cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lung injury following exposure of rats to relatively high mass concentrations of nitrogen dioxide.

Human inhalation exposures to relatively high mass concentrations of the oxidant gas nitrogen dioxide (NO2) can result in a variety of pulmonary disorders, including life-threatening pulmonary edema, pneumonia, and bronchiolitis obliterans. Inasmuch as most experimental studies to date have examined NO2-induced lung injury following exposures to near ambient or supra-ambient concentrations of NO2, e.g., < or = 50 ppm, little detailed information about the pulmonary injurious responses following the acute inhalation of higher NO2 concentrations that are more commensurate with some actual human exposure conditions is currently available. Described in this report are the results from a series of investigations in which various aspects of the inhalation toxicity of high concentrations of NO2 have been examined in laboratory rats. In the first component of our study, we characterized the kinetic course of development of lung injury following acute exposures to high concentrations of NO2 delivered over varying durations, and we assessed the relative importance of NO2 exposure concentration versus exposure time in producing lung injury. For a given exposure duration, the resulting severity of lung injury was found to generally scale proportionately with inhaled mass concentration, whereas for a given concentration of inhaled NO2, the magnitude of resulting injury was not directly proportional to exposure duration. Moreover, evidence was obtained that indicated exposure concentration is more important than exposure time when high concentrations of NO2 are inhaled. In a second component of our investigation, we assessed the pulmonary injurious response that occurs when NO2 is inhaled during very brief, 'high burst' exposures to very high concentrations of NO2. Such exposures resulted in significant lung injury, with the magnitude of such injury being directly proportional to exposure concentration. Comparisons of results obtained from this and the first component studies additionally revealed that brief exposures to the very high concentrations of NO2 are more hazardous than longer duration exposures to lower concentrations. In a third study series, we examined pre-exposure, exposure, and post-exposure modifiers of NO2-induced lung injury, including dietary taurine, minute ventilation, and post-exposure exercise. Results from these studies indicated: (i) dietary taurine does not protect the rat lung against high concentration NO2 exposure, (ii) the severity of acute lung injury in response to NO2 inhalation is increased by an increase in minute ventilation during exposure, and (iii) the performance of exercise after NO2 exposure can significantly enhance the injurious response to NO2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Sampling and Statistical Considerations for Hydroacoustic Surveys Used in Estimating Abundance of Forage Fishes in Reservoirs

Abstract An understanding of the spatial distribution of forage fish resources is required to make informed fishery management decisions. We used mobile hydroacoustics to assess the distribution and abundance of forage fish in Badin Lake, a reservoir in central North Carolina. By sampling a series of cross-channel and longitudinal transects and analyzing the data using geostatistics, we characterized both large- and small-scale spatial patterns in forage fish density. Forage fish were observed in higher densities in upstream regions of the reservoir and were seen only in surface waters during July 2000 owing to the existence of a strong thermo–oxycline and in two layers (surface and near bottom) during mixed conditions in December 2001. We observed differences in the scale of patchiness (200–700 m) in forage fish distribution depending on the region of the reservoir where sampling took place, and we infer that these patterns are governed by prevailing limnological conditions. Modeling the spatial variatio...
North American Precipitation and Temperature Patterns Associated with the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

Abstract This paper describes an investigation of the “typical” North American precipitation and temperature patterns associated with the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Monthly surface temperature and precipitation data are analyzed using a method designed to identify regions of the globe that have responses associated with ENSO. Monthly composites, covering idealized two-year ENSO episodes, are computed for temperature and precipitation at all stations with data spanning seven or more ENSO events. The firm harmonic is extracted from the 24 monthly composite values and plotted in the form of a two-year harmonic dial vector. When plotted on a map of North America, these vectors reveal both the regions of coherent response and the phase of the responses with respect to the evolution of the ENSO episode. Time series of temperature and precipitation for the regions identified in the harmonic vector maps are examined to determine the magnitudes of the responses and the percentage of the time that the ide...
Thermal Characterization of Prototypical Integral Collector Storage Systems With Immersed Heat Exchangers

Natural convection is measured in an enclosure that represents an integral collector storage system (ICS) with an immersed tube-bundle heat exchanger Heat transfer coefficients for bundles of 240 tubes contained in a thin enclosure of aspect ratio of 9.3:1 and inclined at 30 deg to the horizontal are obtained for a range of transient operating modes and pitch-to-diameter ratios of 1.5, 2.4, and 3.3. Results for isothermal and stratified enclosures yield a correlation for the overall Nusselt number NU D =(2.45 ±0.03)Ra 0.188 D , 230≤Ra D ≤9800. The characteristic temperature difference in the Rayleigh number is that between the average water temperature within the bundle and the tube wall temperature. Nusselt numbers are three times larger than those for a similarly configured single-tube and an eight-tube bundle. This increase is attributed to stronger fluid motion within the bundle and higher overall large scale circulation rates in the enclosure.
Adenosine technetium-99m sestamibi myocardial perfusion SPECT in women: Diagnostic efficacy in detection of coronary artery disease☆

