cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hemodynamic comparison of dopamine and dobutamine in the postoperative volume-loaded, pressure-loaded, and normal ventricle.

We compared dopamine and dobutamine in 17 patients after cardiac operations, with each patient serving as his own control for both drugs. Six patients had coronary bypass (Group I, normal ventricle); six had valve replacement for mitral or aortic insufficiency (Group II, volume-loaded ventricle); and five had valve replacement for aortic stenosis (Group III, pressure-loaded ventricle). Heart rate, right atrial, left atrial, pulmonary artery, and systemic arterial pressures, pulmonary vascular (PVR) and systemic vascular (SVR) resistances, and cardiac index were measured. Data were collected 18 to 24 hours postoperatively before, during, and after elective infusion of dopamine and dobutamine at 2.5 and 5.0 μg / kg / min. A 60 minute infusion of the first drug (30 minutes at each dosage) was followed by a 60 minute control period and then by a 60 minute infusion of the second drug. Control values before each drug, control versus peak response at 5.0 μg/kg/min, and the absolute values and mean percent changes from control were compared. In the normal ventricle (Group I), dobutamine is more chronotropic (heart rate increased 20%), causes a greater increase in cardiac output (+19%), and a greater reduction in SVR (- 13%) and PVR (- 19%) than dopamine. In the volume-loaded ventricle (Group II), dopamine and dobutamine augment heart rate (+31% and +36%) and cardiac output (+33% and +32%) equally, but dobutamine reduces left ventricular afterload (SVR fell 26%) significantly more than dopamine (SVR fell 11%). Neither agent produces significant hemodynamic changes in the pressure-loaded ventricle (Group III), although there is a trend toward greater left ventricular afterload reduction with dobutamine.
Copper- and Zinc-Binding Components in Rat Intestine

Protein-metal interactions encompass a wide variety of metabolic processes. Several of the papers presented in this symposium demonstrate that metals react with enzymes or proteins and thereby promote catalytic activity and/or maintain functional conformation. Protein-metal interactions are also involved in metal storage, i. e. ferritin, and metal transport in the blood, i. e. transferrin. In addition, there is an increasing awareness that proteins and peptides are involved in metal transport across biological membranes (1–3).
El dinero de los anarquistas

En La Novela n.o 13, de Wenceslao Fernandez-Florez, publica-da en 1941 —si no la unica, si una de las muy pocas novelas de humor que tenemos sobre la Guerra Civil espanola—, un James Bond avant la lettre, Charles Ring, es enviado a Espana en 1936 por el Gobierno ingles para que salve de un destino incierto y devuelva a su pais a un caballo de pura raza inglesa, llamado Woltan, un ganador del Derby, que ha quedado desamparado y en grave peligro tras el asesinato de su dueno espanol, un duque aficionado a las carreras. En atencion a los que no hayan leido la novela, no les desvelare el desenlace de la historia, pero si que el periplo del agente secreto Ring por Espana en bus-ca de Woltan es ocasion de toda clase de aventuras y situacio-nes pintorescas, que Fernandez-Florez aprovecha para ridicu-lizar y chotearse lo mas posible de los revolucionarios de todas las especies. En cuanto a los anarquistas, que son sus predilectos por sus amplias posibilidades literarias, uno de los episodios trata del paso de Ring por un pueblo del Bajo Aragon, Villadonjuan del Rio —una invencion, naturalmente—, donde el alcalde, un anarquista libertario, ha decretado el nudismo integral obli-gatorio. Ring, haciendo gala de la mejor flema britanica, convive durante unos dias con los habitantes despelotados de Villa-donjuan, donde no puede completar su mision, pero tiene oca-sion de conocer y comprobar de primera mano las ventajas y razones del nudismo1. Unos dias despues, Ring intenta salvar a unos cuantos perros y gatos destinados a la venta en forma de filetes y chuletas y eso le lleva detenido a una especie de car-cel, adonde acude regularmente un criador de cerdos para com-prar cadaveres de fusilados con los que alimentar a sus animales, algo excusable, sin duda, en aquellos tiempos de penuria. Fer-nandez Florez aclara en una nota a pie de pagina que su ima-ginacion no llega a tanto como para inventar esta ultima his-toria: y, efectivamente, se trata de un suceso bien documentado, ocurrido en Cataluna durante la Guerra Civil2, aunque no cons-ta que el avispado criador de cerdos fuera de obediencia anar-quista o libertaria.
Immunomodulators in chronic rhinosinusitis.

