cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HF produced ionospheric electron density irregularities diagnosed by UHF radio star scintillations

Three observations of radio star intensity fluctuations at UHF are reported for HF ionospheric modification experiments carried out at the Arecibo Observatory. Two observations at 430 MHz and one at 1400 MHz suggest that the the thin phase screen theory is a good approximation to the observed power spectra. It is noted, however, that the theory has to be extended to include antenna filtering. This type of filtering is important for UHF radio star scintillations since the antenna usually has a narrow beamwidth. HF power densities of less than 37 microwatts/sq m incident on the ionosphere give rise to electron density irregularities larger than 13% of the ambient density (at 260 km) having scale sizes of approximately 510 m perpendicular to the geomagnetic field. The irregularities are found to form within 20-25 s after the HF power is turned on. The drift velocities of the irregularities can be estimated from the observed power spectra.
Usefulness of Fructosamine for Monitoring Outpatients with Diabetes

ABSTRACT Background: Measurements of total glycohemoglobin (glycoHb) or hemoglobin Ale are routinely used to evaluate intermediate-to-long term glycemic control in patients with diabetes. However, despite the recent availability of more rapid methods for glycohemoglobin determination, it remains difficult in many institutions to obtain same-day glycoHb determinations in time to assist physicians with management of outpatients with diabetes. Hence, we investigated whether fructosamine, which reflects very recent (2 to 3 weeks) glycemic control and which can be assayed more rapidly in our laboratory, could serve as a useful adjunct to glycoHb for management of these patients. Methods: Diabetes control in outpatients managed using fructosamine, fasting serum glucose, and glycoHb (concentrations from the prior visit) was compared with that for outpatients monitored using fasting serum glucose and prior glycoHb alone. The relative usefulness of fructosamine, current and prior glycoHb, and “fasting” serum glucose for evaluation and management of outpatients with diabetes was compared. In addition, the acceptance of fructosamine by physicians was evaluated by a questionnaire. Results: Same-day fructosamine concentrations correlated better with current glycoHb than did either prior glycoHb or current fasting serum glucose concentrations. However, the availability of same-day fructosamine results did not objectively improve diabetes control compared with that obtained using only fasting serum glucose values and prior glycoHb concentrations. Nonetheless, most examining physicians stated that same-day fructosamine concentrations helped them significantly with diabetes management, primarily because many patients do not adequately monitor home blood glucose levels. Conclusions: Fructosamine may be a useful adjunctive test for management of outpatients with diabetes in situations where it is not practical to obtain same-day glycoHb concentrations, for patients less compl iant with home glucose monitoring, or where recent changes in insulin dose or clinical presentation might not be reflected in the glycoHb levels.
Corticosteroids in human blood. VIII. Cortisol metabolites in plasma of normotensive subjects and patients with essential hypertension.

Results of our previous studies revealed a derangement in the peripheral metabolism of adrenal steroids in patients with essential hypertension. To investigate further this finding, all individual free and conjugated metabolites of cortisol were isolated, identified and quantitated in plasma of 14 normotensive subjects and 13 patients with benign, uncomplicated essential hypertension, following iv administration of a tracer dose of [4-14C]cortisol. In addition, plasma levels of endogenous cortisol were determined at 8 am and 4 pm in all the subjects examined. The results obtained revealed the following statistically significant differences between ormotensives and hypertensives: 1) Mean plasma concentrations of cortisol metabolites reduced in ring-A with nonreduced 20-ketone, tetrahydrocortisol, tetrahydrocortisone, and their 5α-epimers, were 30% lower in the hypertensives; since these steroids constitute the bulk of the major group of cortisol metabolites-the glucuronide conjugates, plasma levels of this...
Yellow mice, red hair, and childhood obesity: the melanocortinergic pathway in energy homeostasis.

Obesity is a health problem of increasing concern throughout the world; the burden in both medical and economic terms is large. The familial nature of obesity reflects the effects of shared genes and environments. On the basis of relative concordance rates of obesity in identical and fraternal twins, and between adopted children and their biologic and adoptive parents and siblings, the genetic contribution to obesity has been estimated to be as high as 70%. 1,2 What this calculation of “heritability” indicates is that for the specific environment in which the study was conducted, 70% of the risk of obesity is conveyed by genetic differences between affected and unaffected individuals. Thus, the responsible genes and their proportional impacts may vary among individuals of different genetic backgrounds and environmental circumstances. Efforts to identify the responsible genes are important because knowledge of these genes will ultimately enable elucidation of the underlying regulatory mechanisms for body weight, allow for early diagnosis of susceptibility to obesity, and point the way to the development of more effective treatments. The rare human “syndromic” obesities such as Prader-Willi syndrome, Bardet-Biedl, Alstrom, and Cohen syndromes have clearly shown that there are genes that influence body weight in humans. 3,4 More recently, the molecular cloning of rodent autosomal, single gene obesities and their human orthologs has uncovered a host of genes involved in the regulation of body weight in mammals. 5
FURTHER STUDIES OF INFECTIOUS DNA EXTRACTED FROM MYCOBACTERIOPHAGES

