cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photon buildup factors in laminated dual-layer shields

In radiation protection, photon buildup factors provide a convenient method for calculating dose and exposure response after various shielding configurations, as well as information about the behavior of radiation in these configurations. Though many situations call for multilayer shields, few databases and derived analytical formulas for photon buildup in multilayer shields exist. This research develops buildup factors and analytical fits to these data for slab-geometric, dual-layer shields composed of various materials. The photon buildup factors were calculated for monoenergetic photon sources incident on two-layer shields of various combinations of lead, polyethylene, aluminum, and stainless steel for thicknesses varying between 2 and 20 mean free paths using the Parallel Time Independent Sn (PARTISN) discrete ordinates code. The Gauss-Lobatto S 100 quadrature was used with a 244-energy-group structure and coupled photon and electron cross sections. Data from PARTISN calculations were then benchmarkedfor representative cases using MCNP5, and fits to a new analytical formula were developed using Mathematica 6.0.
From statistical knowledge bases to degrees of belief: an overview

An intelligent agent will often be uncertain about various properties of its environment, and when acting in that environment it will frequently need to quantify its uncertainty. For example, if the agent wishes to employ the expected-utility paradigm of decision theory to guide its actions, she will need to assign degrees of belief (subjective probabilities) to various assertions. Of course, these degrees of belief should not be arbitrary, but rather should be based on the information available to the agent. This paper provides a brief overview of one approach for inducing degrees of belief from very rich knowledge bases that can include information about particular individuals, statistical correlations, physical laws, and default rules. The approach is called the random-worlds method. The method is based on the principle of indifference: it treats all of the worlds the agent considers possible as being equally likely. It is able to integrate qualitative default reasoning with quantitative probabilistic reasoning by providing a language in which both types of information can be easily expressed. A number of desiderata that arise in direct inference (reasoning from statistical information to conclusions about individuals) and default reasoning follow directly from the semantics of random worlds. For example, random worlds captures important patterns of reasoning such as specificity, inheritance, indifference to irrelevant information, and default assumptions of independence. Furthermore, the expressive power of the language used and the intuitive semantics of random worlds allow the method to deal with problems that are beyond the scope of many other non-deductive reasoning systems. The relevance of the random-worlds method to database systems is also discussed.
Prenatal ethanol exposure: Correlation of neurobehavioral changes with mother's blood ethanol level

Different liquid diets were tested as vehicles for ethanol administration in order to maximize the blood ethanol level (BEL) in rats. This was done since maternal BEL during the gestation period is believed to be the determining factor for behavioral and neurochemical changes in the offspring. A comparative study with three different liquid diets indicated that the Sustacal and Lieber-DeCarli diets were more effective in elevating the BEL than the Bio-Mix diet. Furthermore, it was observed that prenatal ethanol exposure affected to a varying extent the neuromuscular abilities (detected by rotarod test) and maze-learning in the offspring of mothers that receive ethanol through Lieber-DeCarli diet. No significant (P < 0.01) behavioral changes were observed in the offspring of mothers that received the Bio-Mix diet containing ethanol.
Shape of an Emission Line of CH Produced in an Oxyacetylene Flame

Interferometric measurements were made of the contour of an emission line at λ4226A produced by an oxyacetylene flame. This emission line is produced by the K-19 Rdc(0,0)2Δ−2π transition of the CH molecule. The line contour was observed by direct photoelectric intensity measurement of the interferometer pattern. It has been found that the line contour and half-width is not consistent with Doppler broadening at any reasonable temperature. It must be concluded that very large collision broadening must be present in the CH flame thus making the determination of a translational temperature difficult. However the existence of a large amount of collision broadening would seem to show that a high probability of rotational equilibrium exists.
Superconducting tunnelling junctions with InxOy barriers

Abstract Sublimated thin films of In x O y and thermally oxidized indium films have been used as barriers in the fabrication of crossed-film tunnelling junctions, whose characteristics can be controlled by varying the thickness of the deposited barrier. Josephson junctions of varying current densities, as well as junctions exhibiting only single-particle tunnelling characteristics, have been fabricated.
Projection: perceptions of causal responsibility and relative worth.

