cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Redox-Switchable α-Cyclodextrin-Based [2]Rotaxane

A bistable [2]rotaxane comprising an α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) ring and a dumbbell component containing a redox-active tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) ring system within its rod section has been synthesized using the Cu(I)-catalyzed azide−alkyne cycloaddition, and the redox-driven movements of the α-CD ring between the TTF and newly formed triazole ring systems have been elucidated. Microcalorimetric titrations on model complexes suggested that the α-CD ring prefers to reside on the TTF rather than on the triazole ring system by at least an order of magnitude. The fact that this situation does pertain in the bistable [2]rotaxane has not only been established quantitatively by electrochemical experiments and backed up by spectroscopic and chiroptical measurements but also been confirmed semiquantitatively by the recording of numerous cyclic voltammograms which point, along with the use of redox-active chemical reagents, to a mechanism of switching that involves the oxidation of the neutral TTF ring system to either its radical cationic (TTF^(•+)) or dicationic (TTF^(2+)) counterparts, whereupon the α-CD ring, moves along the dumbbell to encircle the triazole ring system. Since redox control by both chemical and electrochemical means is reversible, the switching by the bistable [2]rotaxane can be reversed on reduction of the TTF^(•+) or TTF^(2+) back to being a neutral TTF.
Role of receptors in the trabecular meshwork of the eye as targeted to the development of antiglaucoma therapy

The major pathway for the outflow of aqueous humor from the anterior chamber of the eye is the trabecular meshwork/Schlemm's canal system. The meshwork is composed of connective tissue beams that are ensheathed by trabecular cells; these cells derive their nutrition from the aqueous humor and thus are uniquely susceptible to morphologic and biochemical regulation by bioactive substances that are present or released in this fluid and to pharmacologic agents that are targeted to act on the tissue. The receptors that have been detected on trabecular cells include those for growth modulatory peptides (bFGF, TGF-βI, transferrin, IGF-1, and EGF), epinephrine, dopamine, glucocorticoids, benzodiazepines, prostanoids, biogenic amines, the Fc portion of IgGs, and probably those for molecules of the extracellular matrix (integrins). Selective up- or down-regulation of the receptors on the trabecular cells would facilitate an effective control of the intraocular pressure in diseased conditions of the eye. We discuss the prospects and hurdles in the utilization of receptor targeting as a therapeutic modality for trabecular cell regeneration in glaucoma as well as for pharmacologic trabeculectomy and as a treatment for hypotony after glaucoma filtration surgery. We believe that regulation of receptor expression is a novel method for the development of new antiglaucoma agents and for minimizing the side effects of drugs that are administered topically and systemically for the control of the intraocular pressure. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
IR lasers tune in to the environment

Robust tunable infrared laser sources with the required spectral properties and sophisticated instruments both for ground and airborne use address atmospheric science questions and global environmental concerns. In particular, compact airborne laser sensing instruments capable of autonomous operation reflect engineering progress which can be utilized in other applications. To date, lidar and other types of laser remote sensing technologies have found only limited use in the areas of local pollutant measurement and industrial process control. At least three factors are responsible: (1) the relatively high cost of the optical/laser instruments, (2) the lack of suitable tunable laser sources in the important IR spectral regions, and (3) the lack of low-cost spectral database and computational tools. Item (1) depends on market economics. Item (3) has been addressed with new PC-based databases and software tools. To address item (2), the developing technology must produce lasers which are compact, reliable, need minimal amounts of consumables, and have the desired spectral characteristics. The present technology should enable these requirements to be met during the next decade. >
Early Lactational Response to Supplemental Protein by Dairy Cows Fed Grass-Legume Forage

A total of 24 primiparous and 46 multiparous Holstein cows were in two trials to determine the influence of concentration of dietary protein on performance during early lactation. Treatments were 13.5 or 16.5% dietary crude protein for the first 12 wk of lactation. Complete mixed diets of grass-legume forage and concentrates were fed for ad libitum consumption. Treatment patterns repeated across trials. Yields of milk and 3.5% fat-corrected milk, intake of dry matter, and returns over feed costs were improved by feeding the diet with 16.5% crude protein. Percent milk fat, body weight change, and reproductive performance were unaffected by treatment. The results demonstrate benefit, during early lactation, from supplementing protein to grass-legume based diets containing 13.5% crude protein. Performance responses to increased concentrations of dietary crude protein during early lactation appear greater for multiparous than primiparous cows.
Clinical experiences with multiple electroconvulsive treatments.