Results of the previous investigation in which it was found that DNA extracted from D29 mycobacteriophage was infectious for Mycobacterium smegmatis 607, have been extended. DNA extracted from mycobacteriophage D4 and D32 produced plaques when plated on their respective hosts; D28 DNA, extracted in the same manner and tested under similar conditions, failed to show infectivity. Species barriers were not crossed by mycobacteriophage DNA; bacteria resistant to intact phage were not infected with the phage DNA. The efficiency of plating of the DNA is very much lower than that of intact phage; infection of a given host was not accomplished by DNA when titration for plaque formation by the intact phage was less than 109 PFU. The base composition of DNA extracted from the four mycobacteriophages and the three propagating hosts was very similar. The bases were paired, adenine with thymine and guanine with cytosine. A relatively higher per cent of guanine-cytosine than of adenine-thymine, was found. The buoyant density of each DNA in CsCl was linearly related to its guanine-cytosine content whereas with the exception of D28 DNA, thermal denaturation temperatures failed to show this relationship. However, the thermal transition profiles were characteristic of double stranded DNA. Additional evidence that D29 DNA forms complexes with basic proteins was obtained. Binding between calf thymus histone and between RNAase and D29 DNA readily occurs with a resultant loss in DNA infectivity. Trypsin and D29 DNA are only weakly reactive.
Leukotriene D4 Receptor Antagonism Reduces Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Monkeys

Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and pulmonary inflammation are observations that are consistently associated with asthma and also occur in a well-characterized monkey model of asthma. The following study was performed to determine whether treatment with an LTD4 receptor antagonist, ICI 198,615, could attenuate antigen-induced pulmonary inflammation and AHR in monkeys using the following protocol. On day 0, the PC200 (the concentration of methacholine (MCh) that doubled respiratory system resistance, Rrs) was determined in 6 male, atopic, cynomolgus monkeys, previously characterized in historical control trials (Control #1) as airway hyperresponsive. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was then performed to determine total and differential leukocyte counts. On days 3, 5 and 7, each monkey received 10 mg/kg ICI 198,615 (im) 30 min prior to Ascaris suum (Ag) aerosol exposures which doubled Rrs. On day 10, the post-Ag PC200 to MCh was determined and BAL was repeated. Five weeks after this trial was complete, a bracketing control trial (Control #2) was performed in which the monkeys were administered vehicle prior to each Ag exposure. In comparison to the response in both control trials, treatment with the LTD4 antagonist significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited the development of AHR and also significantly reduced (P < 0.05) peripheral blood lymphocyte counts after Ag challenge. Treatment with ICI 198,615 reduced the Ag-induced increase in BAL eosinophils, but statistical significance was obtained only when treated animals were compared to Control #1, not Control #2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A note on an instrumental comparison of the modified mercalli (MMI) and the Japanese meteorological agency (JMA) intensity scales, based on computed peak accelerations

In many parts of the world, subjectively based earthquake intensity scales similar to those of the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) are applied regularly. Although the characteristics of these scales are quite similar, it is often difficult to convert an estimate of strong ground shaking measured by the MMI scale into its equivalent on other scales. In this paper, an instrumental correlation of the Japanese Intensity scale (JMA) with the MMI scale is described. Currently, one common yardstick that is available for both Japan and the United States is the statistic of peak accelerations. The correlation is done by comparing the JMA for sites where the ‘peak acceleration’ is known in Japan with the MMI for sites in the United States where the peak acceleration is also known. To ensure a direct correspondence of peak accelerations in these two countries, the peak values recorded in the U.S. are corrected by determining the peak acceleration as recorded by the Japanese accelerograph, the SMAC, while it is subjected to the excitation recorded in the United States.
Relationship between figure-ground perception and viewing time in a ball-catching task.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between figure-ground perception and viewing time in a ball catching task of male and female tennis players. Sub-problems were to investigate the effects of sex and tennis skill level on figure-ground perception, the ball catching task and the length of viewing time. A total of 98 college students (49 males and 49 females) from five tennis classes at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as well as both the men's and women's tennis teams and the Nebraska Wesleyan University women's tennis team, volunteered to participate as subjects. The subjects were divided into three groups according to their skill level: (1) beginner, (2) intermediate, and (3) advanced tennis players. The non-varsity tennis players were given the Hewitt Revision of the Dyer Backboard Test to determine their skill classification, while the varsity tennis players were subjectively classified by observation of their playing ability and team rank.
Antiestrogen action in the uterus: biological ineffectiveness of nuclear bound estradiol after antiestrogen.

