cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rare gas—oxygen emission bands and rare gas continua in the UV and VUV

Abstract E-beam excitation of rare gas and rare gas—oxygen and/or N 2 O mixtures has revealed various prominent emission features. In the case of Ar/O 2 , new emission bands at 185.0 and 204.5 nm have been recorded. Excitation of Kr/O 2 and Kr/N 2 O mixtures leads to a broad continuum and several undulations in the UV. Emission features in XeO have been briefly reexamined. Although no NeO emission bands were observed, Ne emits well into the VUV. The third continuum of Ar at ≈ 191 nm is related at least in part to impurities. In general, the rare gas third continua are not strongly quenched by O 2 .
Dissimilarity and learning in teams: The role of relational identification and value dissimilarity

Abstract The purpose of this study is to shed light on the relationship between team members’ demographic dissimilarity (race/ethnic origin and nationality) from their team and their learning in the team. Drawing from social identity theory and self-categorization theory, it is argued that relational identification with team members and perceived value dissimilarity moderate this relationship. Hypotheses were tested using a survey of individual team members in multiple organizations. Race/ethnic origin dissimilarity negatively influenced learning when relational identification with team members was lower. Race/ethnic origin dissimilarity and national dissimilarity were more negatively related to learning under higher perceived value dissimilarity. Finally, national dissimilarity most negatively influenced learning under lower relational identification with team members and higher perceived value dissimilarity.
Evidence-Based Systematic Review: Effects of Speech-Language Pathology Treatment for Individuals With Paradoxical Vocal Fold Motion.

Purpose In this article, our goal was to determine the state of the evidence and the effect of speech-language pathology (SLP) treatment for individuals with paradoxical vocal fold motion (PVFM). Method The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's National Center for Evidence-Based Practice in Communication Disorders searched 22 electronic databases using key words related to PVFM, speech or voice treatment, and behavioral intervention for articles published through July 2013. Identified articles were systematically evaluated to assess the quality of the evidence using a modification of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's critical appraisal scheme. Results Sixty-five articles met the search criteria. Only 2 out of the 65 articles were judged to contain adequate evidence to evaluate the effect of SLP treatment for PVFM. All 65 articles exemplify the state of the evidence for SLP treatment for PVFM. Conclusion The state of the evidence for the use of SLP treatment is in its infancy, wit...
Invisibility Embraced: The Abject as a Site of Agency in Ellison's Invisible Man

novel around the narrator's encounters with white women and around sex ualized encounters with white men. Furthermore, because Ellison estab lishes his interrogation of power within the concept of (in)visibility, a full analysis of intersections in the novel must consider the politics of sight both in the text and in the culture that produced it. The "invisibility as disempowerment" argument overlooks the fact that matrices of power are rooted in the visibility of bodies rather than in the erasure of agency that "invisibility" implies. Ellison's novel appears at a key moment in the racial history of the US, as a crossover music industry fused with the emergence of television. This fusion created a context in which visibility was possible for black bodies only when they performed the role of "other" for white culture. Even more often, "seeing race" acted merely as a conduit for white culture's appropriation and commodification of black cultural forms. This moment, most frequently symbolized by Elvis Presley mdAmos 'n 'Andy, illustrates how psychosocial and economic forces inflect the visual signi fier we call race. Ellison advocates invisibility as a powerful cultural space, a space from which the interrelated matrices of dominance and, in fact, the concept of the body are deconstructed.
Internal self-damping optimization in trench power FETs for high-frequency conversion

The impact of the shield resistance (Rsh) on the waveform ringing and system efficiency is assessed in this work for 30V trench power FETs with shielded-gate (TP-FETs). Two different approaches, named distributed and local Rsh, are extensively investigated by experimental and numerical simulation tools. A layout distributed Rsh emerges as the ultimate solution to maximize the self-damping without penalization on the switching power losses or the product cost. The practical implementation of a TP-FET with distributed Rsh in a 12V-to-1.2V buck converter results in one of the best tradeoffs ever reported between overvoltage (<;3.5V) and peak efficiency (~88%) when operating at 1.3MHz.
Update on Family Pasteurellaceae and the Status of Genus Pasteurella and Genus Actinobacillus

Abstract Since 1981, when the family Pasteurellaceae was established, this group of organisms has undergone a significant revision. This article describes the taxonomic status of the family Pasteurellaceae , especially the members of the genera Pasteurella and Actinobacillus .
Ion beam studies of the reactions of atomic cobalt ions with alkanes: determination of metal-hydrogen and metal-carbon bond energies and an examination of the mechanism by which transition metals cleave carbon-carbon bonds

An ion beam apparatus is employed to study the reactions of singly charged cobalt positive ions with hydrogen and 17 alkanes. Reaction cross sections and product distributions as a function of kinetic energy are determined. Exothermic carbon-carbon bond cleavage reactions are observed for all alkanes but methane and ethane. A mechanism involving oxidative addition of C-C and C-H bonds to cobalt as a first step is demonstrated to account for all major reactions at all energies. Interpretation of several endothermic processes allows the extraction of thermochemical data. The bond dissociation energies obtained are D/sup 0/(Co/sup +/-H) = 52 +- 4 kcal/mol, D/sup 0/(Co-H) = 39 +- 6 kcal/mol, D/sup 0/(Co/sup +/-CH/sub 3/) = 61 +- 4 kcal/mol, and D/sup 0/(Co-CH/sub 3/) = 41 +- 10 kcal/mol.
Structural dynamics of protein lysine methylation and demethylation

