cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ANTERIOR PITUITARY-STIMULATING ACTION OF YOHIMBINE

THE ALKALOID YOHIMBINE has long been employed as an aphrodisiac, although noconclusive experimental evidence has been reported to show that this drug possesses specific sex-Stimulating quality. Rumry (1) injected yohimbine into adult mice and found no change in the reproductive rate of these animals. Later Ludwig and von Ries (2) reported that injections of small amounts of this drug into immature mice caused the development of a typical estrous condition. D′Amour (3), using prepuberal rats, was unable to confirm the results of Ludwigand von Ries. Hechter, Lev and Soskin (4), while studying the relation of hyperemia to estrin action, claim that yohimbine alone was capable of producing an estrous reaction in castrate mice. D′Amour (3) was unable to obtain cornification of the vaginal epithelium of castrated rats. In view of these divergent observations by various workers it has generally been assumed that the action.
Demographic Shift and the Financial Sector Stability: The Case of Japan

The financial stability implications of a maturing population have not been much studied in the literature, a gap that this paper seeks to fill with particular reference to Japan. This paper illustrates that life cycle considerations tend to have important effects on the balance sheets of households and other entities, with four possible channels: First, banks business model will be affected, as their role in maturity transformation loses its importance, with regional banks in particular threatened. Expanding overseas or into ancillary services creates new risks. Second, older households will be shown to de-risk their balance sheet by substituting safe for risky assets, which raises the interconnection between households and the sovereign, creating a new source of risk. Third, households tend to shrink their balance sheet above a certain age, creating a negative wealth effect. This clogs the credit channel artery, by reducing the value of collateral and through its deflationary effect, while muting the monetary transmission mechanism further. Finally, older households are exposed to new types of risks, such as longevity risk, which if realized could have implications for sovereign debt and equity re-pricing, as well as impacting financial institutions such as insurance companies.
A re-evaluation of modelling of the current flow between electrodes: consideration of blood flow and wounds.

Electrical stimulation has been used for exercise, healing wounds, relieving pain, and strengthening muscle. The assumption is that current will flow predictably between electrodes and, therefore, there will be predictability in the clinical response to electrical stimulation. This may not be the case. The present investigation shows that considerable channelling of current occurs when the skin is heated or when there is a wound between the electrodes. By studying current movement in nutrient agar (a homogenous medium), blood agar and layered blood and nutrient agar to simulate areas of increased blood flow, it was found that areas of high or low resistance, especially in the surface layer, caused significant current movement toward (low resistance area) or away (high resistance area) from those areas. When a resister model was used to measure dispersion characteristics of current in a three-dimensional array, it was shown that if even a single resister value was lowered by 20% in the upper layer, current...
Recognition of Nonconserved Bases in the P22 Operator by P22 Repressor Requires Specific Interactions between Repressor and Conserved Bases

Abstract The ability of P22 repressor protein to distinguish between the six naturally occurring operator binding sites is critically important in determining whether the bacteriophage chooses to grow lytically or lysogenically. We have shown that changes in the highly conserved bases at P22 operator positions 3, 5, 6, and 7 prevent specific binding of P22 repressor. Moreover, studies of mutant proteins identified the three repressor amino acids that directly contact these conserved bases. The pattern of operator sequence conservation permits these direct amino acid-base pair interactions to occur in all except one of the 12 operator half-sites in the phage chromosome. Therefore, repressor differential affinity for these sites cannot be due to these highly conserved base pair-amino acid interactions. Our binding studies show that the nonconserved bases at positions 2 and 4 also play an important role in determining the relative affinity of the naturally occurring P22 operators for P22 repressor. Our data indicate that the direct contacts between the three solvent-exposed amino acids and the conserved bases in the binding site lock these amino acids in place, forming a scaffold allowing the rest of the amino acids side chains to form weaker interactions with the nonconserved bases in the binding site.
Numerical Simulation of Double Conformal Contacts Involving Both Interference and Clearance

Cylindrical conforming contacts are of great practical importance in engineering applications. Their contact behavior and stress fields need to be determined for desired configurations in order to achieve successful designs. A common configuration involving a ring has double interfaces, but their collective behavior is not well studied. Due to the fact that in a great number of designs the ring is constrained by an interference, this article focuses on simulating loaded double conforming contacts when at least one interface is subject to an interference while the other interface can have a clearance. This development is built upon analytical solutions of normal surface displacement and fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based contact algorithms presented in an earlier model. However, the model is novel in its ability to deal with interference in double-interface contact problems. The effects of microgeometry feature/deviations on the contact behavior are investigated with quantitative results from the model. Th...
Motoneuronal death during human fetal development

