cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental investigation of longitudinal wave propagation in an elastic rod with coulomb friction

This paper presents the experimental results obtained from the propagation of a compression stress wave generated by the longitudinal impact of two cylindrical elastic rods. One of these rods is subjected to a uniformly distributed coulomb-friction force. In order to determine the stress-wave shape and the decay rate, the rod is subjected to longitudinal impact for different values of coulomb friction. As the stress wave propagates along the rod, it is measured at strain-gage stations located on the stationary rod.
Role of Annexin-II in GI cancers: Interaction with gastrins/progastrins

The role of the gastrin peptide hormones (G17, G34) and their precursors (progastrins, PG; gly-extended gastrin, G-gly), in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers has been extensively reviewed in recent years [W. Rengifo-Cam, P. Singh, Role of progastrins and gastrins and their receptors in GI and pancreatic cancers: targets for treatment, Curr. Pharm. Des. 10 (19) (2004) 2345-2358; M. Dufresne, C. Seva, D. Fourmy, Cholecystokinin and gastrin receptors, Physiol. Rev. 86 (3) (2006) 805-847; A. Ferrand, T.C. Wang, Gastrin and cancer: a review, Cancer Lett. 238 (1) (2006) 15-29]. A possible important role of progastrin peptides in colon carcinogenesis has become evident from experiments with transgenic mouse models [W. Rengifo-Cam, P. Singh, (2004); A. Ferrand, T.C. Wang, (2006)]. It is now known that growth stimulatory and co-carcinogenic effects of gastrin/PG peptides are mediated by both proliferative and anti-apoptotic effects of the peptides on target cells [H. Wu, G.N. Rao, B. Dai, P. Singh, Autocrine gastrins in colon cancer cells Up-regulate cytochrome c oxidase Vb and down-regulate efflux of cytochrome c and activation of caspase-3, J. Biol. Chem. 275 (42) (2000) 32491-32498; H. Wu, A. Owlia, P. Singh, Precursor peptide progastrin(1-80) reduces apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells and upregulates cytochrome c oxidase Vb levels and synthesis of ATP, Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 285 (6) (2003) G1097-G1110]. Several receptor subtypes have been described that mediate growth effects of gastrin peptides [W. Rengifo-Cam, P. Singh (2004); M. Dufresne, C. Seva, D. Fourmy, (2006)]. Recently, we identified Annexin II as a high affinity binding protein for gastrin/PG peptides [P. Singh, H. Wu, C. Clark, A. Owlia, Annexin II binds progastrin and gastrin-like peptides, and mediates growth factor effects of autocrine and exogenous gastrins on colon cancer and intestinal epithelial cells, Oncogene (2006), doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1209798]. Importantly, the expression of Annexin II was required for mediating growth stimulatory effects of gastrin and PG peptides on intestinal epithelial and colon cancer cells [P. Singh, H. Wu, C. Clark, A. Owlia, Annexin II binds progastrin and gastrin-like peptides, and mediates growth factor effects of autocrine and exogenous gastrins on colon cancer and intestinal epithelial cells, Oncogene (2006), doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1209798], suggesting that Annexin-II may represent the elusive novel receptor for gastrin/PG peptides. The importance of this finding in relation to the structure and function of Annexin-II, especially in GI cancers, is described below. Since this surprising finding represents a new front in our understanding of the mechanisms involved in mediating growth effects of gastrin/PG peptides in GI cancers, our current understanding of the role of Annexin-II in proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells is additionally reviewed.
Semiquinone Radicals from Oxygenated Polychlorinated Biphenyls: Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Studies

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can be oxygenated to form very reactive hydroquinone and quinone products. A guiding hypothesis in the PCB research community is that some of the detrimental health effects of some PCBs are a consequence of these oxygenated forms undergoing one-electron oxidation or reduction, generating semiquinone radicals (SQ (*-)). These radicals can enter into a futile redox cycle resulting in the formation of reactive oxygen species, that is, superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. Here, we examine some of the properties and chemistry of these semiquinone free radicals. Using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to detect SQ (*-) formation, we observed that (i) xanthine oxidase can reduce quinone PCBs to the corresponding SQ (*-); (ii) the heme-containing peroxidases (horseradish and lactoperoxidase) can oxidize hydroquinone PCBs to the corresponding SQ (*-); (iii) tyrosinase acting on PCB ortho-hydroquinones leads to the formation of SQ (*-); (iv) mixtures of PCB quinone and hydroquinone form SQ (*-) via a comproportionation reaction; (v) SQ (*-) are formed when hydroquinone-PCBs undergo autoxidation in high pH buffer (approximately >pH 8); and, surprisingly, (vi) quinone-PCBs in high pH buffer can also form SQ (*-); (vii) these observations along with EPR suggest that hydroxide anion can add to the quinone ring; (viii) H 2 O 2 in basic solution reacts rapidly with PCB-quinones; and (ix) at near-neutral pH SOD can catalyze the oxidization of PCB-hydroquinone to quinone, yielding H 2 O 2. However, using 5,5-dimethylpyrroline-1-oxide (DMPO) as a spin-trapping agent, we did not trap superoxide, indicating that generation of superoxide from SQ (*-) is not kinetically favorable. These observations demonstrate multiple routes for the formation of SQ (*-) from PCB-quinones and hydroquinones. Our data also point to futile redox cycling as being one mechanism by which oxygenated PCBs can lead to the formation of reactive oxygen species, but this is most efficient in the presence of SOD.
The effect of borate on polysaccharide-protein and antigen-antibody reactions and its use for the purification and fractionation of crossreacting antibodies