These studies attempt to analyze the basis of the estrogenic and antiestrogenic action of three· nonsteroidal clomiphene-type compounds as monitored by their ability to bind to immature rat uterine cytoplasmic estrogen receptor, transfer receptor sites to the nucleus, and elicit estrogenic responses (increased uterine weight and induction of the synthesis of a specific uterine protein, called induced protein, or “IP”), and by their ability to antagonize the effects of estradiol on these receptor interactions and uterine responses. Both CI-628 (CI) and U-ll.lOOA (UA) [50 μg] elicit slight IP induction at 1–2 h and give pronounced uterine weight increases at 24 h but feeble increases at 72 h (3 single daily injections). Both bind to cytosol, and effect the transfer of receptor sites to the nucleus, which may account for the estrogenicity of these compounds. Both CI and UA give rapid (by 2–4 h), prolonged (for over 24 h), and complete blockage of estradiol-stimulated induction of IP synthesis. Likewise, anti...
Evaluation of the clinical relevance of baseline left ventricular ejection fraction as a predictor of recovery or persistence of severe dysfunction in women in the United States with peripartum cardiomyopathy.

Abstract Background Baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) has been shown to be associated with likelihood of recovery in patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). The clinical relevance of this association for individual patients is unclear. Methods and Results We analyzed baseline parameters of LVEF in 187 PPCM patients with ≥6 months follow-up data in an attempt to detect the value of baseline LVEF as a predictor of early recovery or persistence of severe LV dysfunction. Recovery of LV function (LVEF ≥50%) at 6 months after diagnosis was found in 115 patients (61%). Multivariate analysis identified baseline LVEF >30% as a significant predictor for recovery (odds ratio 5.2, 95% confidence interval 1.96–7.70; P > .0001). Recovery of LV function was 6.4-fold higher in women with baseline LVEF ≥ 30% (group III) and 3.9-fold higher in women with LVEF 20%–29% (group II) compared with those with LVEF 10%–19% (group I). Failure to achieve full recovery was seen in 63% of group I patients, 32% of group II ( P = .03), and 21% of group III ( P = .02 vs group I). Failure to achieve LVEF ≥30% was seen in 30% of group I patients and 13% of group II ( P = .09). Conclusions Early recovery in patients with PPCM is significantly related to the degree of myocardial insult at time of diagnosis. Baseline LVEF however, has a limited sensitivity for prediction of failure to improve in individual patients and can not be used as an indication for premature use of aggressive therapy including devices or cardiac transplantation.
Differences in preferred reference frames for postural orientation shown by after-effects of stance on an inclined surface.

This study reports a postural after-effect of leaning that follows a period of stance on an inclined surface with eyes closed. This leaning after-effect maintained the body-to-surface relationship as if subjects still stood on the incline. We examined the incidence and robustness of the leaning after-effect in 51 healthy subjects. The location of the center of pressure (CoP) under the feet and the alignment of the trunk and legs were measured before, during and after blindfolded subjects stood on a 5° toes-up inclined surface for 2.5 min. When the surface was inclined, all subjects stood with their trunk and legs aligned near to gravity-vertical, similar to the alignment adopted in the pre-incline period. When the surface returned to horizontal in the post-incline period, there was a continuum of postural alignment strategies across subjects. At one extreme, subjects leaned forward, with an average trunk lean near 5°. The leaned posture decayed exponentially toward baseline postural alignment across a period of up to 5 min. At the other extreme, subjects did not lean in the post-incline period, but instead, stayed aligned near upright with respect to gravity. Subjects were highly consistent in their post-incline postural behaviors upon repeated testing over days to months and across different directions of surface inclination. Our results suggest that individuals have well-established, preferred, sensory strategies for controlling postural orientation when vision is not available. Subjects who leaned in the post-incline period appear to depend more on the geometry of the support surface as a reference frame and to rely more on proprioceptive information to extract kinematic relationships, whereas subjects who did not lean appear to depend more on gravity as a reference frame and to rely more on sensory information related to forces and load.
A Bandwidth expanding scheme for communication channels with noiseless feedback in the presence of unknown jamming noise

Abstract This paper treats the problem of transmitting a Gaussian discrete-time Markov process over a time-discrete additive white Gaussian channel with noiseless feedback which is subjected to statistically unknown jamming noise (satisfying a given power constraint). The channel is used more than once during the interval between the production of successive source letters, and the jamming noise is either allowed to be correlated with the encoder output, or forced to be totally independent of it. The complete solution obtained in the paper under a minimax criterion indicates that the optimum encoder-decoder structures are linear,and the least favorable jamming noise is a Gaussian process.
Interference mitigation and read rate improvement in RFID‐based network‐centric environments

Purpose – This paper investigates interference mitigation and read rate improvement by using novel power control and graph‐based scheduling schemes for radio frequency identification (RFID) systems.Design/methodology/approach – The first method is a distributed power control (DPC) scheme proposed as an alternative to listen‐before‐talk (LBT) for RFID systems specified under CEPT regulations. The DPC algorithm employs reader transmission power as the system control variable to achieve a desired read range and read rate without causing unwanted interference. The second approach is graph‐based scheduling, which uses a graph coloring‐based approach to temporally separate readers with overlapping interrogation zones. The scheduling of the timeslots is carried out so as to offer better efficiency for each reader.Findings – This paper shows that power control, graph theory, collision probability analysis along with timeslot scheduling schemes can be widely adapted to solve general RFID problems. The study shows ...
The need for long-term audiologic follow-up of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) graduates

