cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brain uptake of ketones in rats with differing susceptibility to dietary obesity.

Abstract The effect of a low- and high-fat diet on the transport of 3-hydroxybutyrate and glucose across the blood brain barrier has been measured in two strains of animals that have a marked difference in the degree of obesity that develops when they eat a high fat diet. The S 5B PI rats are resistant to dietary obesity whereas the Osborne-Mendel rats readily develop obesity when eating a high-fat diet. The transport of 3-hydroxybutyrate and glucose across the blood-brain barrier was measured as the ratio of radioactive compound (3-hydroxybutyrate or glucose) to radioactively labeled water by the technique of Oldendorf.22 The uptake of 3-hydroxybutyrate was significantly higher in the S 5B PI rats than in the Osborne-Mendel rats when they were eating either the low-fat diet or the high-fat diet. In addition, there was a significant increase in the transport of 3-hydroxybutyrate in the animals of both strains when eating the high-fat diet as compared to the low-fat diet. However, there was no difference in the transport of glucose between the two strains of rats whether they ate a low-fat or high-fat diet. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that resistance to dietary obesity is associated with increased transport of 3-hydroxybutyrate across the blood-brain barrier.
Metoclopramide and Edema

Excerpt To the editor: The review (1) of the pharmacology of metoclopramide touched so briefly on its effects on plasma aldosterone levels (2) to imply that these effects are of no clinical signifi...
High Resolution Infrared Spectroscopy From Space: Preliminary Results Of The Atms Experiment On Spacelab-3

A high-resolution FTIR spectrometer had its first flight in May of this year as part of the Spacelab-3 science pay-load. The experiment - Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) - is designed to obtain fundamental information related to the physical and chemical structure of the Earth's upper atmosphere (from 15 to 150 km altitude). There are two major aspects to the investi-gation: the first is the determination of the detailed composition of the stratosphere and mesosphere, and its global, seasonal and long-term variability; the second is the study of the partitioning of solar energy at levels in the atmosphere characterized by dissociation of the constituents and by the breakdown of thermodynamic equilibrium.
Simultaneous inversion of compressibility and density in the acoustic inverse problem

The nonlinear acoustic inverse scattering problem with both variable compressibility and variable density is formulated and solved via the Born iterative method. This is equivalent to the simultaneous electromagnetic inversion of permittivity and permeability in the Ez- or Hz-polarized problem. The solution to the Ez-polarized case for variable permittivity has been studied in detail previously. The results presented here for the Hz-polarized case and those for the simultaneous inversion (or acoustic) problem are new. Two volume integrals are used to represent the scattered field. The unknowns are found by performing Born-type iterations on the resulting integral equation. At each iteration, the unknowns are found through a double-criterion optimization. Several results are presented for both the Hz-polarized and the simultaneous (acoustic) inverse problems. In this case, even though the resolution is subwavelength, it is found that compared to the Ez-polarized case, the resolution is lower.
Measuring erosion in long-term tillage plots using ground-based lidar

Abstract Erosion remains a serious problem for agricultural soils throughout the world. Tillage significantly affects a soil's susceptibility to erosion. Erosion research is usually conducted in situ by capturing eroded sediment in brief, natural or artificial rainfall events. Methods for measuring long-term erosion are needed to better understand long-term effects of soil management. Landscape change resulting from erosion may be accurately characterized using ground-based lidar. Ground-based lidar data were collected in 2010 at a long-term (28-yr) trial of nine tillage treatments in the North Carolina Piedmont. Tillage effects on plot-surface elevations were examined after removing large-scale variation in elevation (slope) by detrending with first- through fourth-order polynomials. Residuals represented the elevation difference from the trend for each location. Mean plot elevations were calculated for datasets from each detrending model and used to assess erosion. In the subsequent elevation analysis, data derived from the second-order polynomial had the highest R 2 , attributing 66% of the variation in elevation to block and treatment. Treatment elevations relative to no-till (NT) ranged from +3.20 cm in the fall chisel (CHfa) plots to −13.28 cm in the fall moldboard plow plus disk treatment. Weeds in lesser-tilled treatments such as CHfa and no-till plus in-row subsoiling resulted in artificially high elevation measurements. In general, the most intensely-tilled treatments had the lowest elevations and the least-tilled treatments had the highest. NT was used as the reference elevation for no change, and soil loss was calculated using these data along with field-collected estimates of bulk density. The relative elevation differences corresponded to a maximum soil loss of 1891 Mg ha −1 , which corresponds to an average annual soil loss of 67.5 Mg ha −1 yr −1 . Soil loss estimates were similar to others estimated from soil profile truncation. This research indicates that ground-based lidar data can be used to estimate soil elevation changes and thus soil loss due to tillage-induced erosion.
Incremental data flow analysis in a structured program editor

