cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of antipyrine coadministration on the kinetics of acetaminophen and lidocaine.

Pharmacokinetic interactions between antipyrine and acetaminophen were evaluated in 7 healthy volunteers. On 3 occasions subjects received: 1, antipyrine 1.0 g intravenously (i.v.); 2, acetaminophen 650 mg i.v.; 3, antipyrine 1.0 g and acetaminophen 650 mg i.v. simultaneously. Between Trials 1 and 3, antipyrine elimination t1/2 (17.2 vs 17.4 h), clearance (0.44 vs 0.43 ml.min-1.kg-1) and 24-h recovery of antipyrine and metabolites (313 vs 293 mg) did not differ significantly. Between Trials 2 and 3, acetaminophen VZ was reduced (1.14 vs 1.00 l.kg-1), t1/2 prolonged (2.7 vs 3.3 h), clearance reduced (4.8 vs 3.6 ml.min-1.kg-1), and fractional urinary recovery of acetaminophen glucuronide reduced. Eight additional subjects received 50 mg of lidocaine hydrochloride i.v. in the control state, and on a second occasion immediately after antipyrine 1.0 g given i.v. The two trials did not differ significantly in lidocaine VZ (2.6 vs 2.7 l.kg-1), t1/2 (2.0 vs 2.4 h) or clearance (15.0 vs 13.5 ml.min-1.kg-1). Although acetaminophen does not alter antipyrine kinetics, acute administration of antipyrine appears to impair acetaminophen clearance, possibly via inhibition of glucuronide formation. However, antipyrine has no significant effect on the kinetics of a single i.v. dose of lidocaine.
Effect of ethanol on intestinal absorption of theophylline.

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to deter mine directly the effect of ethanol on the absorption of theophylline from the small intestine of the rat. In the first part of the investigation, a 50-mg % solution of theophylline containing 0, 5, 10, or 20% ethanol was placed in a ligated segment of small intestine of anesthetized rats and sampled at intervals. Theophylline absorption was significantly increased by 5% ethanol and decreased by 20% ethanol. There was a positive rank-order correlation between theophylline absorption rate from the four solutions and water net flux. In the second part of the investigation, a segment of small intestine of anesthetized rats was perfused with theophylline solutions containing 0 or 2% ethanol. The concentration of ethanol was kept constant by continuous infusion of ethanol into the circulating perfusion solution. Theophylline absorption and water net flux were significantly increased by 2% ethanol. Intravenous infusion of ethanol at a rate sufficient to produce the same plasma concentration of ethanol as was observed upon intestinal perfusion with a solution containing 2% ethanol had no effect on theophylline absorption from the small intestine. The intestinal clearance of theophylline was independent of concentration in the 10-200-mg % range. Ethanol solutions without theophylline produced the same changes in water net flux as did the theophylline-ethanol solutions. It is concluded that the effect of ethanol on the intestinal absorption of theophylline is probably due to solvent drag, secondary to a change in water flux induced by alcohol.
The optimal phasing of phased deregulation

Abstract If producers or consumers behave myopically, sudden and complete deregulation of a market with long-standing price controls can lead to an inefficient allocation of resources. This paper uses a simple model in which producers have adjustment costs to analyze optimal policies for phased deregulation. Tax policies are also examined, and policy implications are discussed.
Recovery of Sesame from Defoliation and Growth Terminal Clipping

Crop loss assessment charts and loss adjustments related to hail damage are based on studies that determine the degree of plant recovery from defoliation. Such information is lacking in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). An irrigated study was conducted in 1989 and 1990 to determine the ability of a nonbranching sesame cultivar to recover from defoliation and growth terminal clipping applied to plants at different growth stages. The treatments included 0, 33, 66, and 100% defoliation levels and clipped vs. nonclipped growth terminals applied at vegetative (37 days after planting, DAP), flowering (48 DAP), and capsule filling (71 DAP in 1989 and 65 DAP in 1990) stages. Average seed yield of the nondefoliated nonclipped (control) treatment was 1523 kg ha −1 in 1989 and 1832 kg ha −1 in 1990. The magnitude of recovery from defoliation and growth terminal clipping was highly dependent on when the treatments were imposed. In the nonclipped treatment, the 33% defoliation treatment produced 90 to 102% as much seed as the control regardless of the growth stage. Seed yield of the 66% defoliation in the nonclipped treatment varied from 85 to 103% of the control when defoliation was imposed before heavy fruiting (54 DAP or earlier). When imposed after heavy fruiting, the 66% defoliation reduced yield by 20% in 1989 and 30% in 1990. The most severe defoliation (100%) in the nonclipped treatment yielded 93, 89, and 34% of the control in 1989 and 77, 72, and 16% of the control in 1990 when applied at the vegetative, flowering, and capsule filling stages, respectively. The magnitude of recovery from defoliation in the clipped treatments also decreased with more advanced growth stage; however, this response was more pronounced in the clipped than the nonclipped treatments. The greatest reduction in seed yield occurred when all leaves were defoliated and the growth terminal removed after heavy fruiting
Why Are Japanese Judges so Conservative in Politically Charged Cases

