cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Objective Evaluation of Results of a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program in a Community Hospital

Objective evidence of improvement from participation in an outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program in a community hospital is shown. Selection criteria included a decrease in functional capacity due to pulmonary disease, stability of underlying pulmonary disease, proper motivation, the absence of other significant diseases, and evidence of continued improvement in the course of the program. Objective evidence of improved functional ability, as measured by treadmill exercise testing and improved understanding of their disease, was demonstrated in 86 percent of patients who completed the program. An increased work load was performed at a lower heart rate and respiratory rate. Eleven of 41 patients reached anaerobic threshold at a higher work load. Most importantly, however, was improved quality of life. In follow-up of 101 patients from one to five years later, 31.7 percent remained improved, while 31.7 percent had died, and 36.5 percent were worse from progression of pulmonary or occurrence of other diseases. Outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation can be objectively shown to be an important therapeutic tool in the treatment of patients with pulmonary disease. (Chest 1988; 94:1156-60)
Biomechanics of skeletal muscle capillaries: Hemodynamic resistance, endothelial distensibility, and pseudopod formation

The objective of this study was to investigate the structure of capillaries in rat skeletal muscle and their mechanical properties over a wide range of transmural pressures. Capillaries were fixed at controlled pressures and studied with intravital and electron microscopy. Capillary lumen dimensions depend on the local transmural pressure, with irregular and partially collapsed cross-sections at low transmural pressures and circular cross-sections at elevated pressures. The average circumferential wall stress is a nonlinear function of the circumferential stretch. Elevation of the transcapillary pressure serves to increase the endothelial surface area exposed to the lumen and to the basement membrane while the average endothelial thickness and cell volume decrease. The number of vesicles in the endothelium and their average size decrease with the stretching of the endothelial cell. The balance of membrane area measurements on the vesicles and on the cell surface show that the total membrane surface is conserved at all pressures, and the vesicles become unfolded during stretching of the endothelial cells. This suggests that the vesicle membrane serves as a reservoir for the increase of endothelial surface membrane area during capillary distension. Under normal or elevated capillary pressure, virtually no evidence for pseudopod formation by the endothelial cells was detected. If the capillary transmural pressure was reduced to zero in the presence of autologous plasma for periods of about 10 min, limited evidence for pseudopods in less than 10% of the capillary sections was seen. If the muscle capillaries were perfused with plasmalyte and fixed at low pressures, all capillaries exhibited pseudopod formation. Addition of plasma proteins prevented most pseudopod formations. Endothelial pseudopods are depleted of vesicles and form sheet-like projections. Once pseudopods are formed at low pressure, they cannot readily be unfolded by elevation of the capillary transmural pressure. Pseudopods appear to consist of a crosslinked actin matrix and may have a strong effect on the resistance to blood flow in capillaries. These results may be relevant with respect to capillary blood flow at low pressures.
Baroclinic and topographic influences on the transport in western boundary currents

Abstract One of the central unsolved theoretical problems of the large scale ocean circulation is concerned with explaining the very large transports measured in western boundary currents such as the Gulf Stream and the Kuroshio. The only theory up to now that can explain the size of these transports is that of non-linear recirculation in which the advective terms in the momentum equations became important near the western boundary. In this paper an alternative explanation is suggested. When bottom topography and baroclinic effects are included in a wind-driven ocean model it is shown that the western boundary current can have a transport larger than that predicted from the wind stress distribution even when the nonlinear advective terms are ignored. The explanation lies in the presence of pressure torques associated with bottom topography which can contribute to the vorticity balance in the same sense as the wind stress curl. Three numerical experiments have been carried out to explore the nature of this...
A population exposure model for particulate matter: case study results for PM 2.5 in Philadelphia, PA

A population exposure model for particulate matter: case study results for PM 2.5 in Philadelphia, PA
A study on washing resistance of pp-HMDSO films deposited on wool fabrics for anti-pilling purposes

Abstract In this work plasma polymerized coatings for anti-pilling purposes were deposited on knitted wool fabrics by means of a capacitively coupled RF discharge reactor using hexamethyldisiloxane as precursor. Their resistance to dry and wet cleaning was investigated and compared to that of a wet chemically deposited coating. Different gas mixtures and pre-treatment steps were tested to adjust the plasma process and to improve the film adhesion. An evaluation of the silica-like coatings behaviour to the washing stresses was performed by means of Fourier transform infrared and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Anti-pilling performances of untreated, plasma-treated, and wet chemically treated wool fabrics were assessed.
Unusually large sex chromosomes in the sitatunga ( Tragelaphus spekei ) and the blackbuck ( Antilope cervicapra )