Abstract Borate has been shown to inhibit precipatation between anti carbohydrate antibodies, concanavalin A and Helix pomatia A hemagglutinin and various polysaccharides. The inhibitory effect was most pronounced in systems in which the association constant for the sytems is low. A crossreacting horse anti type II pneumococcal polysaccharidedextran B 512 precipitate could be solubilized and the antibodies separated free from the by gel-filtration. Consecutive borate extractions of the precipitate gave some fractionation of the antibody population.
Carbohydrate antigen 125 predicts long-term mortality in African American patients with acute decompensated heart failure

The goal of this study was to evaluate the relation between serum levels of carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) and prognosis in African American (AA) patients with heart failure (HF). Little is known about the usefulness of CA125 in the AA population, which has different pathophysiology and higher prevalence of HF. The authors enrolled 172 consecutive AA patients (mean age, 55.8 years; 61.1% men) admitted with a clinical diagnosis of acute decompensated HF. CA125 was measured within 48+/-12 hours of presentation. Patients were grouped according to CA125 levels into quartiles. The median CA125 level was 16 U/mL. Serum levels of CA125 were elevated (>35 U/mL) in 58 patients (33.7%). Fifty-two patients (30.8%) died over a median follow-up period of 40 months. The CA125 threshold derived from the receiver operating characteristic curves for the prediction of mortality was 35 U/mL. In a multivariate analysis, CA125 levels >35 U/mL were found to be predictive of 40-month all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.53; confidence interval, 1.40-4.59; P=.002). However, CA125 levels were not associated with 18-month HF rehospitalization. CA125 value is a strong and independent predictor of long-term mortality in AA patients admitted with a diagnosis of acute decompensated HF. Identifying a higher-risk cohort might allow for a more targeted treatment approach.
Automated high-resolution GPR data collection for monitoring dynamic hydrologic processes in two and three dimensions

An automated GPR data-collection system was constructed to monitor dynamic hydrologic processes with high spatiotemporal resolution. The design of the system allows for fast acquisition of constant-offset profiles (COP) and common-midpoint surveys (CMP) to monitor unsaturated flow at multiple locations. A fast and accurate motion-control system enables the high-resolution monitoring of spatial patterns of reflectors through time while preserving important information about the normal moveout of reflectors for velocity analysis. In two experiments, infiltration was monitored using time-lapse ground-penetrating radar (GPR) measurements in two and three dimensions. The data from both experiments provide substantial qualitative insight about the dynamics of hydrologic events and a path forward for quantitative analysis of surface-based GPR monitoring data. Analysis shows (1) the advantages of collecting high-resolution time-lapse data, (2) the complexities of patterns associated with the wetting of the soil, and (3) evidence of nonuniform propagation of a wetting front through the soil column.
Synthetic fluid inclusions XX. Critical PTx properties of H2O–FeCl2 fluids

Abstract Iron chloride is a common and abundant component in hydrothermal fluids in many geologic environments, yet the thermodynamic and PTx properties of FeCl2-bearing aqueous fluids are poorly known. In this study we have used the synthetic fluid inclusion technique to characterize the PTx conditions along the critical curve of the system H2O–FeCl2. For a given temperature or salinity, the critical pressure in the H2O–FeCl2 system is lower than that in the H2O–NaCl system. In contrast, the critical curves of aqueous solutions of other divalent-cation chlorides, such as MgCl2 and CaCl2, are at higher pressure than that of NaCl solutions of equivalent temperature or salinity. The results of this study provide the first quantitative constraints on the PTx extent of liquid–vapor immiscibility for FeCl2-rich fluids. Owing to the low pressure along the critical curve compared to other common aqueous chloride systems, immiscibility of FeCl2-rich fluids appears to be limited to relatively low pressures, or relatively shallow levels in the crust, compared to other saline hydrothermal fluids.
Electrical responses from the eye ofHelix to photic stimulation and simultaneous electrical stimulation of the optic nerve

