cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Postpartum Treatment for Substance Use Disorder Among Mothers of Infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome and Prenatal Substance Exposure.

Background: Little is known about rates of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment for women in dyads affected by substance use in the immediate postpartum period. This study's objectives were to (1) identify characteristics of mothers of infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) and/or prenatal substance exposure (PSE) who did or did not receive SUD treatment in the first 60 days postpartum and (2) describe timing of treatment receipt. Methods: This descriptive study examined linked mother-infant dyads using Medicaid data from Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin for 2006-2009. Dyads were included if the infant had NAS and/or PSE. Descriptive statistics on sociodemographic characteristics, prenatal SUD, mental health conditions, Medicaid enrollment, and health care utilization were reported for women who did and did not receive SUD treatment in the first 60 days postpartum. The distribution of each variable was compared using chi-square tests. The timing of first postpartum treatment in weeks since delivery was examined. Results: Among Medicaid-insured women whose infants had in utero substance exposure, 15% received any postpartum SUD treatment. Fewer than half were diagnosed with SUD prenatally. Of those who received postpartum SUD treatment, 68% had received prenatal treatment. No association was observed between postpartum SUD treatment receipt and months of Medicaid enrollment in the year before delivery, prenatal visits, or postpartum visit attendance. Conclusions: Most women who likely need postpartum SUD treatment did not receive it and multipronged solutions are needed. These findings provide a useful baseline for evaluations of policies aimed at improving maternal health.
Endotoxin and the Lungs

Bacterial Endotoxin: Chemical Structure and Biological Activity, H. R. Anders Sonesson, Ulrich Zahringer, H. Dieter Grimmecke, Otto Westphal, and Ernst Th. Rietschel Interactions of Endotoxin with Membranes and Membrane Receptors, Teruo Kirkae, Mei-Guey Lei, Tai-Ying Chen, and David C. Morrison Interactions Between Endotoxin and Endotoxin-Binding Protein, Thomas R. Martin, Peter S. Tobias, John C. Mathison, and Richard J. Ulevitch Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Signal Transduction and Gene Transcription, Jacek Hawiger Effects of Endotoxin on Lung Endothelium, Margaret A. Read and Barbara O. Meyrick Effects of Endotoxin on Human Pulmonary Circulation, John H. Newman Effects of Endotoxin on Airway Function, Jonathan D. Plitman and James R. Snapper Role of Eicosanoids in Endotoxin-Induced Lung Dysfunction, Michel Makhlouf, Mary Durando, James A. Cook, and Perry V. Halushka Baboon Models of Three Variants of the Hemostatic Response to Inflammatory Stimuli, Fletcher B. Taylor, Jr. Oxidant-Antioxidant Balance in Endotoxin-Induced Oxidative Injury and Tolerance to Oxidative Injury, John E. Repine and Polly E. Parsons Endotoxin-Induced Interactions of Inflammatory Cells with the Lungs, Sam R. Sharar, Robert K. Winn, and John M. Harlan
Anatomy of the Pituitary

The pituitary gland arises from epithelial and neural elements in the usual tortuous manner of developing organs. The anlagen juxtapose but their constitutent cells do not intermingle. In the adult the main glandular mass occupies a secure position within a bony pit in the middle cranial fossa and by means of a dural investment is separated from the subarachnoid space. The vicinal neural organs are somewhat removed from the body of the pituitary but its relations to these structures become brutally apparent when neoplastic expansions of the gland disorganize their sensitive nervous tissue.179 Blood reaches the pituitary through a portal system of vessels and directly from the internal carotids. Venous drainage is to the cavernous sinus and perisellar plexuses. The pituitary is innervated by autonomic nerves and by a definite bundle of fibers arising in the hypothalamus and ending in the neural lobe. The secretions of the gland probably enter the blood stream and to a lesser degree ascend toward the third ventricle of the brain.
Does Drinking Improve the Quality of Sexual Experience?: Sex-Specific Alcohol Expectancies and Subjective Experience on Drinking Versus Sober Sexual Occasions

The present study compared the self-reported quality of emotional experiences on sexual occasions that differed in levels of alcohol consumption to determine whether widely held beliefs about alcohol's positive effects on sex are borne out in people's everyday sexual experience. Multilevel models were estimated using data from 7442 discrete sexual events collected over a 10+ year period from a community sample of 1946 Black and White young adults. Tests of between-person differences revealed that beliefs that drinking both enhances and disinhibits sexual experience are widely endorsed, and that those who hold strong expectancies for enhancement drink significantly more on sexual occasions than those who do not. Nevertheless, tests of within-person differences revealed that people's sexual experiences were generally less positive on drinking than sober occasions, even after controlling for a host of individual difference and event-level characteristics. Moreover, cross-level expectancy × alcohol interaction tests showed that even those who strongly endorsed alcohol's positive effects failed to report more positive sexual experiences on drinking versus sober occasions, with a single exception: Those with strong expectancies for sexual enhancement reported greater arousal at high consumption levels, whereas those with weak enhancement expectancies reported lower arousal. In short, drinking on sexual occasions failed to deliver any benefit for the majority of individuals across the majority of outcomes. Why positive beliefs are maintained in the face of largely contradictory experience, and how this information can be used to inform intervention and prevention is explored.
Moral Bankruptcy: Modeling Appropriate Attorney Behavior in Bankruptcy Cases