Sex chromosomes in mammals are generally of the XY type with the X chromosome constituting 5% by weight of the haploid chromosomal complement. Unusually large sex chromosomes have been described in a few species all of which belong to theRodentia, but two members of theArtiodactyla, the African sitatunga and the Indian blackbuck, have now been found to have this peculiarity. The sitatunga has an X chromosome that represents 13.08% and a Y that represents 7.29% of the haploid complement, and the X of the blackbuck represents 14.96% of its haploid complement. Portions of both extra large sex chromosomes in a pair are late replicating. Theories concerning the formation of these outsized chromosomes are discussed.
Behavioral and neurochemical correlates of morphine and hypoxia interactions

Decreased oxygen availability (hypoxia) impairs the synthesis of dopamine and serotonin in parallel with a decline in open-field behavior. If hypoxic-induced deficits in dopamine and serotonin metabolism are physiologically important, then stimulation of their synthesis may help reverse hypoxic-induced neurochemical and behavioral deficits. Acute morphine sulfate (50 mg/kg) increased dihydroxyphenylacetic acid/dopamine ratios (DOPAC/DA) (+20%), the conversion of [3H]tyrosine to [3H]dopamine (+73%) and open-field activity (+130%) in CD-1 male mice. However, morphine failed to significantly alter the incorporation of [3H]tryptophan to [3H]serotonin. Morphine antagonized the hypoxic-induced impairment of dopamine metabolism and locomotor activity. DOPAC/DA ratios of hypoxic animals that were treated with morphine were identical to controls, and conversion rates of [3H]tyrosine to [3H]dopamine were increased. Total distance in an automated activity monitor following the combination of morphine and hypoxia increased 79% compared to a 48% decrease with hypoxia alone. These results suggest that both hypoxia and morphine alter the dopaminergic system, but in opposite directions. These interactions may help to explain why morphine is able to ameliorate hypoxic-induced changes in behavior.
What Children Need - by Jane Waldfogel

What Children Need. Jane Waldfogel. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 2006. 269 pp. ISBN 0-674-02212-2. $35.00 (hardcover). What do children need? That has been the driving question of family and developmental research for decades. Clearly, we have come up with some very good answers to this question. What is equally clear is that those answers have not filtered down (up?) to policymakers. Part of the blame must be placed squarely on us, the researchers. We have not done a good job of translating our findings into a language that policymakers can understand. That must change. This book represents Jane Waldfogel's admirable attempt at just such a translation, and she does it with great aplomb. The basic point of this cogent, readable book is that the large body of knowledge on children and youth generated by social and behavioral scientists must be streamlined, organized, and summarized into a simple, straightforward story that will be both accessible and persuasive to those who make family policy and to the fami lies who are the focus of that policy. In pursuing this goal, Waldfogel has three guiding principles: improving the choice set available to parents, promoting quality of assistance to parents, and supporting the employment of parents. She succinctly describes the scientific evidence relevant to each of these points with a special focus on the cost: benefit efficiency and equity implications of various policy approaches suggested by this evidence. Her basic recommendations are to create specific federal and lower level policy initiatives that give parents' flexibility in balancing their work and home lives, break the link between employment and benefit receipt, provide more options for parental care in the first year of children's lives, and increase the quantity and quality of care options from birth through adolescence. Four aspects of this book, in particular, are worthy of praise. First, unlike so many researchers, Waldfogel focuses not just on what is good or bad for young people but also on what can legitimately be changed to help them. In this vein, she targets aspects of childhood ecology, like child care, that have a long history in the policy arena rather than on more emotional and psychological aspects of family life that, while powerfully important, are less amenable to policy intervention. second, rather than take a one size fits all approach, Waldfogel tailors both her review of evidence and her recommendations for action to four specific stages: infancy, preschool, school age, and adolescence. …
Linking firm performance to the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award implementation effort using multiattribute utility theory

Executives are searching for ways to deliver consistent improvements in productivity and profitability while addressing economic realities. One initiative that has been discovered by many organizations is the integration a quality process into their or ganization that is based on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA). Many studies have been done showing that award winning companies tend to out perform peers and competitors, yet many managers are reluctant to under take the large initiative required to work toward the award. This reluctance may stem from the belief that the reported benefits are not those that are important for managers to justify the effort. The purpose of this research is to begin an exploratory study that examines the expectations of company managers, executives, and other professionals regarding the types of firm performance and returns that would be needed to justify undertaking the MBNQA process. The results showed that while financial performance of the firm is the strongest justification managers consider, and that while their expectations for improved financial performance are some what high, the financial returns are certainly not out of the realm of normal expectations for returns from other projects.
Variability in the Material Properties of Polymer Matrix Composites for Marine Structures

