cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Butatriene-Based Polymer Chemistry. 2. Synthesis and Characterization of Poly[1,1,4,4-bis(pentamethylene)-1,2,3-butatriene]†,1

The cumulene 1,1,4,4-bis(pentamethylene)butatriene has been shown to undergo a thermally induced 1,4 free-radical polymerization to yield a crystalline polymer with a unique nonconjugated acetylene containing backbone. This polymerization occurs in both the melt and in solution. Typical free-radical inhibitors prevent the thermally induced polymerization. The reaction occurs in the presence or absence of free-radical initiators. The polymer is crystalline with a triclinic unit cell (a = 9.87 A, b = 6.10 A, c = 4.97 A, α = 113.7°, β = 85.2°, γ = 100.6°). No melting or glass transition is observed via differential calorimetry, but an irreversible exothermic transition is observed from both solution and melt polymerized material. This is interpreted as a cold crystallization process. Trapping of the polymerizing monomer with TEMPO leads to soluble oligomers.
Cloning of putative odorant-degrading enzyme and integumental esterase cDNAs from the wild silkmoth, Antheraea polyphemus.

Odorant-degrading enzymes have been postulated to participate in the fast deactivation of insect pheromones. These proteins are expressed specifically in the sensillar lymph of insect antennae in such low amounts that, hitherto, isolation and protein-based cDNA cloning has not been possible. Using degenerate primers based on conserved amino acid sequences of insect carboxylesterases and juvenile hormone esterases, we were able to amplify partial cDNA fragments, which were then used for the design of genespecific primers for RACE. This bioinformatics approach led us to the cloning of cDNAs, encoding a putative odorant-degrading enzyme (Apol-ODE) and a putative integumental esterase (Apol-IE) from the wild silkmoth, Antheraea polyphemus. Apol-ODE had a predicted molecular mass of 59,994 Da, pI of 6.63, three potential N-glycosylation sites, and a putative catalytic site Ser characterized by the sequence Gly 195 -Glu-Ser-Ala-Gly-Ala. Apol-IE gave calculated molecular mass of 61,694 Da, pI of 7.49, two potential N-glycosylation sites, and a putative active site with the sequence Gly 214 -Tyr-Ser-Ala-Gly. The transcript of Apol-ODE was detected by RT-PCR in male antennae and branches (sensillar tissues), but not in female antennae and other control tissues. Apol-IE was detected in male and female antennae as well as legs.  2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Iran's Role in Europe's Energy Security: An Assessment

European leaders are increasingly conscious of their heavy dependence on energy supplies from Russia. In an attempt to articulate a strategy to improve energy security, the European Commission issued an EU Energy Security and Solidarity Action Plan in November 2008. This essay examines Europe's energy vulnerability and the role Iran can play in diversifying the EU energy supplies. I argue that a rapprochement with Iran aimed at greater utilization of its oil and gas reserves would contribute to Europe's (and the world's) energy security.
TIMELINESMultiscale zooming interfaces: a brief personal perspective on the design of cognitively convivial interaction

"Timelines" provides perspectives on HCI history, glancing back at a road that sometimes took unexpected branches and turns. History is not a dry list of events; it is about points of view and differing interpretations. Jonathan Grudin, Editor | jgrudin@microsoft.com
Two simple methods for detecting acrosome‐reacted human sperm

We describe two methods for detecting acrosome reactions of human sperm at the light microscopic level. The techniques include the use of a supravital stain to detect dead sperm in order to differentiate between “physiological” and “degenerative” acrosome reactions. Sperm are incubated with the supravital stain Hoechst 33258 (a fluorescent DNA-binding dye with limited membrane permeability), washed, suspended in 95% ethanol for fixation and permeabilization, and dried onto slides. The sperm are then labeled either by indirect immunofluorescence using rabbit anti-human sperm antiserum or with fluoresceinated Pisum sativum agglutinin (PSA). Both probes intensely label the acrosomal region of acrosome-intact sperm. Electron microscopy revealed the major site of PSA binding to be the acrosomal contents. Acrosome-reacted sperm have diminished acrosomal labeling by both probes; sperm with nuclei labeled by Hoechst stain are considered nonviable, and are excluded from the assay. Both assays are rapid, give similar results, and detect an increase in acrosome reactions following exposure to the ionophore A23187.
Substance Abuse among Rural and Very Rural Drug Users at Treatment Entry