This essay discusses how important it is for lawyers, especially senior lawyers, to model appropriate behavior so that the newest lawyers learn how best to behave professionally.
Kinetics of aggregation of an anisotropic model of self-assembling molecules

We study the kinetics of aggregation of a two site model of interacting spherical molecules. A given site on one molecule can interact with one or more sites on other neighboring molecules. The sites represent the result of a simple coarse graining of putative amino acid residues or two specifically designed sites on a colloidal particle. We study the kinetics and equilibrium morphology for a fixed angle between the two sites, for several angles between 30° and 150°. In the model, the sites interact via an attractive Asakura-Oosawa potential and the molecules have the usual hard sphere repulsion interaction. We find a transition from a micelle-like morphology at small angles to a rod-like morphology at intermediate angles and to a gel-like structure at values of the angle greater than about ninety degrees. However, at 150 degrees, after a long induction time during which there is no aggregation, we observe a nucleation and growth process that leads to a final spherical-like aggregate. Our results show that this angle is a control parameter for the kinetics and equilibrium properties of the system.
Effects of Row-Type, Row-Spacing, Seeding Rate, Soil-Type, and Cultivar Differences on Soybean Seed Nutrition under US Mississippi Delta Conditions

The new Early Soybean Production System (ESPS), developed in the Midsouth USA, including the Mississippi delta, resulted in higher yield under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions. However, information on the effects of the agricultural practices such as row-type (RT: twin- vs. single-row), row-spacing, (RS), seeding rate (SR), soil-type (ST) on seed nutrition under the ESPS environment in the Mississippi delta is very limited. Our previous research in the Mississippi delta showed these agricultural practices altered seed nutrients in one cultivar only. However, whether these effects on seed nutrients will be exhibited by other soybean cultivars with earlier and later maturities across multiple years are not yet known. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of agricultural practices and cultivar (Cv) differences on seed nutrition in clay and sandy soils under ESPS environment of high heat and drought. Two field experiments were conducted; one experiment was conducted in 2009 and 2010, and the other in 2008, 2009, and 2010 under irrigated conditions. Soybean were grown on 102 cm single-rows and on 25 cm twin-rows with 102 cm centers at seeding rates of 20, 30, 40, and 50 seeds m–2. Two soybean cultivars (94M80 with earlier maturity; and GP 533 with later maturity) were used. Results showed that increasing seeding rate resulted in increases of protein, sucrose, glucose, raffinose, B, and P concentrations on both single- and twin-rows. However, this increase became either constant or declined at the higher rates (40 and 50 seeds m–2). Protein and linolenic acid concentrations were higher in GP 533 than in 94M80 on both row-types, but oil and oleic acid concentrations were in 94M80 than GP 533. Generally, cultivar GP 533 accumulated more seed constituents in seeds than 94M80. In 2010, there were no clear responses of seed nutrients to SR increase in both cultivars, perhaps due to drier year and high heat in 2010. It is concluded that RT and SR can alter seed nutrition under clay and sandy soils, especially under high heat and drought conditions as in the Mississippi delta.
A School in Western Kenya

Good leadership requires commitment, a sense of purpose, and a feeling for what is possible, but does not necessarily require the presence of a single individual called “the leader.” The successful educational undertaking described here exhibits a form of distributed leadership, where many individuals and organizations cooperate to achieve a common end without a clearly defined leader or unified organizational structure.
Generating Validation Feedback for Automatic Interpretation of Informal Requirements

This paper describes a method for validating conceptual models of digital systems derived automatically from requirements expressed in natural language. Because natural language is ambiguous and vague, most statements have multiple interpretations. The approach here is to feed back to the requirements authors visualizations of the interpretations of the requirements that have been translated to semantic networks. The visualization task is a component (the Model Generator) of the ASPIN system for automatically interpreting requirements expressed in natural language and diagrams, analyzing the requirements for consistency and completeness, and automatically generating engineering models in the VHDL language. Visualization is performed in two steps: mapping the semantic networks to compound digraphs followed by placement of the nodes of the digraphs to generate a display in terms of icons representing devices, values, actions and events; and connectives indicating carriers, data flow and control dependency.
Sustaining the graft-versus-tumor effect through posttransplant immunization with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-producing tumor vaccines.