Objective: To evaluate the adequacy of newborn hearing screening in the identification of hearing loss in post-neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infants. Methods: Eighty-two post-NICU infants who had initially passed automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) screening were studied prospectively between November 1997 and July 1999. Tympanometry and transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) were used to evaluate middle ear status and screen the hearing of subjects when they were seen routinely in the Mary L. Johnson Infant Development Clinic, where NICU graduates are followed at our institution. TEOAEs were not performed in subjects with abnormal tympanometry, defined as negative pressures greater than 200 daPa or flat tympanograms. Results: Of the 82 subjects, 31 (37%) had abnormal tympanometry in at least one ear, with 24 (29%) exhibiting abnormal values bilaterally. Two subjects were identified with delayed-onset or previously undiagnosed sensorineural hearing loss. One had a history of persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The other infant had no risk factors for sensorineural hearing loss. Conclusions: Our data indicate that newborn hearing screening programs may not provide adequate vigilance for NICU graduates. The high incidence of abnormal middle ear status and the identification of delayed-onset hearing loss in an infant without known risk factors highlights the need for close audiologic and speech/language follow-up in the post-NICU population.
A Case for Delamination of the Deep Batholithic Crust beneath the Sierra Nevada, California

Surface exposures as well as deep-crustal and upper-mantle xenoliths constrain the composition of the lithospheric column beneath the Sierra Nevada mountain range (California) as it resulted from the generation of the Mesozoic Sierra Nevada batholith (SNB). After the cessation of magmatism at ~80 Ma, the SNB consisted of a ~30 to 35 km thick granitic crust underlain by a batholithic "root," a ~70 km thick sequence of mafic-ultramafic, mainly eclogite-facies cumulate and residues. The deeper root assemblages consist largely of garnet and pyroxenes that precipitated as igneous cumulate phases during the SNB magrnatism. The root assemblages were present beneath the SNB as recently as ~8 to 12 Ma, when they were sampled as xenoliths in fast-ascending magmas erupted through the batholith. Several lines of evidence suggest that the eclogitic root may have disappeared from beneath the SNB since Miocene time, leading to a major change in the lithospheric column. There are no garnet-bearing xenoliths in the Pliocene and Quaternary volcanic rocks; instead, all xenolith lithologies found in the younger volcanic outcrops are peridotitic, have equilibrated at depths between 35 and 70 km, possess locked-in temperatures of ~1150 to 1200°C, and display an asthenospheric-like adiabatic P-T trend. Some of the Pliocene uppermost-mantle peridotitic xenoliths contain exotic silica-rich glass inclusions that may have originated by partial melting of the eclogitic root. Geophysical evidence suggests that anomalously high seismic velocity may represent eclogitic bodies present at depths of 100 to 200 km beneath the SNB. All of these observations indicate that the "eclogitic" root may have detached and delaminated (sunk) into the underlying mantle, a process compensated by diapiric rise of asthenospheric peridotitic material to the base of the shallow (~35 km) remnant crust. The delamination hypothesis is consistent with observations documenting the existence of a shallow Moho, a low-velocity, partially molten upper mantle observed today beneath the SNB, a gradual change in Miocene volcanism in the Sierra toward more primitive compositions, and significant late Miocene-Pliocene uplift in the area. If the magmatic arc has indeed lost its root, delamination is an important mechanism in the differentiation of the continental crust at Cordilleran-type margins. The present-day crustal column in the Sierra (the SNB) is a mass extracted from the Earth's mantle predominantly during the Phanerozoic, although not necessarily only during batholithic magmatism. The ~35 km thick present-day crustal composition of the Sierra Nevada is similar to, or more evolved than, the average continental crust.
Transforming growth factor-β modulates plasminogen activator activity and plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 expression in human keratinocytes in vitro

Abstract Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) is a multifunctional mediator with effects on cellular growth, differentiation, and extracellular matrix (ECM) metabolism. Because TGF-β stimulates fibronectin expression in cultured human keratinocytes, we wished to determine whether it might also affect ECM degradation through the plasminogen activator (PA)-plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) system. Immunofluorescence of human keratinocytes using a monospecific antiserum to type I PAI (PAI-1) showed enhanced cellular and ECM staining when they were cultured in the presence of TGF-β. The antiserum also identified an Mr 50,000 protein in conditioned media that was markedly enhanced by TGF-β. A corresponding stimulation of PAI-1 mRNA was demonstrated by quantitative RNA blot analysis. Total plasminogen activating activity of conditioned medium was markedly decreased by TGF-β. Zymography showed this to be at least partially due to decreased secreted urokinase activity. TGF-β may play an important role in stabilizing the provisional matrix synthesized by keratinocytes in healing wounds.
Production of rare isotope beams with the NSCL fragment separator

Abstract Rare isotope beams at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory are produced by projectile fragmentation of medium energy primary beams on beryllium targets. The fragments of interest are selected by the A1900 high-acceptance fragment separator. The A1900 consists of superconducting magnets: four 45° dipoles and eight quadrupole triplets with a maximum magnetic rigidity of 6 Tm. A momentum acceptance of Δ p / p = 5% with a solid angle acceptance of Δ Ω = 8 msr makes the A1900 one of the highest-acceptance separators in the world. Detector systems installed within the device allow tracking and unambiguous identification of individual isotopes. During the first three years of operation of the A1900, more than 200 different rare isotope beams approaching both the neutron and proton driplines have been delivered to experiments.
Gravity Waves Generated during Frontogenesis.