Historically, researchers and policymakers concerned with the problems of substance abuse have focused their attention almost exclusively on urban America. However, this focus now includes the special needs of rural areas. In the past, rural areas were more sheltered from the problems of mainstream America, but now, mass communication has decreased the isolation of rural areas. The purpose of this study is to examine rural and very rural drug users; including: (a) demographic and other selected background characteristics of rural and very rural drug users admitted to substance abuse treatment, (b) lifetime drug use patterns, (c) current drug use, (d) age of first drug use, (e) recognition of drug abuse as a problem, and (f) correlates of drug use behavior to identify potential predisposing factors. It was hypothesized that drug users from very rural areas would be more sheltered and the severity of their involvement with drug use would be less than that of drug users from rural areas. Between November 15, 1999 and January 31, 2001, face-to-face interviews were conducted in three geographic regions of Kentucky (N=604); eastern Kentucky (n=206), south central Kentucky (n= 165)--both frequently are considered rural (n=371)--and Western Kentucky, which is considered more urban (N=233). Over half of the participants were admitted to outpatient treatment (57%). The majority of participants were male (75%), White (94%), had no religious preference (51%), had been referred to by the criminal justice system (64%), and had a history of prior substance abuse treatment (55%). Findings indicate that being from very rural areas may be somewhat protective with lower current drug use and older age at drug use initiation. While alcohol remains the most used substance in terms of lifetime and current use, cocaine use was three times higher in rural areas than in very rural areas. Implications are discussed and recommendations are presented for substance abuse treatment providers and policymakers.
Difficult airway management practice patterns among anesthesiologists practicing in the United States: Have we made any progress?

Abstract Study objective To determine the extent instruction and practice in the use of airway devices and techniques varies among anesthesiologists practicing in the United States. Design Survey questionnaire. Setting University medical center. Measurements Questionnaires were completed by American-trained anesthesiologists who attended the 1999 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Annual Meeting. Data collected included demographics, education, skills with airway devices/techniques, management of clinical difficult airway scenarios, and the use of the ASA Difficult Airway Algorithm. Main results 1) Demographics: 452 questionnaires were correctly completed; 62% attending anesthesiologists, 70% 10 years of practice, 81% night duty, 77% board certified. 2) Education: 71% had at least one educational modality: difficult airway rotation, workshops, conferences, books, and simulators. 3) Skills: Miller blade 61%, Bullard laryngoscope 32%, LMA™ 86%, Combitube™ 43%, bougie 43%, exchangers 47%, cuffed oropharyngeal airway (COPA) 34%, retrograde 41%, transtracheal needle jet ventilation 34%, cricothyrotomy 21%, fiberoptics 59%, and blind nasal intubation 78%. The average reported use of special airway devices/techniques was 47.5%. 4) Management choices: failed intubation/ventilation: LMA™ (81%) and for all other situations: fiberoptic intubation. Use of ASA Difficult Airway Algorithm in clinical practice (86%). Conclusion Fiberoptic intubation and the LMA™ are most popular in management of the difficult airway.
Frequency and time domain properties of retinular cells of the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) and the house cricket (Acheta domesticus)

1. Light adapted retinular cell responses of the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) are shown to have finer time resolution and higher frequency response than those of the house cricket (Acheta domesticus), and these responses conform to earlier observations relating flicker-fusion frequencies of the electroretinogram to flight behavior in certain insects. 2. The amplitude and phase frequency response characteristics and their dependence on mean intensity for the locust and the cricket are similar toLimulus, but distinctly different fromCalliphora (Zettler, 1969) at similar light intensities. The relationship of the Fuortes-Hodgkin model to these observations is discussed. 3. The signal to noise ratios of the sinusoidal responses are never higher than 4 to 1. 4. Pulse responses of both the locust and the cricket are predicted from the inverse Fourier transform of the frequency response. 5. The three measured parameters in the response to steps of light, i.e., latency, initial slope and final level in the steady state, and incremental gain as a function of mean light intensity are similar for the locust and the cricket andLimulus, and the Fuortes-Hodgkin model.
Family practice celebrates a decade of growth.

Excerpt When the American Board of Family Practice was established in 1969, fewer than a dozen 3-year graduate training programs existed in this specialty. A decade later 365 programs with 6500 res...
Ambulation and complications related to assistive devices after spinal cord injury

Objective To evaluate long-term health outcomes including pain intensity, pain interference, and fatigue among ambulatory persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Data were analyzed at a major medical university in the southeast USA. Participants Participants included 783 ambulatory adults with SCI of traumatic origin, who were at least 1-year post-injury. Participants were identified through three sources of records at a large specialty hospital in the southeastern USA. Interventions Not applicable. Outcome measures Pain intensity and interference (Brief Pain Inventory) and fatigue (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale Abbreviated Version 5). Results Examining assistive devices used for ambulation, 66% of the population used at least one device. In the logistic model, wheelchair and cane usage were significantly related to the outcomes after controlling for age, gender, and race. Wheelchair usage 50% of the time or less was significantly related to pain intensity (odds rat...
Electrically pumped hybrid AlGaInAs-silicon evanescent laser

An electrically pumped light source on silicon is a key element needed for photonic integrated circuits on silicon. Here we report an electrically pumped AlGaInAs-silicon evanescent laser architecture where the laser cavity is defined solely by the silicon waveguide and needs no critical alignment to the III-V active material during fabrication via wafer bonding. This laser runs continuous-wave (c.w.) with a threshold of 65 mA, a maximum output power of 1.8 mW with a differential quantum efficiency of 12.7 % and a maximum operating temperature of 40 degrees C. This approach allows for 100's of lasers to be fabricated in one bonding step, making it suitable for high volume, low-cost, integration. By varying the silicon waveguide dimensions and the composition of the III-V layer, this architecture can be extended to fabricate other active devices on silicon such as optical amplifiers, modulators and photo-detectors.
Analysis of thermal stability of fused optical structure