Lysine methylation plays a central role in the "histone code" that regulates chromatin structure, impacts transcription, and responds to DNA damage. A single lysine can be mono-, di-, tri-methylated, or unmethylated, with different functional consequences for each of the four forms. This review (written in the early 2006) described structural aspects of methylation of histone lysine residues by two enzyme families with entirely different structural scaffolding (the SET proteins and Dot1p), and the protein motifs that recognize (decode) these methyl-lysine signals. We also discuss the recently discovered protein lysine demethylating enzymes (LSD1 and JmjC domains).
Endovascular surgery: an emerging field for the '90s

The purpose of this manuscript is to provide the reader an overview of the currently available technology and some of the preliminary clinical results of the various devices and procedures within the field of endovascular surgery, i.e. vascular endoscopy, intraoperative balloon angioplasty, laser angioplasty, atherectomy, and stents. It is beyond the scope of this manuscript to cover all the developmental and research studies. For an idepth coverage of these topics, the reader is referred to the textbook, Endovascular Surgery.
A new immunodeficient pigmented retinal degenerate rat strain to study transplantation of human cells without immunosuppression

Purpose The goal of this study was to develop an immunodeficient rat model of retinal degeneration (RD nude rats) that will not reject transplanted human cells.
Sn centers-mediated enhancement of 1.53 µm emission of Er3+ ions in phosphate glass

Abstract The effect of SnO co-doping on Er 3+ emission in the near-infrared telecommunication window has been studied in a barium-phosphate glass matrix, obtained by melt-quenching. Photoluminescence excitation spectra acquired by monitoring Er 3+ 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 emission at about 1.53 µm revealed a broad UV band around 300 nm, indicating a donor/acceptor energy transfer channel. The Sn co-doped glass exhibits a five-fold enhanced Er 3+ emission relative to an Er-doped reference. The absorption and photoluminescence spectra support a mechanism starting with excitation of twofold-coordinated Sn centers, followed by energy transfer to erbium ions. Pathways likely resulting in the enhanced Er 3+ emission are discussed.
Effect of Graded Doses of Propylthiouracil on in Vitro Iodoamino Acid Synthesis in the Rat Thyroid Gland

The effect of graded concentrations of propylthiouracil on the synthesis of labeled iodoamino acids was studied under in vitro conditions in which rat thyroid lobes are capable of synthesizing significant quantities of radioactive iodothyronines. The ease with which synthesis of the iodoamino acids was inhibited by PTU was in the following order: T3 and T4>DIT>MIT. Since the facility with which formation of each labeled substance was depressed by PTU was inversely related to its magnitude of formation in the absence of PTU, no definite conclusions as to relative susceptibility of the various biosynthetic steps to inhibition by PTU are possible. Nevertheless, the pattern of inhibition is similar to previous in vivo data. PTU enters the thyroid lobes from the medium rapidly enough to prevent organic binding of inorganic iodide present in the lobes before incubation. Apparently, iodide present in the inorganic form in the thyroid for long periods can be organically bound as rapidly as that newly entering the...
What killed Giselle

century French ballet, we know a great deal about the original production of Giselle in June 1841. Cyril Beaumont, in The Ballet Called Giselle, describes the sets and costumes, down to the peacock feather in Albrecht's black velvet barret and the two hundred bullrushes in the Wilis' glade.' Serge Lifar, in his Giselle-Apotheose du Ballet Romantique, furnishes interesting details about the choreography, including the fact that the first Myrtha, Adele Dumilatre, crossed the stage first on her toes, and then, relying on the machinist, engaged in a series of flights, darting from "a tuft of flowers to a branch of the willow tree."2 Ivor Guest, in The Romantic Ballet in Paris, provides a wealth of information about the last-minute preparations and the first few performances, including the facts that the orders of the chief machinist could be heard in the house at the premiere and that during the second performance the machinery for Giselle's flight across the stage stuck.3 But we still do not know how the original Giselle died. Did she thrust Albrecht's sword into her body, as she did in the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo production of 1938?4 Or did she simply give up the ghost after swooning, brokenhearted, in her mother's arms, as she has done in the American Ballet Theatre
Preoperative oblique axial computed tomographic imaging for C1-C2 transarticular screw fixation: technical note.

C1-C2 TRANSARTICULAR SCREW fixation is an increasingly popular surgical method of treating atlantoaxial instability. When properly performed, it can safely provide fusion rates near 100%. However, the technique of screw insertion into this region allows only a small margin for error. Preoperative radiological assessment is essential to analyze the morphology of the region, assess for vertebral bony and vascular anomalies, and define the tolerances for the transarticular screws along their planned trajectory. As an adjunct to the preoperative planning of C1-C2 transarticular screw fixation, a unique, easily obtainable method of computed tomographic imaging, using thin-section oblique axial computed tomographic images of the C1-C2 region, is described. (Neurosurgery 37 :150-152, 1995)
Simplified procedure for the analysis of 3- and 4-hydroxyproline.