Abstract Gravity waves forced by nonhydrostatic and nongeostrophic processes within a frontal zone are discussed. In particular, stationary waves immediately above and below the surface front are considered. The waves that appear above the front are horizontally stationary with respect to the front, but are vertically propagating. The vertical wavelength here is given by 2πυ/N, since the waves are nearly hydrostatic. The horizontal wavelength of the waves above the front is determined by standing waves that set up below the Front. These waves corrugate the frontal surface, and these corrugations, in turn, determine the horizontal scale of the waves above the front. The waves under the front are standing and are trapped between the earth's surface and the frontal zone which, due to its conditions of flow reversal and small Ri, is assumed to be a reflector of gravity waves. The horizontal scale of the standing waves is determined by their vertical wavelength and the slope of the frontal surface. These waves...
Degradation of drag‐reducing polymers

A simple, fixed-head flow device was used to characterize drag reduction by polymers in water. Using a parallel flow of water as a reference system, the Reynolds numbers ranged from 8600 to 12,000. The degradation of poly(ethylene oxide) and polyacrylamide during turbulent flow of dilute solutions (1 to 50 g/kl) was measured in terms of friction-reducing effectiveness. Poly(ethylene oxide) decreases in effectiveness more rapidly than polyacrylamide in a recycling test.
On the Lp−Lq norm of the Hankel transform and related operators

Abstract We investigate the L p ( 0 , ∞ ) − L q ( 0 , ∞ ) mapping properties of the operators L ν , μ α f ( y ) = y μ ∫ 0 ∞ ( x y ) ν f ( x ) J α ( x y ) d x , f ∈ C 0 ∞ ( 0 , + ∞ ) , for suitable values of the parameters, and we evaluate the operator norm of L ν , μ α in some special and significant cases.
Dependence of Fluorodeoxyuridine-mediated Radiosensitization on S Phase Progression

Recent evidence casts doubt on the hypotheses that fluoropyrimidine-mediated radiosensitization is related to cytotoxicity or to cell cycle redistribution into the G1/S boundary. We hypothesized that cells that are capable of progressing into S phase in the presence of fluorodeoxyuridine may also be more susceptible to radiation-induced damage. To test this hypothesis, fluorodeoxyuridine (FdUrd)-treated HT29 human colon cancer cells were separated by centrifugal elutriation into four fractions (1–4) containing a range of cells from those at the G1/S boundary (fraction 1) to those which had progressed approximately 11% into S phase (fraction 4). We found that fraction 4 cells showed significantly greater radiosensitization than fraction 1 cells. We also compared the effects of fluorodeoxyuridine on HT29 and SW620 human colon cancer cells. We found that, in contrast with HT29 cells, SW620 cells arrested at the G1/S boundary and were minimally radiosensitized. Finally, we found that an increase in sensitivit...
Aortic dissection: Percutaneous management of ischemic complications with endovascular stents and balloon fenestration☆☆☆★

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate endovascular stenting (EVS) and balloon fenestration (BF) of intimal flaps for the management of lower extremity, renal, and visceral ischemia in acute or chronic aortic dissection. Methods: Twenty-two patients (16 male, 6 female) with a median age of 53 years (range 35 to 77 years) underwent percutaneous treatment for peripheral ischemic complications of 12 type A (five acute, seven chronic) and 10 type B (nine acute, one chronic) aortic dissections. Results: Ten patients had leg ischemia, 13 had renal ischemia, and 6 had visceral ischemia. Sixteen patients were treated with EVS including 11 with renal, 6 with lower extremity, 2 with superior mesenteric artery, and 2 with aortic stents. Three patients had BF of the intimal flap, and three had BF in combination with EVS. Revascularization with clinical success was achieved in all 22 patients. Two patients died 3 days and 13.4 months after the procedure was performed, respectively. Of the remaining 20 patients, 1 is lost to follow-up, and 19 have persistent relief of clinical symptoms. Mean follow-up time is 13.7 months (range 1.1 to 46.5 months). One case was complicated by guidewire-induced perinephric hematoma. Conclusion: EVS and BF provide a safe and effective percutaneous method for managing peripheral ischemic complications of aortic dissection. (J VASC SURG 1996;23:241-53.)
Effects of diazepam (Valium) and trait anxiety on human physical aggression and emotional state