Objectives. This study sought to assess the diagnostic efficacy of adenosine technetium-99m (Tc-99m) sestamibi myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in a consecutive series of female patients. Background. The utility of adenosine myocardial perfusion SPECT for the detection of coronary artery disease is not well defined in women because most studies have described a predominantly male population with a high prevalence of coronary artery disease. Methods. Of the 201 consecutive female patients in the study group who had undergone adenosine Tc-99m sestamibi myocardial perfusion SPECT, 130 had coronary angiography within 2 months of the nuclear test, and the other 71 had a low likelihood (<10%, mean [±SD] 5 ± 3%) of coronary artery disease. The SPECT protocol used separate acquisition of rest thallium-201 and adenosine Tc-99m sestamibi and was visually analyzed in 20 segments with a semiquantitative five-point scoring system (0 = normal; 4 = absent uptake). Results. The normaley rate in patients with a low likelihood of coronary artery disease was 93% (66 of 71). Among the catheterized group, the overall sensitivity, specificity and predictive accuracy of adenosine sestamibi SPECT for detecting coronary artery disease (⪰50% diameter stenosis) were 93% (87 of 94), 78% (28 of 36) and 88% (115 of 130), respectively. In the 103 patients without a prior myocardial infarction, the sensitivity, specificity and predictive accuracy were 91% (61 of 67), 78% (28 of 36) and 86% (89 of 103), respectively, for detecting ⪰50% diameter stenosis. Of particular interest, the sensitivity and specificity were as high in patients with nonanginal symptoms (93% and 69%, respectively) as in patients with angina (92% and 83%, respectively, p = NS). The sensitivity and specificity among patients with a relatively low ( 75%) were similar: 82% and 82%, 93% and 73%, and 95% and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for detecting individual diseased vessels (⪰50% diameter stenosis) were, respectively, 76% and 81% for the left anterior descending coronary artery, 44% and 90% for the left circumflex coronary artery and 75% and 77% for the right coronary artery. Conclusions. Adenosine Tc-99m sestamibi SPECT is an efficient protocol with high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of coronary artery disease in women irrespective of presenting symptoms or pretest likelihood of coronary artery disease and a high normaley rate. These findings are of particular clinical relevance because chest pain, anginal or otherwise, has been shown to be a frequent but a less specific marker for coronary artery disease among female patients.
A sliced gel assay for some enzymes which utilize guanine as substrate.

Abstract A rapid, reasonably sensitive method is described for the location of guanine aminohydrolase and IMP-GMP: pyrophosphate phosphoribosyl-transferase after separation on analytical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The method involves slicing of the gel and is based on the disappearance of guanine as measured by loss of fluorescence at 345 nm when excited at 285 nm in basic solution.
A new limit for the branching ratio for the decay π0 → νν′ from beam-dump experiments

Abstract If the decay π0 → νν′ exists, it would be a source of prompt neutrinos that would emerge from a beam dump. The data from several beam-dump experiments are examined for evidence of this decay and new upper limits, gG(π 0 → ν e g n e /gG(gpsu0 → all) Γ(π 0 → ν μ g n μ )/Γ(π 0 → all ) −6 and Γ(π 0 → ν τ g n τ /Γ(π 0 → all ) −6 ( all 90% CL ) are derived.
Risk assessment in recent clinical trials in sepsis/SIRS: lessons learned and future directions

This presentation reviews recent evidence that the design and analysis of clinical trials in sepsis could be improved by using individualized sepsis specific risk assessments. These individual pati...
Self-disclosure. Reconciling psychoanalytic psychotherapy and alcoholics anonymous philosophy.

Abstract Therapists working in the addictions field and practicing from a psychoanalytic psychodynamic framework are often confronted with the patient’s need to know, the demand for therapist self-disclosure. Consistent with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) principles, many patients state that they cannot be helped unless the therapist is revealing of their personal background. This paper discusses the theoretical roots of therapist self-disclosure and the AA philosophy and offers suggestions for how the two might be reconciled.
Reaction of [PPN][Fe3(CO)CCOC(O)CH3] with the Metal Nucleophile [Re(CO)5]- To Generate a Mixed-Metal Acetylide, [PPN][Fe3(CO)9CCRe(CO)5]

The cluster [PPN][Fe3(CO)9CCOC(O)CH3], 2, reacts with [PPN][Re(CO)5] to generate a metalated acetylide species, [PPN][Fe3(CO)9CCRe(CO)5], 3, which was characterized by infrared and 13C NMR spectroscopy. A byproduct of this reaction, [PPN]2[Fe3(CO)9CCO], appears to result from the attack of [Re(CO)5]- on the acyl carbon in compound 2, and a strategy was devised to suppress this side reaction. The structure of 3 was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The central C−C bond distance is 1.28(1) A.
Safety in High-Voltage Testing [includes discussion]

The well-rounded safety program described here includes electrical and mechanical safeguards, and a continuous education and inspection program by a very active safety committee.
MULTIPLE ADRENAL TRANSPLANTS AND PREMATURE SEX DEVELOPMENT IN FEMALE WHITE RATS