Abstract Clinical observations are presented for 38 patients who received sessions of four or six ECT given in 12–18 min with various placements of treatment electrodes. Only one patient recovered after a single session of MECT, and, in this respect, the hoped-for dramatic clinical effects of this form of treatment were not seen. An acceleration of the course of treatment occurred in some patients, often accompanied by an increase in immediate post-ECT confusion and drowsiness, but not in cumulative dysmnesia. Two of the 38 patients developed self-limited organic confusional states; an incidence greater than observed with conventional ECT. Posttreatment confusion and memory loss were greatest with six bilateral ECT, and least with four nondominant unilateral ECT. Anterior bifrontal electrode placement was intermediate for its effects on memory, both with four or six treatments, and the variability of clinical response precluded assessment of its clinical applications.
Pupil responses of addicts in treatment to drug culture argot: I. Auditory presentation of double entendre words

Eleven addicts in treatment and eight nonaddicts familiar with addict argot were asked to listen to and think about a series of words, half of which were double entendre, having one of their meanings in the addict argot. Pupil size, the dependent variable, was recorded continuously via infrared cinematography. Both groups of Ss responded differentially to the two kinds of words. These results were interpreted in terms of the cognitive processing of the stimuli rather than their emotional impact.
Is heritability explanatorily useful

Abstract The paper addresses the question of whether heritability can be useful in establishing genetics as an explanation for an individual’s display of some trait or behavior. After reviewing the fundamental philosophical challenge to heritability—that heritability is a population level (versus individual level) measure—an argument is presented for rethinking the role heritability occupies in both causal and explanatory claims. It is argued that heritability can be useful for genetically based explanations of individual traits, if (1) the conditions for proper genetic explanation are modestly reconceived, and (2) the measure is seen as an evidential tool which conforms to standard methods for determining causal factors.
Historic Returns and Institutional Real Estate Portfolios

This study employs a sample of equity REIT portfolios from 1972–78 to investigate various aspects of real estate returns. Return estimates are derived for the unlevered cash yields by property size, type and location. Based on these data, the effects of certain kinds of diversification on risk-adjusted returns are examined. Finally, historic REIT portfolios are compared to current commingled fund portfolios and suggestions made concerning the benefits of restructuring.
Comparison of Cyberware PX and PS 3D human head scanners

A common limitation of laser line three-Dimensional (3D) scanners is the inability to scan objects with surfaces that are either parallel to the laser line or that self-occlude. Filling in missing areas adds some unwanted inaccuracy to the 3D model. Capturing the human head with a Cyberware PS Head Scanner is an example of obtaining a model where the incomplete areas are difficult to fill accurately. The PS scanner uses a single vertical laser line to illuminate the head and is unable to capture data at top of the head, where the line of sight is tangent to the surface, and under the chin, an area occluded by the chin when the subject looks straight forward. The Cyberware PX Scanner was developed to obtain this missing 3D head data. The PX scanner uses two cameras offset at different angles to provide a more detailed head scan that captures surfaces missed by the PS scanner. The PX scanner cameras also use new technology to obtain color maps that are of higher resolution than the PS Scanner. The two scanners were compared in terms of amount of surface captured (surface area and volume) and the quality of head measurements when compared to direct measurements obtained through standard anthropometry methods. Relative to the PS scanner, the PX head scans were more complete and provided the full set of head measurements, but actual measurement values, when available from both scanners, were about the same.
A Model for the Transient Behavior of Catalytic Combustors

Abstract Abstract-A transient tridimensional model has been developed which accounts for both the heterogeneous and homogeneous reactions occurring in the combustor, as well as for the axial heat conduction in the solid and radial heat losses. The heterogeneous global kinetics used here has been obtained earlier, experimentally, for the catalytic combustion of propane on a mixed transition metal oxide catalyst (3.38 percent CraOa, 1.13 percent CoaOj by weight deposited on alumina washcoated monolith). At short times, the transient behavior depends on the reactions occurring on the surface, on the heat capacity of the solid and on the advection of heat downstream by the flowing gas. The temperature of the solid near the entrance exceeds that of the gas, the latter being heated by the heat convected from the solid. At locations further downstream, the fuel concentration is low and the solid temperature falls below that of the gas, the former being heated by the latter. As the combustor heats up, the peaks i...
International clinical experience for midwifery students

Introduction: The purpose of this survey was to obtain information that would elucidate what types and amounts of international clinical experiences are available to midwifery students in accredited midwifery programs. Furthermore, the survey assessed the need for and interest in an online pre-trip preparation course and the possibility of future collaborative efforts between midwifery programs. Methods: A formal electronic descriptive survey was sent to eligible directors of midwifery education (DOME) from 38 accredited institutions in the United States. Results: Twenty-nine of 38 (76%) responded to the survey, and 9 of 29 programs (31%) offer international clinical experiences. Sixteen (80%) of the 20 programs not currently offering international experiences indicated interest in offering these experiences. Of the 9 programs that have international experiences, only 1 reported offering a formal pre-trip course. Discussion: The results of this survey suggest that there is interest in collaborative efforts for developing a formal pre-trip preparation course and sharing international experiences that would promote sustainable programs of international experiences for student midwives.
Quantum dot mediated imaging of atherosclerosis