Summary.-A number of social psychological studies have found that subjects "project" negative personal characteristics onto similar, but not different, others. A wide variety of theoretical explanations have been offered to explain these data. In order to advance conceptual understanding of the forces responsible for projection, two processes which may be operative are proposed and distinguished: (1) reference projection-in which the subject reduces his personal causal responsibiliry for a negative characteristic by believing that many others who are in his reference category share his fate, and (2) comparison projection-in which the subject reduces the negativeness of a characteristic by lowering the positions of others in his reference category, thereby raising his own relative position on the dimension. Factors which may influence the use of each technique are discussed, as is the connection between these processes and concepts from social comparison theory and attribution theory. Several investigators have explored, in experimental settings, the effects of a negative self-attribution upon judgments of other people. Bramel (1963) led male subjects to believe that they had homosexual reactions to some pictures and then measured their judgments of the homosexuality of other people who were either members of their own social category (students) or not (criminals). He found that subjects who had been led to believe that they had homosexual reactions were more apt than a control group to increase the amount of homosexuality which they attributed to another student but not to change their perception of the criminal, who was not a member of their social category. This finding that projection of a negative trait is greatest toward people who are similar to oneself has been corroborated by Kiesler and Singer (1963), who found that female subjects who had been aggressive (a negative attribute in the early '60s) in an experiment attributed more aggressiveness to other people who were similar to themselves on a bibliographic data form than to people who were dissimilar on the bibliographic data form. Secord, Backman, and Eachus (1964) also found that a subject who saw himself as having a negative trait attributed this trait to others who were similar to himself. In their experiment, the subject was given the false information that he possessed a trait which he had rated as a negative trait. He then made ratings of a friend and a person he disliked. A before-after test indicated that (he self-attributed negative trait was projected to the friend but not to the disliked person.
Treatment of bisexual pedophilia by a biofeedback-assisted self-control procedure

Abstract A bisexual pedophile was treated for 88 days using a biofeedback procedure which displayed his erection response to sexually deviant stimuli on a closed-circuit television monitor. Told to develop a strategy of self-control using the biofeedback, his response to young boys and girls was treated sequentially in a multiple baseline design. His concurrent response to boys, girls and adult males was evaluated in separate generalization sessions. The treatment was successful in suppressing deviant response while maintaining nondeviant response in strength. Debriefing of the client following treatment revealed that he had used a self-developed technique of covert sensitization to suppress deviant response and had used the biofeedback to confirm and validate this self-control strategy.
ENDOTOXIN-DETOXIFYING CAPACITY OF RETICULO-ENDOTHELIAL SYSTEM IN NORMAL AND PERTUSSIS-TREATED MICE.

ConclusionPertussis vaccine produces hy-persensitivity to endotoxin in mice by reducing the potency of the endotoxin-detoxifying component in the reticulo-endothelial system.
Static and run-time characteristics of ODS5 production systems

This paper presents measurements made on several large OPS5 production systems (rule-based systems). The complete set of measurements is divided into three parts. The first part consists of measurements on the textual structure of the production system programs. The second part consists of measurements on the compiled form of the productions, and the third part consists of run-time measurements on the production system programs. The measurements are essential to the design of high-performance interpreters for production systems. The measurements are also designed to help explore the role of parallelism in execution of production system programs.
Sunflower Pollination: Abundance, Diversity and Seasonality of Bees on Male-Sterile and Male-Fertile Cultivars

In a study of the diversity and abundance of bees visiting sunflower seed-production plots (6 male-sterile, 1 male-fertile cultivars), >20 species of bees were found to frequent the plots. Significant differences were noted among cultivars in relative attractiveness to bees. For native, nonsocial bees, the pollen parent was significantly more attractive than the male-sterile lines. Only 2 of the 6 male-sterile lines were significantly more attractive to social species (honey bees and bumble bees). The effectiveness of native bees as sunflower pollinators is discussed.
802 TERMINAL LONG ARM DELETION OF CHROMOSOME 1, A CLINICALLY RECOGNIZABLE SYNDROME

We are reporting a one year old Hispanic female with terminal deletion of the long arm of chromosome 1 [del (1) (q43qter)], and reviewing all cases from the literature. With our patient there are 12 known (lq-) syndromes, of these seven were reported from the U.S. All patients had severe mental retardation, growth deficiency and unusual facial features; microcephaly, sparse fine hair, eye and ear malformations, flat nasal bridge with bulbous nose, carp-like mouth with tucked-in lower lip and micrognathia. Variable associated malformations of skeletal, cardiac, and genital systems were present in most. The typical facial dysmorphology along with the associated abnormalities makes (1q-) a clinically definable syndrome. Despite the striking similarities of the dysmorphic features in this syndrome, only three of the 12 known cases were diagnosed at birth by karyotyping. In half of the patients the physicians focused their attention on the respiratory problems occurring in the neonatal period, and the mental retardation was attributed to perinatal hypoxia. Two of the 12 cases were familial, while 10 were de novo deletions. Recognition of this syndrome is more significant in familial cases where a phenotypically normal parent with the balanced translocation may have several affected offspring necessitating genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis
Saline Catharsis: Effect on Aspirin Bioavailability in Combination with Activated Charcoal

