cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Family Transmission of Marijuana Use, Abuse, and Dependence

ABSTRACT Objective To examine the familial aggregation of marijuana use, abuse, and dependence. Method Adolescents recruited from residential and day treatment programs for youths with conduct and substance problems, matched controls, and all available family members were interviewed with structured research instruments. A total of 2,546 individuals from 781 families were interviewed. Risk ratios of relatives of clinical cases were calculated, compared with controls, for marijuana use, abuse, or dependence. Spousal, parent-offspring, and sibling correlations and the proportion of variance attributable to parent-offspring transmission were estimated using structural equation modeling. Results For all three measures, the risk ratios were elevated in the family members of clinical probands, with estimates ranging from 1.5 to 3.3. Spousal correlations ranged from 0.33 to 0.70. Parent-offspring correlations ranged from 0.17 to 0.30. Sibling correlations ranged from 0.34 to 0.44. The proportion of variance attributable to factors transmitted from parents to children ranged between 25% and 44%. Conclusions Familial aggregation of marijuana use, abuse, and dependence is present for all three measures. The results suggest significant parent-offspring transmission of risk, sibling environmental influences, and assortative mating for all three levels of marijuana use. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry , 2003, 42(7):834-841.
Strain birefringence of sodium hyaluronate films

Strain birefringence of swollen sodium hyaluronate films was measured. Typical Wiener curves were obtained in solvents with different refractive indices. The orientation birefringence of sodium hyaluronate was evaluated from the minima of the Wiener curves and was found to increase with increasing elongation. Up to 30% elongation, the swollen hyaluronate films show quasi-rubberlike behavior. Above this elongation, the interchain hydrogen bonding further hinders the chain mobility and the orientation increases only slightly.
Minimizing the effects of unknown-but-bounded disturbance in power plants

Many power plant control problems demand hard constraints on states or their functions because of physical limitations related to safety. Although results relating to "energy" bounds and probabilistic bounds are plentiful, corresponding results on hard constraints are scattered and have not been adequately treated in the fiterature. A group of work specifically dealing with hard constraints is the research on the unknown-but-bounded description of uncertainty for linear systems, pioneered by Schweppe. In this paper we present hard constraint bounding results for the states of systems disturbed either by uncertain inputs or modeling errors, using either ellipsoids or boxes as the constraint sets. The norm bound results are based on the concept of matrix measures. Bounds for large scale systems and nonlinear systems are also presented. Finally, some of the theoretical results are applied to a model of a physically meaningful system, namely a boiler model with encouraging results.
A survey of contaminant hydrogeology in Canada

While Canadian hydrogeologists in the 1960s made their mark by investigating the large groundwater flow systems of the Prairie Provinces, the present generation will probably be remembered for their detailed studies of test sites whose dimensions are measured in meters rather than kilometers. If there is any one phenomenon that is singular about Canadian hydrogeology in the mid-1980s, it is the number of well-defined small-scale research experiments devoted to the study of hydrogeological phenomena, in particular the migration and fate of contaminants. This article is an attempt to summarize that activity and its origins.
15-dB amplification at 1.06 mu m in ion-exchanged silicate glass waveguides

The authors report a 15-dB amplification and a pump efficiency almost 30 times larger than that reported previously at 1.06 mu m in ion-exchanged waveguides. The potassium-sodium exchanged channel guides used were fabricated by thermal diffusion in a 2% Nd/sup 3+/-doped silicate glass. Measurements of the refractive index profile, in the waveguides, absorption and fluorescence spectra, fluorescence lifetime, and optical gain are presented. >
Atmospheric Momentum Roughness Applied to Stage-Discharge Relationships in Flood Plains

A numerical model is developed to determine the flow depth and discharge relationship for turbulent flows over vegetated flood plains. The model is based on the turbulent boundary layer similarity concepts developed for atmospheric and pipe flow hydraulics. Here, the Darcy-Weisbach formula is modified to account for vegetative resistance by application of surface roughness lengths developed from atmospheric methodologies. Such roughness lengths are well defined for many natural surfaces and can be determined from existing databases of vegetative surfaces or directly measured for specific sites. The model estimates of the flood flow discharges from a natural site are compared to observed data. The results show very good agreement with errors on the order of 7- 8%. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of channel characteristics on discharge.
Continuous learning framework for freeway incident detection

Existing freeway incident detection algorithms predominantly require extensive off-line training and calibration precluding transferability to new sites. Also, they are insensitive to demand and supply changes in the current site without recalibration. We propose two neural network-based approaches that incorporate an on-line learning capability, thereby ensuring transferability, and adaptability to changes at the current site. The least-squares technique and the error back propagation algorithm are used to develop on-line neural network-trained versions of the popular California algorithm and the more recent McMaster algorithm. Simulated data from the integrated traffic simulation model is used to analyze performance of the neural network-based versions of the California and McMaster algorithms over a broad spectrum of operational scenarios. The results illustrate the superior performance of the neural net implementations in terms of detection rate, false alarm rate, and time to detection. Of implication...
An EDA compendium