The progression of atherosclerosis is associated with leukocyte infiltration within lesions. We describe a technique for the ex vivo imaging of cellular recruitment in atherogenesis which utilizes quantum dots (QD) to color-code different cell types within lesion areas. Spectrally distinct QD were coated with the cell-penetrating peptide maurocalcine to fluorescently-label immunomagnetically isolated monocyte/macrophages and T lymphocytes. QD–maurocalcine bioconjugates labeled both cell types with a high efficiency, preserved cell viability, and did not perturb native leukocyte function in cytokine release and endothelial adhesion assays. QD-labeled monocyte/macrophages and T lymphocytes were reinfused in an ApoE−/− mouse model of atherosclerosis and age-matched controls and tracked for up to four weeks to investigate the incorporation of cells within aortic lesion areas, as determined by oil red O (ORO) and immunofluorescence ex vivo staining. QD-labeled cells were visible in atherosclerotic plaques within two days of injection, and the two cell types colocalized within areas of subsequent ORO staining. Our method for tracking leukocytes in lesions enables high signal-to-noise ratio imaging of multiple cell types and biomarkers simultaneously within the same specimen. It also has great utility in studies aimed at investigating the role of distinct circulating leukocyte subsets in plaque development and progression.
A new inverse processing approach to the modelling of head-related transfer functions for audio spatialization

Currently, achieving high-fidelity sound spatialization requires the prospective user to undergo lengthy measurements in an anechoic chamber using highly specialized equipment. This, in turn, has increased the cost and reduced the availability of high-fidelity spatialization to the general public. Attempts to generalize 3D audio have been made using the measurement of a KEMAR dummy head or creating a database containing a sample of the public. Unfortunately, this leads to increased front/back reversals and localization errors in the median plane. Customizable head-related impulse responses (HRIRs) would reduce the errors caused by general HRIRs and remove the limitation of the measured HRIRs. This article reports an initial stage in the development of customizable HRIRs. The ultimate goal is to develop a compact functional model that is equivalent to empirically measured HRIRs but requires a smaller number of parameters that could be obtained from the anatomical characteristics of the intended listener. I...
Water and electrolytes in hydrated gray and white matter.

Abstract Hydration of rabbits to 20% of the body weight caused a water uptake of 14% in gray and of 10% in white matter. Na losses of 12 and 11% were found in gray and white matter respectively. The K contents of the tissues did not change significantly. After injection of distilled water to 5% of the body weight smaller but similar changes were found. These observations suggest that an osmotic adjustment of the brain to hydration is accomplished by an uptake of water by the tissue and a loss of Na (and C1) from the extracellular material.
A technique for converting from intravenous drug self-administration to liquid reinforcement

A rapid inexpensive technique for changing from intravenous drug self-administration (DSA) to liquid reinforcement is described. Utilizing a standard peristaltic-type infusion pump typically used in DSA experiments and a specially designed drinking cup, the changeover from intravenous DSA to liquid reinforcement can be accomplished in a few minutes at a cost of less than $10.
The Kolmogorov–Obukhov Statistical Theory of Turbulence

In 1941 Kolmogorov and Obukhov postulated the existence of a statistical theory of turbulence, which allows the computation of statistical quantities that can be simulated and measured in a turbulent system. These are quantities such as the moments, the structure functions and the probability density functions (PDFs) of the turbulent velocity field. In this paper we will outline how to construct this statistical theory from the stochastic Navier–Stokes equation. The additive noise in the stochastic Navier–Stokes equation is generic noise given by the central limit theorem and the large deviation principle. The multiplicative noise consists of jumps multiplying the velocity, modeling jumps in the velocity gradient. We first estimate the structure functions of turbulence and establish the Kolmogorov–Obukhov 1962 scaling hypothesis with the She–Leveque intermittency corrections. Then we compute the invariant measure of turbulence, writing the stochastic Navier–Stokes equation as an infinite-dimensional Ito process, and solving the linear Kolmogorov–Hopf functional differential equation for the invariant measure. Finally we project the invariant measure onto the PDF. The PDFs turn out to be the normalized inverse Gaussian (NIG) distributions of Barndorff-Nilsen, and compare well with PDFs from simulations and experiments.
A Belief Propagation Approach to Privacy-Preserving Item-Based Collaborative Filtering

Collaborative filtering (CF) is the most popular recommendation algorithm, which exploits the collected historic user ratings to predict unknown ratings. However, traditional recommender systems run at the central servers, and thus users have to disclose their personal rating data to other parties. This raises the privacy issue, as user ratings can be used to reveal sensitive personal information. In this paper, we propose a semi-distributed belief propagation (BP) approach to privacy-preserving item-based CF recommender systems. Firstly, we formulate the item similarity computation as a probabilistic inference problem on the factor graph, which can be efficiently solved by applying the BP algorithm. To avoid disclosing user ratings to the server or other user peers, we then introduce a semi-distributed architecture for the BP algorithm. We further propose a cascaded BP scheme to address the practical issue that only a subset of users participate in BP during one time slot. We analyze the privacy of the semi-distributed BP from a information-theoretic perspective. We also propose a method that reduces the computational complexity at the user side. Through experiments on the MovieLens dataset, we show that the proposed algorithm achieves superior accuracy.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FERMENTATION TIME AND BLOATER‐TYPE DAMAGE OF BRINED CUCUMBERS