Theory suggests that Japanese politicians have weaker incentives than U.S. politicians to keep lower court judges independent. Accordingly, we hypothesize that Japanese lower court judges who defer on sensitive political questions will do better in their careers. To test this, we assemble several new data sets and measure the quality of the assignments received by about 400 judges after deciding various types of cases. We find that judges who deferred to the ruling party in politically salient disputes obtained better posts than those who did not, and that judges who actively enjoined the national government obtained worse posts than those who did not. We also hypothesize that judges with forthrightly leftist preferences do worse in their careers. We measure the speed at which the 500 judges hired during the 1960s moved up the pay scale and find indications that judges who joined a leftist group were promoted more slowly than their peers.
The effect of anabolic-androgenic steroids on sexual behavior and reproductive tissues in male rats.

Abstract Feinberg, M. J., A. R. Lumia and M. Y. M c Ginnis. The effect of anabolic-androgenic steroids on sexual behavior and reproductive tissues in male rats. Physiol Behav 62(1) 23–30, 1997.—This study assessed the effects of high doses of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) and their withdrawal on male reproductive behavior and reproductive tissues during development. Prepubertal, peripubertal, and adult male Long Evans rats were divided into 4 groups: 1) Testosterone propionate for 16 weeks (TP), 2) TP for 3 weeks and withdrawn for 13 weeks (TPWL), 3) TP for 16 weeks and withdrawn for 3 weeks (TPWS), 4) propylene glycol (control vehicle) for 16 weeks (PG). As determined by sexual performance and sexual preference tests, administration of high doses of AAS to the peripubertal animals enhanced sexual performance and sexual motivation. There was no significant effect on sexual behavior of the prepubertal animals. High doses of anabolic-androgenic steroids depleted Leydig cell number in the prepubertal and adult rats, but had no effect on the Leydig cell number of the peripubertal animals. After long-term withdrawal from AAS no significant effects on sexual behavior were found. The depletion of Leydig cells that occurred in the prepubertal animals after withdrawal was reversible, while the depletion of the Leydig cells of the adult animals did not return to the control level suggesting a long lasting alteration.
The effectiveness of state preferential property tax programs in conserving forests: comparisons, measurements, and challenges.

Forest property taxes have been identified as one of the major driving forces behind forest loss and parcelization. Among various policy alternatives for reducing the burden of forest property taxes on landowners, preferential property tax programs have been widely used across states. Existing research has mostly focused on individual property tax programs, particularly those based on current use valuation, while little has been done to document, analyze and compare programs across states. By examining survey data from state preferential property tax program administrators across the United States, this paper describes the commonalities and differences among states regarding their preferential property tax programs, provides a preliminary understanding of the relationship between state preferential property tax policy and trends in private forest conditions, and identifies issues related to the effectiveness of state preferential property tax programs and private forest land management and conservation. Our analysis revealed three fundamental disconnects: (1) Program attributes that were previously considered to be important for preferential property tax programs to be effective in retaining forest land and fostering management did not consistently correlate with program effectiveness as viewed by the administrators of these programs; (2) These program attributes did not consistently correlate with actual program effectiveness as measured at the state level by forest trend indicators used in this study (i.e., change in private forest land cover, change in average size of private forest holdings, extent to which private forest land is being actively managed); and (3) The self-assessed program effectiveness did not consistently correlate with actual program effectiveness, either. The various ways in which the effectiveness of preferential property tax programs is defined and measured contribute to explaining these disconnects. It is particularly important for researchers and policy makers to be explicit about how they define and measure effectiveness and the scale on which they conduct their analysis before assessing and comparing programs or suggesting improvement strategies.
Supersymmetric Volkov-Taub transformation.

An analog of the Volkov-Taub transform is presented which solves the problem of a supersymmetric system of scalar and Dirac matter fields interacting with an external plane-wave photino. Connections with photon and scalar gaugeon decoupling are discussed.
Remembering pictures vs remembering descriptions

Subjects heard descriptions of pictures and were given a recognition test in which the pictures themselves were presented, each picture identical or different with respect to its description. Other Ss had the reverse order, seeing pictures and being tested with changed or unchanged descriptions. With adequate presentation time, recognition accuracy was equally good in either order. In a second experiment, free recall was better for pictures than for descriptions, but both were forgotten at equal rates. These results suggest that more information is taken in from pictures than from descriptions, but that both are equally well retained.
Real-Gas Effects on Mean Flow and Temporal Stability of Binary-Species Mixing Layers