A column chromatographic analysis of 3-hydroxyproline (3-Hyp), 4-hydroxyproline (4-Hyp), and γ-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) is described. The analyses of urine and plasma were performed with a JLC-6AH amino acid analyzer. A 0.15 M sodium citrate buffer, pH 2.1, was used for elution. Urinary Gla, 3-Hyp, and 4-Hyp were among the seventeen peaks eluted before asparti acid. Hyp, Gla, glutamine, and asparagine in plasma were separated by elution with 0.2 M sodium citrate buffer, pH 3.25, containing 10% methanol. This single-column procedure achieves the sequential separation and quantitation of Gla, 3-Hyp, and 4-Hyp in urine as well as plasma, and is applicable to the diagnosis of collager, metabolism disorders.
Ranking fuzzy multicriteria alternatives with respect to a decision maker's fuzzy goal

Abstract A two-stage method for ranking fuzzy multicriteria alternatives with respect to a decision maker's fuzzy goal is presented. In the first stage the joint membership function of each fuzzy alternative and the membership function of the fuzzy goal are projected orthogonally from the multicriteria space to the one-dimensional preference subspace of the decision maker. In the second stage a ranking index is used to rank the fuzzy projections in the decision maker's preference subspace. A numerical example demonstrates the method.
Antigen Retrieval of Basement Membrane Proteins from Archival Eye Tissues

Antigen retrieval (AR) methods can unmask tissue antigens that have been altered by fixation, processing, storage, or resin interactions. This is particularly important in the study of archival tissues, because primary fixatives and storage times may vary among specimens. We performed an electron microscopic study of basement membrane components of the aqueous humor drainage pathways from archival eye tissue. AR (heated citrate buffer, pH 6.0, LR White resin) increased the amount of label of collagen IV and fibronectin in tissue fixed in four different fixatives, including those containing glutaraldehyde. Labeling density was approximately doubled after AR for most fixatives, with the largest increase for tissues fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde/2% glutaraldehyde. Duration of storage time for archival tissues did not affect AR results. AR did not change the components of the extracellular matrix labeled; no “new” components were labeled after AR. We conclude that AR in citrate buffer can be used on selected e...
Spectroscopic detection of transient thiamin diphosphate-bound intermediates on benzoylformate decarboxylase.

Thiamin diphosphate (ThDP)-dependent enzymes catalyze a range of transformations, such as decarboxylation and ligation. We report a novel spectroscopic assay for detection of some of the ThDP-bound...
A formal bayes multiple shrinkage estimator

A new minimax multiple shrinkage estimator is constructed. This estimator which can adaptively shrink towards many subspace targets, is formal Bayes with respect to a mixture of harmonic priors. Unbiased estimates of risk and simulation results suggest that the risk properties of this estimator are very similar to those of the multiple shrinkage Stein estimator proposed by George (1986a). A special case is seen to be admissible.
Influence of intravenous nutrients on bilirubin transport. III. Emulsified fat infusion.

Summary: Infusions and injections of Intralipid were administered to congenitally jaundiced rats (Gunn) in whom the total body bilirubin pool was uniformly labeled with radioactive bilirubin. These isotopic studies indicated that Inlralipid treatment had no effect on the kinetics of biliruhin formation, transport, tissue distribution, and clearance. There were no significant differences between control and fat emulsion-treated animals in the total bilirubin pool, plasma bilirubin pool, biologic half-life of bilirubin, fractional turnover, and exponential decline in plasma bilirubin specific activity at steady state. Bilirubin concentrations in blood, plasma, liver, kidneys, brain, adipose tissue, and muscle were unaltered during the course of continuous infusions (up to 24 hr) of Intralipid. These results indicate that Intralipid administered in clinically applicable doses and regimens has no discernible effects on biiirubin metabolism in jaundiced rats. Speculation: These experimental procedures and results obtained in unperturbed animals provide a basis for studies of the effects of Intralipid infusion on bilirubin metabolism in presence of experimentally induced hypoxia, hypoglycemia, metabolic acidosis, and starvation.
Δ22-Unsaturated analogs of vitamin D3 and their C(1)-hydroxylated derivatives

Abstract A stereospecific synthesis of (22 E )- and (22 Z )-dehydrocholecalciferols is described starting from C-22 steroidal aldehydes. Direct C(1) hydroxylation of these compounds was achieved via oxidation of the 3,5-cyclovitamin D intermediates with SeO 2 t -butylhydroperoxide , affording 1α-hydroxyvitamin D 3 with the Δ 22 -unsaturated side chain. In addition, their 5,6- trans isomers and 1β epimers have been prepared. The (22 E ) isomer is as active as vitamin D 2 or D 3 in its ability to mibilize bone calcium and heal rickets in rats, whereas the 22 Z compound is less effective. Bioassay of the corresponding 1α-hydroxylated analogs showed Δ 22 - trans -1 α -hydroxyvitamin D 3 to be equal to 1α-hydroxyvitamin D 3 in mobilizing bone calcium and healing rickets, whereas the corresponding cis isomer was less active. The C(1)-hydroxylated vitamins were tested for their ability to bind the chick intestinal receptor protein for 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 . Both Δ 22 isomers were found to be somewhat more potent than 1α-hydroxyvitamin D 3 in the displacement of tritiated 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 .
Cognitive and behavioral dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease: neurochemical and clinicopathological contributions

