cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exciton trapping at perturbed Mn2+ sites in Li+ doped crystals of RbMnCl3 and CsMnBr3

Abstract The luminescence spectra of RbMnCl 3 and CsMnBr 3 crystals doped with Li + indicate the presence of perturbed Mn 2+ ions which act as traps for bulk lattice excitons. In both salts, the trap emission is approximately 1100 cm −1 lower in energy than the emission from the unperturbed Mn 2+ ions. At 12 K the luminescence is dominated by the emission from the Mn 2+ ions of the bulk crystal. As the crystals are warmed above 50 K the excitons begin to migrate through the lattice and the trap emission grows at the expense of the bulk lattice emission. Between 100 and 170 K the luminescence primarily consists of the trap emissions. At roughly 170 K thermal detrapping begins to cause a decrease in the intensity of the emission from the perturbed Mn 2+ ions. As the freed excitons move back into the lattice the intensity of the bulk crystal emission increases. Above 200 K the luminescence from the Li + doped materials is dominated by the emission from the bulk lattice (unperturbed Mn 2+ sites). Reasonably good quantitative fits to the temperature dependence of the luminescence spectra are obtained for Li + doped samples of both salts. Time resolved studies indicate that there are two types of Mn 2+ trapping sites in Li + doped RbMnCl 3 which exhibit distinctly different emission lifetimes (1.2 and 6.5 ms at 77 K). Only one type of trapping site appears to be present in Li + doped CsMnBr 3 with a lifetime of about 370 μs at 107 K.
Cholera toxin and Gs protein modulation of synaptic transmission in guinea pig mesenteric artery.

Abstract Cholera toxin (CTX) was used to test whether the presynaptic β-adrenoceptors of guinea-pig mesenteric artery are coupled via stimulatory GTP-binding proteins. The vascular smooth muscle cells were electrically quiescent unless stimulated and had a mean resting potential of −68.7 ± 2.8 mV ( n = 16) and input resistance of 12.1 ± 0.5 MΩ ( n = 4). Perivascular nerve stimulation with brief square pulses evoked excitatory junction potentials (EJPs) in the muscle cells. Isoproterenol (0.1 μM) enhanced the EJP amplitude without modifying the passive membrane properties of the muscle cells. The β-blocker, propranolol (0.5 μM), prevented the effects of isoproterenol on EJP amplitude. The permeant analogue of cyclic AMP, 8-bromocAMP, also potentiated EJP amplitude. EJP amplitude was markedly enhanced by treatment of the isolated blood vessels with CTX (10 μg/ml for 1 h). The muscle cells became hyperpolarized (−74.6 ± 2.1 mV, n = 5), and their input resistances were significantly reduced (8.2 ± 0.5 MΩ, n = 4). These effects of CTX persisted after washout. Addition of G M1 ganglioside (5 μg/ml) prevented the CTX effects. The CTX enhancement of EJP amplitude was not prevented by application of depolarizing current (ca. 0.5 nA) the muscle cells (to counter the hyperpolarization). These results suggest that CTX increases the neurotransmitter release from the nerve terminals; the hyperpolarization may be due to an increase in K + conductance. These effects of CTX may be mainly due to elevation of cAMP in the nerve terminal and in the muscle cell.
Anatomic changes in the inguinal region after hip arthroscopy: implications for femoral nerve block

Patients may experience significant pain after hip arthroscopy. Two patients who experienced severe pain after arthroscopic hip surgery, despite receiving multimodal pharmacologic therapy, are presented. In both cases, ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block provided excellent analgesia. However, during ultrasound, significant anatomic changes were noted in the inguinal region. In this report, we describe anatomic changes in the inguinal region that are visible with ultrasound after hip arthroscopy.
The role of sport in community capacity building: An examination of sport for development research and practice

Population health promotion and preventing disease remain important global policy goals. Because of the complex nature of health, and the recognition of the limits of individual-oriented health promotion strategies, recent decades have seen increased interest by public health researchers and practitioners in community-level approaches to health promotion. Increasingly, community-level approaches have been based upon the theoretical concept of community capacity. Community capacity is seen as a critical mechanism for supporting and promoting community-level health and through the sport for development (SFD) model, there is evidence of sport being an important practice for community development. However, little is known about the potential role of sport as a mechanism for building community capacity. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to examine the efficacy of sport to contribute to the process of community capacity building. Using seven established dimensions of community capacity, there is evidence that many SFD practices can effectively facilitate dimensions of community capacity when conducted in intentional, culturally relevant ways. Specifically, sport has demonstrated efficacy in building local skills, knowledge, and resources, increasing social cohesion, facilitating structures and mechanisms for community dialog, leadership development, and encouraging civic participation. More research is needed to understand sport's ability to promote capacity building through collective action, developing value systems that support democracy and inclusion, and encouraging critical reflection. To increase the usefulness of sport to support community health development, SFD principles should be included as part of sport management university curricula. Additionally, practitioners need grounding in community and human development research to support non-sport components of programs. Finally, participatory action research techniques should be used by researchers and practitioners. Sport-based development often generates high interest from residents, funders, and policy makers. By applying principles of community capacity building, sport may be uniquely positioned to enhance sustainable community health development initiatives.
Interallelic complementation and recombination at therudimentary wing locus inDrosophila melanogaster