The total number of ventral horn motoneurons throughout the spinal cord was determined for 19 human fetuses ranging in age from 11 to 32 menstrual weeks. There was a significant (approximately 35%) decline in motoneuron number between wks 11 and 25 of gestation, but no further decline from wks 25-32. Counts of pyknotic cells indicated a peak of motoneuronal degeneration between about wks 12 and 16 of age. The normal period of motoneuronal death observed here overlaps with the initiation of functional neuromuscular contact as well as the period of androgen production by the human fetal testes. As in rats, androgen may influence final motoneuron number in the human spinal cord by attenuating cell death in sexually dimorphic motor nuclei.
Where Are We Now?: Nursing Diagnosis Research: Forging Ahead

“Where Are We Now?” is a regular feature of Nursing Diagnosis. The column focuses on current issues and trends related to nursing diagnosis development, implementation, and evaluation. This article builds upon Dr. Whitley's presentation of concept analysis as a foundation for validation research which was published in the April-June, 1995 issue of the journal. Dr. Whitley addresses methodological approaches used to validate nursing diagnoses and stresses the value of supplementing quantitative techniques with qualitative data collection. She presents a brief overview of a study of the diagnoses of fear and anxiety which incorporated this approach.
Sites of bioluminescence in the appendicularians Oikopleura dioica and O. labradoriensis (Urochordata: Larvacea)

Although bioluminescence is known in larvacean tunicates, its origin has not been reported. Two species, Oikopleura dioica and O. labradoriensis, from the northeastern Pacific Ocean, were examined during 1979–1982 to determine the sites of luminescence. An appendicularian lives within a secreted, mucous house, and its body is tightly invested by a house rudiment. Mechanical stimulation elicited multiple, summated blue-green flashes from free individuals invested by house rudiments and from empty houses that were virtually free of contamination by exogenous luminescent bacteria or dinoflagellates. Direct microscopic observations showed that the light is produced by clusters of 1 to 2 μm fluorescent granules that form intricate, species-specific patterns of inclusions in the house rudiment. These granular inclusions are probably present in the expanded house, where they account for the multiple, point-sources of light observed in flashing houses. Neither fluorescence nor luminescence were observed in any other parts of the house rudiments, expanded houses, or free appendicularians (including the oral glands, which were previously suspected of producing bioluminescent secretions).
Evaluating the Attributions of Sayings To Named Sages in the Rabbinic Literature

Alors que tous les autres documents de la litterature rabbinique sont anonymes, de nombreux dictons sont attribues a des sages designes de facon nominative. L'A. tente d'expliciter cette contradiction apparente en montrant que les recits relatifs a ces sages revetent avant tout un caractere exemplaire
Experimental evidence on the relationship between class meeting time compression and accounting student performance, evaluations and drop-out experience

Abstract The present paper contains experimental results concerning the effect of class meeting time compression on accounting student performance (as measured by final course grades), evaluations (of the course, the instructor, accounting as a discipline, etc.), and drop-out experience. Two experimental sections (one for each of Introductory Accounting I and Introductory Accounting II) were created and matched with two conventional (control) sections taught by the same pair of instructors at a large, northeastern university. Results indicate that the experimental treatment had little impact on student performance. While the treatment had some impact on drop-out experience and on evaluations, the impact could be explained by an instructor effect. These results suggest that, at the Introductory Accounting level, and especially for better-rated instructors, courses can be offered on a compressed meeting basis without regard for negative effects on performance, attitudes, or drop-out behavior.
Tobacco cessation counseling: pharmacists' opinions and practices.

Abstract Objective As a key interface between patients and the health-care community, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to promote tobacco cessation. The objectives of this study were to: (a) characterize pharmacists’ past training and current activities in provision of tobacco interventions, attitudes toward assisting patients with quitting, and interest in receiving specialized training for tobacco cessation counseling; and (b) identify predictors of pharmacists’ counseling for tobacco cessation. Methods A 10-page survey was mailed to all licensed pharmacists in four California counties. Results Returned surveys ( n = 1168; 54.2% response) indicated that fewer than 8% of pharmacists have received formal training for tobacco cessation counseling, and current levels of counseling are low. Key predictors of cessation counseling include practice setting, pharmacists’ race/ethnicity, perceived pros of counseling, and self-efficacy for counseling. Of 715 pharmacists who have direct patient contact, 93% indicated that receiving specialized tobacco cessation counseling training would increase their counseling quality, and 70% indicated that it would increase the number of patients counselled. Eighty-eight percent reported interest in receiving specialized training to obtain these skills. Conclusion Although few pharmacists have received formal training in tobacco cessation and counseling activities currently are low, there is substantial professional interest in further developing this role. Practice implications Provision of comprehensive training that focuses on promoting self-efficacy for counseling likely will increase pharmacists’ tobacco cessation counseling activities.
Neglect of Medical Evidence of Torture in Guantánamo Bay: A Case Series