The cognitive and behavioral sequelae (i.e., nonmotor profile) of Parkinson's disease (PD), with executive dysfunction and depression being most prominent, have typically been overshadowed due to an emphasis on motor symptomatology. The apparent categorization of PD as a disorder isolated to the dopaminergic system may be a generalization of the disease pathology. Dopamine therapy, used for the treatment of motor symptoms, has not consistently been shown to resolve nonmotor impairments. Research evidence indicates that nondopaminergic neurotransmitter systems (i.e., serotonergic, noradrenergic, & cholinergic) are disrupted in PD and may contribute to cognitive and behavioral dysfunction. Furthermore, Lewy bodies within cortical and subcortical structures can add to the nonmotor profile in PD. Pharmacological interventions for the treatment of cognitive and behavioral impairments associated with PD are few, especially for nondemented patients. The current review of the literature highlights evidence that associates nonmotor dysfunctions with neurochemical and clinicopathological correlates of PD.
A HARMONIC-TYPE MAXIMAL PRINCIPLE IN COMMUTANT LIFTING

In this note, we prove a harmonic-type maximal principle for the Schur parametrization of all intertwining liftings of an intertwining contraction in the commutant lifting theorem.
Micron-scale Fe2+/Fe3+, intermediate sulfur species and O2 gradients across the biofilm–solution–sediment interface control biofilm organization

Abstract We measured micron-scale Fe2+/Fe3+ and intermediate sulfur species gradients across the biofilm–solution interface and defined the microbial community composition in natural and bioreactor-cultivated acid mine drainage biofilms to investigate how community organization correlated with geochemical conditions. Intermediate sulfur species concentrations were also measured in associated sediments. Under initial conditions of high Fe2+ and O2 concentrations, the first biofilm colonists were Leptospirillum Group II, UBA genotype, and a few Archaea. Cytochrome 579 concentration in early formed biofilms was high, correlating with rapid Fe2+ oxidation. As biofilm thickness increased, O2 concentrations in the middle of biofilms decreased, indicating that diffusion limitation of O2 may control activity levels of aerobic organisms. Calculated low O2 and high Fe3+ concentrations in the interior regions of biofilms may explain the previously reported suppression of the UBA genotype in mature biofilms. Instead, Leptospirillum Group II, 5-way CG genotype, dominated under these conditions. Leptospirillum Group III and eukaryotes appeared in the community as the biofilm thickened and Fe3+/Fe2+ increased. In mature biofilms, the architecture changed from planar to crenulated, perhaps to increase the surface area of biofilms and decrease O2 diffusion limitation. In thick, mature biofilms, layering is associated with segregation of Leptospirillum Group II and Archaea and the concentration of cytochrome 579 is lower. The accumulation of Archaea close to the biofilm–air interface may facilitate their aerobic metabolism of waste carbon compounds. Sulfite, thiosulfate and polysulfides were detected in AMD sediments and thiosulfate was detected in solution. These compounds indicate the redox status of the system and represent potential energy sources. Temporal and spatial heterogeneity in community structure correlate with heterogeneity in geochemical conditions, implying active feedbacks between geochemical conditions and microbial species distribution and activity.
The reaction of schoenberg's reagent with elemental sulfur

Abstract The infrared absorption spectrum of SCHOENBERG's reagent, (CH 3 OC 6 H) 2 C =NCH 2 C 6 H 6 has been obtained in the (650—5000 cm -1 region. Assignments have been made for all observed bands using group frequency methods.
Naturally Occurring Flavonoids Against Human Norovirus Surrogates

Naturally occurring plant-derived flavonoids are reported to have antibacterial, antiviral, and pharmacological activities. The objectives of this study were to determine the antiviral effects of four flavonoids (myricetin, L-epicatechin, tangeretin, and naringenin) on the infectivity of food borne norovirus surrogates after 2 h at 37 °C. The lab-culturable surrogates, feline calicivirus (FCV-F9) at titers of ~7 log₁₀ PFU/ml (high titer) or ~5 log₁₀ PFU/ml (low titer) and murine norovirus (MNV-1) at ~5 log₁₀ PFU/ml, were mixed with equal volumes of myricetin, L-epicatechin, tangeretin, or naringenin at concentrations of 0.5 or 1 mM, and incubated for 2 h at 37 °C. Treatments of viruses were neutralized in cell culture medium containing 10 % heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum, serially diluted, and plaque assayed. Each treatment was replicated thrice and assayed in duplicate. FCV-F9 (low titer) was not found to be reduced by tangeretin or naringenin, but was reduced to undetectable levels by myricetin at both concentrations. Low titer FCV-F9 was also decreased by 1.40 log₁₀ PFU/ml with L-epicatechin at 0.5 mM. FCV-F9 at high titers was decreased by 3.17 and 0.72 log₁₀ PFU/ml with myricetin and L-epicatechin at 0.5 mM, and 1.73 log10 PFU/ml with myricetin at 0.25 mM, respectively. However, MNV-1 showed no significant inactivation by the four tested treatments. The antiviral effects of the tested flavonoids are dependent on the virus type, titer, and dose. Further research will focus on understanding the antiviral mechanism of myricetin and L-epicatechin.
Cefoperazone pharmacokinetics in acute childhood meningitis