The effect of a saline cathartic combined with activated charcoal or activated charcoal alone on aspirin bioavailability was characterized in six healthy volunteers. Using a random, Latin-square design, subjects were given 975 mg aspirin followed by either water alone, 15 Gm activated charcoal (AC), or 15 Gm activated charcoal plus 20 Gm sodium sulfate (AC + SS) separated by one week. Both AC (44.16 +/- 16.85 microgram/ml) and AC + SS (58.61 +/- 10.63 microgram/ml) decreased (P less than 0.001) the maximal plasma salicylate concentration (Cpmax) compared to control (86.61 +/- 12.69 microgram/ml). Urinary salicylate recovery was decreased (P less than 0.01) for AC (57.88 +/- 16.26 per cent) and AC + SS (61.00 +/- 11.49 per cent) as compared to control (93.73 +/- 6.83 per cent), while for area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) only AC showed a decrease (P less than 0.01) compared to control. Neither AC nor AC + SS differed from each other for Cpmax, AUC, or cumulative urinary recovery. Our findings indicate that the addition of sodium sulfate to activated charcoal has no added effect on limiting aspirin adsorption relative to activated charcoal alone.
TIME-DEPENDENT PRINCIPLES OF INVARIANCE

Author(s): Preisendorfer, Rudolph W | Abstract: SIO Reference 57-51. In this note, we exhibit the formulation of the requisite statements of the four tijne-dependent principles of invariance and show that they are sufficient todorivethe functional relations governing the tine-dependent R and T functions and their corresponding integral operator. The derivations follow closely the pattern used in some earlier studies of the stationary case, in this way we add to the evidence that the classical procedures initiated by Chandrasekhar can be extended to more general setting For brevity the present discussion is limited to plane-parallel media. However the media will be assumed finite, non-separable, and such that the attenuate and scattering functions are generally dependent on time.
TMEM16A Inhibitors Reveal TMEM16A as a Minor Component of Calcium-activated Chloride Channel Conductance in Airway and Intestinal Epithelial Cells *

TMEM16A (ANO1) functions as a calcium-activated chloride channel (CaCC). We developed pharmacological tools to investigate the contribution of TMEM16A to CaCC conductance in human airway and intestinal epithelial cells. A screen of ∼110,000 compounds revealed four novel chemical classes of small molecule TMEM16A inhibitors that fully blocked TMEM16A chloride current with an IC(50) < 10 μM, without interfering with calcium signaling. Following structure-activity analysis, the most potent inhibitor, an aminophenylthiazole (T16A(inh)-A01), had an IC(50) of ∼1 μM. Two distinct types of inhibitors were identified. Some compounds, such as tannic acid and the arylaminothiophene CaCC(inh)-A01, fully inhibited CaCC current in human bronchial and intestinal cells. Other compounds, including T16A(inh)-A01 and digallic acid, inhibited total CaCC current in these cells poorly, but blocked mainly an initial, agonist-stimulated transient chloride current. TMEM16A RNAi knockdown also inhibited mainly the transient chloride current. In contrast to the airway and intestinal cells, all TMEM16A inhibitors fully blocked CaCC current in salivary gland cells. We conclude that TMEM16A carries nearly all CaCC current in salivary gland epithelium, but is a minor contributor to total CaCC current in airway and intestinal epithelia. The small molecule inhibitors identified here permit pharmacological dissection of TMEM16A/CaCC function and are potential development candidates for drug therapy of hypertension, pain, diarrhea, and excessive mucus production.
Convergence of the linear δ expansion for the shift in T c for Bose-Einstein condensation

The leading correction from interactions to the transition temperature ${T}_{c}$ for Bose-Einstein condensation can be obtained from a nonperturbative calculation in the critical $\mathrm{O}(N)$ scalar field theory in three dimensions with $N=2.$ We show that the linear $\ensuremath{\delta}$ expansion can be applied to this problem in such a way that in the large-N limit it converges to the exact analytic result. If the principle of minimal sensitivity is used to optimize the convergence rate, the errors seem to decrease exponentially with the order in the $\ensuremath{\delta}$ expansion. For $N=2,$ we calculate the shift in ${T}_{c}$ to fourth order in $\ensuremath{\delta}.$ The results are consistent with slow convergence to the results of recent lattice Monte Carlo calculations.
Untangling the associations among distrust, race, and neighborhood social environment: A social disorganization perspective

Over the past decade, interest in exploring how health care system distrust is associated with individual health outcomes and behaviors has grown substantially, and the racial difference in distrust has been well documented, with African Americans demonstrating higher distrust than whites. However, relatively little is known about whether the individual-level determinants of distrust differ by various dimensions of distrust, and even less is understood regarding whether the race-distrust association could be moderated by the neighborhood social environment. This study used a dual-dimensional distrust scale (values and competence distrust), and applied social disorganization theory to address these gaps. We combined the 2008 Philadelphia Health Management Corporation’s household survey (N=3,746 adult respondents, 51% of which are of African American race) with neighborhood-level data (N= 45 neighborhoods) maintained by the 2000 US Census and the Philadelphia Police Department. Using multilevel modeling, we found that first, after controlling for individual- and neighborhood-level covariates, African American residents have greater values distrust than whites, but no racial difference was found in competence distrust; second, competence distrust is more likely to be determined by personal health status and access to health care services than is values distrust; and third, ceteris paribus, the association between race and values distrust was weakened by the increasing level of neighborhood stability. These results not only indicate that different aspects of distrust may be determined via different mechanisms, but also suggest that establishing a stable neighborhood may ameliorate the level of distrust in the health care system among African Americans. As distrust has been identified as a barrier to medical research, the insight provided by this study can be applied to develop a health care system that is trusted, which will, in turn, improve population health.
Dynamical properties of stellar coronas and stellar winds. i - integration of the momentum equation.