Real-gas effects on the mean flow and inviscid stability of temporal mixing layers are examined for supercritical heptane/nitrogen and oxygen/hydrogen mixtures. The analysis is based on the compressible Navier–Stokes equations for conservation of mass, momentum, total energy, and species mass, with heat and species-mass fluxes derived from fluctuation-dissipation theory and incorporating Soret and Dufour effects. An approximate form of the equations is used to obtain a system of similarity equations for the streamwise velocity, the temperature, and the mass fraction. The similarity profiles show important real-gas nonideal-mixture effects, particularly for the temperature, in departing from the incompressible error-function similarity solution. Realistic Schmidt and Prandtl numbers were found to be important to the similarity profiles. A linear, inviscid stability analysis is then performed using the similarity profile, as well as analytical error-function profiles, as its basic flow. The stability analysis shows that the similarity profile has larger growth rates at a given wavelength and a shorter more unstable wavelength than the error-function profiles and than an incompressible flow. The similarity profile also has a larger range of unstable wavelengths than the error-function profiles.
Anaerobic growth of Candida albicans does not support biofilm formation under similar conditions used for aerobic biofilm

C. albicans is an opportunistic fungus causing life-threatening systemic infections particularly in immunocompromised individuals. The organism is a commensal in humans and grows either aerobically, e.g., the oral cavity, or anaerobically, e.g., the gut. We studied anaerobic growth of C. albicans in a defined yeast nitrogen base dextrose medium after adaptation and subculturing in an anaerobic chamber. At 37°C in suspension culture, much slower growth was observed anaerobically with a generation time of 248 min compared to 98 min for aerobic growth. Although the organism grew well on solid medium, shaking increased the growth rate in suspension culture at 37°C. Growth was enhanced at acidic pH compared to neutral or alkaline pH. Cells grown anaerobically produced hyphae, but did not produce biofilm on plastic surface or denture acrylic under either static conditions or with mild shaking, conditions that support aerobic biofilm formation.
INFORMATION RETRIEVAL: A VIEW FROM THE REFERENCE DESK

Information retrieval is a new name for an old problem, and a new name may emphasize new elements to the neglect of the old. Information, whether defined as transferable knowledge, or the records of such knowledge, is expanding so rapidly in content and quantity as to make it in effect a new element. Here we use the term ‘information’ to mean both the documents and their contents; both have dramatic new dimensions. The effort to keep up with the accelerating output of information has required the development of new methods and patterns in retrieval systems. The retrieval of information, in our meaning here, may involve locating a fact or locating a document; in either case there are new approaches and new tools available and necessary.
Editorial: The Year Ahead

As can be seen from the editorial schedule for Optical Engineering also found on this page, the special issues forth-coming in 1987 will address a variety of important and timely topics. Following a tradition established over the past several years, the first issue of the year is devoted to the general subject of optical computing. In his guest editorial on the facing page, Nasser Peyghambarian reviews the contents of the nine papers included.
Consensus and Divergence in Perceptions of Cognitive Strategic Groups: Evidence from the Health Care Industry:

We examined the extent to which consensus existed among hospital administrators' cognitive strategic groups and explored task and institutional factors that might influence these perceptions. We elicited perceived strategic groups from hospital administrators in a distinct geographic market using the full context form of the repertory grid. Our evidence indicates that beliefs are shared by a majority of administrators in the region, that differences in perception are associated with strategic position, and that cognitive groups focus managerial attention. These findings highlight the roles of both task and institutional environments on cognitive strategic group formation and suggest an important role for these groups in strategic decision-making.
Paleobiogeographic patterns in the morphologic diversification of the Neogene planktonic foraminifera

Abstract Statistical analysis of a literature-based compilation of latitudinal ranges, phylogenetic relationships and biometric measurements of 135 Neogene planktonic foraminiferal species yielded several well-defined relationships between paleobiogeographic distribution and morphology. When cosmopolitan species originate, they tend to be relatively small and morphologically conservative. As keeled forms develop and the Neogene radiation invades other areas of shape space, the cosmopolitan species also shift in the same direction, but continue to lag behind and remain at the conservative end of the shape and size distribution. A significant positive correlation exists between species longevity and geographic range, and significantly greater longevities in species that range into the subpolar and polar habitats when compared with those that don't. A similar relationship was found in speciation rates: lineages that range into the polar and subpolar habitats have lower speciation rates than those that do not. This relationship holds true when keeled forms are removed from the analysis. Furthermore, when species ranging into the polar/subpolar habitats are removed from the data, the difference in speciation rate between keeled and unkeeled forms is not significant. It appears that a species' extension into or beyond the subpolar realm has a stronger statistical relationship with its probability of speciation and its longevity than its total latitudinal range. Comparison of latitudinal ranges for ancestor–descendant pairs reveals a significant trend toward reduction of range for new species.
Hemorrhage control after removal of surgically implanted intraaortic balloon pump

Surgically implanted intraaortic balloon catheters have a substantial potential to cause hemorrhage on percutaneous removal. Because of the unacceptably high incidence of uncontrollable hemorrhage in patients in a life-threatening situation, a new percutaneous surgical modification allowing removal of these balloons with low blood loss has been devised and has proved highly successful in hemorrhage control.
The enactments and consequences of token, shared, and compliant participation in information systems development