Abstract Objective To provide new insight into how chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is conceptualized and treated with a focus on immunomodulator therapy. Data sources Pubmed, Medline, and Embase. Methods A current review of the evidence is provided for immunomodulators investigated for treatment of CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Results Biologic therapies targeting IgE, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 for the treatment of CRSwNP have shown promise and are currently in phase 3 trials. Anti-immunoglobin E (IgE) therapy with omalizumab was assessed in 6 studies, anti-interleukin (IL)-5 therapy in 3 studies (2 mepolizumab, 1 reslizumab) and anti IL-4/IL-13 (dupilumab) therapy in one study. Studied outcomes varied, but the majority of trials identified clinical benefit of therapy over placebo. Other potential targets include thymic stromal lymphopoetin (TSLP), IL-25, IL-33, and sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-type lectin (Siglec)-8. Small molecule drugs that target the dysregulation of the immune system in CRS are also being investigated for their immunomodulatory effects on inflammation. Conclusion Immunomodulator therapies for CRS currently in development will likely provide another therapeutic option for patients who have severe disease unresponsive to corticosteroids and surgery. Targeted monoclonal antibody therapies have shown encouraging results and phase 3 trials are underway. IL-4/IL-13 inhibition has shown the most promise to date. Further larger, well-designed trials are needed to improve understanding of these molecules and to offer endotype-driven therapies in the management of CRS. None of these therapeutics have shown long-term immunomodulation when discontinued and therefore further investigation into the pathomechanism of disease continues to be needed.
Concussion and the Student's Return to the Classroom

The physical, mental and emotional effects of a concussion vary from one individual to another. Concussion symptoms can affect a student's ability to participate in physical activity and academics....
Challenging clubfeet: the arthrogrypotic clubfoot and the complex clubfoot.

Abstract Within the realm of clubfoot deformities, teratologic and complex (or atypical) clubfeet stand out as the most difficult. Exemplarities of the teratologic types of clubfoot are those assoc...
Evolvability in Human Postcranial Traits Across Ecogeographic Regions

OBJECTIVES Though recent quantitative genetic analyses have indicated that directional selection appears to be acting on limb lengths and measures of body size in modern humans, these studies assume equal evolvability across modern human groups. However, differences in trait covariance structure due to ancient migration patterns and/or selection may limit the evolvability of populations further from Africa. This study therefore explores patterns of human evolvability across ecogeographic regions. MATERIALS AND METHODS Mean evolvability, respondability, conditional evolvability, and autonomy were calculated from variance-covariance matrices of limb length and body size measures representing 14 human groups spanning four ecogeographic regions. Measures of evolvability were compared across groups and regions, and the minimum sample size, inaccuracy, and bias were calculated for each. RESULTS When compared between regions, humans demonstrate significant differences between indices of evolvability across regions. Despite the relatively recent evolution of modern humans, several measures of evolvability show a strong negative correlation with latitude across regions, demonstrating a reduction in genetic variance that is potentially reflective of human migration and/or response to selection. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate the importance of establishing patterns of evolvability prior to additional quantitative genetic analyses, and emphasize the influence of sample size on the accuracy of estimated evolvability measures. These findings also suggest that while modern human groups share similar covariance structures, there is evidence for emergent differentiation in evolvability and respondability between human groups across ecogeographic regions, further complicating our ability to apply results derived from modern human groups to ancient hominin lineages.
The Relationship Between Engagement in Online Support Groups and Social Isolation Among Military Caregivers: Longitudinal Questionnaire Study.

Background: There is a lack of research on the effectiveness of online peer support groups for reducing social isolation and depressive symptoms among caregivers, and previous research has mixed results. Objective: This study aimed to test whether military caregivers who joined a new online peer support community or engaged with an existing online community experienced decreased perceived social isolation and improved depressive symptoms over 6 months. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study of 212 military caregivers who had newly joined an online community and those who were members of other military caregiver groups. Multiple indicators of perceived social isolation and depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and at 3 and 6 months. Results: Compared with caregivers in the comparison group, caregivers who joined the new group experienced less perceived social isolation at 3 months (eg, number of caregivers in social network [unstandardized regression coefficients] b=0.49, SE 0.19, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.02), but this effect did not persist at 6 months. Those who engaged more with new or existing groups experienced less perceived social isolation over time (eg, number of caregivers in social network b=0.18, SE 0.06, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.27), and this relationship was mediated by increased interactions with other military caregivers (95% CI 0.0046 to 0.0961). Engagement with an online group was not associated with improvements in depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Online communities might help reduce social isolation when members engage with the group, but more intensive treatment is needed to improve depressive symptoms.
Derivation and validation of a multivariable model, the alcohol withdrawal triage tool (AWTT), for predicting severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

Abstract Background Alcohol withdrawal and its consequences are a common concern for the large numbers of patients who present to emergency departments (EDs) with alcohol use disorders. While the majority of patients who go on to develop alcohol withdrawal experience only mild symptoms, a small proportion will experience seizures or delirium tremens. The aim of this study was to develop a tool to predict the need for hospital admission in patients at risk for alcohol withdrawal using only objective criteria that are typically available during the course of an ED visit. Methods We conducted a retrospective study at an academic medical center. Our primary outcome was severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome (SAWS), which we defined as a composite of delirium tremens, seizure, or use of high benzodiazepine doses. All candidate predictors were abstracted from the electronic health record. A logistic regression model was constructed using the derivation dataset to create the alcohol withdrawal triage tool (AWTT). Results Of the 2038 study patients, 408 20.0 %) developed SAWS. We identified eight independent predictors of SAWS. Each of the predictors in the regression model was assigned one point. Summing the points for each predictor generated the AWTT score. An AWTT score of 3 or greater was defined as high risk based on sensitivity of 90 % and specificity of 47 % for predicting SAWS. Conclusions We were able to identify a set of objective, timely, independent predictors of SAWS. The predictors were used to create a novel clinical prediction rule, the AWTT.
Modeling of a diaphragm-type viscoelastic dielectric elastomer energy transducer

