cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recording seismic reflections using rigidly interconnected geophones

Ultrashallow seismic reflection surveys require dense spatial sampling during data acquisition, which increases their cost. In previous efforts to find ways to reduce these costs, we connected geophones rigidly to pieces of channel iron attached to a farm implement. This method allowed us to plant the geophones in the ground quickly and automatically. The rigidly interconnected geophones used in these earlier studies detected first-arrival energy along with minor interfering seismic modes, but they did not detect seismic reflections. To examine further the feasibility of developing rigid geophone emplacement systems to detect seismic reflections, we experimented with four pieces of channel iron, each 2.7 m long and 10 cm wide. Each segment was equipped with 18 geophones rigidly attached to the channel iron at 15-cm intervals, and the spikes attached to all 18 geophones were pushed into the ground simultaneously. The geophones detected both refracted and reflected energy; however, no significant signal distortion or interference attributable to the rigid coupling of the geophones to the channel iron was observed in the data. The interfering seismic modes mentioned from the previous experiments were not detected, nor was any P-wave propagation noted within the channel iron. These results show promise for automating and reducing the cost of ultrashallow seismic reflection and refraction surveys.
Synthesis ofN-Acetylglucosamine derivatives as probes for specificity of chicken hepatic lectin

Syntheses of the following compounds are described: 6-(Trifluoroacetylamino)hexyl 2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-β-d-glucopyranoside and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-d-xylopyranoside, two allyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosiduronic acid derivatives, and several allyl 2-acylamido-2-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranosides having different acyl groups. These and other compounds were used as inhibitors in the binding assay for the chicken hepatic lectin specific forN-acetylglucosamine. We found that: 1) The inhibitory potency ofN-acylglucosamine derivatives decreased progressively with increase in the size of acyl group, 2) absence of either 3-or 4-OH group ofN-acetylglucosamine lowered the binding affinity more than 100-fold, and 3) the presence of a negatively charged group (carboxylic acid) at the C-6 position did not lower the affinity. The first two items are similar to the mammalian hepatic galactose/N-acetylgalactosamine lectins, but the last item is in a strong contrast to the mammalian lectins.
Moral Development in Early Childhood Is Key for Moral Enhancement

Moral enhancement, outlined in the well-elaborated typology by John Shook (2012), is the most recent strain in the enhancement debate that unfolded in the last decade—but the ideal of “becoming a m...
Diagnosis of inherited adenylosuccinase deficiency by thin-layer chromatography of urinary imidazoles and by automated cation exchange column chromatography of purines.

Abstract Patients with inherited adenylosuccinase deficiency excrete large quantities of succinyloaminoimidazolecarboxamide riboside (SAICAR) and Succinyloadenosine (SAdo). A two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography method for the detection of SAICAR is described. The method consists of (1) isolation of imidazoles with a cation exchange resin; (2) TLC on cellulose plates, solvent I, isopropanol-ammonia 10% (4:1) and II, butanol-acetic acid-water (4:1:1); detection with Pauly reagent. SAICAR gives rise to an isolated spot with a characteristic bluish color. Also a simple one-dimensional thin-layer chromatography method using urine without any pretreatment for screening of high risk populations is given. Four new cases could be diagnosed. Clinical and chemical data, including concentrations of SAICAR and SAdo in urine, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid, determined by cation exchange column chromatography, are presented.
Horizontal Participatory Planning in Prostate Cancer Prevention: An Analysis of the Mississippi Prostate Cancer Project

We examined the Mississippi Prostrate Cancer Project (MPCP) using a 12-point assessment tool organized within three conceptual elements: stakeholder participation, cultural and structural relationships, and partnership synergy. A case study design involving participant observation and content analysis is adopted, and interpretive methods including frame and categorical analysis are used in data analysis. Though MPCP did not meet all the criteria specified in our conceptual framework, beneficiary participation and empowerment was intense. The MCPCP a unique case of community participation where lack of beneficiary project initiation does not diminish quality of participation or empowerment. Horizontal participatory approaches demonstrated in this project, created space for the growth of community social capital necessary for sustainable community development in disadvantaged communities, by cultivating beneficiary project leadership in the planning hierarchy.
Isocitrate Lyase (AceA) Is Required for Salmonella Persistence but Not for Acute Lethal Infection in Mice

Isocitrate lyase is required for fatty acid utilization via the glyoxylate shunt. Although isocitrate lyase is essential for Salmonella persistence during chronic infection, it is dispensable for acute lethal infection in mice. Substrate availability in the phagosome appears to evolve over time, with increasing fatty acid dependence during chronic infection.
Effect of procaine hydrochloride on the electrophoretic mobility of human red blood cells