Abstract Photic stimulation of the eye ofHelix evokes an ERG and concomitant afferent impulses in the optic nerve. Electrically evoked compound action potentials propagated into the eye via the optic nerve caused the ERG to increase in amplitude. The dependence of this effect on the amplitude and the temporal pattern of the evoked compound action potentials was examined, as well as its dependence on the intensity of the stimulating light, the degree of light-adaptation of the eye, the temperature, and the position of the recording electrode. Intra-ocular recording with micro electrodes revealed large, slow after-potential following the invasion of the eye by an electrically evoked compound action potential. Photic stimulation of the eye caused an increase in the sensitivity of the optic nerve to electrical stimulation. This increase in sensitivity is probably caused by the passage of light-evoked impulses.
Mind the Gap: Homiletics and Human Sexuality

The field of homiletics is marked by a seemingly indelible gap between the Word of proclamation andthe bodies who occupyecclesial spaces. In spite of the profusion of homiletical wisdom, scant attention has been paid to human bodies in general and sexed/sexual bodies in particular. 1 There are many reasons for this omission: vestigial flickers of Victorian and Puritan mores; the classical Western bifurcation between minds and bodies; the classical Christian tension between the GrecoRoman emphasis on the spirit and the Hebraic stress on the body. Regardless, the contemporary episteme that suffuses Western contexts demands a rapprochement between preaching and human sexuality. 2 No longer can churches compartmentalize sex and sexuality to the private realm, removed from the province of public proclamation. As travelers on London’s underground transit system are infinitely aware — thanks to the pervasive mantra that echoes off the tiled corridors of the tube network — one must ‘‘mind the gap’’ between train and platform. Failure to do so can be deadly. So too must Christian preachers and teachers of preaching ‘‘mind the gap’’ that has prevailed between the preached Word and the human, sexed/ sexual body. A failure to do so can have — and has had — disastrous consequences. The purpose of this brief essay is twofold: 1) to introduce readers to the literature — meager though it is — on preaching and human sexuality, and 2) to show how the essays making up this issue of Theology and Sexuality are moving this conversation forward. 3 The essays that make up this issue of Theology and Sexuality are intended to supplement the existing literature, but also to forge new venues for generative conversation. It is essential that we allow this dialogue to take shape as broadly as possible, for only then can we obviate the tendency to
Placement of transvenous pacemaker and ICD leads across total chronic occlusions.

Objective: To establish a method of implantation for device leads across total venous occlusions. Background: Indications for pacemaker and implantable cardiac defibrillator implantation continue to expand. Chronic venous occlusions are increasingly encountered with lead placement. Some degree of obstruction can be as high as 13% before device implantation and 50% after transvenous device implantation. We report an approach of venoplasty/dilatation of chronic total occlusions to allow lead placement. Methods: From January 1, 2002 through December 16, 2004, 1,356 systems (initial and upgrade) were implanted at the University of Virginia. At the time of device implant, seven patients were noted to have chronic venous occlusions and alternative access was precluded. Four of the seven patients had an existing system; the other three received initial implantations. Subsequently, these seven patients had a 5 Fr catheter placed in the basilic/axillary/subclavian vein and a venogram was obtained to demonstrate the area of chronic occlusion. A guide wire was advanced across the lesion for initial recanalization. Dilatation or venoplasty was performed at the occluded site. A guide wire was retained across the lesion and the patient underwent lead implantation. Results: In all seven patients, recanalization was achieved and leads were successfully placed. There were no complications or damage to the vessels or existing leads. Conclusions: Venoplasty or dilatation of chronic total venous occlusion is a safe and effective technique, which allows for placement of transvenous leads.
Preoperative chemoradiation for marginally resectable adenocarcinoma of the pancreas

Only 10% to 20% of patients with pancreatic cancer are considered candidates for curative resection at the time of diagnosis. We postulated that preoperative chemoradiation therapy might promote tumor regression, eradicate nodal metastases, and allow for definitive surgical resection in marginally resectable patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a preoperative chemoradiation therapy regimen on tumor response, resectability, and local control among patients with marginally resectable adenocarcinoma of the pancreas and to report potential treatment-related toxicity. Patients with marginally resectable adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (defined as portal vein, superior mesenteric vein, or artery involvement) were eligible for this protocol. Patients received 50.4 to 56 Gy in 1.8 to 2.0 Gy/day fractions with concurrent protracted venous infusion of 5-fluorouracil (250 mg/m2/day). Reevaluation for surgical resection occurred 4 to 6 weeks after therapy. Fifteen patients (9 men and 6 women) completed preoperative chemoradiation without interruption. One patient required a reduction in the dosage of 5-fluorouracil because of stomatitis. Acute toxicity from chemoradiation consisted of grade 1 or 2 nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomatitis, palmar and plantar erythrodysesthesia, and hematologic suppression. CA 19-9 levels declined in all nine of the patients with elevated pretreatment levels. Nine of the 15 patients underwent a pancreaticoduodenectomy, and all had uninvolved surgical margins. Two of these patients had a complete pathologic response, and two had microscopic involvement of a single lymph node. With a median follow-up of 30 months, the median survival for resected patients was 30 months, whereas in the unresected group median survival was 8 months. Six of the nine patients who underwent resection remain alive and disease free with follow-up of 12, 30, 30, 34, 39, and 72 months, respectively. Preoperative chemoradiation therapy is well tolerated. It may downstage tumors, sterilize regional lymph nodes, and improve resectability in patients with marginally resectable pancreatic cancer. Greater patient accrual and longer follow-up are needed to more accurately assess its future role in therapy.
An assessment of the influence of land cover uncertainties on the simulation of global climate in the early Holocene