In this paper, a diaphragm-type dielectric elastomer energy transducer is theoretically and numerically investigated by considering the viscoelastic behaviors of the material. The transducer is designed in the shape of a circular membrane. The buckling mode of the membrane is therefore harnessed to transform energy between its mechanical form and electrical form. It is shown that viscous dissipation has a significant impact on the electromechanical instability (EMI) of the transducer when it works as an actuator. It is found that, during the actuation, a smaller modulus ratio is easier to incur EMI. It is expected that there is a critical modulus ratio, beyond which a steady state can be achieved by circumventing the stress relaxation-induced EMI. When the transducer works as an energy harvester, viscous effect affects the efficiency of the energy harvester significantly. It is discovered that the efficiency is a function of both the modulus ratio of the material and the pressure ratio from the environment. For a fixed pressure ratio, the efficiency initially drops and then turns upward as the modulus ratio increases from 0 to 1. It is also shown that for the material state with a relatively small modulus ratio, the efficiency decreases as the pressure ratio increases. While for the material state with a relatively large modulus ratio, the efficiency rises along with the pressure ratio.
Diamagnetic Levitation Using High-Temperature Superconducting Wires for Microgravity Research and Mitigation in Human Spaceflight Applications

A novel use of high temperature superconducting (HTS) electromagnets for human sized microgravity research and mitigation is outlined. Recent advances in HTS technology have resulted in electromagnets that potentially could levitate large diamagnetic targets, such as human organs, for additive manufacturing or entire humans for microgravity training. These applications are then used as a springboard to discuss the possibility of active microgravity compensation and inertial dampeners for future space travel applications. Finite element simulations are used to check the validity of the designs and motivate future research.
FDG PET-CT for the characterization of extramedullary disease in pediatric patients with acute myelogenous leukemia

160 Objectives: To characterize the extent and location of metabolically active extramedullary disease (chloromas) in pediatric patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) using FDG PET/CT. Methods: From an institutional database search, we identified 170 patients with AML who underwent Diagnostic Imaging evaluations. Of these, 54 patients FDG PET/CT imaging for clinical management from April 2002 until July 2018. 36 patients had 1 scan, 4 had 2 scans, 7 had 3 scans, 3 had 4 scans, 2 had 5 scans, and 1 patient each had 6, 7, and 8 scans for a total of 108 scans. 33 Scans to evaluate for chloromas before bone marrow transplantation were conducted in 32 total patients. 27 scans were prompted by clinical suspicion of chloroma, and 48 scans were for clinical follow up of chloromas. FDG PET/CT scans were performed ~ 60 min following injection of 0.14mCi/kg 18F-FDG intravenously. Images were obtained from the top of the head through the feet. Images and reports were reviewed for the presence of foci of abnormal uptake consistent with extramedullary disease involvement. Confirmation of disease was made by biopsy (n= 23) in 16 patients. Diagnosis was confirmed using other imaging modalities and clinical followup in the remaining cases. Comparison was made with minimal residual disease (MRD) assessments by flow cytometry. Results: 30 patients (19 male, 11 female) had FDG PET/CT evidence for chloromas. Common sites of involvement were soft tissue (n=24) including 4 with mediastinal masses, CNS (n=23), skeletal (n=18), lymph nodes (n=11), and cutaneous (n=6). In 19 patients, chloromas were clinically occult prior to FDG PET/CT imaging. In 7 patients with chloromas, MRD assessment was negative, but subsequently became positive indicating bone marrow relapse. The prognosis for patients with chloromas is quite poor. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) estimates the 5-year survival of pediatric AML cases, across all subtypes, is 65%. Only 50% of our pediatric patients with chloromas lived past 1.5 years after their diagnosis with AML. It is possible that these chloromas may serve as a ‘reservoir’ of treatment resistant blast cells, which if not eliminated, migrate back to the bone marrow and repopulate to cause systemic relapse. Conclusions: In our population of pediatric patients with AML, chloromas are not uncommon, have poor prognoses, are often multifocal and occult, and may serve as a reservoir to cause relapse. Chloromas may be present despite negative MRD findings. FDG PET/CT is a very useful imaging modality for the detection and response evaluation of extramedullary disease in these patients.
FedPacket: A Federated Learning Approach to Mobile Packet Classification