Large glass mirrors made by fusing smaller pieces together are susceptible to distortions during manufacture and temperature changes due to differences in thermal expansion within the mirror. A method of predicting the size and shape of this distortion using the finite element method of computer simulation is described. The method is verified by comparison to a set of measurements on glass samples.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Comment on Davis and Holcomb: “Intraerythrocytic inclusion bodies in painted turtles (Chrysemys picta picta) with measurements of affected cells”

Dear Editor, We are writing regarding the recently published article by Andrew Davis and Kerry Holcomb (2008) entitled “Intraerythrocytic inclusion bodies in painted turtles (Chrysemys picta picta) with measurements of affected cells”. In our diagnostic pathology services we see intraerythrocytic inclusion bodies similar to those described in this article in multiple reptile species, particularly in turtles. We have understood these structures to be iron organelles, which are phagocytizing ferric iron that is not needed for incorporation in the hemoglobin molecule. In our laboratory these structures stain brightly positive with the Perl’s (Prussian blue) reaction, indicative of ferric iron. Though published findings on this subject are few, we would like to direct the authors’ attention to several articles suggesting that these structures are degenerate organelles, rather than infectious agents, as suggested in the authors’ introduction. Richey et al. (2000) describe similar basophilic, intraerythrocytic structures and demonstrate with transmission electron micrographs that they are degenerate, ferritin-containing organelles. In an article by Alleman et al. (1992), similar intraerythrocytic structures were determined ultrastructurally to represent degenerated organelles, possibly mitochondria. Finally, Clark et al. (2001) described basophilic intraerythrocytic inclusions and used transmission electron microscopy to demonstrate that the inclusions were composed of aggregated endoplasmic reticulum. While Dr. Davis and Dr. Holcomb have excellently quantified the prevalence of inclusions and the size of cells that contain them, we are concerned that neither special stains nor electron microscopy were utilized to support their assumption of a viral etiology. The introduction and references were limited only to infectious causes. The article characterizes the affected cells as more mature erythrocytes, consistent with the hypothesis that these structures are organelles degrading substances, including iron, that are no longer needed for incorporation into hemoglobin. We would be interested in Dr. Davis and Dr. Holcomb’s thoughts on our alternative hypothesis, and are curious regarding the results of iron stains on their blood smears.
The destruction of a cultural heritage: with reference to the problems of Iraq

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to inform individuals that the looting and destruction of Iraq's cultural heritage was an attack on the rich culture of humanity itself.Design/methodology/approach – Published works, both recent and ranging back to the middle of the twentieth century, such as articles, books, Congressional Bills/Parliamentary Acts, and United Nation reports were examined. By reviewing various pieces of literature and legislation, this paper reveals the long and difficult road to preserving a nation's cultural heritage.Findings – In the wake of the USA's and coalition's invasion of Iraq in 2003, Iraq's National Library and Archives, National Museum, and other significant cultural heritage sites were pillaged by looters and thieves. This paper discusses the response by librarians and archivists to the destruction of Iraq's historical collections and the actions taken. The safeguards, which have, over time, developed to preserve a nation's cultural identity, were not enforced during or ...
The tandem affinity purification technology: an overview.

Tandem affinity purification (TAP) is a methodology for the isolation of protein complexes from endogenous sources. It involves incorporation of a dual-affinity tag into the protein of interest and introduction of the construct into desired cell lines or organisms. Using the two affinity handles, the protein complex assembled under physiological conditions, which contains the tagged target protein and its interacting partners, can be isolated by a sequential purification scheme. Compared with single-step purification, TAP greatly reduces non-specific background and isolates protein complexes with higher purity. TAP-based protein retrieval plus mass spectrometry-based analysis has become a standard approach for identification and characterization of multi-protein complexes. The present article gives an overview of the TAP method, with a focus on its key feature—the dual-affinity tag. In addition, the application of this technology in various systems is briefly discussed.
Cross-Reactivity of Ryanodine Receptors with Putative Modulators of Ion Channels in the Plasma Membrane