In a series of multiple adrenal gland transplants into immature female white rats, we have been testing whether early sex development will occur following this operation. Method The procedure employed consisted of transplanting six adrenal glands from young adult white rats, nine to ten months old, into the dorsal muscles of immature females, ranging from 16 to 23 days of age. These transplants were made under light ether anaesthesia. Three glands were sutured into the muscles on the left and three on the right side. In all cases the glands were transected before being transplanted. The time the vaginal canal opened, as used by Long and Evans (1) was taken as the indication of sexual development.
Favorable and Unfavorable Attitudes Toward Pregnancy in Primiparae

* Recommended for publication by F. A. Kingsbury, and received in the Editorial Office on February 5, 1937.
Influence of a multifaceted intervention on central line days in intensive care units: Results of a national multisite study

Background Removing unnecessary central lines is a critical step in reducing risk of infection and was 1 focus of a national quality improvement collaborative. We examined if participating adult intensive care units (ICUs) reduced central line days during the project period compared with the period before implementation of the "On the CUSP: Stop BSI" program. Methods We used a linear regression model on a total of 9,225 ICU-quarters of data to examine the effect of the intervention on total central line days of ICU participants in the national project (2008-2012), adjusting for ICU type, hospital characteristics, project cohort, season, and accounting for repeated measures on the same unit and clustering within states using random intercepts. Results The regression results showed no significant change in preintervention quarters. However, significant decreases in total line days started during quarter 4 after intervention and differences were sustained through quarter 6. There were 4% fewer central line catheter days reported at the project's conclusion compared with the baseline. Conclusions To keep central lines from doing patients harm, clinicians must assess the need for lines and remove them as soon as clinically advisable to halt the possibility of infection via the line. Effective communication and empowering providers to identify unnecessarily extended use of central lines could accelerate the realization, someday, of eliminating central line associated bloodstream infections in ICUs.
Cross‐National Analyses of Satisfaction with Democracy and Ideological Congruence

Abstract This article examines ideological ties between citizens and parties in power and its impact on satisfaction with democracy in eight consolidated democracies during the late 1990s. Two main propositions are tested: the winner/loser explanation focuses on the post‐election individual attitudes toward an incumbent government, whereas the congruence explanation underlines the proximity between the voters’ ideological tendencies and the policymaking positions taken by parties. The measure of the ideological proximity improves the existing measure, namely the winner/loser status, that explains the relationship between the political institutions and citizens’ attitude toward political systems. The ordered logit analyses with cluster standard errors of the CSES survey and CMP data set suggest that as the congruence between voter and policy positions rises, satisfaction with democracy also increases.
On Estimating the Time to the First and Between Successive Accidental Mishaps from Quality Control Records

In quality control, QC, an accidental mishap can be defined as an entry either falling below a lower or above upper permitted limits without an apparent cause or early indication that this is about to happen. When the randomly fluctuating entries of a QC chart have independent entries with no trend or periodicity, their distribution can be used to estimate the probability of such a mishap. The entries’ distribution can also be used to estimate the distribution of the times to the first mishap and that of the times between successive mishaps. This is demonstrated with Monte Carlo simulated QC records whose entries’ distribution is normal, representing typical chemical or physical attributes and certain microbial counts, or lognormal, which is frequently encountered in microbial count records. The distribution of the times to cross a lower or upper threshold only is approximately exponential, which has no peak, but whose mean or median can still serve as an intuitive quantitative measure of a process’s degree of risk. When the mishap is defined as crossing either the lower or upper threshold, the distribution of the times between successive mishaps is frequently also exponential but not always. It depends on the entries’ distribution parameters and the thresholds’ magnitudes. In such a case, the most frequent time interval can be identified from the peak of the time intervals’ histogram. The procedures to simulate QC charts having normally or lognormally distributed entries, set the thresholds, plot the histogram of the times to the first mishap or time intervals between successive mishaps, and to calculate the corresponding exponential distribution have been automated. They have been made available on the Internet as a series of freely downloadable interactive Wolfram Demonstrations. These demonstrations, where all the parameters can be entered and modified with sliders on the screen, can serve as an auxiliary tool to quantify the risk of accidental mishaps in actual industrial food and nonfood processes. They can also be used to simulate hypothetical line performance scenarios and examine their consequences.
Orientation and thickness dependence of magnetization at the interfaces of highly spin-polarized manganite thin films