Six and 21 kyear BP represent the extreme states of climate since the last glacial maximum. The early Holocene, in contrast, was a time of transition, experiencing rapidly melting continental ice sheets, rising sea-level, and increasing summer insolation. Key features of the climate, illustrated by an NCAR CCM3 general circulation model experiment representing 11 kyr BP, include enhanced continentality and seasonality, and an enhanced northern monsoon. The principal circulation responses to the 11 kyr BP boundary conditions can be summarized as an intensification and northward shift of the mean meridional circulation and an intensification of the planetary wave structure of the Northern Hemisphere in northern summer, and a slight intensification of the mean meridional circulation coupled with a southward shift in the planetary wave structure in northern winter. These changes are manifest in the enhancement of the typical seasonal cycle of sea-level pressure in the Northern Hemisphere relative to that of the present day, and enhancement and equatorward shift of the Aleutian and Icelandic lows in northern winter. Over the period 15-8 kyr BP, within the current boreal forest zone, herbaceous tundra was replaced by shrub tundra, and subsequently by evergreen or deciduous forest, but there is uncertainty in the location, timing, and exact nature of these transitions. The specific location of the relatively small area of the Asian boreal forest-tundra transition can have an impact on regional climate, primarily in the net shortwave radiation component of the surface energy budget in spring, and in the cloudiness, net shortwave radiation, and turbulent heat fluxes in summer. These changes also have an impact on global climate. Our results suggest that the additional northern heating leads to a reduced equator-pole heat transport in the Northern Hemisphere which then influences heat and momentum transport in the Southern Hemisphere.
Fractured penis in a patient taking sildenafil and warfarin

This case of penile fracture is unique as it involves a patient taking both sildenafil and warfarin, one drug that potentiates the risk of a penile fracture and a second drug that makes the degree of bleeding and hematoma worse. A 46-year-old circumcised male was sent to the Emergency Department by his primary care physician 1 day after hearing a “pop” during sexual intercourse. He reported an immediate loss of erection, left-sided penile swelling giving the penis a bent appearance, and a bloody meatal discharge. Over the following 24 h, he developed scrotal edema and ecchymosis (Fig. 1). He maintained the ability to micturate and denied pain. His medical history was significant for CVA and DVT, and he takes warfarin daily. The CVA resulted in hemiparesthesia; therefore, he uses sildenafil prior to intercourse. Fig. 1 An image of the patient taken the day of his presentation to the emergency department Vital signs were normal, and physical examination revealed tenderness on palpation of the pubic symphysis, profound ecchymosis, and edema extending from the lower abdomen to the perineum with absence of external injury. His INR was 1.9, which was reversed with 5 units of fresh frozen plasma given to the patient prior to being taken to the operating room. Penile fractures were responsible for approximately 1,000 hospital admissions in the US in 2006. The average age of patients is 36, with Caucasians making up the largest demographic [1]. A penile fracture is a traumatic rupture of the tunica albuginea of the corpus cavernosum following direct blunt trauma [2]. An estimated 20% of patients have a concomitant urethral injury [1]. The diagnosis of penile fracture is based on clinical grounds and is a urological emergency requiring immediate surgical consultation [3]. Penile fracture has been reported in correlation with sildenafil use; however, it is unclear whether the relationship is causational [4].
Guest Editorial: Geographies of Citizenship

Citizenship is a political concept and category of social analysis that is subject to a wide range of theoretical and practical interpretations. Inflected with various traditions of thought that ha...
The Role of Phospholamban Cysteines in the Activation of the Cardiac Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium Pump by Nitroxyl