The role of specific ion channels for cell function is often investigated using “pharmacological agents” (PA). PA specificity is typically determined using the whole-cell voltage clamp technique, which allows for the contrasting of many plasma membrane ion channels but not intracellular calcium release channels such as the ryanodine receptors (RyRs), which are capable of triggering numerous cellular processes. We determined that an UV-visible cuvette assay can be utilized for the screening of RyR cross-reactivity with PA, allowing for rapid determination of modulators that affect the rate of Ca2+ leak from skeletal muscle sacroplasmic reticulum microsomes. Agents that tested positive (both agonists and antagonists) were also tested on skeletal RyRs reconstituted into planar lipid bilayers. One of our main focus was TRP modulators, as early evidence suggested that these agents could target RyRs. At doses normally used to modulate TRP channels, menthol activated and anandamide inhibited RyRs. On the contrary, pseudocapsaicin and capsaicin were without effect. We have hypothesized that the cytosolic vestibular regions in the RyRs conduction pathway could have structural homology with that of voltage-gated Na+ and K+ channels. We then tested agents thought to act on the cytosolic vestibular region of those channels and determined that lamotrigine isethionate (Na+ channel blockers) and UCL1964 (K+ channel blocker) also block RyRs. Thus, our results suggest that RyR channels are targets for various ion channel modulators and could mediate some of their therapeutic actions. Exploring RyRs cross-reactivity has the potential for identifying pharmacological tools to better understand RyRs gating and RyR-mediated Ca2+ signaling in cells. (Supported by NIH R01 GM078665 to JAC)
Recent results in diamond UV detector research

Diamond has long been recognized as a promising material for fabricating robust, solar-blind radiation detectors. Its electrical as well as mechanical and chemical properties suggest that detectors made from diamond will not be limited by the dark current and response instabilities that plague silicon devices. In this work, we present initial results from our program to fabricate a two dimensional imager using synthetic diamond. We have observed the desired low dark current and VUV spectral response properties in metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) detectors made on intrinsic type-IIa diamond. Selective, near-UV response has been produced in diamond diodes. Integrating photoresponse was observed in MIS capacitors fabricated on type IIb (p-type) diamond. Subsequent modelling of the MIS photoresponse supports the conclusion that electrons are stored at the diamond-insulator interface which makes it feasible to consider a diamond CCD. We discuss relevant processing steps and a plan to make a thin, back-illuminated CCD suitable for VUV and near-UV imaging applications.
Fracture and flow in stressed solids

This paper presents a correlation and interpretation of the various data concerning the phenomena of deformation, “flow” or creep, and rupture of a stressed solid, based on a consideration of the internal energy stored in the lattice structure of the material. The elastic or potential component of this internal energy is represented by a function having the characteristics of a Condon-Morse potential-energy diagram, and, if this were the only operative mechanism, release of this stored-up strain-energy would occur as rupture in the direction of greatest extension of the lattice structure. This strain-energy may, however, also be released by means of a change-of-phase mechanism, solid to fluid to solid, wherein material is transferred from a region of high stress to a region of low stress. For this effect the work received by the system is converted into an “activation-energy” approximately equivalent to the heat of melting; and the generalized relations are expressed by the thermodynamic potential functions. The argument for these considerations is presented elsewhere [see 1 of “References” at end of paper].
Safety considerations of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors in tuberous sclerosis complex and renal transplantation

Rapamycin-related mTOR inhibitors (rapalogs) possess immunosuppressive and antiproliferative properties. Their mechanism of action makes them attractive therapies for several disease states but also potentiates adverse effects associated with these drugs. The oral mTOR inhibitor everolimus was recently approved for the treatment of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)-associated renal angiomyolipoma. As clinical use of rapalogs for the treatment of TSC increases, nephrologists and urologists who treat both children and adults with renal masses, as well as internists and geneticists with an interest in renal disease, should be aware of their safety profiles. This review presents the clinical experience of rapamycin-related mTOR inhibitors in patients with TSC and summarizes their toxicity profiles in renal transplant and TSC populations. Increased usage of rapalogs in a variety of patient populations demands vigilant monitoring of their safety profiles and rigorous differentiation between disease-specific and drug-specific toxicities.
Lay Persons’ Versus Psychologists’ Judgments of Psychologically Aggressive Actions by a Husband and Wife

Literature assessing knowledge of and attitudes toward social issues has demonstrated that mental health professionals and lay persons often differ greatly. To add to the normative information in the field of psychological abuse and to determine whether the differences previously found between mental health professionals and lay persons extend to this field, a sample from each group rated psychologically aggressive items by a husband toward his wife. For the 102 items, psychologists were more likely to label the behaviors as "psychological abuse," but this tendency was due to psychologists considering the behaviors as either "always" or "possibly" abusive, whereas lay persons demonstrated a bimodal response pattern of rating the behaviors as "always" or "never" psychological abuse. Lay persons were much more likely than psychologists to rate items high in terms of severity level, however. The two groups used different contextual factors for determining that a behavior was psychological abuse when they initially were uncertain that it was abusive.
Relation of systemic exposure to unbound etoposide and hematologic toxicity.

