cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Finite element programming and C

In finite element programming, data have to be dealt with which are of different types but belong together in a logical sense. It would be very effective, with respect to program readability and maintainability, to store these data as a single unit. Effcient software design requires that all parts of information, which belong together logically, are stored as a single data unit. This can be accomplished utilizing structured data types. Dynamic memory allocation allows the definition of dynamic variables which can be created and destroyed during run-time. Dynamic memory management is handled in C by pointers. In other conventional languages, e.g. Fortran 77, the programmer has the responsibility to select adequate array sizes for the largest problem to be solved. This often leads in engineering practice to array oversizing and to memory wasting. By allocating memory dynamically during program execution according to actual problem size, wasting can be avoided. The combination of structured data and pointers along with the dynamic memory allocation capabilities of C allows the creation of linked lists. Utilizing these concepts, an effective and easy-to-read C program has been written for finite element analysis. The C program presented demonstrates the use of these techniques for interactive finite mesh generation. The strengths of C are compared to that of Fortran 77 and Fortran 90. It has been found that for finite element programming C is in many aspects superior to Fortran 77. However, it has some disadvantages in comparison with Fortran 90 concerning array processing.
Characterization of Lyme meningitis and comparison with viral meningitis in children.

Objectives. The objectives of this study were to characterize Lyme meningitis (LM) in the pediatric population; to compare LM with viral meningitis (VM) with respect to epidemiology, history and physical examination, and laboratory data; and to provide means of early distinction of Lyme neuroborreliosis from other forms of aseptic meningitis. Methods. This retrospective analysis involved children admitted to Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children between 1990 and 1996 whose discharge diagnoses indicated viral or aseptic meningitis or Lyme disease. LM was defined as the presence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis with positive Lyme serology and/or erythema migrans. Patients were considered to have VM if they exhibited CSF pleocytosis and had a positive viral culture. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected for each patient, and patients with LM were compared with age-matched patients with VM. Results. Of 179 patient records, 12 patients with LM and 10 patients with VM (all, >2 years old) were identified by using the above criteria. In comparing LM patients with VM patients, we noted no differences among demographic variables. Children with LM had significantly lower temperatures at the time of presentation. The presence of headache, neck pain, and malaise was similar for the two groups, but the duration of these symptoms was significantly longer among LM patients. Five children with LM had cranial neuropathies. All but 1 LM patient exhibited either papilledema, erythema migrans, or cranial neuropathy. These three findings were absent in the VM group. On CSF analysis, LM patients had fewer white blood cells (mean, 80/mm 3 versus 301/ mm 3 ) and a significantly greater percentage of mononuclear cells than the VM patients. Conclusions. In this study, in a Lyme-endemic area, LM was about as common as VM in older children who were hospitalized with aseptic meningitis. Attention to pertinent epidemiologic and historical data, along with physical and CSF findings, allows early differentiation of LM from VM. Pediatrics 1999;103:957-960; Lyme disease, aseptic meningitis, viral meningitis, meningitis, cerebrospinal fluid.
Correlating CBC Profile and Infectious Outcome: A Study of Febrile Infants Evaluated for Sepsis

The cases of 1,009 febrile infants who were evaluated for sepsis as outpatients during a seven-year period were reviewed to correlate their complete blood count (CBC) profiles with the infectious outcomes. Eighty-one infants had serious bacterial infections (SBIs); the remainder (928) were culture-negative. The infants with SBIs had a significantly greater mean total white blood cell (WBC) count and absolute band count (ABC) than did those who were culture-negative, whereas the difference in mean percent of polymorphonuclear leukocytes was not significant. The sensitivity of the ABC was significantly superior to that of total WBC count in predicting the outcome of SBI. The diagnostic data provided by the ABC can aid physicians in determining the predictive value of CBC profiles for infectious outcome in febrile infants receiving outpatient sepsis evaluation.
Differential effects of 24-hydroxycholesterol and 27-hydroxycholesterol on tyrosine hydroxylase and α-synuclein in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells

Evidence suggests that environmental and dietary factors may contribute to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). High dietary intake of cholesterol is such a factor that has been shown to increase or decrease the risk of PD. However, because circulating cholesterol does not cross the blood-brain barrier, the mechanisms linking dietary cholesterol to the pathogenesis of PD remain to be understood. In contrast to cholesterol, the oxidized cholesterol metabolites (oxysterols), 24S-hydroxycholesterol (24-OHC) and 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-OHC), can cross the blood-brain barrier and may place the brain at risk of degeneration. In this study, we incubated the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells for 24 h with 24-OHC, 27-OHC, or a mixture of 24-OHC plus 27-OHC, and have determined effects on tyrosine hydroxylase (the rate-limiting enzyme in dopamine synthesis) levels, alpha-synuclein levels, and apoptosis. We demonstrate that while 24-OHC increases the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase, 27-OHC increases levels of alpha-synuclein, and induces apoptosis. Our findings show for the first time that oxysterols trigger changes in levels of proteins that are associated with the pathogenesis of PD. As steady state levels of 24-OHC and 27-OHC are tightly regulated in the brain, disturbances in these levels may contribute to the pathogenesis of PD.
In utero predator-induced responses in the viviparid snail Bellamya chinensis

Predator-induced defenses are well-known adaptive responses found in many marine and freshwater organisms. These responses usually occur in juveniles or actively growing adults and reduce the abili...
Spatial scales and evolution of stormwater plumes in Santa Monica Bay.