Reviewed in this issue The Electronic Design Automation Handbook, by Dirk Jansen (Kluwer Academic Publishers,2003, ISBN 1-402-07502-2, 244 pp., $148).
What genes do Shiga toxins target

![Figure][1] Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is principally a thrombotic disease caused by Shiga toxins released during intestinal infection with enterohemorrhagic bacteria such as Escherichia coli O157:H7. Shiga toxins damage renal and other endothelial cells, resulting in coagulation
Comment on ‘Spontaneous haemorrhage in an eyelid hidrocystoma in a patient treated with clopidogrel'

Comment on ‘Spontaneous haemorrhage in an eyelid hidrocystoma in a patient treated with clopidogrel’
The vibrational Raman spectra of purified solid films of C60 and C70

Abstract A technique to produce samples consisting primarily of C60 and C70 by fractional sublimation of carbon soot was found and used to produce solid films of these molecules. Film compositions were determined using a surface analytical mass spectrometric technique. Vibrational Raman spectra of the purified films were measured and vibrational lines of both C60 and C70 are identified. A C60 line at 273 cm−1 is observed, in agreement with theoretical predictions for the lowest frequency Hg “squashing” mode of Buckminsterfullerene. The two strongest C60 lines, found at 1469 and 497 cm−1, can consistently be assigned to the two totally symmetric Ag modes on the basis of their frequencies and measured depolarization ratios.
Synthesis and investigation of deoxyribonucleic acid/locked nucleic acid chimeric molecular beacons

To take full advantage of locked nucleic acid (LNA) based molecular beacons (LNA-MBs) for a variety of applications including analysis of complex samples and intracellular monitoring, we have systematically synthesized a series of DNA/LNA chimeric MBs and studied the effect of DNA/LNA ratio in MBs on their thermodynamics, hybridization kinetics, protein binding affinity and enzymatic resistance. It was found that the LNA bases in a MB stem sequence had a significant effect on the stability of the hair-pin structure. The hybridization rates of LNA-MBs were significantly improved by lowering the DNA/LNA ratio in the probe, and most significantly, by having a shared-stem design for the LNA-MB to prevent sticky-end pairing. It was found that only MB sequences with DNA/LNA alternating bases or all LNA bases were able to resist nonspecific protein binding and DNase I digestion. Additional results showed that a sequence consisting of a DNA stretch less than three bases between LNA bases was able to block RNase H function. This study suggested that a shared-stem MB with a 4 base-pair stem and alternating DNA/LNA bases is desirable for intracellular applications as it ensures reasonable hybridization rates, reduces protein binding and resists nuclease degradation for both target and probes. These findings have implications on the design of LNA molecular probes for intracellular monitoring application, disease diagnosis and basic biological studies.
Biomimetic synthesis of the central tricyclic portion of ptilomycalin A

Abstract The central tricyclic portion 20 of ptilomycalin A ( 1 ) is formed from bis enone 16 in two steps. Addition of O -methylisourea in DMF to 16 affords a mixture of 17 and 18 that are both converted to a single tricyclic aminal 20a on treatment with NH 3 and NH 4 OAc in methanol at reflux.
State uncertainty in stock markets: How big is the impact on the cost of equity?

Abstract We propose a novel Bayesian framework to incorporate uncertainty about the state of the market. Among others, one advantage of the framework is the ability to model a large collection of time-varying parameters simultaneously. When we apply the framework to estimate the cost of equity we find economically significant effects of state uncertainty. A state-independent pricing model overestimates the cost of equity by about 4% per annum for a utility firm and by as much as 3% for industries. We also observe that the expected return, volatility, risk loading, and pricing error all display state-dependent dynamics that coincide with the business cycle. More interestingly, the forecasted market and Fama–French factor risk premiums can predict the future real GDP growth rate even though the model does not use any macroeconomic variables, which suggests that the proposed Bayesian framework captures the state-dependent dynamics well.
A morphological and cytochemical study of sarcoplasmic reticulum and T system of fish extraocular muscle.

The sarcolemma and T system and the sarcoplasmic reticulum were studied in a fast acting muscle, the extraocular muscle of Fundulus grandis. The predominant morphological fiber type contained abundant glycogen, a highly developed T system with triads at the A-I junction and a well developed sarcoplasmic reticulum. The numerous tubular profiles of T system and sarcoplasmic reticulum with their characteristic contents made this fiber especially suitable for cytochemical investigation.
Dangerous Places and Wild Spaces: Creating Meaning with Materials and Space at Contemporary Maya Shrines on El Duende Mountain

Ethnoarchaeological observations at Maya shrines on a sacred mountain suggest that three potent material strategies imbue ritual practices with different social meanings: 1) the use of different types of materials as offerings in various rites, 2) the ways in which the physical conditions of an offering are altered during deposition, and 3) the choice of location where the offering is deposited within the site relative to a ceremonial focal point. Through these strategies, individuals creatively negotiate limited access to material resources and assign diverse meanings to the material culture, practices, and places of ritual. Materials that represent commoners' rituals may primarily consist of quotidian items that are transformed in meaning by how and where they are deposited into an archaeological context.
Cholecystokinin and gastric inhibitory polypeptide not glucagonotropic in dogs.