The test results from a composite material round robin manufacturing study are presented. The objective of the study was to investigate material property variability when different manufacturers were used to fabricate identical composite parts. The study was part of an ongoing Office of Naval Research project to determine the causes of material property variability of E-glass/vinyl-ester structural composites fabricated with a vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process. The manufacturers that participated in the study consisted of five industrial composite fabricators that either had experience with U.S. naval fabrication projects or possessed commercial marine fabrication experience. The materials specified for the study were a 24 oz woven roving E-glass fabric and a rubber-toughened vinyl-ester resin system. The tests performed included constituent volume, tension, compression, in-plane shear, and flexure. The material coupon tests were performed on 5.1 mm (0.20 in.) thick cross-ply laminates in a warps parallel lay-up. A three-dimensional digital image correlation system was used to measure strain during testing to reduce the variability often experienced when using conventional foil strain gauges on heavy woven fabrics. The results of the testing indicated that compression had the most variability in both strength and modulus, which was attributed to the waviness of the fabric, while the flexural strength and tensile modulus had the least amount of variability.
Isolation and characterization of sarcoplasmic reticulum from normal and dystrophic chicken

Purified sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles from normal and dystrophic chicken skeletal muscle have been isolated by a procedure employing pressure disruption of a microsomal suspension. The dystrophic sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) exhibited reduced Ca++ transport and phosphoenzyme formation, but the Ca++-ATPase activity was normal. Normal and dystrophic SR showed similar lipid profiles, except for a significant increase in free fatty acids in the dystrophic SR. Investigations involving the interaction of oleic acid with normal SR showed fatty acids can induce conditions similar to those found in dystrophic SR.
A unification of Liouvillian extensions

We generalize Liouville's theory of elementary functions to a larger class of differential extensions. Elementary, Liouvillian and trigonometric extensions are all special cases of our extensions. In the transcendental case, we show how the rational techniques of integration theory can be applied to our extensions, and we give a unified presentation which does not require separate cases for different monomials.
LEAD AND NICKEL REMOVAL USING MICROSPORA AND LEMNA MINOR

Aquatic plants can remove heavy metal contamination from the surrounding water. This study examined the ability of Microspora (a macro-alga) and Lemna minor (an aquatic plant) to remove soluble lead and nickel under various laboratory conditions. Microspora was tested in a batch and semi-batch process for lead removal. L. minor was tested in a batch process with lead and nickel to examine the potential competition between metals for adsorption. The Microspora was exposed to 39.4 mg/l of lead over 10 days. Results show up to 97% of the lead was removed in the batch process and 95% in the semi-batch process. Initial concentrations below 50 mg/l (a dose that kills the algae) had no effect on the final concentration. The L. minor was exposed to lead and nickel using a full 3(2) factorial experimental design (nine experiments, plus replications). Initial lead concentrations were 0.0, 5.0, and 10.0 mg/l, and nickel concentrations were 0.0, 2.5, and 5.0 mg/l in the experiment. Overall, L. minor removed 76% of the lead, and 82% of the nickel. No synergistic/antagonistic effect was noted for the multiple metal experiments, in terms of metal removal.
Towards a pharmacological genetics

In the past, pharmacological approaches have been instrumental in identifying proteins involved in biological processes. Combinatorial chemistry has the potential to make this type of approach even more powerful.
Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial of Zonisamide as Adjunctive Treatment for Refractory Partial Seizures

Summary: Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate efficacy and safety of zonisamide (ZNS) as adjunctive treatment for patients with refractory partial seizures. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted at four epilepsy treatment centers. It included a baseline phase (8 to 12 weeks) and a double-blind treatment phase (12 weeks). Initially, patients randomized to ZNS treatment were given a 7-mg/kg/d dosage. When investigators found that adverse effects could be reduced by gradually introducing ZNS, patients were allowed to begin treatment at lower doses (100 mg or ∼1.5 mg/kg/d) titrated over several weeks to a maximum of 400 to 600 mg/d. Primary and secondary efficacy measures were the median percentage reduction from baseline in seizure frequency and the proportion of patients achieving a ≥50% reduction from baseline (responder rate). Patient and physician global assessments also served as indicators of efficacy. Safety was assessed primarily by treatment-emergent adverse events. Results: ZNS-treated patients had a 28.9% reduction in seizure frequency, which differed significantly from the 4.7% increase in placebo-treated patients. The responder rate for ZNS-treated patients was 26.9%, compared with 16.2% for placebo-treated patients. At study’s end, 66.2% of ZNS-treated patients and 12.3% of placebo-treated patients considered their condition improved; similarly, physicians assessed 63.6% of ZNS-treated patients and 10.8% of placebo-treated patients as improved. The most frequently reported adverse events with ZNS treatment included somnolence, irritability, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue. Conclusions: As adjunctive treatment, ZNS was generally well tolerated and significantly improved seizure control among patients with refractory partial seizures. Key Words: Zonisamide—Antiepilepsy drug—Epilepsy—Partialonset seizures—Randomized controlled trial.
Evaluation and management of patellar instability in pediatric and adolescent athletes.