The interaction of cationic anesthetics with biological membranes and the resulting alterations of membrane electrokinetic properties continue to be of current interest. The present study was designed to examine the effects of procaine hydrochloride (PRHCL) on the mobility of human red blood cells (RBC); electrophoretic measurements were made on RBC suspended in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH = 5.0, 7.4, or 9.2), autologous plasma or 3 g% dextran T70/PBS (pH = 7.4), with PRHCL concentrations from 8 × 10−6 to 8 × 10−2M. Low concentrations of PRHCL (8 × 10−5−8 × 10−3M) significantly (p<0.001) increased RBC mobility, with a maximal increase of 8.2% at 8 × 10−4M. Conversely, a higher PRHCL concentration (8 × 10−2M) significantly (p<0.001) decreased RBC mobility. Both glutaraldehyde fixation and lipid extraction abolished any PRHCL-induced increase in RBC mobility; the observed increases in mobility for normal cells are, thus, consistent with a mechanism based on expansion of the RBC membrane glycocalyx.
Using graphitic foam as the bonding material in metal fuel pins for sodium fast reactors

Abstract The study evaluates the possible use of graphite foam as the bonding material between U–Pu–Zr metallic fuel and steel clad for sodium fast reactor applications using FEAST-METAL fuel performance code. Furthermore, the applicability of FEAST-METAL to the advanced fuel designs is demonstrated. Replacing the sodium bond with a chemically stable foam material would eliminate fuel clad metallurgical interactions, and allow for fuel swelling under low external stress. Hence, a significant improvement is expected for the steady state and transient performance. FEAST-METAL was used to assess the thermo-mechanical behavior of the new fuel form and a reference metallic fuel pin. Nearly unity conversion ratio, 75% smear density U–15Pu–6Zr metallic fuel pin with sodium bond, and T91 cladding was selected as a reference case. It was found that operating the reference case at high clad temperatures (600–660 °C) results in (1) excessive clad wastage formation/clad thinning due to lanthanide migration and formation of brittle phases at clad inner surface, and (2) excessive clad hoop strain at the upper axial section due mainly to the occurrence of thermal creep. The combination of these two factors may lead to cladding breach. The work concludes that replacing the sodium bond with 80% porous graphite foam and reducing the fuel smear density to 70%, it is likely that the fuel clad metallurgical interaction would be eliminated while the fuel swelling is allowed without excessive fuel clad mechanical interaction. The suggested design appears as an alternative for a high performance metallic fuel design for sodium fast reactors.
Fruit, vegetables, fatness, and Foucault: governing students and their families through school health policy

In an era of curricular accountability where everything from reading and math scores to body fat are events to be assembled, scrutinized, and standardized, the health‐conscious school plays an ever‐important role in community and the nation (or so we are told). This qualitative study analyzes interviews with school leaders in their role in creating educational policies that encourage students and their families to make health a priority. Theoretically, the work draws on the work of Foucault, specifically his writings on the governance of society and the self. The analysis reveals the ways in which notions of good health and how this should be achieved became, at this school, a basis for social evaluation and control. In performing this analysis I seek to problematize the enactment of school health policy as ideologically neutral, necessarily liberating, and inherently benevolent.
Ingestion of marine debris by juvenile sea turtles in coastal Florida habitats

Digestive tracts from 51 sea turtle carcasses that washed ashore on the east and west coasts of Florida were examined for the presence of anthropogenic debris. Debris was found in 24 of 43 green turtles (Chelonia mydas), 0 of 7 Kemp's ridleys (Lepidochelys kempi), and 1 of 1 loggerhead (Caretta caretta). Ingested debris included plastic, monofilament line, fish hooks, rubber, aluminium foil, and tar. For green turtles, ingestion of debris was not significantly affected by location of stranding, season, or body size. Debris ingestion was significantly affected by sex of the turtle. Frequency of occurrence of debris was significantly higher in females, but differences in the mass or volume of ingested debris were not significantly different between the sexes. Although frequency of occurrence of debris was high in green turtles (56%), the mass and volume of the debris were small—mean 0.52% of wet mass of gut contents and mean 0.72% of the volume of gut contents, respectively. However, small quantities of debris can kill sea turtles; the death of at least two turtles in this study resulted from debris ingestion. The debris in the two turtles represented 4.6% and 5.8% of wet mass and 3.2% and 9.8% of volume of the gut contents, respectively. In both turtles, the debris represented inflated percentages because the turtles had not been feeding normally prior to death because the debris affected gut function. Sublethal effects of debris ingestion (e.g. absorption of toxins) has an unknown—but potentially great—negative effect on the demography of sea turtles.
Inhibiting the dimeric restriction endonuclease EcoRl using interfacial helical peptides

