of crystalline structure with only a 10% lattice expansion perpendicular to the sulfide sheets allows high rates of reaction with lithium and complete reversibility of the reaction. The behavior of TaS2 and VSe2 are compared with that of TiS2. Many oxides and other chalcogenides of the early group transition metals are also able to react with lithium to form ternary compounds, but none of these have to date shown the high reversibility of titanium disulfide.
National identity: Inside and out

(1998). National identity: Inside and out. Security Studies: Vol. 8, The Origins of National Interests, pp. 1-34.
H ERIBERT B USSE , Islam, Judaism, and Christianity: Theological and Historical Affiliations , trans. Allison Brown, Princeton Series on the Middle East (Princeton, N.J.: Markus Wiener Publishers, 1998). Pp. 207.

This book has, at the very least, four purposes: (1) to introduce general readers to the early history of Islam; (2) to sketch some of the salient features of the relationships among Muslims, Jews, and Christians in the Arabian Peninsula in the time leading up to and including the 7th century; (3) to summarize, compare, and contrast some of the key stories about figures in the Qur ⊃ an and Bible; and (4) to point to several of the key events, publications, and Muslim and Christian intellectuals involved in Muslim–Christian dialogue during modern times. The volume is divided into six chapters. In the Introduction, Busse introduces some of the key concepts within Islam and several significant 19th- and 20th-century scholarly works on Islam by Western writers. In the second chapter, he examines the political and religious background of the rise of Islam (giving particular attention to the pre-Islamic religious practices endemic to 7th-century Arabia as well as the historic presence of Jews and Christians in that region), the role of Mecca as a trading center, the complexities of the relationship of the Hanifs to the early Muslim community, and the various textual and oral sources which Muhammad may have used in the formulation of the Qur ⊃ an.
De novo identification of highly active fluorescent kappa opioid ligands from a rhodamine labeled tetrapeptide positional scanning library

Highly active fluorescent compounds having kappa opioid activity were identified following the screening in a kappa-specific radioligand binding assay of a positional scanning tetrapeptide combinatorial library in which every tetrapeptide was fluorescently labeled. Lissamine rhodamine B sulfonyl chloride was coupled to the N terminal of a mixture-based tetrapeptide positional scanning library made up of over 7.3 million tetrapeptides. Upon determination of the most active mixtures for each position of the library in the kappa binding assay, individual rhodamine labeled tetrapeptides were then synthesized and tested to determine their activities. Eight individual rhodamine labeled peptides were identified that were specific for the kappa opioid receptor, having binding affinities ranging from 5-20 nM. These peptides were poor inhibitors at the mu and delta receptors (K(i)>5,000 nM). Furthermore, neither rhodamine itself nor these same tetrapeptides lacking the N-terminal rhodamine had any significant activity at the kappa receptor, indicating that both the tetrapeptide sequence and the rhodamine moiety are required for receptor binding. This study has demonstrated that novel fluorescent compounds with intrinsic activity can be identified through the use of combinatorial chemistry.
Dramatic increases in obesity and overweight prevalence and body mass index among ethnic-immigrant and social class groups in the United States, 1976-2008.

This study examined trends in US obesity and overweight prevalence and body mass index (BMI) among 30 immigrant groups, stratified by race/ethnicity and length of immigration, and among detailed education, occupation, and income/poverty groups from 1976 to 2008. Using 1976–2008 National Health Interview Surveys, differentials in obesity, overweight, and BMI, based on self-reported height and weight, were analyzed by using disparity indices, logistic, and linear regression. The obesity prevalence for the US population aged ≥18 tripled from 8.7% in 1976 to 27.4% in 2008. Overweight prevalence increased from 36.9% in 1976 to 62.0% in 2008. During 1991–2008, obesity prevalence for US-born adults increased from 13.9 to 28.7%, while prevalence for immigrants increased from 9.5 to 20.7%. While immigrants in each ethnic group and time period had lower obesity and overweight prevalence and BMI than the US-born, immigrants’ risk of obesity and overweight increased with increasing duration of residence. In 2003–2008, obesity prevalence ranged from 2.3% for recent Chinese immigrants to 31–39% for American Indians, US-born blacks, Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans, and long-term Mexican and Puerto Rican immigrants. Between 1976 and 2008, the obesity prevalence more than quadrupled for those with a college education or sales occupation. Although higher prevalence was observed for lower education, income, and occupation levels in each period, socioeconomic gradients in obesity and overweight decreased over time because of more rapid increases in prevalence among higher socioeconomic groups. Continued immigrant and socioeconomic disparities in prevalence will likely have substantial impacts on future obesity trends in the US.
Hydrocarbon Biodegradation in Hypersaline Environments