Context:The rising popularity and intensity of youth sports has increased the incidence of patellar dislocation. These sports-related injuries may be associated with significant morbidity in the pediatric population. Treatment requires understanding and attention to the unique challenges in the skeletally immature patient.Evidence Acquisition:PubMed searches spanning 1970-2013.Study Design:Clinical review.Level of Evidence:Level 5.Results:Although nonoperative approaches are most often suitable for first-time patellar dislocations, surgical treatment is recommended for acute fixation of displaced osteochondral fractures sustained during primary instability and for patellar realignment in the setting of recurrent instability. While a variety of procedures can prevent recurrence, the risk of complications is not minimal.Conclusion:Patellar stabilization and realignment procedures in skeletally immature patients with recurrent patellar dislocation can effectively treat patellar instability without untoward e...
In situ hybridization: identification of rare mRNAs in human tissues

In situ hybridization is used for detection of RNA expression when conservation of tissue architecture is important. Most in situ hybridization protocols are written for tissues from animals (i.e., rat) which can be harvested and preserved rapidly. In contrast, human tissue is more difficult to obtain, hence in situ hybridization experiments must frequently be performed with less than optimal tissue preservation. This procedure details hybridization of a radiolabeled single-stranded RNA probe (riboprobe) to complementary sequences of cellular RNA in human tissue sections. This method enables detection of rare mRNA species in specific cell types of human tissue, offering distinct advantages over other in situ methods due to increased sensitivity. In particular, we have found that UV cross-linking and ribonuclease treatment protocols need to be altered for human tissues to ensure successful results, making this protocol unique to those previously described. In situ hybridization experiments can be performed using either DNA or RNA probes. RNA probes are advantageous since they form stable hybrids, are single-stranded, have little or no reannealing during hybridization, and can be synthesized to high specific activity. RNA probes can be readily created utilizing SP6, T3, or T7 promoters in both sense and antisense orientations to provide non-specific (control) and specific probes. Disadvantages of RNA riboprobes include a tendency for RNA to stick non-selectively more than DNA, and degradation by RNase (hence strict adherence to RNase-free precautions is mandatory during most of the protocol). The following protocol includes: (1) preparation of human tissues (tissue fixation and sectioning are highlighted as critical for probe penetration, preservation of tissue architecture, retention of tissue RNA, and overall success); (2) generation of radiolabeled riboprobes (total incorporation of radionucleotide is important to increase sensitivity; 35S was chosen as a compromise between excellent sensitivity, cellular resolution, and required exposure times (compared with 32P or 3H); non-isotopic methods have not been tested in a side-by-side comparison with 35S in human tissues by us, but theoretically might offer faster exposure times while maintaining high resolution); (3) hybridization conditions (stringency, temperature, washes, tissue dehydration); and (4) sample visualization (application of photographic emulsion, developing, fixing, staining, and counterstaining of individual slides).
Effects of cryptolepine on collagen-induced aggregation and on the mobilization and metabolism of arachidonic acid by rabbit platelets.

Abstract 1. We examined the effect of cryptolepine on collagen-induced aggregation and on the mobilization, and metabolism of arachidonic acid in rabbit platelets. 2. Preincubation of platelets with cryptolepine (50–100 μM) did not affect the primary wave of aggregation but resulted in a dose-dependent, surmountable inhibition of the secondary wave of aggregation induced by collagen (5 μg/ml). The inhibition by cryptolepine was greater when cryptolepine was incubated with the platelets after the peak of the primary wave of aggregation. 3. Cryptolepine (50–100 μM) dose-dependently inhibited thrombin (1.5 U/ml) and A23187 (2.5 μM)-induced release of 14C[AA] from platelet membrane phospholipid pools. The percentage inhibition of A23187-induced 14C[AA] release was 31.3 ± 4.3% (50 μM) and 79.3 ± 5.4% (100 μM), while thrombin-induced release was inhibited by 39.2 ± 2.4% (50 μM) and 68.2 ± 3.6% (100 μM). 4. At near maximal concentration (100 μM) which significantly inhibited secondary aggregatory response and 14C[AA] release, cryptolepine had no effect on the platelet metabolism of 14C[AA] to thromboxane B2, HHT and 12 HETE. 5. The present findings suggest that cryptolepine inhibited collagen-induced secondary aggregation through a selective antiphospholipase-like activity. There was not effect on platelet cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase activities of platelets.
Approaches to sensitivity analysis in linear programming

A continuing priority in sensitivity and parametric analysis is to develop approaches that provide useful information, that are easy for a decision-maker to use, and that are computationally practical. Herein we review approaches to sensitivity analysis in linear programming and discuss how they meet the above needs. Special emphasis is given to sensitivity analysis of the objective function coefficients.
Assignment of the chemical shift values of N-trityl l-homoserine lactone

Abstract This paper reports the correct assignment of all chemical shift values of N -trityl l -homoserine lactone based on the 1 H-nmr spectra of N -trityl-2 S , 3 R -[3- 2 H]- and 2 S , 3 S -[2,3- 2 H 2 ]homoserine lactone.
Occult regional metastasis: carcinoma of the oral tongue.