Background In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US, the government authorized the use of “enhanced interrogation” techniques that were previously recognized as torture. While the complicity of US health professionals in the design and implementation of US torture practices has been documented, little is known about the role of health providers, assigned to the US Department of Defense (DoD) at the US Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (GTMO), who should have been in a position to observe and document physical and psychological evidence of torture and ill treatment. Methods and Findings We reviewed GTMO medical records and relevant case files (client affidavits, attorney–client notes and summaries, and legal affidavits of medical experts) of nine individuals for evidence of torture and ill treatment and documentation by medical personnel. In each of the nine cases, GTMO detainees alleged abusive interrogation methods that are consistent with torture as defined by the UN Convention Against Torture as well as the more restrictive US definition of torture that was operational at the time. The medical affidavits in each of the nine cases indicate that the specific allegations of torture and ill treatment are highly consistent with physical and psychological evidence documented in the medical records and evaluations by non-governmental medical experts. However, the medical personnel who treated the detainees at GTMO failed to inquire and/or document causes of the physical injuries and psychological symptoms they observed. Psychological symptoms were commonly attributed to “personality disorders” and “routine stressors of confinement.” Temporary psychotic symptoms and hallucinations did not prompt consideration of abusive treatment. Psychological assessments conducted by non-governmental medical experts revealed diagnostic criteria for current major depression and/or PTSD in all nine cases. Conclusion The findings in these nine cases from GTMO indicate that medical doctors and mental health personnel assigned to the DoD neglected and/or concealed medical evidence of intentional harm. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary
Key Principles and Clinical Applications of “Next-Generation” DNA Sequencing

Demand for fast, inexpensive, and accurate DNA sequencing data has led to the birth and dominance of a new generation of sequencing technologies. So-called "next-generation" sequencing technologies enable rapid generation of data by sequencing massive amounts of DNA in parallel using diverse methodologies which overcome the limitations of Sanger sequencing methods used to sequence the first human genome. Despite opening new frontiers of genomics research, the fundamental shift away from the Sanger sequencing that next-generation technologies has created has also left many unaware of the capabilities and applications of these new technologies, especially those in the clinical realm. Moreover, the brisk evolution of sequencing technologies has flooded the market with commercially available sequencing platforms, whose unique chemistries and diverse applications stand as another obstacle restricting the potential of next-generation sequencing. This review serves to provide a primer on next-generation sequencing technologies for clinical researchers and physician scientists. We provide an overview of the capabilities and clinical applications of DNA sequencing technologies to raise awareness among researchers about the power of these novel genomic tools. In addition, we discuss that key sequencing principles provide a comparison between existing and near-term technologies and outline key advantages and disadvantages between different sequencing platforms to help researchers choose an appropriate platform for their research interests.
Closing the loop between intentions and actions

In this document, I propose systems that aim to minimize the gap between intentions and the corresponding actions under different scenarios. The gap exists because of many reasons like subjective mapping between the two, lack of resources to implement the action, or inherent noise in the physical processes. The proposed system observes the action and infers the intention behind it. The system then generates a refined action using the inference. The inferred intention and the refined action are then provided as feedback to the user who can then perform corrective actions or choose the refined action as it is as the desired result. I demonstrate the design and implementation of such systems through five projects - Image Deblurring, Tracking Block Model Assembly, Animating with Physical Proxies, What Affects Handwriting and Spying on the Writer.
Interlaboratory Testing of Seven Alloys for SSC Resistance by the Double Cantilever Beam Method

Abstract Seven alloys for deep sour gas wells were evaluated for sulfide stress cracking resistance by the double cantilever beam (DCB) method. Representatives of 20 laboratories participated in one or both of two round-robin testing programs. These were conducted in support of the successful effort to include the DCB test in an expanded NACE test method, TM0177-90 (D). Test materials included cast and wrought products, low-alloy and stainless steels, and non-ferrous alloys. The test results reveal generally minor variation of KISSC within data sets from individual laboratories but rather high variation between laboratories. This latter variation is greatest for the two cast alloys and lowest for wrought stainless, Ni- and Ti- base alloys. The variation between laboratories for C-90 is attributed mainly to differences in initial arm displacement; on average, KISSC rises approximately 0.2 ksi√in. per 0.001-in. increase in arm displacement. At fixed arm displacement, the DCB test for C-90 exhibits good repr...
TIME-RESOLVED FLUORESCENCE SPECTRA OF TRYPTOPHAN IN MONOMERIC GLUCAGON*

— The fluorescence decay of tryptophan-25 in monomeric glucagon at pH 8.2 was measured at a series of emission wavelengths using pulsed laser excitation and single photon counting techniques. Double exponential kinetics were consistently observed, with time constants 3.26 and 1.11 ns. This allowed the steady-state emission spectrum to be resolved into two components with differing intensities but similar emission maxima near 350 nm. Decay parameters were almost unchanged in the presence of 5.5 M guanidinium chloride. The dual emission is thought to reflect different conformers of the indole ring or of the peptide chain.
Silver alkali halide glasses and a vitreous analog of the RbAg4I5 superionic conductor

