cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The validity of single-item, self-assessment questions as measures of adult physical activity.

Abstract Individual energy expenditure (kcal/kg/day) was calculated from a detailed set of questions from the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Supplement of the 1985 National Health Interview Survey. Responses to three single-item, self-assessment questions were compared to the energy expenditure variable to test criterion validity. Spearman's correlation coefficient revealed moderate correlations between energy expenditure and corresponding levels of self-assessed leisure-time physical activity for each single-item question ( r = 0.14 to 0.41). For purposes of measuring prevalence of physical activity, the energy expenditure variable was used to categorize individuals into activity levels. The single-item questions were found to have Spearman's correlations with the categorical measures ranging from 0.11 to 0.37 for leisure-time activities. Generally higher correlations were found for males and younger age groups (18–34 years). The relationships were interpreted as being weak relative to an expected correlation of 0.75 for criterion validation. However, the single-item questions show promise for obtaining proxy estimates of the degree of leisure-time physical activity in a population.
A Study of Some Factors Influencing the Stability ofPharmaceutical Emulsions II.:The Effect of Wax and Specific Gravity Adjustment

Oil-beeswax emulsions and emulsions in which the specific gravity of the internal phase was adjusted to equal that of the external phase were investigated. A size frequency method of analysis was used to evaluate stability. Results indicated that beeswax had no effect on emulsion stability. Adjustment of specific gravity decreased specific interfacial area but increased stability in some instances.
Dietary supplemented 2-mercaptoethanol prevents spontaneous and delays virally-induced murine mammary tumorigenesis.

There seems to be little doubt that organosulfur compounds have enormous benefits for biological processes, especially those of diseases like cancer. The preliminary results herein define a cancer model in which benefits/mechanisms of multitudes of xenobiotic and nature’s organosulfurs could easily be compared. Mice from three strains with a high incidence for naturally occurring tumors were treated daily with 2-mercaptoethanol (2-Me) starting at weaning. The 100% tumor incidence of undefined etiology in untreated BXSB-Yaa+ males was completely prevented by 2-Me. In contrast, 2-Me treatment of female and male C3H.OL and C3H.OH congenic strains, did not change the 100% tumor incidence due to milk-borne retrovirus, MMTV(S), but did: (1) delay the appearance of tumors by 42%; (2) increase longevity 56%; and (3) increase longevity, post-tumor detection, 95%. The addition of these results to the increasingly impressive anti-cancer benefits of simple xenobiotic organosulfurs raise the question: Can they be adap...
Data management for clinical research

This paper discusses a prototype system intended for the personal use of physicians engaged in clinical research. In particular, the prototype is a highly integrated, interactive, minicomputer based data management and analysis system. The facilities offered by the system allow the clinical investigator to store, recall, analyze, and display his research data without resorting to computer programming. Modern data base techniques are available to the physician as aids in organizing, storing, and retrieving his data. The data base concepts are expressed in terms that are familiar to a clinical researcher.
Flame-Spreading and Combustion in Packed Beds of Propellant Grains

This paper is concerned with the prediction of the pressure history during the process of flame-spreading and combustion of solid-propellant grains as would occur, for example in a gun cartridge. Solution of the governing conservation equations for the two-phase media requires the use of empirical relations to account for the physical processes of momentum and energy interaction between the solid grains and hot propellant gas. The results indicate the extreme importance of these interaction relations on the predictions of the pressure and velocity field. and at the other is a projectile which will begin to move at a given prescribed pressure. This '"piston" then moves through a long length of channel of the same cross section as the cham- ber, in order that the flow processes following piston motion can be followed. A predescribed igniter mass flow provides gaseous products which, in turn, ignite the bed. Since solid propellants have high burning rates, the rate of gas generation within the chamber is high. Therefore, the pressure is rising rapidly during this flame-spreading process. The pressure rises enhances the pressure-dependent burning rate of the propellant, the result of which is a rapidly accelerating combustion process, with generally steep gradients along the length of the chamber. This gradient results in a high-velocity flow of the gases toward the piston end and into the unburned portion of the propellant. Hence, the flame-spreading and pressurization is rapid, and the entire burn is completed in a matter of milliseconds, if the ignition source is strong enough. Looking at flow process taking place, one may determine the effect on the particle bed. The hot igniter gases initially are driven into a quiescent bed of propellant particles. These ignite the particles nearest the igniter source. The mass generation and subsequent pressurization occur, and a flowfield develops within the chamber. The propellant par- ticles exert a drag force on the flowing gases and are ac- celerated. As shot-start pressure is approached, the entire bed usually has been set into motion.J Throughout the burn, the particles continue to decrease in size as they burn. Kuo and Summerfield2 have pioneered the analysis of packed-bed solid-propellant combustion.
Why the "Death Panel" Myth Wouldn't Die: Misinformation in the Health Care Reform Debate