Review of charts of 158 patients with carcinoma of the oral tongue revealed 108 (68 percent) were clinically free of cervical metastasis upon presentation. Patients who were found to have microscopic metastases after elective neck dissection and patients who developed cervical metastases but never a local recurrence were said to have occult regional metastases. The incidence of occult metastases was 23 percent with no difference between T1, T2, and T3 lesions. Determinant survival rates of the T1N0M0 groups were 83 percent and 57 percent at two and five years respectively. Survival rates of the T1N0M0 patients who had occult metastases were comparable (82 percent and 50 percent respectively). Survival rates of patients with T2N0M0 and T3N0M0 lesions with occult metastases were lower than for all patients in each of the two groups. The incidence of local recurrence in these same 108 patients was 27 percent with the incidence highest in the T2N0M0 group (31 percent). Survival rates of these patients, especially of those who developed regional metastases, were lower in all three groups of patients. The combined use of pre-operative irradiation with cobalt 60 followed by en bloc resection of the primary tumor with the regional lymphatics has been very effective to date. The following conclusions are based on retrospective study of carcinoma of the oral tongue. 1 The incidence of occult regional metastasis is the same for T1 and T2 primary cancers of the oral tongue. 2 To date, combined therapy is resulting in higher survival rates in patients with larger oral tongue carcinomas. 3 To increase the probability of cure, elective treatment of regional lymphatics either by radical neck dissection or irradiation should be considered in the treatment of T1N0M0 epidermoid carcinoma of the oral tongue.
Hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) from mobilized peripheral blood display enhanced migration and marrow homing compared to steady-state bone marrow HPC

Objective Faster engraftment of G-CSF-mobilized peripheral blood (MPB) transplants compared to steady-state bone marrow (ssBM) is well documented and clinically relevant. A number of different factors likely contribute to this outcome. In the present study we explored whether independent of cell number there are intrinsic differences in the efficiency of progenitor cell homing to marrow between MPB and ssBM. Methods Mobilization was achieved by continuous infusion of G-CSF alone or in combination with other mobilizing agents. In vivo homing assays, in vitro migration assays, gene expression analysis, and flow cytometry were utilized to compare homing-related in vivo and in vitro properties of MPB and ssBM HPC. Results Marrow homing of murine MPB HPC, generated by different mobilizing schemes, was reproducibly significantly superior to that of ssBM, in lethally irradiated as well as in nonirradiated hosts. This phenotype was independent of MMP9, selectins, and β2- and α4-integrins. Superior homing was also observed for human MPB HPC transplanted into NOD/SCIDβ2microglobulin −/− recipients. Inhibition of HPC migration abrogated the homing advantage of MPB but did not affect homing of ssBM HPC, whereas enhancement of motility by CD26 inhibition improved marrow homing only of ssBM HPC. Enhanced SDF-1-dependent chemotaxis and low CD26 expression on MPB HPC were identified as potential contributing factors. Significant contributions of the putative alternative SDF-1 receptor, RDC1, were unlikely based on gene expression data. Conclusion The data suggest increased motility as a converging endpoint of complex changes seen in MPB HPC which is likely responsible for their favorable homing.
Topical Review: Pediatric Syringomyelia

Syringomyelia was first recognized as a disease process some 400 years ago. The process of cystic dilation of the spinal cord is unpredictable and may result in a delay of many decades before the symptoms and signs of neurologic and orthopedic changes become apparent and commensurate with the observed cystic changes within the spinal cord. The syringomyelic process is usually associated with trauma, tumor, or congenital abnormalities at the craniocervical junction or along the spinal neuraxis. Several theories have been proposed as to processes involved in the development of spinal cyst formation, although none are completely compatible with the observed clinical pathology of syrinx development. Magnetic resonance imaging has markedly improved our ability to study the anatomy and natural history of syrinx formation, but to date, our understanding of the process remains imprecise. In view of the limited understanding of the pathophysiology of this disease process, it is not surprising that a variety of tre...
Application of an enlarging pore model for the ammoniacal leaching of chrysocolla

Abstract An attempt has been made to apply an enlarging pore model to the ammoniacal leaching of chrysocolla (CuSiO 3 · 2H 2 O) using the experimentally measured values of conversion (percent extraction), pore volume, and surface area. There is good agreement between the measured and predicted surface area values up to a fractional conversion of 0.45. The measured surface area and pore volume of chrysocolla increase with extent of leaching up to a fractional conversion of 0.6 and thereafter decrease.
On the Efficiency Price of Capital in a Dual Economy

I. Introduction, 574. — II. Algebraic formulation, 577. — III. Dual variables — aggregate utility and gradualist maximands, 580. — IV. Dual variables — terminal capital and income distribution maximands, 584. — V. An illustrative example, 589. — VI. Some extensions, 595.
How to Survive and Thrive under Managed Care: Lessons from U.S. Dermatologists