For many years, the generally accepted methods for solving global data flow analysis problems (GDFAPs) have relied on the bit vector paradigm [Alle 70] [Kenn 81]. In these algorithms, the information for each variable is represented as a position in a bit vector. These vectors are propagated from node to node during the analysis of the program.This paper investigates a different paradigm for solving GDFAPs. In this strategy, the data flow solution for each variable is computed independently. A new algorithm for solving some GDFAPs is presented here. While it is expected that this algorithm will run slower in the batch compiling environment, there are conditions under which this algorithm can be expected to be superior to those in the bit vector class.
Haoran: The Peasant Novelist

Northeast of Beijing [Peking] the Great Wall stretched lifelessly like an enormous ossified dragon over the range of Yanshan. Beyond the Great Wall, the Japanese Guandong army, after having engineered the notorious Mukden Incident on September 18, 1931, proclaimed the founding of the puppet state of Manzhouguo. The appetite of the Japanese militarists was whetted by the feeble protest of the infuriated but helpless Chinese people. The decade that was to follow witnessed great suffering for the peasants who inhabited the lower reaches of the Yellow River, especially in the provinces of Hebei and Shandong. The sprawling Yanshan mountains were dotted with numerous small, impoverished villages. In one of these villages, on the nineteenth day of the second moon in the year of 1932, Liang Jin-guang was born to a poor peasant couple. He was only five years old when misfortune befell his country and his family. His
miRNAs in the pathogenesis of oncogenic human viruses

Tumor viruses are a class of pathogens with well established roles in the development of malignant diseases. Numerous bodies of work have highlighted miRNAs (microRNAs) as critical regulators of tumor pathways and it is clear that the dysregulation of cellular miRNA expression can promote tumor formation. Tumor viruses encode their own miRNAs and/or manipulate the expression of cellular miRNAs to modulate their host cell environment, thereby facilitating their respective infection cycles. The modulation of these miRNA responsive pathways, however, often influences certain signal transduction cascades in ways that favor tumorigenesis. In this review, we discuss the roles of virally-encoded and virally-regulated cellular miRNAs in the respective viral life cycles and in virus associated pathogenesis.
In situ coupling between electrochemistry and mass spectrometry — a literature review

Abstract It has been almost two decades since the results of the first successful in situ coupling of electrochemistry and mass spectrometry were published. However, for various reasons, this unique technique has not become as well-known within the scientific community as it deserves. It is hoped that this literature review, which summarizes past achievements, will promote further developments.
Effect of Steel Slag Powder on the Durability of High Performance Concrete

dvanced mineral admixtures can lead to economical high performance concrete with enhanced durability and reduced cement content. When super fine steel slag powder is mixed into concrete as active admixture, resistance to abrasion and resistance to chloride penetration are improved as well as workability and mechanical properties of the concrete. Resistance to abrasion of steel slag concrete is measured and resistance to chloride penetration is also determined by the method of NEL and ASTM C1202 in this paper. Result shows that compound mineral admixtures as partial replacement for Portland cement in mortar enhance abrasion resistance. Mixing mineral admixture is an effective means for controlling the chloride permeability. Concrete specimens prepared with compound mineral admixture with steel slag powder and blast furnace slag powder has very low permeability.
A lesson in sharing

Earth scientists need better incentives, rewards and mechanisms to achieve free and open data exchange, says David Carlson.
Epidemiology and Classification of Pain After Spinal Cord Injury

The prevalence of pain after spinal cord injury (SCI) is reported to be between 65% and 80%; 20% to 30% of this pain is severe. The reported variability in prevalence may be due to a number of methodological factors, which include (a) different definitions of pain after SCI, both with regard to specific pain types and abnormal sensations regarded as pain, (b) variable response rates for surveys and inadequate sampling techniques, (c) variable time from injury until pain assessment, and (d) variability in the classification schemes of pain after SCI. In this article, various classification schemes of pain after SCI are reviewed. It may be hypothesized that widespread use of a comprehensive, but easily used, classification system of pain after SCI will enhance communication between physicians, basic researchers, and clinical researchers and will allow better understanding of this clinical problem through interstudy comparisons of both epidemiological and treatment outcome data. The classification system pre...
Estrategias para publicar en revistas de Dermatología de impacto

For a manuscript to be published in prestigious dermatology journals, its content must be of sufficient scientific merit and properly presented in terms of structure, format, and style. Even when this is the case, targeting the wrong journal may cause substantial delay in publication. When choosing a journal, authors often give too much priority to English language journals, overestimate the actual importance of the study, give too much weight to the impact factor or reputation of the journal, and fail to examine carefully the instructions for authors. However, one of the main mistakes is to fail to assess whether the information in a manuscript is in line with the editorial policy or the interests of the readers of a given journal. An honest and objective assessment of the true scientific value of the study and the relevance of the conclusions is the best criterion for selecting the dermatological journal of choice, regardless of prestige, impact factor, inclusion in databases, or other considerations.
Comparison of central gastric antisecretory effects of desmethylimipramine, doxepin and pirenzepine in rats