A study of 22 independentrudimentary wing mutants confirmed the occurence of complementation among half of these mutants. Recombination studies show that a minimum of three loci occur paralleling the number of loci deduced from complementation. The data are discussed in relationship to the more extensive studies of complementation inNeurospora.
The interaction of diltiazem with simvastatin

Background Simvastatin is an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase that is used as a cholesterol-lowering agent and is metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) enzymes. Diltiazem is a substrate and an inhibitor of CYP3A enzymes and is commonly coadministered with cholesterol-lowering agents such as simvastatin. The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of diltiazem on the pharmacokinetics of simvastatin. Method A fixed-order study was conducted in 10 healthy volunteers with a 2-week washout period between the phases. In one arm of the study, a single 20-mg dose of simvastatin was administered orally; the second arm entailed administration of a single 20-mg dose of simvastatin orally after 2 weeks of treatment with 120 mg diltiazem twice a day. Results Diltiazem significantly increased the mean peak serum concentration of simvastatin by 3.6-fold (P < .05) and simvastatin acid by 3.7-fold (P < .05). Diltiazem also significantly increased the area under the serum concentration–time curve of simvastatin 5-fold (P < .05) and the elimination half-life 2.3-fold (P < .05). There was no change in the time to peak concentration for simvastatin and simvastatin acid. Conclusion Diltiazem coadministration resulted in a significant interaction with simvastatin, probably by inhibiting CYP3A-mediated metabolism. Concomitant use of diltiazem or other potent inhibitors of CYP3A with simvastatin should be avoided, or close clinical monitoring should be used. (Clin Pharmacol Ther 2000;67:267–74.) Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2000) 67, 267–274; doi: 10.1067/mcp.2000.104609
Radio-gas-chromatographische Analyse der 11C-markierten isotopen Äthylene und Acetylene

Die radio-gas-chromatographische Trennung der isotopen Athylene C2H4, C2H3D und C2H2D2 mit Hilfe einer kontinuierlichen Umlaufmethode unter Benutzung hochwirksamer Silbernitrat-Athylenglykol-Kolonnen wird beschrieben. Durch Vorschaltung eines (diskontinuierlichen) Reduktionsprozesses mit Chrom(II)-chlorid, der ohne nachweisbaren Isotopenaustausch verlauft, last sich diese Methode auch auf die Analyse der isotopen Acetylene: HC≡CH, DC≡CH und DC≡CD anwenden. Der bedeutsamste Vorteil der hier beschriebenen Apparatur ist der gegenuber der konventionellen Einsaulen-Gas-Chromatographie erzielte Zeitgewinn, der besonders bei der Analyse mit kurzlebigen Radioisotopen markierter Verbindungen von ausschlaggebender Bedeutung ist.
Health maintenance throughout the life span for individuals with Down syndrome.

Purpose To describe the routine health maintenance needs of individuals with Down syndrome who have specialized health needs associated with the multi-system impact of the diagnosis. Data Sources Review of scientific literature including peer-reviewed articles, books, and online resources. Conclusion In addition to the routine health maintenance needs of all persons, those with Down syndrome have specialized needs. Failure to address these specific health maintenance concerns may lead to misdiagnoses and failure to reach the highest level of function possible. Implications for Practice Patients with Down syndrome who have legit-imate, treatable diagnoses may be misdiag-nosed as having behavior problems or demen-tia. Failure to identify abnormalities such as cardiac problems or sleep apnea may shorten life and interfere with ability to live life to the fullest.
Catholic Perspectives on Sports: From Medieval to Modern Times

If I were asked to summarize Fr. Pat Kelley’s book in a sentence or two (a risky venture), I would say that it presents and defends a philosophical anthropology that affirms the meaning and value o...
Hepatic innervation in hepatic regeneration.

The autonomic nervous system in rats has been assessed by means of indirect immunofluorescence using monospecific antibodies to neuron-specific enolase, neurofilaments, glial fibrillary acidic protein and S-100 protein [10 days after partial (70%) hepatectomy]. Different groups of rats were studied: group A: 70% resection and normal dual blood supply (n = 5); group B: 70% resection with only portal blood to the liver remnant (n = 5); group C: 70% resection with only arterial blood to the liver remnant (n = 5); group D: sham operated controls (n = 5). All rats of groups A and D showed normal liver/body weight ratios after 10 days in contrast to groups B and C where liver weights were 50–60% of the preresection weight. In group A the regeneration process was histologically normal and associated with a remarkable increase of autonomic innervation patterns in the portal triad. In contrast, livers of animals in groups B and C showed under the light microscope features of hepatocyte degeneration associated with a decreased autonomic innervation compared to the controls. The changes are identical in groups B and C, and are therefore irrespective of the type of blood deprivation (arterial or portal). These results support the importance of dual blood supply for an optimal regenerative response in liver remnants after liver resection. We suggest that the autonomic nerve supply of the portal triad plays at least an important permissive role in liver regeneration.
The disinfection efficacy of chlorine and chlorine dioxide as disinfectants of Bacillus globigii, a surrogate for Bacillus anthracis, in water networks: A comparative studyA paper submitted to the Journal of Environmental Engineering and Science.