APS/??? Orientation and thickness dependence of magnetization at the interfaces of highly spin polarized manganite thin ﬁlms Rajesh V. Chopdekar, 1, 2, ∗ Elke Arenholz, 3 and Yuri Suzuki 2 School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (Dated: January 14, 2009) Abstract We have probed the nature of magnetism at the surface of (001), (110) and (111)-oriented La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 thin ﬁlms. The spin polarization of La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 thin ﬁlms is not intrinsically suppressed at all surfaces and interfaces but is highly sensitive to both the epitaxial strain state as well as the substrate orientation. Through the use of soft x-ray spectroscopy, the magnetic properties of (001), (110) and (111)-oriented La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 /SrTiO 3 interfaces have been inves- tigated and compared to bulk magnetometry and resistivity measurements. The magnetization of (110) and (111)-oriented La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 /SrTiO 3 interfaces are more bulk-like as a function of thickness whereas the magnetization at the (001)-oriented La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 /SrTiO 3 interface is sup- pressed signiﬁcantly below a layer thickness of 20 nm. Such ﬁndings are correlated with the biaxial strain state of the La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 ﬁlms; for a given ﬁlm thickness it is the tetragonal distortion of (001) La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 that severely impacts the magnetization, whereas the trigonal distortion for (111)-oriented ﬁlms and monoclinic distortion for (110)-oriented ﬁlms have less of an impact. These observations provide evidence that surface magnetization and thus spin polarization depends strongly on the crystal surface orientation as well as epitaxial strain. PACS numbers: 73.50.Jt, 75.47.Gk, 75.70.-i
Accumulation and crop uptake of soil mineral nitrogen as influenced by tillage, cover crops, and nitrogen fertilization

Management practices may influence soil N levels due to crop uptake and leaching. We evaluated the effects of three tillage practices [no-till (NT), strip till (ST), and chisel till (CT)], four cover crops [hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), rye (Secale cereale L.), vetch 1 rye biculture, and winter weeds or no cover crop], and three N fertilization rates (0, 60–65, and 120–130 kg N ha 21 )o n NH 4–N and NO3–N contents in Dothan sandy loam (fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic, Plinthic Paleudults), and N uptake by cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] from 2000 to 2002 in central Georgia. Nitrogen content was higher in vetch and vetch 1 rye than in rye and weeds. Soil NH4–N content at 0 to 30 cm was higher at harvest than at planting, and higher in NT or vetch with 120 to 130 kg N ha 21 than with other treatments. The NO3–N content at 0 to 120 cm varied with date of sampling and was higher with vetch than with rye and weeds. The NO3–N content at 0 to 10 cm was higher in CT with vetch than in NTand STwith rye or weeds. From November 2000 to April 2001 and from November 2001 to April 2002, N loss from crop residue and soil at 0 to 120 cm was higher with vetch than with other cover crops. Nitrogen removed by cotton lint was higher with rye than with other cover crops in 2000 and higher with 0 and 60 than with 120 kg N ha 21 in 2002, but N removed by sorghum grain and cotton and sorghum biomass were higher with vetch than with rye, and higher with 120 to 130 than with 0 kg N ha 21 . Because of higher N supply, vetch increased soil mineral N and cotton and sorghum N uptake compared with rye, but also increased the potential for N leaching. The potential for N leaching can be reduced and crop N uptake can be optimized by mixing vetch with rye.
Diet, genetics and hypertension.

It is generally accepted that genetics play a significant role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Since hypertension often follows kidney transplantation, candidate genes have been sought and found in the kidneys of rats and humans. One well-recognized, inherited influence on blood pressure (BP) occurs via abnormal renal sodium handling in vivo. Further, abnormal renal sodium handling is seen in isolated kidneys of genetically hypertensive rats. People who have a relative inability to handle a sodium load properly, and retain it inappropriately, often develop high BP and are referred to as “salt-sensitive”. More than half of patients diagnosed with essential hypertension are salt-sensitive. In contrast to the deleterious effects associated with high sodium intake, many believe that ingestion of more potassium, calcium, and magnesium may influence BP favorably. The beneficial effects of these ions work, at least in part, through an effect on sodium balance, i.e. a diuretic influence. In support of this c...
Euler Teaches a Class in Structural Steel Design.

Even before steel was a topic of formal study for structural engineers, the brilliant eighteenth century Swiss mathematician and physicist, Leonhard Euler (1707-1783), investigated the theory governing the elastic behaviour of columns, the results of which are incorporated into the American Institute of Steel Construction's (AISC's) Bible: the Steel Construction Manual. Each semester as the author teaches the introductory undergraduate 'Structural Steel Design' course, when arriving at the subject of compression members, he insists on first explaining in detail the mathematical contributions of Euler to the theory of elastic buckling, based on the subject of differential equations - the contents of which constitute this article - before commencing with issues pertaining to engineering design.
Thermalization of Baryon Asymmetry

Abstract In an expanding and cooling universe, baryon asymmetry generated through baryon-and CP -violating interactions in the early high temperature stages will tend at later stages to thermalize toward a situation of reduced baryon asymmetry. We analyze this thermalization effect in the context of the SU(5) model of grand unification. The thermalization is characterized by distinctive eigenmodes. For SU(5) we observe that there is one particular mode that does not thermalize at all.
Pointwise evaluation of Bochner integrals in Marcinkiewcz spaces

Abstract Let M p , 1 p M p are equivalence classes of Borel measurable scalar-valued functions on the reals. Let F be an M p -valued function on a set Λ which is Bochner integrable with respect to a δ-finite measure μ over Λ. In Theorem I it is shown that there exists a function-valued function G on Λ such that for μ almost all λ, G ( λ ) is a representative of F ( λ ), and the function of t obtained by integrating, for each t , the scalar-valued function ( G (·))( t ) with respect to μ, is a representative of the Bochner integral of F . In Theorem II we find a large class of functions G for which the above holds. We thereby extend the work of Dunford and Schwartz on L p spaces to the M p spaces. Some applications of these theorems in the study of infinitesimal generators and convolutions are indicated.
Ultrasonic investigation of the electron—phonon interaction in superconducting high purity rhenium