Phospholamban (PLN) is an integral membrane protein that regulates the Ca2+ pump (SERCA2a) in cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (CSR). Phosphorylation of PLN in response to β-adrenergic stimulation enhances cardiac inotropy by increasing CSR Ca2+ uptake. Nitroxyl (HNO), a new candidate drug therapy for congestive heart failure, improves overall cardiovascular function by increasing Ca2+ release and re-uptake in CSR through a direct interaction with RyR2 and SERCA2a, respectively. Using insect cell ER microsomes expressing SERCA2a +/− PLN (WT and Cys → Ala mutant) we have shown that activation of SERCA2a by HNO is PLN-dependent and entails covalent modification of PLN cysteines. Although HNO stimulates SERCA2a activity by uncoupling PLN from SERCA2a, the role of the cysteine residues in the activation mechanism is not completely understood. We propose that HNO, a thiol oxidant, modifies one or more of the three PLN cysteine residues (C36, C41, C46), affecting the regulatory potency of PLN toward SERCA2a. Examples include intra-molecular disulfide cross-links within single PLN molecules or inter-molecular disulfide cross-links between PLN molecules or PLN and SERCA2a. To test this hypothesis, we have constructed a series of PLN mutants containing single, double and triple cysteine substitutions (alanine replacing cysteine). Each of these mutant PLNs will be co-expressed with SERCA2a in insect cells and cell microsomes will be treated with Angeli's salt (an HNO donor) to determine which cysteine residue(s) are essential for activation monitored by enzyme assay and fluorescence spectroscopy of SERCA2a. The results show that intermolecular PLN disulfides play a minor role in activation by HNO. Studies with the Cys → Ala mutations will be useful in determining which cysteine pairs in PLN contribute to intramolecular disulfide cross-links leading to the relief of PLN inhibition and SERCA2a activation.
Urate and Its Transgenic Depletion Modulate Neuronal Vulnerability in a Cellular Model of Parkinson's Disease

Urate is a major antioxidant as well as the enzymatic end product of purine metabolism in humans. Higher levels correlate with a reduced risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD) and with a slower rate of PD progression. In this study we investigated the effects of modulating intracellular urate concentration on 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridinium (MPP+)-induced degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in cultures of mouse ventral mesencephalon prepared to contain low (neuron-enriched cultures) or high (neuron-glial cultures) percentage of astrocytes. Urate, added to the cultures 24 hours before and during treatment with MPP+, attenuated the loss of dopaminergic neurons in neuron-enriched cultures and fully prevented their loss and atrophy in neuron-astrocyte cultures. Exogenous urate was found to increase intracellular urate content in cortical neuronal cultures. To assess the effect of reducing cellular urate content on MPP+-induced toxicity, mesencephalic neurons were prepared from mice over-expressing urate oxidase (UOx). Transgenic UOx expression decreased endogenous urate content both in neurons and astrocytes. Dopaminergic neurons expressing UOx were more susceptible to MPP+ in mesencephalic neuron-enriched cultures and to a greater extent in mesencephalic neuron-astrocyte cultures. Our findings correlate intracellular urate content in dopaminergic neurons with their toxin resistance in a cellular model of PD and suggest a facilitative role for astrocytes in the neuroprotective effect of urate.
Optimizing the timing and number of batches for compounded sterile products in an in-hospital pharmacy

Hospital pharmacy departments have traditionally batched the production of a category of medications called Compounded Sterile Products (CSP). Since the batches are intended to satisfy several hours, or even a day's worth of demand, the cancellation of orders by physicians can lead to the waste of a considerable amount of medication. The manager of the pharmacy department can choose to produce the CSP medication in one or more batches per day. In making this decision the manager is trading off two sorts of costs: (a) the "holding cost" of carrying inventory, which in this context is largely the cost of wasted doses, and (b) the "set up cost" of the labor for delivering the prepared medication to the various units of a hospital. Although this trade-off superficially resembles that of a classic batching problem, it turns out to be quite different. This is primarily because the sequence of batches must repeat in a 24-hour cycle and the holding cost, related to the waste of CSP medications, varies over the 24-hour cycle according to the pattern of order cancellations, which in turn depends on the schedule of physicians' reevaluating the treatments of patients under their care. In addition, the setup cost, related to the cost of the delivery, varies slightly with the cost of labor at different times of the day. While previous work has looked at the benefits of multiple batches per day, the problem has not been addressed in a mathematically rigorous manner. The contribution of this work is twofold. Firstly, it extends the considerable literature on lot sizing by introducing a formulation for deciding the optimal number and timing of batches as an integer programming problem that caters for, and minimizes, the novel forms of holding and setups costs described above. In doing so the inventory curves over time are modeled precisely. Secondly, a dynamic programming methodology for the optimization problem is developed that is solvable with just a few minutes of computing time. Thus the pharmacy manager can make rational decisions about the optimal number and timing of CSP production batches based on the specific patterns of costs and work practices found in his or her hospital. CSP production schedule modeled as a batching problem: cancellation waste is a holding cost, delivery time - a setup cost.A constraint of batches repeating every 24 h, time-varying holding and setup costs are novel to batching literature.Proposed efficient dynamic programming algorithm jointly minimizes the costs of waste and the cost of labor.
A chemically-defined medium for organotypic slice cultures.