We studied the serum pharmacokinetics and cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of cefoperazone in 15 children with acute meningitis. Mean cefoperazone concentrations of 117 μg/ml in the serum and 3.8 μg/ml in the cerebrospinal fluid were noted 2 hours after a single 100 mg/kg dose. Following multiple 50 or 100 mg/kg doses, the mean peak serum cefoperazone concentrations were 232 and 498 μg/ml, respectively, with an overall mean elimination phase half-life of 2.12 hours. The data best fit a linear, two-compartment model. Cerebrospinal fluid concentrations 1.5 to 2.5 hours after the end of cefoperazone infusions ranged from 1.4 to 19.2 μg/ml for all doses and states of illness. This represented 1.2% to 6.4% of simultaneous serum values. The cerebrospinal fluid inhibitory titer was ≧1:16 in 17 of 18 specimens tested against a strain of Haemophilus influenzae type b resistant to both chloramphenicol and ampicillin. In the doses given, cefoperazone produces adequate cerebrospinal fluid concentrations and bioactivity to treat the common bacterial forms of acute meningitis in infants and children.
Photophysical behaviour of zinc tetraphenylporphyrins in solutions and polymer films

Abstract The fluorescence and phosphorescence of zinc tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP) and its tatrasulfonated derivative (ZnTPPS) were evaluated using time-resolved luminescence and absorption measurements in three environments: dilute solution, solutions containing polyvinylpyridine (PVP) and quaternary-ammonium-ion-derivatized styrene copolymer and films of the polymers. Both the singlet and triplet lifetimes are reduced in highly doped films or in solution in the presence of small polymer concentrations where attachment of the porphyrin leads to low average porphyrin—porphyrin separations. In contrast, for poorly doped films or high polymer concentrations in solution, porphyrins bound to pyridine moieties in PVP or to the cation sites of the anionic copolymer exhibit increases in both the singlet and triplet lifetimes. There is no parallel effect for ZnTPP axially bound by dissolution in pyridine. Flash experiments reveal a new relaxation pathway for ZnTPP—pyridine.
Global Health Training and International Clinical Rotations during Residency: Current Status, Needs, and Opportunities

Increasing international travel and migration have contributed to globalization of diseases. Physicians today must understand the global burden and epidemiology of diseases, the disparities and inequities in global health systems, and the importance of cross-cultural sensitivity. To meet these needs, resident physicians across all specialties have expressed growing interest in global health training and international clinical rotations. More residents are acquiring international experience, despite inadequate guidance and support from most accreditation organizations and residency programs. Surveys of global health training, including international clinical rotations, highlight the benefits of global health training as well as the need for a more coordinated approach. In particular, international rotations broaden a resident's medical knowledge, reinforce physical examination skills, and encourage practicing medicine among underserved and multicultural populations. As residents recognize these personal and professional benefits, a strong majority of them seek to gain international clinical experience. In conclusion, with feasible and appropriate administrative steps, all residents can receive global health training and be afforded the accreditation and programmatic support to participate in safe international rotations. The next steps should address accreditation for international rotations and allowance for training away from continuity clinics by residency accreditation bodies, and stipend and travel support for six or more weeks of call-free elective time from residency programs.
Sustained Activation of AMPK Ameliorates Age-Associated Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction via a Nitric Oxide-Independent Mechanism

Exercise restores endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD) in old mice by reducing oxidative stress and increasing nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Adenosine monophosphate protein kinase (AMPK) activation mimics some effects of exercise. Old (28-30 months) B6D2F1 mice had reduced arterial AMPK expression and superoxide-mediated suppression of EDD vs. young (3-6 months) controls. Pharmacological activation of AMPK by aminoimidazole carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR) for 2 weeks increased arterial AMPK and reversed this superoxide-induced impairment of EDD. The improvement in EDD was independent of NO or prostaglandin signaling, suggesting enhanced endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizing factor-related dilation. AMPK activation may represent a novel therapy for treating age-associated vascular dysfunction.
Obesity and adipocyte abnormalities in offspring of rats undernourished during pregnancy

Pregnant rats underfed in the first 2 weeks of gestation had offspring with normal body weight at birth and weaning. However, starting at about 5 weeks of age the male offspring became hyperphagic and gained more weight than the controls. The female offspring did not overeat and did not become obese. Both male and female progeny showed increased fat cell size as adults. In males the epididymal and retroperitoneal fat pads were significantly enlarged nd adipocytes in these pads were hypertrophied. In females and fat pads were not enlarged, but adipocytes in the parametrial pads were hypertrophied.
Regional membrane heterogeneity in premyelinated CNS axons: factors influencing the binding of sterol-specific probes.