Abstract System development methodologies assert that user participation is crucial for successful information systems development efforts. User participation is advocated for product and process reasons: to select system features and to coordinate the work between client and developer. However, a closer examination of the methodologies reveal that the prescriptions for user participation are often contradictory. The IS research literature acknowledges these contradictions, but presents empirical results that are largely inconclusive. The purpose of this paper is to examine how user participation is actually enacted in practice, and to explain why those enactments' result in particular project outcomes, such as task-system fit, psychological involvement, and client ownership of the system. An in-depth qualitative analysis of eight information systems development projects reveals three patterns of user participation enactment: token, shared, and compliant. These patterns vary in terms of who brings technical and domain knowledge to the project, who controls feature selection, what coordination mechanisms are used, and how conflict is handled. Further, the analysis shows that: (1) the form of the enactment is as much the choice of the client as it is the choice of systems developers; (2) client ownership of systems is not a result of sign-offs, but a result of how clients view their overall responsibilities and organizational accountability; (3) intense user participation is not required for high task-system fit; and (4) client attitudes can be influenced by the actions of developers. Implications for research and practice are drawn.
Local cerebral blood flow increases during auditory and emotional processing in the conscious rat

Local cerebral blood flow was measured in rats by the 14C-labeled iodoantipyrine technique with quantitative autoradiography during the processing of environmental stimuli. Presentation of a tone increased blood flow in the auditory but not the visual pathway. When the animal had previously been conditioned to fear the tone, blood flow additionally increased in the hypothalamus and amygdala. Local cerebral blood flow can thus be used to detect patterns of cerebral excitation associated with transient (30- to 40-second) mental events in experimental animals.
DYNAMIC MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE APPLE CORTEX IN RELATION TO SAMPLE LOCATION AND RIPENING

Compressive complex moduli were determined for two cultivars of apples at two ripeness stages by subjecting cylindrical tissues from various locations within the apple to sinusoidal stress. The complex moduli varied within sampling regions and with regional sampling depths. They also varied with the degree of ripeness, but only at certain storage temperatures and in certain sampling regions of the fruit. The data analysis showed that the sinusoidally varying stress and strain test and the Magness Taylor pressure test did not measure the same mechanical properties and that apparently the complex modulus was influenced by changes in the cellular structure of the fruit tissues.
A PDE approach to large deviations in Hilbert spaces

Abstract We introduce a PDE approach to the large deviation principle for Hilbert space valued diffusions. It can be applied to a large class of solutions of abstract stochastic evolution equations with small noise intensities and is adaptable to some special equations, for instance to the 2D stochastic Navier–Stokes equations. Our approach uses a lot of ideas from (and in significant part follows) the program recently developed by Feng and Kurtz [J. Feng, T. Kurtz, Large Deviations for Stochastic Processes, in: Mathematical Surveys and Monographs, vol. 131, American Mathematical Society, Providence, RI, 2006]. Moreover we present easy proofs of exponential moment estimates for solutions of stochastic PDE.
PRIMO: probability interpretation of moments for delay calculation

Moments of the impulse response are widely used for interconnect delay analysis, from the explicit Elmore delay (first moment of the impulse response) expression, to moment matching methods which create reduced order transimpedance and transfer function approximations. However, the Elmore delay is fast becoming ineffective for deep submicron technologies, and reduced order transfer function delays are impractical for use as early-phase design metrics or as design optimization cost functions. This paper describes an approach for fitting moments of the impulse response to probability density functions so that delays can be estimated from probability tables. For RC trees it is demonstrated that the incomplete gamma function provides a provably stable approximation. The step response delay is obtained from a one-dimensional table lookup.
A methodology for efficiently sampling the conformation space of molecular structures

Motivated by recently developed computational techniques for studying protein flexibility, and their potential applications in docking, we propose an efficient method for sampling the conformational space of complex molecular structures. We focus on the loop closure problem, identified in the work of Thorpe and Lei (2004 Phil. Mag. 84 1323–31) as a primary bottleneck in the fast simulation of molecular motions. By modeling a molecular structure as a branching robot, we use an intuitive method in which the robot holds onto itself for maintaining loop constraints. New conformations are generated by applying random external forces, while internal, attractive forces pull the loops closed. Our implementation, tested on several model molecules with low number of degrees of freedom but many interconnected loops, gives promising results that show an almost four times speed-up on the benchmark cube-molecule of Thorpe and Lei.
Explaining Mycoinsecticide Activity: Poor Performance of Spray and Bait Formulations of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium brunneum Against Mormon Cricket in Field Cage Studies*