Abstract Organotypic slice cultures provide an excellent system for the analysis of axonal connectivity and development. However, the study of the molecular mechanisms of this development necessitates the use of a chemically defined culture medium. We report here the development of a medium, EOL1 defined medium, designed specifically for this purpose. Cultures of both cerebral cortex and basal forebrain demonstrate that this defined medium allows a high degree of cytoarchitectural maintenance while promoting neural metabolism and process outgrowth.
The Risks of Copper Toxicity Contributing to Cognitive Decline in the Aging Population and to Alzheimer's Disease

It is a pleasure and an honor to contribute a paper to a special issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition honoring Stanley Wallach and Pearl Small. In this brief review I advance the hypothesis that copper toxicity is the major cause of the epidemic of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease engulfing our aging population. This epidemic is recent, exploding in the last 50-60 years. The disease was virtually unknown 100 years ago. And it involves only developed countries that use copper plumbing. Something in our environment associated with development is poisoning the minds of our aged. The epidemic is associated with the use of copper plumbing, and the taking of copper in multi-mineral supplements. Food copper (organic copper) is processed by the liver and is transported and sequestered in a safe manner. Inorganic copper, such as that in drinking water and copper supplements, largely bypasses the liver and enters the free copper pool of the blood directly. This copper is potentially toxic because it may penetrate the blood/brain barrier. I review a web of animal and human data that tightens the noose around the hypothesis that copper toxicity is causing the epidemic of Alzeimer's disease and loss of cognition in our aging population.
Can urban methadone patients complete health utility assessments

Objective To assess the ability of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients to use two standardized health assessment tools to value health states related to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and HCV treatment-associated side effects. An estimated 65–90% of MMT patients are chronically infected with HCV.
Effective controls for research in international accounting

Abstract Numerous studies have examined the value relevance and other characteristics of international and country-specific accounting standards. This paper evaluates the experimental designs of selected studies with respect to the controls essential for effective research. Both cross-country and within-country research designs share a common need for controls. Perhaps the most distinctive element of effective design in these studies is the control for institutional, cultural, and structural differences between countries. Previous research shows that the key outputs of various country-specific accounting standards are functions of a variety of factors including accounting-related issues, legal origin, shareholder protection, the information environment, financial markets, and enforcement of these standards. In addition, effective studies of country-specific or international accounting principles require control for firm and industry-specific effects and for self-selection bias, as in conventional within-country examinations. When controls are not sufficient, observed differences in the outputs of alternative accounting standards may result from differences between countries or firms rather than from different accounting principles. We review a sample of recent research with attention to these control considerations.
OLFACTORY DISCRIMINATION AND WEBER'S LAW.

Experiments with two odorants, acetic acid and propionic acid, have provided additional evidence that jnds are a constant fraction of the stimulus strength. A linear plot of the difference limens and stimulus intensities has yielded a K of 0.28 for olfactory discrimination in man. The treatment of data derived from tests above the 50% limen and the over-all concept of jnd discrimination are discussed.
The behavioral expression of organizational commitment

Abstract The complexity of the organizational commitment construct and respondent-generated behavioral manifestations of the job attitude are explored within the context of an empirical study. Findings reveal that each dimension of commitment relates differently to work outcomes and that none of the dimensions is able to predict the commonly studied presence behaviors (absenteeism and tardiness). The study emphasizes the need to use respondent-generated behaviors and to examine how appropriate expressions of commitment are developed and communicated.
Video assessment of trauma response: Adherence to ATLS protocols

A novel strategy using videotape recordings of initial trauma resuscitations was incorporated into the quality assurance program at a level 1 trauma center. Described are the process of taping the resuscitations, the multidisciplinary nature of the resuscitation team, the security measures taken to assure patient confidentiality, and the review process involved. The videotape review process was incorporated into a multidisciplinary educational trauma conference. The videotapes were used to evaluate the adherence to Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) resuscitation protocols. Resident performance in six aspects of the ATLS resuscitation process were specifically highlighted on each videotape and graded for adherence to preestablished standards. The videotape process allowed an unbiased, indisputable accurate documentation of the sequential application of the protocols of evaluation and resuscitation espoused in the ATLS course. We found 23% overall deviation from ATLS resuscitation principles, with at least one aspect of the resuscitation deviating from expected ATLS performance in 64% of the patients. In addition to documenting adherence to ATLS principles, this study illustrated the impact of the videotape review process on the education of eight senior residents in surgery.
Osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation potential of an immortalized fibroblast-like cell line derived from porcine peripheral blood

Primary fibroblast-like cells isolated from the peripheral blood of a healthy pig were immortalized by transduction of cells with a replication-defective retrovirus vector expressing the E6/E7 proteins of human papillomavirus type 16 (pLXSN-16E6E7). The immortalized cells grow rapidly in cell culture and exhibit a distinct cell surface phenotype that was positive for CD90, CD44, collagen I, and vimentin and negative for CD14 and MHC II. Additionally, these immortalized blood derived-fibroblast-like cells had the potential to differentiate into osteoblasts and adipocytes in vitro as evidenced by the deposition of calcium, increased alkaline phosphatase activity, upregulated osteogenic and adipogenic marker gene expression, and accumulation of fat droplets in cells when osteogenic (dexamethasone, ascorbic acid, and β-glycerophosphate) or adipogenic supplements (dexamethasone, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, indomethacin, and insulin) were added to the culture. Overall, the results suggest that the immortalized blood-derived fibroblast-like cells exhibit some of the features of mesenchymal precursor cells, which may have implications in tissue repair and remodeling process.
Low price guarantees as signals of lowest price: The moderating role of perceived price dispersion