Dermatologists in the US have had many years experience in dealing with managed care and some lessons for survival and even thriving have become clear. First is to try to prevent managed care. By pointing out its history of failure in many countries it is still possible to prevent the catastrophe, to patient, physician and final payer, that managed care does represent. If prevention is not possible, minimizing its impact by promoting direct access, unbundling, and wider coverage is important. In addition, dermatologists will need to maximize reasonable sources of direct pay alternatives.
Vacuum arcs and switching

This paper is a review of vacuum-arc phenomena which are related to switching devices. Despite the device overtones, the approach adopted for this paper is fundamental. Topics discussed include the drawn arc, the triggered arc, the power input to the cathode spot, cathode-spot division, arc stability, substructure of the cathode spot, dielectric recovery processes, and breakdown between electrodes subjected to repeated arcing. Frequent reference to the recent literature is made. Due to the somewhat specialized nature of certain parts of the discussion, introductory and appended sections of the paper present supplementary remarks on the concept of plasma and electrical conduction in gases, electron emission processes, and electrical contact phenomena.
Flame structure and burning rate of ammonium perchlorate/hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene propellant sandwiches

The gas-phase flame structure that forms over a lamina of hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) binder (50 to 450 μm) sandwiched between layers of ammonium perchlorate (AP) has been investigated through measurements of the surface regression rate of the interface region, ultraviolet emission and transmission imaging of the gas-phase flame zone, and numerical simulations using simplified kinetics. The results show that over the observed pressure range (0.2 to 3.2 MPa), for binder widths from 100 to 450 μm, the regression rate is primarily a function of pressure ( r b ≈p 0.4 ) and is relatively independent of binder width. At binder widths below 100 μm, the regression rate is reduced, presumably due to locally lean conditions created by diffusive mixing. The imaging results suggest the existence of relatively UV-inactive leading-edge flames that form on the AP side of the interfaces adjacent to the surface and probably dominate the regression rate. These leading-edge flames are followed by a relatively UV-active secondary flame region downstream. Both the leading-edge and secondary flames show a tendency to merge into a single flame for thin binder and at lower pressures (low Peclet and Damkohler numbers), and to split into two distinct flames for thick binder ( Pe> 2) and at higher pressures (high Da ). The modeling results show that simplified kinetics representing the AP monopropellant flame and the AP-binder non-premixed flame, in the framework of a species and energy transport analysis, can predict surface heat feedback distributions that correlate reasonably well with observed surface profiles.
Ergonomics in design: interventions for youth working in the agricultural industry

Youth and adolescents make up a substantial segment of the working population in the agricultural industry and many of these young workers are required to perform physically demanding jobs that put them at significant risk for developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Although there are no surveillance systems in place to track these potential injuries for youth who work in agriculture, based on our understanding of the magnitude of risk for these tasks, a number of interventions have been developed and evaluated that should reduce the risk of MSDs for youth who perform these high risk tasks. The purpose of this article is to raise the research community’s awareness to the risk of work-related MSDs for youth who work in agriculture and to demonstrate that ergonomic designers are best suited to develop cost-effective interventions for use in these tasks that can be easily implemented.
Analysis of Gene Expression Profiles in Largemouth Bass Exposed to 17-β-Estradiol and to Anthropogenic Contaminants that Behave as Estrogens

Novel molecular based methods are being developed to study changes in gene expression in wildlife exposed to anthropogenic chemicals. Gene arrays, in particular, are useful tools that can be used to simultaneously monitor hundreds to thousands of genes within a single experiment, giving an investigator the ability to determine how exposure affects multiple metabolic pathways. These methods are thought to be both sensitive and able to reveal biochemical mechanisms of action. A largemouth bass (LMB) array containing 132 genes has been designed to study the impact of gene expression in male fish exposed to 17-β estradiol or to the compounds 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) or 1,1-dichloro-2, 2-bis (p-chlorophenyl) ethylene (p,p′-DDE). The results of these experiments demonstrate distinct gene expression patterns in LMB exposed to these compounds.
Distribution and characterization of hexose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase in trout.

Electrophoretic analysis of trout liver extracts indicates that an autosomal gene coding for hexose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (H6P D) in lake trout, Hpd-L, is monomorphic. In brook trout, the gene is polymorphic, having at least three genetic variants termed Hpd-B 1, Hpd-B2, and Hpd-B3. F 1 hybrid splake exhibit the three expected phenotypes resulting from Hpd-L/Hpd-B 1, Hpd-L/Hpd-B2, and Hpd-L/Hpd-B 3 genotypes. Trout H6P D is ostensibly a dimer of mol wt 230,000. The characteristics of trout H6P D, including substrate specificity, genetic polymorphism, electrophoretic characteristics, subcellular localization, and tissue distribution are in close agreement with results obtained for mammalian H6P D. We suggest that trout and mammalian H6PDs, X-linked mammalian G6P D, and autosomal avian G6P D arose from a common ancestral type G6P D.
The sustainability challenge