For many cancers, autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) achieves a minimal residual disease state, yet relapse rates remain high. Using a syngeneic murine bone marrow transplant model, we demonstrate that vaccination with irradiated granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)–producing autologous tumor cells is effective in the post-BMT period and actually results in a greater tumor-free survival than vaccination in the nontransplant setting. Employing T cells specific for a model tumor-antigen, we find that transplantation of the tumor-bearing host results in a massive expansion and activation of tumor-specific T cells in the early posttransplant period, but this response rapidly declines in association with tumor progression. Immunization with irradiated GM-CSF tumor cells during the period of immune reconstitution results in the sustained amplification and activation of this response that closely correlates with freedom from relapse. These results demonstrate the feasibility of integrating GM-CSF vaccines in the postautologous BMT setting and suggest mechanisms that may contribute to the observed efficacy of immunization during the critical period of immune reconstitution.
A simple technique for synthesis of linear arrays

A class of nonuniformly excited, equally-spaced linear arrays that can meet design requirements for half-power beamwidth and side lobe level without any limitation is introduced. These arrays are constructed using the patterns of uniformly excited arrays as building blocks. A design procedure is presented which can be used to determine the required number of elements and the excitation currents in order to achieve some specified radiation properties. Numerical results for broadside and endfire arrays are given.
The effects of cognitive thinking styles, trust, conflict management on online students' learning and virtual team performance

Cognitive style has been regarded as one of the important variables to predict individual cognitive functioning. This paper describes an empirical study that examined the role of thinking styles in relation to students' online learning and teamwork performance. Two hundred and eight students in an online MBA (Master of Business Administration) program participated in the study. Data were collected through surveys and content analysis of online conference transcripts. Sternberg's thinking style inventory was used to measure two dimensions of cognitive style: levels and scope. A personal reflection questionnaire was administrated to measure some variables concerning virtual team experiences including trust, conflict management styles and teamwork satisfaction. The evidence gathered suggests that cognitive styles may be a poor indicator of students' overall online learning performance. However, cognitive style had predictive power over the students' satisfaction with their teamwork experience, as well as the level of trust they exhibited in their team members. This study implies that it would be useful to integrate cognitive styles of individual students as one of the design factors which could foster successful online virtual team experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Effect of hydroxypropyl beta cyclodextrin complexation on aqueous solubility, stability, and corneal permeation of acyl ester prodrugs of ganciclovir.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of hydroxypropyl beta cyclodextrin (HPβCD) on aqueous solubility, stability, and in vitro corneal permeation of acyl ester prodrugs of ganciclovir (GCV). Aqueous solubility and stability of acyl ester prodrugs of Ganciclovir (GCV) were evaluated in pH 7.4 isotonic phosphate buffer solution (IPBS) in the presence and absence of HPβCD. Butyryl cholinesterase-mediated enzymatic hydrolysis of the GCV prodrugs was studied using various percentage w/v HPβCD. In vitro corneal permeation of GCV and its prodrugs (with and without 5% HPβCD) across isolated rabbit cornea was studied using side-by-side diffusion cells. HPβCD-prodrug complexation was of the AL type with values for complexation constants ranging between 12 and 108 M−1. Considerable improvement in chemical and enzymatic stability of the GCV prodrugs was observed in the presence of HPβCD. The stabilizing effect of HPβCD was found to depend on the degree of complexation and the degradation rate of prodrug within the complex. Five percent w/v HPβCD was found to enhance the corneal permeation of only the most lipophilic prodrug GCV dibutyrate (2.5-fold compared with 0% HPβCD). All other prodrugs showed little or no difference in transport in the presence of 5% w/v HPβCD. Agitation in the donor chamber largely influenced the transport kinetics of GCV dibutyrate across cornea. Results indicate the presence of an unstirred aqueous diffusion layer at the corneal surface that restricts the transport of the highly lipophilic GCV dibutyrate prodrug. HPβCD improves corneal permeation by solubilizing the hydrophobic prodrug and delivering it across the mucin layer at the corneal surface.
Evolution of Probability Distribution in Time for Solutions of Hyperbolic Equations

We investigate the evolution of the probability distribution function in time for some wave and Maxwell equations in random media for which the parameters, e.g. permeability, permittivity, fluctuate randomly in space; more precisely, two different media interface randomly in space. We numerically compute the probability distribution and density for output solutions. The underlying numerical and statistical techniques are the so-called polynomial chaos Galerkin projection, which has been extensively used for simulating partial differential equations with uncertainties, and the Monte Carlo simulations.
The laminar interactions of a pair of vortex tubes with a free surface

A fully nonlinear numerical method is developed to study the viscous interactions of a pair of vortex tubes rising toward a free surface. The numerical theory uses Helmholtz's decomposition to treat the irrotational and vortical components of the flow as separate nonlinearly coupled equations. The laminar interactions of a pair of vortex tubes with a clean free surface at intermediate Froude and Weber numbers and a low Reynolds number show two distinct phases. During the rise phase of the vortex pairs, instabilities lead to the formation of helical vorticity. The rotation of the helical vorticity around the primary vortex tubes causes an unsteady oscillation in the free-surface elevation. During the reconnection phase, the helical vortex sheets get narrower and attach themselves to the free surface. The normal connections of cross-axis vorticity with the free surface give whirls. The free-surface elevation is well correlated with the vortical pressure. The numerical results agree qualitatively with experimental measurements.
Search for microRNAs expressed by intracellular bacterial pathogens in infected mammalian cells.