Certain tricyclic drugs, some of which are primarily used clinically as antidepressants, have been shown to act as gastric antisecretory agents. The anatomical site(s) and mechanism(s) of action of these agents is, however, in most cases unclear. In this study, we found that desmethylimipramine (DMI) was approximately 28 times more potent in inhibiting gastric acid secretion when administered intracerebroventricularly (i.c.) than when administered intravenously (i.v.) in pylorus-ligated rats, which is indicative of a site of action in the central nervous system. Qualitatively similar results were obtained with pirenzepine where the i.c./i.v. potency ratio was 8. Doxepin also preferentially inhibited acid secretion when given i.c. at low but not at high doses. Atropine and chlorpromazine were equipotent antisecretory agents by both routes of administration. Doxepin and DMI but not pirenzepine were effective inhibitors of brain stem norepinephrine uptake in vitro thus making this an unlikely common mechanism to explain the central actions of these compounds.
4′-Epidoxorubicin To Re-explore Anthracycline Degradation in Cardiomyocytes

Cardiotoxicity limits the clinical use of doxorubicin (DOX) and other quinone-hydroquinone antitumor anthracyclines. One-electron reduction of the quinone moiety is followed by the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that have been proposed to induce cardiotoxicity through an oxidative stress; conversely, one-electron oxidation of the hydroquinone moiety by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and oxyferrous myoglobin (MbIIO2) is followed by an anthracycline degradation process that has been proposed to limit cardiotoxicity. We previously reported that tert-butoxycarbonyl-alanine (t-BA) impeded DOX oxidation/degradation by H2O2/MbIIO2 in a cell-free system; accordingly, t-BA increased the levels of DOX, its conversion to ROS, and its concentration-related toxicity in cardiomyocytes. To re-explore methodological and toxicological aspects of anthracycline degradation, we used 4′-epidoxorubicin (EPI), an anthracycline analogue that is very similar to DOX but undergoes protonation−sequestration in cytoplasmic acid...
Characterization of the effect of energy harvesting on the dynamic response of dielectric elastomers

Recent energy harvesting research has developed dielectric elastomer (DE) energy harvesting devices for use in low frequency applications including waves, wind and human motion. The use of dielectric elastomers for energy harvesting is a growing field, which has great potential from an energy density viewpoint. While DE has shown promise for energy harvesting applications such as walking where the mechanical behavior could affect the user, there has been little investigation into the damping effects induced by DE energy harvesting. As devices capable of harvesting larger amounts of energy are developed harvesting-induced changes in the mechanical behavior of the dielectric must be investigated. This paper investigates the structural damping effects of DE energy harvesting in order to develop a more in-depth understanding of the changes in system response due to increased energy harvesting. Results relating energy harvesting strain and bias voltage to damping provide a framework for developing energy harvesting techniques which improve the overall performance of the system.
Commentary on 'resveratrol commonly displays hormesis: occurrence and biomedical significance' by Calabrese et al

Resveratrol, a grape skin and red wine-derived polyphenolic phytoalexin, exhibits hormetic action delivering numerous health benefits at lower doses while being detrimental at higher doses. Epidemiologic and clinical trials need to be based on the clear understanding of hormetic health benefits of resveratrol.
High-energy, high-rate consolidation of tungsten and tungsten-based composite powders

Abstract Tungsten and tungsten-based heavy alloys are well known for their superior mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. However, unalloyed tungsten is difficult to consolidate owing to its very high melting temperature (3683 K). The additions of small amounts of low-melting elements such as iron, nickel, cobalt and copper, facilitate the powder processing of dense heavy alloys at moderate temperatures. Energetic high-current pulses have been used recently for powder consolidation. In this paper, the use of a homopolar generator as a power source to consolidate selected tungsten and tungsten-based alloys is examined. Various materials were consolidated including unalloyed tungsten. WNb, WNi, and tungsten heavy alloys with boron carbide. The effect of process parameters such as pressure and specific energy input on the consolidation of different alloy systems is described in terms of microstructure and property relationships.
Near-Infrared Reflectance Anomalies of Andesite and Basalt in Southern California and Nevada

High-reflectivity anomalies in the near infrared (1.0 to 2.6 µm) have been observed on scanner images obtained by the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM) in flights over several geologic units in southern California and southwestern Nevada and by the Skylab II mission in flights over western Nevada. These anomalies almost always occur in rocks that are at least as mafic as andesite. The most reasonable explanation for the anomalies is that the anomalous materials have a 5-µm or finer coating of hematite that was formed during cooling and posteruptive fumarolic steaming.
Isomer effects on vibrational energy relaxation in perylene-argon complexes