The loss in percent recovery of usable slicing stock due to bloater damage and other physical changes during uncontrolled natural fermentation was monitored for 30 days of cucumber brine storage. Large size cucumbers were brined in 10-gal containers and covered with a salt brine calculated to equilibrate at 25° salometer-60:40 cucumber-brine ratio. The weight loss, firmness, cure, color and percent recovery were determined on five replicate tanks at 2-day intervals from 0–30 days brine storage. There was a 10% loss in weight and 28% loss in firmness after the first 2 and 6 storage days respectively. The internal color appeared normal and the salt stock was 95% cured after 6 and 10 days respectively. Percent recoveries declined for the first 14 days with a cumulative loss well over 60%. Brine CO2 peaked at approximately 4 and 14 storage days with corresponding 24 and 30% lossess in recovery respectively.
Competitive displacement: a sensitive and selective method for the detection of unlabeled molecules.

We propose a new method for molecular detection that retains the sensitivity of fluorescence, but without requiring fluorescence labeling of the sample. The method works by spiking the sample solution with one or more labeled molecular species of known concentration. With proper choice of these “competitor” species, their binding kinetics can be used to quantitatively determine the concentration of unlabeled target species. This method can be applied to any fluorescence transduction mechanism that allows real-time signal acquisition, and represents an advance in mitigating certain sample processing steps. We demonstrate the method for the detection of a DNA sequence containing a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP).
Thermodynamics of Multicomponent PAH Mixtures and Development of Tar-Like Behavior

This study explores the solid/liquid phase behavior of mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), exploring the transition from non-ideal solid mixtures to a relatively ideal liquid behavior characteristic of “tars”. PAH mixtures have been studied using differential scanning calorimetry, melting point analysis and Knudsen effusion. Mixtures of anthracene, pyrene and fluoranthene show behavior that is consistent with other binary PAH mixtures; that is, the initially solid mixture exhibits a significant melting point depression, relative to the pure components, and in a certain range of composition, solid azeotrope behavior on vaporization. As the number of distinct PAH species is increased (by adding in benzo[a]pyrene, phenanthrene, fluorene and chrysene) this behavior gradually gives way to liquid phase character at even room temperature, and the vaporization behavior approaches that crudely predictable from ideal mixture theory.
Trends in Repeat Cows Milk Sige Levels

U E S D A Y 806 Trends in Soy IgE Levels in Food Allergic Patients Edith Schussler, MD, Manish Ramesh, MD, PhD, Jacob D. Kattan, MD, Julie Wang, MD, FAAAAI; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, NY. RATIONALE: Soy allergy is one of the most common food allergies, affecting approximately 0.4% of children. We examined trends in soy serum IgE (sIgE) levels over time. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review of all patients at our teaching institution who had soy sIgE drawn on 2 or more occasions and had a diagnosis code of 693.1 (food allergy), or 995 (anaphylaxis), between January 1, 2003, and January 1, 2013. RESULTS: 315 patients had 2 or more soy sIgE levels performed (median sIgE 7.46 kUA/L, median age 5.9 years). Those with starting values of >/55 kUA/L showed greater variability in their levels on subsequent visits (median change -1.04, mean -0.17, range -63.9 to 77.1), than those with starting values of /55kUA/L show greater variability in levels on subsequent visits than those with levels <5 kUA/L. When initial soy sIgEwas performed under age 3, subsequent levels tended to increase. When levels were performed above age 3, levels tended to decrease on subsequent visits.
Travel considerations during pregnancy

In the days of old, travel by horse and buggy was not recommended for pregnant women, but that method has given way to trains, automobiles, buses and airplanes. Sea cruises are becoming a major part of vacation packages. A 21st-century pregnant woman tends to travel commonly for business and recreation. Travel during pregnancy has long been a concern to the obstetrician. We are frequently asked to give recommendations to minimize the risk of travel-related illnesses. Diseases that may seem minor can inconvenience travelers and ruin the travel plans. This article provides basic information for obstetricians interested in the field of travel for pregnant women, with particular emphasis on the prevention of travel-related illnesses and injuries. It is our responsibility to educate our patients about travel-related health issues, determine their risk of disease exposure, prescribe medications, and administer immunizations. By providing appropriate care, we can ensure the safety of the mother and the fetus, and can have pregnant women travel in good health.
Tests of English Language as significant thresholds for college-bound Chinese and the washback of test-preparation

Tests of English language mark significantly high thresholds for all college-bound students in the People’s Republic of China. Many Chinese students hope to seek their fortunes at universities in the United States, or other English speaking countries. These students spend long hours, year after year, in test-preparation centres in order to develop the testwiseness deemed necessary to increase their scores. This study critically explores what might be learned from involvement in test-preparation courses via an examination of the experience one of the authors had as she sought to balance a short-term focus on testwiseness with long-term language and literacy goals in a People’s Republic of China test-preparation centre. Discussion focuses on the nature of the washback and its potential impact on foreign language learners.
Managing evolving shapes in sensor networks