Abstract The Mormon cricket (Anabrus simplex Haldeman) (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) is a historic pest on millions of acres in the western US. During outbreak years, annual losses attributed to it have amounted to millions of dollars. Nonchemical controls are needed for environmentally sensitive areas — an increasing concern. Myco-insecticides are available but show an unpredictable and unexplainable lack of effect on Mormon crickets. This research sought to understand performance of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium brunneum under field conditions, compared to studies showing excellent performance under laboratory conditions. Our objectives were: (1) to evaluate B. bassiana GHA and M. brunneum F52 for potential use against Mormon crickets; (2) to compare spray and bait formulations of each fungus against immature and adult Mormon crickets; and (3) to understand the effect of Mormon-cricket body temperatures on the speed of efficacy by the two fungi. No mortality of 3rd-instar Mormon crickets was detected...
Social‐emotional development of gifted children and adolescents: A research model

This article summarizes the contradictory evidence regarding the social and emotional stability of gifted youngsters. While the research literature tends to support a view of equal or superior adjustment, an increasing concern for the mental health of gifted students is emerging among professionals and in the media. Six factors are discussed which suggest particular sources of stress for the gifted. Finally, a research model capable of both generating empirical studies and integrating the results from diverse investigators is suggested.
Prevalence, clinical features, and CPAP adherence in REM-related sleep-disordered breathing: a cross-sectional analysis of a large clinical population

Due to inconsistent definitions used in the literature, the prevalence of rapid eye movement (REM)-related sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) has been quite variable and its clinical significance remains unclear. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of and clinical characteristics between various criteria for defining REM-related SDB. We also investigated how frequently CPAP therapy was recommended in patients with REM-related SDB and if they had lower CPAP adherence compared to non-stage-specific SDB. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated 1,019 consecutive adults referred for a polysomnogram for suspicion of SDB. The prevalence of REM-related SDB was calculated based on “traditional criteria” commonly reported in the literature and a “strict criteria” that minimized the contribution of SDB during non-REM sleep. The prevalence of REM-related SDB ranged from 13.5% to 36.7%. There were no clinically significant differences between the strict definition and the traditional definition of REM-related SDB. REM-related SDB was more prevalent in women, younger individuals and African Americans. Compared to non-stage-specific obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), patients with REM-related SDB were equally symptomatic and hypersomnolent. CPAP titration was recommended in 88% of patients with REM-related SDB vs. 94% of patients with non-stage-specific OSA (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in CPAP adherence between the two groups. Regardless of how REM-related SDB is defined, it was highly prevalent in our large clinical cohort. Compared to non-stage-specific OSA, these patients were equally hypersomnolent and adherent to CPAP therapy despite having overall significantly milder OSA. Further research is needed to better establish whether these patients will derive any benefit from long-term CPAP therapy.
Some experiences in interfacing a PL/I module with GPSS-V

While conductins a research project, it was necessary to make an extensive number of executions using two large GPSS-V models. In order to consolidate the statistics produced by GPSS from these runs, it was decided to interface a PL/I module with GPSS-V using the HELPCPLI block. The PL/I module accesses the GPSS data structures and writes information selected from them to a data set. The data set is then used to consolidate the statistics using separate PL/I programs. The following is a brief summary of some experiences encountered while attempting to achieve the interface.
Distinct Clinical Courses in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Induced by Peg-interferon-.ALPHA. Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis C

We report two cases of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) which developed after interferon (IFN) therapy for chronic hepatitis C. The patients had experienced abrupt hyperglycemia with positive anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies, resulting in initiation of insulin therapy. In one case, insulin therapy could be discontinued because endogenous insulin secretion was preserved at the onset and pancreatic β cell function was recovered thereafter. In the other case with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Sjogren's syndrome, continuation of insulin therapy was necessary because blood glucose levels were unstably controlled. Lasting autoimmunity superior to immunosuppressive mechanism may be associated with distinct clinical courses in these cases.
Expression of costimulatory molecules CD80 and/or CD86 by a Kaposi's sarcoma tumor cell line induces differential T-cell activation and proliferation

During physiological stimulation of resting T-cells, at least two activation signals by antigen presenting cells are required. Besides the first antigen-specific signal, the second costimulatory signal involves CD80 and CD86 expressed by the antigen presenting cell. These costimulatory molecules have been suggested to be of clinical relevance in many different autoimmune and malignant disease processes. We previously observed that tumor cells in Kaposi's sarcoma (a common AIDS-related cutaneous neoplasm) completely lack both CD80 and CD86, and these tumor cells fail to stimulate T-cell proliferation. In this study, using a Kaposi's sarcoma tumor cell line designated SLK, various stable transfected cell lines were produced. Tumor cells that were either singly positive for either CD80 or CD86, as well as a double-positive cell line, were examined for their ability to induce T-cell activation, T-cell proliferation, and cytokine production profiles. Compared to the parental double-negative tumor cell line, the CD80-positive cells, but not the CD86-positive tumor cells, induced significant T-cell activation and proliferation. Tumor cells expressing both CD80 and CD86 also induced T-cell activation. After stimulation by the transfected tumor cells, T-cells produced a Th-1 type cytokine production profile with increased IL-2 and IFN-gamma levels. These results demonstrate that Kaposi's sarcoma tumor cells lacking co-stimulatory molecules cannot induce T-cell activation; however, if they express CD80, they can induce peripheral blood T-cell proliferation, and there is a differential response as expression of CD86 did not have the same immunostimulatory effect.
Trichloroethene and cis‐1,2‐dichloroethene concentration‐dependent toxicity model simulates anaerobic dechlorination at high concentrations. II: Continuous flow and attached growth reactors