Abstract Background: Many enzymes are active only in a dimeric form, including a variety of type II restriction endonucleases. Disruption of subunit interactions is therefore a potential method for multimeric enzyme inhibition. Eco Rl is a homodimeric restriction endonuclease, the dimeric interface of which consists of a four-helix bundle. We set out to design helical peptides to interact with this interface and block dimer formation, thus rendering Eco Rl inactive. Results: Here we describe two synthetic, helical peptides based on the interfacial region of EcoRl. Both peptides inhibit the enzyme, but the peptide derived from the α4 helix of EcoRl had both a higher helical content and better efficacy than a variant peptide, α4(Leu), that has three Ile→Leu mutations (IC 50 values of 27 μM and 90 μM, and helical contents of 29% and 10%, respectively). Size-exclusion chromatography confirmed that the α4 peptide disrupted dimerization of Eco Rl, and circular dichroism indicated that Eco Rl remained folded upon binding to a4. Inhibition with α4 and α4(Leu) was shown to be specific for EcoRl, as the dimeric restriction enzyme Pvu ll was not affected by the peptides. Conclusions: Interfacial peptide inhibitors of the dimeric Eco Rl were obtained that both inhibit dimerization and endonuclease activity. The peptide sequence with a preference for a helical conformation was a more effective inhibitor, presumably because the more preorganized state enhanced interactions with the helical interface of Eco Rl. The specific nature of this endonuclease-peptide interaction was also confirmed. The potential of this strategy for inhibiting other enzyme classes is currently being addressed.
Effect of switching a magnetoplasma medium on the duration of a monochromatic pulse

The main effect of switching a magnetoplasma medium is to split the source wave into new waves whose frequencies are different from the source wave. In addition, if the source is a monochromatic pulse, the duration of the pulse is altered. Analytical expressions for the pulse duration of the various characteristic waves in a magnetoplasma are derived. The variations of the pulse duration with the source frequency, the plasma frequency and the cyclotron frequency are illustrated. The principle of the change in the pulse duration may be used to diagnose dynamically the time — varying parameters of a magnetoplasma medium.
Non-intentional but not automatic: reduction of word- and arrow-based compatibility effects by sound distractors in the same categorical domain

In the current study, we show that the non-intentional processing of visually presented words and symbols can be attenuated by sounds. Importantly, this attenuation is dependent on the similarity in categorical domain between the sounds and words or symbols. Participants performed a task in which left or right responses were made contingent on the color of a centrally presented target that was either a location word (LEFT or RIGHT) or a left or right arrow. Responses were faster when they were on the side congruent with the word or arrow. This bias was reduced for location words by a neutral spoken word and for arrows by a tone series, but not vice versa. We suggest that words and symbols are processed with minimal attentional requirements until they are categorized into specific knowledge domains, but then become sensitive to other information within the same domain regardless of the similarity between modalities.
Optimization of space system development resources

Abstract NASA has had a decades-long problem with cost growth during the development of space science missions. Numerous agency-sponsored studies have produced average mission level cost growths ranging from 23% to 77%. A new study of 26 historical NASA Science instrument set developments using expert judgment to reallocate key development resources has an average cost growth of 73.77%. Twice in history, a barter-based mechanism has been used to reallocate key development resources during instrument development. The mean instrument set development cost growth was −1.55%. Performing a bivariate inference on the means of these two distributions, there is statistical evidence to support the claim that using a barter-based mechanism to reallocate key instrument development resources will result in a lower expected cost growth than using the expert judgment approach. Agent-based discrete event simulation is the natural way to model a trade environment. A NetLogo agent-based barter-based simulation of science instrument development was created. The agent-based model was validated against the Cassini historical example, as the starting and ending instrument development conditions are available. The resulting validated agent-based barter-based science instrument resource reallocation simulation was used to perform 300 instrument development simulations, using barter to reallocate development resources. The mean cost growth was −3.365%. A bivariate inference on the means was performed to determine that additional significant statistical evidence exists to support a claim that using barter-based resource reallocation will result in lower expected cost growth, with respect to the historical expert judgment approach. Barter-based key development resource reallocation should work on spacecraft development as well as it has worked on instrument development. A new study of 28 historical NASA science spacecraft developments has an average cost growth of 46.04%. As barter-based key development resource reallocation has never been tried in a spacecraft development, no historical results exist, and a simulation of using that approach must be developed. The instrument development simulation should be modified to account for spacecraft development market participant differences. The resulting agent-based barter-based spacecraft resource reallocation simulation would then be used to determine if significant statistical evidence exists to prove a claim that using barter-based resource reallocation will result in lower expected cost growth.
The influence of shape changes on structural dynamics of a round-cornered thin-walled beam with warping

Abstract The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of shape changes on the natural frequencies of a channel beam. To achieve this objective, the solutions of differential equations of motion for a beam experiencing coupled bending and torsion are derived using the Ritz approach. The functional of the corresponding system frequency equation is formulated. A set of polynomial that satisfies the fixed-free boundary condition is generated. The Ritz method leads the formulation to an eigen value problem for frequency calculations. A numerical examples is presented to validate the approach and to study the influence of shape changes on the dynamics of the beam structure.
P and S wave velocity and VP/VS in the wake of the Yellowstone hot spot