The effects of diazepam (10 mg orally) and trait anxiety on the aggressive behavior of normal male undergraduates were studied in a competitive reaction time task paradigm which entails shock setting with an increasingly provocative “opponent.” Diazepam produced an aggression-enhancing effect which was (1) specifically shown only by the low-trait anxious group under low provocation and (2) generally shown by all groups under conditions of higher provocation. Reductions in state anxiety following diazepam ingestion were seen most clearly in the high- and, somewhat, the moderatetrait anxious groups. In contrast, the low-trait anxious group evidenced an increase in depression but little change in anxiety. The results are consistent with reports of the ability of antianxiety drugs to disinhibit suppressed behaviors. Moreover, trait anxiety appears to mediate the effects of diazepam on both mood states and aggressive behavior.
Laboratory Observations of Plasma Double-Layers

We report the results of two on-going laboratory experiments studying the formation and steady-state characteristics of double-layers.
Dark Matter Spikes and Annihilation Radiation from the Galactic Center

The annihilation rate of weakly interacting cold dark matter particles at the galactic center could be greatly enhanced by the growth of a density spike around the central supermassive black hole (SBH). Here we discuss the effects of hierarchical mergers on the central spike. Mergers between halos containing SBHs lead to the formation of SBH binaries which transfer energy to the dark matter particles, lowering their density. The predicted flux of annihilation photons from the galactic center is several orders of magnitude smaller than in models that ignore the effects of SBHs and mergers. Measurement of the annihilation radiation could in principle be used to constrain the merger history of the galaxy.
Dielectric Relaxation in Glycine–Water and Glycine–Ethanol–Water Solutions Using Time Domain Reflectometry

Dielectric relaxation measurements on water–ethanol–glycine ternary system were carried out using time domain reflectometry (TDR) at 25, 30, 35, and 40°C in the frequency range from 10 MHz to 10 GHz. Glycine–ethanol–water solutions are prepared with different concentrations of ethanol (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30%) and also for different glycine molar concentrations (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1 M). The dielectric relaxation parameters are measured for aqueous glycine solutions also to compare the results with those for the glycine–ethanol–water ternary system. For all the mixtures considered, only one relaxation peak was observed in this frequency range. All the mixtures display a Cole–Davidson dispersion. The relaxation peaks shift to lower frequency with an increase in glycine concentration and also with ethanol concentration. The logarithm of the relaxation time log(τ) shows a nonlinear relation with glycine concentration which implies a change of relaxation mechanism with glycine concentration. The dielectric strength Δe for these mixtures shows a nearly linear relation with glycine molar concentration.
Progesterone in cerebrospinal fluid during human pregnancy.

PROGESTERONE has been found to be an effective anaesthetic agent when given intraperitoneally to animals1,2 and 21 hydroxy pregnandione succinate has been used clinically for general anaesthesia3. Of practical importance in clinical anaesthesia is the fact that in animals progesterone potentiated the effect of ether and chloroform2. No clinical confirmation of this effect in humans is, however, available. Paradoxically, it is believed that progesterone renders the respiratory centre more sensitive to carbon dioxide and that this may account for the lowered pCO2 in blood during pregnancy.
Synthesis and characterization of Na5[Co(CO)3(P{(CH2)nC6H4-P-SO3}3)2], n = 1, 2, 3, and 6. Novel zwitterion

Abstract The electron donating water soluble phosphines, P{(CH 2 ) n C 6 H 4 - p -SO 3 Na} 3 , n = 1, 2, 3 and 6, react rapidly with Co 2 (CO) 8 under two phase reaction conditions to yield the disproportionation products, [Co(CO) 3 (P{(CH 2 ) n C 6 H 4 - p -SO 3 Na 3 } 2 ] [Co(CO) 4 ]. Selective precipitation yields the formally zwitterionic complex anions as the sodium salt, [Co(CO) 3 (P{(CH 2 ) n C 6 H 4 - p -SO 3 } 3 ) 2 ] 5− . The anions can be used as precursors to water soluble cobalt hydroformylation catalysts under two phase and supported aqueous phase conditions. The tendency to form alcohol products is low with these complexes. The behavior of the catalysts is consistent with an active species that remains water soluble during the reaction and is not leached into the nonaqueous phase.
Optical-fiber sensors challenge the competition: Resistance to corrosion and immunity to interference head the list of benefits in detecting stimuli ranging from pressure to magnetism

Optical-fiber sensors are reviewed for the measurement of temperature, pressure, acceleration, flow of liquids and gases, and the level of a liquid in a container. Optical-fiber sensors are making their first commercial appearance in measuring instruments and controls where such attributes as sensitivity, resistance to hostile environments, and compactness are essential. Through alteration of light by external stimuli, these sensors can now detect virtually any stimulus the other sensors can-from pressure and magnetism to acidity and acceleration-and often more sensitively and accurately, and over a wider dynamic range. Optical-fiber sensors are more rugged and more resistant to corrosion than other sensors, immune to electromagnetic interference, and compatible with optical-fiber telemetry. Several types of fibre sensors that are in commercial production, being field-tested, and in advanced development are discussed.
High resolution crystal structures of the deoxy, oxy, and aquomet forms of cobalt myoglobin.