Abstract The role of cholecystokinin (CCK) and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) as stimulators of glucagon secretion under physiologic conditions is uncertain. Previous studies have utilized CCK preparations now known to have been contaminated with GIP and possibly other gastrointestinal peptides. The present study was designed to determine if physiologic doses of highly purified (99%) CCK and GIP stimulate pancreatic glucagon release in the dog. Six adult, conscious, conditioned dogs weighing 20 to 25 kg each, were given intravenous infusions of CCK or GIP after an overnight fast. Peripheral blood, collected at time zero and thereafter at 15-min intervals for 120 min, was assayed for radioimmunoreactive GIP and glucagon (30K antisera). During the infusion of 200 and 400 ng/kg/hr of GIP, peak mean GIP concentrations of 678 ± 103 (SEM) and 1404 ± 171 pg/ml, respectively, were reached by 60 min. A 200 ng/kg intravenous bolus of GIP resulted in a peak mean serum GIP concentration of 2150 ± 275 pg/ml at 15 min. Peripheral mean basal glucagon concentrations of 48 ± 9 pg/ml did not change significantly during the GIP infusion or following the bolus infusion of GIP. CCK infused at 500 ng/kg/hr, a dose assumed to produce physiologic serum CCK concentrations, did not significantly change the mean basal glucagon level of 41 ± 1 pg/ml during the 120-min study period. We conclude that under the conditions of this study, neither CCK nor GIP are glucagonotropic in the dog.
Balance of beneficial and deleterious health effects of quinones: a case study of the chemical properties of genistein and estrone quinones.

Substances containing a phenolic moiety are often metabolized to quinones whose high reactivity makes them difficult to study. Some of these precursors have clear health benefits, and some quinones themselves are used in cancer therapy, whereas others are deleterious. For example, dietary intake of phytoestrogen, genistein (Gen), seems to play a preventive role in breast cancer (BC) whereas prolonged exposure to chemically similar mammalian estrogens is clearly associated with elevated incidence of BC. Although both can be metabolized to reactive quinones, the catechol estrogen quinones (CEQs) modify DNA by redox cycling and/or depurination via a Michael addition. Here, we report an investigation of the chemical reactivity of Gen and estrone quinones to determine the chemical differences of these two biologically important molecules. The catechol genistein quinone (CGenQ), has a half-life of 4 ± 1 s under physiological condition, as determined by glutathione trapping. It disappears by reacting with H2O to...
Meningococcal Group W-135 and Y Capsular Polysaccharides Paradoxically Enhance Activation of the Alternative Pathway of Complement

Although capsular polysaccharide (CPS) is critical for meningococcal virulence, the molecular basis of alternative complement pathway (AP) regulation by meningococcal CPSs remains unclear. Using serum with only the AP active, the ability of strains to generate C3a (a measure of C3 activation) and subsequently deposit C3 fragments on bacteria was studied in encapsulated group A, B, C, W-135, and Y strains and their isogenic unencapsulated mutants. To eliminate confounding AP regulation by membrane-bound factor H (fH; AP inhibitor) and lipooligosaccharide sialic acid, the meningococcal fH ligands (fHbp and NspA) and lipooligosaccharide sialylation were deleted in all strains. Group A CPS expression did not affect C3a generation or C3 deposition. C3a generated by encapsulated and unencapsulated group B and C strains was similar, but CPS expression was associated with reduced C3 deposition, suggesting that these CPSs blocked C3 deposition on membrane targets. Paradoxically, encapsulated W-135 and Y strains (including the wild-type parent strains) enhanced C3 activation and showed marked C3 deposition as early as 10 min; at this time point C3 was barely activated by the unencapsulated mutants. W-135 and Y CPSs themselves served as a site for C3 deposition; this observation was confirmed using immobilized purified CPSs. Purified CPSs bound to unencapsulated meningococci, simulated findings with naturally encapsulated strains. These data highlight the heterogeneity of AP activation on the various meningococcal serogroups that may contribute to differences in their pathogenic mechanisms.
Recent Advances in Hard, Tough, and Low Friction Nanocomposite Coatings

Abstract Nanocomposite coatings demonstrate improved friction and wear responses under severe sliding conditions in extreme environments. This paper provides a review how thin film multilayers and nanocomposites result in hard, tough, low-friction coatings. Approaches to couple multilayered and nanocomposite materials with other surface engineering strategies to achieve higher levels of performance in a variety of tribological applications are also discussed. Encapsulating lubricious phases in hard nanocomposite matrices is one approach that is discussed in detail. Results from state-of-the-art “chameleon” nanocomposites that exhibit reversible adaptability to ambient humidity or temperature are presented.
Long Distance Migrations, Landscape Use, and Vulnerability to Prescribed Fire of the Gopher Frog (Lithobates capito)