The pharmacodynamics of total and unbound etoposide was studied in 28 adult patients with solid tumors who were receiving etoposide and cisplatin combination chemotherapy. Etoposide plasma concentrations were determined by use of an HPLC method, and etoposide plasma protein binding was determined by equilibrium dialysis. Patients with higher systemic exposure experienced greater hematologic toxicity. The sigmoid maximum effect model with unbound systemic exposure performed better (i.e., lower residual sum of squares) than the model using total systemic exposure; in all patients (7043 versus 9755) and in the subset of patients who had not received previous chemotherapy (1986 versus 3664). The model estimates for unbound systemic exposure were more precisely estimated than for total systemic exposure (e.g., coefficient of variation for the area under the concentration-time curve producing half of the maximal effect = 51% for total drug versus 21% for unbound drug). These findings indicate that the hematologic toxicity of etoposide is better correlated with systemic exposure to unbound drug than total drug, which may be of clinical importance because of the variable plasma protein binding of etoposide.
Polar alignment for interference networks

Polar coding has originally been introduced as a capacity achieving low complexity code for binary input symmetric channels. Polar codes can be understood as transformations that replace a probabilistic channel with parallel deterministic counterparts. This paper builds on this interpretation of polar codes, using it to perform alignment over the resulting deterministic channels to obtain gains for interference networks. It is important to note here that polar codes are not chosen with encoding and decoding complexity in mind, which is just a fortuitous side-benefit, but with the aim of transforming the original channels into a class of deterministic parallel channels over which interference-alignment is well-understood. A degraded one-sided interference network is chosen as the illustrative example. Polar alignment is shown to increase the achievable sum rate over known random coding schemes. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of possible extensions.
ALTERATIONS OF HYPOTHALAMIC CATECHOLAMINES IN THE NEWBORN OFFSPRING OF GESTATIONAL DIABETIC MOTHER RATS

Catecholamines are essential organizers of the developing brain. Throughout life, they are involved, e.g., in the regulation of body weight and metabolism by specific hypothalamic nuclei, which are suggested to be highly vulnerable to maternal gestational hyperglycemia. By application of streptozotocin (30 mg/kg, i.p.) gestational diabetes (GD) was induced in female rats. On the 1st day of life, male GD offspring were underweight (P<0.05) and hyperglycemic (P<0.05), while on the 21st day of life decreased body weight (P<0.001) and elevated pancreatic insulin (P<0.01) were observed. Using HPLC with electrochemical detection, hypothalamic catecholamines were determined in the newborns, and quantitative immunocytochemistry for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was performed. At birth, a tendency towards increased levels of norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) in the whole hypothalami of GD offspring was observed. In the 21-day-old offspring of GD mothers, NE was significantly increased in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMN; P<0.05) and the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA; P<0.05), while DA was significantly elevated in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN; P<0.05) and the LHA (P<0.05). The NE/DA-ratio was found to be decreased in the PVN of GD offspring (P<0.01). Moreover, numerical density of TH-positive neurons was clearly increased within the parvocellular division of the PVN (P<0.0001) as well as in the periventricular hypothalamic area (PER; P<0.05). These data suggest specific alterations of catecholaminergic systems within hypothalamic regulators of body weight and metabolism during early development in the offspring of gestational diabetic mother rats.
The preparation of cryosections from plant tissue: An alternative method appropriate for secondary ion mass spectrometry studies of nutrient tracers and trace metals

Summary A method involving cryostat sectioning (10 μm thickness) and freeze-drying is presented for the preparation of plant tissue for microanalytical studies. The method is well suited for semi-quantitative imaging by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and offers significant advantages over bulk freeze-dried or freeze-substitution preparations. Segments of corn or soybean root (5 mm) are quench-frozen, embedded externally, sectioned in a cryostat (10 μm), pressed onto ultrapure Si and slowly freeze-dried. Images of these sections with secondary electron microscopy and SIMS indicated good morphological preservation. It was possible to section tissues of a wide developmental range, as well as roots varying sixfold in diameter. SIMS images are presented which demonstrate the ability to detect and localize nutrient tracers, such as Rb+, following brief exposures (10 min) to the intact plant. Likewise, a toxic metal (Al) was localized in root tissue after brief exposure (<1 day) of the intact plant root to micromolar external concentrations. Elemental redistribution during processing was minimal, as demonstrated most explicitly by the lack of movement of loosely bound Ca from the outer cell walls into the adjacent embedding material. Preservation of compositional differences between cellular content and cell wall was supported by a semi-quantitative treatment of SIMS images.
Increased tonic activation of presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors in the rat supraoptic nucleus following chronic dehydration

Chronic dehydration induces structural changes in the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus (SON), including increased glutamate synapses and retraction of astroglial processes. We performed whole-cell recordings in acute hypothalamic slices to determine whether these changes increase tonic activation of presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) by increasing ambient glutamate in the SON. Activation of presynaptic group III mGluRs caused a decrease in the frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) in SON neurones that was significantly attenuated in slices from dehydrated rats (-27.8 %) compared with untreated rats (-41.7 %), suggesting a higher basal occupancy of mGluRs by ambient glutamate during dehydration. Blocking group III mGluRs caused an increase in the frequency of mEPSCs that was significantly higher in slices from dehydrated rats (+42.8 %) than untreated rats (+31.4 %), suggesting greater tonic activation of presynaptic mGluRs by ambient glutamate during dehydration. Increasing ambient glutamate levels by inhibiting astrocyte glutamate uptake resulted in a decrease in mEPSC frequency due to increased activation of presynaptic mGluRs. This was attenuated in slices from dehydrated rats (-35.4 %) compared with slices from untreated rats (-48.8 %), suggesting diminished astrocytic glutamate uptake during dehydration. Immunochemical analyses revealed a robust expression of the GLT-1 transporter protein in the SON, which was diminished in SON punches from dehydrated rats compared with untreated controls. Thus, dehydration leads to increased tonic activation of presynaptic mGluRs on glutamate terminals, consistent with a decrease in glutamate buffering capacity. The resulting reduction in glutamate release probability may compensate for the increase in glutamate release sites that occurs during dehydration.
The Kinetics of Calcite Growth: Interpreting Chemical Affinity-Based Rate Laws Through the Lens of Direct Observation