Why institutions of higher education need to develop a commitment to sustainability, what they will look like when they do, and why IR has essential roles to play.
Surrogate markers of treatment outcome in major depressive disorder.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common medical illness affecting millions worldwide. Despite their widespread use since the 1950s and 1960s, the ‘downstream’ mechanism by which antidepressants ultimately exert their therapeutic effects remains elusive. In addition, except for a few exceptions such as episode severity and the presence of comorbid Axis-I or Axis-III disorders, biological or clinical characteristics which can accurately quantify the risk of poor treatment outcome are lacking, as are factors which could help patients and clinicians select treatment options that would result in superior outcome. The identification of such markers, termed ‘surrogate’ markers, could help shed further insights into what constitutes illness and recovery, help identify molecular targets for the development of future antidepressants, and lead the way to the design and refinement of a personalized medicine treatment model for MDD. In the following text, several major areas (‘leads’) where evidence exists regarding the presence of surrogate markers of efficacy outcome in MDD will be briefly reviewed. Leads include evidence from the role of demographic and clinical factors as surrogate markers, to the role of various biological markers including genotype, brain functional imaging, electroencephalography, dichotic listening, and molecular biology and immunology. The purpose of this work is to focus selectively on areas where there have been findings, as opposed to conducting an exhaustive literature review of studies which have failed to yield any significant breakthrough in our knowledge.
Electronic correlation contribution to the three-body potentials for water trimers

A number of trimers of water molecules have been computed with an extended basis set in the Hartree–Fock and in the direct CI approximations. It has been verified that the three-body interaction energy can be calculated within the Hartree–Fock method. Therefore, the correlation corrections to the Hartree–Fock level are essentially additive and do not contribute significantly to three-body effects.
The metabolism of steroids in the rabbit epididymis.

Tissue slices of the rabbit epididymis, incubated in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer, converted pregnenolone to 17-hydroxypregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone, progesterone to 17-hydroxyprogesterone and allopregnanolone, dehydroepiandrosterone to Δ5- androstenediol, and testosterone to androstenedione. The conversion by rabbit epididymal slices of pregnenolone to 17-hydroxypregnenolone and DHEA did not increase when cofactors were added to the incubation medium, nor did it change when the animals were injected with human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG). Epididymal spermatozoa did not contribute to the observed metabolism of steroid substrates by epididymal tissue.(Endocrinology 87: 646, 1970)
Intrinsic disorder: signaling via highly specific but short-lived association

Association between signaling proteins and their cellular targets is generally thought to be highly specific (implicating a high association constant, K a ) and, at the same time, transient or short-lived (corresponding to a high dissociation rate constant, k d ). However, a combination of high K a and high k d would lead to a high association rate constant ( k a = K a k d ), which poses a problem because there is a limit to which k a can be increased, set by the diffusional approach to form the complex. In this Opinion article, I propose that having the signaling protein disordered before binding to the target provides a way out of this quandary. The intrinsic disorder of the signaling protein would decrease K a without sacrificing the specificity of the complex, and thus would allow k d to be increased to a range appropriate for signaling.
The Mannich Reaction of Malonates with Simple Imines Catalyzed by Bifunctional Cinchona Alkaloids: Enantioselective Synthesis of β-Amino Acids

We describe the first efficient, direct asymmetric Mannich reactions with malonates and N-Boc aryl and alkyl imines by cooperative hydrogen-bonding catalysis with a cinchona alkaloid bearing a thiourea functionality. We have also extended the scope of this reaction to β-ketoesters. The synthetic value of this new reaction is demonstrated in the establishment of a convergent enantioselective route toward the biologically important β-amino acids under mild and air- and moisture-tolerant conditions.
Impedance Eduction in Ducts with Higher-Order Modes and Flow

An impedance eduction technique, previously validated for ducts with plane waves at the source and duct termination planes, has been extended to support higher-order modes at these locations. Inputs for this method are the acoustic pressures along the source and duct termination planes, and along a microphone array located in a wall either adjacent or opposite to the test liner. A second impedance eduction technique is then presented that eliminates the need for the microphone array. The integrity of both methods is tested using three sound sources, six Mach numbers, and six selected frequencies. Results are presented for both a hardwall and a test liner (with known impedance) consisting of a perforated plate bonded to a honeycomb core. The primary conclusion of the study is that the second method performs well in the presence of higher-order modes and flow. However, the first method performs poorly when most of the microphones are located near acoustic pressure nulls. The negative effects of the acoustic pressure nulls can be mitigated by a judicious choice of the mode structure in the sound source. The paper closes by using the first impedance eduction method to design a rectangular array of 32 microphones for accurate impedance eduction in the NASA LaRC Curved Duct Test Rig in the presence of expected measurement uncertainties, higher order modes, and mean flow.
Influence of Abrasive Properties on Residual Stresses in Lapped Ferrite and Alumina