We report the existence of silver halide-rich glasses of a type not previously recognized. These contain only monovalent halides and represent perhaps the simplest ionic glasses yet realized. Despite the lack of the usual oxyanion matrix the new glasses show room temperature conductances which equal or exceed those of the best Ag/sup +/ glasses yet reported. Cu/sup +/ analogues have also been prepared. At the high conducting extreme apparently lies a vitreous state analog of the well-known crystalline conductor RbAg/sub 4/I/sub 5/. A crystalline analog of the latter FIC, CsAg/sub 4/(I /SUB 0.45/ C1 /SUB 0.55/ )/sub 5/ forms metastably on careful devitrification of the glass. Like its prototype, it has a very high conductivity and exhibits a sharp C /SUB p/ anomaly at low temperatures, -77/sup 0/C, in the vicinity of which the activation energy for conductance changes abruptly.
Potentiation of cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking in rats by the anxiogenic drug yohimbine.

Stress and drug-associated cues can trigger drug desire and relapse in abstinent cocaine users. Although the role of these two factors in relapse is well documented, it remains unclear as to whether an interaction between stress and drug-associated cues can lead to an enhancement in cocaine-seeking behavior. Here, we assessed the effects of the anxiogenic α2-noradrenergic receptor antagonist, yohimbine, on reinstatement of cocaine-seeking in rats either in the presence or absence of cocaine-associated cues. Yohimbine pretreatment in the absence of cocaine-associated cues or cues by themselves reliably reinstated responding on the previously cocaine-paired lever (3–4 times higher than extinction levels). However, animals showed greatly potentiated responding if yohimbine preceded cue-induced reinstatement (10–13 times higher than extinction levels, or 3–5 times over cues or yohimbine alone). While cocaine self-administration produced a significant increase in plasma corticosterone, plasma corticosterone levels did not show a clear relationship to cocaine-paired lever responding during cue and/or yohimbine-induced reinstatement. These results demonstrate that exposure to drug-paired cues during a stressful state can greatly potentiate cocaine-seeking and suggest that future treatment interventions should target multiple modalities.
Gonadotrophic Hormone Stimulating Properties of Pyrimidine Sulphonamide Derivatives

Abstract ASPLIN et al. (1946, 1947) noted that the feeding of certain pyrimidine sulphonamide derivatives to chicks for periods of more than 10 days caused premature development of the comb and wattles and the enlargement of the testes of the cockerels. It was reported that there was no comparable enlargement of the female gonad after dosing for 4 weeks with any of the sulphonamides tested. These observations were extremely interesting to us since we were undertaking a study of the endocrinology of spermatogenesis in the fowl testes. The present preliminary report confirms the gonadotrophic hormone stimulating properties of the pyrimidine sulphonamides in the cockerel. In contrast to the results to be reported is the recent report of P’an (1948) who observed negative results following the feeding of 0.2% sulfamethazine in the diets of 21 day old male rats up to 56 and 63 days of age. Atrophic changes occurred in the . . .
Unemployed fathers and their children: Implications for policy and practice

This paper reviews the literature on the family effects of unemployment in order to specify how changes in the economy might effect fathering during periods of unemployment. The purpose for doing so is to provide information to clinicians on how job loss effects family dynamics. This paper is organized around three variables that are seen as influencing the father and child relationship. These variables are: the father's reaction to job loss, the mother's reaction to job loss, and the characteristics of the child. The paper ends with a discussion of the policy and practice implications of the literature.
Mobile air pollution monitoring network

Current methods of estimating air quality involve assigning a single value called the Air Quality Index (AQI) to a large land area for a 24-hour period based on a very few, sparsely-located sensors. This produces a low-resolution image of the air quality in that region. We have devised a new mobile air quality monitoring network with the ability to provide high-resolution realtime pollution data at any location within the coverage area. We have prototyped sensors and proven the feasibility of the approach, and are currently testing a small-scale implementation using irregularly-sampled spatiotemporal measurements from mobile car-mounted sensors coupled with existing static data. This data feeds a web-based application, enabling users to view air quality in specific regions as well as estimate exposure over specified time periods and plan routes based on minimal exposure to a given pollutant.
Five Important Advances in Hematopathology

Context.—Hematopathology is a dynamic field that has always been on the frontier of clinical research within the scope of pathology. Several recent developments in hematopathology will likely affect its practice clinically. Objective.—To review 5 important recent advances in hematopathology: (1) detection and prognostic implication of MYC in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, (2) determining origin and prognosis through immunoglobulin gene usage in mature B-cell neoplasms, (3)detecting minimal residual disease in multiple myeloma, (4) using genome-wide analysis in myelodysplastic syndromes, and (5) employing whole-genome sequencing in acute myeloid leukemias. Data Sources.—Literature review and the authors' experiences in an academic center. Conclusions.—These advances will bring hematopathology into a new molecular era and help us to better understand the molecular, pathologic mechanisms of lymphomas, leukemias, myelomas, and myelodysplastic syndromes. They will help us to identify diagnostic and prognostic...
High Speed MOSFET Circuits Using Advanced Lithography