Intentional contamination of drinking water with anthrax spores is a concern to water utilities. The spores may become embedded in the distribution pipe corrosion and biofilm, where they will be pr...
Osteopontin facilitates ultraviolet B-induced squamous cell carcinoma development

Background Osteopontin (OPN) is a matricellular glycoprotein that is markedly expressed in cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs) and in actinic keratoses implicating its role in photocarcinogenesis.
Three ubiquitination sites of organic anion transporter-1 synergistically mediate protein kinase C-dependent endocytosis of the transporter.

Organic anion transporter–1 (OAT1) mediates the body disposition of a diverse array of clinically important drugs, including anti-HIV therapeutics, antitumor drugs, antibiotics, antihypertensives, and anti-inflammatories. Therefore, understanding the regulation of OAT1 has profound clinical significance. We previously established that OAT1 constitutively internalizes from and recycles back to cell surface and that activation of protein kinase C (PKC) inhibits OAT1 activity by promoting ubiquitination of the transporter, which then leads to an accelerated internalization of the transporter from cell surface to intracellular compartments. In the current study, we showed that PKC isoform PKCα was responsible for OAT1 ubiquitination. To directly address the role of OAT1 ubiquitination, we then generated two OAT1 mutants, each having multiple lysines (K) simultaneously mutated to arginine (R). One mutant K163/297/303/315/321R lost sensitivities to PKC-induced inhibition of transport activity, to PKC-induced ubiquitination, and to PKC-induced acceleration of transporter internalization. Further dissecting each lysine in this mutant, we identified Lys297, Lys303, and Lys315 as being the ubiquitin conjugation sites. Of interest, mutating any one of the three lysines prevented the ubiquitin conjugation to the other two lysines, suggesting that Lys297, Lys303, and Lys315 may form an optimal structure to interact with ubiquitination machineries. This is the first demonstration that Lys297, Lys303, and Lys315 play a synergistic role in PKC-regulated OAT1 ubiquitination, trafficking, and transport activity.
Multimode Retention Behavior of Azaarenes in Size Exclusion Chromatography with Poly(Divinylbenzene)

Abstract The size exclusion retention behavior of azaarenes on poly(divinylbenzene) is described. With dichloromethane as the mobile phase a strong nonsize effect was evident and retention was found to be governed by the pKa of the eluate. By changing the mobile phase to N-methylpyrrolidinone, retention became independent of pKa and components eluted in order of decreasing molecular weight. Some degree of nonsize behavior was still evident and separation proceeded through a multimode mechanism. LogMW for both the azaarenes and PAH. However, in the case of the azaarenes, a less than ideal correlation coefficient (-.705) suggests that retention is not purely size-dependent.
Melanoma Screening by Physicians: Time for a Policy Change in the United States

priority. What can be done to address the rising health care costs of diagnosing and treating melanoma and reduce the loss of productivity of patients? Melanoma screening by a physician is associated with detection of thinner melanomas, which results in decreased mortality. 2 A higher proportion of melanoma diagnosed at an earlier stage can be expected to lower costs for both years of productive life lost as well as disease treatment. Currently, 59.6% of primary care physicians (PCPs) routinely perform skin examinations, compared with 81.3% of dermatologists. Lack of reimbursement was cited by 43.3% of PCPs and 25.1% of dermatologists as one barrier to performing complete skin examination to screen patients for melanoma. Other barriers for PCPs are lack of time, lack of training, and their low confidence in their skills pertaining to pigmented lesion examinations. 3 In a 1-year pilot skin cancer-screening program in
Sphingosine 1-phosphate pathway therapeutics: a lipid ligand-receptor paradigm

New insights have been gained into the therapeutic relevance of the sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) pathway, on the basis of reverse pharmacological approaches to defining the mechanism of action of the immunosuppressive agent FTY720. Natural and synthetic sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor agonists can make picomolar interactions with their cognate G-protein-coupled receptors, and provide chemical approaches to defining the contribution of distinct receptor subtypes to pathology, physiology and treatment. The chemistry of S1P receptors and their synthetic ligands present a paradigm for the understanding of lipid-receptor interactions and their contribution to physiology and pathology. These approaches can potentially be extended to a broad, related family of G-protein-coupled receptors that share ligands and ligand similarities.
Fully covered removable nitinol self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) in malignant strictures of the esophagus: a multicenter analysis.