Abstract Rainfall during winter storms produces extensive turbid, freshwater plumes in the coastal waters of the Southern California Bight. When the plumes result from urban runoff they contain toxic pollutants along with pathogenic bacteria and viruses, often resulting in closure of public beaches. We examined the spatial structure and evolution of stormwater plumes in Santa Monica Bay in 1996. The plumes resulted from freshwater discharge from the Ballona Creek and Malibu Creek watersheds which supply ∼60% of the freshwater runoff to Santa Monica Bay. The spatial scales of the plumes were determined using shipboard measurements of water properties obtained from towyo transects and surface underway sampling. Salinity maps showed that the plumes typically extended 4–7 km offshore, consistent with scaling by the internal Rossby radius of deformation. Plumes extended alongshore 10 km or more. Generally the plumes occupied the upper 10 m of the water column. The persistence time of a plume offshore of Ballona Creek was about three days based on a sequence of surveys in March 1996 following rainfall of about 21 mm. Limited comparison of plumes from Ballona Creek, which drains a developed watershed, and Malibu Creek, which drains a rural watershed, suggested that Malibu Creek required greater rainfall to produce an offshore plume. A stormwater plume offshore of Malibu Creek was observed on both sides of the creek mouth, possibly due to freshwater discharge from smaller surrounding watersheds or advection of freshwater discharges from the east and south. Plumes offshore of Ballona Creek mainly resulted from the creek itself and usually extended northward from the creek mouth, consistent with the wind forcing and the Coriolis acceleration.
Review of Naglieri and Ford (2003): Does the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test Identify Equal Proportions of High-Scoring White, Black, and Hispanic Students?

In a recent article in this journal, Naglieri and Ford (2003) claimed that Black and Hispanic students are as likely to earn high scores on the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT; Naglieri, 1997...
A transport cup for resterilizable electrodes.

BACKGROUND A cup to transport resterilizable electrodes is introduced. OBJECTIVE To prevent loss of durable resterilizable electrodes, to increase awareness of workplace hazards in the physician's office, and to minimize needle stick injuries. METHODS The cup described is a readily available surgical receptacle. The resterilizable electrodes were provided by Hasting's Biomedical Corporation. The system was developed and evaluated in clinical practice. RESULTS The transport cup has been found to reduce loss of resterilizable electrodes in a dermatology office. Its use is welcomed by the nursing staff as a method to reduce handling of contaminated electrodes. The system described also eliminates staff handling of sharp electrosurgical needles. CONCLUSIONS An efficient method of using the stainless steel transport cup is described that greatly improves office safety and prevents loss of durable electrosurgical electrodes.
Primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the uterus.

Abstract Background. Primitive peripheral neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) of the uterus are rare. Recent data have demonstrated improved response rates with adjuvant chemotherapy. Case. A 26-year-old, gravida 2, para 1, Filipina female underwent an emergent cesarean section for fetal indications. Intraoperative findings were remarkable for a soft tissue mass in the lower uterine segment. Histologic features, immunohistochemical findings, and chromosomal analysis were consistent with a PNET. The patient underwent radical surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy with vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide and etoposide (VAC/IE), and whole pelvic radiation therapy. Conclusion. Only 14 case reports of primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the uterus have been published in the English literature to date. No definitive conclusions concerning the therapeutic management and prognosis have been ascertained.
Disposition of mitochondrially bound hexokinase at the membrane surface, deduced from reactivity with monoclonal antibodies recognizing epitopes of defined location.