Both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama struggled to overcome widespread and persistent myths about their proposals to reform the American health care system. Their difficulties highlight the influence of factual misinformation in national politics and the extent to which it correlates with citizens’ political views. In this essay, I explain how greater elite polarization and the growth in media choice have reinforced the partisan divide in factual beliefs. To illustrate these points, I analyze debates over health care reform in 1993–1994 and 2009–2010, tracing the spread of false claims about reform proposals from Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and analyzing the prevalence of misinformation in public opinion. Since false beliefs are extremely difficult to correct, I conclude by arguing that increasing the reputational costs for dishonest elites might be a more effective approach to improving democratic discourse.
Teacher Induction Using a Shared Lesson Design Model

What is the relationship between university instruction and performance in the classroom by the new teacher? Can beginning teachers be prepared to be effective instructional designers and implementers? A study at Central Missouri State University offers affirmative answers to these questions, along with recommendations for how principals and university faculty can collaborate to make this happen.
Studies on hypo- and hypercholesterolemia induced in insects by filipin

Abstract The polyene antibiotic, filipin, can produce both hypocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic effects in insects. The type of cholesterolemia induced is dependent on the dietary molar ratio of filipin to cholesterol. When present in the diet at a filipin to cholesterol ratio of 38 : 1, cholesterol uptake by Manduca sexta larvae is reduced 99% and the concentration of haemolymph cholesterol is lowered 90%. However, at a dietary filipin to cholesterol ratio of 1 : 2, cholesterol uptake by tobacco hornworm larvae ( M. sexta ) is increased by 50% but the haemolymph cholesterol concentration is lower than control values. In addition, the concentration of sterol-carrying lipoproteins in the haemolymph is increased two-fold. At filipin to cholesterol ratios of 38 : 1, filipin increases excretion of unesterified cholesterol 8-fold. No effect on cholesterol esterification is noted with filipin, but cholesterol-sulfate excretion is reduced by 60 per cent. Excess dietary cholesterol (filipin to cholesterol ratio of 1 : 2) prevents these alterations in cholesterol excretion, but cholesterol-sulfate excretion remains lower than control values. Filipin is not absorbed in the digestive tract of Galleria mellonella or M. sexta larvae. More than 99% of ingested dietary [ 14 C]filipin appears in the faeces. Most of the remaining radioactivity is found bound to the intestine. Injected filipin is rapidly excreted; 95 per cent of the injected [ 14 C]filipin appears in faeces in less than 2 hr. Filipin is not metabolized to CO 2 .
Using asynchronous AV communication tools to increase academic self-efficacy

Technology-enhanced learning environments (TELEs) deliver instructional content and provide an array of scaffolding features designed to support independent student learning. TELEs also support teacher efforts to guide student inquiry within these sometimes complex environments. Self-efficacy, defined by Bandura [Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York: Academic Press] as a person's beliefs about his capabilities is also known to influence student academic performance in a learning environment. This paper discusses the potential importance of designing scaffolds in TELEs that intentionally promote academic self-efficacy. We advocate for designing asynchronous Audio/Visual tools into TELEs to promote student self-efficacy and ultimately performance.
Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol suppresses concanavalin a induced increase in cytoplasmic free calcium in mouse thymocytes

Abstract It has been shown that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) suppresses thymocyte, lymph node, and splenic lymphocyte proliferation in response to a mitogenic stimulus. It has also been reported that increases occur in the cytosolic free calcium concentration (Ca 2+ ) in mitogen treated lymphocytes. In an attempt to understand a portion of the molecular basis of the THC induced suppression of lymphocyte proliferation, we have examined the effects of THC on the Concanavalin A (Con A) induced cytosolic free Ca 2+ mobilization in mouse thymocytes measured by fluorescent Ca 2+ probes and spectrofluorometry. The results show that a 10 minute pretreatment with THC suppresses the normal rise in intracellular free Ca 2+ in response to Con A. A THC concentration of 4μg/ml (13μM) was suppressive and the drug vehicle, DMSO, had no effect. In addition, we found that THC pretreatment did not inhibit the binding of FITC labeled Con A to the thymocytes suggesting that the drug did not interfere with lectin binding to the cell surface. To further define the nature of the Ca 2+ response affected by THC, mouse thymocytes containing fura-2 were exposed to Con A either in the presence or absence of Ca 2+ -containing medium. It was observed that THC abrogated both intracellular release (measured in Ca 2+ -free medium) as well as extracellular Ca 2+ influx. These results suggest that a portion of the proliferation defect in THC treated lymphocytes may be related to a drug induced inhibition of Ca 2+ mobilization that normally occurs following mitogen treatment.
A pilot study of abuse among Vietnamese Amerasians

This report describes a pilot study of the prevalence of physical and sexual abuse, and current levels of psychological distress correlated with a history of abuse, in a group of Vietnamese Amerasians bound for the United States. A sample of Vietnamese Amerasians, part of a larger cohort originally selected in Vietnam, was assessed in the Philippines. Subjects completed a self-administered questionnaire regarding a history of physical and/or sexual abuse and three other self-administered questionnaires: the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25, the Vietnamese Depression Scale, and the Youth Self Report. A history of physical and/or sexual abuse was reported by 22% of male and 18% of female Amerasians. Abused male Amerasians reported significantly higher levels of psychological distress than nonabused male Amerasians, while abused and nonabused female Amerasians did not differ in their levels of psychological distress.
Hemolysis After Acetaminophen Overdose in a Patient with Glucose-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency

Case Report: A sixteen year-old-male with a history of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency ingested an unknown amount of acetaminophen and presented to an emergency department 7.5 h later. He was afebrile. His serum acetaminophen level was 184 μg/mL, and his urine toxicologic screen was otherwise negative. Vomiting led to enrollment in a experimental protocol of intravenous N-acetylcysteine. He developed no evidence of subsequent chemical hepatitis but did develop a significant Coomb's negative hemolytic anemia. Hemoglobin on presentation was 14 g/dL and reached a nadir of 9.4 g/dL on admission day 4. Conclusion: Patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency who overdose with acetaminophen should be monitored for the possible development of subsequent drug-induced hemolysis.
A bioengineering approach to the healing wound

Abstract A test procedure was set up to mechanically characterize the healing wound. The load-extension curve at constant extension rate was recorded to breaking point using an Instron Tensile Tester. Tensile strength and energy absorption were calculated and wound extension measured. The repair after injury is incomplete through 150 days. The mechanical properties are slowly regained and the progress continues even after the decrease of new collagen formation. There is still collagen turnover at 150 days, but there is, apparently, no change in the architecture of the wound which would restore the mechanical properties to their normal level. The wound is, and remains, a brittle structure, capable of absorbing much less energy than normal skin.
Characterization of chemokine CCR3 agonist-mediated eosinophil recruitment in the Brown-Norway rat

The ability of various C-C chemokines to elicit tissue eosinophil infiltration following intradermal injection or peripheral blood eosinophilia following intravenous injection were compared in the Brown-Norway rat. Eotaxin (0.1–3 μg site−1) of human and murine origin produced equivalent, dose-dependent increases in eosinophil peroxidase activity in rat dermis 4 h post-injection. Human eotaxin-2 was equipotent with human eotaxin in terms of dermal eosinophil recruitment. Other human CCR3 agonists, such as MCP-3, RANTES and MCP-4 failed to increase dermal eosinophil peroxidase activity at doses up to 1 μg site−1 whereas the latter did produce a small effect at 3 μg site−1. Consistent with observations in vivo, human eotaxin displaced [125I]-eotaxin from rat spleen membranes more potently (IC50=2 nM) than did MCP-4 (IC50=500 nM). RANTES did not compete with the radiolabelled chemokine at concentrations up to 1 μM. Human eotaxin (5 μg) administered intravenously increased circulating eosinophils ∼3 fold whereas MCP-4 (5 μg, i.v.) increased circulating monocytes ∼3 fold without affecting eosinophil numbers. Dexamethasone pretreatment inhibited eotaxin-induced dermal eosinophil influx only at a steroid dose (0.1 mg kg−1, s.c.) which significantly reduced circulating eosinophil numbers. The steroid also reduced eosinophilia in peripheral blood resulting from systemic eotaxin administration (5 μg, i.v.). These data suggest differences in rat CCR3 relative to other species as surmised from a distinctive rank order of chemokine potency. In addition to its chemotactic effects eotaxin, but not MCP-4, promotes eosinophil recruitment into the circulation. One of the mechanisms by which glucocorticoids, such as dexamethasone, acutely inhibits eotaxin-induced dermal eosinophil influx is to diminish the circulating numbers of these cells available for tissue recruitment. British Journal of Pharmacology (1999) 128, 788–794; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0702835
End of an Era: Closing the U.S. General Accounting Office's Program Evaluation and Methodology Division

Now and then, watershed events occur that seem certain to have a dramatic effect on the future of evaluation. Such events may be the introduction of new evaluation theory or methodology, political events destined to affect the future course of evaluation, or actions of professional associations of evaluators or closely related personnel.Defining Moments is reserved for brief reports of these events. The length of items submitted to this section should be kept to the minimum essential.
Buffer management for shared-memory ATM switches

In the shared-memory switch architecture, output links share a single large memory, in which logical FIFO queues are assigned to each link. Although memory sharing can provide a better queuing performance than physically separated buffers, it requires carefully designed buffer management schemes for a fair and robust operation. This article presents a survey of the buffer management methods that have been proposed for shared-memory packet switches. Several buffer management policies are described, and their strengths and weaknesses are examined. The performances of various policies are evaluated using computer simulations. A comparison of the most important schemes is obtained with the help of the simulation results and the results provided in the literature. The survey concludes with a discussion of the possible future research areas related to shared-memory ATM switches.
Pulse echo and combined resonance techniques: a full set of LGT acoustic wave constants and temperature coefficients