During the last decade we have seen a dramatic increase in the complexity of silicon integrated circuit chips, particularly in memory. The n-channel FET technology is dominant in main memory and in lower performance logic and arrays (i.e., read-only memory and buffers) because of its higher circuit density and simpler processing, whereas bipolar transistor technology dominates for high-performance logic and arrays.
CORRELATED ERRORS IN HIPPARCOS PARALLAXES TOWARD THE PLEIADES AND THE HYADES

We show that the errors in the Hipparcos parallaxes toward the Pleiades and the Hyades open clusters are spatially correlated over angular scales of 2°-3°, with an amplitude of up to 2 mas. This correlation is stronger than expected based on the analysis of the Hipparcos catalog. We predict the parallaxes of individual cluster members, πpm, from their Hipparcos proper motions, assuming that all the cluster members move with the same space velocity. We compare these parallaxes with their Hipparcos parallaxes, πHip, and find that there are significant spatial correlations in the latter quantity. We derive a distance modulus to the Pleiades of 5.58 ± 0.18 mag from the gradient in the radial velocities of the Pleiades members in the direction parallel to the proper motion of the cluster. This value, derived using a geometric method, agrees very well with the distance modulus of 5.60 ± 0.04 mag determined using the main-sequence fitting technique, compared with the value of 5.33 ± 0.06 mag inferred from the average of the Hipparcos parallaxes of the Pleiades members. We show that the difference between the main-sequence fitting distance and the Hipparcos parallax distance can arise from spatially correlated errors in the Hipparcos parallaxes of individual Pleiades members. Although the Hipparcos parallax errors toward the Hyades are spatially correlated in a manner similar to those of the Pleiades, the center of the Hyades is located on a node of this spatial structure. Therefore, the parallax errors cancel out when the average distance is estimated, leading to a mean Hyades distance modulus that agrees with the pre-Hipparcos value. We speculate that these spatial correlations are also responsible for the discrepant distances that are inferred using the mean Hipparcos parallaxes to some open clusters, although an agreement between the mean Hipparcos parallax distance and the main-sequence fitting distance to other clusters does not necessarily preclude spatially correlated Hipparcos parallax errors. Finally, we note that our conclusions are based on a purely geometric method and do not rely on any models of stellar isochrones.
Composition and structure of the high-boiling aromatic hydrocarbons in Korobkov and Zhirnov petroleum

1. Aromatic hydrocarbons of the high-boiling fractions from Korobkov and Zhirnov petroleums are mainly mixed compounds which contain about 60% naphthene rings and aliphatic chains, the role of which becomes greater as the boiling temperature of the fraction increases. 2. Benzene, naphthalene, and phenanthrene rings, on the average, make up 58.23 and 12% respectively of the total aromatic rings. In the fractions which boil above 400°C chrysene, and in lesser amounts pyrene, structures appear. The concentration of the anthracene homologs is insignificant. 3. Among the aromatic hydrocarbons (even in the highest boiling fractions), compounds with a single benzene ring, having mainly three and four substituting groups in the 1,2,4 and 1,2,4,5-positions, predominate. The indane ring plays an important part.
Exploration information and AEC regulation of the domestic uranium industry

Abstract For roughly twenty years following the second world war, the Atomic Energy Commission was the only purchaser of domestically produced uranium. Such monopsony power implicitly allowed the Atomic Energy Commission's to regulate the U.S. uranium industry. This paper investigates the Atomic Energy Commission's implicit regulation, asking if an efficient allocation of resources was induced. The main finding is that undesirably high levels of exploration were induced.
A critique of the «increasing population density effect»

The «increasing population density effect» (IPDE) proposed by Macchiarelli and Bondioli (1986) represents one of the most recent attempts to account for dental reduction in modern human populations. Under the IPDE, the marked reduction in tooth size observed in post-Pleistocene human groups is seen as merely a side-effect of a more general reduction in body size, which resulted from an increase in population density. The model is dependent upon a strong correlation between tooth size and body size, which after numerous attempts has yet to be convincingly demonstrated in humans. This paper argues that the IPDE neglects the negative consequences on individual fitness of teeth which are too large to fit into diminishing jaws or are more susceptible to pathology, and that the worldwide reduction of tooth size is the result of selection for smaller teeth due to shifts to a softer and/or more cariogenic diet. Although increased population density may have intensified this selective effect by decreasing general fitness by lowering resistance to oral infections, it was not the primary cause of dental reduction. All proposed mechanisms of dental reduction, however, are in need of additional testing, and possible directions are offered for future studies of the phenomenon.
ATP-sensitive potassium channels in rat primary afferent neurons: the effect of neuropathic injury and gabapentin

ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) currents were examined in dorsal root ganglion neurons from neuropathic and control rats using whole-cell voltage clamp recordings. K(ATP) channel openers (diazoxide and pinacidil) enhanced, and the blocker glibenclamide inhibited an outward current in control neurons in a manner dependent on the pipette ATP concentration. Analysis of reversal potentials showed that this current is carried by K(+) ions. Outward current in cells from rats with peripheral nerve injury was not sensitive to modulators of K(ATP) channels. Gabapentin, a putative K(ATP) channel opener, had minimal effect on currents in either group of neurons. We conclude that normal primary afferent neurons express K(ATP) channels that conduct current which is eliminated by peripheral nerve injury. Gabapentin does not affect this current significantly.
Comparative antibody study for antigen detection in urine specimens for diagnosis of blastomycosis using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Diagnosis of blastomycosis is often done using a combination of clinical signs and cytologic or histopathologic identification of the organism, Blastomyces dermatitidis, from infected tissues. However, these methods are time consuming, invasive, and still lead to misdiagnosis. A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) can be used for detection of B. dermatitidis antigens, which are present in urine specimens of infected patients. The current study evaluates the use of various antibodies for detection of antigen in dog urine specimens, to provide a better diagnosis of blastomycosis in the future. Our results show that different antibodies against B. dermatitidis produce various sensitivities for antigen detection. The most realistic antibodies for immunodiagnostic tests would be antibodies that can be obtained in larger quantities, i.e. vaccination using a yeast lysate in a laboratory setting. We found that these antibodies produce a comparable and reliable result to that of antibodies obtained from an infected patient.
Energy-density concept in fracture mechanics

Abstract A theory of fracture mechanics is proposed in which attention is focused on the intensity of the energy field in the crack tip region. This energy field possesses a 1/r-type of singularity for both elastic and plastic materials. The strength or amplitude of this field will be referred to as the “energy-density factor”, S. Unlike the stress-intensity factor k in classical fracture mechanics which is only a measure of the local stress amplitude, the energy-density factor is also direction sensitive. The difference between k and S is analogous to the difference between a scalar and vector quantity. In this sense, the critical value Scr specifies the direction of crack initiation as well as the fracture toughness of the material.
Genetic approaches to the analysis of addiction processes

Recent studies have shown that large genetic differences exist in the extent to which animals will work to obtain drugs abused by humans. These findings suggest that there may be human populations with elevated risk for developing drug addictions. Frank George and Steven Goldberg describe the behavioral genetic and self-administration methods used in these studies of addiction processes, review the findings obtained in genetic studies of drug addiction, and present hypotheses that can be explored in the attempt to better understand and prevent drug addiction.
Reverse engineering the cognitive brain

One of the greatest aspirations of the human mind has been to realize machines that surpass its cognitive intelligence. The rapid expansion in computing power, about to exceed the equivalent of the human brain, has yet to produce such a machine. The article by Neftci et al. in PNAS (1) offers a refreshing and humbling reminder that the brain’s cognition does not arise from exacting digital precision in high-performance computing, but rather emerges from an extremely efficient and resilient collective form of computation extending over very large ensembles of sluggish, imprecise, and unreliable analog components. This observation, first made by John von Neumann in his final opus (2), continues to challenge scientists and engineers several decades later in figuring and reproducing the mechanisms underlying brain-like forms of cognitive computing.
Hospital Admissions Resulting from Preventable Adverse Drug Reactions

BACKGROUND:Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a significant cause of hospital admissions. These events can lead to significant morbidity and mortality and financial costs. ADRs that may be preventable might be considered a form of medication error.OBJECTIVE:To assess the potential preventability of ADRs directly related to a patient's hospital admission.METHODS:A retrospective chart review of 437 ADRs occurring during an 11-month period was conducted at a university hospital. A subset of these events leading to hospital admissions was identified for further review. Those that resulted in admission were further examined to determine probability of causality, severity, and preventability.RESULTS:Over 11 months, 158 ADRs were directly related to hospital admission. The relationship of these admissions to drug exposure was determined to be probable or highly probable in 154 (97.4%) of these cases. From this group, 96 (62.3%) of these events were considered potentially preventable, with 23 (24%) considered seve...
First-ionization potential of niobium and molybdenum by double-resonance, field-ionization spectroscopy

The first-ionization potentials of niobium, Nb i, and molybdenum, Mo i, have been determined with significantly improved accuracy as 54 513.8(3) and 57 204.3(3) cm−1, respectively, by double-resonance, field-ionization spectroscopy performed on atomic beams produced by laser vaporization. The new values permit critical assessment of ionization potentials determined by other techniques and question the generality of theories predicting the behavior of s-electron binding energies for transition series elements.
Analgesia for Neonatal Circumcision: A Randomized Controlled Trial of EMLA Cream Versus Dorsal Penile Nerve Block