This work addresses the problem of efficient distributed detection and tracking of mobile and evolving/deformable spatial shapes in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). The shapes correspond to contiguous regions bounding the locations of sensors in which the readings of the sensors satisfy a particular threshold-based criterion related to the values of a physical phenomenon that they measure. We formalize the predicates representing the shapes in such settings and present detection algorithms. In addition, we provide a light-weight protocol and aggregation methods for energy-efficient distributed execution of those algorithms. Another contribution of this work is that we developed efficient techniques for detecting a co-occurrence of shapes within a given proximity from each other. Our experiments demonstrate that, when compared to the centralized techniques -- which is, predicates being detected in a dedicated sink -- as well as distributed periodic contours construction, our methodologies yield significant energy/communication savings.
Dose Rate Tolerant HEXFET Power Supply

A summary of flash x-ray testing of power HEXFET transistors (IRF 351's) and a power supply employing HEXFETs is presented. HEXFETs are shown to exhibit a dose rate damage sensitivity which is triggered by less than one hundreth of the normal single pulsed energy rating. The power supply testing demonstrates that HEXFETs can be used in high power applications in a high dose rate environment if a current limiting configuration is employed.
The Tea Ceremony: A Transformed Japanese Ritual

This report analyzes the role Japanese women play in the traditional art of the tea ceremony (chado) and its meaning for their lives. It is based on data collected for a larger study which explored the ways in which a cultural art transmits its practice and values to Japanese and foreign learners, conducted in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Yokohama, Japan, from 1983 to 1985. Using the Urasenke school, which accounts for approximately 70 percent of all practitioners as a case study, this report explores the impact of women's participation as professionals and students on the organizational structure and activities of the school. Interviews with 31 teachers and 55 students, professionals, and amateurs provided the data to explore the ways in which the art has accommodated women's interests.
The darker-is-deeper heuristic for the perception of 3D shape from shading: Is it perceptually or ecologically valid?

The darker-is-deeper heuristic was originally proposed by Langer and Zucker (1994) for approximating 3D shape from shading under conditions of diffuse illumination that typically occur for outdoor scenes on a cloudy day, and it is based on the assumption that vignetting is the primary source of luminance variation under those conditions. It was later rejected as a model of human perception by Langer and Bulthoff (2000), because points in concavities that appear to be the deepest are most often located on local luminance maxima. Despite that result, this heuristic has continued to be described in the literature as a viable model of human perception (e.g., Chen & Tyler, 2015; Tyler, 1998), based entirely on the appearance of image intensity gratings, which have little or no connection to real 3D surfaces or patterns of illumination. In this article we will present a large number of examples to show what actually happens when surfaces are viewed under directional and diffuse illuminations. The results will highlight a number of well-known phenomena in addition to vignetting that can influence the pattern of shading on a surface under diffuse illumination, and they will also demonstrate that the darker-is-deeper heuristic is generally invalid for all types of illumination, except in unusual circumstances.
Making good decisions: law for social work practice

This small manual is part of a series, Focus on Social Work Law, which aims to provide ‘a distinct range of specialist resources for students and practitioners’ (p. xxi), with each volume offering ...
Accelerated waveform methods for parallel transient simulation of semiconductor devices

Simulating transients in semiconductor devices involves numerically solving the time-dependent drift-diffusion equations, usually in two or three space dimensions. Because of the computation cost of these simulations, methods that perform careful domain decomposition so as to exploit parallel processing have received much recent attention. In this paper, we describe using accelerated waveform relaxation (WR) to perform parallel device transient simulation using both clusters of workstations and the IBM SP-2. The accelerated WR algorithms are compared to pointwise direct and iterative methods, and it is shown that the accelerated WR method is competitive on a single processor. In addition, it is shown that with a domain decomposition chosen for rapid iterative method convergence rather than parallel efficiency, the pointwise methods parallelize poorly but the WR method achieves near linear speedup (with respect to the number of processors) on the IBM SP-2.
A power-saving scheduling for IEEE 802.11 mobile ad hoc network

Power efficiency is one of the most important aspects in mobile networks. Much research has been done in saving power for mobile devices. The IEEE 802.11 standard adopts a MAC layer sleep-wake power-saving scheme, and in the ad hoc mode of IEEE 802.11, a fully connected network is used. Taking advantage of the above mechanisms, we propose in this paper an enhanced power-saving algorithm that incorporates a contention-free scheduling function for data transmission within the beacon interval. We show by simulations that this enhanced algorithm results in better efficiency on both system throughput and energy preservation.
Effect of varying ventricular function by extrasystolic potentiation on closure of the mitral valve