Abstract Binding of the sterol-specific probe filipin to developing optic nerve axonal membrane is spatially heterogeneous prior to association of glial cells with the axons. Experiments were performed using different sterol binding probes (filipin, tomatin, and saponin), at different temperatures (4 °C, 23 °C, and 37 °C), after incubation in different ionic conditions (10 mM Ca 2+ , 10 mM EGTA, and 20 mM Mg 2+ ), to examine factors that may be responsible for this membrane heterogeneity in rat optic nerve. The patchy pattern of filipin binding is apparent with each sterol-specific probe, even prior to glial ensheathment, and is retained when membrane fluidity is increased at higher temperatures. Increased Ca 2+ concentration increased membrane stability, and increased Mg 2+ reduced the patchiness of filipin binding. After tannic acid staining, regions of the cytoskeleton are seen associated with the membrane via filaments extending from microtubules to the membrane, preferentially in regions where filipin interaction with the membrane is inhibited. The non-uniform interaction of filipin with the axolemma suggests an underlying heterogeneity in the sterol composition and stability of the membrane. Heterogeneity of premyelinated axonal membrane may provide an important formative influence in the differentiation of axons to their mature morphology and function.
Fabrication of Cardiac Patch with Decellularized Porcine Myocardial Scaffold and Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cells

Tissue engineered cardiac grafts are a promising therapeutic mode for ventricular wall reconstruction. Recently, it has been found that acellular tissue scaffolds provide natural ultrastructural, mechanical, and compositional cues for recellularization and tissue remodeling. We thus assess the potential of decellularized porcine myocardium as a scaffold for thick cardiac patch tissue engineering. Myocardial sections with 2-mm thickness were decellularized using 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate and then reseeded with differentiated bone marrow mononuclear cells. We found that thorough decellularization could be achieved after 2.5 weeks of treatment. Reseeded cells were found to infiltrate and proliferate in the tissue constructs. Immunohistological staining studies showed that the reseeded cells maintained cardiomyocyte-like phenotype and possible endothelialization was found in locations close to vasculature channels, indicating angiogenesis potential. Both biaxial and uniaxial mechanical testing showed a stiffer mechanical response of the acellular myocardial scaffolds; however, tissue extensibility and tensile modulus were found to recover in the constructs along with the culture time, as expected from increased cellular content. The cardiac patch that we envision for clinical application will benefit from the natural architecture of myocardial extracellular matrix, which has the potential to promote stem cell differentiation, cardiac regeneration, and angiogenesis.
Dissolution Kinetics of β‐Si3N4 in an Mg‐Si‐O‐N Glass

The rate of dissolution of β-Si3N4 into an Mg-Si-O-N glass was measured by working with a composition in the ternary system Si3N4-SiO2-MgO such that Si2N2O rather than β-Si3N4 was the equilibrium phase. Dissolution was driven by the chemical reaction Si3N4(c)+SiO2(l)→Si2N2O(c). Analysis of the kinetic data, in view of the morphology of the dissolving phase (Si3N4) and the precipitating phase (Si2N2O), led to the conclusion that the dissolution rate was controlled by reaction at the crystal/glass interface of the Si3N4, crystals. The process appears to have a fairly constant activation energy, equal to 621 ±40 kJ-mol−1, at T=1573 to 1723 K. This large activation energy is believed to reflect the sum of two quantities: the heat of solution of β-Si3N4 hi the glass and the activation enthalpy for jumps of the slower-moving species across the crystal/glass interface. The data reported should be useful for interpreting creep and densification experiments with MgO-fluxed Si3N4.
Au-delà de la souveraineté biopolitique Schmitt, Arendt, Foucault et les usages de la violence dans la politique internationale

Dans cet article, nous avancons que la souverainete biopolitique et la theorie politique de l’etat d’exception, souvent derivees de la pensee de Carl Schmitt, ne constituent pas des indicateurs analytiques satisfaisants si nous voulons comprendre la politique de l’utilite globale des corps, du controle sur la vie ou le vivant et la violence des autorites abusives qui semblent aujourd’hui dominer les pratiques en relations internationales. Pour mieux apprecier la singularite du moment present, nous suggerons qu’une approche theorique inspiree de la pensee politique de Hannah Arendt et correspondant aux politiques de violence absolue et totalitaire ainsi qu’a la terreur est necessaire. En revisitant la pensee d’Arendt sur la violence et la politique agonale, nous reconceptualisons les pratiques souveraines en tant que « souverainete agonale ».
NONPARAMETRIC REGRESSION IN THE PRESENCE OF MEASUREMENT ERROR

We introduce a nonparametric regression estimator that is consistent in the presence of measurement error in the explanatory variable when one repeated observation of the mismeasured regressor is available. The approach taken relies on a useful property of the Fourier transform, namely, its ability to convert complicated integral equations into simple algebraic equations. The proposed estimator is shown to be asymptotically normal, and its rate of convergence in probability is derived as a function of the smoothness of the densities and conditional expectations involved. The resulting rates are often comparable to kernel deconvolution estimators, which provide consistent estimation under the much stronger assumption that the density of the measurement error is known. The finite-sample properties of the estimator are investigated through Monte Carlo experiments.This work was made possible in part through financial support from the National Science Foundation via grant SES-0214068. The author is grateful to the referees and the co-editor for their helpful comments.
A Listeria monocytogenes mutant defective in bacteriophage attachment is attenuated in orally inoculated mice and impaired in enterocyte intracellular growth