Objective To compare the efficacy of the dorsal penile nerve block (DPNB) with a less invasive form of local anesthesia, eutectic mixture of local anesthetic (EMLA) cream, for reduction of pain during neonatal circumcision. Design Prospective, blinded, randomized, controlled trial. Setting Tertiary referral, neonatal intensive care nursery in a university teaching hospital. Patients Fifty infants >/=341/2 weeks postmenstrual age and stable for discharge at time of circumcision; gestational age at birth 25 to 41 weeks; birth weight 600 to 4390 g; age at study 3 to 105 days. An additional cohort of term newborns (n = 20), who were not randomized, were circumcised without anesthesia. Interventions Administration of either EMLA cream (0.5 g topically 1 hour before circumcision) or 1% lidocaine (0.7-1.0 mL subcutaneously 3 minutes before circumcision). Outcome measures Primary: Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) score; secondary: heart rate, respiratory rate. All outcome measures were assessed by an individual who was blinded to the group assignment and did not perform the circumcision. Results NIPS scores were significantly lower in the DPNB infants (2.3 +/- 1.8) compared with the EMLA infants (4.8 +/- 0.7). NIPS scores in patients circumcised without anesthesia indicated severe pain. There was a significantly greater increase in heart rate over the duration of the circumcision in the EMLA group than in the DPNB group (49 vs 9 beats per minute). Adverse effects included small hematomas at the site of injection in DPNB infants (10/23), mild erythema at 1 and/or 24 hours after circumcision in the EMLA infants (3/21), and penile edema noted 5 days after circumcision requiring removal of the circumcision bell in 1 DPNB infant. Conclusions DPNB provides better pain reduction during neonatal circumcision than EMLA cream. EMLA cream may provide pain reduction compared with no anesthesia during neonatal circumcision.
Season of Fine Woody Debris Death Affects Colonization of Saproxylic Coleoptera

A study was conducted to explore the effect of season on colonization of dead twigs by beetles in a Louisiana secondary forest. Previous research showed that twigs cut during spring yielded many specimens and species. The present companion study utilized twigs averaging 14 mm in diameter cut from one tree of Quercus falcata Michaux (southern red oak) during fall (October) 2008, placed in bundles of 10 each, and left in the forest at three sites. Half the bundles were retrieved during winter (January, four months later) and the other half were retrieved during summer (July, nine months later). Coleoptera were collected from bundles using emergence chambers. Only 39 specimens of adult Coleoptera were collected, representing 12 families, 20 genera, and 21 species. Beetle colonization of oak twigs in Louisiana appears to be affected by the interaction of season and twig “quality” (apparently freshness) with the highest colonization taking place in fresh, dead twigs during spring and an order of magnitude lower colonization in 1) fresh twigs during fall or 2) stale twigs during spring and summer.
Fundamental causes of health disparities: stratification, the welfare state, and health in the United States and Iceland.

Research has established that those with higher social status have better health. Less is known about whether this relationship differs cross-nationally and whether it operates similarly across different institutional arrangements. To examine the relationship between stratification and health, two Western, industrialized societies at opposite ends of an equal/unequal continuum are compared: the United States and Iceland. Using data from the 1998 General Social Survey and the 1998 Health and Living Standards of Adult Icelanders survey, I draw from two theoretical perspectives. First, I explore the notion of fundamental causes of disease by examining whether stratification has similar effects on health. Second, I examine whether the organization of welfare states affects this relationship. The results show that education, employment, and relative poverty have similar effects on health in both nations, thus supporting the notion of a fundamental cause. However, in Iceland relative affluence has a weaker relationship with health. Further, being a parent, regardless of marital status, has a stronger positive relationship with good health in Iceland. Welfare state intervention may be most successful in equalizing health outcomes by supporting families and by removing advantages traditionally accumulated by the wealthy in capitalist societies.
Simulation of Single-Event Failure in Power Diodes

Single-event burnout (SEB) is a catastrophic failure mechanism in power diodes that is initiated by the passage of a heavy ion through a diode in a current-blocking state. In this work, the physical mechanism responsible for device failure during SEB is investigated using transient, coupled electro-thermal, device simulations. For the first time, the eects of a thermal feedback mechanism have been examined and deemed crucial to predicting possible failure in power diodes. Results indicate that device failure is predicted for large blocking voltage near breakdown with a linear energy transfer (LET) of 30MeV/mg/cm 2 only when thermal eects are included. However, without inclusion of the thermal model, no device failure is predicted. These results correspond to experimental observations better than any previous work.
The Compound X Chromosomes in Drosophila.