The hydrodynamic momentum and mass flow equations are integrated for a stellar corona with spherical symmetry about the center of the star. The coronal temperature is taken to be a known function T(r) of radial distance. The general properties of the equations are discussed, and it is shown that if the corona is tightly bound by the solar gravitational field, so that the thermal velocity is small compared to the gravitational escape velocity, and if the coronal temperature declines outward more slowly than 1/r, then the corona is quasi- static at its base and expands to supersonic velocity in space. No alternative is available. The stellar mass loss resulting from the expansion is determined by the coronal temperature between the base of the corona and the point at which the flow becomes supersonic. The amount by which the velocity of the resulting stellar wind exceeds the thermal velocity in the corona depends principally upon the temperature beyond the point where the flow becomes supersonic. (auth)
Identification and functional validation of PNAs that inhibit murine CD40 expression by redirection of splicing

Cognate recognition between the CD40 receptor and its ligand, CD154, is thought to play a central role in the initiation and propagation of immune responses. We describe the specific down regulation of cell surface associated CD40 protein expression by use of a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) antisense inhibitor, ISIS 208529, that is designed to bind to the 3′ end of the exon 6 splice junction within the primary CD40 transcript. Binding of ISIS 208529 was found to alter constitutive splicing, leading to the accumulation of a transcript lacking exon 6. The resulting protein product lacks the transmembrane domain. ISIS 208529-mediated CD40 protein depletion was found to be sequence specific and dose dependent, and was dependent on the length of the PNA oligomer. CD40-dependent induction of IL-12 in primary murine macrophages was attenuated in cells treated with ISIS 208529. Oligolysine conjugation to the PNA inhibitor produced an inhibitor, ISIS 278647, which maintained its specificity and displayed efficacy in BCL1 cells and in primary murine macrophages in the absence of delivery agents. These results demonstrate that PNA oligomers can be effective inhibitors of CD40 expression and hence may be useful as novel immuno-modulatory agents.
Leak - Rate Instrumentation for Saturn Systems

Development is being completed on transducers capable of aerospace flight detection of small gas flowrates. Primarily intended for monitoring of possible leaks from critical joints in the Saturn engine systems, the transducers could find application in other situations involving similar flowrates. Details of methods used on the J-2 and F-1 engines for leak monitoring are given. Principles of operation are given. Leakage rates up to about 25 cubic centimeters per second (standard temperature and pressure) can be measured. The basic types include units for gaseous oxygen, gaseous hydrogen, hot exhaust gases, and RP-1 fuel.
Computer Application to Load-Resource Analysis

Engineers responsible for the planning and development of new power resources are faced with the problem of integrating these new resources into a system of ever increasing complexity. The varied characteristics of existing and projected resources make more difficult the formidable task of systematically projecting their use to serve area load requirements. This paper presents a tool which is useful in analysis of load-resource relationships in a large, complex, interconnected system.
Spontaneous compared with induced onset of sustained ventricular tachycardia

Electrophysiological characteristics of the modes of initiation of 16 episodes of spontaneously occurring sustained ventricular tachycardia recorded in 16 patients by two-channel ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring were compared with the characteristics of ventricular tachycardia induced by programmed electrical stimulation. Eleven episodes of spontaneous ventricular tachycardia began after a single ventricular premature depolarization (VPD), three episodes after two VPDs, and two episodes after five VPDs. By comparison, only four episodes of sustained ventricular tachycardia were induced with a single VPD. Each episode of spontaneous ventricular tachycardia was initiated by a late coupled VPD (RR':QT ratio greater than 1.0). The VPD was often morphologically similar to the ensuing ventricular tachycardia (eight of 11 episodes that began after a single VPD). No correlation was found between the modes of initiation of spontaneous and induced ventricular tachycardia. We hypothesize that concealed decremental slow conduction, reflected in the long coupling intervals of VPDs initiating ventricular tachycardia, is of critical importance in initiating ventricular tachycardia. We conclude that major differences exist in the timing and number of VPDs associated with the onsets of spontaneous and induced sustained ventricular tachycardia.
ATVB in focus: noninvasive assessment of atherosclerosis--from structure to function.