This work reports on the determination of langatate elastic and piezoelectric constants and their associated temperature coefficients employing 2 independent methods, the pulse echo overlap (PEO) and a combined resonance technique (CRT) to measure bulk acoustic wave (BAW) phase velocities. Details on the measurement techniques are provided and discussed, including the analysis of the couplant material in the PEO technique used to couple signal to the sample, which showed to be an order of magnitude more relevant than the experimental errors involved in the data extraction. At room temperature, elastic and piezoelectric constants were extracted by the PEO and the CRT methods and showed results consistent to within a few percent for the elastic constants. Both raw acquired data and optimized constants, based on minimization routines applied to all the modes involved in the measurements, are provided and discussed. Comparison between the elastic constants and their temperature behavior with the literature reveals the recent efforts toward the consistent growth and characterization of LGT, in spite of significant variations (between 1 and 30%) among the constants extracted by different groups at room temperature. The density, dielectric permittivity constants, and respective temperature coefficients used in this work have also been independently determined based on samples from the same crystal boule. The temperature behavior of the BAW modes was extracted using the CRT technique, which has the advantage of not relying on temperature dependent acoustic couplants. Finally, the extracted temperature coefficients for the elastic and piezoelectric constants between room temperature and 120degC are reported and discussed in this work.
Using multiple regression to adjust 2 x 2 contingency tables

Abstract A simple method is suggested for adjusting a 2 x 2 contingency table when one side of the table involves groups of subjects that certainly differ on a host of extraneous variables. The method capitalizes on the equivalence of the Cramer coefficient for 2 x 2 tables and the product moment correlation coefficient by substituting a squared partial correlation coefficient from multiple regression into the chi-square formula.
Reversing Convolution Distortion in a Laser Bar Code Scanner

This paper addresses the convolution distortion in a flying laser bar code scanner and its impact on bar code decoding. The convolution distortion is characterized in terms of beam width-to-narrow element ratio and modulation transfer function. The limits of decoding of a regular scanner are established. Then an edge detection method, which reverses convolution distortion, is presented. This method allows for improving the reading range of a scanner, eliminates mis-reads, and allows for optimizing the scanner optics. The performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated and compared to the performance of a regular scanner.
Stresses of hexagonal screw dislocation arrays. II. Long‐range rotational stresses of terminated multipoles

Employing the same techniques as in Part I, torsional stress fields such as had been discovered about the semi-infinite hexapole were studied. They were found to surround all terminated multipoles but to be masked by the stresses of the edge dislocation segments in multipoles of order three and four. Qualitatively, these stresses are of the type that would be expected in the vicinity of any cylindrical volume element that was rotated about the cylinder axis with respect to the surrounding matrix, i.e. the kind of deformation represented by the multipoles under investigation. However, the sense of the rotational stress field about “loop multipoles” is opposite to that about “star multipoles”. Consequently, the stresses under discussion are not systematic, reactive stresses to the overall deformation represented by the multipoles, but they are solely due to the screw dislocation segments, as could be shown. Mit den gleichen Methoden wie im Teil I werden die Torsionsspannungen, die im Zusammenhang mit halb-unendlichen Hexapolen entdeckt worden waren, untersucht. Diese Spannungen umgeben alle nicht unendlich langen Multipole, sind aber fruher ubersehen worden, weil sie in Multipolen der dritten und vierten Ordnung von den Spannungen der Stufenversetzungen uberdeckt werden. Die besprochenen Rotationsspannungen sind qualitativ von der Art, wie sie im Zusammenhang mit zylindrischen Volumenelementen erwartet werden, wenn diese relativ zu ihrer Umgebung um die Zylinderachse verdreht sind, d. h. gerade die Art der Verformung, die von den untersuchten Multipolen dargestellt wird. Da aber der Drehungssinn des Torsionsspannungsfeldes von „Ring-Multipolen” dem von „Stern-Multipolen” entgegengesetzt ist, ist es sicher, das sie keine Reaktionsspannungen, hervorgerufen von der besagten Drehung des Materials zwischen den Versetzungen, sein konnen. Stattdessen ruhren diese Rotationsspannungen ausschlieslich von den Schraubenversetzungssegmenten her, wie gezeigt werden konnte.
Exclusive spin-dependent pion production in medium-energy nucleon-nucleon collisions: The role of unitarity

Abstract Polarization asymmetries are calculated for the reaction p↑ + p → p + π + + n at 800 MeV. The dynamics are treated in a relativistic model that preserves two- and three-body unitarity. These calculations, when compared to recent data taken at LAMPF, show marked improvement over simple Born approximation predictions.
Effect of topoisomerase modulators on cisplatin cytotoxicity in human ovarian carcinoma cells

The in vitro interaction of modulators of topoisomerase I and II with cisplatin in human ovarian carcinoma cells might be synergistic. The interactions were evaluated by median effect analysis of survival data derived from continuous exposure to drug combinations for 10 days in colony-forming assays. The interaction between cisplatin and the topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin and the topoisomerase I activator beta-lapachone was additive, as was that between cisplatin and the topoisomerase II inhibitor novobiocin. Despite the clinical efficacy of the combination of etoposide (a topoisomerase II inhibitor) and cisplatin, the combination index at 50% cell kill indicated antagonism between these two drugs. Thus, biochemical synergism at the cellular level is not a prerequisite of improved therapeutic efficacy.
Effect of Surimi Addition to Fresh Pasta on Ultra-structure and Cooked Firmness