MicroRNAs are expressed by all multicellular organisms and play a critical role as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Moreover, different microRNA species are known to influence the progression of a range of different diseases, including cancer and microbial infections. A number of different human viruses also encode microRNAs that can attenuate cellular innate immune responses and promote viral replication, and a fungal pathogen that infects plants has recently been shown to express microRNAs in infected cells that repress host cell immune responses and promote fungal pathogenesis. Here, we have used deep sequencing of total expressed small RNAs, as well as small RNAs associated with the cellular RNA-induced silencing complex RISC, to search for microRNAs that are potentially expressed by intracellular bacterial pathogens and translocated into infected animal cells. In the case of Legionella and Chlamydia and the two mycobacterial species M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis, we failed to detect any bacterial small RNAs that had the characteristics expected for authentic microRNAs, although large numbers of small RNAs of bacterial origin could be recovered. However, a third mycobacterial species, M. marinum, did express an ∼23-nt small RNA that was bound by RISC and derived from an RNA stem-loop with the characteristics expected for a pre-microRNA. While intracellular expression of this candidate bacterial microRNA was too low to effectively repress target mRNA species in infected cultured cells in vitro, artificial overexpression of this potential bacterial pre-microRNA did result in the efficient repression of a target mRNA. This bacterial small RNA therefore represents the first candidate microRNA of bacterial origin.
REGM: A multivariate general linear hypothesis program for least squares analysis of multivariate data

Several widely used analysis of variance computer programs are now available for testing general linear hypotheses (Dixon, 1973; Woodward & Overall, 1974; Cramer, Note 1; Finn, Note 2). Each of these programs has limitations. REGM, a multivariate general linear hypothesis program, has been designed for applications unsuited to these other programs. Applications. REGM has been written to allow maximum control by the user of his analysis. The source code is clear enough for modifications by a programmer and short enough to be compiled inexpensively. Input conventions closely follow the pattern of BMDllV (Dixon, 1973), which requires knowledge of the general linear model and coding of dummy variables if analysis of variance is needed. Applications should therefore be reserved for problems that cannot be solved by other programs. Specifically, REGM will handle designs beyond the size limitations of other programs because of its economy of storage and the stability of numerical routines. This can be especially important for multifactorial and repeated measures designs, which require a large design matrix for a least squares solution. Second, REGM has missing data options for dependent and independent variables. For large multiple regressions on survey data that are missing some values on independent and dependent variables, this can be useful. Computational Procedures. The model to be analyzed in most cases is Y = XB + E, where Y is an n X p matrix of n observations on p dependent variables, X is an n X q matrix of q design or independent variables, B is a q X P matrix of co­ efficients, and E is an n X p matrix of errors, with covariance matrix 0 2
The Effect of Client vs. Decision Aid as a Source of Explanations upon Auditors' Sufficiency Judgments: A Research Note

This study examines whether auditors will rate explanations for an unusual fluctuation provided by a decision aid as more sufficient than the same explanations provided by a client, when the explanations are insufficient to account for the fluctuation. While prior research has addressed auditors' sensitivity to the source reliability of various parties (e.g., client management, outside parties), little is known about auditors' perceptions of decision aids as an information source. Since a decision aid may be viewed as a highly objective source, auditors may tend to over‐rate the sufficiency of explanations provided by a decision aid vs. those provided by a client. Our results show that auditors rated explanations provided by a decision aid as more sufficient than the same explanations provided by the client, when in fact the explanations were insufficient. These results suggest that more consideration be given to the impact of decision aids utilized in analytical review.
Disposition of xenobiotic chemicals and metabolites in marine organisms.

Studies with several bottom fish species from urban waterways show that of the identified xenobiotic chemicals in bottom sediments, polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the most strongly asso...
Separation of catecholamines and dopamine-derived DNA adduct using a microfluidic device with electrochemical detection

Abstract Dopamine (DA) can produce quinones that form protein and depurinating DNA adducts; the latter are thought to be involved in some neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. Parkinson's disease) [E.L. Cavalieri et al., Carcinogenesis 23 (2002) 1071–1077]. Methods with high resolving power are needed to detect neurotransmitters (e.g. DA) and DA-derived DNA adducts in human fluids, as their presence is difficult to determine by standard chromatography with UV absorbance detection. We propose using microfluidic devices with an electrochemical (EC) detection system to determine the presence of DA, DA-6-N7Gua adduct, l -tyrosine, dihydroxyphenylalanine ( l -DOPA), and catechol (used as an internal standard). A PDMS glass-based, hybrid microfluidic device for free solution electrophoresis with totally integrated electrodes as well as improved and simplified gated injection was fabricated and tested. The best position and optimal width for minimizing background current of the working electrode was experimentally established. Using a single power supply simplified the operation of the microfluidic device and provided control of the plug size (length), leading to increased separation quality. It is shown that excellent separation of the above analytes can be accomplished in a relatively short time; the response is linear in the range between 2 and 300 μM, and reproducible with a limit of detection (LOD) for DA-6-N7Gua adducts in the sub-femtomole range. Thus, future separation and identification of various neurotransmitters and/or their products in human fluids could be accomplished using microfluidic devices with electrochemical detection.
From government to grass-roots reform: the Ford Foundation's population programmes in South Asia, 1959–1981