Abstract This article presents two experimental studies examining the effects of a low price guarantee on consumers’ pre-purchase evaluations and behavioral intentions. The authors first examine how the effects of a low price guarantee are moderated by consumer perception of market price dispersion. The results show that low price guarantee effects are likely to be attenuated when consumers perceive market price dispersion for a product to be high. The second study shows that higher levels of penalty can help restore a low price guarantee's effectiveness. Specifically, a low price guarantee with progressively higher levels of penalty leads to incrementally more favorable effects on key consumer outcomes when perceived price dispersion is high. Interestingly, penalty level has no such incremental benefit in case of low perceived price dispersion. Theoretical and managerial implications of the authors’ findings, the limitations of the studies, and future research opportunities are discussed.
Review of cenozoic ooidal ironstones

Abstract Cenozoic (Tertiary) ooidal ironstones (COI) in 20 districts (39 deposits) developed between the equatorial zone and 60° N, except for one Eocene district in mid-southern latitude. Stratigraphic distribution . Paleocene OI occur in northern Pakistan, western Siberia, southern Germany, northwestern Venezuela, and northeastern Colombia: Eocene OI in western Siberia, southern Germany, northwestern Romania, central North Africa, central-west Saudi Arabia, southwestern Central Africa, northwestern Venezuela, northeastern Colombia, south-central USA, and northwestern Australia; Oligocene OI in northwest and west-central Kazakhstan, central Denmark, and north-central Iran?; Miocene OI in northwestern Venezuela, northeastern Colombia, and southeastern Malaysia; Pliocene OI in southeastern Ukraine. Geotectonic framework . Ten districts developed in an interior or fractured craton: five along the south-trending Uralian Seaway, and one along the east-trending Northern European Seaway, the south-trending Trans-Saharan Seaway, in or near an early Red Sea embayment, in southeastern Malaysia, and in northwestern Australia. Ten districts lay near a eratonic margin: one along divergent margin and nine along the broad east-trending Caribbean and Tethyan seaways. Almost all COI accumulated during the Paleogene relatively high stand of sea level, especially in Early and Middle Eocene time. As sea level fell gradually in Neogene time COI developed in only three marginal districts (including the giant Pliocene Kerch-Taman deposit in southeastern Ukraine). Sedimentary environment . Almost all of the COI developed in deltaic to shallow marine facies. These are commonly associated with shoaling-upward siliciclastic sequences; a few are in mixed siliciclastic-carbonate sequences. A few COI apparently occurred in fluvial and lacustrine facies; some of these may have been reworked from laterite or from marine ironstones. Sedimentary petrology . Many COI are less than a few tens of centimeters thick and sporadic. The ooids are entirely or predominantly ferric oxide. A few contain a minor amount of berthierine (7A); only the oldest one (northern Pakistan) contains chamosite (14A). More than half of the COI are associated directly or more remotely with glauconite. Nearly all the COI need much more rigorous examination for both their individual composition and their comparison with older ooidal ironstones.
Charting the waves of prevention: two steps forward, one step back.

Abstract Background: Over the past 30 years, the political response to child maltreatment and its prevention in the US has experienced periods of frantic activity, often followed by long periods of benign neglect. In reflecting on this history, Dick Krugman has referred to this uneven level of attention as a series of “waves” in which apparent progress is often minimized by an inability to sustain political commitment to a given reform or course of action. To an extent, this pattern reflects deep differences among child welfare advocates, researchers, and practitioners on how best to proceed. While most everyone agrees that “it shouldn’t hurt to be a child,” how to prevent this hurt and at what cost is less clear. Method: To address this dilemma, prevention advocates, researchers, and practitioners have struggled with a variety of conceptual frameworks and programmatic reforms. This article summarizes the relative gains and limitation of three such efforts and outlines the lessons these efforts offer those formulating future prevention policies and programs. Results: Specifically, the authors suggest that future prevention efforts will need to take care in avoiding some of the most common mistakes experienced by earlier efforts. Conclusions: These mistakes or pitfalls include oversimplifying the problem of child abuse; overstating preventions’ potential and appropriate target populations; failing to establish a significant partnership with child protective services; compromising depth or quality in an effort to maximize breadth or coverage; and failing to fully engage the public.
Tissue-specific Differences in the Establishment of Tolerance. Tolerogenic Effects of Lung Allografts in Rats