In order to improve mobile data transparency, various approaches have been proposed to inspect network traffic generated by mobile devices and detect exposure of personally identifiable information (PII), ad requests, etc. State-of-the-art approaches use features extracted from HTTP packets and train classifiers in a centralized way: users collect and label network packets on their mobile devices, then upload data to a central server; the server uses the data contributed by all users to train a packet classifier. However, training datasets from network traffic collected on user devices may contain sensitive information that users may not want to upload. In this paper, we propose a federated learning approach to mobile packet classification, which enables devices to collaboratively train a global model, without uploading the training data collected on devices. We apply our framework to two packet classification tasks (i.e., to predict PII exposure or ad requests in individual packets) and we demonstrate its effectiveness in terms of classification performance, communication and computation cost, using three real-world datasets. Methodological challenges we address in the process include model and feature selection, as well as tuning the federated learning parameters specifically for our packet classification tasks. We also discuss privacy limitations and mitigation approaches.
Two Decisions Hold Life Insurance Proceeds Not Testamentary Substitutes for Purposes of Computing Spousal Elective Share

Two recent Surrogate's Court decision have held that life insurance proceeds are not testamentary substitutes pursuant to EPTL section 5-1.1-A, for the purpose of computing a spousal statutory right of election. Both decisions reached this conclusion despite the well-documented legislative history that would have included the proceeds in the elective share computation. Whether the Legislature takes steps to correct the results of these two decisions for future estates, practitioners must consider the impact of life insurance proceeds on present planning and estate administration situations.
Energetic Radiation and Lightning

Until very recently, lightning was thought to be an entirely conventional discharge, involving only low-energy (a few eV) electrons. This picture changed with the discovery of intense x-ray emission from natural cloud-to-ground lightning, rocket-triggered lightning and thunderstorms. Indeed, the intensity of the x-rays generated by thunderstorms can be so large that bright bursts of these x-rays are observed from space, 600 km above the storms, as terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs). This energetic emission cannot be produced by conventional discharges in air, and so the presence of x-rays implies that runaway electrons, accelerated in air by strong electric fields, play a role in thunderstorm and lightning processes. In this chapter, an overview will be given of the x-ray observations of thunderstorms and lightning. In addition, the physics of runaway electrons will be presented, including some recent theoretical advances.
Managing Environmental Risk and Investment Opportunities to Maximize Shareholder Wealth

This article discusses the opinions of environmental experts, corporate strategy, policies, and analytical tools for companies to manage environmental risk and investment opportunities to maximize shareholder wealth. Policies and procedures helpful for evaluating (1) “cost reducing environmentally beneficial investment opportunities” and (2) “environmental contamination clean up options” are discussed and illustrated in detail. As the application of capital budgeting procedures is often the appropriate analytical approach, cash flow forecasting and risk estimation, the foundation of good capital budgeting analysis, is also discussed and illustrated.
Metrizability of sequential topological groups with point-countable -networks

We prove that a Hausdorff sequential topological group with a point-countable k-network is metrizable iff its sequential order is less than wi. In the non Hausdorff case metrizability may be replaced by oa-locally finite base.
An automated consultant for MACSYMA

A consultant is necessary whenever on is faced with a problem solving situation in a domain one does not fully understand. The lack of knowledge may be incidental, as it is when the domain or device is fairly simple but time constraints make it impossible for the user to learn all that is necessary. Computer systems like MACSYMA in which the level of commands is so close to the level of the task environment that the user is apt to confuse a simply defined procedure (like COEFF) with its mathematical counterpart (here coefficient) that it at best approximates. A computer program is described which has the capability of conversing with its user in English about a difficulty he has encountered, and providing information tailored to his need. The MACSYMA Advisor is a program distinct from MACSYMA with its own separate data base and expertise. For convenience the program can be called directly from MACSYMA and can access the user's data structures contained therein. The Advisor described here deals only with the "straightline" or nested use of MACSYMA commands and not loops or user-defined functions. The implementation of the Advisor relies heavily on an explict, internal "model" of the user's state of knowledge, his goals, and his "plan" for achieving them.
Designed filamentous cell penetrating peptides: probing supramolecular structure-dependent membrane activity and transfection efficiency

In this work, we will demonstrate a simple yet powerful strategy to assemble single-chain cationic peptides into macromolecular filamentous nanostructures with dramatically improved membrane activity, stability and transfection efficiency.
Gangs as Alternative Transitional Structures: Adaptations to Racial and Social Marginality in Los Angeles and London

SUMMARY This paper reports the results of a comparative study of youth gangs in minority communities in Los Angeles and London, England. A combined qualitative-quantitative research design was used to obtain information on the experiences, attitudes and behaviors of Black youth who were involved with or influenced by gangs. Measures included two semi-structured interview schedules for focus groups and individual youth, respectively. Demographic data and statistics on social indicators were obtained for this population in both cities from government and social agency reports on rates of school drop-outs, youth unemployment, involvement in the juvenile/criminal justice system, and health/mental health utilization. The sample included a total of 144 African-American youth, ages 15-30, in 17 focus groups and 32 for individual interviews in Los Angeles, and a total of 86 Afro-Caribbean youth, ages 15-24, in ten focus groups and 66 for individual interviews in London. Results suggest that gangs provide minority...
Enhanced κ-opioid receptor-mediated analgesia by antisense targeting the σ1 receptor