Abstract The structures of the deoxy, oxy, and aquomet forms of native sperm whale myoglobin reconstituted with cobalt protoporphyrin IX have been determined by x-ray crystallography. As expected, cobalt myoglobin closely resembles native iron myoglobin in overall structure, especially in their respective aquomet forms. In the cobalt oxymyoglobin structure, the Nϵ of distal histidine 64 lies within hydrogen bonding distance to both the oxygen atom directly bonded to the cobalt and the terminal oxygen atom, in agreement with previous EPR and resonance Raman studies. The metal atom in cobaltous myoglobin does show a small 0.06-A out-of-porphyrin plane displacement when moving from the oxy to deoxy state. In the case of the native iron-containing myoglobin, the oxy to deoxy transition results in a larger 0.16-A displacement of the metal farther out of the porphyrin plane, attributed to an increase in spin from S = 0 to S = 2. The small displacement in cobalt myoglobin is due to a change in coordination geometry, not spin state (S = 1/2 for both cobalt deoxy- and oxymyoglobin). The small out-of-porphyrin plane movement of cobalt which accompanies deoxygenation of myoglobin also occurs in cobalt hemoglobin and serves to explain why cooperativity, although reduced, is still preserved when iron is replaced by cobalt in human hemoglobin.
Interfacial micellar structures from novel amphiphilic star polymers.

An amphiphilic heteroarm star polymer containing 12 alternating hydrophobic/hydrophilic arms of polystyrene (PS) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) connected to a well-defined rigid aromatic core was studied at the air−water and the air−solid interfaces. At the air−water interface, the molecules spontaneously form pancakelike micellar aggregates which measure up to several microns in diameter and 5 nm in thickness. Upon reduction of the surface area per molecule to 7 nm2, the two-dimensional micelles merged into a dense monolayer. We suggest that confined phase separation of dissimilar polymer arms occurred upon their segregation on the opposite sides of the rigid disklike aromatic core, forcing the rigid cores to adopt a face-on orientation with respect to the interface. Upon transfer onto solid supports the PS chains face the air−film interface making it completely hydrophobic, and the PAA chains were found to collapse and form a thin flattened underlayer. This study points toward new strategies to create lar...
Enhancing Women's Resistance to Sexual Coercion: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the DATE Program

Abstract Objective: Despite extensive efforts to develop sexual assault prevention programs for college women, few have been rigorously evaluated, and fewer have demonstrable effects on victimization. This study pilots the Dating Assertiveness Training Experience (DATE), designed to train young women in assertiveness skills for responding to sexual coercion and to provide them opportunities to practice these skills in a safe environment. Participants: One hundred thirty-nine female college students from a private university in the Southwest. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to DATE or a no-treatment control group. Sexual victimization and response to acts of sexual aggression were assessed prior to randomization, after intervention, and monthly for 3 months. Results: Women who completed DATE were less likely to be victimized than women in the control condition; those who were victimized were more likely to respond assertively. Conclusions: Assertiveness training for resisting sexual coercion h...
Pulsatile Pressure and Flow Through Distensible Vessels

The basic differential equations for elastic wall material and for continuity and momentum are derived, including fluid frictional resistance of the wall of the tubes, based on one-dimensional flow. These partial differential equations are transformed into four ordinary differential equations using the theory of characteristics. Then difference equations are developed and by an interpolation method (method of specified time intervals) equations are obtained for computation of velocity and pressure at equally-spaced sections along the vessel at specified equal time intervals. The equations are first applied to a flexible tube of initial constant diameter, with a pulse flow taken from in vivo experiments. Equations are then developed for tapering tubes with distributed outflow along their lengths (to simulate branches). Pressure-time data from femoral artery measurements are then used to compute flow through the artery, and the results are compared with electromagnetic flowmeter data. Computed flow is greater than measured flow if a friction factor for laminar flow is used. Frictional losses of energy in the normal pulsatile flow in the femoral artery are similar to those of turbulent flow.
Substance abuse among subjects screened out from an alcoholism research program.

Three hundred and eight subjects were screened over the phone for admission to an inpatient alcohol treatment research unit. Using a structured interview, the prospective patients were asked questions regarding demographics, drinking history, previous treatments, physical health, family history, and a detailed history of past and present substance use. Drug use was studied as regular use versus no use or brief experimental use of five drug categories: cannabinoids, stimulants, sedatives, opiates, and hallucinogens. Fifty-one percent of the men and 48% of the women reported regular use of one or more of the drugs in addition to alcohol. For women, the amount of alcohol intake was positively correlated with use of stimulants (r =. 32, p =. 001), cannabinoids (r =. 24, p =. 019), sedatives (r =. 30, p =. 003), and hallucinogens (r =. 30, p =. 003). For men, correlations between the amount of alcohol intake and drug use were weaker but significant for stimulants (r =. 21, p =. 002), opiates (r =. 15, p =. 028...
Combination platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor and lepirudin administration during percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

We evaluated a combination therapy using glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonism and direct thrombin inhibition in nine patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) undergoing 10 percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). In selected patients with HIT, the combination of a direct thrombin inhibitor, lepirudin, and abciximab, tirofiban, or eptifibatide appears to be a safe and effective anticoagulation strategy for PCI.
Doctors in a Wired World: Can Professionalism Survive Connectivity?