The effect of abrasive-particle properties on surface-finishing residual stresses, surface finish, and material removal rates during the lapping of ferrite and aluminium oxide is quantified experimentally. It is shown that lapping with softer abrasives and smaller particles results in lower compressive residual stresses near the surface and improved surface finish. These results demonstrate possible methods for controlling surface finishing residual stresses in ceramics while at the same time achieving dimensional accuracy.
Induced Voltage and Current in Parallel Transmission Lines: Causes and Concerns

Induced voltage and current in a deenergized transmission line caused by other lines nearby can be caused by electric-field and magnetic-field induction. These voltages and currents present a serious work hazard for line-crew personnel. Proper understanding of the phenomenon involved and identification of the associated hazards are necessary to safely perform deenergized line work. The purpose of this paper is to clarify some of the misconceptions that have been prevalent in the industry for many years as well as to expand on the test data available in literature. This paper discusses, in simple terms, the relevant parameters that affect the magnitude of the induced voltage and current as well as the work hazards they create.
Consumer animosity and product choice: might price make a difference?

Purpose – This study aims to examine animosity's role in determining consumers' product choices. Considerable research attention has been devoted to studying the relationship between animosity and consumers' willingness to buy foreign products. Few studies, however, have considered that individual consumers may harbor varying degrees of animosity toward different countries, thus, differentially affecting their willingness to buy products from these countries. The within‐subject comparison of the present study seeks to provide a clearer and cleaner approach to examining the impact of animosity on consumers' preferences for foreign products. Extending this line of inquiry, it also aims to explore the link between consumers' choice of products from high versus low animosity countries at different price levels.Design/methodology/approach – Two studies were conducted to examine the impact of consumer animosity on product choice. Study 1 contains a survey study, and Study 2 is a full factorial conjoint analysis...
Depression is associated with repeat emergency department visits in patients with non-specific abdominal pain.

Introduction: Patients with abdominal pain often return multiple times despite no definitive diagnosis. Our objective was to determine if repeat emergency department (ED) use among patients with non-specific abdominal pain might be associated with a diagnosis of moderate to severe depressive disorder. Methods: We screened 987 ED patients for major depression during weekday daytime hours from June 2011 through November 2011 using a validated depression screening tool, the PHQ-9. Each subject was classified as either no depression, mild depression or moderate/ severe depression based on the screening tool. Within this group, we identified 83 patients with non-specific abdominal pain by either primary or secondary diagnosis. Comparing depressed patients versus non-depressed patients, we analyzed demographic characteristics and number of prior ED visits in the past year. Results: In patients with non-specific abdominal pain, 61.9% of patients with moderate or severe depression (PHQ9≥10) had at least one visit to our ED for the same complaint within a 365-day period, as compared to 29.2% of patients with no depression (PHQ9<5), (p=0.013). Conclusion: Repeat ED use among patients with non-specific abdominal pain is associated with moderate to severe depressive disorder. Patients with multiple visits for abdominal pain may benefit from targeted ED screening for depression. [West J Emerg Med. 2014;15(3):325–328.]
Antibody-reactive epitope determination with HLAMatchmaker and its clinical applications

Antibodies against allogeneic human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules are important impediments to the success of different clinical procedures including transplantation and platelet transfusion. In these settings, characterization of the repertoire of immunogenic epitopes is important for permissible mismatch determination and the identification of acceptable mismatches for sensitized patients. HLAMatchmaker is a computer algorithm that considers small configurations of polymorphic residues referred to as eplets as essential components of HLA epitopes. This review critically elaborates the concepts underlying the HLAMatchmaker and describes the usefulness of HLAMatchmaker in the clinical setting. Recent developments have increased our understanding of structural basis of HLA antigenicity (i.e. reactivity with specific antibody) and immunogenicity (i.e. its ability to induce an antibody response).
Rotating Fuel Tank Design to Attenuate Fluid Sloshing in Microgravity

The problem of fluid slosh is one that continues to plague space vehicles to this very day. This report presents an initial investigation of one potential solution: a rotating, tapered cylinder, fluid container with helical baffles. This geometry combines the benefits of an increasing radial cross-section along the axis of rotation with an Archimedes Screw to bring the fluid into a stable equilibrium capable of quickly attenuating slosh. Experiments were performed on two tank geometries, one with and one without helical baffles, to gauge their benefits independently at various rotation rates, subject to slosh imparted by a transition between 2 g acceleration and microgravity. Using these procedures, coupled with video analysis software, the settling time, or time to achieve an equilibrium fluid/vapor separation, and the damping coefficient were determined for both tanks at rotation rates between 0 and 156 RPM. While both tank geometries were capable of damping the imparted slosh, it was found that the helical baffles decreased the required settling time by an average of 57.6% and increased the damping ratio by an average of 53.5%. With these apparent slosh damping benefits in mind, we recommend that further investigation be conducted to explore this fluid extraction method as well as the scalability between different tank fill levels and sizes.