A Listeria monocytogenes bacteriophage was used to identify a phage-resistant Tn917 insertion mutant of the mouse-virulent listerial strain F6214-1. The mutant was attenuated when it was inoculated orally into female A/J mice and failed to replicate efficiently in cultured mouse enterocytes. Phage binding studies indicated that the mutant had a cell surface alteration that precluded phage attachment. All phenotypes associated with the mutation could be complemented in trans by a single open reading frame (ORF) that corresponded to the ORF interrupted by the Tn917 insertion. The complementation effected was, in all cases, at a level indistinguishable from that of the parent. The Tn917 insertion interrupted a gene that is predicted to encode a group 2 glycosyl transferase (provisionally designated glcV). A similar glcV gene is present in Listeria welshimeri and Listeria innocua and in some serotypes of L. monocytogenes. We speculate that the loss of the glcV product results in a defective phage receptor and that this alteration coincidentally influences a feature of the normal host-pathogen interaction required for virulence. Interestingly, the glcV lesion, while preventing phage attachment, did not alter the mutant's ability to bind to cultured mouse enterocyte monolayers. Rather, the mutation appeared to alter a subsequent step in intracellular replication measured by a reduction in plaque-forming efficiency and plaque size. In vivo, the mutant was undetectable in the liver and spleen 48 h after oral inoculation. The mutation is significant in part because it is one of the few that produce attenuation when the mutant is delivered orally.
Obesity and post-operative pain.

Abstract Patients underwent elective abdominal surgery for morbid obesity (X=154 kgs, n =55) or cholecystectomy (X=71 kgs, n =54). Post-operative narcotics were transformed into morphine equivalent units (ME). Morbidly obese patients received significantly fewer total doses than cholecystectomy patients and less total mg ME/kg over a five-day period. Sedative use for both groups was comparable. In the morbidly obese patients, preoperative psychiatric and drug usage data predicted 67% of the variance in number of doses and 69% of the variance in total mg ME/kg.
LAMBERT-EATON MYASTHENIC SYNDROME WITH PURE OCULAR WEAKNESS

Rudnicki described a patient with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) who presented with isolated ocular weakness.1 We agree with the author that this rare presentation of LEMS might be confused with purely ocular seronegative myasthenia. However, we want to stress that the absence of ocular weakness is a more frequent cause of failure to diagnose LEMS. Proximal leg weakness without ptosis or diplopia is frequently not recognized as a neuromuscular transmission disorder. Rudnicki states that the prevalence of ocular symptoms in LEMS shows a wide range (0 to 65%).2,3 However, this is probably due to observer bias. Wirtz et al.2 studied the initial symptoms at disease onset, whereas Burns et al.3 described the symptoms present at diagnosis (median 8 months). …
Evaluation of transgenic hybrid corn (VIP3A) in broiler chickens

A 49-d feeding study evaluated whether standard broiler diets prepared with Syngenta Seeds VIP3A transgenic derived corn grain had any unanticipated adverse effects on male or female broiler chickens as compared with diets prepared with nontransgenic (isoline) control corn grain. Two commercial lots of grain grown in North Carolina during the 1999 (NC 1999) and 2000 (NC 2000) seasons were included for reference purposes. Broiler growth was excellent with males reaching 3,466 g and females reaching 2,882 g at 49 d of age. Final BW of the VIP3A, isoline, and NC 1999 corn groups were within 21.1 g, whereas the NC 2000 group was 42.4 g lower than the lowest of this group. There was no overall corn source effect on adjusted feed conversion ratio (FCR) or mortality to 49 d of age. Carcass analysis demonstrated no differences in percentage yield due to corn source among males and females other than percentage wings in females. Comprehensive clinical chemical analyses of blood taken from representative birds at 49 d of age showed no differences due to corn sources. The transgenic VIP3A hybrid diets numerically supported the most rapid broiler chicken growth, the second lowest mortality rate and best FCR, without practical differences in carcass yield. The few differences found in this study were not unique to a given corn source but instead appeared to be distributed equally across the diet groups evaluated in the study. Although it was not clear whether small differences in performance were attributable to the transgenic corn per se or were due to possible slight differences in overall composition of the formulated diets, it was clear that the transgenic corn had no deleterious effects on broiler performance and carcass yield in this study.
Antioxidant status in asthma

Reduced levels of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) have been observed in adults with asthma. This study examines the antioxidant status in children with asthma compared with a control group in a cross-sectional analysis. Red blood cell GSH-Px, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and plasma concentrations of retinol, vitamin C, alpha tocopherol, and cholesterol were measured in 37 subjects (26 males) with stable controlled asthma. Thirty-five subjects (20 males) without eczema, hayfever, or recurrent respiratory symptoms were used as a control group. Children with asthma had significantly reduced red blood cell GSH-Px activity compared with controls [median (inter-quartile range) for asthma group, 10.25 (9.25–11.91)]; for control group, 11.75 (10.34–12.26) IU/g Hb; P = 0.0061. There were no significant differences in activity of SOD or vitamin C, retinol, or alpha tocopherol/cholesterol ratio. The reduction in GSH-Px activity may have therapeutic and etiological implications for asthma. The effects of disease activity and treatment on antioxidant status needs for further study. Pediatr Pulmonol. 1994; 18:34–38. © 1994 Wiley-Liss. Inc.
Hindsight bias: An impediment to accurate probability estimation in clinicopathologic conferences