Fully covered esophageal self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS) often are used for palliation of malignant dysphagia. However, experience and data on these stents are still limited. The purpose of this multicenter study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fully covered nitinol SEMS in patients with malignant dysphagia. 37 patients underwent placement of a SEMS during a 3 year period. Five patients underwent SEMS placement as a bridge to surgery: one for tracheoesophageal fistula in the setting of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, one for perforation in setting of esophageal adenocarcinoma, 27 for unresectable esophageal cancer (16 adenocarcinoma, 11 squamous cell carcinoma), two for lung cancer, and one for breast-cancer-related esophageal strictures. SEMS placement was successful in all 37 patients. Immediate complications after stent deployment included chest pain (n = 6), severe heartburn (n = 1), and upper gastrointestinal bleeding requiring SEMS revision (n = 1). Dysphagia scores improved significantly from 3.2 ± 0.4 before stent placement to 1.4 ± 1.0 at 1 month (P < 0.0001), 1.1 ± 1.2 (P < 0.0001) at 3 months, and 1.3 ± 1.4 (P = 0.0018) at 6 months. The stent was removed in 11 patients (30%) for the following indications: resolution of stricture (n = 3), stent malfunction (n = 5), and stent migration (n = 3). After stent removal, three patients were restented, three underwent dilation, and two underwent PEG placement. Mean survival for the 37 patients after stent placement was 146.3 ± 143.6 (range, 13–680) days. Our study suggests that fully covered SEMS placement improve dysphagia scores in patients with malignant strictures, particularly in the unresectable population. Further technical improvements in design to minimize long-term malfunction and migration are required.
Chemical responsiveness and histochemical phenotype of electrophysiologically classified cells of the adult rat dorsal root ganglion

Abstract Whole cell patch recordings were obtained from medium diameter (35–45 μm) dorsal root ganglion neurons. Using electrophysiological parameters, we were able to subclassify acutely dissociated dorsal root ganglion cells into three uniform (types 5, 6 and 9) and one mixed class (type 8) of neurons. All subtypes (types 5, 6, 8 and 9) had broad action potentials (7.0±0.2, 5.2±0.4, 7.3±0.5 and 6.0±0.4 ms) and exceptionally long afterhyperpolarizations (112±9, 178±19, 124±31 and 204±33 ms). Long afterhyperpolarizations have been linked to mechanically insensitive (silent) nociceptors by other laboratories [Djouhri et al., J. Physiol. 513 (1998) 857–872]. Chemosensitivity varied among cell classes. Cell types 5, 8 and 9 were capsaicin sensitive (45±13, 87±30 and 28±13 pA/pF; 5 μM) groups, while the type 6 cell was capsaicin insensitive. All cell types expressed ASIC-like (acid sensing ion channel) amiloride sensitive, proton-activated currents with a threshold of pH 6.8 and a peak near pH 5.0. All medium sized cells were sensitive to ATP (50 μM) and exhibited the ‘mixed’ form of ATP-gated current [Burgard et al., J. Neurophysiol. 82 (1999) 1590–1598; Grubb and Evans, Eur. J. Neurosci. 11 (1999) 149–154]. Immunohistochemistry performed on individual cells indicated the expression of both P2X 1 and P2X 3 subunits. Electrophysiologically defined classes were histochemically uniform. All types were examined for the presence of substance P (SP), calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) and binding of isolectin B4 (IB4). All subtypes expressed CGRP immunoreactivity. Types 5 and 8 co-expressed SP and CGRP immunoreactivity and also bound IB4. Subtypes 6 and 9 were positive for neurofilament m. It is likely that these cells represent major classes of myelinated and unmyelinated peptide expressing nociceptors.
Numbers of Generators of Ideals in a Group Ring of an Elementary Abelian p-Group

Abstract Let μ(I) denote the minimal number of generators of an ideal I of a local ring (R, M). The Dilworth number d(R) = max{μ(I)|I an ideal of R} and Sperner number sp(R) = max{μ(Mi)|i ≥ 0} are determined in the case that R = A[G], where G = (Z/pZ)k is an elementary abelian p-group, (A, zA) is a principal local ring with A/zA of characteristic p > 0, and zn ≠ 0 for small values of n.
Plastic closure of oronasal fistula.

Abstract The palatal defect in this case was caused by surgical excision of a benign tumor of the hard palate. The fistula was closed surgically in one stage. The successful result is attributed to adherence to the rules of cleft palate surgery and to careful preoperative planning as well as postoperative care of the wound.
Pump-induced optical distortions in disk amplifier modules: holographic and interferometric measurements

Interferometric measurements have been made of the optical distortions induced in laser disk amplifiers during the flashlamp pumping pulse. Both conventional interferometric methods and the techniques of double exposure holographic interferometry were used to identify four major sources of pump-induced optical distortions: subsonic intrusion of hot gas (traced to leakage of atmospheric oxygen into the amplifier), microexplosions of dust particles, thermally induced optical distortions in the glass disks, and gaseous optical distortion effects caused by turbulent flow of the purging nitrogen gas supply used within the laser amplifier head. Methods for reducing or eliminating the effects of each of these optical distortions are described.
Marine ice-sheet decoupling as a mechanism for rapid, episodic sea-level change: the record of such events and their influence on sedimentation