The brief review by Choudhury et al1 in this issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology is the first in a series of articles intended to highlight emerging technologies for the structural and functional assessment of atherosclerosis. Although many of the techniques have been used in nonhuman models, this series will focus primarily on methods that have proven or show potential utility in human subjects. One reason for choosing this area for a series of focused brief …
A Study of Self-Oscillation of a Model Vocal Fold System by Digital Image Correlation

The understanding of the mechanics of the deformation behavior of vocal folds during flow-induced vibration is of central interest in studies of voice production. We have developed physical models of the vocal folds and connected such models to a flow supply system. The self-sustained oscillation of the vocal folds during phonation experiments is investigated using digital image correlation (DIC) techniques enabled through the use of a high-speed digital camera. A laser Doppler velocimeter was used to independently verify results from the DIC. The study reports on vibratory motion of the superior surface of the model vocal folds, and documents strain fields, and principal strains on that surface. From measured strains and the incompressibility assumption, the corresponding stress fields are computed. Strains on the vocal fold superior surface are quantified in dependence of varying subglottal pressures and flow rates.© 2006 ASME
New aerial survey and hierarchical model to estimate manatee abundance

ABSTRACT Monitoring the response of endangered and protected species to hydrological restoration is a major component of the adaptive management framework of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. The endangered Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) lives at the marine-freshwater interface in southwest Florida and is likely to be affected by hydrologic restoration. To provide managers with prerestoration information on distribution and abundance for postrestoration comparison, we developed and implemented a new aerial survey design and hierarchical statistical model to estimate and map abundance of manatees as a function of patch-specific habitat characteristics, indicative of manatee requirements for offshore forage (seagrass), inland fresh drinking water, and warm-water winter refuge. We estimated the number of groups of manatees from dual-observer counts and estimated the number of individuals within groups by removal sampling. Our model is unique in that we jointly analyzed group an...
The Politics of Land Reform: Tenure and Political Authority in Rural Kwazulu‐Natal

When South Africa's land reform programme finally reached rural Umbumbulu, a potential for conflict over land emerged unexpectedly. Strategically located near a major urban centre, residents of this region have long relied on wages and social welfare grants. Land was valued primarily for residential security and as a symbolic representation of community membership, rather than for productive purposes. This emphasis on community membership, however, created the potential for conflict when a local chief challenged a civil society group over their authority to claim land. With the government's continued hesitancy to challenge the authority of chiefs, land reform provided an opportunity for local chiefs to reinforce their position and potentially to expand the amount of land under their jurisdiction. This agenda conflicted both with the government's interest in developing commercial agriculture and local residents’ desire for rural land as security in the context of high levels of unemployment.
U.S. Health-Care Organizations: Complexity, Turbulence, and Multilevel Change

The focus of this review is macro-level organizational change in U.S. health-care organizations, with a special emphasis on turbulent changes in the environments of health-care organizations. We examine several contemporary theories used to study health-care organizations (institutional theory, complexity theory, and multilevel approaches). These and other theories may be helpful in framing investigations that emphasize key environmental changes of the 1990s and the first decade of the twenty-first century, which in turn have led to changes in health-care systems and macro-level structures. Those key changes include advances in health-care technologies, changes in the systems of care, and of course, changes in health-care policy.
Enhancing activity and overcoming chemoresistance in hematologic malignancies with bortezomib: preclinical mechanistic studies

Abstract Background Proteasome inhibition results in antitumor activity through various mechanisms, including disruption of cell cycle progression and control, induction of apoptosis, and inhibition of proliferation. Design This review assesses preclinical data on the ability of bortezomib, the first proteasome inhibitor approved for clinical use, to enhance antitumor activity of other agents and to overcome chemoresistance in hematologic malignancies and discusses mechanisms by which such activity arises. Results Bortezomib has been shown to affect multiple cellular pathways and levels of numerous intracellular proteins, including targets of importance in hematologic malignancies. These mechanisms have shown additive or synergistic effects in vitro and in vivo with those of conventional therapeutic and novel targeted agents. Additionally, targets of proteasome inhibition are implicated in resistance or lack of sensitivity to different therapies. Bortezomib in combination with other agents has been shown to overcome resistance to those agents and to resensitize cells to agents to which they were previously unresponsive. Conclusions This review indicates the potential utility of proteasome inhibition for substantially enhancing activity of other therapeutic approaches. It explains the mechanisms responsible for the observed clinical activity of bortezomib-based regimens and elucidates novel therapeutic approaches through identification of combinations of agents with complimentary mechanisms of action.
Maintenance of Baseline Angiotensin II Potentiates Insulin Hypertension in Rats