Transversal ultra-structure and firmness were examined on cooked spaghetti-shaped pasta prepared from durum semolina with 0% (control), 10%, 20%, and 30% Alaskan pollock surimi. The ultra-structure of the pasta exhibited two differences between inner and outer gross structures of the extruded product. In the inner portion, control and surimi-added pasta were not different. In the outer portion, surimi gel was observed as a network with small cavities uniformly distributed throughout the matrix formed by the gluten and/or gelatinized starch of durum semolina. Cooked firmness of the pasta decreased with addition of surimi.
Late-onset Tay-Sachs disease: Phenotypic characterization and genotypic correlations in 21 affected patients

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the phenotype (and corresponding genotype) of adult patients with late-onset Tay-Sachs disease, a clinical variant of the GM2-gangliosidoses. Methods: A comprehensive physical examination, including neurological assessments, was performed to establish the current disease pattern and severity. In addition, the patients' past medical histories were reviewed. The patients' α-subunit mutations (β-Hexosaminidase A genotype) were determined and correlated with their corresponding clinical findings and disease course. Results: Twenty-one patients (current mean age: 27.0 years; range: 14–47 years) were identified. The pedigree revealed a relative with the “classic” infantile or late-onset form of Tay-Sachs disease in four (out of 18) unrelated families. The patients were predominantly male (15/21 individuals) and of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry (15/18 families). Mean age at onset was 18.1 years; balance problems and difficulty climbing stairs were the most frequent presenting complaints. In several cases, the diagnosis was delayed (mean age at diagnosis: 27.0 years). Analysis of the β-hex A gene revealed the G269S mutation as the most common disease allele; found in homozygosity (N = 1) or heterozygosity (N = 18; including 2 sib pairs). Disease onset (age 36 years) was delayed and progression relatively slower in the homozygous G269S patient. Two siblings (ages 28 and 31 years), of non-Jewish ancestry, were compound heterozygotes (TATC1278/W474C); their clinical course is dominated by psychiatric problems. Brain imaging studies revealed marked cerebellar atrophy in all patients (N = 18) tested, regardless of disease stage. Conclusions: Late-onset Tay-Sachs disease is an infrequent disorder and the diagnosis is often missed or delayed (by approximately 8 years). Early on, the majority of patients develop signs of either cerebellar or anterior motor neuron involvement. Affected individuals may also develop psychotic episodes. In most cases, the later-onset of expression results from the presence of at least one allele (usually the G269S mutation), associated with residual enzyme (β-hexosaminidase A) activity. A positive family history is a valuable clue, enabling early diagnosis. Nonspecific cerebellar atrophy on brain imaging is another important finding. This entity should be considered among patients presenting with speech, gait, and balance problems, and those with psychiatric disorders even when focal neurologic deficits may be initially absent. Accurate diagnosis will permit appropriate genetic counseling regarding disease prognosis and reproductive risks.
Empirical estimates of Bonferroni corrections for use in chromosome mapping studies with the BXD recombinant inbred strains.

Most chromosome mapping efforts with the BXD recombinant inbred (RI) strains involve comparisons between a trait of interest and each of a large number of marker loci for evidence of linkage. Such multiple tests or comparisons greatly increase the Type I error rate compared to the single-test situation. Perhaps the most direct way to obtain multiple-test error rates is to employ a Bonferroni correction, where the single-test alpha is multiplied by the number of independent (nonredundant) comparisons (k) to yield a multiple-test alpha that protects against even one fortuitous association with any of the markers. Several empirical estimates ofk are discussed for the published BXD marker set of 142 mapped loci and the newer unpublished marker set (October 1991) comprised of 352 marker loci. Reasonable estimates ofk appear to be roughly 40 and 65 for these two marker sets, respectively.
Chlorine-36, bromide, and the origin of spring water