There are four ways in which two X chromosomes may be joined to give a compound with two ends. The centromere of the compound may be either median or terminal and, in each case, the two component chromosomes may be in reversed order with respect to each other or they may be arranged in tandem. A simple self-descriptive terminology is achieved if the compounds with median centromeres are referred to as metacentrics and those with terminal or subterminal centromeres as acrocentrics, and if these terms are preceded by tandem or reversed, depending on the relative order oi the two components. The four possibilities are, then, the tandem metacentric, the tandem acrocentric, the reversed metacentric and the reversed acrocentric. It should be noted that the attached X chromosome is the reversed metacentric compound ; the latter name is introduced here not to supplant the well established attached X designation, but to indicate the structural relation of the attached X to the other types. Finally, there are two possible compounds in which the two X chromosomes are joined to form a continuous ring. Here also the two components may be in reversed or tandem order. The first is the reversed ring, the second, the tandem ring. ORIGIN OF THE COMPOUND x CHROMOSOMES
On Quantum Algebra

For the purposes of atomic physics it has been found convenient to introduce the idea of quantities that do not in general satisfy the commutative law of multiplication, but satisfy all the other laws of ordinary algebra. These quantities are called q-numbers, and the numbers of ordinary mathematics c-numbers, while the word number alone is used to denote either a q-number or a c-number. Both q-numbers and c-numbers can occur together in the same piece of analysis, and even in the same equation, as numbers of the two kinds can be added together or multiplied. A c-number may, in fact, be regarded as a special case of the more general q-number. In the particular case when two numbers x; and y satisfy xy = yx, we shall say that x commutes with y. A c-number is assumed to commute with every number.
Implementing targeted cervical cancer screening videos at the point of care.

Abstract Objective To develop and implement educational videos to improve cervical cancer health literacy for patients within a safety net healthcare system. Methods Testimonial-style videos were developed with the goal of describing the Pap test to low literacy patients and motivating them to participate in regular cervical cancer screening. Nurses were trained to use the electronic medical record to identify patients due or past due for a Pap test according to the current screening guidelines. They played the video for all eligible patients as they waited to be seen by their physician in clinical examination rooms. Results Four 2-minute videos were developed in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Videos were made available on desktop computers in 458 exam rooms at 13 community health centers. Conclusion Integration of educational videos into the workflow of high-volume community health centers is feasible. Future work will focus on optimizing uptake of the videos as well as assessing their efficacy for improving cervical cancer health literacy. Practice Implications Integrating targeted videos into patient flow may be a feasible way to address health literacy barriers to cervical cancer screening within a busy workflow environment.
Prostacyclin in endotoxemia-induced acute kidney injury: cyclooxygenase inhibition and renal prostacyclin synthase transgenic mice.

Sepsis-related acute kidney injury (AKI) is the leading cause of AKI in intensive care units. Endotoxin is a primary initiator of inflammatory and hemodynamic consequences of sepsis and is associat...
Measuring micro-amp inductor currents in switched-inductor DC-DC power supplies

Wireless microsystems can add performance-enhancing, energy-saving, and networked intelligence to inaccessible places like the human body and large infrastructures like factories, hospitals, and farms. For this, they require an onboard source and a power-conditioning circuit that supply microwatts about a prescribed dc voltage. And since tiny dc batteries store little energy, switched-inductor dc-dc converters are popular in this respect, because they dissipate less power than linear regulators and are more accurate than switched capacitors. To monitor how they operate and ultimately meet these expectations, engineers monitor the current flowing through the inductor. In the case of miniaturized supplies, however, inductors switch at 100 kHz - 1 MHz to produce micro-amp currents that are difficult to sense. Although series resistors and magnetically coupled probes are normally viable options, the series components they introduce into the conduction path alter the currents being measured and noise energy obscures the results. But as experimental measurements further show, characterizing and extracting current from the terminal voltages of the inductor is less obtrusive and less sensitive to noise.
Tpz1 controls a telomerase-nonextendible telomeric state and coordinates switching to an extendible state via Ccq1

Telomeres are nucleoprotein complexes comprising telomeric DNA repeats bound by the multiprotein shelterin complex. A dynamic binary switch between telomerase-extendible and telomerase-nonextendible telomeric states determines telomere length homeostasis. However, the molecular nature of the nonextendible state is largely unknown. Here, we show that, in fission yeast, Tpz1 (the ortholog of human TPP1)-mediated complete linkage within the shelterin complex, bridging telomeric dsDNA to ssDNA, controls the telomerase-nonextendible state. Disruption of this linkage leads to unregulated telomere elongation while still retaining the shelterin components on telomeres. Therefore, the linkage within the shelterin components, rather than the individual shelterin components per se, defines the telomerase-nonextendible state. Furthermore, epistasis analyses reveal that Tpz1 also participates in the activation of telomeres to the extendible state via its interaction with Ccq1. Our results suggest critical regulatory roles of Tpz1 in the telomere binary switch.