Abstract Unlike terrestrial ice sheets, marine ice sheets display more sensitivity to sea level than to climate, and they are capable of rapid mass wasting. This mass wasting involves ice shelf decoupling from the sea floor and rapid collapse, followed by “drawdown” of the ice sheet. Glaciologists argue that the marine ice-sheet decoupling mechanism could cause sea-level rises of a few meters within several hundred years. Information regarding late Wisconsinan-Holocene glacial history suggests that ice-sheet deterioration did not occur at a steady rate. Studies of the Antarctic continental shelf indicate ice sheets grounded over large portions of the shelf during the late Wisconsinan glacial maximum, and that their retreat from the continental shelf was rapid. A study of the Trinity/Sabine incised valley of the Texas continental shelf yields a continuous record of Holocene sedimentation and sea-level change. Paired upper-bay and tidal-inlet estuarine systems reflect periods when relative sea level was either at a still-stand or slowly rising. The flooding surfaces of back-stepping parasequences reflect periods of rapid sea-level rise. Large sand bodies on the adjacent shelf, used to derive previous sea-level curves for the region, may represent former shoreline deposits, but they also show extensive reworking. Therefore, the curves generated from studies of these sand bodies are inaccurate. Marine ice sheets have existed in Antarctica since at least the late Eocene, so this mechanism for rapid sea-level rise has been active throughout much of Cenozoic time, as well as during older glacial episodes.
Geospatial web services within a scientific workflow: Predicting marine mammal habitats in a dynamic environment

Abstract Our ability to inform conservation and management of species is fundamentally limited by the availability of relevant biogeographic data, use of statistically robust predictive models, and presentation of results to decision makers. Despite the ubiquity of presence-only models, where available, survey effort should be included in the modeling process to limit spatial bias. The biogeographic archive therefore should be able to store and serve related spatial information such as lines of survey effort or polygons of the study area, best accomplished through geospatial web services such as the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Feature Service (WFS). Ideally data could then be easily fetched by modelers into a scientific workflow, providing a visually intuitive, modular, reusable canvas for linking analytical processes without the need to code. Species distribution model results should be easily accessible to decision makers, such as through a web-based spatial decision support system (SDSS). With these principles in mind, we describe our progress to date serving marine animal biogeographic data from OBIS-SEAMAP ( http://seamap.env.duke.edu ), and consuming the data for predictive environmental modeling of cetaceans. Using geospatial web services to automate the scientific workflow process, marine mammal observations from OBIS-SEAMAP are used to sample through date-synchronous remotely sensed satellite data for building multivariate habitat models using a variety of statistical techniques (GLM, GAM, and CART). We developed custom scientific workflows using ESRI Model Builder, ArcGIS geoprocessor, R statistical package, Python scripting language, PostGIS geodatabase, and UMN MapServer. These model outputs are then passed to an SDSS with spatial summary capability. Custom products will be open-source and freely available. In the future, we hope to integrate technologies such as OGC WCS, OPeNDAP, and Kepler. The principles and lessons described here can be broadly applied to serving biogeographic data, species distribution modeling, and decision support within the ecological informatics community.
Empirical Technoscience Studies in a Comtean World: Too Much Concreteness?

No one doubts the radically transformative power of contemporary technologies and technoscientific practices over the material dimensions of our experience. Yet with the coming of all the exciting changes and the promise of ever better material conditions, what kinds of lives are we implicitly being encouraged to live? One would think that current philosophical studies of technology would make this a central question, and indeed, a few have done so. But many do not. Following the lead of thinkers who have made the so-called “empirical turn,” many demur, usually with some remarks about the question being too abstract and general—too likely to suck us into utopian or dystopian speculations—when what is called for are truly informative and “concrete” studies of what it is like to be with actual technologies. My paper considers the good life question—and the philosophical price one pays for not asking it—in light of Auguste Comte’s theory of the three stages of intellectual development. Comte’s depiction of the third, positive scientific stage is much less dated than one might assume. In fact, it is useful to think of our own era as arriving with a Comtean story attached, that is, a story of life in the “developed” world becoming ever better thanks to modern science and technology. Because this story now seems less deserving of the unqualified optimism Comte had about it, I argue that thinking of our own experience as permeated by Comte’s conception of third-stage life gives us a fresh way to consider our misgivings about this default position without either lapsing into utopian or dystopian speculation, or confining one’s focus to purely postphenomenological or pragmatic studies of technoscientific life as it now “appears.”
Trends in wetting behavior for Ag–CuO braze alloys on Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O(3−δ) at elevated temperatures in air

In the current study, Ag–CuO, a reactive air brazing alloy was evaluated for brazing Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O(3−δ) (BSCF). In situ contact angle tests were performed on BSCF using Ag–CuO binary mixtures at 950 and 1000 °C, and the interfacial microstructures were evaluated. Wetting contact angles (θ < 90°) were obtained at short times at 950 °C, and the contact angles remained constant at 1000 °C for 1, 2, and 8 mol% CuO contents. Microstructural analysis revealed the dissolution of copper oxide into the BSCF matrix to form copper–cobalt–oxygen rich dissolution products along the BSCF grain boundaries. The formation of a thick interfacial reaction product layer and ridging at the sessile drop triple point indicate that the reaction kinetics are very rapid and that it will require careful process control to obtain the desired thin but continuous interfacial product layer.
Purification of a human urinary carboxypeptidase (kininase) distinct from carboxypeptidases A, B, or N☆