Chemical affinity-based rate laws are used across the geochemical and materials communities to quantify mineral/material corrosion and growth kinetics. These rate expressions are founded in assumptions regarding reaction mechanism with little evidence for surface processes. Using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), this study demonstrates the dependence of growth kinetics upon the structures of dislocation sources. In situ observations show that the dominant mode of growth occurs by hillock development initiated at complex sources. Derivations of surface process-based rate expressions show a complex dependence of rate on chemical affinity. This dependence is approximated by second order affinity-based rate laws only under the special conditions that 1) growth proceeds by development of single sourced spirals and 2) growth occurs at very near equilibrium conditions where spiral formation is the only operative mechanism. This suggests that growth experiments that measure temporal changes in solution chemistry yield a composite rate that arises from the contributions of the different hillock types. Hence, chemical affinity-based rate laws do not generally give meaningful interpretations of growth mechanism. By combining direct observations with macroscopic methods that monitor temporal changes in solution chemistry, rate laws with greater predictive capabilities may be possible.
Effect of a random wind field on thermal blooming instabilities

We have numerically investigated the effect of random fluctuations on uncompensated (open-loop) and phase-compensated (closed-loop) small -scale thermal blooming instabilities of a collimated beam propagating through refractive index turbulence. We used the ORACLE time-dependent, three space-dimensional, wave-optics code on a Cray X-MP. The Monte Carlo random wind fields, v(z), were exponentially correlated along the propagation direction, z. The small scale instabilities are present up to a threshold value of the rms random wind, beyond which beam propagation appears to be stable; the threshold value is nearly independent of the correlation length as long as the latter is much shorter than both the length of the thermal blooming region and the Rayleigh range of dominant perturbations. We describe our results with a dimensionless shear parameter, S, that is directly proportional to the ratio of the turbulence scintillation rate to the thermal blooming rate. S is defined as: (formula available on paper) is the one-axis variance of the random wind and N is the time derivative of the thermal blooming optical path difference (OPD) in waves/sec. The open-loop calculations use a plane wave “beam” and a uniform medium. The Strehl ration at 50 waves of thermal blooming OPD remains approximately constant while S ≥ 2.3 and then it decreases rapidly as S decreases. The closed-loop calculations use a large Fresnel number finite beam, a non-uniform medium of length sL, absorption - exp(-z/L), and a Hufnagel-Valley typ On2 profile whose r0 Fresnel number was 24. For 10 is less than or equal to Np is less than or equal to 40 we see no evidence of the closed-loop instability at a wind clearing time (20 waves) for S ≥ (54 ± 2)/Np, where (formula available on paper) is twice the actuator spacing simulated by a Fourier filter. This rresult suggests that the ration of the turbulence scintillation rate to the closed-loop gain for a uniform wind determines the threshold.
"Self-stabilized" cascaded negative-conductance amplifiers

A simple circuit is proposed for amplifiers that consist of cascaded negative-conductance stages. A biasing scheme is proposed that utilizes the incremental resistance of the active devices to reduce series resistance in the bias circuit. An experimental two-stage tunnel-diode amplifier of this design provides voltage gain of 10 dB ± 1 dB over a frequency range extending from below 200 Hz to above 25 MHz. The proposed circuit appears practical for design of monolithic circuits requiring broadband gain extending to gigahertz frequencies.
Clusterin (Apo J) Protects Against In Vitro Amyloid‐β(1–40) Neurotoxicity

Clusterin is a secreted glycoprotein that is markedly induced in many disease states and after tissue injury. In the CNS, clusterin expression is elevated in neuropathological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), where it is found associated with amyloid-beta (A beta) plaques. Clusterin also coprecipitates with A beta from CSF, suggesting a physiological interaction with A beta. Given this interaction with A beta, the goal of this study was to determine whether clusterin could modulate A beta neurotoxicity. A mammalian recombinant source of human clusterin was obtained by stable transfection of hamster kidney fibroblasts with pADHC-9, a full-length human cDNA clone for clusterin. Recombinant clusterin obtained from this cell line, as well as a commercial source of native clusterin purified from serum, afforded dose-dependent neuroprotection against A beta (1-40) when tested in primary rat mixed hippocampal cultures. Clusterin afforded substoichiometric neuroprotection against several lots of A beta (1-40) but not against H2O2 or kainic acid excitotoxicity. These results suggest that the elevated expression of clusterin found in AD brain may have effects on subsequent amyloid-beta plaque pathology.
Electrical conductivity of poly(ethylene oxide)—alkali metal salt systems and effects of mixed salts and mixed molecular weights