Abstract In the current study, we used an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide targeting the recently cloned σ 1 receptor to assess its functions within the nervous system. σ 1 antagonists potentiate the analgesic actions of opioids. Similarly, the antisense probe targeting the σ 1 receptor enhanced the analgesic activity of the κ 1 -opioid receptor agonist U50,488H ( trans -3,4-dichloro- N -[2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)cyclohexyl]benzeacetamidel) and the κ 3 -opioid receptor agonist naloxone benzoylhydrazone. A mismatch control was inactive. These results confirm the role of σ 1 receptors in an anti-opioid analgesic system and illustrate the utility of antisense approaches towards the elucidation of σ receptor functions.
Effects of Polinices duplicatus (Gastropoda: Naticidae) on infaunal community structure at Barnstable Harbor, Massachusetts, USA

Effects of the predatory naticid snail Polinices duplicatus (Say) on species composition, diversity and density, of the infauna of intertidal sand-flats at Barnstable Harbor, Massachusetts, USA, were studied using field experiments. Responses of molluscs (prey of P. duplicatus) and nonmolluscs (nonprey) were considered separately to distinguish between the effects of feeding and sediment disturbance during foraging. The fauna of 0.25 m2 predator-exclusion cages, coarse-mesh cages, sieved areas, and controls was followed for 1 yr. Species associations within cages from which predators were excluded were denser, more diverse, and richer in molluscs than those in other treatments. Larger areas (3×3 m) of natural bottom were fenced and maintained as snail exclosures and enclosures during two feeding seasons. For both molluscs and nonmolluscs, diversity (H'), number of species, evenness (SD), and density all decreased with increasing snail density. Intense predation pressure on molluscs and selective feeding on thin-shelled bivalves, which were rare, removed individuals and species of molluscs from the community. Comparison of samples taken inside and outside trails made by snails showed that disturbance of the surface sediment layers by snails decreased the abundance of spionid polychaetes and total nonmolluscs. The sipunculan Phascolopsis gouldi and the bivalve Gemma gemma dominated the community in all experimental treatments and were little affected by the activity of Polinices duplicatus. Predation and disturbance by snails lowered community diversity by removing individuals of the less abundant species, and generally maintained population densities below the level where strong competition would occur.
Effects of Mental Imagery on Gambling Behavior

The influence of a brief mental imagery task was examined to determine if imagining engaging in gambling behaviors would satiate the participant on gambling-related reinforcers and subsequently reduce gambling behavior. Thirty-one participants underwent a mental imagery task consisting of either imagining gambling on a slot machine 30 times and placing quarters into a laundry machine 3 times, or imagining gambling on a slot machine 3 times and placing quarters in a laundry machine 30 times. Following the imagery task, participants were allowed to play a real slot machine and stop whenever they wanted to be finished. The results showed that those who imagined playing the slot machine 30 times before actually gambling played significantly fewer trials than those who imagined playing only 3 times. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.
A Long-Term Study of Larval Chaoborus punctipennis (Diptera: Insecta) Vertical Migration and the Role of Critical Oxygen Concentration

ABSTRACT The aquatic insect larvae of Chaoborus punctipennis exhibit diel vertical migration, remaining in deeper waters during the day and ascending at night. This behavior reduces visual predation on the larvae, but incurs costs. We attempted to determine if patterns existed in the vertical migration of C. punctipennis larvae related to changes in water oxygen concentration. For 13 of the past 19 years, data were collected over a 24-hour period in the fall in Poplar Tree Lake, Shelby County, Tennessee. We determined the mean depth at which larvae were found during the nighttime and daytime. There was no consistent change in either mean nighttime or daytime depth over time (P 0.05), supporting the hypothesis that diel vertical migration affords protection from fish predation.
Femtosecond laser-triggered electrical discharges at nanoprobe tips for nanoprocessing

Electrical discharges were stimulated by femtosecond laser pulses in nanoscale gaps between sharpened metal tips and gold film. Laser pulses with intensity 5.6 ? 1011 W/cm² reliably triggered discharges in sub-micron and microscale gaps. For gaps shorter than a threshold value, the discharge stimulation probability was near unity, over a range of applied potentials. At a lower laser intensity of 3.5 ? 1011 W/cm² the discharge stimulation probability characteristics were similar to those at higher intensity, but only for the higher applied potentials (60?80V) used. At lower applied potential, the discharge probability was also lower and depended on potential. With current limiting diode, the discharge current reached a peak value in about 2ns, and extinguished after an additional 2?3ns. Scanning Electron Microscopy studies show that micron-sized gold surface region were melted and re-solidified by the electrical discharge.
Analysis of molluscan sterols: Colorimetric methods.