Natural ratios of chlorine-36 (36Cl) to stable chlorine (i.e., 36Cl/Cl×10−15) vary in shallow groundwater of the United States from about 50 in coastal areas to about 1400 in the northern Rocky Mountains. Ratios lower than these indicate the presence of chloride (Cl−) that has been isolated from the atmosphere for hundreds of thousands of years, if not longer. Higher ratios, which can exceed 5000, usually originate from fallout from testing thermonuclear devices in the western Pacific in the 1950s. Natural mass ratios of chloride to bromide (Cl−/Br−) in precipitation vary in the United States from about 250 in coastal areas to about 50 in the north-central states. Lower ratios may suggest contamination from human sources. Higher ratios, which may exceed 2000, commonly reflect the dissolution of halite. Seawater has a Cl−/Br− ratio of 290. Both 36Cl and Cl−/Br− ratios have been measured in 21 samples of spring water collected from springs in 10 different states. Brackish water from Saratoga Springs area in New York has low values for both 36Cl and Cl−/Br− ratios. This indicates that a large component of the water has a very deep origin. Brackish water from Alexander Springs in Florida has a low 36Cl ratio but a high Cl−/Br− ratio similar to seawater. This suggests the addition of ancient seawater that may be trapped in the aquifer. Big Spring in Iowa discharges water with a very high Cl−/Br− ratio but a moderate 36Cl ratio. The high ratio of Cl−/Br− may be produced by dissolution of road salt or agricultural chemicals. Of the 21 springs sampled, only 10 appeared to have potable water not significantly affected by human activity. Chlorine-36 from testing of nuclear devices is still being flushed out of four of the spring systems that were sampled. Thus, more than 45 years have passed since 36Cl was introduced into the aquifers feeding the springs and the systems, as yet, have not been purged.
Chirality in Membranes: First Evidence that Enantioselective Interactions Between Cholesterol and Cell Membrane Lipids Can Be a Determinant of Membrane Physical Properties

Abstract Results from monolayer studies using the enantiomers of cholesterol ( nat - and ent -cholesterol) provide the first evidence that enantioselective interactions between sterols and lipids can affect the physical properties of cell membranes. During monolayer compression, the ability of nat - and ent -cholesterol to act as enantioselective templates for ordering lipid alkyl chains into their extended conformations is found to depend on the structure of the lipid. Force/area isotherms for the compression of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine ( l -DPPC) monolayers containing 10–60 mol% of either nat - or ent -cholesterol are not significantly different. Hence, there is no enantioselectivity for the ordering effect of cholesterol in these mixed films. By contrast, isotherms of egg yolk sphingomyelin (SPM) monolayers containing 20–40 mol% of either nat - or ent -cholesterol are clearly different indicating that enantioselective sterol–lipid interactions occur in these monolayers. Ent-cholesterol condenses egg yolk SPM monolayers more efficiently than does nat -cholesterol. At 30 mol%, where enantioselectivity is the greatest, the gaseous to liquid condensed phase transition starts at a mean molecular area of ∼48 A 2 /molecule for the ent -cholesterol/egg yolk SPM monolayer and at ∼55 A 2 /molecule for the nat -cholesterol/egg yolk SPM monolayer. Furthermore, Brewster angle microscopy shows that an additional phase is formed during compression of the 30 mol% ent -cholesterol/egg yolk SPM monolayers that is not formed during compression of the 30 mol% nat -cholesterol/egg yolk SPM monolayers. In a wider context, the results suggest that the physical properties of cholesterol–sphingomyelin rafts, cell membrane domains postulated to be important for the intracellular trafficking of proteins and as domains for plasma membrane proteins involved in cell-signaling pathways, are influenced by the absolute configuration of cholesterol.
Examining the efficacy of a personalized normative feedback intervention to reduce college student gambling.

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a stand-alone personalized normative feedback (PNF) intervention targeting misperceptions of gambling among college students. Participants: Undergraduates (N = 136; 55% male) who reported gambling in the past 30 days were recruited between September 2011 and March 2012. Methods: Using a randomized clinical trial design, participants were assigned to receive either PNF or an attention control task. In addition to self-report, this study used 2 computer-based risk tasks framed as “gambling opportunities” to assess cognitive and behavioral change at 1 week post intervention. Results: After 1 week, participants receiving PNF showed a marked decrease in perception of other students’ gambling, and evinced lower risk-taking performance on 2 analog measures of gambling. Conclusions: Changes in both self-reported perceived norms and analog gambling behavior suggest that a single, stand-alone PNF intervention may modify gambling among college students. Whether it can ...
Current global almond trade and its consumption patterns analysis

This article aims to investigate the current situation of the international almond trade and its consumption patterns. Traditionally, almonds are characterized by their good taste and high quality and regarded as an ideal source of several natural health nutrients. At present, the United States is the leading almond producer and exporter in the world, accompanied by Germany, Spain and Japan, the biggest almond importing countries. In order to study almond consumption patterns, two indicators were used in our study, the Food Consumer Location Ratio (FCLR) and the Food Consumer Location Relative Ratio (FCLRR). Furthermore, to identify the almond consumption groups, we carried out two cluster analyses based on FCLR and FCLRR values. Finally, an analysis of the factors which have an impact on a country’s almond consumption was conducted. It shows that income level, endowment of resources and tradition as well as dietary habits are key factors that help to shape a country’s almond consumption pattern.
Influence of temperature and time upon pyrolysis of untreated and fire retardant treated wood

Untreated and fire-retardant treated specimens of Douglas-fir were pyrolyzed up to 30 minutes at temperatures of 250°, 350° and 550° C. Various cell wall components viewed under the scanning electron microscope appeared to decompose at rates related to their chemical composition. No structural differences were noted between pyrolyzed specimens of untreated wood and wood treated with a mixture of zinc chloride and sodium dichromate. Cell walls of specimens treated with a mixture of urea, monammonium phosphate, and glucose exhibited thermoplastic behavior as a result of exposure to high temperatures.
β2-Adrenergic Receptor Polymorphisms and Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Events in the Elderly