This article traces the history of Ford's involvement in population work in South Asia from the 1950s to the mid-1980s. The primary focus is on the transition from large-scale technical assistance programmes rooted in government and academe, to work with grass-roots women's groups and community-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs). In the process, the Foundation also moved from quantitative efforts designed primarily to distribute contraceptives, to a more holistic approach focusing on maternal and child health. The article concludes by relating these trends to a larger shift from a belief in the power of ‘disinterested expertise’ and university-based policymaking that marked the efforts of the major American foundations since the Progressive era, to a new emphasis on ‘self-interested expertise’ and grass-roots social activist and development NGOs that emerged in the 1970s. Changing development paradigms, political trends and a growing disillusionment with large-scale technical assistance all contributed to this transition.
Solution of periodic heating problems by the transfer matrix method

For discretized linear periodic heating problems, the nodal temperatures at the end of a heating cycle must be a linear function of those at the beginning of the same cycle and of any reservoirs with which the system exchanges heat. If the matrix of coefficients defining this system of linear equations is determined, it can be applied sequentially to advance through the transient response to the system without the need for direct numerical simulation of every cycle. It also permits a direct solution for the nodal temperatures at an appropriate time during the steady periodic state. Methods of determining the required matrices are discussed and the method is applied to a simple example.
Phalloidin binding and rheological differences among actin isoforms

Actin is a highly conserved protein in eukaryotes, yet different isoforms of this protein can be found within the same cell. To begin to explore whether isoactin sequence diversity leads to functional differences in actin filaments, we have examined the phalloidin binding kinetics and the bulk rheologic properties of purified actin isoforms from a variety of eukaryotic sources. We observe differences in the phalloidin association kinetics between muscle alpha- and cytoplasmic actins. Phalloidin dissociates from all mammalian actin isoforms tested at the same slow rate, while dissociation from yeast actin is 1 order of magnitude more rapid. The actin isoforms form viscoelastic gels to varying degrees with skeletal muscle alpha-actin gels being the most elastic, smooth muscle alpha- and gamma-actins being less elastic, and beta-actin not forming elastic structures under our experimental conditions. The sequence variation among isoforms is discussed in light of these biophysical and biochemical differences.
Predictive transform estimation (image processing)

Minimum mean squared error (MSE) linear predictive transform (LPT) source decoding (or modeling) and Kalman estimation are integrated to yield a unified approach to source modeling and estimation called PT estimation. PT estimation enhances classical Kalman estimation in two ways: first, it directly addresses the source modeling problem of scalar or multidimensional Kalman estimation by integrating an exact minimum MSE LPT decoder with a Kalman estimator; second, it provides a transformation mechanism that inherently leads to significant design and implementation simplifications when the state dimensionality is large. In the specific case of image reconstruction, the design and implementation requirements of 2-D LPT smoother structures are lessened with respect to those of classical 2-D Kalman smoother structures with exactly equivalent performance by factors that approach eight and four, respectively. Simple nonadaptive 2-D LPT smoothers perform quite well when compared with previous adaptive linear minimum MSE estimators. >
Perhalogenated thiazoles. Their synthesis, reactions and mass spectra

The synthesis of six new mixed perhalogenaled thiazoles ane reported. Three of these contain a 2-fluoro substituent one of which includes the novel 5-bromo-4-chloro-2-fluorothiazole. The mass spectral fragmentation pattern of the perhalogenated thiazoles was used to elucidate the orientation of the halogen suhstituents. A novel halogen migration from carbon to nitrogen in the mass spectrum was observed for several of the perhalogenated thiazoles. Nucleophilie displacement of fluoride ion in 4,5-diehloro-2-flurothiazile (7) by cyano, hydroxyl and methoxyl unions and by diclhyl amine produced the respective 2-substituted dichlorothiazoles. The ease of electrophilic substitution on carbon in the polyhalogenated thiazoles was observed to be 2 > > 5 > 4. Sulfur tetrafluoride fluorinalion of 2-earboxy-4,5-dichlorothiazole, formed by lilhiation and eurbonation of tricblorolhiazole, yielded 4,5-dicbloro-2-trifluoromethylthiazole.
Determination of thiol proteins using monobromobimane labeling and high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis: application to Escherichia coli thioredoxin.