Abstract A panel of monoclonal antibodies against rat brain hexokinase (ATP: d -hexose 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.1) has been employed to investigate the orientation of the mitochondrially bound enzyme on the mitochondrial surface. Based on their ability to immunoprecipitate truncated forms of the protein, obtained by in vitro translation of truncated versions of the mRNA, the epitopes for seven monoclonal antibodies were mapped to regions consisting of 20–50 amino acid residues within the sequence of the N-terminal half of the enzyme. There is extensive sequence similarity between the N- and C-terminal halves of this enzyme, which is thought to have evolved by a process of gene duplication and fusion. However, these antibodies react selectively with epitopes in the N-terminal half, and thus epitopic regions for several of these antibodies could be further defined by eliminating from consideration regions showing substantial sequence similarity with the C-terminal half. The epitope for one of the monoclonal antibodies, designated 4D4, was shown to involve the extreme N-terminus of the enzyme; selective proteolytic modification of this region resulted in loss of immunoreactivity. Relative location of epitopes for three other antibodies, designated 2B, 1C5, and 4C5, within a 20-residue segment was deduced from effects of modifying sulfhydryl residues within this segment on immunoreactivity. Thus, by a combination of sequence analysis and experimental methods, the epitopes for these seven antibodies could be localized to defined regions within the overall sequence. The ability of these antibodies to prevent binding of hexokinase to mitochondria, and their ability to recognize the mitochondrially bound enzyme, provided a basis for assessing the relative proximity of the corresponding epitopes to the mitochondrial surface when the enzyme was bound. The disposition of the bound enzyme on the mitochondrial surface was deduced by relating these results to the proposed structure for brain hexokinase.
On the mesoscale distribution of precipitation deficits

Minor shifts in the pattern of the general circulation frequently result in the development of a mosaic of localized wet and dry patches, creating regions of mesoscale drought. A method of identifying the spatial pattern of such droughts is developed, using the conditional probability of adjacent stations experiencing precipitation deficits simultaneously. The method was tested using seasonal data for the eastern portion of North Carolina, U.S.A. The resulting patterns can be related to the synoptic climatology of the area. Summer reveals numerous small areas of precipitation deficit, while the other seasons have larger deficit areas which reflect changing depression tracks, coastal influences, and rainshadow effects. Comparison of the results with the commonly used Palmer Drought Severity Index indicates that the latter is an appropriate measure only when drought is widespread, and cannot be used to identify mesoscale droughts. The present method allows identification of areas prone to mesoscale drought, suggests causal mechanisms, and provides a basis for monitoring the development of such droughts.
Aminoglycosides in gynecologic infections

Abstract Animoglycosides have always had a major role in the treatment of gynecologic infections. This therapeutic emphasis has been based upon the bactericidal activity of the aminoglycosides against gram-negative aerobes. This group of organisms is important to the gynecologist because of their frequent isolation from soft tissue, urinary sites, and the bloodstream in women with nosocomial or community-acquired pelvic infections. In the past decade, there has been increasing clinical awareness of the multi-bacterial nature of these soft tissue pelvic infections. A major therapeutic change directed against gram-negative anaerobes has been the substitution of more effective agents like clindamycin or metronidazole for the penicillin arm of the older penicillin-aminoglycoside combination. The majority of intra-abdominal and pelvic infections treated by gynecologists occur in patients who are younger and usually healthier than those with similar infections who are treated by general surgeons. Consequently, in many instances, single drug therapy with a cephalosporin (usually cefoxitin) is adequate, if combined with surgical drainage when indicated. However, there is an increasingly larger group of patients who are significantly older and who may also have pelvic malignancies. In addition, they may be immunocompromised. Infections in this group mandate the use of the most effective antimicrobial agents that will cover the broadest spectrum. When anaerobic bacteria are involved, either clindamycin or metronidazole are acceptable choices; for aerobic gram-negative organisms, an aminoglycoside should be used. Recent studies suggest that amikacin may be the best choice, since it is associated with a low level of bacterial resistance and has been shown to reduce levels of resistance to other aminoglycosides. Amikacin has become the "gold standard" for comparisons with any new cephalosporins or penicillins. New developments will modify the use of aminoglycosides in the future. The expansion of oncology care with immune-system-modifying chemotherapy and radiation will expose patients to the dangers of gram-negative sepsis. Aminoglycosides are a logical part of the initial therapeutic regimen for these septic patients. On the other hand, the majority of gynecologic patients with pelvic infections are young and healthy. Recent studies have demonstrated that as many as 40 percent of these women will be underdosed by standard treatment regimens based upon ideal body weight. This means that patients receiving aminoglycosides will require monitoring of peak and trough levels to insure therapeutic drug levels. In serious gynecologic infections, especially those that are life-threatening, a known effective agent such as amikacin should be employed as part of the combined therapy of the infection. The current treatment role of aminoglycosides in salpingitis and post-gynecologic surgical infections is discussed in this article.
Experiences of healthcare team members involved in facial transplant surgery and patient care.