A model that was used to describe toxicity from high concentrations of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) on reductively dechlorinating cultures in batch reactors (Sabalowsky and Semprini (in press)) was extended here to simulate observations in continuous flow suspended and attached growth reactors. The reductively dechlorinating anaerobic Evanite subculture (EV-cDCE) was fed trichloroethene (TCE) and excess electron donor to accumulate cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE) in a continuous flow stirred tank reactor (CFSTR); and an attached growth recirculating packed column (RPC). A concentration-dependent toxicity model used to simulate the results of batch reactors in part I (Sabalowsky and Semprini (in press) Biotechnol Bioeng) also simulated well the observations for the CFSTR and RPC growth modes. The toxicity model incorporates cDCE and TCE toxicity coefficients that directly increase the cell decay coefficient in proportion with cDCE and TCE concentrations. Simulated estimates of the cDCE and TCE toxicity coefficients indicate reductively dechlorinating cells are most sensitive to high concentrations of cDCE and TCE in batch-fed growth, followed by CFSTR, with attached growth being least sensitive. The greater toxicity of TCE than cDCE, and ratio of the modeled toxicity coefficients, agrees with previously proposed models relating toxicity to partitioning in the cell wall (KM/B), proportional to octanol-water partitioning (KOW) coefficients. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;107: 540–549. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of systemic insulin on protein kinetics in postoperative cancer patients.

Background: Cancer cachexia is a significant cause of postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients with tumors of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Standard parenteral nutrition (TPN) has failed to alter this. The anabolic effect of insulin has been well documented, and its positive effect on protein economy in cancer patients has been recently demonstrated. This study examines the effect of high-dose insulin and parenteral nutrition on protein kinetics in postoperative cancer patients. Methods: Eleven patients underwent surgery for pancreatic, esophageal, or gastric carcinoma. Postoperatively, patients received standard TPN for 4 days (1 g/kg/day amino acids, 1,000 kcal/day dextrose, 100 g/day lipid), and hyperinsulinemic parenteral nutrition for 4 days (same as standard TPN plus 1.44 U/kg/day regular human insulin) in a crossover design. All patients received both treatments, and the order of treatment was determined randomly. Euglycemia was maintained during insulin infusion via a variable 30% dextrose infusion. Patients underwent protein metabolic studies after each treatment period and rates of whole body and skeletal muscle protein synthesis, breakdown, and net balance were determined by radioisotopic tracer methods using14C-leucine and3H-phenylalanine. Results: Compared with standard TPN (STD), hyperinsulinemic TPN (INS) resulted in a significant increase in skeletal muscle protein synthesis (INS: 52.04±10.22 versus STD: 26.06±6.71 nmol phe/100 g/min, p<0.05) and net balance of protein (INS: 7.75±4.61 versus STD: −15.10±6.44 nmol phe/100 g/min, p<0.01), but no difference in skeletal muscle protein breakdown (INS: 44.29±11.54 versus STD: 41.17±5.89 nmol phe/100 g/min). Whole-body net balance of protein also significantly increased with insulin-based TPN, compared with standard TPN (INS: 0.04±0.05 versus STD: −0.08±0.07 µmol leu/kg/min, p<0.05), but no difference in whole-body protein synthesis (INS: 2.52±0.15 versus STD: 2.49±0.15 µmol leu/kg/min) or whole-body protein breakdown (INS: 2.48±0.16 versus STD: 2.58±0.19 µmol leu/kg/min) was observed. Patients received significantly more calories during the hyperinsulinemic TPN period than during the standard TPN period. There was no difference in total, essential, or branched-chain amino acids, and no difference in serum free fatty acids, triglycerides, or cholesterol was observed between the two treatment periods. Conclusion: High-dose insulin in conjunction with hypercaloric parenteral nutrition causes improved skeletal muscle protein synthesis, skeletal muscle protein net balance, and whole-body protein net balance compared with standard TPN in postoperative cancer patients.
Evidence-based medicine in otolaryngology, part 1: The multiple faces of evidence-based medicine:

Evidence-based medicine, with its capacity to improve patient outcomes, has grown prominent throughout the medical field. Otolaryngology is at a crucial stage in the expansion of evidence-based medicine, with its impact seen in many arenas. As the evidence continues to shape our field, we hope to serve our otolaryngology community through this invited series, which is dedicated to the exposition of evidence-based medicine and its applications. This first installment examines evidence-based medicine itself and its multiple interpretations, including a purist view, a population-based view, and a view centered on the individual. Strengths and weaknesses of each are discussed, as well the potential for unification and evolution of these concepts. We also place evidence-based medicine in the context of the mindset of traditional medicine and anticipate future developments.
High-gain DC-DC conversion for parallel photovoltaic arrays