[1] Seismic VP, VS, and VP/VS structure is imaged across the Yellowstone hot spot swell, including the hot spot track where magmatism occurred at the eastern Snake River Plain ∼6–10 m.y. B.P. Data are teleseismic P and S travel time delays that have been corrected for the well-understood upper mantle anisotropy and crustal structure. Amplitude variations in the imaged structures are 6.2%, 11.2%, and 8% for VP, VS, and VP/VS, respectively. The dominant structure is a zone which extends beneath the Snake River Plain to a depth of ∼190 km that is high in VP/VS and low in VP and VS. The physical state of the upper mantle is inferred by assuming isostasy, using the volume of melt segregated from the mantle that is inferred from estimates of magma addition to the crust, and using relations that scale changes in temperature, partial melt fraction and composition to density. Specifically, we infer that the low-velocity mantle beneath the Snake River Plain is partially molten up to 1.0%, and the high-velocity Yellowstone swell mantle away from the Snake River Plain is ∼80° K cooler and ∼5% depleted in basaltic component. The imaged large seismic velocity variations occur under near isothermal conditions.
1304 THE DEVELOPMENT OF VISUAL ORIENTATION IN PREMATURE INFANTS

Recent advances in neonatology have enabled an increasing number of small premature infants to survive. While research on the physiological aspects of prematurity has been abundant, little is known about the early developmental course of these infants. This study examines the development of visual orientation in premature infants and has important theoretical and clinical implications. All infants were assessed using visual items from the Brazelton Scale. In the first 3 groups were 36 AGA, premature infants, breathing room air by 32 weeks gestation. Group 1 was assessed at weekly intervals from 32 to 37 weeks and at 40 weeks. Groups 2 and 3 served as controls for repeated testing. In Group 4 were 12 full-term infants tested at 2 days. Visual orientation increased steadily from 32 to 40 weeks. At 40 weeks, Group 1 was no different in visual behavior from Group 4. However, infants tested less frequently (Groups 2 and 3) performed less well than Groups 1 or 4. Theoretically these results support that view that visual development is gradual but can be affected by experience. Clinically, intervention strategies to enhance visual orientation are recommended in light of previous studies demonstrating the effects of visual behavior on mother-infant interaction.
Nanoparticle-Decorated Surfaces for the Study of Cell-Protein-Substrate Interactions

Abstract : The present study was motivated by the need for accurately-controlled and well-characterized novel biomaterial formulations for the study of cell-protein-material interactions. For this purpose, the current research has focused on the design, fabrication and characterization of model native oxide-coated silicon surfaces decorated with silica nanoparticles of select sizes, and has examined the adhesion of osteoblasts and fibroblasts on these nanoparticle-decorated surfaces. The results demonstrate the capability to deposit nanoparticles of select diameters and substrate surface coverage onto native silicon oxide-coated silicon, the firm attachment of these nanoparticles to the underlying native silicon oxide, and that nanoparticle size and coverage modulate adhesion of osteoblasts and fibroblasts to these substrates. The material formulations tested provide a well-controlled and well-characterized set of model substrates needed to study the effects of nanoscale features on the functions of cells that are critical to the clinical fate of implantable biomaterials.
A Study of Droplet Erosion on Two L-0 Turbine Stages

Water droplet erosion continues to pose a serious potential threat to the critical path of maintenance outages. Despite advances in techniques and processes to mitigate erosion, combined cycle arrangements still result in an unexpected level of wetness within the steam, which can produce extensive damage to the last stage blade rows. A procedure is discussed that has been used successfully to manage the critical reliability issues that are raised once conditions of water droplet erosion are found. Erosion rate is estimated from (1) empirical models obtained from the literature, (2) for the steam flow conditions specific to the unit, and (3) with stresses obtained from analysis of the damaged blades. Two applications are presented to demonstrate how the erosion rates were used to provide a basis for two very different strategies, both of which were able to avoid the prohibitive cost of extending the immediate outage to obtain and install new replacement rows.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Decomposition of barley straw in a subarctic soil in the field

The mass loss and N dynamics of barley stems and leaves, placed on the soil surface or buried, were examined over two summers. There was little difference in mass loss or N dynamics in straw placed 7.5 or 15 cm deep. However, the surface straw lost mass much more slowly and immobilized more N for a longer time than the buried straw. Filter paper had a slow rate of mass loss initially, but once started, lost mass much more rapidly than either the barley stems or leaves. Loss of mass was closely correlated with the cellulose loss in straw, whether buried or placed on the soil surface. The sustained rate of mass loss was 6.3 and 7.0% month-1, respectively, for surface and incorporated leaves compared with 3.5 and 4.3% month-1, for surface and incorporated stems. The greater loss sustained by the leaves was attributed to a lower lignin content rather than a higher N content, because the addition of N to the straw after 30 days in the field failed to increase CO2 evolution. Maximum net N immobilization occurred within 30 days for all the barley straw, except for the stems placed on the ground surface, which did not reach maximum N immobilization until the second summer. Immobilization and mineralization of N were estimated for a 3000 kg ha-1 grain crop. Surface straw immobilized 3.8 kg N ha-1 in the 1st year and 9 kg N ha-1 in the 2nd year, whereas incorporated straw immobilixed 3.5 kg N hs-1 in the 1st year and mineralized 4.5 kg N ha-1 in the 2nd year. Thus, in Alaska, residue management does not affect N fertilizer requirements in the 1st year, but an additional 13.5 kg N ha-1 is required for surface residues in the 2nd year.
Biphasic Effects of Thyrotropin on Invasion and Growth of Papillary and Follicular Thyroid Cancer in Vitro