Background: Situations that highlight the healthcare team member vulnerability, present ethically laden questions, or are innovative in nature may have a long-term personal and professional impact on caregivers and, consequently, directly or indirectly affect patient care. The ethical experiences and perceptions of the healthcare team members involved in facial transplantation procedures and patient care have not been explored. Objective: The objective of this study was to explore healthcare team member experiences of caring for facial transplantation patients, using an ethical framework. Methods: This study used a qualitative descriptive design to explore the experiences of 26 multidisciplinary healthcare team members, including professional, ancillary, and support staff who have participated in facial transplantation procedures and patient care. Individual, private, semistructured interviews were conducted. Results: Two main themes emerged: individual sense of purpose and esprit de corps. Individual sense of purpose describes the meaning of the experience that involvement in facial transplantation had for the participants and comprises three subthemes: “getting it right, “transforming a life,” and “spirituality.” The theme esprit de corps conveys the morale of the healthcare team members involved in facial transplantation and was expressed through three subthemes: “leadership,” “teamwork,” and “environment.” Discussion: Many potential ethical dilemmas were mitigated by an overwhelming sense of moral obligation to help patients with complex cosmetic, functional, and mechanical facial deficits. Participants in this study unanimously believed that the risk–benefit ratio of the procedure and subsequent treatment supported its implementation.
Competition and collaboration: GATA-3, PU.1, and Notch signaling in early T-cell fate determination

T-cell precursors remain developmentally plastic for multiple cell generations after entering the thymus, preserving access to developmental alternatives of macrophage, dendritic-cell, and even mast-cell fates. The underlying regulatory basis of this plasticity is that early T-cell differentiation depends on transcription factors which can also promote alternative developmental programs. Interfactor competition, together with environmental signals, keep these diversions under control. Here the pathways leading to several lineage alternatives for early pro-T-cells are reviewed, with close focus on the mechanisms of action of three vital factors, GATA-3, PU.1, and Notch-Delta signals, whose counterbalance appears to be essential for T-cell specification.
Emulsion Stability and Water Uptake Ability of Chicken Breast Muscle Proteins as Affected by Microbial Transglutaminase

Using response surface methodology, the effect of microbial transglutaminase (TG) concentration and incubation time (IT) after emulsification, but before creaming, on the functional properties of chicken meat pro teins was examined. TG improved the stability of emulsions (ES) made with a high-sait chicken meat protein extract, although TG did not significantly affect the amount of protein incorporated into the emulsion cream layer. IT significantly enhanced ES when incubated at 40 °C, but not at 4 °C. TG increased the water uptake ability (WUA) of both chicken muscle and chickes muscle protein extract incubated at 40 °C and 4 °C. Similarly, TG increased the protein and water content of the pellet formed in the WUA test. TG therefore appears to be a useful method to enhance the stability and yield of meat batters. En utilisant la methodologie de surface de reponse, l'effet de la concentration en transglutaminase microbienne et du temps d'incubation, apres emulsification, mais avant cremage, sur les proprietes fonctionnelles de proteines de viande de poulet est evalue. Les resultats montrent que la transglutaminase microbienne ameliore la stabilite et la capacite de retention d'eau des proteines de muscles de poulet.
A BRIEF COMPONENT ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL TREATMENT PACKAGES IN AN OUTPATIENT CLINIC SETTING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN

The purpose of this study was to develop outpatient clinic assessments that allowed us to assess multiple treatment variables, produce relatively quick effects, and isolate active treatment components. Assessment began by evaluating a treatment package consisting of antecedent and consequence variables followed by a component analysis to determine the separate effects of the treatment variables. Three examples of the findings are presented.
Power, Connected Coalitions, and Efficiency: Challenges to the Council of the European Union

This article is concerned with challenges to reforming the voting procedures of the Council of the European Union (EU). The next major waves of EU enlargement will cause the Union to increase to a membership of first twenty-one, and then twenty-six or possibly even more states. How does enlargement affect the Council's inherent “capacity to act” under the currently used qualified majority voting rule? It is demonstrated here that the expected increase in EU membership will most likely induce a larger “status quo bias” as compared to the present situation in the Council if the crucial majority decision quota is not lowered. In addition, the article is responding to some criticism that has been applied against assessing the leverage of EU governments in one of the EU's most important institutions: the Council of the EU. By resorting to techniques that capture the influence of a priori coalitions on the one hand and “connected coalitions” among EU governments on the other—applying n-person cooperative game t...
Baby-wipe dermatitis: preservative-induced hand eczema in parents and persons using moist towelettes.

Background: Hand eczema can have complex causative or aggravating influences, and the pattern, history, and patch test data are helpful in identifying sources and antigen substitution. Objective: We studied our patients with hand eczema associated with exposure to baby wipes for pattern and sensitivities. Methods: Patient records over a 10-year period containing key words were reviewed for relevance of exposure, patch test data, and outcome. Results: A total of 6 women and 3 men with hand eczema were found to be allergic to (preservatives found in) different brands of moist towelettes used in diaper hygiene. Many were allergic to fragrance materials as well. The eruptions were mostly worse on the thumb and 2 adjacent fingers, with which the item was held. Five of the 9 were parents of infants, although no infant had a problem. Only 1 patient suspected the source. All improved with avoidance, although most had multiple other contact allergies, including corticosteroids. Conclusions: Hand eczema in a grip-like pattern is good reason to inquire about baby wipes as a possible source, as most patients do not recognize that source even after undergoing patch tests.
Adjustment to loss of job at retirement.