Abstract Fluorescence spectroscopic measurements have been carried out on jet-cooled complexes of perylene with a number of guest species ranging from argon to small hydrocarbons. In the case of argon, a sequence of red-shifted absorption bands is assigned to a group of aggregates involving up to five guest atoms. Calculations using empirical atom-atom pair potentials have allowed unambiguous assignment of eight different perylene-argon complexes. Spectrally dispersed fluorescence measurements have studied the effect of internal energy on the IVR and predissociation processes. In particular, the two perylene diargon isomers are shown to exhibit different rates for IVR. It has been shown that arson forms a series of organised, readily identifiable complexes with perylene in a supersonic jet. On excitation of the different isomeric forms of the 2:1 complex, different rates for vibrational energy redistribution have been found. The greatest difference was observed at low vibrational energies of the parent, which confirmed that low-frequency van der Waals modes were responsible. Although more detailed calculations will appear elsewhere, the most obvious difference between the two isomeric forms is the exchange of two low-frequency x-y plane vibrations (≈5 cm −1 ) for a hindered rotation and a substantially higher-frequency (15–30 cm −1 ) argon-argon stretching mode. Photodissociation is also readily observed, confirming the computed values for the argon-perylene binding energies. Finally, strong resonance fluorescence is observed, accompanied by (relaxed) emission from the singly dissociated species when either the 1:1 or either 2:1 isomer is excited with a (parent) vibrational energy of 705 cm −1 . Thus, in spite of the presence of the dissociative pathway, all observable emission from the undissociated species appears to originate from a state in the “small molecule” limit, which survives for about 4 ns.
Soil Phosphorus Characteristics of Created and Natural Wetlands in the Atchafalaya Delta, LA

Abstract Quantitative comparisons of created and natural wetlands are typically confounded by differences in wetland age, with created wetlands generally younger than their natural counterparts. Observed differences may be attributed to either age differences or to the inability to create wetland functions. The objective of this study was to determine if created dredge-material wetlands and comparably aged wetlands formed by natural deposition in the Atchafalaya Delta have similar sediment phosphorus compositions. Sediment cores were collected on five occasions from elevational strata (low, mid and high) in created and natural wetlands belonging to three age classes ( When compared to similarly aged natural wetland sediments: (1) old, created wetland sediments had similar mean phosphorus contents at mid and low elevations, but had lower mean contents at high elevations; and (2) intermediate aged, created wetland sediments had greater phosphorus contents on a per weight basis, but mean contents were lower on a per area basis. At all elevations, the young created wetland had lower phosphorus contents than all other wetlands. Results suggest that dredge sediment used to form the created wetlands in the Atchafalaya Delta is lower in phosphorus than the suspended sediment which forms the natural wetlands. Also, the created wetlands develop natural phosphorus characteristics through time due to sediment deposition during river flooding. In the Atchafalaya Delta, if created wetlands provide the natural flooding cycle, then they begin to develop natural phosphorus characteristics between 10 and 20 years after formation.
Role of glial cells in the differentiation and function of myelinated axons

Myelinated axons are highly differentiated in the vicinity of the node of Ranvier, both structurally and with respect to ion channel distribution. Evidence is reviewed showing that axonal differentiation depends upon two distinct types of interaction between glial cells and the axolemma, one at the node itself, with astrocyte processes, and the second, more extensive one, in the paranodal region, with oligodendrocyte processes. In the peripheral nervous system, Schwann cells fulfill both roles. Glial or Schwann cell abnormalities, due to genetic deficiencies, diseases or experimental procedures, result in corresponding abnormalities in the axolemma and can have devastating effects on nerve fiber function. An example, the myelin-deficient mutant rat, is presented, and the defects underlying the profound and ultimately lethal neurological abnormalities seen in this mutant are discussed in relation to abnormalities in its axoglial interactions.
On the minimum semidefinite rank of a simple graph

The minimum semidefinite rank (msr) of a graph is defined to be the minimum rank among all positive semidefinite matrices whose zero/nonzero pattern corresponds to that graph. We recall some known facts and present new results, including results concerning the effects of vertex or edge removal from a graph on msr.
Saddle points of Hamiltonian systems in convex Lagrange problems having a nonzero discount rate

Abstract Problems are studied in which an integral of the form ∫ 0 +∞ L ( k ( t ), k ( t )) e − pt dt is minimized over a class of arcs k : [0, +∞) → R n . It is assumed that L is a convex function on R n × R n and that the discount rate ϱ is positive. Optimality conditions are expressed in terms of a perturbed Hamiltonian differential system involving a Hamiltonian function H ( k , q ) which is concave in k and convex in q , but not necessarily differentiable. Conditions are given ensuring that, for ϱ sufficiently small, the system has a stationary point, in a neighborhood of which one has classical “saddle point” behavior. The optimal arcs of interest then correspond to the solutions of the system which tend to the stationary point as t → +∞. These results are motivated by questions in theoretical economics and extend previous work of the author for the case ϱ = 0. The case ϱ
Chemistry of the 2,3‐oxaphosphabicyclo[2.2.2]octene ring system: Extrusion of metaphosphates