Abstract —Chronic insulin infusion in rats increases mean arterial pressure (MAP) by a mechanism dependent on angiotensin II (Ang II). However, the fact that plasma renin activity (PRA) decreases with insulin infusion suggests that Ang II sensitivity is increased and that the parallel reduction in Ang II may partly counteract any hypertensive action of insulin. This study tested that hypothesis by clamping Ang II at baseline levels during chronic insulin infusion. Sprague-Dawley rats were instrumented with artery and vein catheters, and MAP was measured 24 hours per day. In seven angiotensin clamped rats (AC rats), renin–angiotensin II system activity was clamped at normal levels throughout the study by continuous intravenous infusion of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor benazepril at 5 mg/kg per day (which decreased MAP by 18±2 mm Hg) together with intravenous Ang II at 5 ng/kg per minute. Control MAP in AC rats after clamping averaged 99±1 mm Hg, which was not different from the 101±2 mm Hg measured before clamping Ang II levels. Control MAP in the 8 vehicle-infused rats averaged 105±2 mm Hg. A 7-day infusion of insulin (1.5 mU/kg per minute IV) plus glucose (20 mg/kg per minute IV) increased MAP in both groups of rats; however, the increase in MAP was significantly greater in AC rats (12±1 versus 5±1 mm Hg). This enhanced hypertensive response to insulin in AC rats was associated with a greater increase in renal vascular resistance (153±10% versus 119±6% of control) and a significant increase in renal formation of thromboxane (149±11% of control). Thus, decreased Ang II during insulin infusion limits the renal vasoconstrictor and hypertensive actions of insulin, and this may be caused, at least in part, by attenuation of renal thromboxane production.
Anionic polymerization of star‐shaped nylon 6 with a trifunctional initiator

Etude du role de la concentration de l'amorceur et du catalyseur dans la polymerisation anionique du e-caprolactame catalysee par un lactamate metallique et amorcee par un acyl-lactame trifonctionnel, en vue de l'optimisation des conditions experimentales de preparation du nylon 6 par RIM. Mesure des profils de reaction temps/temperature et deduction des vitesses relatives de polymerisation
Study of Bubble Activity in a Megasonic Field Using an Electrochemical Technique

In the megasonic cleaning of wafers, size and motion of cavitating bubbles and fluid flow due to acoustic streaming play a very important role. In this paper, chronoamperometric technique has been used to seek information on acoustic streaming and bubble activity in a 1 MHz sound field. Specifically, current transients during reduction of potassium ferricyanide were recorded. Data collected at 1-6 MHz sampling rate using a 25 μm platinum electrode show current “peaks” indicative of the approach of oscillating bubbles to the electrode and current “valleys” due to blocking of the electrode by bubbles. Acoustic streaming velocity ( ~ 1.5 cm/s) and bubble size (maximum radius of ~ 1 μm for oscillating bubbles) have been estimated from local current transients caused by bubble activity near the electrode.
Detection of Entamoeba histolytica by Recombinase Polymerase Amplification

Amebiasis is an important cause of diarrheal disease worldwide and has been associated with childhood malnutrition. Traditional microscopy approaches are neither sensitive nor specific for Entamoeba histolytica. Antigen assays are more specific, but many cases are missed unless tested by molecular methods. Although polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is effective, the need for sophisticated, expensive equipment, infrastructure, and trained personnel limits its usefulness, especially in the resource-limited, endemic areas. Here, we report development of a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) method to detect E. histolytica specifically. Using visual detection by lateral flow (LF), the test was highly sensitive and specific and could be performed without additional equipment. The availability of this inexpensive, sensitive, and field-applicable diagnostic test could facilitate rapid diagnosis and treatment of amebiasis in endemic regions.
PLUMBATE ORIGINS REVISITED

Plumbate, a distinctive ceramic of the Early Postclassic, has been thought to have been manufactured in the Pacific region of Guatemala and traded throughout Mesoamerica and Central America. Two aberrant types of Plumbate found in Late Classic contexts in Veracruz and Early Postclassic contexts in central El Salvador suggest that the origins and spread of Plumbate or Plumbate techniques may be more complex.
Variations in Language: Teaching within the Confines of Black English in Rural Georgia.

It is the purpose of this paper to describe how the identification of linguistic differences in Black English helped eradicate the language barrier in a rural Georgia classroom and enhanced the communication between the teacher and the students.
Economic analysis in clinical trials : Practical considerations

The article addresses several important issues in the measurement of medical resource utilization or direct medical costs when incorporating such measurements into clinical trials. One of the most important issues faced by the analyst relates to the high internal validity of randomized, controlled trials, which require protocol-driven experiences that may falsely increase or decrease costs. The technique of modeling, which will require judgments on the level of detail to include in clinical pathways, can be employed in the identification of costs. Other important issues include attribution of costs to disease or treatment and assignment of monetary values. Sources of cost data, reimbursement coding systems, and resource valuation data sources in the United States are described. Finally, the trade-offs inherent in including economic evaluations in Phase III clinical trials are addressed and specific guidelines for performing economic evaluations in clinical trials are provided.
Applied Optimization in Global Efficient Portfolio Construction Using Earning Forecasts

The authors analyze the performance of an optimal global portfolio constructed from a 10-factor stock selection model that includes earning forecasts. Under the Markowitz mean–variance framework, applied optimization techniques are used to address the practical issues of risk tolerance, turnover, and tracking error. The impact of these practical constraints on portfolio performance is analyzed through extensive numerical experiments. The analysis finds that, subject to the same set of practical constraints, the risk-adjusted return of the efficient portfolio of the global equity universe outperforms that of the domestic equity universe. Active portfolio return increases with investors’ risk tolerance and the systematic tracking error allowed against the benchmark portfolio.
Public computer surfaces are reservoirs for methicillin-resistant staphylococci.