This paper presents an approach to adjustment to the loss of job at retirement which attempts to integrate earlier approaches by focusing on the impact of retirement on the individual's hierarchy of personal goals. If the job is high in that hierarchy and yet unachieved, then the individual can be expected to seek another job or a job substitute. If this is unsuccessful, then the hierarchy of personal goals must be reorganized. If the individual is broadly engaged, the hierarchy can be consolidated. If he or she is narrowly engaged, then alternate roles must be sought. If the search is successful, a new hierarchy emerges. If not, the individual must withdraw. If the job is not high in the hierarchy to begin with, then no serious change in personal goals accompanies retirement.
Imaging of Adult Atrial Septal Defects With CT Angiography

ATRIAL SEPTAL DEFECTS (ASD) ACCOUNT FOR 5% TO 10% OF ALL CASES OF CONGENITAL heart disease and as many as 30% of cases of congenital heart disease presenting in adulthood. These defects make up a spectrum of interesting and distinct entities. The ostium secundum ASD accounts for 70% to 80% of all
Experimental Study on Matrix Wear Resistance of Bionic Coupling Bits

Abstract Bionic coupling bit has much advantage, such as high drilling efficiency and long life. In order to research on the matrix wear resistance of bionic coupling bit, based on the bionic coupling theory, 9 samples were designed and processed according to orthogonal test table, and then the abrasion ratio of each sample was tested. With extreme difference analysis method the test data was analyzed, the results showed that the non-smooth shape has an important impact on wear resistance of matrix, and the primary factor is non-smooth ratio, and then diameter of bionic unit and diamond concentration. The optimal combination is A1B2C3 that is non-smooth 9%, pit diameter 1.5 mm and diamond concentration 125%.
Numerical modeling of an electrostatically driven liquid meniscus in the cone–jet mode

Abstract A numerical model has been developed for an electrostatically driven liquid meniscus for a dielectric fluid. The model is able to calculate the shape of the liquid cone and the resulting jet, the velocity fields inside the liquid cone–jet, the electric fields in and outside the cone–jet, and the surface charge density at the liquid surface. The mathematical formulas with proper boundary conditions for the relevant physical processes are described in detail. The equations of continuity, momentum and electric potential are solved numerically with an iterative procedure developed for the model. The results of the present model fit well with experimental observations of the cone shape and jet formation.
Ising Model with a Scaling Interaction

A spin-infinity Ising model is presented in which there is a hierarchy of spin groupings, for which the interaction potential satisfies exactly the scaling hypothesis that group-group interactions involve only the group mean spin. The calculation of the critical exponents for this model is reduced to the solution of an eigenvalue problem which appears to be numerical tractable. The value of the critical exponent $\ensuremath{\eta}$ appears as a parameter of the model and formulas for the critical exponents $\ensuremath{\delta}$, $\ensuremath{\gamma}$, $\ensuremath{\nu}$ are presented. Assuming $\ensuremath{\eta}=0$ for three dimensions, we obtain $\ensuremath{\delta}=5$, $\ensuremath{\gamma}=1.30$, and $\ensuremath{\nu}=0.65$.
Influence of Gibberellin on Activities of Starch Degradative Enzymes and Phosphatase in Verbascum thapsus

Gibberellic acid was applied near the shoot apical region of rosettes of Verbascum thapsus, a biennial weed, over a 6-week period. Starch content and the activities of α-amylase, β-amylase, glucan phosphorylase and acid and alkaline phosphatase were determined for roots of the rosettes for 5 of the 6 weeks of gibberellin treatment. Starch content decreased during the first week of treatment, and it continued to drop until the third week, at which time virtually no starch remained. There was a concomitant increase in activities of the starch degradative enzymes, all of which reached their respective peaks of activities by the end of the second week of hormonal treatment. The peaks of these enzymatic activities occurred approximately 1 week before appearance of the first morphological signs of bolting. Alkaline phosphatase showed an early response to applied gibberellin, and its peak of activity coincided with early signs of bolting.
Contact Dermatitis to Foods

Cutaneous adverse reactions to foods and food additives are a growing public health problem which can occur both in the avocational and occupational settings. This article reviews different reaction patterns which can occur upon contact with foods and discusses some clinically important food-associated metal and fragrance allergens responsible for these adverse effects. As ultimately, education and guidance can minimize the morbidity of food allergy and enhance the quality of life of the affected individual; this article highlights this growing problem.
Regulation of Elastolytic Proteases in the Mouse Vagina During Pregnancy, Parturition, and Puerperium