Background— Genetic polymorphisms at codons 16 and 27 of the β2-adrenergic receptor have been associated with altered response to sympathetic stimulation. We examined these polymorphisms in relation to cardiovascular event risk in the Cardiovascular Health Study. Methods and Results— A total of 808 black and 4441 white participants (mean age, 73 years) were genotyped for the Arg16Gly and Gln27Glu polymorphisms of the β2-adrenergic receptor. There were 702 incident coronary events, 438 ischemic strokes, and 1136 combined cardiovascular events during 7 to 10 years of follow-up. Allele frequencies differed by race but not by age or hypertension status. Glu27 carriers had a lower risk of coronary events than Gln27 homozygotes (hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.70 to 0.95), and there was a suggestion of decreased risk among Gly16 carriers compared with Arg16 homozygotes (hazard ratio, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.72 to 1.07). There was no association of β2-adrenergic receptor genotype with ischemic stroke or combined cardiovas...
On the far field in the Lorenz–Mie theory and T-matrix formulation

Abstract The far field within the context of the Lorenz–Mie theory and the T-matrix formulation is usually expressed on the basis of the asymptotic properties of vector spherical waves. The radiation condition is taken into account by employing proper vector spherical functions as the expansion basis of the scattered field. The asymptotic behavior of the Hankel function is obtained from differential equations. The asymptotic far field can also be obtained from the Kirchhoff surface integral equation, in which the radiation condition has been implemented when it is derived from the Maxwell equations. This note is to present an explicit establishment of the relationship between the asymptotic far field and the near field in the Lorenz–Mie theory and the T-matrix formulation through the Kirchhoff surface integral.
Effect of 1,10-phenanthroline and desferrioxamine in vivo on prolyl hydroxylase and hydroxylation of collagen in various tissues of rats

Abstract We studied prolyl hydroxylase (PH) activity in various tissues of rats after systemic and local administrations of 1,10-phenanthroline and Desferrioxamine. We assayed PH in tissue extracts without adding iron to the incubation medium; we ascertained hydroxylation of collagen by measuring 3 H release from biosynthetically 3,4- 3 H-proline-labeled collagen substrate. We studied the effect of both Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ chelating agents in tissues with a relatively high rate of collagen synthesis such as fetal skin and skin of newborn rats, 17-β-estradiol-stimulated uterus of immature rats, and carrageenan granuloma tissue. In addition, in some organs we studied collagen hydroxylation by measuring the ratio of proline to hydroxyproline either in highly purified samples or in the digest from samples treated with protease-free collagenase. Finally, the extent of underhydroxylation of collagen from some tissues of rats treated with either one or both chelating agents was determined using a 3,4,- 3 H-proline-labeled collagen as a substrate to partially purified PH. Neither systemic nor local injections of 1,10-phenanthroline or Desferrioxamine alone inhibited PH in any of the models. But simultaneous administration of both agents inhibited PH and hydroxylation of collagen in some models. Although local injections of 1,10-phenanthroline into granuloma tissue did not inhibit PH activity, hydroxylation of collagen synthesized in the granuloma from 4 to 16 hr after injection was reduced significantly. This seeming discrepancy is explained by the finding that PH is active even without the addition of Fe 2+ in the assay medium; a strong reducing environment (α-ketoglutarate, ascorbic acid) reduces Fe 3+ , thus providing ferrous ions essential for PH activity. Both forms of iron, therefore, must be chelated simultaneously to affect PH activity in the assay system. In some experiments, within 8 hr after systemic administration of 1,10-phenanthroline, the activity of PH in skin almost doubled and remained significantly elevated for 40 hr. The mechanism responsible for this phenomenon is not known. The results of this study indicate that previously reported inhibitory effects of some Fe 2+ chelating agents on collagen synthesis in various models of fibrosis may not be related to inhibition of PH or to collagen hydroxylation.
Nonparametric bootstrap analysis with applications to demographic effects in demand functions

Abstract A new bootstrap proposal, labeled smooth conditional moment (SCM) bootstrap, is introduced for independent but not necessarily identically distributed data, where the classical bootstrap procedure fails. The procedure is shown to encompass the iid and wild bootstrap procedures as special cases. The SCM bootstrap is applied to the construction of confidence intervals for nonparametric equivalence scales estimates, and of critical values for consistent nonparametric test statistics. In both cases, the bootstrap approximations to the small sample properties are usually far superior to those provided by the first-order asymptotic approximations.
Platelet phosphorylase activity in the presence of activators and inhibitors of aggregation

Phosphorylase activity in suspension of human platelets was assayed prior to and following addition of thrombin and epinephrine which aggregate platelets prostaglandin E1 and E2 and adenosine cyclic 35 monophosphate which inhibit aggregation or sodium fluoride and isoproterenol which alter adenine nucleotide metabolism. These various reagents failed to change phosphorylase a activity in intact platelets nor did adenosine cyclic 35 monophosphate affect platelet phosphorylase activity in subcellular fractions. Platelet phosphorylase activity does not seem to be modulated by a direct effect of cyclic AMP.
Resonant-Cavity Measurements