Abstract The Gopher Frog, Lithobates capito, is an endemic to upland, fire-maintained pine forests on the Southeastern Coastal Plain and requires open, isolated wetlands for breeding. This species has experienced drastic population declines because of habitat loss and degradation and now occurs only in scattered populations in the southern United States. We tracked the post-breeding movements and burrow use of 17 Gopher Frogs in the Sandhills of North Carolina using radio telemetry. Nine frogs were successfully tracked to summer refugia; the other eight frogs shed their transmitters or were killed by predators or fire during migration. Frogs traveled 0.5−3.5 km (mean = 1.3 km) between the breeding pond and a summer refugium. The 3.5-km movement is substantially longer than has been reported for Gopher Frogs before. Our results suggest that an area of 3,739 ha (9,239 acres) around breeding ponds is required to provide summer habitat for Gopher Frogs. Eight of nine frogs used holes associated with the stump...
Chemical Reaction Products from Interaction of High-Energy Beams with Composites

In a study to examine the effect of irradiating a number of silica- and carbon-reinforced composites with high-energy beams, surface analytical techniques have proved especially effective in revealing reactions between undoped or doped matrices and silica or carbon reinforcements, respectively.
Numerical solution of equations arising in energy transport in non-equilibrium chemically reacting systems

Abstract A two-point boundary value method is presented for avoiding the numerical instability which can occur when initial value methods are used for solving the non-linear differential equations describing transport of heat and mass in chemically reacting systems near equilibrium. The instability arises primarily owing to the slight computational errors that arise when the forward and reverse reaction-rate terms are large compared to the net rate. The method used to avoid this instability is to convert the continuity of species equation containing the reaction-rate terms into a second order differential equation in such a manner that small errors in computing the reaction rates do not appreciably affect the solution. Though equations leading to this instability have sometimes been referred to in the past as “stiff,” today this term most commonly refers to quite a different situation, namely, a system of equations where at any point the ratio of the largest to smallest eigenvalue is very large. Thus, in this work the term “stiff” will be replaced by “instability.” As an example of how to circumvent this instability, the method is applied to the problem of heat transfer through a reacting gaseous mixture confined in a parallel plate conductivity cell. It is demonstrated that this case presents a more stringent test of the applicability of the method than the case of convective heat transfer.
Identification of leptin receptor isoforms in human prostate cancer cells

Abstract Introduction: The incidence of certain cancers, including prostate cancer, is increased in obese individuals. Serum levels of the adipocyte-derived hormone leptin are elevated in obese people and leptin acts as a mitogenic agent in a number of tissues. Thus, leptin may act to promote cancer cell growth. Indeed, we have demonstrated that leptin acts as a growth factor for prostate cancer cells in vitro. Various isoforms of the leptin receptor (Ob-R) exist through which leptin may act to promote cell growth. The purpose of this study was to characterize expression of leptin receptor isoform mRNAs in the absence and presence of leptin in two prostate cancer cell lines. Methods: Two lines of prostate cancer cells (DU145 and PC3) were treated with 40ng/ml of human recombinant leptin for 48h and total RNA was isolated. This dose of leptin is similar to that observed in obese humans. Primers were designed specifically to detect the presence of either the short (huOb-Ra) or the long (huOb-Rb) Ob-R isoforms and level of mRNA expression for each was determined. The presence of leptin receptor isoforms in prostate cancer cells was assessed using RT-PCR and expected product lengths were verified by gel electrophoresis. Results: DU145 and PC3 cancer cell lines exhibited both huOb-Ra and huOb-Rb mRNA expression. Treatment of both cancer cell lines with 40ng/ml leptin reduced huOb-Rb mRNA expression to the point where it was no longer readily detectable. In contrast, huOb-Ra mRNA levels were not reduced by treatment with 40ng/ml leptin. Conclusions: Leptin is a growth factor that stimulates the proliferation of prostate cancer cells in vitro. This proliferation of prostate cancer cells by leptin is related to Ob-R isoform expression. In prostate cancer cells exposed to high levels of leptin, mRNA expression for huOb-Rb is significantly reduced whereas huOb-Ra mRNA expression is unaffected. Thus, it may be that the mitogenic activity of leptin in prostate cancer cells occurs primarily through the short isoform of the leptin receptor.
Kondo effect in Ag-Mn alloys

The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity of dilute alloys of manganese dissolved in silver was measured in the range 0.3–12 K. These data complement previous work on this alloy system. The Kondo effect contribution to the resistivity was separated from effects arising from impurity-impurity interactions and from scattering by the lattice. Our data are the first to support the d-wave unitarity limit in the free electron approximation : The resistivity due to exchange interaction at 0 K is found to be 9.1 ΜΩ-cm/at % when potential scattering is taken into account. The dependence on impurity concentration of the temperature at which the resistivity is a maximum was compared with Matho and Beal-Monod's theory, but, as predicted by Klein's model, it is still, to a very good approximation, directly proportional to the concentration. This fitting gave a value of the distribution width parameter consistent with the concentration-independent slope of the resistivity at 0 K. A Kondo temperature between 10 and 40 mK is consistent with our results.
Optical properties of Si1-xGex quantum wells and superlattices grown by rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition

Abstract Through proper reactor design and accurate temperature measurement,high quality silicon/silicon-germanium alloy (Sii_Ge) strained layer structures can be grown by Rapid Thermal Chemical Vapor Deposition with growth tem-peratures in the 600-700 ° C range. Photoluminescence measurements show well resolved band-edge features, indicating that the films are of very high quality.Q uantum confinement effects have also been observed in quantum wells withwidths down to 3 nm. Introduction The silicon/silicon-germanium alloy (Si/Sii_Ge) material system is of great technologi- cal interest since it offers the possibility of "band gap engineering" in silicon-based semicon- ductor devices. This paper discusses the growth of such structures by the Rapid ThermalChemical Vapor Deposition (RTCVD) growth technique, and then describes the photo- luminescence properties of Si/SiGe quantum wells and superlattices grown by RTCVD. The growth of high quality heterostructures in the Si/Ce material system is inherentlydifficult because of the 4% lattice mismatch between Si and Ge. This mismatch is almostlinearly reduced as the composition of a random alloy of Si1_Ge is changed from x =
Disease cluster detection methods: recent developments and public health implications

Methods for detecting spatial and spatiotemporal clusters of health and disease have advanced significantly in the past decade. This article reviews recent advances in four areas: spatial search processes, network-based methods, statistical analysis and modelling of local clusters and space-time cluster detection. I then turn to a more critical discussion of the implications of hotspot mapping for public health policy and intervention, highlighting the need to incorporate process-based understandings that impact spatial and social inequalities in ill health for particular health issues in particular geographic contexts.
Direct Photodisintegration Processes in Nuclei

The unexpectedly large ($\ensuremath{\gamma},p$) cross sections found in many moderately heavy nuclei are interpreted in terms of a direct photodisintegration process. The gamma-ray quantum is supposed to be absorbed by one proton in the nucleus, which is then emitted without the formation of an intermediate compound nucleus. The cross section for this process is small compared with that for the formation of a compound nucleus (which would almost always lead to the eventual emission of a neutron), but it has to be only a few millibarns to account for the experimental results. It is shown in this paper that if the nucleus is represented by a square well potential, the calculated cross sections turn out to be smaller than the experimental ones, but much larger than those obtained from the statistical theory.The angular distribution of the emitted protons should be of the form $A+B{sin}^{2}\ensuremath{\theta}$, where $\ensuremath{\theta}$ is the angle between the incoming photon and the proton, and the ratio $\frac{B}{A}$ depends on the angular momentum of the proton in the nucleus. This is confirmed by experimental results; from the experimental values of $\frac{B}{A}$ it appears that protons with $l=0$ in the nucleus contribute considerably to the effect in Rh and Ag. Feenberg's "wine bottle" potential can account for this more easily than the square well.The theory is applicable to fast photoneutron emission as well, and recent experiments by Poss show that fast photoneutrons are indeed emitted anisotropically.It is suggested that similar direct interaction mechanisms may account for the deviations of ($n,p$) cross sections from those predicted by the theory, as found recently by W\"affler.
The effect of elevated temperature on food and water reinforced fixed ratio performance.

Abstract Three experiments are reported on the effect of elevated temperatures on food-and-water-reinforced fixed-ratio (FR) performance. In Experiment 1 the response rate reduced at a constant fixed-ratio requirement, while the change in body temperature remained relatively constant. In Experiments 2 (food-reinforced) and 3 (water-reinforced) the FR response rate varied as an inverted U-shaped function of the FR requirement at both 25 and 35°C. The results of these experiments did not support a thermostatic theory of food-intake, since exposure to 35°C resulted in similar changes for food or water reinforced performance. As an alternative, it was proposed that thermogenic factors other than food, e.g. the work-requirement or ambient temperature, contributed to the changes in performance at 25°C or 35°C.
Completely coherent radiation

Abstract Some aspects of the scalar coherence theory of radiation employing two-point correlation functions are considered. In particular, it is shown that “real” waveforms in polychromatic fields need not appear similar to be considered coherent under the present definition. The decomposition of the mutual coherence function for such fields is discussed. Under certain assumptions a general form for coherent fields is derived and these fields are shown to satisfy the equations of geometric optics. For homogeneous media the surfaces of constant phase are the so-called cyclides of Dupin. The significance of these results in relating coherent sources and fields is mentioned as is the decomposition of incoherent sources.
Preferences for sweet and salty in 9- to 15-year-old and adult humans