Recent evidence indicates that failure of elastic fiber assembly and synthesis is involved in the pathophysiology of pelvic organ prolapse in mice. It has been long been hypothesized that parturition-induced activation of proteases in the vaginal wall and its supportive tissues may contribute to pelvic organ prolapse in women. In this investigation, we determined the expression of matrix metalloproteases with elastase activity (matrix metalloproteinase [MMP] 2, MMP9, and MMP12) and their inhibitors in the vaginal wall of nonpregnant, pregnant, and postpartum mice. Data obtained using mRNA levels and enzyme activity measurements indicate that MMP2, MMP9, and 21- to 24-kDa caseinolytic serine proteases are regulated in vaginal tissues from pregnant and postpartum mice. Although suppressed during pregnancy and the early postpartum time period, MMP2 and MMP9 enzyme activities are increased after 48 h, a time when mRNA levels of protease inhibitors (tissue inhibitor of MMP2 [Timp2], cystatin C [Cst3], and alpha-1 antitrypsin [Serpina1]) are decreased. We conclude that recovery of the vaginal wall from pregnancy and parturition requires increased elastic fiber assembly and synthesis to counteract the marked increase in elastolytic activity of the postpartum vagina.
Percent positive biopsy cores as a prognostic factor for prostate cancer treated with external beam radiation.

Objectives To examine the prognostic value of percent positive cores (PPC) in prostate cancer patients treated with external beam radiotherapy (RT). Methods An institutional review board-approved, retrospective analysis was conducted on 814 patients treated with RT with or without hormonal therapy between 1984 and 2002. Percent positive cores (number of positive cores divided by total number of cores) was calculable for 591 patients with a median follow-up of 65 months. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard methods relating PPC to other risk factors, biochemical/clinical disease-free survival (PSA-DFS), prostate cancer-specific survival (DSS), and overall survival (OS). Results Percent positive cores was associated with stage, Gleason score (GS), pretreatment serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, and use of adjunctive androgen suppression therapy. The 5-year PSA-DFS, DSS, and OS rates were 80%, 99%, and 91%, respectively, for patients with PPC less than 50%, compared with 56%, 94%, and 87% for patients with PPC 50% or greater (P Conclusions Percent positive cores predicts outcome of prostate cancer patients treated with RT, independently of other known prognostic factors. Percent positive cores may have particular use for further risk stratification within established clinical risk categories.
Managing panic attacks in emergency patients

Patients experiencing panic attacks often seek help at emergency departments. However, the symptoms of panic can be difficult to distinguish from some common medical emergencies. Furthermore, many emergency medicine clinicians may not be equipped to deal effectively with panic attacks and related psychiatric conditions such as panic disorder and agoraphobia. Early misdiagnosis and inadequate management of panic attacks can have devastating long-term clinical and financial consequences. The purpose of this paper is to provide information designed to increase the comfort and efficacy of emergency physicians and allied professionals in dealing with panic attacks. The authors offer guidelines regarding differential diagnosis, present strategies for management of acute symptoms of panic and anxiety, and make recommendations for brief postpanic clinical intervention.
Steroid hormones upregulate rat angiotensin II type 1A receptor gene: role of glucocorticoid responsive elements in rat angiotensin II type 1A promoter.

Abstract The transcription of the rat angiotensin II type 1A receptor gene is stimulated by glucocorticoids. To clarify the molecular mechanism for glucocorticoid action in rat vascular smooth muscle cells, we investigated the effects of dexamethasone on the promoter activity of the angiotensin II type 1A receptor by using promoter/luciferase reporter gene constructs and heterologous context constructs (containing the thymidine kinase promoter) in transfected vascular smooth muscle cells. There are three putative glucocorticoid responsive elements in the promoter. However, only one glucocorticoid responsive element was found to respond to dexamethasone (1 μM). The region was located at positions, −756 to −770 bp upstream of the transcription initiation site. A glucocorticoid antagonist, RU38486, completely blocked the induction by dexamethasone, suggesting that the glucocorticoid responsive element was functional through a specific glucocorticoid receptor. Compared with the angiotension II type 1A receptor promoter, no effect by dexamethasone was observed in vascular smooth muscle cells transfected with the angiotensin II type 1B receptor promoter/luciferase reporter gene constructs. We concluded that the dexamethasone-induced increase in the transcription of the angiotensin II type 1A receptor gene occurred through the binding to GRE up the glucocorticoid-specific receptor.
An experimental study of the plastic strain fields near a notch tip in a copper single crystal during loading

Abstract The strain fields near a 100 μm notch in a single crystal of copper have been measured. The notch lies in a {{110}} plane and prospective crack growth is in a 〈100〉 direction. The surface strains were measured during loading using a microscopic moire method. Data from six load levels are presented for an approx. 2 by 2.5 mm region on one side of the notch tip. These data show that the patchy strain field observed in an iron-silicon single crystal with an identical orientation also occurred in this copper single crystal. Four (8 symmetric) strain sectors form, however, the strain field does not develop in a proportional manner. Initially slip occurs in the second sector and this is visible as discrete slip bands. This deformation leads to the formation of a fan type strain field in the third sector as the overall strain level increases.
Conductance distribution in three dimensions: Analytic solution of the generalized Dorokhov-Mello-Pereyra-Kumar equation in the strongly disordered regime

We develop a systematic perturbative method to obtain analytic solution of the generalized Dorokhov-Mello-Pereyra-Kumar equation in the strongly disordered regime which describes the evolution of the joint probability distribution of the transmission eigenvalues with system size. The solution allows us to obtain the distribution of conductance analytically in the insulating regime. Our results are consistent with existing numerical simulations of the three dimensional tight-binding Anderson model, and suggests a possible description of the Anderson transition in the presence of a very broad, highly asymmetric conductance distribution.
Electronic fluctuation and cohesion in metals.