Abstract A carboxypeptidase which cleaves basic C-terminal amino acids from peptides was purified from concentrated human urine by a three-step procedure; chromatography on Affi-Gel Blue, arginine-Sepharose affinity chromatography, and gel filtration by HPLC on a TSK-G3000SW column. Urinary carboxypeptidase was purified 406-fold with an 11% yield a specific activity of 49 μmol/min/mg with benzoylglycylargininic acid as substrate. It migrated as a single band of Mr 75,700 in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with sodium dodecyl sulfate. It cleaved benzoylglycylarginine, benzoylglycyllysine, benzoylglycylargininic acid, benzoylalanyllysine, and benzoylphenylalanyllysine at different relative rates than human plasma carboxypeptidase N, the Mr 48,000 active subunit of carboxypeptidase N or human pancreatic carboxypeptidase B. Urinary carboxypeptidase did not hydrolyze benzoylglycylphenylalanine, a substrate of carboxypeptidase A, but readily cleaved bradykinin with a Km of 46 μ m and a Kcat of 32 min−1. Its activity was enhanced by CoCl2 and inhibited by cadmium acetate, o-phenanthroline, or dl -2-mercaptomethyl-3-guanidinoethylthiopropanoic acid. The enzyme had a pH optimum of 7.0 and its activity dropped at pH 6.0 by 60%. It was stable for at least 2 h at 37°C (pH 8.0) but was unstable at room temperature below pH 4.5. The molecular weight, electrophoretic mobility, and activity of urinary carboxypeptidase was not affected by trypsin. The effect of pH and stability further distinguished the urinary carboxypeptidase from other human carboxypeptidases. Urinary carboxypeptidase was immunologically distinct from carboxypeptidase N when analyzed by the “Western blot” technique. Thus, human urine contains a basic carboxypeptidase, different from known carboxypeptidases, which may be released into the urine by the kidney. Here it could inactivate kinins and other peptides containing a basic C-terminal amino acid.
Transportation Difficulty of Black and White Rural Older Adults

The purpose of this study was to understand self-reported transportation difficulty among rural older adults. We used data from the UAB Study of Aging (255 Black and 259 White), community-dwelling participants residing in rural areas. We examined the relationship of predisposing characteristics, enabling resources, and measures of need for care with self-reports of transportation difficulty. Blacks reported having more transportation difficulty than Whites (24.7% vs. 11.6%; p ≤ .05). When we introduced other variables, race differences disappeared, but there was a race by income interaction with transportation difficulty. Whites with lower incomes were more likely to have transportation difficulty than Whites with higher incomes. When data from Blacks and Whites were analyzed separately, income was the only variable associated with transportation difficulty among Whites. Among Blacks, income was not related to transportation difficulty but several variables other than income (age, gender, marital status, MMSE scores and depression) were.
Trends in vascular complications after diagnostic cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention via the femoral artery, 1998 to 2007.

Objectives This study sought to evaluate trends in vascular complications after diagnostic cardiac catheterization (CATH) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from the femoral artery from 1998 to 2007. Background Vascular complications have been recognized as an important factor in morbidity after CATH and PCI. Whether strategies to reduce vascular complications performed from the femoral artery in the past decade have improved the safety of these procedures, however, is uncertain. Methods A total of 35,016 consecutive diagnostic cardiac catheterization (n = 20,777) and percutaneous coronary intervention procedures (n = 14,239) performed via a femoral access at a single site (Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center) between 1998 and 2007 were evaluated. Annual rates of vascular complications were evaluated. Covariate effects on the risk of vascular complications were evaluated by logistic regression and risk-adjusted trend analysis. Results Overall, the incidence of any vascular complication decreased significantly for CATH, 1.7% versus 0.2%, and PCI, 3.1% versus 1.0%, from 1998 to 2007, both p l 0.001 for trend. Favorable trends in procedural covariates affecting vascular complications were mainly responsible for the decrease in the incidence of vascular complications, including fewer closure device failures and use of smaller sheath sizes. Conclusions In this large, single-center, contemporary observational study, the safety of CATH and PCI performed from the femoral artery improved significantly from 1998 to 2007. Reductions in the prevalence of adverse procedural factors contributed to the decrease in the incidence of vascular complications, suggesting that strategies to reduce vascular complications can be effective in improving the safety of these procedures.
Molecular sites of anestheticaction in postsynaptic nicotinic membranes

Theories of general anesthesia have traditionally been based on correlations between potency and the properties of simple models such as apolar solvents, lipid bilayers and soluble proteins. However, mechanisms can now be determined directly by studying excitable proteins in their membrane environment. Stuart Forman and Keith Miller describe the physiological, biophysical and molecular biological evidence pointing to the location of a discrete allosteric site on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor at which local anesthetics act. General anesthetics, while superficially resembling local anesthetics in their actions on the receptor, do not appear to act upon such a site.
Experimental and Theoretical Study of Cobalt Selenide as a Catalyst for O2 Electroreduction

Cobalt sulfides have been known for more than 30 years to be active toward oxygen reduction, and cobalt selenides have shown less activity. In this paper, a theoretical analysis is made of the four-electron reduction reaction of oxygen to water over the mixed anion and cation (202) surface of the pentlandite structure Co9Se8, one of several selenide phases. Reversible potentials for forming adsorbed reaction intermediates in acid are predicted using adsorption energies calculated with the Vienna ab initio simulation program (VASP) and the known bulk solution values together in a linear Gibbs energy relationship. Comparison with an earlier theoretical analysis of pentlandite structure Co9S8 shows that the overpotential is predicted to be larger for the selenide by around 0.22 V. Cobalt selenide electrodes of unspecified stoichiometry were prepared chemically on glassy carbon discs, and polarization curves were measured using rotating discs. When heat-treated at 900 °C, the onset potential for O2 reduction ...
Exploring Connections Between Human Resource Development and Creativity