The wide variety of sterols normally found in extracts of bivalve molluscs leads to high variability in analytical data obtained with colorimetric (chole)sterol methods. Total sterol levels in oyster (Crassostrea virginica) extracts were determined using the Liebermann-Burchard reagent, an acid-FeCl3 reagent and a cholesterol oxidase procedure. The data from the latter two agreed to within 5.4% and yielded about 30% higher estimates of sterol content than the Liebermann-Burchard test. Gas-liquid chromatographic data also are compared.Several pure sterols, selected because of their presence in oyster sterol fractions or because of their structural similarities to such sterols, were examined using each of the three procedures. Sterols, differing from cholesterol only with regard to the side chain, reacted 80-102% as well as cholesterol with the acid-FeCl3 reagent and cholesterol oxidase. The Liebermann-Burchard reaction was more specific for cholesterol. The colorimetric cholesterol oxidase method is recommended for the estimation of total molluscan sterol content.
Orphics: Computer Graphics and the Feasibility of a Preferred Color Order

Because color has lost its permanent form in certain media such as computer displays, there is a need for some overriding organizational principle. In earlier work on orphics, this author has discussed some ideas and techniques for the fluid articulation of color in space and time without relying on a preferred color order. In this article the possibility of defining a sequence of colors arranged in a unique order, that is, general enough to serve as a tuning for the composition of color in space and time, is discussed. to gain as wide a perspective as possible, color vision theories and their relevance are discussed, as well as the structural compatibilities between color orders and the well-tempered musical scale. Finally the works of two artists, Morgan Russell and Robert Delaunay, are examined.
Curcumin inhibits aggregation of α-synuclein

Aggregation of amyloid-beta protein (Abeta) is a key pathogenic event in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Curcumin, a constituent of the Indian spice Turmeric is structurally similar to Congo Red and has been demonstrated to bind Abeta amyloid and prevent further oligomerization of Abeta monomers onto growing amyloid beta-sheets. Reasoning that oligomerization kinetics and mechanism of amyloid formation are similar in Parkinson's disease (PD) and AD, we investigated the effect of curcumin on alpha-synuclein (AS) protein aggregation. In vitro model of AS aggregation was developed by treatment of purified AS protein (wild-type) with 1 mM Fe3+ (Fenton reaction). It was observed that the addition of curcumin inhibited aggregation in a dose-dependent manner and increased AS solubility. The aggregation-inhibiting effect of curcumin was next investigated in cell culture utilizing catecholaminergic SH-SY5Y cell line. A model system was developed in which the red fluorescent protein (DsRed2) was fused with A53T mutant of AS and its aggregation examined under different concentrations of curcumin. To estimate aggregation in an unbiased manner, a protocol was developed in which the images were captured automatically through a high-throughput cell-based screening microscope. The obtained images were processed automatically for aggregates within a defined dimension of 1-6 microm. Greater than 32% decrease in mutant alpha-synuclein aggregation was observed within 48 h subsequent to curcumin addition. Our data suggest that curcumin inhibits AS oligomerization into higher molecular weight aggregates and therefore should be further explored as a potential therapeutic compound for PD and related disorders.
Quantitative semimicro inorganic procedures

Abstract Representative volumetric, gravimetric, and electrolytic determinations, many on “practical” samples of alloys or minerals, have been applied on a semimicro level. The use of classical microchemical apparatus, which is usually designed to accomodate only a single sample, has been avoided as far as possible. The time-requirements for practical inorganic analyses involving two to six samples of 20 to 60 mg size are usually only two-thirds to one-quarter of the requirement for comparable macro-scale determinations. The precision and accuracy of work at the semi-micro level compare favorably with that expected in conventional pratice.
Temperature- and phenol-induced alterations in sedimentation rates of 29-S and 18-S ribosomal RNA's from Novikoff hepatoma cells.

When the ribosomal RNA's of Novikoff rat hepatoma cells (subline NlSl-67) are extracted with hot phenol (60°) plus sodium dodecyl sulfate, the 29-S rRNA sediments more slowly, whereas the 18-S rRNA sediments more rapidly than the corresponding types of rRNA extracted with cold phenol-sodium dodecyl sulfate. A similar lowering of the sedimentation rate of 29-S rRNA is induced by heating cold phenol-extracted 29-S rRNA at 50° for 5 min or treatment with 95 % dimethyl sulfoxide or 7.5 M urea. The change is irreversible and is accompanied by the release of a 5–6-S RNA. In contrast the increase in sedimentation rate of the 18-S rRNA induced by hot phenol extraction is reversible and no other experimental conditions have been found to induce this change. Heating of hot phenol-extracted 18-S rRNA at 50, 70 or 90° for 5 min or treatment with 7.5 M urea changes the molecule back to a form that sediments identical to cold phenol-extracted 18-S rRNA. This change is not accompanied by the release of a small RNA fragment.
Understanding surfactant aided aqueous dispersion of multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Dispersions of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) assisted by surfactant adsorption were prepared for a number of ionic and non-ionic surfactants including sodium 4-dodecylbenzenesulfonate (NaDDBS), hexadecyl(trimethyl)azanium bromide (CTAB), sodium dodecane-1-sulfonate (SDS), Pluronic® F68, Pluronic® F127, and Triton® X-100 to examine the effects of nanotube diameter, surfactant concentration, and pH on nanotube dispersability. Nanotube diameter was found to be an important role in surfactant adsorption rendering single-walled carbon nanotube studies as unreliable in predicting MWNT dispersive behavior. Similar to other reports, increasing surfactant concentrations resulted in a solubility plateau. Quantification of nanotube solubility at these plateaus demonstrated that CTAB is the best surfactant for MWNTs at neutral pH conditions. Deviations from neutral pH demonstrated negligible influence on non-ionic surfactant adsorption. In contrast, both cationic and anionic surfactants were found to be poor dispersing aids for highly acidic solutions while, CTAB remained a good surfactant under strongly basic conditions. These pH dependent results were explained in the context of nanotube surface ionization and Debye length variation.
The Thermal History of Maize Kernels Determined By Electron Spin Resonance