Mitral regurgitant indexes were measured by roentgen videodensitometry in anesthetized dogs without thoracotomy before, during and after extrasystolic potentiation of ventricular contraction while the atria and ventricles were driven in normal temporal sequence simultaneously or in such a way as to induce atrial fibrillation. Small amounts of mitral reflux were observed with simultaneous atrial and ventricular driving and with atrial fibrillation in the control measurements before initiation of extrasystolic potentiation. Reflux became negligible during extrasystolic potentiation and increased beyond control levels after termination of extrasystolic potentiation.
Organ Protective Mechanisms Common to Extremes of Physiology: A Window through Hibernation Biology

Supply and demand relationships govern survival of animals in the wild and are also key determinants of clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. Most animals’ survival strategies focus on the supply side of the equation by pursuing territory and resources, but hibernators are able to anticipate declining availability of nutrients by reducing their energetic needs through the seasonal use of torpor, a reversible state of suppressed metabolic demand and decreased body temperature. Similarly, in clinical medicine the majority of therapeutic interventions to care for critically ill or trauma patients remain focused on elevating physiologic supply above critical thresholds by increasing the main determinants of delivery of oxygen to the tissues (cardiac output, perfusion pressure, hemoglobin concentrations, and oxygen saturation), as well as increasing nutritional support, maintaining euthermia, and other general supportive measures. Techniques, such as induced hypothermia and preconditioning, aimed at diminishing a patient’s physiologic requirements as a short-term strategy to match reduced supply and to stabilize their condition, are few and underutilized in clinical settings. Consequently, comparative approaches to understand the mechanistic adaptations that suppress metabolic demand and alter metabolic use of fuel as well as the application of concepts gleaned from studies of hibernation, to the care of critically ill and injured patients could create novel opportunities to improve outcomes in intensive care and perioperative medicine.
Ocular delivery of pRNA nanoparticles: distribution and clearance after subconjunctival injection.

Purpose RNA nanoparticles derived from the three-way junction (3WJ) of the pRNA of bacteriophage phi29 DNA packaging motor were previously found to be thermodynamically stable. As the nanoparticles could have potential in ocular drug delivery, the objectives in the present study were to investigate the distribution of pRNA nanoparticles after subconjunctival injection and examine the feasibility to deliver the nanoparticles to the cells of cornea and retina.
Interpreting the paradoxical in the hispanic paradox: Demographic and epidemiologic approaches

This paper discusses problems that are common to both the epidemiologic risk-factor approach and the demographic variable-based approach to studying population health. We argue that there is a shared reluctance to move away from a narrow variable-based thinking that pervades both disciplines, and a tendency to reify the multivariate linear procedures employed in both disciplines. In particular, we concentrate on the difficulties generated by classical variable-based approaches that are especially striking when one neglects selection processes and the use of strategies to minimize its effects. We illustrate these difficulties in terms of the so-called "Hispanic Paradox", which refers to comparative health advantages that some Hispanic groups appear to have. We find that much of what is conceived by demographers and epidemiologists as a paradox may not be paradoxical at all.
DCF module with low insertion loss, small residual dispersion, and low PMD

DCF for SSMF with record high figure-of-merit of 450ps/nm/dB and low residual dispersion within ±0.08ps/nm/km in C-band is fabricated after appropriately designed profile. Its DCF module for 80km-long SSMF realizes low insertion loss of 3.6dB.
Effects of floral display size on male and female reproductive success in Mimulus ringens.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The number of flowers blooming simultaneously on a plant may have profound consequences for reproductive success. Large floral displays often attract more pollinator visits, increasing outcross pollen receipt. However, pollinators frequently probe more flowers in sequence on large displays, potentially increasing self-pollination and reducing pollen export per flower. To better understand how floral display size influences male and female fitness, we manipulated display phenotypes and then used paternity analysis to quantify siring success and selfing rates. METHODS To facilitate unambiguous assignment of paternity, we established four replicate (cloned) arrays of Mimulus ringens, each consisting of genets with unique combinations of homozygous marker genotypes. In each array, we trimmed displays to two, four, eight or 16 flowers. When fruits ripened, we counted the number of seeds per fruit and assigned paternity to 1935 progeny. KEY RESULTS Siring success per flower declined sharply with increasing display size, while female success per flower did not vary with display. The rate of self-fertilization increased for large floral displays, but siring losses due to geitonogamous pollen discounting were much greater than siring gains through increased self-fertilization. As display size increased, each additional seed sired through geitonogamous self-pollination was associated with a loss of 9·7 seeds sired through outcrossing. CONCLUSIONS Although total fitness increased with floral display size, the marginal return on each additional flower declined steadily as display size increased. Therefore, a plant could maximize fitness by producing small displays over a long flowering period, rather than large displays over a brief flowering period.
On the Restricted Validity of Point-Matching Techniques

The usefulness of point matching when the expansion representing the field diverges in the matching region is discussed in relation to previous work. It is shown that the presence of a metal boundary does not necessarily imply divergence of series representations at the boundary position. The Rayleigh hypothesis, which bears on this, and the extended-boundary-condition method are equivalent only in a restricted sense; the latter is hypersensitive to minute deviations of the field on the reduced boundary and is therefore unsuited to point matching for some shapes. A numerical example is examined in which the use of a divergent series gives little evidence of error from use in the divergent region. Attention is drawn to recent work in which the use of a sutliciently smooth spectral expansion is shown to be able to convert a series of divergent terms into a usable convergent series, permitting valid numerical computations with otherwise divergent representations.
Homogeneous and Heterogeneous (Fex, Cr1-x)(OH)3 Precipitation: Implications for Cr Sequestration.