This Letter is concerned with effective interatomic potentials in metals specifically arising from electronic quantum fluctuations. The cohesive energy is shown to contain large terms arising from generalized dispersion forces. Further, the density-density response function of the homogeneous electron gas is shown to contain a part decaying monotonically as 1/${\mathrm{r}}^{6}$ in real space; this has consequences in the construction of generalized functional theories of interatomic potentials.
Writing Viewed by Disenfranchised Groups: A Study of Women and Women's College Faculty

Matched-pair samples (N= 174) of women and men faculty at doctoral-level universities and at traditionally women's colleges responded to a questionnaire in ways indicating (a) that at universities or colleges, women equal their male colleagues' time investments in writing and males' rates of publishing journal articles; (b) that at women's colleges, men and women devoted about half as much time to writing, devote about twice as much time to teaching, and publish articles at half the rate of their university counterparts; (c) and that, in either setting, women experience more discomfort about pressures to publish, feel more adversely affected by harsh reviewers, and report less confidence with their writing than do men, especially men at universities.
Equivalence and Stooge Strategies in Zero-Sum Games

Classes of two-person zero-sum games termed "equivalent games" are defined. These are games with identical value and identical optimal mixed-strategies but with different matrix entries and thus different opportunities for exploiting a nonrational opponent. An experiment was conducted to investigate the strategy-choice behavior of subjects playing pairs of these "equivalent games." Also investigated was the extent to which subjects would exploit a programmed stooge as a function of the degree to which the stooge departed from his optimal strategy mix. The results indicated that subjects learned to exploit the nonrational play of the stooge opponent. The game factor, on the other hand, seemed to have no significant effect upon the strategy-choice behavior of the players. The implications of these results are discussed in light of questions raised by previous research on decision-making in 2 x 2 zero-sum games. In this paper we intend to explore the manner in which decision-making in two person zero-sum games is affected by game characteristics other than those formal properties of games which are usually assumed to influence choice behavior. The question dealt with here involves dequivalentd games and the extent to which the behavior of naive subjects playing against programmed stooges is similar or different in pairs of such games. In particular, we wish to determine the ability of human decision makers to learn to exploit their opponents’ departures from the rationally prescribed strategy-choice in zero-sum games without saddle points. This ability will be examined in relationship to two factors: one, the extent to which such exploitation produces payoffs greater than the value of the game; and two, in terms of the magnitude of an opponent’s departure AUTHORS’ NOTE: The experimental work on which this paper is based was
Endangered species mitigation banking: promoting recovery through habitat conservation planning under the Endangered Species Act

Abstract The Endangered Species Act has fostered considerable controversy surrounding its regulation of privately owned endangered species habitat. Private landowners believe that the law wrongly requires them to bear the burden of providing endangered species habitat on their property. At the same time, conservation of privately owned habitat is critical to the conservation of most endangered species. In order to resolve endangered species conflicts on private lands, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has been promoting the use of ‘habitat conservation plans’ which allow some loss of endangered species habitat in exchange for activities which minimize and mitigate for the loss. These plans have come under increasing criticism from environmentalists and conservation biologists who argue that the plans are contributing to the continued loss of endangered species habitat. This paper proposes that mitigation banking of endangered species habitat may provide a useful tool to resolve endangered species conflicts on private lands while concurrently advancing the recovery of endangered species. Mitigation banking would allow landowners seeking a permit to destroy endangered species habitat to mitigate the loss by buying mitigation credits from other private landowners who restore and/or protect suitable habitat. Mitigation banking has the potential to increase mitigation alternatives for the regulated community while providing a needed economic incentive for other landowners to restore and protect important habitats. From an ecological perspective, mitigation banking could allow for the exchange of fragmented habitats with little long range viability for habitats that are strategically located and can contribute to species’ recovery. The paper concludes with a discussion of several questions that need further analysis in considering banking of endangered species habitat.
Oxygen and carbon isotope fractionations between CO2 and calcite