The information revolution has the potential to reduce the asymmetry of information between patients and doctors and thereby to undermine a central pillar of physicians' claim to professional status: the possession of distinctive competence based on technical know-how selflessly applied and collectively monitored. A close analysis of the information revolution's likely effects suggests that for some patients with some conditions, their access to more and better information will indeed reduce the magic, mystery, and power of the medical profession. However, the information revolution also offers opportunities for physicians to bolster the cognitive and moral bases of professionalism. To seize those opportunities, physicians must master new roles and skills and avoid unacceptable conflicts of interest.
Le syndrome du survivant: comparaison des perceptions des administrateurs, des gestionnaires, du personnel de soins infirmiers et des médecins durant la restructuration des hôpitaux en Ontario

Resume Lors d'une restructuration organisationnelle, les dirigeants doivent tenir compte des inquietudes des employes a defaut de quoi de nombreuses consequences negatives pourraient se manifester au sein des «survivants». Cet article fournit des considerations importantes a l'intention des administrateurs, des gestionnaires et des planificateurs au sujet des gens qui sont demeures en poste durant la restructuration des hopitaux ontariens. Selon nos constatations, qui sont valables pour la plupart des organisations qui envisagent ou qui traversent une restructuration, il est necessaire de gerer le changement de facon proactive, y compris l'application de strategies d'intervention personnalisees, afin de venir en aide aux «survivants».
Oracular Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes: A Very Special Case

We introduce the oracular partially observable Markov decision process (OPOMDP), a type of POMDP in which the world produces no observations; instead there is an "oracle," available in any state, that tells the agent its exact state for a fixed cost. The oracle may be a human or a highly accurate sensor. At each timestep the agent must choose whether to take a domain-level action or consult the oracle. This formulation comprises a factorization between information-gathering actions and domain-level actions, allowing us to characterize the value of information and to examine the problem of planning under uncertainty from a novel perspective. We propose an algorithm to capitalize on this factorization and the special structure of the OPOMDP, and we test the algorithm's performance on a new sample domain. On this new domain, we are able to solve a problem with hundreds of thousands of action-states and vastly outperform a previous state-of-the-art approximate technique
Local and Regional Staging of Invasive Breast Cancer With Sonography: 25 Years of Practice at MD Anderson Cancer Center

At The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, we have used sonography (US) extensively for more than 2 decades to refine the local and regional staging of invasive breast cancer. Although magnetic resonance imaging is superior to all other imaging modalities in the measurement of the primary tumor and detection of additional foci of malignancy, in our experience US has shown sufficient accuracy in clinical practice to stage most invasive breast cancers. The exceptions are ill-defined tumors such as invasive lobular cancers and tumors in breasts containing extensive diffuse benign disease. An advantage of US is that multifocality or multicentricity can be confirmed via US-guided fine-needle aspiration within 15 minutes and the information shared immediately with the patient and the breast surgeon or medical oncologist. US has also proved indispensable in the evaluation of lymphatic spread because it can evaluate more nodal basins (e.g., the supraclavicular fossa and low neck) than magnetic resonance imaging can and because it can guide needle biopsy to confirm the status of any indeterminate node (including internal mammary nodes) within minutes.
Optimal design of cryogenic air separation columns under uncertainty

Abstract Cryogenic air separation, while widely used in industry, is an energy intensive process. Effective design can improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption, however, uncertainties can make determination of the optimal design difficult. This paper addresses the conceptual design of cryogenic air separation process under uncertainty. A rigorous, highly nonlinear model of three integrated columns is developed to capture the coupled nature of the process. The multi-scenario approach is used to incorporate the uncertainty, giving rise to a nonlinear programming problem with over half a million variables. Nevertheless, this problem is solved efficiently using Ipopt , demonstrating the effectiveness of interior-point methods on complex, large-scale nonlinear programming problems. The optimal design from the multi-scenario approach is compared against the optimal design using nominal parameter values. As expected, the results using the multi-scenario approach are more conservative than the nominal case; however, they may be less conservative than traditional overdesign factors.
Dynamic routing in translucent WDM optical networks: the intradomain case

Translucent wavelength-division multiplexing optical networks use sparse placement of regenerators to overcome physical impairments and wavelength contention introduced by fully transparent networks, and achieve a performance close to fully opaque networks at a much less cost. In previous studies, we addressed the placement of regenerators based on static schemes, allowing for only a limited number of regenerators at fixed locations. This paper furthers those studies by proposing a dynamic resource allocation and dynamic routing scheme to operate translucent networks. This scheme is realized through dynamically sharing regeneration resources, including transmitters, receivers, and electronic interfaces, between regeneration and access functions under a multidomain hierarchical translucent network model. An intradomain routing algorithm, which takes into consideration optical-layer constraints as well as dynamic allocation of regeneration resources, is developed to address the problem of translucent dynamic routing in a single routing domain. Network performance in terms of blocking probability, resource utilization, and running times under different resource allocation and routing schemes is measured through simulation experiments.