When mineral oil, hexadecane, and glutamate were added to natural samples of varying salinity (3.3 to 28.4%) from salt evaporation ponds and Great Salt Lake, Utah, rates of metabolism of these compounds decreased as salinity increased. Rate limitations did not appear to relate to low oxygen levels or to the availability of organic nutrients. Some oxidation of l-[U-14C]glutamic acid occurred even at extreme salinities, whereas oxidation of [1-14C]hexadecane was too low to be detected. Gas chromatographic examination of hexane-soluble components of tar samples from natural seeps at Rozel Point in Great Salt Lake demonstrated no evidence of biological oxidation of isoprenoid alkanes subject to degradation in normal environments. Some hexane-soluble components of the same tar were altered by incubation in a low-salinity enrichment culture inoculated with garden soil. Attempts to enrich for microorganisms in saline waters able to use mineral oil as a sole source of carbon and energy were successful below, but not above, about 20% salinity. This study strongly suggests a general reduction of metabolic rate at extreme salinities and raises doubt about the biodegradation of hydrocarbons in hypersaline environments.
Fault Tolerant Sorting—Theoretical and Empirical Analyses of the Randomized QuickMergesort Algorithm

This paper introduces a new paradigm in the design of sorting algorithms, viz., fault tolerance. Fault tolerance is an important concept in modern day computing and design workflows must accommodate this need. In general, there are a number of avenues for faults to occur and techniques to address the same; this paper focusses on only one source of faulty behavior, viz., process termination. Process termination, as a cause of faulty behavior, is important from the perspective of various applications in real-time scheduling. In order to measure the effectiveness of a fault tolerant protocol, it is necessary to define a suitable metric and analyze the performance of the protocol with respect to that metric. We measure the “unsortedness” of an array, as characterized by the number of inversion pairs that remain when the sorting algorithm (process) terminates. This paper proposes a new algorithm for sorting called the Randomized QuickMergesort (RQMS) algorithm. RQMS has a higher degree of fault tolerance than either Randomized Quicksort (RQS) or Mergesort (MS), in that fewer inversion pairs remain when it terminates. Likewise, RQMS has a lower comparison overhead than RQS and is more space-efficient than MS. Our empirical analysis, which was conducted over a wide variety of distributions, conclusively establishes that RQMS is the algorithm of choice, when fault tolerance is paramount in the application.
A monomer-to-trimer transition of the human mitochondrial transcription termination factor (mTERF) is associated with a loss of in vitro activity.

The human mitochondrial transcription termination factor (mTERF) is a nuclear-encoded 39-kDa protein that recognizes a mtDNA segment within the mitochondrial tRNALeu(UUR) gene immediately adjacent to and downstream of the 16 S rRNA gene. Binding of mTERF to this site promotes termination of rDNA transcription. Despite the fact that mTERF binds DNA as a monomer, the presence in its sequence of three leucine-zipper motifs suggested the possibility of mTERF establishing intermolecular interactions with proteins of the same or different type. When a mitochondrial lysate from HeLa cells was submitted to gel filtration chromatography, mTERF was eluted in two peaks, as detected by immunoblotting. The first peak, which varied in proportion between 30 and 50%, appeared at the position expected from the molecular mass of the monomer (41 ± 2 kDa), and the gel filtration fractions that contained it exhibited DNA binding activity. Most interestingly, the material in this peak had a strong stimulating activity on in vitro transcription of the mitochondrial rDNA. The second peak eluted at a position corresponding to an estimated molecular mass of 111 ± 5 kDa. No mTERF DNA binding activity could be detected in the corresponding gel filtration fractions. Therefore, we propose that mTERF exists in mitochondria in two forms, an active monomer and an inactive large size complex. The estimated molecular weight of this complex and the fact that purified mTERF can be eluted from a gel filtration column as a complex of the same molecular weight strongly suggest that this inactive complex is a homotrimer of mTERF.
Differential Influence of ATP on Native Spinach 70-Kilodalton Heat-Shock Cognates

A constitutively expressed class of 70-kD heat-shock cognate (HSC70) proteins from spinach leaf tissue was purified based on their affinity for ATP-agarose. The affinity-purified spinach proteins were resolved into at least three different forms on two-dimensional gels. Under native conditions, and in the absence of ATP, the affinity-purified proteins were separated into three molecular mass classes by gel-filtration chromatography; a monomer of 85 kD, a multimer of 280 kD, and a large molecular mass oligomer of >650 kD. All molecular mass forms contained a major protein that migrated at 79 kD on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. N-terminal sequencing of the 79-kD purified monomer showed the highest homology to the endoplasmic reticulum-luminal HSC70. Addition of Mg-ATP to monomeric HSC70 did not alter its migration during gel filtration. Addition of Mg-ATP to the dimer converted it to monomer and oligomeric forms, whereas the presence of ATP converted a fraction of the large molecular mass oligomeric form of HSC70 to dimeric and monomeric forms. Only the large molecular mass oligomeric HSC70 appears to autophosphorylate in vitro in the presence of [[gamma]-32P]- ATP. Dimers and monomers can bind ATP by a nonhydrolytic mechanism and undergo a conformational change in the presence of Mg-ATP. In this paper we discuss the effects that ATP may have on the regulation of plant HSC70.