The 2,3-oxaphosphabicyclo[2.2.2]octene 3-oxide (or sulfide) ring system is of considerable value because it easily fragments on being heated or irradiated (254 nm) to provide three-coordinate phosphoryl species. The system is synthesized by O-insertion with peracids into a CP bond of 7-phosphanorbornene derivatives with a variety of P-substituents. With rare exception, the insertion has been found to proceed with retention of the configuration at phosphorus, as established by X-ray and NMR techniques. The thermal fragmentation that produces the metaphosphate derivatives EtOPO2, EtOP(S)O, and Et2NPO2 follows first-order kinetics, and is independent of the concentration of a trapping agent for these species. Solvent effects and activation parameters join in defining a retrocycloaddition mechanism that ejects the free metaphosphate. The species PhPO2 can also be easily generated either thermally or photochemically. Metaphosphates have been found to attack ethereal oxygen in epoxides and oxetanes, and may undergo anchimeric participation with a properly placed methoxy group on the substituent used in the 2,3-oxaphosphabicyclo[2.2.2]octene precursor.
MRI Analysis of Anteroposterior Stability in the Normal Human Knee

During activities the knee experiences compressive forces caused by the weight of the body and muscle forces. However, there is also an anterior shear force pushing the femur forwards on the tibia. It is likely to be important to the feeling of stability that the shear force is resisted so as to limit the anterior femoral displacement. The dished bearing surface of the medial tibial compartment in combination with the medial meniscus may well perform this function. In contrast, the lateral tibial surface is convex in the sagittal plane and the meniscus is too mobile to offer any anteroposterior (AP) restraint. Therefore, we hypothesize that if an anterior or posterior force is applied to the femur relative to the tibia, AP stability is provided by the medial side, while the lateral side allows for femoral rollback to facilitate a high range of flexion. At any flexion angle, rotational laxity will occur about a point on the medial side.© 2009 ASME
Characterizing and Circumventing Intermolecular Electrostatic Interactions in Highly Electro-Optic Polymers

In general, polymers possessing non-resonant electro-optic activities exceeding 20 pm/V require chromophores with strong electron withdrawing groups (cyanovinyls, carbon acid moieties, etc.) as well as highly polarizable bridges. Although much progress has been made on designing and preparing materials with molecular electro-optic activities, their incorporation into polymers to show comparable large bulk electro-optic activities has been met with little success. The authors report here the nature of the difficulty of the translation of microscopic to macroscopic electro-optic activity. The optimization of molecular activity increases intermolecular electrostatic interactions between chromophores, and these interactions impede induction of polar ascentric order in the polymers. Theoretical analysis of the problem is presented, as well as one example of a material that is designed to circumvent these interactions. The resulting material possesses electro-optic coefficients as high as 29 pm/V and optical losses as low as 1.5 dB/cm.
Singlet-Triplet Mixing in Excited Helium Atoms

Experiments in collisional transfer of excitation, as well as theoretical considerations, have shown that singlet-triplet mixing occurs for $\mathrm{nF}$ states of helium. In this work the helium fine structure has been calculated using polarized orbitals to determine the amount of mixing and its dependence on the state ($\mathrm{nl}$) of the excited electron, and on the polarization of the orbital of the inner electron. Results are presented for $n=3\ensuremath{-}10$ and $l=2(n\ensuremath{-}1)$. All $P$ states gave poor results because of a large exchange effect involving the polarization term in the wave function. However, the $3^{3}D$ and $4^{3}D$ levels showed improved agreement with experiment for the fine structure. The singlet-triplet mixing is essentially zero for $l=2$, is significant for $l=3$, and is virtually complete for $l\ensuremath{\ge}4$. It is also found that the mixing decreases slightly with increasing $n$.
Exploration of Aspergillus fumigatus Ras pathways for novel antifungal drug targets

Ras pathway signaling is a critical virulence determinant for pathogenic fungi. Localization of Ras to the plasma membrane (PM) is required for Ras network interactions supporting fungal growth and virulence. For example, loss of A. fumigatus RasA signaling at the PM via inhibition of palmitoylation leads to decreased growth, altered hyphal morphogenesis, decreased cell wall integrity and loss of virulence. In order to be properly localized and activated, Ras proteins must transit a series of post-translational modification (PTM) steps. These steps include farnesylation, proteolytic cleavage of terminal amino acids, carboxymethylation, and palmitoylation. Because Ras activation drives tumor development, Ras pathways have been extensively studied in mammalian cells as a potential target for anti-cancer therapy. Inhibitors of mammalian Ras interactions and PTM components have been, or are actively being, developed. This review will focus on the potential for building upon existing scaffolds to exploit fungal Ras proteins for therapy, synthesizing data from studies employing both mammalian and fungal systems.
Idiocentric and allocentric differences in emotional expression, experience, and the coherence between expression and experience