This article sets the stage for exploring the connections between creativity and human resource development (HRD). It signals the significance of exploring creativity and HRD by looking at knowledg...
Eastern Orthodox Perspectives on Natural Law

St. John Chrysostom comments that "we were given two teachers from the beginning, nature and the conscience, theirs being an impartial voice which teaches human beings in silence."1 That there is a place for the natural moral law (Emphytos Ethikos Nomos, Physikos Ethikos Nomos) in Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethics is generally accepted. It is also true that that place has neither been explored with any but passing attention, nor has it found expression in much orderly exposition within the Eastern Orthodox Christian theological literature.
Photosynthesis Web resources.

Online access to the Internet and the World Wide Web has become important for public awareness and for educating the world’s population, including its political leaders, students, researchers, teachers, and ordinary citizens seeking information. After a brief Introduction, relevant information found on photosynthesis-related Web sites and other online locations is presented under five categories: (a) group sites, (b) sites by subject, (c) individual researcher’s sites, (d) sites for educators and students, and (e) other useful sites.
Fluid line growth in grid-generated isotropic turbulence

Fluid material line growth in turbulent flow has been measured by tagging lines with small hydrogen bubbles in the nearly isotropic turbulence behind a regular grid in a water tunnel. The average three-dimensional line lengths were inferred by an intersection-counting method carried out on one-plane photographs. The measurements cover ‘small’ time intervals only.
A Note on Confidence Bands for a Regression Line over a Finite Range

In a recent article Graybill and Bowden give a method for constructing a confidence band for the entire regression line in simple linear regression. Each bound consists of two straight line segments rather than of the usual branch of a hyperbola. The method uses tables of the studentized maximum modulus with parameter m = 2 and d.f. = n − 2.The present note suggests a method for obtaining linear confidence bands designed to be used over a finite range rather than from − ∞ to + ∞. The method makes use of the distribution of the studentized maximum modulus for m = 3. It is shown that if the range is of reasonable size, the band is shorter than that suggested by Graybill and Bowden except close to the midpoint of the range.In general, over most of the range of the independent variate in which one would be interested, neither line-segment method gives bands narrower than the bands of the usual hyperbola.
The arterial pH, pCO 2 and the electroencephalogram during open heart surgery.

One hundred and seventy-one estimations of arterial pH and pCO2 were correlated with quantitative electroencephalographic findings during open heart surgery in thirty-four patients. Electroencephalograms could not be related to such fortuitous changes in the pH and pCO2 during open heart surgery as might occur in normal activity of the brain or body. It is not possible to measure the pH of cortex in human studies, and data based on blood flowing from a peripheral artery may not accurately reflect changes in the brain. Also, there may be some mechanisms by which the brain is protected from wideswings of acid-base imbalance.
Detection of base pair mismatches in duplex DNA and RNA oligonucleotides using electrospray mass spectrometry

The identify and location of base pair mismatches in non- covalent DNA:RNA duplexes are established using MS and MS-MS on a quadruple ion trap with electrospray ionization (ESI). MS-MS experiments on a 14mer duplex (D) with a single C:A base pair mismatch using lower activation energy results in selective cleavage of the mismatched A nucleobase, even in the presence of the wild-type duplex. The location of the mismatch base pair can be discerned via presence of the wild-type duplex. The location of the mismatch base pair can be discerned via selection of the (D-5H)5- ion and fragmentation of the backbone at that location in a n additional MS-MS experiment. Selective fragmentation is observed for C in a C-C mismatched base pair, which is very difficult to detect using chemical cleavage or E. coli mismatch binding protein. In an RNA:DNA duplex with a single base pair mismatch, the DNA base is removed without fragmentation of the RNA strand, greatly simplifying the interpretation of the resulting MS spectrum. A method is presented for detecting two DNA strands, for example a point mutation which generates an oncogenic phenotype, and the wild-type message. The results suggest that ESI-MS-MS may provide a rapid and selective method to identify and locate genetic mutations without the need for chemical degradation or protein binding followed by gel electrophoresis.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Estimation of Interviewer Effects for Categorical Items in a Random Digit Dial Telephone Survey

Abstract The loss of precision in estimates of means due to variability among interviewers can be substantial for some questionnaire items and survey designs. The most commonly used methods for estimating the magnitude of this loss are inappropriate for binary items in complex surveys. This article shows how parameters from a model for variance components in binary variables (Anderson and Aitkin 1985) are related to the increased variance of population estimates. It is suggested that one of these parameters, a measure of correlation between interviewer observations on a latent variable, may be more appropriate than the intrainterviewer correlation p for measuring the magnitude of interviewer effects. This is because it is unaffected by the level of the attribute in the population, which is not true of p. Interviewer effects for a household respondent's recorded labor-force status in a random digit dial telephone survey are examined using the new model and estimation process. Small but positive effects are...
Distribution of cholesterol among its carriers in the bile of male and female hamsters