The rationale for TSH suppression in the treatment of follicular thyroid cancer (FTC) and papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is to inhibit tumor growth, prevent recurrent disease, and eventually prolong survival. We analyzed the effects of TSH on invasion and growth of 3 FTC cell lines from 1 patient (FTC133, primary; FTC236, lymph node; FTC238, lung metastasis) and 2 PTC cell lines (PTC-UC1, PTC-UC3). Cell growth and invasion through an 8-micron pore polycarbonate membrane coated with Matrigel were measured using the MTT assay. The dose-response to TSH was biphasic, stimulating invasion and growth of FTC and PTC at low concentrations (0.1-10 mU/mL), and inhibiting them at high concentrations (100 mU/mL). Interestingly, the metastatic FTC cell lines had higher basal invasion, but were less responsive to TSH than the primary tumor. TSH (1 mU/mL) stimulated invasion of FTC133 by 21%, FTC236 by 8%, and FTC238 by 8% (p < 0.01). At 100 mU/mL, TSH inhibited invasion of FTC133 by 21%, compared to 11% in FTC236 and 12% in FTC238. Also, TSH dose-dependently influenced proliferation of follicular thyroid cancer cells. At low concentrations it stimulated growth of FTC133 (20%) and inhibited it at high concentrations (23%; p < 0.01). Again, the amplitude of TSH effects was significantly smaller in the cell lines from metastatic tumors. TSH affected invasion and growth of PTC-UC1 and PTC-UC3 also biphasically. These results show that TSH may act as a mitogenic and antimitogenic growth factor for invasion and proliferation of well-differentiated thyroid cancer cells in vitro.
Program of American Geological Institute: ABSTRACT

World War II found the geological professions without a mechanism through which they could act in unity. The weakness of this situation, which inhibited proper use of geology and geologists to the maximum benefit in the country, was one of the major factors which led to planning for the American Geological Institute. Numerous conferences between delegated representatives of eleven national scientific societies in geology and closely related fields, and the support of the National Research Council, resulted in establishment of Institute headquarters in the N.R.C. building in Washington, D. C., on June 1, 1949. Additional support has come from the A.A.P.G., the G.S.A., several local societies and about 100 individual geologists. The Institute has devoted its attention primarily to organizing a program of professional service to the geological professions, designed to supplement the scientific activities of the eleven Member Organizations. It has established an informative monthly News Letter, and has issued a number of reports. Seven standing committees covering activities in such areas as public information, finance, education, geological information and personnel have been active and are implementing a continuing program. Prior to the Korean war, the Institute was actively working with other organizations toward a national policy for the allocation and use of scientists and engineers in case another war should occur. The outbreak of hostilities found it with recommendations already in the hands of the Department of Defense and the National Security Resources Board. Since that time, it has vigorously represented the value of geological science and geologists to the Military Services, has contributed to the formation of national policies concerning scientific manpower, and has disseminated up-to-date information to the profession concerning developments, particularly in the manpower area. Since the United States apparently faces a decade or more of partial mobilization, the Institute has adopted a National Defense Program, designed to serve both the best interests of the geological profession and the country. This is divided into four major lines of activity which are concerned with (a) Supply and Demand studies, (b) Selective Service, (c) Utilization of Geological Scientists, and (d) National Scientific Manpower policy. Prosecution of this program is calculated to help the geological professions to continue a high level of scientific work; to prevent the wastage of geologists which occurred during the last war; to assist the highest use of geological knowledge and techniques in the national defense; and throughout to serve the best interests of the profession and the ation. In order to prosecute both the normal peacetime activities and the National Defense Program of the Institute, a pattern for cooperative action on a national scale is proposed. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2378------------
A dynamic analysis of unstable crack propagation and arrest in the DCB test specimen

A simple analytical model is developed to accompany experimental work on rapid crack propagation and arrest in the DCB test specimen. The present work extends the beam-on-elastic foundation model used previously by taking account of shear deformation and of both translational and rotary inertia. Crack speeds predicted with the model are found to be in good agreement with the constant-speed behavior observed experimentally. It is demonstrated that kinetic energy makes an important contribution to maintaining unstable crack propagation and to crack arrest.
Comparison of accelerometer cut points to estimate physical activity in US adults