This study examined differences in emotional expression, experience, and the coherence between expression and experience in idiocentric and allocentric individuals, who participated in a study similar to Ekman (1972) and Friesen's (1972) original display rule study. Encoders, classified as idiocentric or allocentric based on a measure of psychological culture, were unobtrusively videotaped as they viewed positive and negative films in two contexts – alone, and then a second time either alone or with an experimenter present. Subjective emotional responding was assessed following each of the film viewing sessions and, using the encoders' videotaped data, their emotional expressions were judged by a separate sample of decoders. Emotional expression and coherence differed as a function of encoder culture and viewing condition; experience did not. These findings replicate and extend the only other cross-cultural experiment of spontaneous emotional expressions in adults conducted over thirty years ago (Ekman, 1972; Friesen, 1972), and speak to the influence of culture as a socio-psychological construct, given that all participants were European American females.
Corrugator Supercilii Muscle Resection and Migraine Headaches

This study was conducted to determine whether there is an association between the removal of the corrugator supercilii muscle and the elimination or significant improvement of migraine headaches. Questionnaires were sent to 314 consecutive patients who had undergone corrugator supercilii muscle rese
Use of plastics in solar energy applications.

Abstract A discussion of the state-of-the-art on the use of plastic materials in solar energy applications is presented, with particular emphasis on their suitability and durability. The availability of plastics in many types and shapes (including sheeting material, films and foams) accounts for the wide range of current and potential applications in solar energy installations. Consequently, actual and potential uses of plastics include: covers (glazings), honeycomb structures and housings for flat-plate collectors; reflecting surfaces, optical lenses, shells, structural and support members for solar concentrating collectors; and insulation and piping. The plastics that have been discussed in this article in relation to their use as components in solar installations include poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), glass fiber-reinforced polyester (GRP), poly(vinyl fluoride) (PVF), fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP) copolymer, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and various foamed plastics. The aging behaviour of most of these plastics has been widely studied for normal outdoor exposure and in artificial weathering devices, and are thus briefly described here. Very little information is available, however, regarding their short-term performance under actual service conditions in solar energy installations; none has been reported on their long-term durability. Plastics have various degrees of flammability and therefore special care should be taken by using materials with adequate fire resistance and/or appropriate design in applications where a fire hazard may exist.
Conditions associated with identification of mentally ill youths in juvenile detention.

The current study examines the prevalence and severity of psychiatric symptoms in incarcerated youth. A random sample of youth ages 13–17 who were referred for mental health services (n=120) and not referred for services (n=120) at a juvenile detention facility were studied. Psychopathology was evaluated using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children and the Child Behavior Checklist. Ninety-six percent of referred youth and 69% of non-referred youth had one or more psychiatric diagnoses. Co-morbidity was common in both groups. The findings suggest that youths in the juvenile justice system have noteworthy psychopathology that often remains unidentified.
A theory of the firm's demand for HRM practices

Empirical data are presented that reveal a large variation in the pattern of HRM practice adoption across firms. The paper then develops an economics-based theory that explains this pattern. The model broadens the HRM concept; models the linkage between HRM practices and firm performance (the ‘black box’); generates an HRM input demand function and demand curve; formalizes the concept of strategic HRM; suggests a new empirical tool for HRM research; generates new hypotheses and insights on the nature of the HRM–firm performance relationship; suggests that existing theories of the HRM–firm performance relationship are seriously mis-specified; and posits that on theoretical grounds the effect of more HRM on firm performance in long-run competitive equilibrium is not positive but zero.
Segmentation of SAR images using the wavelet transform

Multiresolution representation of images using the wavelet transform is a new approach for the analysis of image information content. The transform can be computed efficiently by a pyramidal algorithm based on convolution with quadrature mirror filters. The result is a set of subband images which consists of a lower resolution version of the original image and a sequence of detail images containing higher frequency spectral information. We used this representation for the supervised segmentation of polarimetric SAR images of the San Francisco Bay area acquired by the airborne JPL system for identifying various terrain covers. Since the wavelet transform generates the localized spatial and spectral information simultaneously, detailed knowledge of the texture variations within an image can be extracted from the data in the spectral subbands. The segmentation algorithm developed in this paper is formulated by taking into consideration both the intensity and the texture information. For polarimetric SAR images, the classification accuracy can be enhanced, if the combined data from copolarized and cross-polarized images are used in the discrimination process. In contrast to other texture segmentation approaches, this algorithm does not require extensive calculations.©1993 John Wiley & Sons Inc
Plastic Deformation of ZrB2 Single Crystals

The active slip planes, the Burgers vector, and the critical resolved shear stress to induce macroscopic deformation in ZrB2 single crystals were determined. Room-temperature microhardness indentation and high-temperature uniaxial compression loadings were used to induce deformation. Slip occurred in a close-packed α direction on prismatic planes at room temperature and on the basal plane at high temperatures. The high-temperature yield stress and yield drop are discussed in terms of a Widmanstaetten-type precipitate observed in the crystals.
Exploring influences on community-based case managers' advance care planning practices: facilitators or barriers?