Satisfactory methods are described for measuring the resonant frequency, Q, and shunt resistance of resonant cavities. Some of the wavemeters and other equipment developed for these measurements are described. The methods of determining resonant frequencies permit moderate accuracy in absolute measurements and very high precision in the comparison of the resonant frequencies of two cavities. Three methods of measuring Q are described which are similar in principle but different in detail. Shunt resistance has been determined by two methods which are convenient and reliable. By inverting these methods, the dielectric constants and dielectric conductivities of liquids and gases can be measured.
Paradoxical increase in striatal neuropeptide gene expression following ischemic lesions of the cerebral cortex.

Abstract Ischemic lesions of the cerebral cortex occur frequently in humans as a result of stroke. One major consequence of the death of cortical neurons is the loss of excitatory cortical projections to subcortical regions. Little is known, however, about the transsynaptic effect of such lesions on neurotransmitter expression in subcortical structures. We have examined the effects of ischemic cortical lesions on the peptidergic neurotransmitters enkephalin and tachykinins in the striatum, a brain region massively innervated by glutamatergic cortical inputs. The levels of enkephalin and tachykinin mRNAs increased in the striatum of adult rats after thermocoagulation of pial vessels. The effects were more pronounced in the striatal region most heavily innervated by the lesioned cortex but were also observed in other striatal regions and on the contralateral side. Increased gene expression was accompanied by increased immunoreactivity for the two peptides. Elevated levels of enkephalin mRNA were observed up to 3 months after surgery in the ipsilateral striatum. Whereas results of previous studies of acute cortical ablations suggested that excitatory corticostriatal neurons were necessary to maintain normal peptide levels in striatal efferent neurons, the present data indicate that lesions of the same corticostriatal neurons secondary to local ischemia result in a paradoxical transsynaptic activation of neuropeptide synthesis in subcortical structures. This effect may play a role in the functional consequences of cortical strokes and progressive cortical atrophy in humans and may have critical bearing for their treatment and prognosis.
Assay of adenylate cyclase in homogenates of control and Duchenne human skeletal muscle

Abstract The wide range of values reported for activity of adenylate cyclase (AC) in human skeletal muscle prompted re-evaluation of conditions used for homogenization and assay. Adenylate cyclase activity in the same normal muscle differed with different techniques of homogenization. In pH 7.5 isotonic Tris buffer, basal and catecholamine-activated activities declined rapidly in homogenates kept at 4°C. Loss of basal activity was prevented by addition of a chelator of divalent cations. Loss of response to isoproterenol was prevented by addition of guanylnucleotides. Enzyme activity was maximal at 37°C and pH 7.6. Enzyme activity was lower when theophylline was used to prevent degradation of labelled 3',5' cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cyclic AMP) than when unlabelled cyclic AMP was used to this purpose. Basal activity increased with increased MgCl 2 concentration up to 50 mmol/l, but isoproterenol-activated activity was maximal at 4 mmol/l MgCl 2 . AC was inhibited by exogenous adenosine, but addition of adenosine deaminase to the assay mixture did not increase AC activity. Based upon these observations, standardized procedures of homogenization and assay were devised and used to measure AC activity in muscles of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: basal and isoproterenol-stimulated activities were abnormally low.
Observation of infrared refraction in a laser-produced plasma

Diagnostics of plasma particle density can be accomplished by measuring the refractive index. Using infrared light greatly enhances the sensitivity for free electrons, so that refraction measurements allow a selective determination of the electron density n, [ 11. Either interferometric or Schlieren techniques can be used. With symmetric plasmas, the latter can offer in a simple setup a determination of the maximum electron density in the plasma [l]*. This feature can be attractive, for example, in a parametric study of laserproduced plasmas where an interferometric evaluation of the detailed density distribution in space and time would be too involved.
Visualization of 3D geometric models of the breast created from contrast-enhanced MRI

Contrast enhanced breast MRI is currently used as an adjuvant modality to x-ray mammography because of its ability to resolve ambiguities and determine the extent of malignancy. This study described techniques to create and visualize 3D geometric models of abnormal breast tissue. MRIs were performed on a General Electric 1.5 Tesla scanner using dual phased array breast coils. Image processing tasks included: 1) correction of image inhomogeneity caused by the coils, 2) segmentation of normal and abnormal tissue, and 3) modeling and visualization of the segmented tissue. The models were visualized using object-based surface rendering which revealed characteristics critical to differentiating benign from malignant tissue. Surface rendering illustrated the enhancement distribution and enhancement patterns. The modeling process condensed the multi-slice MRI data information and standardized its interpretation. Visualizing the 3D models should improve the radiologist's and/or surgeon's impression of the 3D shape, extent, and accessibility of the malignancy compared to viewing breast MRI data slice by slice.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.