AbstractThe purpose of this study was (1) to describe physical activity prevalence, categorised according to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2008 Guidelines), using different accelerometer cut points and (2) to examine physical activity prevalence patterns by reported cut points across selected characteristics. Cut points from 9 studies were used to estimate physical activity prevalence in a national adult sample (n = 6547). Estimates were stratified by validation study activity protocols used to derive cut points – ambulatory (walking/running) and lifestyle activities (e.g. gardening, housework, walking). Results showed that the prevalence of meeting the 2008 Guidelines ranged from 6.3% to 98.3% overall and was lower for cut points derived from ambulatory (median = 11.5%, range = 6.3–27.4%) compared to lifestyle (median = 77.2%, range = 60.6–98.3%) protocols. Prevalence patterns across protocols differed for age, but were similar for other characteristics. In conclusion, prevalence o...
Effectiveness of prazosin as initial antihypertensive therapy

After nearly 10 years in clinical use, prazosin has been shown in numerous studies worldwide to be an effective antihypertensive agent over the entire range of hypertension (mild, moderate, and severe), when used alone or in multitherapy. In addition to its general effectiveness, prazosin is particularly useful in specific subpopulations of hypertensive patients, such as those with impaired renal function, those on hemodialysis, and those with concomitant heart block, bronchospasm, diabetes mellitus, or disturbed carbohydrate metabolism, hyperlipidemia, or hyperuricemia. The side effects of prazosin are usually mild and transient and seldom require discontinuation of the drug. Sexual dysfunction is uncommon. In clinical experience with 22,000 patients receiving an initial dose of 1 mg of prazosin, syncope was reported in 1 of every 667 patients (0.15%). Withholding diuretics for 1 day before initiating prazosin therapy, utilizing prazosin as first-line therapy, limiting the initial dose to 1 mg, and taking it at bedtime are all helpful in eliminating many of the initial adverse effects. Fluid retention, although rare and not as pronounced as that with other antihypertensive agents, may develop on long-term therapy and may necessitate the addition of a diuretic later on.
Mass isolated ameba nuclei. I. Isolation procedure and determination of macromolecular composition and RNA polymerase activity.

A rapid method for mass isolation of intact nuclei from Amoeba proteus has been developed. By this procedure, which includes a novel way of recovering nuclei during the filtration step, about 40% of the nuclei in the starting suspension of 4 to 5 × 106 cells can be recovered within 70 min. A typical suspension of purified nuclei consists of 93% intact nuclei, 5.6% food-waste pellets, 0.4% membranes, and 1.0% extracellular debris. The isolated nuclei retain their in vivo appearance as observed under the light microscope. Such components as nuclear envelope, fibrous lamina, nucleoli, and nucleoprotein helices seem essentially unaltered when seen under the electron microscope. A simple method is described for determining the loss of RNA and protein from nuclei during isolation which could be used as a measure of the quality of other isolation media. The loss of RNA and protein from ameba nuclei during mass isolation is about 3% and 15% respectively. The average DNA content of mass isolated ameba nuclei is 33.6 pg per nucleus, and their DNA/RNA/protein ratio is 1:7.7:60.7. DNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity was easily demonstrable using as little as 5 × 104 nuclei in an incubation mixture containing 3H-GTP (25 μCi/μmole) among other ingredients. The kinetics of RNA synthesis are similar to those reported for nuclei isolated from mammalian cells, but the rate of incorporation of GMP into RNA/min/ mg of DNA at 20 °C is at least 26 times higher than in isolated liver nuclei. Another noteworthy feature of the RNA polymerase activity in isolated ameba nuclei is its inhibition by rifampicin.
Bilateral Simultaneous Lung Lavage Utilizing Membrane Oxygenator for Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis in an 8-Month-Old Infant

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis can result in severe hypoxemia. Treatment of symptomatic patients using unilateral or lobar staged lung lavage often results in improved oxygenation and functional capacity. Lung lavage is technically difficult in infants and small children because of inability to ventilate part of the lung safely and adequately during lavage of other areas. We used extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to facilitate adequate gas exchange during lung lavage for severe respiratory failure in a 3.7 kg, 8-month-old child with pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. Oxygenation was markedly improved immediately following the procedure. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation permits satisfactory respiratory support in the setting of severe respiratory failure and should be considered an adjunct for treatment of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis when lung lavage cannot be otherwise safely accomplished.
Increased Occurrence of Stratospheric Sudden Warmings during El Niño as Simulated by WACCM

Abstract Experiments with Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) under perpetual January conditions indicate that stratospheric sudden warmings (SSWs) are twice as likely to occur in El Nino winters than in La Nina winters, in basic agreement with the limited observational dataset. Tropical SST anomalies that mimic El Nino and La Nina lead to changes in the shape of probability distribution functions (PDFs) of stratospheric day-to-day variability, resulting in a warmer pole and weaker vortex on average for El Nino conditions. The tropical SST forcing induces a response similar to the observed response in the enhancement of the planetary wave of zonal wavenumber 1 (wave 1) and the weakening of wave 2 in the upper troposphere and stratosphere of high latitudes. The enhanced wave 1 contributes to a shift of the PDFs of poleward eddy heat flux in the lower stratosphere, or wave forcing entering the stratosphere. The shift of the PDFs includes an increase of strong wave events that induce more freque...
Multi-scale enveloping spectrogram for vibration analysis in bearing defect diagnosis