ABSTRACT Community-based geriatric case managers work with an increasingly frail older population in need of advance care planning throughout the end of life. However, little is known regarding factors that influence their professional practices in this area. This qualitative study used four focus groups to explore case managers' (N = 27) perceptions of facilitators and barriers to advance care planning practices. Themes from the study suggest that case managers view five key influences that appear to either assist or impede practices, depending on case manager's perceptions and experiences. Themes include: (1) Paradox of case management and programmatic realities; (2) extent of family presence and involvement; (3) level of proficiency in advance care planning; (4) degree of client receptivity to planning; and (5) limited communication with providers. The findings suggest that case managers vary in their advance care planning practices by differing perceptions regarding clients, families, professional exp...
A Global and Local Desymmetrization Approach to the Synthesis of Steroidal Alkaloids: Stereocontrolled Total Synthesis of Paspaline

A stereocontrolled total synthesis of the indole diterpenoid natural product paspaline is described. Key steps include a highly diastereoselective enzymatic desymmetrization, substrate-directed epoxidation, Ireland-Claisen rearrangement, and diastereotopic group selective C–H acetoxylation to assemble the target with excellent stereofidelity. The route and results described herein outline complementary conceptual disconnections in the arena of steroid natural product synthesis.
Occupation and the prevalence of major depression, alcohol, and drug abuse in the United States

These data from the ECA research program clearly indicate considerable variation in prevalence among different occupational groups in the United States for major depression, alcohol abuse/dependence, and drug abuse/dependence. For example, the crude lifetime prevalences for depression ranged from 0.7 to 8.6 per 100; for alcohol it was 7.5 to 32.6, and for drugs it was 3.1 to 10.5. The results also indicate that some occupations are associated with much higher rates of ADM problems. By way of illustration, the 6-month crude prevalence of major depression for the total sample of employed persons 18-64 years of age was 2.9. Six of the occupational groups had prevalences which exceeded this rate. The overall 6-month prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence was 5.8, and six occupational groups had prevalences in excess of this. Similarly, the overall 6-month prevalence was 2.6 for drug abuse/dependence, and five occupational groups had prevalences which exceeded this. Translated into terms of relative risk, it is clear that among the occupational groups some are at markedly increased risk of ADM disorders. For these comparisons, we used as the baseline group in logistic regression analyses, Job 1, composed of executive, administrative, and managerial occupations. This group is the first in the Census classification, had crude rates near the overall prevalence rates for depression, alcohol, and drugs, and is also one of the occupational categories with the highest prestige. Logistic regression analyses were done with and without controls for differences among occupational groups in gender, age, and educational level. As might be expected, adjustment in general narrowed differences in prevalence among occupational groups, and even on occasion, changed the rank order of groups slightly. However, in general, those groups with higher odds ratios based on crude rates also had higher adjusted odds ratios. Table 6 summarizes our findings, based on the adjusted odds ratios. In this table, we list occupational groups which had a relative risk of 30% or greater above baseline (Job 1), for both 6 month and lifetime prevalences, for each of the three ADM disorders. As can be seen, there is virtually no overlap between risk of depression, on the one hand, and risk of alcohol or drug abuse. The exceptions are Job 4 (sales) which ranked third for major depression and second for alcohol abuse in terms of 6-month prevalence, and Job 9 (farming, fishing, forestry), which had the [table: see text] highest lifetime risk for major depression and the second-highest 6-month risk for drug abuse/dependence.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Evaluating the Extent of Intramolecular Charge Transfer in the Excited States of Rhenium(I) Donor–Acceptor Complexes with Time-Resolved Vibrational Spectroscopy

Excited states in transition-metal complexes, even in those featuring ligands with strong electron donating and accepting properties, often involve only partial charge transfer between the donor and acceptor ligands. The excited-state properties of [Re(bpy)(CO)3L]+ compounds were studied, where L is 4-dimethylaminobenzonitrile (Re4DMABN), 3-dimethylaminobenzonitrile (Re3DMABN), and benzonitrile (ReBN) using time-resolved infrared (TRIR) and electronic spectroscopy methods as well as electronic structure computations. The DMABN complexes exhibit strongly solvent-dependent luminescence; the excited state lifetime decreases from microseconds in dichloromethane to several nanoseconds in mixed MeOH:DCM (1:1) solvent. Despite the similarities in the solvent dependence of the excited state dynamics and redox properties for Re3DMABN and Re4DMABN, the nature of the lowest energy excited states formed in these two compounds is drastically different. For example, the lowest energy excited state for Re4DMABN in the m...
The elephant in the room: why some states are refusing to expand Medicaid