A new approach to photovoltaic (PV) arrays is proposed based on a parallel connection scheme. In a series-connected array, differing insolation due to shading or obstructions causes disproportionate reduction in power output. Because operating voltage is governed more by temperature than by insolation, a parallel-connected array is much more robust to the shading effect. Direct paralleling is inappropriate due to the low voltage of a conventional PV module. Therefore, high-gain dc-dc converters are introduced in the proposed system. Three converter types are discussed. Two use transformers to increase gain and one uses a tapped inductor. Experimental results validate the concept and demonstrate tracking accuracy up to 99.87% despite a 39% difference in insolation, and weighted efficiency of up to 92.9%.
Numerical solutions of the direct interaction approximation equations for anisotropic turbulence

In this paper we solve the direct-interaction approximation (DIA) equations numerically for homogeneous shear turbulence and homogeneous, anisotropic turbulence in a rotating fluid. The numerical method uses Fourier transform techniques to evaluate efficiently wave-number convolutions in three dimensions that are characteristic of analytical theories of turbulence including the DIA. Solutions for special cases of isotropic and axisymmetric turbulence compare favorably with previously published results that were obtained using different methods. Our results do not show any significant influence of rotation on initially isotropic turbulence. For the shear case we find buildup of anisotropy that cannot be explained by Rotta-like hypotheses. Neglecting completely triple correlations in our calculations still yields qualitatively correct energetics of the system, although two-time quantities are very different. Our results show that it is now feasible to consider numerical solutions of the equations of analytical theories of turbulence, but much work remains to be done before these methods will be of direct engineering utility.
Repair of thymine glycol by hNth1 and hNeil1 is modulated by base pairing and cis-trans epimerization.

Abstract Oxidation of thymine yields 5,6-dihydroxy-5,6-dihydrothymine (thymine glycol. Tg) which, as cis 5S,6R and 5R,6S 2’-deoxyribonucleoside diastereoisomers (dTg1, dTg2), are in equilibrium with their trans 5S,6S and 5R,6R epimers. The stereoselective excision of Tg from DNA by the mammalian orthologs of E. coli DNA N -glycosylase/AP lyases Nth and Nei was reported using substrates in which Tg opposed adenine. Since we showed that Tg is the major product of oxidation of 5-methylcytosine, we asked if the opposing purine influenced stereospecific enzymatic excision. The human ortholog hNth1 released Tg2 much more rapidly than Tg1 regardless of the opposing purine. In contrast, hNeil1 released Tg non-stereoselectively, but the rate of excision was much greater when Tg opposed guanine. Remarkably, the kinetics of excision of Tg by hNth1 and hNeil1 were biphasic, describing a double exponential curve which yielded two rate constants. We suggest that the greater rate constant describes the rate of enzymatic excision of Tg. The smaller rate constant represents the equilibrium constant for the cis and trans epimerization of dTg1 and dTg2 in high molecular weight DNA. Thus, only one of the epimers of dTg1 and dTg2 are enzymatically processed but it is not yet known whether it is cis or trans . Thus, base excision repair of Tg in mammals is mediated by at least two DNA N -glycosylase/AP lyases which are affected by the nature of the diastereoisomer of dTg, the rate of cis–trans epimerization of each diastereoisomer, and the nature of the opposing purine.
Personality, motives, and conflict strategies in everyday service encounters

Purpose – This research aims to examine the link between personality, motives, and the choice of conflict resolution strategy in a service conflict context.Design/methodology/approach – Participants' responses to a service conflict scenario were coded into strategy categories and both personality (the Big Five) and motives were measured with established scales. Differences in personality and motives across the strategies were assessed with ANOVA and the relationship between personality and motives was assessed with multiple‐regression.Findings – While the results did not show a direct relationship between personality and choice of strategy, they did indicate an indirect link through motives. The results also show that consumers used a variety of strategies based on a mix of economic and social motives.Research limitations/implications – The results show that social motives play an important role in business conflicts. The study also supports a multi‐level perspective of personality, where basic tendencies...
Implications of dysfunctional emotions for understanding how emotions function

Consensus that emotions are functional and adaptive has reached such a level that contradictory evidence is no longer seriously considered, and the complex determinants of functionality are not ful...
Robustness analysis of deadbeat-direct toque and flux control for IPMSM drives

This paper presents robustness evaluation of deadbeat-direct torque and flux control (DB-DTFC) of IPMSM drives with respect to machine parameter variation. For performance comparison, current vector control (CVC), one of the most widely used control methods, is also implemented under identical operating conditions as DB-DTFC. As the metrics to evaluate dynamic performance of DB-DTFC and CVC IPMSM drives, command tracking is used to investigate torque command tracking performance and dynamics stiffness is used to evaluate disturbance rejection performance. In addition, the torque estimation accuracy of DB-DTFC and CVC is investigated with respect to parameter variation. Simulation and experimental results of robustness evaluation of DB-DTFC and CVC are presented in this paper. Furthermore, the dynamic robustness of DB-DTFC and CVC drives are evaluated via eigenvalue (EV) migration. Since an IPMSM drive is a nonlinear system, an operating point model of an IPMSM drive is derived for linear analysis of EV migration. Finally, the US06 Supplemental Federal Test Procedure (SFTP) automotive driving cycle is applied to investigate the EV migration of a test IPMSM drive over a wide operating space.
Periodontal disease and glycemic control in diabetics