This paper presents a new signal processing algorithm, termed multi-scale enveloping spectrogram (MuSEnS), for vibration signal analysis in the condition monitoring and health diagnosis of rolling bearings. Compared to the conventional enveloping spectral analysis technique in which the bandwidth of the signal components of interest needs to be known a priori to obtain consistent results under varying machine operating conditions, the new technique enables simultaneous multi-scale decomposition to extract and separate envelopes of the repetitively excited mechanical vibrations with different frequency coverage, thus improving the robustness in signal analysis. Complex wavelet was investigated as the base wavelet on its ability in combining band-pass filtering and enveloping into a single-step operation. The new technique was experimentally evaluated using vibration signals measured on rolling element bearings that contain localized structural defects, and good results were obtained that verified the validity and effectiveness of the new signal processing technique.
The Emergence of the Child as Grammarian

Demonstrations of some young children’s awareness of syntactic and semantic properties of language are presented. Rudiments of such “metalinguistic” functioning are shown in 2-year-olds, who give judgments of grammaticalness in a role-modeling situation. The growth of these abilities is documented for a group of 5- to 8-year-old children, who are asked explicitly to give judgments of deviant sentences. Adultlike behavior, in these talented subjects, is found to emerge in the period from 5 to 8 years. Possible relations of metalinguistic functioning to other “metacognitive” processes are suggested.
RNA Tertiary Structure Mediation by Adenosine Platforms

The crystal structure of a group I intron domain reveals an unexpected motif that mediates both intra- and intermolecular interactions. At three separate locations in the 160-nucleotide domain, adjacent adenosines in the sequence lie side-by-side and form a pseudo-base pair within a helix. This adenosine platform opens the minor groove for base stacking or base pairing with nucleotides from a noncontiguous RNA strand. The platform motif has a distinctive chemical modification signature that may enable its detection in other structured RNAs. The ability of this motif to facilitate higher order folding provides one explanation for the abundance of adenosine residues in internal loops of many RNAs.
Bcl-2: bax and bcl-2: Bcl-x ratios by image cytometric quantitation of immunohistochemical expression in ovarian carcinoma: correlation with prognosis.

Bcl-2 is a proto-oncogene which is involved in prolonging cell survival by inhibiting programmed cell death. Bax and bcl-x are members of the bcl-2 family; when overexpressed, they can counteract the ability of bcl-2 to inhibit apoptosis. This suggests a model in which the ratios of bcl-2 to bax and bcl-x can be used to determine response to therapy and prognosis. The expression of bcl-2, bax and bcl-x was studied in 50 ovarian carcinomas. The percentage of positive area immunostained (PPA) in the nucleus and cytoplasm of each ovarian carcinoma was quantitated in 15 high power fields by image cytometry. The ratios were obtained by dividing the PPA of bcl-2 by the PPA of bax and bcl-x. 17 of 50 ovarian carcinomas (34%) stained positively for bcl-2, 39 for bax (78%) and 47 for bcl-x (94%). Although there is no significant statistical correlation between expression of bcl-2, bax or bcl-x and grade (P = 0.15; P = 0.47; P = 0.56), stage (P = 0.71; P = 0.6; P = 0.42), and overall or disease-free survival (P = 0.26; P = 0.55; P = 0.16), increased bcl-2 expression was demonstrated in patients with shortened overall and disease-free survival. Also, increased expression of bax and bcl-x was associated with increased overall and disease-free survival. Bcl-2:bax and bcl-2:bcl-x ratios less than 1 are associated with survival advantage, although not statistically significant (P = 0.83; P = 0.93). Image cytometric measurement of bcl-2, bax, and bcl-x expression is feasible. There is a tendency for their expression to correlate with prognosis in ovarian carcinomas.Cytometry (Comm. Clin. Cytometry) 42:61–66, 2000 © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Immigration and Transnationalism: Rethinking the Role of the State in Latin America

As more Latin American migrants make their way to the United States, the issue of transnationalism has received increased scholarly attention. Transnationalism refers to the delinking of the individual from his or her government and an increase in international ties as a result of the economic globalization that promotes the movement of people, goods, money, and ideas. Prevailing consensus is that the state, particularly in Latin America, is weakened by transnationalism because individuals are freer than ever from state control. This article argues that examining Latin American emigrant policies yields a different conclusion, namely that the state's response to transnational pressures has made governments more active and relevant in certain ways than in the past. Studies of transnationalism must therefore incorporate state strategies for a better understanding of its impact on Latin American governments.
A comparison of estimators for the proportion in the tail of a normal distribution

Three estimators of the proportion in a tail of the normal distribution are compared using the criteria of mean squared error and mean absolute error. The estimators that we compare are the maximum likelihood estimator, the minimum variance unbiased estimator, and an intuitive estimator that is frequently used in practice. The intuitive estimator is similar to the MLE but uses the usual unbiased estimator of σ2 rather than the MLE of σ2. We show that the intuitive estimator has low efficiency, and for this reason it is not recommended. For very smallp and for largep the MVUE has the highest efficiency. The MLE is best for moderate values ofp.
Development and Characterization of a Low-Pressure Calibration System for Hypersonic Wind Tunnels