Preferences for the tastes of sucrose, lactose, and sodium chloride were measured in 618 subjects between 9 and 15 years of age and in 140 adults. The younger subjects preferred greater sweetness and saltiness that did the adults. In the younger groups, there were race and sex differences in preferences, none of which appeared among the adults.
Observations of low-energy electrons upstream of the Earth's bow shock

Observations of electron fluxes with a lunar-based electron spectrometer when the moon was upstream of the earth have shown that a subset of observed fluxes are strongly controlled by the interplanetary magnetic field direction. The fluxes occur only when the IMF lines connect back to the earth's bow shock. Observed densities and temperatures were in the ranges 2-4 x 0,001/cu cm and 1.7-2.8 x 1,000,000 K. It is shown that these electrons can account for increases in effective solar wind electron temperatures on bow-shock connected field lines which have been observed previously by other investigators. It is further shown that if a model of the bow shock with an electrostatic potential barrier is assumed, the potential can be estimated to be 500 volts.
The nature of [001] tilt grain boundaries in YBa2Cu3O7−x

Fifty-two faceted grain boundary segments ([001] tilt boundaries) in clusters of bulk-scale YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− x crystals having coincident c-axes were characterized by optical microscopy techniques. Grain boundary orientations were widely distributed. All grain boundaries, except those far from the symmetric condition and those with {110} facets, exhibited well-developed matching of the twin domains across the boundary. It is suggested that this newly reported phenomenon of twin pattern matching occurs due to a local coordination of the tetragonal → orthorhombic transformation strain across grain boundaries and may be beneficial with regard to electrical transport in highly textured polycrystalline material.
Microinjection of neurotensin into the CNS induces hyperdipsia in the rat

Neurotensin (NT) is a neuropeptide and putative neurotransmitter that has been shown to exert a variety of effects on digestive and ingestive processes. In order to address the possibility that NT might play a role in the regulation of water intake as well, the peptide was infused into the lateral cerebral ventricle, amygdala, ventral tegmental area, lateral hypothalamus, and preoptic area of the anterior hypothalamus of rats deprived of water for 16 hours. Neurotensin produced a significant and dose-dependent increase in water intake when injected into the ventricular system but had no effect when it was applied to the other brain sites. It was concluded that this peptide may play a physiological role in the control of water ingestion and that central sites of action remain to be determined.
Systemic production of IL‐12 by naked DNA mediated gene transfer: toxicity and attenuation of transgene expression in vivo

Background IL-12 is a potent antitumor cytokine for cancer gene therapy. Previously, we demonstrated that single systemic administration of naked DNA (encoding IL-12) could serve as a good model for in vivo evaluation of the antitumor effect of a candidate gene (unpublished data). In the present study, we propose that this gene delivery method could be a very useful model for in vivo evaluation of the toxicity of a given therapeutic gene (using IL-12 as an example). By comparing the toxicities and the effects of initial IL-12 administration on subsequent transgene expression, both IL-12 gene delivery and recombinant murine IL-12 protein (rmIL-12) administration showed similar toxicity profiles. Methods Naked DNA encoding murine IL-12 (mIL-12) was delivered into mice by systemic administration. Toxicity profiles of mice treated with DNA or rmIL-12 were compared. Results Systemic administration of naked DNA encoding mIL-12 resulted in very similar toxicity as rmIL-12 with respect to liver enzyme, hematological and immunological profiles. Repeated injection of mIL-12 gene did not recover a high level of mIL-12 production as the first injection. Moreover, initial mIL-12 administration resulted in inhibition of subsequent reporter gene expression with both viral and non-viral promoters (CMV, human α-antitrypsin or chicken β-actin promoter). This transgene inhibition effect was entirely mediated by IFN-γ as the transgene expression was fully recovered in IFN-γ knockout mice. Conclusions Systemic IL-12 therapy, with either a protein or gene therapy approach, resulted in comparable liver and systemic toxicities. Refractoriness of mIL-12 production by subsequent administration of mIL-12 gene was observed. The transgene attenuation effect of IL-12 pre-dosing (either by IL-12 or rmIL-12), mediated by IFN-γ, provided important insights for the design of IL-12 combination gene therapy and the improvement of gene vectors for IL-12 therapy. The present results show that simple injection of naked DNA could serve as a good model for in vivo evaluation of the toxicity of a candidate therapeutic gene. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Degradation of organic vapors in unsaturated soils

Abstract To predict the fate of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in unsaturated soil, it is necessary to understand the physical and chemical processes that occur in the soil system. Two important removal mechanisms of organic vapors in soil are sorption and biodegradation. Modeling efforts to describe the removal of organic vapors in soil require constitutive relationships that are developed from laboratory data. This paper reports measurements of removal coefficients for three VOCs in a fine sandy loam soil. Sorption coefficients and degradation removal rates were determined from batch reactors for three compounds: benzene, trichloroethylene (TCE) and o-xylene. Results indicate organic vapors are sorbed and then removed by biodegradation in the unsaturated soil system. This information has potential for use in the bioremediation of soils contaminated with VOCs and for impacting decisions on air emissions, regulatory limits and on-site controls.
VIBRONIC ANALYSIS OF NLO SPECTRA OF PDA CRYSTALS AND FILMS