Abstract The attenuation of transverse ultrasonic waves propagating along the c -axis in high purity rhenium has been measured in the normal and superconducting states. A high temperature superconducting gap parameter or 3.80 ± 0.20 was found, and the sharp drop in attenuation at T c was investigated.
The Reparative Motive in Surrogate Mothers

ABSTRACT This paper explores the motivations of surrogate mothers, with a focus on the underlying reparative motive. An overview of the typical surrogate's characteristics and personality, the theoretical underpinnings of the reparative motive, and the tension between reparation and loss in the surrogate are considered. Clinical material from psychological evaluations of women pursuing a surrogate pregnancy is presented to illustrate.
Estimating urban trail traffic: Methods for existing and proposed trails

Abstract The paper presents findings from the most comprehensive, continuous trail monitoring system in the United States, a network of 30 infrared monitors on five multiuse trails in Indianapolis, Indiana operating for periods of one to more than four years. We describe variation in traffic across different trails and segments of individual trails and present traffic ratios that describe variations in traffic by month, day of week, and time of day. We also present regression models for estimating traffic from temporal, weather, socio-demographic, and urban form variables. We propose and validate procedures for use of traffic ratios to extrapolate hourly counts to annual estimates and use of regression models to estimate traffic. Our procedures provide estimates within 20–30% of actual counts. Limitations of the models are noted. Potential applications range from forecasting traffic on proposed new trails to assessing the need for safety improvements such as stop lights at intersections.
A Common Ankyrin-G-Based Mechanism Retains KCNQ and NaV Channels at Electrically Active Domains of the Axon

KCNQ (KV7) potassium channels underlie subthreshold M-currents that stabilize the neuronal resting potential and prevent repetitive firing of action potentials. Here, antibodies against four different KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 polypeptide epitopes show these subunits concentrated at the axonal initial segment (AIS) and node of Ranvier. AIS concentration of KCNQ2 and KCNQ3, like that of voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels, is abolished in ankyrin-G knock-out mice. A short motif, common to KCNQ2 and KCNQ3, mediates both in vivo ankyrin-G interaction and retention of the subunits at the AIS. This KCNQ2/KCNQ3 motif is nearly identical to the sequence on NaV α subunits that serves these functions. All identified NaV and KCNQ genes of worms, insects, and molluscs lack the ankyrin-G binding motif. In contrast, vertebrate orthologs of NaV α subunits, KCNQ2, and KCNQ3 (including from bony fish, birds, and mammals) all possess the motif. Thus, concerted ankyrin-G interaction with KCNQ and NaV channels appears to have arisen through convergent molecular evolution, after the division between invertebrate and vertebrate lineages, but before the appearance of the last common jawed vertebrate ancestor. This includes the historical period when myelin also evolved.
Widespread reduction of somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in the cerebral cortex in Alzheimer's disease

Although several studies have documented reduced concentrations of somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) in the cerebral cortex in Alzheimer's disease, there is controversy concerning the extent and importance of these changes. We measured SLI in brains obtained post mortem from 12 patients with pathologically confirmed Alzheimer's disease and from 13 neurologically normal controls. All major cortical and subcortical regions were examined. Widespread reductions of SLI in Alzheimer's disease cerebral cortex were found, with the most profound changes seen in temporal lobe; but there also were major reductions in both the frontal and occipital cortex. There were no significant reductions in subcortical regions. Characterization of SLI by high-pressure liquid chromatography showed no significant difference in profiles between Alzheimer's disease and control frontal cortex. These results suggest that the reduction in somatostatin immunoreactivity in Alzheimer's disease may be caused by degeneration of intrinsic somatostatin cortical neurons.
Toward deeply virtualized elastic optical networks

We discuss the virtualization in optical networks from the elastic networking level to sliceable equipment level. We propose a novel transport system architecture based on equipment level virtualization that achieves fine granular sub-port level grooming in the optical domain.
Synthesis, processing and properties of conjugated polymer networks

Despite the diverse research activities focused on the chemistry, materials science and physics of conjugated polymers, the feature of conjugated cross-links, which can provide electronic communication between chains, has received little attention. This situation may be a direct consequence of the challenge to introduce such links while retaining adequate processability. Focusing on recent studies of materials for which charge transport or electrical conductivity data are available, this feature article attempts to present an overview of the synthesis, processing and electronic properties of conjugated polymer networks. For the purpose of this discussion, two distinctly separate architectures—featuring covalent cross-links on the one hand and non-covalent organometallic bridges on the other—are treated in separate sections. The available data indicate that cross-linking can have significant benefits for intermolecular charge transfer if the polymers are carefully designed.
The Therapist as Translator: Reconstructing Communication