The distribution of cholesterol among its carriers was studied in the bile of male and female hamsters. Sasco hamsters (Sasco Inc., Omaha, NE) were fed a semipurified diet with 0.0% cholesterol and 4% butterfat (group 1, males; group 4, females); a semipurified diet with 0.3% cholesterol and 1.2% plamitic acid (group 2, males; group 5, females); and a semipirified diet with 0.3% cholesterol and 4% safflower oil (group 3, males; group 6, females). At the end of six weeks, gallstones were found only in male hamsters receiving both cholesterol and dietary fat (fatty acid) (incidence of cholesterol stones: 90% in group 2; 22% in group 3). The biliary cholesterol carriers were separated and isolated from the bile of the hamsters by gel filtration chromatography, using the method of Pattinson [Pattinson, N.R., Willis, K.E., and Frampton, C.M. (1991)J. Lipid Res. 32, 205–214]. In those male hamsters that formed cholesterol gallstones, significant amounts of cholesterol were present in the void volume which contained large cholesterol phospholipid vesicles (void volume vesicles) (23% in group 2 and 15% in group 3). Smaller cholesterol/phospholipid vesicles were eluted next (fractions 30–45) and contained 15% of biliary cholesterol in group 2 and 21% in group 3. The remainder of the cholesterol was associated with mixed cholesterol/phospholipid/bile salt micelles. The cholesterol/phospholipid ratio was larger in both the void volume vesicles and small vesicles (2.40 and 1.48 in group 2; 2.56 and 1.33 in group 3, respectively) compared to the micelles (about 0.3 in groups 2 and 3). In contrast, the bile of the female hasmters contained few vesicles (3% small vesciles in group 5) and the cholesterol/phospholipid ratio of these vesicles was lower (0.94). Hamsters fed cholesterol-free diets (groups 1 and 4) had no biliary cholesterol/phospholipid vesilces; and cholesterol was present in micelles. The results suggest that both the gender and the diet of the hamsters affected the distribution of biliary cholesterol between vesicles and micelles. The development of cholelithiasis in this animal model appears to depend on the rapid nucleation of cholesterol-rich phospholipid vesicles in bile.
A Reservation-Price Model for Optimal Pricing of Multiattribute Products in Conjoint Analysis:

A significant application of conjoint analysis is in pricing decisions for new products. Conceptually, profit maximization is an important criterion for selecting the price of a product. However, t...
Measurement of Filamin a Torsion In-Singulo

Filamin A (FLNa) is one of the most ubiquitous actin binding proteins that cross-link actin filaments. The protein is a v-shaped homodimer. Each monomer consists of twenty-four β-sheet “rod-like” domains which separate the actin binding domain at the N-terminus from the C-terminus at the dimerization site. The rod-like domains are divided by two unstructured “hinge” sequences between repeats 15 and 16 and repeats 23 and 24. While it has been reported that these hinge sequences play a key role in determining the nonlinear elastic response of stressed actin networks, how the hinge segment elicits such changes in network elasticity remains unknown. To elucidate this mechanism, we measure the torsional dynamics of single FLNa molecules in real-time by using high-resolution, fluorescence microscopy. Using a native-like single-molecule assay consisting of the complex formed by a surface-bound actin filament cross-linked to a freely-rotating actin filament by FLNa we are able to track the instantaneous angle between the cross-linked filaments as the cross-linked filament undergoes a thermally-driven rotational motion. By estimating the torsional stiffness of both wildtype and hingeless FLNa isoforms, the role of the hinge sequence in determining the torsional rigidity of FLNa is inferred. Both hinged and hingeless FLNa form cross-links with comparable near-acute angles. Moreover, the torsional dynamics of each cross-link can be distinctly categorized by using this strategy to image the molecular interactions present in each cross-link. This work may illuminate the molecular origins of the nonlinear elasticity observed in FLNa-cross-linked F-actin networks. Support from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology and the NSF Career Award (0643745) are gratefully acknowledged.
Initial-boundary value problems for a discrete hydrodynamical model (model d) with velocity boundary conditions are globally well posed

A discrete model for the one-dimensional motion of a hydrodynamical material is globally well posed when the boundaries have time dependent velocities imposed. The proof is given for the case where the material law is a generalization of the ideal gas form with a viscosity of the Navier-Stokes form. This modelling approach suggests a simple solution to the problem of the deterministic modelling of turbulent motions.
On the rate of decline of persistent organic contaminants in lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from the Great Lakes, 1970-2003.

Thirty-four years of data from the Great Lakes Fish Monitoring Program (GLFMP) show significant changes in the behavior of most contaminants in lake trout over time consistent with changes in contaminant inputs following regulation and remediation. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) show positive apparent first-order rate constants falling to near zero. Dieldrin shows relatively unchanging half-lives of around 10 years except in Lake Superior (∼25 years). Mirex, consistently detected only in Lake Ontario fish, shows a slow decrease until the 1990s, when remediation of a source site occurred, after which half-lives are 2−3 years. Half-lives of oxychlordane, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dichloro-diphenyl-trichlorethane (DDT) and its metabolites were typically 3−6 years until the mid 1980s; since then, the newest data confirm half-lives are usually around 15−30 years. For PCBs, an increasing half-life is found in other media as well. Changes in food web structure, fishery dynamics, and climate u...