Abstract A highly sensitive and specific assay for Escherichia coli thioredoxin was developed using the thiol-specific reagent monobromobimane. Treatment of dithiothreitol-reduced thioredoxin with an excess of monobromobimane in Tris buffer (pH 8.0, 23°C) for 30 min resulted in the formation of a stable derivative which was quantitated by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection providing sensitivity in the low picomole range. This method was applied to the determination of intracellular levels of thioredoxin in E. coli. Cell extracts were heated, treated with dithiothreitol, reacted with monobromobimane, and desalted to give a solution which was analyzable for thioredoxin using the chromatographic procedure.
Confluence of structural and chemical biology: plant polyketide synthases as biocatalysts for a bio-based future

Type III plant polyketide synthases (PKSs) biosynthesize a dazzling array of polyphenolic products that serve important roles in both plant and human health. Recent advances in structural characterization of these enzymes and new tools from the field of chemical biology have facilitated exquisite probing of plant PKS iterative catalysis. These tools have also been used to exploit type III PKSs as biocatalysts to generate new chemicals. Going forward, chemical, structural and biochemical analyses will provide an atomic resolution understanding of plant PKSs and will serve as a springboard for bioengineering and scalable production of valuable molecules in vitro, by fermentation and in planta.
Divided Minds and Successive Selves: Ethical Issues in Disorders of Identity and Personality, by Jennifer Radden. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1996. 296 pp. $55.00.

Jennifer Radden's subtitle nicely summarizes the set of concerns that animate this rich and provocative book. Radden's aims are at once conceptual and normative. What degree of continuity (over time) or unity (at a time) do selves or persons really possess? And how ought healthcare professionals and others deal with individuals whose selves become “fragmented” or “divided” in various ways? Radden's analysis blends theoretical investigations in the philosophy of mind and metaphysics with key findings in abnormal psychology and psychotherapy to illuminate a nest of issues: Can we legitimately speak of one body housing or supporting more than one “person”? To what extent does our normatively charged notion of “person” presuppose a self that is integrated by continuities of memory, experience, and agency? Must legal conceptions of individual responsibility for civil or criminal wrongs be construed to require a continuous and unified “self” who is accountable? Are paternalistically motivated therapeutic interventions justifiable when dealing with dissociative-identity disorder on the grounds that they protect one “self” from another? Ought psychiatric advance directives be enforceable? What should be the normative goals of therapeutic practice with regard to individuals whose selves are fragmented?
Neurally mediated syncope in children: results of tilt testing, treatment, and long-term follow-up.

Despite a great deal of literature concerning children with neurally mediated syncope (NMS) there is no clear standard of diagnosis or consistent approach to therapy. This report reviews our experience with tilt testing all patients who presented with syncope during a 3-year period. All patients referred for evaluation of syncope who underwent tilt testing were retrospectively reviewed. Follow-up was obtained at return visits or by telephone interview. Sixty patients were identified. The average age was 13.5 ± 3.0 years. Twenty-six patients (43%) had positive tilt tests. Follow-up was available for 56 patients. Twelve of these patients had causes other than NMS found for their symptoms. The remaining 44 patients all had histories consistent with NMS. Nineteen of these patients had positive tilt tests. All 44 patients reported either a decrease or no recurrence of syncope, and 41 patients reported a decrease or no recurrence of presyncopal symptoms. Recurrence of syncope or symptoms was not related to the results of the tilt test. Twenty-five of the 44 patients used conservative measures (extra fluids or supplemental salt) and only 3 patients were taking medications. The use of conservative measures or medications was not related to the tilt test results. Tilt testing has a high false-negative and false-positive rate and should not be used as the standard for identifying patients with NMS. The long-term follow-up of patients with NMS demonstrates that regardless of the results of the tilt test, almost all have improved or resolved symptoms with simple interventions.
Transplantation of cryopreserved human pancreatic islets into diabetic nude mice.

If pancreatic islet transplantation becomes clinically applicable, cryogenic storage of human islet preparations could solve many problems related to transportation and banking of islets, HLA matching, recipient pretreatment, or the possible use of multiple donors. The diabetic nude mouse could offer a simple model to test in vivo the function of cryopreserved human islet preparations before transplantation into diabetic patients.
Evidence for a possible major gene effect in absolute finger ridge count

Dermatoglyphics, as defined by finger ridge count, is considered a classic example of polygenic inheritance in man. A set of data containing samples from both Caucasian and Japanese populations are analyzed by fitting a mixture of normal distributions, utilizing maximum likelihood estimation. The results are homogeneous over all subsets of the data and suggest that a single major autosomal locus with two additive alleles may account for over half the variation of the quantitative phenotype absolute finger ridge count. Existence of this locus awaits confirmation by pedigree or linkage analyses.
3,5,3′-Triiodothyronine receptors and thyroxine 5′-monodeiodinating activity in thyroid hormone-insensitive Amphibia ☆