This column Provides aforum within which you, the reader, may share with your colleagues some of the creative techniques that you have successfully developed or adapted in your practice with couples and families. Others may be able to adapt your techniquefor their own use or they may be stimulated by it to invent related techniques. Please submit your manuscripts double spaced to Robert Sherman, Column Editor, 12 Berkshire Drive, Cranbury, NJ 08512-4718, or send to the Editor of this journal indicating that the manuscript is intended for this column.
Li receives Outstanding Student Award

The Mineral and Rock Physics Committee chose Baosheng Li as the 1996 recipient of the Outstanding Student Award, which was presented at the Mineral and Rock Physics Reception at the AGU Fall Meeting. He has distinguished himself through outstanding contributions in the field of mineral physics. Specifically, Li has synthesized superb quality specimens of high-pressure phases of candidate mantle minerals, and in close collaboration with others, he has pioneered new and innovative experimental techniques to measure the properties of these potential mantle minerals under in situ conditions. He is acknowledged for his care in executing experiments and their subsequent analysis. A truly outstanding young scientist, Li is destined to become one of the leaders in the Earth sciences. Not only is he endowed with scientific prowess, but he also possesses the leadership qualities that enable him to stimulate his colleagues in collaborative research efforts.
Roles of type I and II corticosteroid receptors in regulation of basal activity in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis during the diurnal trough and the peak : evidence for a nonadditive effect of combined receptor occupation

Negative feedback regulation of basal activity in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis requires less corticosterone (B) at the trough (morning) than at the peak (evening) of the diurnal rhythm. It has been hypothesized that in the morning in rats, occupation of the high affinity, type I corticosteroid receptors is sufficient to inhibit adrenalectomy (ADX)-induced increases in plasma ACTH secretion, whereas in the evening, regulation occurs through the occupation of the lower affinity type II corticosteroid receptors. To examine this hypothesis, the sensitivity of ACTH to inhibition by two different doses of B or of dexamethasone (DEX) were compared in ADX rats killed in the morning or the evening (B has a higher affinity for type I receptors in vitro and in vivo; in vivo, DEX has a higher affinity for type II receptors). The requirement for greater concentrations of corticosteroids to inhibit ACTH secretion in the evening was verified. The effect of these treatments on the number of neurons immuno...
Polyphosphate Present in DNA Preparations from Filamentous Fungal Species of Colletotrichum Inhibits Restriction Endonucleases and Other Enzymes

During the development of a procedure for the isolation of total genomic DNA from filamentous fungi (Rodriguez, R. J., and Yoder, O.C., Exp. Mycol. 15, 232-242, 1991) a cell fraction was isolated which inhibited the digestion of DNA by restriction enzymes. After elimination of DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids, the active compound was purified by gel filtration to yield a single fraction capable of complete inhibition of restriction enzyme activity. The inhibitor did not absorb uv light above 220 nm, and was resistant to alkali and acid at 25 degrees C and to temperatures as high as 100 degrees C. More extensive analyses demonstrated that the inhibitor was also capable of inhibiting T4 DNA ligase and TaqI DNA polymerase, but not DNase or RNase. Chemical analyses indicated that the inhibitor was devoid of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids but rich in phosphorus. A combination of nuclear magnetic resonance, metachromatic shift of toluidine blue, and gel filtration indicated that the inhibitor was a polyphosphate (polyP) containing approximately 60 phosphate molecules. The mechanism of inhibition appeared to involve complexing of polyP to the enzymatic proteins. All species of Colletotrichum analyzed produced polyP equivalent in chain length and concentration. A modification to the original DNA extraction procedure is described which eliminates polyP and reduces the time necessary to obtain DNA of sufficient purity for restriction enzyme digestion and TaqI polymerase amplification.
Erosive dynamics of channels incised by subsurface water flow

[1] We propose a dynamical model for channels incised into an erodible bed by subsurface water flow. The model is validated by the time-resolved topographic measurements of channel growth in a laboratory-scale experiment. Surface heights in the experiment are measured via a novel laser-aided imaging technique. The erosion rate in the model is composed of diffusive and advective components as well as a simple driving term due to the seeping water. Steady driving conditions may exist whenever channels are incised into a flat and level erodible bed by a water table replenished via steady (on average) rainfall. Under such steady driving conditions, the model predicts an asymptotically self-similar growing shape for the channel transects. Conversely, given a transect shape that evolved under steady driving conditions and an estimate of the erosion rate at the bottom of the channel, granular transport coefficients can be inferred from the static channel shape. We report an estimate of these transport coefficients for a system of ravines incised into unconsolidated sand in the Apalachicola River basin, Florida.
Optimal mode of transesophageal atrial pacing

Abstract The optimal mode of transesophageal atrial pacing was determined by clinical electrophysiologic studies in 15 healthy adult volunteers. The point at which the unipolar atrial electrogram was biphasic and largest in amplitude (35.4 ± 1.6 cm from the incisors) was considered the best stimulation site for atrial pacing. The stimulation threshold on bipolar pacing (using the proximal pole as cathode and the distal pole as anode) at this site was 27 ± 7 mA, which was significantly lower (p
Integral form of the equation of transfer for an isotropically scattering, inhomogeneous solid cylinder