Abstract The structure and conductivity of mixtures of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) with a molecular weight (MW) of 4 000 000 and KSCN vary with salt concentrations. The PEO-KSCN material of a molar ratio ethylene oxide unit to cation (O/K+) of 16 1 has low conductivity, and its crystal structure is similar to that of pure PEO, but with a lower crystallinity and melting point. The 8 1 material shows a high conductivity and exhibits an almost completely amorphous state, but the 4 1 material has a very low conductivity and a completely different crystal structure with a very high melting temperature. Mixed salt (LiSCNNaClO4) systems increase the conductivity. It is suggested that these results can be explained in terms of molecular disorder in the PEO-salt phase, configurational entropy and/or degree of salt dissociation. Mixed anions (KSCN-KI) can also increase conductivity in systems having a high proportion of the SCN− ion. PEOs with a MW of 600 and 18 500 show a possible application as plasticizers to increase conductivity, due, in part, to the higher content of hydroxyl end-groups to dissociate the salt into free ions and, in part, to the lower glass transition temperature (Tg). PEO (MW 600) gives a better result than PEO (MW 18 500) at the same proportion in the two MW systems. A blend of three molecular weights (4 000 000, 18 500 and 600) has a higher conductivity and a lower crystallinity than do blends of two molecular weights. These phenomena are discussed in terms of random coil behaviour or the lack of it for the lower molecular weight species.
ACID-SOLUBLE NUCLEOTIDES AND PEPTIDES OF SKIN.

SummaryA cold perchloric acid extract was made of the skins of young rabbits, and treated with Norit to provide a concentrate which was then fractionated on Dowex-1 chloride. All fractions were investigated for the presence of peptide-nucleotide components by absorption spectrophotometry, nin-hydrin analysis, paper electrophoresis and treatment with hydroxylamine. Small amounts of substances reacting with alkaline hydroxylamine were detected in preparations prior to column chromatography; eluted fractions, however, did not yield positive hydroxamate tests in the test tube. Two of the fractions when subjected to paper electrophoresis contained overlapping nucleotide and peptide components migrating toward the cathode, and indeed yielded positive color tests for hydroxamates after treatment with hydroxylamine and ferric perchlorate spray reagents. Proline was present in these fractions as well as in several others. While hydroxyproline was present in the Norit eluate, it was not retained on the Dowex-1 colu...
High-order compact scheme for boundary points

In this paper, we introduce a new high-order scheme for boundary points when calculating the derivative of smooth functions by compact scheme. The primitive function reconstruction method of ENO schemes is applied to obtain the conservative form of the compact scheme. Equations for approximating the derivatives around the boundary points 1 and N are determined. For the Neumann (and mixed) boundary conditions, high-order equations are derived to determine the values of the function at the boundary points, 1 and N, before the primitive function reconstruction method is applied. We construct a subroutine that can be used with Dirichlet, Neumann, or mixed boundary conditions. Numerical tests are presented to demonstrate the capabilities of this new scheme, and a comparison to the lower-order boundary scheme shows its advantages.
TIMI perfusion grade 3 but not grade 2 results in improved outcome after thrombolysis for myocardial infarction. Ventriculographic, enzymatic, and electrocardiographic evidence from the TEAM-3 Study.

BACKGROUND Coronary patency has been used as a measure of thrombolysis success after acute myocardial infarction. The Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) Study Group perfusion grades have gained wide acceptance, with grades 0 (no distal flow) and 1 perfusion (minimal flow) being designated as thrombolysis failures and grades 2 (partial perfusion) and 3 (complete perfusion) as thrombolysis successes. However, the significance of the individual TIMI grades on clinical outcome has not been adequately assessed. METHODS AND RESULTS To evaluate the functional significance of TIMI perfusion grades, we compared 1-day coronary patency status with ventriculographic, enzymatic, and ECG indexes of acute myocardial infarction in 298 patients treated with anistreplase or alteplase within 4 hours of myocardial infarction symptom onset. Radionuclide ejection fraction was determined at 1 week and at 1 month. Perfusion grades for the entire study population were distributed as 12% (n = 37) grades 0/1, 13% (n = 40) grade 2, and 74% (n = 221) grade 3. Patency profile did not differ between the two thrombolytic regimens. Further coronary interventions were performed after the 1-day patency determination in 43% of patients (43%, 48%, 42%, respectively, in grades 0/1, 2, and 3 patients). The outcome of grade 2 patients did not differ from grades 0/1 patients in ejection fraction, enzyme peaks, ECG markers, or morbidity index. In contrast, grade 3 patients, compared with grades 0-2 patients, showed 1) a greater global ejection fraction at 1 week (54% versus 49%, p = 0.006) and at 1 month (54% versus 49%, p = 0.01), 2) a greater infarct zone ejection fraction at 1 week (41% versus 33%, p = 0.003) and at 1 month (42% versus 32%, p = 0.003), 3) smaller enzyme peaks, significant for lactate dehydrogenase, and shorter times to enzyme peaks, significant for all four enzymes, 4) a smaller QRS score at discharge and at 1 month, and 5) a trend toward a lower morbidity index. CONCLUSIONS Grade 3 flow predicts significantly better outcomes than lesser grades of flow and represents an important measure of reperfusion success.
Effects of Beraprost Sodium, a Prostacyclin Analogue, on Diabetic Neuropathy in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