The role of computer keyboards used by students of a metropolitan university as reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant staphylococci was determined. Putative methicillin (oxacillin)-resistant staphylococci isolates were identified from keyboard swabs following a combination of biochemical and genetic analyses. Of 24 keyboards surveyed, 17 were contaminated with staphylococci that grew in the presence of oxacillin (2 mg l � 1 ). Methicillin (oxacillin)-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), -S. epidermidis (MRSE) and -S. hominis (MRSH) were present on two, five and two keyboards, respectively, while all three staphylococci co-contaminated one keyboard. Furthermore, these were found to be part of a greater community of oxacillin-resistant bacteria. Combined with the broad user base common to public computers, the presence of antibiotic-resistant staphylococci on keyboard surfaces might impact the transmission and prevalence of pathogens throughout the community.
Optimization of ferrioxamine E concentration as effective supplementation for selective isolation of Salmonella enteritidis in egg white.

Abstract Utilization of ferrioxamine E (FE) as a sole source of iron distinguishes Salmonella from a number of related species, including Escherichia coli. FE is not able to serve as a source of iron for E. coli or the Proteus-Providencia-Morganella group. This confers a selective advantage on Salmonella Enteritidis in egg white supplemented with FE. The optimum concentration of FE that promoted a selective advantage for Salmonella in egg white was determined. Four supplementation concentrations were evaluated (25, 50, 200, and 500 microg/ml) in egg white artificially inoculated with proportionally mixed cultures of a rifampin-resistant strain of Salmonella Enteritidis (0.1 ml of 102 CFU/ml) and E. coli K-12 (0.1 ml of 10(1) through 10(8) CFU/ml). After a 24-h incubation at 37 degrees C, Salmonella and E. coli populations were enumerated. At higher concentrations of FE (>50 microg/ml), both Salmonella and E. coli were able to use the iron supplement (1 to 8.5 log CFU/ml and 1.8 to 8 log CFU/ml, respectively); however, lower FE concentrations (< or = 50 microg/ml) exclusively promoted Salmonella growth. Salmonella was unrecoverable without supplementation. This study indicates that optimum levels of FE supplementation in egg can improve the selective detection for Salmonella Enteritidis among other competitive organisms.
Methodist Newspapers and the Fugitive Slave Law: A New Perspective for the Slavery Crisis in the North

torials on page two. Nowhere in the church apparatus was there a more obvious place for secular concerns to receive religious scrutiny. Widely circulated,2 welcoming reader response and edited by clergymen responsible to the denomination as a whole but particularly to the churchmen of their respective regions, the papers provide the best running account of religious response to troubles of the nation. For an age still steeped in the discourse and habit of churchly practice,3
Expression analysis of maize opaque2 mutants and Glu-1Dx5 transgenic corn

The maize (Zea mays L.) opaque2 (o2) mutant has high lysine content, but soft and starchy kernels. The o2 pleiotropic effects depend on its genetic background. To characterize the effects of the genetic background on the o2 mutant, the amino acid content and the kernel density of eight pairs of wild-type and o2 inbred lines were analyzed. Our results confirm that the Lys content and the kernel density of o2 mutants from the eight inbred lines are genetic-background dependent. Moreover, the differences of Lys content are negatively correlated with the differences of kernel density between wild-type and o2 mutant. Further analysis of zein protein levels in two pairs of inbred lines, B46WT/o2 and M14WT/o2, with the most and least difference of Lys content between wild-type and o2 reveals that the extent of reduction of zein contents is also dependent on its geneticbackground. In order to understand the main effects of o2 mutation which are masked by its genetic background at transcript level, microarray analysis was carried out by pooling the same amount of mRNA from eight o2 lines to probe the maize Unigene cDNA chip. Additional two inbred lines with most and least extreme phenotypes were investigated separately. 202 genes identified as differentially expressed in the comparison of eight pooled inbred lines fit our definition of main effect genes. Comparative analysis of the expression profiles of B46WT/B46o2, M14WT/M14o2, and Pooled WT/o2 from eight genetic lines shows B46WT/B46o2 with the most extreme phenotype has the highest extent of differential expression and the largest number of genes being affected by o2 mutation. Further analysis of o2 gene expression suggests that the genetic background effect is correlated to the transcript level of o2.
Phencyclidine intoxication: clinical experience in 27 cases confirmed by urine assay.