After the US Supreme Court overturned the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that states expand Medicaid, roughly half the states have declined to expand. Declining states blame the high state budgetary cost. While these states do have significantly higher expansion costs, they are also significantly more likely to have Republican Party control of the legislature and governor office. Statistical inquiry confirms that after controlling for costs, it is indeed political party control, particularly of the lower chamber of the state legislature that is the most important statistical determinant of state Medicaid expansion decisions.
Improved method for the recovery of hepatitis A virus from oysters

Hepatitis A is one of the major infectious diseases epidemiologically associated with worldwide shellfish consumption. Molecular detection using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect hepatitis A virus (HAV) in contaminated shellfish can be hindered by low virus recoveries during the concentration process and by natural PCR inhibitors in shellfish. This study evaluated and modified two major steps of a processing procedure for virus concentration from oysters: acid adsorption-elution and solvent extraction. With the addition of second and third elutions, the acid adsorption-elution step doubled the recovery to 46% of HAV seeded initially. Extraction with chloroform or chloroform-butanol resulted in lower HAV detection limits by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR)-oligoprobing than extraction with the fluorocarbon, Freon. These results led to the following modified procedure: HAV was acid adsorbed at pH 4.8, eluted first with 0.05 M glycine, second with 0.5 M threonine, PEG-precipitated twice, chloroform-extracted twice, RNA-extracted, and RT-PCR (single round) amplified. Using the modified procedure, HAV was detected by RT-PCR in all trials with a seeding density of > or = 1 plaque forming unit (PFU)/g of oyster, and in which the equivalent detection limit was 0.33 PFU of HAV seeded per RT-PCR reaction (corresponding to 111 PCR units). The method developed is capable of detecting low levels of HAV in oysters environmentally contaminated.
The novel distribution of phosphodiesterase-4 subtypes within the rat retina.

Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are important regulators of signal transduction processes. While much is known about the function of cyclic GMP-specific PDEs in the retina, much less is known about the closely related, cyclic AMP-specific PDEs. The purpose of the present study is to characterize and localize PDE4 within the adult rat retina. We have used Western blotting, RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry together with retrograde labeling to determine the presence and location of each PDE4 subtype. Western blot analysis revealed that multiple isoforms of PDE4A, B, and D subtypes are present within the retina, whereas the PDE4C subtype was absent. These data were confirmed by RT-PCR. Using immunohistochemistry we show that all three PDE4s are abundantly expressed within the retina where they all colocalize with retrograde-labeled retinal ganglion cells, as well as bipolar cells, horizontal cells, and cholinergic amacrine cells, whereas Muller cells lack PDE4 expression. Uniquely, PDE4B was expressed by the inner and outer segments of rod photoreceptors as well as their terminals within the outer plexiform layer. Collectively, our results demonstrate that PDE4s are abundantly expressed throughout the rodent retina and this study provides the framework for further functional studies.
Integration challenges for optical inteconnects

The package integration of optical components with electronic integrated circuits (ICs) for optical interconnects is a subject of much debate and will, to a large extent, determine the performance of the optical interconnect system. In this paper we examine the challenges of incorporating optical interconnects into a computer system; specifically we cover several ways to integrate the optical components with a central processing unit (CPU) or chipset. Critical performance parameters such as the supported distance, power consumption and the achievable bandwidth are all impacted by the electrical integration between the IC and the optical components. Additional electrical link issues which also have a large impact on the performance of the link will be discussed as well; these include protocol related issues as well as signal integrity concerns, such as the jitter budget. We will also discuss the performance of some of the competing electrical technologies in order to provide a better understanding of the implementation challenge facing the developers of optical interconnect technology. Rack to rack communications are quickly moving to optical links, board to board communication is the next step and chip to chip communication is still further out as the electrical solutions for this topology have a great deal of headroom.
Multi-system disorders of glycosphingolipid and ganglioside metabolism

Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) and gangliosides are a group of bioactive glycolipids that include cerebrosides, globosides, and gangliosides. These lipids play major roles in signal transduction, cell adhesion, modulating growth factor/hormone receptor, antigen recognition, and protein trafficking. Specific genetic defects in lysosomal hydrolases disrupt normal GSL and ganglioside metabolism leading to their excess accumulation in cellular compartments, particularly in the lysosome, i.e., lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs). The storage diseases of GSLs and gangliosides affect all organ systems, but the central nervous system (CNS) is primarily involved in many. Current treatments can attenuate the visceral disease, but the management of CNS involvement remains an unmet medical need. Early interventions that alter the CNS disease have shown promise in delaying neurologic involvement in several CNS LSDs. Consequently, effective treatment for such devastating inherited diseases requires an understanding of the early developmental and pathological mechanisms of GSL and ganglioside flux (synthesis and degradation) that underlie the CNS diseases. These are the focus of this review.