The effects of beraprost sodium (BPS), a stable prostacyclin analogue, on motor nerve conduction velocity and nerve blood flow of the sciatic nerve were investigated in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, and they were compared with the effects of epalrestat (aldose reductase inhibitor). Treatment with BPS for 4 weeks significantly inhibited the decrease in motor nerve conduction velocity and nerve blood flow dose-dependently, but epalrestat had no effect on nerve blood flow. Morphological changes of the myelinated fibers of the sciatic nerve were observed macroscopically. The mean axonal area and the mean circularity index of diabetic control rats were significantly less than that of normal rats, while after 6 weeks of BPS treatment, these decreases of the axonal area and the circularity index were inhibited. The enlargement of the mean lumen area of microvessels in the diabetic rats was significantly inhibited after 6 weeks of BPS treatment. Additionally, augmentation of the washed platelet aggregation in diabetic rats was significantly normalized by BPS. It was suggested that BPS is effective on diabetic neuropathy via amelioration of the decrease of blood supply to the structure. The effects of BPS on platelets might also contribute to the improvement of neuronal circulatory deficiency.
Dynamic modeling of the fixture-workpiece system

Abstract This paper presents a methodology for dynamic modeling and simulation of a fixture-workpiece system. A simulation approach is required since standards typically do not exist for dynamic situations like machining operations. In addition, an accurate model is developed for the contact interface at each locating and clamping region on the workpiece's surface. An end milling operation is simulated to analyze the effects of various factors on workpiece accuracy and demonstrate the advantage of the simulation approach. The clamping forces required to keep the workpiece in contact with its locators are obtained, and the influences of locator placement, clamp placement, clamping forces, and clamping sequence on linear and angular errors are reported. Elastic effects of the locator-workpiece and clamp-workpiece contacts, yielding nonlinear dynamic equations of motion, are included in the model. Since system dynamics are considered, results are obtained as a function of time. The study compares well with previous experimental work by other investigators, and the method shows promise as a fixture design tool.
Stochastic approach to modeling surface fouling of ultrafiltration membranes

A stochastic model of flux decline caused by the surface fouling of pores in ultrafiltration membranes is developed using Monte Carlo methods. The model is verified experimentally by filtering dilute α-lactalbumin and latex solutions through polysulfone and cellulosic ultrafiltration membranes in an unstirred dead-end batch assembly.
Protection of immune irradiated rats from tumor regrowth by allogenic sensitized splenic cells.

Abstract A model has been developed for the evaluation of the effects of sensitized allogenic lymphocytes in protecting irradiated rats from regrowth of Walker sarcoma. Doses of radiation above 700 R were rapidly lethal while doses of 700 R and less were better tolerated in 60% of the animals. Peripheral leukocyte depression was not relieved by splenic cell infusion but maintenance of splenic red pulp and development of nodules of plump young lymphocytes were uniformly demonstrated. Interference with immune response by radiation was demonstrated by failure of the animals to reject a second challenge of 500,000 Walker sarcoma cells. Significant protection against tumor growth was demonstrated after infusion of two million splenic cells from sensitized animals, as compared to cells from nonsensitized donors. We believe this model can be useful in investigations of cell-fixed antibody.
Continuous-Scan Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) Sensor System With Moving Target Indicator (MTI) For Satellite Surveillance

This paper describes a charge-coupled device (CCD) imaging sensor which is being developed to provide high sensitivity and high scan coverage rate for automatic detection in electro-optical, deep-space, satellite-surveillance applications. The visible-spectrum sensor focal plane is a mosaic of 100 x 400 pixel CCD imagers which are operated in the time delay and integration (TDI) mode permitting continuous high-rate scan coverage while integrating target light levels for high sensitivity. The polysilicon gate, front illumi9ated devices have 30 x 30 μm pixels. Room temperature dark current is less than 3 nA/cm and noise levels are 10-20 electrons. Several aligned rows of imaging CCD arrays located on the focal plane in the scan direction provide multiple samples of the field-of-view for automatic MTI detection processing. Five-chip focal planes have been assembled with positional errors of less than 4 μm. The MTI Signal Processor features imager defect removal, parameter estimation, adaptive thresholding, digital delay, and spatial correlation for MTI. This paper includes descriptions of the sensor system, the CCD imager design and characterization, the signal processor, and a summary of test results of the initial sensor system operated on space surveillance telescopes at the GEODSS Experimental Test System, White Sands Missile Range.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.