Abstract Adult anuran Amphibia and neotenous urodeles, such as Necturus maculosus , rarely respond to thyroid hormone (TH). In this study, the possibility was examined that this lack of response is due either to an inability to convert thyroxine (T 4 ) to 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine (T 3 ) or to the absence of nuclear TH receptors. Following injection of [ 125 I]T 4 , significant amounts of [ 125 I]T 3 , analyzed by chromatography, were detected in the serum and liver of Necturus and Rana catesbeiana frog indicating that both possesses a T 4 5′-monodeiodinating system. Nuclear binding of T 3 was studied in suspensions of purified hepatic nuclei and intact red blood cells (RBC). Analysis of binding data revealed that frog liver nuclei contained two sets of saturable T 3 binding sets with affinities comparable to those of the two sets of sites previously demonstrated in tadpole liver nuclei ( Galton and Schaafsma, 1983 ). However, the number of sites per nuclei was small compared to tadpole; expressed as pmol/mg DNA, the maximum binding capacity of the high affinity set of sites (MBC 1 ) was 2.2 ± 0.31 versus 12.9 ± 1.80 and MBC 2 was 24.9 ± 4.5 versus 42.2 ± 54. Receptor number in RBC nuclei was also smaller in frog than tadpole: 90 ± 26 versus 882 ± 56 sites/nucleus ( K d −11 M in both groups). No comparable high affinity binding sites were detected in Necturus liver, but some sites were found in Necturus RBC. These cells contained 2111 ± 120 sites/nucleus, more than twice the number found in tadpole. When expressed per milligram DNA, however, the MBC was only one eighth of that in the tadpole. These findings are compatible with the view that a low receptor number may account for the lack of response of frog and Necturus to TH.
What They Do Does Matter: Incumbent Resource Allocations and the Individual House Vote

It is reasonable to presume that House incumbents through their behaviors and resource allocations (e.g., trips home, staff, etc.) are responsible for their electoral success. The empirical case for the resource allocation hypothesis, however, rests primarily upon the support of a few experimental design studies. The remainder of the evidence from 25 years of tests of this hypothesis, at the district and individual-levels, is littered with null findings. Scholars suggest two methodological obstructions hinder alternative hypothesis findings: simultaneity bias (in district and individual-level studies), and restricted variance on the allocation measures (in individual-level studies). In this investigation I apply methodological remedies for these hindrances-nonrecursive analyses on a pooled (1960–1976) NES elections data set. I uncover the strongest evidence yet that incumbents benefit electorally from their resource allocations (here: bills sponsored and cosponsored, staff, and district offices). In addition to this main result, I also discuss the influence generational replacement has on resource allocations and the vote.
Spectrophotometric determination of formaldehyde

Abstract A new spectrophotometric method for the determination of micro amounts of formaldehyde in aqueous and methanol solutions is based on the oxidation of formaldehyde by hydrous silver oxide at pH 11–12.5 and oxidation of the metallic silver produced, with iron(III) in the presence of Ferrozine. The absorbance of the resulting iron(II)—Ferrozine complex at 562 nm is proportional to the amount of formaldehyde and corresponds to an apparent molar absorptivity of 5.58 × 10 4 1.mole −1 .cm −1 .
The State of American Federalism, 1992-1993

In terms offederalism, the year 1992-1993 was interesting in its ambivalence. The new president and a somewhat reconstituted Congress took actions that reverberated through the intergovernmental system; yet there was no hint of a coherent theory offederalism underlying those actions. Two trends held steady: thefederal deficit continued to constrain new domestic initiatives and states and localities continued to be subjected to un(der)funded mandates. A review of U.S. Supreme Court rulings in cases with intergovernmental implications, does not reveal a discerniblefederalism philosophy in that branch of the government. If anything, 1992-1993 further underscored the pulling and tugging between the nation and the states that has characterized American federalism for the past several years.
Quantum dynamics of a hydrogen molecule confined in a cylindrical potential

We study the coupled rotation-vibration levels of a hydrogen molecule in a confining potential with cylindrical symmetry. We include the coupling between rotations and translations and show how this interaction is essential to obtain the correct degeneracies of the energy level scheme. We applied our formalism to study the dynamics of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ molecules inside a ``smooth'' carbon nanotube as a function of tube radius. The results are obtained both by numerical solution of the $(2J+1)$-component radial Schr\"odinger equation and by developing an effective Hamiltonian to describe the splitting of a manifold of states of fixed angular momentum J and number of phonons N. For nanotube radius smaller than $\ensuremath{\approx}3.5\mathrm{\AA{}},$ the confining potential has a parabolic shape and the results can be understood in terms of a simple toy model. For larger radius, the potential has the ``Mexican hat'' shape and therefore the ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ molecule is off centered, yielding radial and tangential translational dynamics in addition to rotational dynamics of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ molecule which we also describe by a simple model. Finally, we make several predictions for the the neutron scattering observation of various transitions between these levels.
Medical Librarianship as a Risk Management Strategy: Case Files and Discussion