Although clinicopathologic conferences (CPCs) have been valued for teaching differential diagnosis, their instructional value may be compromised by hindsight bias. This bias occurs when those who know the actual diagnosis overestimate the likelihood that they would have been able to predict the correct diagnosis had they been asked to do so beforehand. Evidence for the presence of the hindsight bias was sought among 160 physicians and trainees attending four CPCs. Before the correct diagnosis was announced, half of the conference audience estimated the probability that each of five possible diagnoses was correct (foresight subjects). After the correct diagnosis was announced the remaining (hindsight) subjects estimated the probability they would have assigned to each of the five possible diagnoses had they been making the initial differential diagnosis. Only 30% of the foresight subjects ranked the correct diagnosis as first, versus 50% of the hindsight subjects (p less than 0.02). Although less experienced physicians consistently demonstrated the hindsight bias, more experienced physicians succumbed only on easier cases.
Parental transmission of risk for cannabis use disorders to offspring.

Aims We investigated the risk of cannabis use disorder (CUD) among probands as a function of parental psychopathology and explored parent–offspring gender concordance as a mechanism of parental CUD transmission to offspring. Design Four waves of data collection from a longitudinal epidemiological study of psychopathology among a regionally representative sample. Setting Participants were selected randomly from western Oregon, USA, and were initially assessed during mid-adolescence. Participants The reference sample included 719 probands and their biological mothers and fathers. Measurements CUD episodes among probands were assessed with semistructured diagnostic interviews between mid-adolescence and young adulthood. Life-time psychiatric disorders among parents of probands were assessed when probands were approximately 24 years of age. Findings There was an increased risk for CUD onset among probands with parental histories of CUD [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.30–2.88], hard drug use disorders (HR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.32–2.90) or antisocial personality disorder (HR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.06–2.82). A significant parent–offspring gender concordance effect indicated that females with a maternal CUD history were at higher risk for CUD onset compared with females without a maternal CUD (HR = 3.10, 95% CI = 1.52–6.34). Maternal CUD was not associated with CUD onset among males (P = 0.570), nor was there evidence for parent–offspring gender concordance effects for paternal CUD-specific transmission (P = 0.114). Conclusions Parental histories of antisocial personality and illicit substance use disorders are associated with increased risk for cannabis use disorder onset in offspring, especially among females with maternal cannabis use disorder histories.
Seeing clients with an artist's eye: perceptual simulation exercises

This article offers some novel ideas to the age-old debate within the helping professions about how to gain balance between an analytical, cognitive style of processing data and the more experiential and humanistic process of direct perception. Ideas drawn from the perceptual skills training are combined with therapeutic techniques from Gestalt therapy. This marriage of ideas can be helpful in training counselors to understand and experience how techniques used by artists to see objects realistically can be applied to a counseling relationship.
Neurospora spore killers Sk-2 and Sk-3 suppress meiotic silencing by unpaired DNA.

In Neurospora crassa, pairing of homologous DNA segments is monitored during meiotic prophase I. Any genes not paired with a homolog, as well as any paired homologs of that gene, are silenced during the sexual phase by a mechanism known as meiotic silencing by unpaired DNA (MSUD). Two genes required for MSUD have been described previously: sad-1 (suppressor of ascus dominance), encoding an RNA-directed RNA polymerase, and sad-2, encoding a protein that controls the perinuclear localization of SAD-1. Inactivation of either sad-1 or sad-2 suppresses MSUD. We have now shown that MSUD is also suppressed by either of two Spore killer strains, Sk-2 and Sk-3. These were both known to contain a haplotype segment that behaves as a meiotic drive element in heterozygous crosses of killer × sensitive. Progeny ascospores not carrying the killer element fail to mature and are inviable. Crosses homozygous for either of the killer haplotypes suppress MSUD even though ascospores are not killed. The killer activity maps to the same 30-unit-long region within which recombination is suppressed in killer × sensitive crosses. We suggest that the region contains a suppressor of MSUD.
The Political History of Nigeria's New Capital

On 4 February 1976 the Federal Military Government of Nigeria promulgated Decree No. 6, initiating the removal of the national capital from Lagos to Abuja. Thus Nigeria followed Brazil, Botswana, Malawi, Pakistan, and Tanzania to become the most recent developing country to arrange for a transfer of its centre of government. The proliferation of new capitals constructed in the twentieth century has captured the world-wide attention of geographers, architects, planners, and demographers, but the literature on the subject examines these projects almost exclusively with a focus on planning for national development. This viewpoint too often neglects politics as the paramount force in the relocation of a nation's capital city.
Electromagnetics education at the University of Central Florida

In this paper the development of the electromagnetics curriculum in the Electrical Engineering Department at the University of Central Florida is presented. The department offers a well rounded program in the electromagnetics area with extensive use of computer aided teaching and design software. Details of the various courses offered are presented and discussed. The courses include: EM fields, microwave engineering, microwave circuits/devices, RF and microwave communications, antennas, and numerical techniques.