Abstract Oxygen and carbon isotopic fractionation factors have been measured by direct exchange between carbon dioxide and calcite over the temperature range 400–950°C at pressures of 1–13 kilobars. Equilibrium constants for oxygen exchange are well determined from 400 to 800°C, and differ substantially from previous experimental and theoretical estimates. Carbon isotopic fractionations have larger uncertainties at all temperatures. Both oxygen and carbon isotopic fractionations are well reproduced by statistical mechanical calculations with simple treatment of the calcite lattice vibrations. A recalculated calcite-graphite fractionation curve based on new calculations of partition functions ratios for calcite suggests that this system is well suited for high-temperature isotopic thermometry of graphitic marbles as first proposed by Valley and O'Neil (1981). The rate of exchange of both oxygen and carbon between carbon dioxide and calcite is rapid, and proceeds by a combination of diffusion and minor recrystallization.
Ionization by Nuclear Transitions

Ionization and excitation in an atom induced by nuclear processes [1,2] within that atom exemplify the so-called single step and two-step mechanisms. The former is characterized as a sudden shaking transition of the composite nucleus-atom system, analogous to shaking in photoemission. In the latter process the charged particles emitted in a nuclear decay transfer energy by a relatively slow “direct collision” final state interaction with atomic electrons. These are not truly distinct mechanisms; rather they are labels for the extremes of the time spans involved in different types of nuclear decays. In some theories they are even coherent interactions. For either the shaking or direct collision processes, we can give a phenomenological description of an ionization event that will apply to both types.
LED-Based Optical Device for Chronic In Vivo Cerebral Blood Volume Measurement

We demonstrate a reflectivity-based cerebral blood volume sensor comprised of surface-mount light-emitting diodes on a flexible substrate with integrated photodetectors in a form factor suitable for direct brain contact and chronic implantation. This reflectivity monitor is able to measure blood flow through the change of the surface reflectivity and, through this mechanism, detect the cerebral-blood-volume changes associated with epileptic seizures with a signal-to-noise (SNR) response of 42 dB. The device is tested in an in vivo model confirming its compatibility and sensitivity. The data taken demonstrate that placing the sensor into direct brain contact improves the SNR by more than four orders of magnitude over current noncontact technologies.
Regiospecificity of Chlorophenol Reductive Dechlorination by Vitamin B12s

Vitamin B12, reduced by titanium (III) citrate to vitamin B12s, catalyzes the reductive dechlorination of chlorophenols. Reductive dechlorination of pentachlorophenol and of all tetrachlorophenol and trichlorophenol isomers was observed. Reaction of various chlorophenols with vitamin B12 favored reductive dechlorination at positions adjacent to another chlorinated carbon, but chlorines ortho to the hydroxyl group of a phenol were particularly resistant to reductive dechlorination, even if they were also ortho to a chlorine. This resulted in a reductive dechlorination pattern favoring removal of para and meta chlorines, which differs substantially from the pattern exhibited by anaerobic microbial consortia.
An Attribute-Grammar Implementation of Government-binding Theory

The syntactic analysis of languages with respect to Government-binding (GB) grammar is a problem that has received relatively little attention until recently. This paper describes an attribute grammar specification of the Government-binding theory. The paper focuses on the description of the attribution rules responsible for determining antecedent-trace relations in phrase-structure trees, and on some theoretical implications of those rules for the GB model. The specification relies on a transformation-less variant of Government-binding theory, briefly discussed by Chomsky (1981), in which the rule move-α is replaced by an interpretive rule. Here the interpretive rule is specified by means of attribution rules. The attribute grammar is currently being used to write an English parser which embodies the principles of GB theory. The parsing strategy and attribute evaluation scheme are cursorily described at the end of the paper.
Inheritance of flower color in pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata L.)

Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata L.) is a diploid (2n = 2× = 16), erect, emergent, herbaceous aquatic perennial. The showy inflorescences of pickerelweed make this species a prime candidate for inclusion in water gardens and aquascapes. The objective of this experiment was to determine the number of loci, number of alleles, and gene action controlling flower color (blue vs. white) in pickerelweed. Two blue-flowered and one white-flowered parental lines were used in this experiment to create S 1 and F 1 populations. F 2 populations were produced through self-pollination of F 1 plants. Evaluation of S 1 , F 1 , and F 2 generations revealed that flower color in these populations was controlled by 2 alleles at one locus with blue flower color completely dominant to white. We propose that this locus be named white flower with alleles W and w.
Diazonamide toxins reveal an unexpected function for ornithine δ-amino transferase in mitotic cell division

We have studied a naturally occurring small-molecule antimitotic called diazonamide A. Diazonamide A is highly effective at blocking spindle assembly in mammalian cell culture and does so through a unique mechanism. A biotinylated form of diazonamide A affinity purifies ornithine δ-amino transferase (OAT), a mitochondrial enzyme, from HeLa cell and Xenopus egg extracts. In the latter system, the interaction between diazonamide A and OAT is regulated by RanGTP. We find that specific OAT knockdown in human cervical carcinoma and osteosarcoma cells by RNA interference blocks cell division and causes cell death, the effects largely phenocopying diazonamide A treatment in these cell lines. Our experiments reveal an unanticipated, paradoxical role for OAT in mitotic cell division and identify the protein as a target for chemotherapeutic drug development.