Electron spin resonance (ESR) can be used to determine the thermal history of charred organic material. Maize seeds were heated under controlled conditions in order to produce calibration curves relating g-values (the rate of electron splitting) and spin intensities (the number of spin centres) to heating temperatures, times and conditions. These experiments reproduced results that had been previously obtained by other laboratories, with some minor exceptions. The calibration curves were then used to reconstruct the thermal histories of charred maize kernels from several prehistoric sites in eastern North America. At these sites, the differing thermal histories of maize kernels are correlated with depositional contexts.
Search for Thermal Afterglow from PSR 0656+14

Thermal afterglow caused by transient energy releases in neutron stars could alter the X-ray pulse shape of pulsars by heating a portion of the crust so that more thermal X-rays are emitted at a particular phase. We developed a method to look for such changes in X-ray pulsars. We put a typical lower limit of 3.9 × 1031 ergs s-1 (1.4 × 1035 ergs in a 1 hr exposure) on the average excess X-ray luminosity required to see thermal afterglow from ROSAT data of PSR 0656+14 consisting of three separate observations lasting 3-5 hr. The lower limit obtained allows us to constrain the glitch parameters and the equation of state for neutron stars. In particular, a differentiation could be made between the vortex unpinning model and the starquake model for pulsar glitches if a search for thermal afterglow were performed contemporaneously with glitch observations.
A gauge invariant action for (2 + 1)-dimensional topologically massive Yang-Mills theory

Abstract Under homotopically non-trivial gauge transformations, U n , with winding number n , the action, I , for topologically massive Yang-Mills theory changes by 2 πn : I → I + 2 πn . Equivalently, Gauss' law requires the physical states Ψ phs [ A ] to change by a phase under time-independent gauge transformations: A U = U + AU + U + ∂U , Ψ phs [ A U ] = exp[− iα ( A , U )] Ψ phs [ A ]. By a unitary transformation, Ψ ′[ A ] = e iW [ A ] Ψ [ A ], we remove this phase (the Gauss law condition becomes the usual Ψ ′ phs [ A U ] = Ψ ′ phs [ A ]) and find a new action, I ′, which is manifestly gauge invariant, but is spatially non-local and not manifestly Lorentz invariant. W [ A ] is proportional to the one-loop chiral fermion effective action, − i ln det( ∂ + A ) in two dimensions. In the primed system, analysis of the wavefunctional Ψ ′ phs [ A ] near points in gauge function space where the two-dimensional chiral determinant, det( ∂ + A ), vanishes leads to quantization of the mass parameter μ. We use our results to comment upon the connection between the (2 n + 1)-dimensional non-perturbative anomaly and anomalies in one higher and one lower dimension.
Management Training for South Korean Government Officials: A Case Study

(1991). Management Training for South Korean Government Officials: A Case Study. Journal of Education for Business: Vol. 66, No. 6, pp. 350-355.
The mutagenicity of hydrazine and some of its derivatives

Abstract Hydrazine has a number of uses in industry as an antioxidant for boiler and cooling-tower water and as a source material for synthesizing a wide range of pharmaceuticals and plant growth inhibitors. Hydrazine can react with the pyrimidines in DNA to saturate the 5,6 double bond, especially of thymine; to form N4-aminocytosine; and to open up the pyrimidine ring with consequent loss of pyrimidines from DNA. It can act either directly with DNA or through intermediate radical reactions including the formation of H2O2. Some of the substituted hydrazines can also react in much the same way; others, especially the methyl derivatives, can act as alkylating agents to alkylate purines, primarily. H2O2 and the radical reactions are probably important for inactivating phage and transforming DNA treated in vitro. H2O2 is probably not important for mutagenesis in such systems, but it is likely that radical reactions are at low concentrations of hydrazine. At high concentrations direct reaction with the DNA probably predominates. The evidence suggests that both radical reactions and the direct amination of cytosine may be mutagenic for bacteria and phage treated within bacteria. Again, H2O2 does not seem to be important. The mutations produced by hydrazine are probably produced by direct mispairing at replication rather than by error-prone repair. It is not clear what the relative roles of the products of hydrazine action, N4-aminocytosine and 5,6-dihydrothymine, are in this process. Hydrazine produces mutations in higher plants and in Drosophila, but there are some unexpected features concerning time of detection and locus specificity that are not yet explained. The mutations produced by hydrazine seem to be mainly or entirely singlelocus changes. No dominant lethals are induced even though mutations are produced in bacteria in the host-mediated assay. No tests for chromosomal aberrations, other than those for dominant lethals, have been reported for this compound. Some of the derivatives of hydrazine (especially the methylhydrazine derivatives, but also some others) produce chromosomal aberrations and other chromosomal and nuclear effects. The methylhydrazine derivatives may act as alkylating agents, but the mechanism by which some of the other compounds, such as isoniazid, produce chromosomal aberrations is not clear. Hydrazine, isoniazid, and several alkyl derivatives have been reported to be positive in tests for carcinogenesis in laboratory rodents. There is as yet no evidence for carcinogenicity in humans for isoniazid, the only compound for which there is appreciable epidemiological data. The role of metabolic activation and other aspects of tissue specificity for carcinogenesis are still poorly understood.
Biologic Influences on Exercise Adherence.