Medical records of 107 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of phencyclidine (PCP) intoxication were reviewed and in 27 of these the diagnosis was confirmed by positive urine assay. In the 27 confirmed cases, the most common abnormalities present on physical examination were mental/behavioral (89%) and nystagmus (85%). Elevations in blood pressure, temperature, and heart rate that were statistically significant when compared with an age-matched control group also were noted. Review of available medical records disclosed that 13 of these patients had been evaluated previously at our institution for PCP intoxication. Toxicological screening tests, including blood alcohol level, hypnotic screen, and urine test for alkaloids, were performed on 11 patients and found positive in four. The most common serious medical complication requiring hospitalization was rhabdomyolysis which occurred in three patients, two of whom developed acute renal failure. This complication may occur more frequently than previously recognized and should be excluded in patients with PCP intoxication.
Community College Students’ Assessments of the Costs and Benefits of Borrowing to Finance Higher Education:

Objective:The purpose of this study was to understand how community college students assess the risks and rewards of using personal loans to achieve their higher education goals.Method:Interviews w...
The Psychobiology of Neurotensin

The tridecapeptide neurotensin (NT) was first identified in bovine hypothalamic extracts and characterized by Carraway and Leeman (1973, 1975,1976) and has subsequently been found in all classes of vertebrates (Carraway and Leeman 1976; Kitabgi et al. 1976; Kataoka et al. 1979; Langer et al. 1979; Reinecke et al. 1980 a; Cooper et al. 1981; Grant et al. 1982; Carraway et al. 1982; Eldred and Karten 1983), many invertebrates (Reinecke et al. 1980 b; Grimmelikhuijzen et al. 1981; Price et al. 1982), and certain bacteria (Bhatnagar and Carraway 1981). It is distributed throughout the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) (Uhl and Snyder 1977 a, b), gastrointestinal tract (Sundler et al. 1977; Schultzberg et al. 1980), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), adrenals, pancreas, and plasma (Fernstrom et al. 1980). When administered systemically, the peptide has a variety of effects such as hypotension, hyperglycemia, decreased gastric acid secretion, decreased gut motility, and altered secretion of anterior pituitary hormones (Leeman and Carraway 1982). NT apparently does not cross the blood-brain barrier in appreciable quantities; however, when administered directly into the CNS, it produces a number of physiological and behavioral effects. A burgeoning body of evidence supports the role of NT as a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator. Thus far, heterogeneous CNS distribution, release of NT upon neuronal depolarization, satu- rable and specific binding of NT to receptors, and degradation by peptidases have all been demonstrated.
GASTRIC TERATOMA: A RARE CAUSE OF UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL BLEEDING IN NEONATES

The patient was a four-day-old male, the product of a full-term pregnancy and spontaneous vaginal delivery with birth weight of 2.8 kg, who presented with recurrent hematemesis associated with melena. There was no family history of bleeding disorders. Physical examination showed a pale newborn with stable vital signs and in no distress. Systemic examination revealed no abnormalities. The hemogram showed a hemoglobin of 4 grams and a normal platelet count. Urea and electrolytes, hepatic profile, prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time were normal. Abdominal plain x-ray showed no calcifications. Urgent upper GI contrast studies showed a filling defect in the stomach (Figure 1). The patient received a blood transfusion and after stabilizing his condition, an exploratory laparotomy was performed. A mass measuring 10x5x3 cm and weighing 210 grams was found arising from the anterior wall of the stomach. The tumor had extraand intragastric extension (Figure 2). Simple excision including the involved stomach wall was performed. The infant had an uneventful postoperative course and was followed up for two years with no signs of recurrence. Histological examination showed the tumor to be a mature cystic teratoma.
Context-specific comparison of sleep acquisition systems in Drosophila

Sleep is conserved across phyla and can be measured through electrophysiological or behavioral characteristics. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, provides an excellent model for investigating the genetic and neural mechanisms that regulate sleep. Multiple systems exist for measuring fly activity, including video analysis and single-beam (SB) or multi-beam (MB) infrared (IR)-based monitoring. In this study, we compare multiple sleep parameters of individual flies using a custom-built video-based acquisition system, and commercially available SB- or MB-IR acquisition systems. We report that all three monitoring systems appear sufficiently sensitive to detect changes in sleep duration associated with diet, age, and mating status. Our data also demonstrate that MB-IR detection appeared more sensitive than the SB-IR for detecting baseline nuances in sleep architecture, while architectural changes associated with varying life-history and environment were generally detected across all acquisition types. Finally, video recording of flies in an arena allowed us to measure the effect of ambient environment on sleep. These experiments demonstrate a robust effect of arena shape and size as well as light levels on sleep duration and architecture, and highlighting the versatility of tracking-based sleep acquisition. These findings provide insight into the context-specific basis for choosing between Drosophila sleep acquisition systems, describe a novel cost-effective system for video tracking, and characterize sleep analysis using the MB-IR sleep analysis. Further, we describe a modified dark-place preference sleep assay using video tracking, confirming that flies prefer to sleep in dark locations.