Abstract The integral form of the equation of radiative transfer is developed for an absorbing, emitting, gray, isotropically scattering, inhomogeneous, solid cylinder with internal energy sources, subjected to externally incident radiation, and having both specular and diffuse reflection at the boundary surface. Under this transformation, the number of independent variables is reduced from three to one, thus enhancing the possibility of obtaining the solution of the original problem more efficiently and more accurately.
Coronary Hemodynamics and Myocardial Oxygen Metabolism during Oxygen Breathing in Patients with and without Coronary Artery Disease

Oxygen in high concentration (arterial pO2 over 400 mm Hg), administered for 7-10 minutes to six subjects with normal coronary arteries and nine subjects with coronary artery disease caused the following significant changes: The heart rate and cardiac index decreased in both groups. The mean arterial pressure increased in the coronary group. The coronary sinus blood flow fell from 158 ± 11 (mean ± sem) to 131 ± 13 in the noncoronary and from 151 ± 14 to 138 ± 14 ml/min in the coronary group, due to an increase in coronary resistance. The coronary sinus oxygen tension increased from 19 ± 1 to 22 ± 1 in the noncoronary and from 19 ± 1 to 24 ± 1 mm Hg in the coronary group. The coronary arteriovenous oxygen difference decreased from 13.2 ± 0.6 to 12.5 ± 0.6 ml/100 ml in the coronary group. Left ventricular oxygen consumption fell from 21.5 ± 2.1 to 18.2 ± 2.4 in the noncoronary and from 19.9 ± 2.0 to 16.7 ± 1.7 ml/min in the coronary group. Myocardial lactate extraction increased from 40 ± 9 to 60 ± 4 and fr...
Coulomb-gas representation on higher-genus surfaces

Abstract In this paper we use the Coulomb-gas approach to construct the minimal-model conformal blocks of higher-genus Riemann surfaces. We define the higher-genus blocks by sewing, and write them in terms of the rational blocks of a compactified scalar field. We show that spurious states decouple, which implies that the blocks degenerate correctly. As an example, we compute the genus-two partition function, and verify modular invariance for the subset of minimal models which only require one type of screening charge.
Eyes in the interface

Abstract Computer vision has a significant role to play in the human-computer interaction (HCI) devices of the future. All computer input devices serve one essential purpose. They transduce some motion or energy from a human agent into machine useable signals. One may therefore think of input devices as the ‘perceptual organs’ by which computers sense the intents of their human users. We outline the role computer vision will play, highlight the impediments to the development of vision-based interfaces, and propose an approach for overcoming these impediments. Prospective vision research areas for HCI include human face recognition, facial expression interpretation, lip reading, head orientation detection, eye gaze tracking three-dimensional finger pointing, hand tracking, hand gesture interpretation and body pose tracking. For vision-based interfaces to make any impact, we will have to embark on an expansive approach, which begins with the study of the interaction modality we seek to implement. We illustrate our approach by discussing our work on vision-based hand gesture interfaces. This work is based on information from such varied disciplines as semiotics, anthropology, neurophysiology, neuropsychology and psycholinguistics. Concentrating on communicative (as opposed to manipulative) gestures, we argue that interpretation of a large number of gestures involves analysis of image dynamics to identify and characterize the gestural stroke, locating the stroke extrema in ordinal 3D space, and recognizing the hand pose at stroke extrema. We detail our dynamic image analysis algorithm which enforces our constraints: directional variance, spatial cohesion, directional cohesion and path cohesion. The clustered vectors characterize the motion of a gesturing hand.
Functional changes in the descending antinociceptive system of morphine-dependent rats.

Abstract Functional changes of the descending antinociceptive system were studied in morphine-dependent rats by two types of experiments: (a) by recording the effects produced on nociceptive responses of the somesthetic thalamus by stimulation of the nucleus raphe magnus (NRM), and (b) by analyzing changes in the tonic activity of neurons in the periaqueductal gray matter (PAG). Poststimulus time histograms indicated that the input of A-alpha, A-delta, and C fibers into the spinal cord was conveyed via the spinothalamic tract (STT) to particular neurons of the nucleus ventralis posterolateralis (nVPL). Spikes of their responses were grouped in a short-latency burst followed by late spikes that occurred at the appropriate intervals for the arrival of the excitations originally initiated in the A-delta and C fibers. Only the histograms with late peaks were evaluated for the influence of the antinociceptive system. Stimulation of the NRM prior to stimulation of the sciatic nerve promptly suppressed the late (A-delta and C-fiber) peaks in morphine-naive animals. In morphine-dependent rats, NRM stimulation had little or no effect on the histograms. 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) had no effect on the nVPL neurons in morphine-naive rats, but in the morphine-dependent rats it renewed the ability of NRM stimulation to suppress the late activity. The tonic activity of the PAG neurons was significantly higher in morphine-dependent compared with that of the morphine-naive animals. Naloxone had a differential effect on the activity of the PAG neurons with regard to the two types of animals: it decreased the PAG activity drastically in the morphine-dependent rats. Apparently, the high tonic activity induced in the PAG by repeated administration of morphine acts on the descending antinociceptive fibers of the NRM and exhausts the synaptic transmitter substance, serotonin, in the NRM terminals, thus decreasing the ability of these terminals to block A-delta and C-fiber excitation of the STT. By assisting the synthesis of serotonin, 5-HTP renews the capacity of the NRM fibers to counteract STT excitation, and thus reinstates the normal function of the antinociceptive system.
The Effects of Hypoxemia on Cardiac Output: A Dose-Response Curve