Minimization of uncertainty is essential for accurate ESP measurements at very low free-stream static pressures found in hypersonic wind tunnels. Statistical characterization of environmental error sources requires a well defined and controlled calibration method. A calibration system has been constructed and environmental control software developed to control experimentation to eliminate human induced error sources. The initial stability study of the calibration system shows a high degree of measurement accuracy and precision in temperature and pressure control. Control manometer drift and reference pressure instabilities induce uncertainty into the repeatability of voltage responses measured from the PSI System 8400 between calibrations. Methods of improving repeatability are possible through software programming and further experimentation.
Smart photodetector and focal plane array

We propose a new smart photodetector with adaptive multi-spectral polarization sensing and signal processing capabilities. The smart photodetector consists of a voltage-tunable multi-spectral polarimetric quantum dot infrared photodetector and high-speed (>5.6GHz) flexible electronics printed on the QDIP. Such integrated photodetection and on-chip processing would not only greatly enhance the detectors functionalities, but also substantially reduce the time delay by performing image processing locally.
Pdlim7 is required for maintenance of the mesenchymal/epidermal Fgf signaling feedback loop during zebrafish pectoral fin development

Background Vertebrate limb development involves a reciprocal feedback loop between limb mesenchyme and the overlying apical ectodermal ridge (AER). Several gene pathways participate in this feedback loop, including Fgf signaling. In the forelimb lateral plate mesenchyme, Tbx5 activates Fgf10 expression, which in turn initiates and maintains the mesenchyme/AER Fgf signaling loop. Recent findings have revealed that Tbx5 transcriptional activity is regulated by dynamic nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and interaction with Pdlim7, a PDZ-LIM protein family member, along actin filaments. This Tbx5 regulation is critical in heart formation, but the coexpression of both proteins in other developing tissues suggests a broader functional role.
Can women remember how many children they have borne? Data from the East Caribbean.

A study of womens ability to recall the number of children ever borne found a very high level of self-reporting accuracy. 786 native women of St. Barthelemy West Indies resident for the 1954 census were specifically under consideration. These women were aged 15 years and older after the French began keeping vital records in 1878. Their recall of the number of children borne was compared to the extremely accurate number of births registered in records of vital events. A mean 2.00 children/woman were registered with standard deviation of 2.81 and a range of 0-17 live births. In general women were well able to remember how many children they had borne with very high agreement observed between the 2 measures. 5.68% of respondents made reporting errors of any kind and the average difference between reported and recorded live births was 0.031 birth/woman. SPSS-X regression was then employed to examine the effects of womans age marital status literacy status and number of live children registered borne on the magnitude of difference between the 2 figures. The difference was significantly related to the number of live children borne and marital status but not age or literacy. Those of high parity and those unmarried were more likely to make omissions when controlling the other variables. Study results suggest that linguistic and cultural misunderstandings and/or sample decay may be more important sources of error than memory lapses. These former sources may or may not be easier to correct.
Specimen type as a source of variability in the reproducibility and timing of cytomegalovirus identification by culture

Abstract Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised individuals; therefore, rapid and accurate diagnosis is essential. We compared positive cultures (n = 147) from different specimen types as to (a) the incubation time to a positive result and (b) the reproducibility of positive findings in replicate cultures. Five replicate shell vials were inoculated from each specimen: Two vials were stained at 24 h, two at 48 h, and one held and observed for a maximum of 30 days. Positive cultures from tissue biopsy specimens required the shortest incubation (mean = 1.9 days) and urine specimens the longest (mean = 3.9 days) (P
The potential of n-i-p-i doping superlattices for novel semiconductor devices

Abstract In this paper we suggest a number of device applications of n-i-p-i doping superlattices. The concept of these devices is based on the unusual electronic properties of this new class of semiconductors such as extremely long excess carrier lifetime, tunable band gap and carrier concentration. Emphasis will be on high-sensitivity low-noise photodetectors, tunable lasers, optical amplifiers, and on ultrafast devices for the generation, modulation and detection of optical signals.
Josephson compensating junction logic

A Josephson superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) digital logic family was developed that uses the R/sub nn/ region of a Josephson junction (JJ) to compensate for variations in where R/sub nn/ is the effective resistance of a JJ in the linear I-V region beyond the gap. The basic compensating junction logic (CJL) circuit is two 2-input-OR 1-2-1 interferometer isolators that, when switched, inject current into a 2-input-AND 1-2-1 interferometer. The R/sub nn/ region of several JJs is used in series with a resistor to set the current from the power supply to the 2-input-OR interferometers. The 2-input-AND interferometer is implemented with both current injection and magnetic coupling. The latch circuit uses both current injection and magnetic coupling design techniques to increase the range of I/sub O/, inductance, and resistance variation over which the latch will function correctly. Experimental measurements of CJL circuits are described. >