“Knowledge practice gaps” are instances where a dichotomy occurs between recognized medical evidence and what actually happens in medical practice. Gaps in medical knowledge invite preventable risks. Medical librarians are uniquely situated to both identify and address practitioners' gaps in medical knowledge. By serving in a risk management capacity, medical librarians can help health care facilities to avoid unnecessary hazards that come about as a result of knowledge practice gaps. This article attempts to identify areas of potential risk caused by knowledge practice gaps. Case reports illustrate key concepts.
The perturbation of model membranes by (−)-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol. Studies using solid-state 2H- and 13C-NMR

Abstract The effects of (−)- Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol ( Δ 9 -THC) on model phospholipid membranes were studied using solid-state 2 H and 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Aqueous multilamellar dispersions of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine with specific 2 H- and 13 C-labels as endogenous probes at the C 7′ methylene and the carbonyl groups, respectively, of the sn -2 chain were used to study the conformational and dynamic properties of the bilayer as a function of temperature and drug concentration. The drug molecule decreases the phase transition temperature of the bilayer in a concentration dependent manner up to 20 molar percent when full saturation has occurred. The 2 H spectra show that Δ 9 -THC broadens the phase transition during which the spectra acquire a characteristic shape of a two-component system exchanging at an intermediate rate (≈ 10 6 s −1 ) with some liquid crystalline features. Such spectra provide information related to the melting of the phospholipid chains. At intermediate temperatures, the 13 C spectra show a gel-like and a liquid-crystalline-like exchanging components and provide information about a conformational change at the phospholipid glycerol backbone occurring at or near the pretransition. The spectral composition and rate of exchange are both dependent on drug concentration. We have carried out computer simulations of the 13 C spectra and obtained conformational information related to the phase transition process in the bilayer from gel to liquid crystal. Our studies show that Δ 9 -THC has a stronger effect on the sn -2 carbonyl near the bilayer interface than on the lipid chains and serve to describe the membrane perturbing effects of cannabinoids in molecular terms.
Treatment induced necrosis versus recurrent/progressing brain tumor: going beyond the boundaries of conventional morphologic imaging

Brain tumor patients undergo various combinations therapies, leading to very complex and confusing imaging appearances on follow up MR imaging and hence, differentiating recurrent or progressing tumors from treatment induced necrosis or effects has always been a challenge in neuro-oncologic imaging. This particular topic has become more relevant these days because of the advent of newer anti-angiogenic and anti-neoplastic chemotherapeutic agents as well as use of salvage radiation therapy. Various clinically available functional imaging modalities can provide additional physiologic and metabolic information about the tumors which could be useful in identifying viable tumor from treatment induced necrosis and hence, can guide treatment planning. In this review we will discuss various functional neuro-imaging modalities, their advantages and limitations and also their utility in treatment planning.
Fatty acid synthetase of mammalian brain, liver and adipose tissue. Regulation by prosthetic group turnover

Abstract The role of prosthetic group turnover in the regulation of the fatty acid synthetase of mammalian brain, adipose tissue and liver has been studied. The fatty acid synthetase was labeled in the 4'-phosphopantetheine prosthetic group of the acyl carrier protein by administration to rats of calcium [ 3 H]pantothenate. By determining the time course of incorporation of radioactivity into both CoA, the precursor for the 4'-phosphopantetheine moiety of acyl carrier protein, and the fatty acid synthetase, it was possible to estimate the rate of prosthetic group turnover. The turnover rate was found to be extremely rapid in all three tissues. In brain, the prosthetic group is replaced completely in 10–11 h and this is an order of magnitude faster than the turnover of the enzyme complex, previously shown to occur with a t 1 4 of 6.4 days. In liver and adipose tissue, the prosthetic group turnover is slightly faster than in brain. Thus, the rapid turnover of the prosthetic group, first shown in Escherichia coli , also occurs in three different mammalian tissues and may represent a general biological phenomenon. Since turnover of the protein of fatty acid synthetase of brain does not change at all in various nutritional states when turnover of liver synthetase changes dramatically, we considered the question of whether the striking turnover of the prosthetic group in these tissues also responded differently to those states. Distinct changes in the efficiency of the exchange of the 4'-phosphopantetheine between CoA and fatty acid synthetase were observed only in the liver but not in the brain. Increased exchange in liver during fat-free feeding was discovered and the earlier observation of diminished exchange during starvation was confirmed. We also evaluated by immunochemical methods the possibility that rapid regulation of fatty acid synthetase is mediated by changes in catalytic efficiency. Quantitative precipitin analyses of liver extracts from animals during the first hours after onset of starvation or upon refeeding after starvation demonstrated that changes in enzyme activity were related entirely to changes in enzyme content. Thus, the data did not support the possibility that fatty acid synthetase activity is decreased by changes in catalytic efficiency due to removal of the 4'-phosphopantetheine prosthetic group or to inhibition by metabolites.