With the increasing frequency of transplantation of two or more organs into a single recipient, it has become evident that different organs are rejected with different kinetics. In this study the kinetics of skin, lung, and heart allograft rejection were compared in a rodent model. To study the influence of different allografts on the recipient's immune system, simultaneous or sequential skin, lung, or heart transplants were performed in various combinations, using DA rats as recipients for PVG allografts. Recipients receiving primary allografts were treated postoperatively with ten doses of cyclosporine (CsA) or preoperatively with 4 doses of rabbit antirat thymocyte globulin (ATG). Subsequent transplants were performed a minimum of 40 days later without additional immunosuppression. All primary skin allografts and 60% of primary lung allografts were rejected, while 100% of the heart allografts were accepted indefinitely. Recipients of primary skin allografts rejected subsequent skin, lung, or heart allografts with accelerated kinetics. Recipients of primary heart allografts accepted subsequent skin, lung, and heart allografts indefinitely without further immunosuppression. Surprisingly, animals that had rejected a primary lung allograft accepted subsequent skin or heart allografts indefinitely. Simultaneously transplanted skin and lung allografts were concordantly rejected. However, these animals accepted a subsequent heart allograft indefinitely, suggesting a strong tolerizing effect of lung allografts. Our results indicate that tissue-specific differences are critical, not only in determining acceptance or rejection of a primary allograft but also in determining the fate of subsequent allografts.
Measurements on Higher J Rotational Lines of Vibration Rotation Bands and Study of Resonances in Linear Polyatomic Molecules. I. ν 2 and 2ν 2 0 Bands of HC 12 N

The ν2 and the 2ν20 bands of the HC12N molecule have been measured with a vacuum grating spectrometer and the molecular constants evaluated. Observations on the ν2 band have been carried out to J=40 and the data did not reveal any necessity for introducing an H term in the expression for the rotational term value. The anomalous centrifugal distortion constant observed for the 2ν20 band has been discussed in the light of current theories. The difference bands 3ν21−ν21(c) and 3ν21−ν21(d) have been identified in the region of absorption of the 2ν20 band.
Photopolymers for holography

Photosensitive films composed of dye, initiator, acrylic monomers, and polymeric film-forming binder, and their use in recording volume phase transmission and reflection holograms are described. Systematic variation of monomer-binder combinations reveals that the maximum attainable index modulation (hologram efficiency) increases with increasing difference between the refractive indices of monomer and binder. Addition of plasticizer is also useful for increasing index modulation. Thermal and wet chemical processing methods for altering hologram properties are described.
Micro-electrodeposition techniques for the preparation of small actinide counting sources for ultra-high resolution alpha spectrometry by microcalorimetry

Special considerations and techniques are desired for the preparation of small actinide counting sources. Counting sources have been prepared on metal disk substrates (planchets) with an active area of only 0.079 mm2. This represents a 93.75% reduction in deposition area from standard electrodeposition methods. The actinide distribution upon the smaller planchet must remain thin and uniform to allow alpha particle emissions to escape the counting source with a minimal amount of self-attenuation. This work describes the development of micro-electrodeposition methods and optimization of the technique with respect to deposition time and current density for various planchet sizes.
Boundary layer measurements of the OH radical in the vicinity of an isolated power plant plume: SO2 and NO2 chemical conversion times

Abstract Reported are the first direct measurements of the OH radical in the vicinity of an isolated power plant plume (Four Corners). These measurements were used to estimate the conversion time of SO 2 to H 2 SO 4 -sulfate aerosol via the initiating step OH + SO 2 + M→ HSO 3 . Using the near high noon measured value of OH (9.5 × 10 6 cm −3 ), resulted in a 1/e conversion time of 1.4 days. The latter lifetime would correspond to a conversion rate of ~2%h −1 . When the lifetime calculation was modified to take into consideration the OH diurnal cycle, the 1/e conversion time for SO 2 was found to be 4.4 days, giving an apparent overall rate of conversion of ~ 0.7% h −1 . Similar calculations carried out for the conversion of NO 2 to HNO 3 resulted in 1/e lifetimes for NO 2 of 2–3 h for mid-day time periods.
Guidelines for experiments to predict the degree of safety of a material for man

Abstract Agreement with and suggestions for changes in 5 guidelines for animal experiments applicable in predicting hazards for man were collated from responses of scientists to a questionnaire. More complete statements are in the text, but a brief summary of the guidelines follows: 1. 1. Use, wherever possible, species that biologically handle the material as similarily as possible to man. 2. 2. Where practical, use several dose levels on the principle that all types of toxicologic and pharmacologic actions in man and animals are doserelated. 3. 3. Effects produced at higher dose levels are useful for delineating mechanism of action, but for any material and adverse effect, some dose level exists for man or animal below which this adverse effect will not appear. This biologically insignificant level can and should be set by use of a proper safety factor and competent scientific judgement. 4. 4. Statistical tests for significance are valid only on the experimental units (e.g., either litters or individuals) that have been mathematically randomized among the dosed and concurrent control groups. 5. 5. Effects obtained by one route of administration to test animals are not a priori applicable to effects by another route of administration to man. The routes chosen for administration to test animals should, therefore, be the same as those to be used in man. Thus, for example, food additives for man should be tested by admixture of the material in the diet of animals.