The formation of (Fe, Cr)(OH)3 nanoparticles determines the fate of aqueous Cr in many aquatic environments. Using small-angle X-ray scattering, precipitation rates of (Fe, Cr)(OH)3 nanoparticles in solution and on quartz were quantified from 0.1 mM Fe(III) solutions containing 0–0.25 mM Cr(III) at pH = 3.7 ± 0.2. Concentration ratio of aqueous Cr(III)/Fe(III) controlled the chemical composition (x) of (Fex, Cr1–x)(OH)3 precipitates, solutions’ supersaturation with respect to precipitates, and the surface charge of quartz. Therefore, the aqueous Cr(III)/Fe(III) ratio affected homogeneous (in solution) and heterogeneous (on quartz) precipitation rates of (Fex, Cr1–x)(OH)3 through different mechanisms. The sequestration mechanisms of Cr(III) in precipitates were also investigated. In solutions with high aqueous Cr(III)/Fe(III) ratios, surface enrichment of Cr(III) on the precipitates occurred, resulting in slower particle growth in solutions. From solutions with 0–0.1 mM Cr(III), the particles on quartz gre...
Ammonia in Liver and Extrahepatic Tissues: An Overview of Metabolism and Toxicity in Mammals

Ammonia is a major byproduct of systemic and cerebral nitrogen metabolism and is generated in at least 20 enzymatic reactions within the major organs of the body. Ammonia is thought to be generated in the gastrointestinal tract by the action of bacteria on nitrogenous substrates and by deamidation of glutamine in the large and small intestine. Substantial amounts of ammonia are generated in the liver from glutamate and in the kidney by deamidation of glutamine. The principal fate of systemic blood ammonia, in the brain and other organs, is incorporation into glutamine (amide). Portal vein ammonia (which is present at a much higher concentration (~0.5–1.0 mM) than in the peripheral arterial or venous (20–110 μM) blood), on the other hand, is largely detoxified as urea in the liver. The glutamine derived from brain, muscle and other tissues acts as an energy source for the gut and at the same time releases ammonia for urea synthesis. Thus, ultimately, most extrahepatic ammonia is incorporated into urea by temporary storage in glutamine (amide).
Load- and Depth-Sensing Indentation Tester for Properties Measurement at Non-Ambient Temperatures

The ability to measure the temperature-dependence of the hardness of thin films is useful from both an applications and a scientific standpoint. For this reason, we have designed and constructed a load- and depth-sensing indentation tester combining sub-nanometer resolution with the ability to operate over a range of temperatures, currently 150K to 400K. This paper describes the new experimental apparatus and reports preliminary data on 440C stainless steel substrates with and without a 0.75 μm ZrN coating.
SULFINIC ACIDS AND RELATED COMPOUNDS. 20. SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES OF SOME α, ω-ALKYLENEBIS(DITHIOALKANE-SULFINATES)

Abstract Title compounds (1,3,4) having the structure NaO2S(CH2)nSS(CH2)mSS(CH2)nSO2Na were prepared with m[dbnd]4 and n[dbnd]3–5 by reaction of 1,4-butanedithiol with cyclic disulfide 1,1-dioxides. Products were prepared similarly where a hydrogen atom in the 2-and 3-positions of the (CH2)4 moiety was replaced with OH in erythro (12) and threo (14) relationships; careful exclusion of oxygen was necessary. The products 1, 3, and 4 when heated in D2O in the dark gave 1,2-dithiane (6) and the appropriate bissulfinate, [NaO2S(CH2)nS]2, apparently by a heterolytic mechanism. The relative stabilities (for m = 4) were n = 5 >> 3 > 4. Under UV light 1, 3, and 4 reacted more rapidly and at about the same rate as one another, apparently by a homolytic mechanism. The two dihydroxy products (12 and 14) were considerably less stable in solution than 1, 3, and 4 but underwent the same type of reaction, as shown by comparison of spectra of the products with those of authentic mixtures. At ca. 25°C, the half-survival ti...
Transplant programs, centers, and institutes: What does it all mean?