Abstract A retrospective study was conducted to determine the ability of certain biological variables to discriminate between exercise participants on the basis of exercise adherence and symptoms of coronary heart disease (CHD). Diagnostic profiles for adult male participants (N = 362) in the Biodynamics Exercise Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, over a five-year period were analyzed. Information from medical screening and an exercise tolerance treadmill test provided data on various morphological and physiological variables as well as indices of coronary risk and disease. Stepwise multiple discriminant analyses indicated that percent body fat, body weight, and metabolic capacity discriminated (p < .05) among criterion adherence groups, and that metabolic capacity and body weight subsequently discriminated (p < .05) among coronary disease criterion groups. Moreover, the adherence and CHD classification variables were positively associated (p < .007). Results suggested that individuals with greater...
Pilomatricoma-like changes in the epidermal cysts of Gardner's syndrome

We studied fifty-seven cutaneous cysts from seven members of a kindred with Gardner's syndrome. All of the cysts had large areas indistinguishable from ordinary epidermal cysts. In addition, twenty-one (37%) contained columns of shadow cells, similar to those of pilomatricoma, that projected into the lumina. The cells at the point of attachment of the columns to the cyst lining were often indistinguishable from the hair matrix-like, basophilic cells of pilomatricoma. In twenty-nine cysts (51%), masses of shadow cells were free within lumina, unattached to the epithelial lining. Deposits of shadow cells, associated with a giant cell reaction and often calcified, were present in the pericystic connective tissue of twenty cysts (35%). Thirty-six of the fifty-seven cysts (63%) had one or more of the foregoing features, and the changes were observed in cysts from six of the seven patients studied. Our observations and similar findings recorded in the literature suggest that pilomatricoma-like changes may be a characteristic of the epidermal cysts of an undetermined number of kindreds with Gardner's syndrome.
The influence of parecoxib, a parenteral cyclooxygenase-2 specific inhibitor, on the pharmacokinetics and clinical effects of midazolam.

Parecoxib, a parenteral cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, is undergoing clinical development as an analgesic/antiinflammatory drug for perioperative use. Parecoxib, an inactive prodrug, is hydrolyzed in vivo to valdecoxib, a substrate for hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4. Thus, potential exists for inter
COMPARISON OF DEMANDS OF SUSTAINED ATTENTIONAL EVENTS BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CHILDREN'S TELEVISION PROGRAMS

The durations and variability of changing events were analyzed for 20 min. each of 13 children's television programs. These programs included selections from both publically and privately produced shows. Significantly different patterns of attentional demands were found between the programs. Public television programming is characterized by longer and more variable durations of sustained attentional events, while private television programming is best described as having fast-paced shorter events. The implications of this finding for difficulties in learning by school-age children to attend for longer periods are discussed.
The way we were: surgical practice at the dawn of the North Pacific Surgical Association.

Abstract The North Pacific Surgical Association Historian’s centennial lecture, with review of the geographic challenges for members of this society at the time of its founding and selected insights into surgical practices and philosophies of a century ago.
Receptor clustering on a cell surface. I. theory of receptor cross-linking by ligands bearing two chemically identical functional groups

Abstract We present a general mathematical analysis of the problem of bivalent ligands, containing two identical reactive groups, interacting with cell surface receptors. The initial binding of such ligands to a cell is followed by further reactions on the surface, leading to the formation of ligand-receptor clusters. If the receptors are monovalent, at most two receptors can be cross-linked by ligand. However, if the receptors are bivalent (or multivalent), large cell surface aggregates can form, the clusters being distributed in size. Our mathematical analysis of ligand binding and receptor cross-linking is based upon the equivalent-site hypothesis and encompasses both equilibrium and kinetic aspects of the problem. In principle, the mathematical description of cluster formation kinetics requires the solution of an infinite system of coupled nonlinear differential equations. We show that in the absence of ligand-receptor rings, the problem of obtaining the entire aggregate size distribution as a function of time can be reduced to the solution of two nonlinear differential equations. Approximate solutions to these equations are developed via singular perturbation methods. When ring formation is included in the model, additional equations need to be solved. We show that when the rate constant for ring closure varies inversely with chain size, the infinite system of differential equations needed to describe the growth of linear aggregates can be reduced to a system of three integral and integrodifferential equations. To determine the concentration of rings, an additional equation must be solved for each ring size of interest. The mathematical development is general and may be applicable to the analysis of a number of biological problems, including histamine release from basophils and mast cells, B-cell triggering, and the action of hormones, such as insulin and epidermal growth factor.