DATA SOURCES Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). This was supplemented by handsearching of the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, Journal of Periodontology, Journal of Dental Research, Journal of Dentistry, Journal of Periodontal Research, International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry, Periodontology 2000, Odontology, Clinical Oral Investigations, Annals of Periodontology, Journal of American Dental Association, British Dental Journal, Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, Diabetes, Diabetes Care, Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome, Diabetes & Metabolism and Annals of Internal Medicine. There were no language restrictions. STUDY SELECTION Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on diabetic patients with periodontal disease that reported glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and/or fasting plasma glucose (FPG) modification after treatment, with a minimum of three months follow-up were included. Study quality was assessed independently by two reviewers. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Data extraction was carried out independently by two reviewers. Meta-analysis was carried out to evaluate the effect of non-surgical periodontal treatment on HbA1c and FPG levels. The effect of the adjunctive use of antimicrobials was also assessed. RESULTS Fifteen studies were included, five were considered to be at low risk of bias, three at high risk and the remainder at unclear risk. Seven studies (678 patients) contributed to the meta-analysis for HbA1c. At the three-four months follow-up, the weighted mean difference was -0.38% (95% CI -0.23 to -0.53; P < 0.001) and at six months it was -0.31% (95% CI 0.11 to -0.74; P = 0.15), favouring the treatment groups [three studies contributing to meta-analysis]. There was statistically significant heterogeneity for both comparisons. For FPG, five studies presented data for three-four months and two for six months. At the three-four months follow-up, the weighted mean difference was -9.01 mg/dL (95% CI -2.24 to -15.78; P = 0.009) and at six months it was -13.62 mg/dL (95% CI 0.45 to -27.69; P = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS Despite the limitations of the present study, it can be concluded that periodontal treatment might be effective in improving metabolic control in terms of reduction of HbA1c and FPG concentrations in patients with diabetes. However, the significance of this improvement is questionable and should be further investigated.
The sensitivity of Langerhans cells to simulated solar radiation in basal cell carcinoma patients

Abstract The role of Langerhans cells (LC) in host resistance against the induction and growth of nonmelanoma skin cancers is still obscure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the sensitivity of LC to simulated solar radiation in patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Thirty-four patients (31–74 years old) with at least one histologically diagnosed BCC on a sun-exposed area and 21 healthy volunteers (29–62 years old) were included in the study. Patients and control subjects were given 10 graded doses of simulated solar UV radiation (10 –75 mJ/cm 2 ) on the lower back using a 12S solar simulator with a WG 320 filter. Twenty-four hours later, the minimal erythema close (MED) was determined and shave biopsies were taken from the site given 1.25 × MED and from adjacent, unirradiated skin. Epidermal sheets were stained for LC using the ATPase method. The mean value of the MED of the BCC patients was 25 ± 2 mJ/cm 2 and that of controls was 29 ± 3 mJ/cm 2 (p > 0.05). The number of ATPase + LC was significantly decreased (p + cells and the dose of UV radiation required to produce erythema. Our results indicate that the ability of UV radiation to cause erythema was unrelated to the magnitude of its effects on LC number or morphology. Second, the morphologic alterations of LC in BCC patients after UV irradiation do not differ from those observed in normal individuals. Third, as a group, patients with BCC do not have a significantly lower MED than cancer-free subjects.
A Feasibility and Optimization Study to Design a Nondestructive ATR Fuel Permanent Scanning System to Determine Fuel Burnup

Abstract The goal of this project was to develop the best available non-destructive technique to determine burnup of the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) fuels at Idaho National Laboratory, as well as to make a recommendation regarding the feasibility of implementing a permanent fuel scanning system at the ATR canal. The study determined that useful spectra for validation and fuel burnup predictions can be obtained in-situ at the ATR canal using three different detectors. In addition, the study established that calibration curves can be created to predict ATR fuel burnup onsite. The study also established that in order to design a rugged system that can stand the daily operations at the ATR canal a LaBr3 scintillator can be used effectively if deconvolution process is applied to increase the spectra resolution.
The treatment of pinworm infection (enterobiasis)with papain

Summary Although the number of cases reportedin this study is small, it is our opinion that papain falls short of being the ideal drug for the treatment of pinworm infection. The percentage of cures, 10 per cent, obtained in our study is considerably less than that obtained with the already better known oxyuricides. We have been able to comfirm the report of Weise, as reported in the German literature, that papain * is a nontoxic and completely safe vegetable enzyme.