A joint analysis of recent NLO spectra of polydiacetylene films and crystals is presented, using vibronic contributions in the Condon approximation and (pi) -electronic states from Pariser-Parr-Pople theory. Raman resonances are shown to be corrections to average excitations. An even-parity state above the photoconduction edge is found in two-photon absorption of PDA-PTS crystals and nondegenerate four-wave-mixing spectra of PDA- 4BCMU films. We incorporate linear and resonance Raman spectra in the joint NLO analysis and emphasize the different roles of electronic and vibrational contributions.
On the peak effect and vortex lattice melting in YBa2Cu3O7-δ

Abstract Recently numerous experiments have aimed at verifying the existence of a melting transition in the vortex system of high-temperature superconductors. Direct experimental access to thermodynamic quantities of the vortex system is hard to obtain. On the other hand, the interpretation of experiments probing the vortex behaviour indirectly is also difficult. Transport measurements in single-crystal YBa2Cu3O7-δ by Kwok et al. (1994, Phys. Rev. Lett., 73, 2614) reveal a peak in the critical current density below H c2 (T). Their field-dependent data close to T c indicate that the pinning behaviour of the magnetic flux system undergoes several marked changes with increasing field. A simple model, based on the assumption of a strongly pinned disordered vortex phase at low and at high magnetic fields, separated by a depinned or weakly pinned ordered vortex phase could explain these and other experimental observations.
The mechanics of explosive dispersal and self-burial in the seeds of the filaree, Erodium cicutarium (Geraniaceae)

SUMMARY The filaree ( Erodium cicutarium ), a small, flowering plant related to geraniums, possesses a unique seed dispersal mechanism: the plant can fling its seeds up to half a meter away; and the seeds can bury themselves by drilling into the ground, twisting and untwisting in response to changes in humidity. These feats are accomplished using awns, helical bristles of dead but hygroscopically active tissue attached to the seeds. Here, we describe the kinematics of explosive dispersal and self-burial based on detailed high-speed and time-lapse videos. We use these observations to develop a simple mechanical model that accounts for the coiling behavior of the awn and allows comparison of the strain energy stored in the awn with the kinetic energy at launch. The model is used to examine tradeoffs between dispersal distance and reliability of the dispersal mechanism. The mechanical model may help in understanding the invasive potential of this species and provides a framework for examining other evolutionary tradeoffs in seed dispersal mechanisms among the Geraniaceae.
Optical Linewidth Measurements On Wafers

An optical scanning microscope system for accurate measurement of linewidth on wafers is described. The development of this system in both theory and experiment parallels the treatment of transmitted light measurements on see-through photomasks as previously described. Threshold equations for determining edge location have been developed which include corrections for contrast and phase. In reflected light, the wavelength dependence of these parameters due to thin film interference requires a much narrower spectral bandwidth. In addition, other light losses dictate the use of laser illumination. Control of the spatial coherence of the laser is discussed. A comparison of theoretical and experimental results is given along with a comparison of reflected and transmitted light measurements.© (1978) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Rural Neighborhood Context, Child Care Quality, and Relationship to Early Language Development

Research Findings: Prior research with older urban children indicates that a disadvantaged neighborhood context is associated with poorer early development, including poorer verbal ability, reading recognition, and achievement scores among children. Neighborhood disadvantage in rural communities and at younger age levels may also be related to development; however, this relationship has received little examination. In this study we utilized data from the Family Life Project, a representative sample of babies born to mothers in poor rural counties in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, to address questions related to the relationship between neighborhood context (disadvantage and safety) and children's early language development. We examined the mediation of this relationship by child care quality. We also examined geographic isolation and collective socialization as moderators of the relationship between neighborhood context and child care quality. Results indicated that although neighborhood disadvantage di...
Implementation science: Addressing complexity in medical education

Research over 40 years confirms that simulation-based medical education (SBME) promotes learner acquisition and maintenance of clinical knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Evidence from thousands of ...
Human papillomavirus: a brief overview and recommendations for pharmacists.

Amy R. Nielsen and Mary S. Hayney have received the meningococcal conjugate vaccine. Furthermore, only 70.4% of females and 48.3% of males in this age group received all three doses.7 This discrepancy among vaccination rates for similarly targeted vaccines indicates that many opportunities to administer the HPV vaccine have been missed. Immunizers must implement strategies to ensure administration and completion of the three-dose series.
Preventing downstream Clostridium difficile infections with upstream antibiotic management