Purpose of review There are more than 250 transplant centers in the USA, but variation continues to exist in organizational structure for transplant multidisciplinary services. We reviewed the literature to explore the definitions for transplant organizational structures and address existing rationale for the development of the integrated transplant service line. Recent findings No standard definitions exist to differentiate the use of program, center, institute, or service line. A survey of 20 multiorgan transplant centers in the USA showed that most were named centers or institutes, but some were organized as departments and service lines. The prevailing themes were the perceived need for autonomy of the transplant entity, alignment among services and finances, and the alignment of authority with responsibility. In addition, perceived benefits included growth, alignment, efficiency, and resource allocation. Summary The multidisciplinary nature of transplantation generally has been fit into the matrix organizational model, although many hospitals today have departments, centers, institutes, and service lines structures. Integration has been viewed as beneficial by most transplant entities reviewed, with a sense that it is better adapted for the evolving healthcare climate.
EFFECT OF REDUCING RENAL ARTERIAL BLOOD PRESSURE BY BALLOON CATHETER ON URATE EXCRETION IN THE DOG.

SummaryReduction of mean renal arterial blood pressure of Dalmatian and mongrel dogs by inflating a balloon-tipped catheter inserted into the aorta just above the renal arteries resulted in a proportionate decrease in GFR, less decrease in CPAH, a precipitous fall in UNaV/FNa, no appreciable change in UKV/FK. In the Dalmatian, under conditions of net secretion of urate, UurateV/Furate was unchanged or rose somewhat. A comparable response of UurateV/Furate was obtained in mongrels under conditions of net reabsorption of urate, a result consistent with tubular secretion of urate masked by preponderant tubular reabsorption.
Ideology and Nationalism on the Eve of the American Revolution: Revisions Once More in Need of Revising

Inspiration for this essay came from an influential article that Edmund S. Morgan published more than forty years ago. "The American Revolution: Revisions in Need of Revising" might best be classified as a "think piece," reflections on the current state of eighteenth-century Anglo-American historiography.1 Morgan's observations like those advanced here -were meant to have a speculative quality, the goal being to provoke constructive debate about major interpretive issues. In that spirit he readdressed familiar questions and challenged dominant orthodoxies, suggesting how people writing about colonial society on the eve of national independence might push the field in productive new directions. In his review of the current literature, Morgan posited, among other things, that colonial American scholars had lost touch with a rapidly changing English historiography. Their basic assumptions about the character of the British Empire in the mid-eighteenth century relied on scholarship that had been completed more than a generation earlier. But during the postwar years bold new studies had appeared. According to Morgan, Sir Lewis Namier, then England's most distinguished political historian, had almost single-handedly transformed the interpretive landscape. Namier's iconoclastic writings depicted an empire governed by narrow-minded, complacent country gentlemen who defined politics almost solely as a scramble for patronage.2 Morgan noted that if Namier and his followers had correctly described the mentality of the English ruling class, then historians of late colonial America might as well take up more rewarding research topics on this side of the Atlantic
The modern, hybrid total hip arthroplasty for primary osteoarthritis at the Hospital for Special Surgery

We describe our technique and rationale using hybrid fixation for primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Modern uncemented acetabular components have few screw holes, or no holes, polished inner surfaces, improved locking mechanisms, and maximised thickness and shell-liner conformity. Uncemented sockets can be combined with highly cross-linked polyethylene liners, which have demonstrated very low wear and osteolysis rates after ten to 15 years of implantation. The results of cement fixation with a smooth or polished surface finished stem have been excellent, virtually eliminating complications seen with cementless fixation like peri-operative femoral fractures and thigh pain. Although mid-term results of modern cementless stems are encouraging, the long-term data do not show reduced revision rates for cementless stems compared with cemented smooth stems. In this paper we review the conduct of a hybrid THA, with emphasis on pre-operative planning, surgical technique, hypotensive epidural anaesthesia, and intra-operative physiology.
Quorum Sensing Plays a Complex Role in Regulating the Enzyme Hydrolysis Activity of Microbes Associated with Sinking Particles in the Ocean

The concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide is directly linked to the sinking of photosynthetically derived particulate organic carbon (POC) from surface waters to deep waters. This process, known as the marine biological carbon pump, removes carbon from exchange with the atmosphere, thus regulating global climate. Recent evidence suggests that microbial chemical communication systems (e.g. quorum sensing) amongst heterotrophic bacteria associated with sinking POC, significantly influences their hydrolytic enzyme activity and, as such, may affect the efficiency of the biological carbon pump. Here, we present data showing that a class of quorum sensing molecules, acylated homeserine lactones (AHLs) substantially impact hydrolytic phosphatase, aminopeptidase, and lipase activity in samples of sinking particles collected from the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. Incubations of sinking particles amended with exogenous AHLs showed both stimulated and inhibited rates of activity after 24 hours of incubation, suggesting a critical link between bacterial AHL signaling mechanisms and the rate of POC degradation. Further experiments reveal that hydrolytic pathways could be affected within a few hours of amendment with AHLs, suggesting that microbial communities are able to dynamically modify their metabolic pathways in response to perceived quorum sensing. Finally, the concentration of the AHL amendment also affected hydrolytic activity. Our results indicated that quorum sensing has the potential to influence hydrolytic activity in a range of oceanic environments, but response also vary significantly as a function of the type of AHL, their concentration, and response time. AHL-based quorum sensing may be thought of as a global language among marine bacteria, but it is highly complex.