To establish a dose-response curve for the effects of isocapnic hypoxemia on cardiac output (CO), we studied 20 healthy men, aged 20 to 34 years, using a tight-fitting face mask and an isocapnic partial rebreathing system (a modified anesthesia machine). We blended oxygen and hypoxic gas to achieve arterial oxygen saturations (SaO 2 ) of 80, 85, and 90 percent; subjects also breathed 100 percent oxygen and room air (RA). Target SaO 2 and end-tidal carbon dioxide were continuously monitored using an ear oximeter and CO 2 gas analyzer. Subjects experienced the five SaO 2 measurements in random order. CO was measured noninvasively at approximately two-minute intervals, using continuous-wave Doppler echocardiography. Mean cardiac output increased with increasing hypoxemia from 6.84 L/min at FI O 2 1.0 to 8.44 L/min at SaO 2 80 percent (p
Presurgical curettage appropriately reduces the number of Mohs stages by better delineating the subclinical extensions of tumor margins.

Background. Whether presurgical curettage (PC), light curettage performed before Mohs surgery to delineate tumor margin, is appropriate or causes unnecessary removal of normal tissue has not been well established. Objective. We aim to determine histologically whether PC appropriately increases the size of the stage I specimen or causes unnecessary removal of healthy tissue. Methods. Before a surgical margin guided by PC was taken, a hypothetical margin determined by visual and tactile assessment alone (no curettage [NC]) was marked outside the clinically defined tumor. Histologic analysis at the NC and the PC margins revealed whether the increase in the stage I specimen as a result of PC was appropriate. Results. PC appropriately increased the stage I specimen in 21 cases and unnecessarily removed normal tissue in only 1 case. The estimation of tumor margins with PC was 15 times more accurate than with NC (p value = .0012). Conclusion. For basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas at least 4 mm in diameter, light curettage performed prior to Mohs surgery could better delineate subclinical extensions of the tumor margin and appropriately increase the size of the stage I specimen.
Temperature Effects on Development and Fecundity of the Citrus Rust Mite (Acari: Eriophyidae)

The development and fecundity of the citrus rust mite, Phyllocoptruta oleivora (Ashmead) were studied under constant temperatures ranging from 14 to 31°C. The developmental threshold based on mean generation time was 11.07°C. The highest developmental rate occurred at 29°C. The intrinsic rate of increase, net reproduction, total egg production, and mean generation time were fitted to functions of temperature. The optimal temperature for mite population growth as measured by both r and R was ≈25°C. The cumulative emergence and egg production wcre fitted to 2-variable logistic distribution functions of temperature and cohort age. The probability density function is also derived and truncated so that it will integrate to 1 over time between 0 and + ∞. In our case, ignoring the truncation results in an error on the order of 0.005. The established functions will be used to build a mite population model, but they should be generally useful to researchers who describe insect development and phenology.
Periodontal Disease and Other Nontraditional Risk Factors for CKD

Background Chronic kidney disease, undiagnosed in a significant number of adults, is a public health problem. Given the systemic inflammatory response to periodontal disease, we hypothesized that periodontal disease could be associated with chronic kidney disease. Study Design Cross-sectional. Setting & Participants We identified 12,947 adults 18 years or older with information for kidney function and at least one risk factor in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Predictor The main predictor was periodontal status. Other nontraditional and traditional risk factors included socioeconomic status, health status, health behavior, biomarker levels, anthropometric assessment, and health care utilization. Outcomes & Measurements Chronic kidney disease was defined using the Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative stages 3 and 4 with a moderate to severe decrease in kidney function (glomerular filtration rate, 15 to 59 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models assessed the associations between chronic kidney disease and periodontal disease and other nontraditional risk factors. Results Chronic kidney disease prevalence was 3.6%; periodontal disease prevalence was 6.0%; and edentulism prevalence was 10.5%. Adults with periodontal disease and edentulous adults were twice as likely to have chronic kidney disease (adjusted odds ratio, 1.60; 95% confidence interval, 1.16 to 2.21; adjusted odds ratio, 1.85; 95% confidence interval, 1.34 to 2.56, respectively) after simultaneously adjusting for other traditional and nontraditional risk factors. Limitations Temporal association is unknown. Conclusions Periodontal disease and its severe consequence, edentulism, were independently associated with chronic kidney disease after adjusting for other traditional and nontraditional risk factors. This model could contribute to identifying individuals at risk of chronic kidney disease and reduce its burden.