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) remains a devastating cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea. Treatment modalities have centered traditionally on two antibiotics, metronidazole and oral vancomycin. Both drugs, however, have been associated with variable relapse rates up to 20%. Fidaxomicin, a new oral agent with targeted C. difficile activity, may reduce the chance of relapse, but has not yet entered mainstream clinical practice. CDI is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In the past decade, the emergence of hypervirulent strains has led to medical management failures and the increased need for surgical intervention. Control of the disease requires excellent infection prevention practices, yet can remain a difficult operational challenge. Selective pressure of antibiotic therapy can increase or lessen the risk depending on the agent used. We believe that antibiotic selection for the treatment of patients with any infectious disease must account for the possibility of subsequent severe CDI. We posit 'upstream' antibiotic selection will prevent 'downstream' CDI and potentially ameliorate deficiencies in infection prevention practices. Formal studies evaluating such an endpoint would be useful in this era of dangerous CDI.
Flow cytometry as a useful tool for process development: rapid evaluation of expression systems

Flow cytometry is an established tool in fundamental studies of single-cell microbial physiology. Here we show that it can also provide valuable information for process development. Using recombinant Escherichia coli strains, which express the protein-based polymer (GVGIP)(260)GVGVP, the utility of flow cytometry in monitoring and optimization of fermentations is demonstrated. Single cell right angle light scatter was found to be significantly affected by intracellular product formation possibly due to the formation of inclusion bodies. Translational fusions with green fluorescent protein (GFP) enabled monitoring of product accumulation, as well as plasmid free cell fraction (PFCF). Such fusions also allowed rapid evaluation of induction strategies and three different expression systems based on the T7 promoter, T7-lac promoter and the P(BAD) promoter. The expression system based on the P(BAD) promoter was found to be superior to the T7-based system.
Laser Speckle Flowmetry Method for Measuring Spatial and Temporal Hemodynamic Alterations Throughout Large Microvascular Networks

Objectives 1) Develop and validate laser speckle flowmetry (LSF) as a quantitative tool for individual microvessel hemodynamics in large networks. 2) Use LSF to determine if structural differences in the dorsal skinfold microcirculation (DSFWC) of C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice impart differential network hemodynamic responses to occlusion.
Calculation of breed direct and maternal genetic fractions and breed specific direct and maternal heterozygosity for crossbreeding data

Teaching, research, and herd breeding applications may require calculation of breed additive contributions for direct and maternal genetic effects and fractions of heterozygosity associated with breed specific direct and maternal heterosis effects. These coefficients can be obtained from the first NB rows of a pseudo numerator relationship matrix where the first NB rows represent fractional contributions by breed to each animal or group representing a specific breed cross. The table begins with an NB x NB identity matrix representing pure breeds. Initial animals or representative crosses must be purebreds or two-breed crosses. Parents of initial purebreds are represented by the corresponding column and initial two-breed cross progeny by the two corresponding columns of the identity matrix. After that, usual rules are used to calculate the NB column entries corresponding to breeds for each animal. The NB entries are fractions of genes expected to be contributed by each of the pure breeds and correspond to the breed additive direct fractions. Entries in the column corresponding to the dam represent breed additive maternal fractions. Breed specific direct heterozygosity coefficients are entries of an NB x NB matrix formed by the outer product of the two NB by 1 columns associated with sire and dam of the animal. One minus sum of the diagonals represents total direct heterozygosity. Similarly, the NB x NB matrix formed by the outer product of columns associated with sire of dam and dam of dam contains breed specific maternal heterozygosity coefficients. These steps can be programmed to create covariates to merge with data. If X represents these coefficients for all unique breed crosses, then the reduced row echelon form function of MATLAB or SAS can be used on X to determine estimable functions of additive breed direct and maternal effects and breed specific direct and maternal heterosis effects
Can, should, ought, must.

Imagine the following thought experiment. Situation one: A researcher drafts a questionnaire to be distributed to families who attend a general pediatrics clinic inquiring about their awareness and...
An isogenic haemolysin-deficient mutant of Haemophilus ducreyi lacks the ability to produce cytopathic effects on human foreskin fibroblasts.

Summary The haemolysin of Haemophilus ducreyi is the newest member of the Proteus/Serratia family of poreforming toxins. In order to assess the role of the haemolysin in virulence, we constructed an isogenic haemolysin-deficient mutant of H. ducreyi strain 35000. This strain, designated 35000-3, lacks detectable haemolytic activity. We tested H. ducreyi strains 35000 and 35000-3 for their cytopathic activity against human foreskin fibroblasts (HFFs). We observed strong cytopathic activity when strain 35000 was cocultured with HFFs. In contrast, cytopathic activity was not observed when strain 35000-3 was co-cultured with HFF cells. We also analysed the isogenic pair of H. ducreyi strains for cytopathic activity against HeLa cells and the keratinocyte cell line HaCaT. Strains 35000 and 35000-3 were strongly cytotoxic when co-cultured with HeLa cells. HaCaT monolayers were slightly damaged by cocultivation with strain 35000-3 but this damage was much less than that observed when HaCaT cells were cocultured with strain 35000. These results indicate that the H. ducreyi haemolysin is responsible for the previously observed cytotoxic activity against HFF cells and is partially responsible for the activity observed with HaCaT cells. The haemolysin, however, is not responsible for the activity observed with HeLa cells.