cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multicentre study of posaconazole delayed-release tablet serum level and association with hepatotoxicity and QTc prolongation.

Objectives The association of posaconazole serum concentrations and toxicity is unclear. An assessment of whether levels obtained with the delayed-release tablet (DRT) formulation are correlated with abnormal liver function test (LFT) results and/or QTc prolongation was undertaken. Methods This was a multicentre, retrospective, observational study of adult patients with cancer between 26 November 2013 and 14 November 2014. Patients were included if they received posaconazole DRT with a posaconazole level obtained between days 5 and 14. Clinical data, including demographics, hepatotoxic medications, posaconazole levels, LFTs and QTc intervals, were obtained. Association of factors with changes in LFTs and QTc prolongation was assessed using linear and logistic regression. Results One hundred and sixty-six study patients were included. The median posaconazole level was 1250 (range 110-4220) ng/mL and the median time until level was 6 (range 5-14) days. There was a statistically significant increase in AST ( P < 0.001), ALT ( P < 0.001), alkaline phosphatase (ALK) ( P < 0.001), total bilirubin (TBILI) ( P < 0.001) and QTc ( P = 0.05) from baseline. Posaconazole levels were not associated with increases in AST [β (SE) = -0.33 (2.2), P = 0.88], log ALT [β (SE) = -0.02 (0.03), P = 0.63], ALK [β (SE) = 2.2 (2.9), P = 0.46] and TBILI [β (SE) = -0.01 (0.04), P = 0.88]. For each additional hepatotoxic medication, there was a mean change in TBILI of 0.13 mg/dL ( P = 0.02) and ALK of 7.1 U/L ( P = 0.09). No statistically significant association between posaconazole level and QTc interval prolongation was found. Conclusions We did not identify an association between posaconazole serum concentrations and LFT elevations or QTc prolongation. However, some LFTs were found to increase with more hepatotoxic medications administered.
A critical plane‐energy model for multiaxial fatigue life prediction

A new critical plane-energy model is proposed in this paper for multiaxial fatigue life prediction of metals. A brief review of existing methods, especially on the critical plane-based and energy-based methods, is given first. Special focus is on the Liu–Mahadevan critical plane approach, which has been shown to work for both brittle and ductile metals. One potential drawback of the Liu–Mahadevan model is that it needs an empirical calibration parameter for non-proportional multiaxial loadings because only the strain terms are used and the out-of-phase hardening cannot be explicitly considered. An energy-based model using the Liu–Mahadevan concept is proposed with the help of the Mroz–Garud plasticity model. Thus, the empirical calibration for non-proportional loading is not needed because the out-of-phase hardening is naturally included in the stress calculation. The model predictions are compared with experimental data from open literature, and the proposed model is shown to work for both proportional and non-proportional multiaxial loadings without the empirical calibration.
Optical diagnostics for direct injection gasoline engine research and development

Abstract: The capabilities and applications of optical diagnostics for engine research and development have grown dramatically since early applications were reported in the 1930s. They have long become a crucial component that enables the development of ever better internal combustion engines, making the transition from being esoteric research tools to becoming mainstream tools. A growing interest in developing direct injection engines of all sorts (spark-ignition and compression ignition) has triggered a flurry of developments in optical diagnostics that in turn were crucial in developing and improving new engine concepts. Optimized multiphase flow, stratified charge, partially premixed combustion, spray impingement, soot formation, and other effects that were not important in carbureted and port-fuel-injection gasoline engines have become critical to the success of direct injection engines. Techniques and their applications for measurements of important parameters such as fuel concentration, flow, temperature, and pollutants are presented in this chapter.
The Impact of Locoregional Therapy in Nonmetastatic Inflammatory Breast Cancer: A Population-Based Study.

Background. Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare but most aggressive breast cancer subtype. The impact of locoregional therapy on survival in IBC is controversial. Methods. Patients with nonmetastatic IBC between 1988 and 2013 were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry. Results. We identified 7,304 female patients with nonmetastatic inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) who underwent primary tumor surgery. Most patients underwent total mastectomy with only 409 (5.6%) undergoing a partial mastectomy. In addition, 4,559 (62.4%) were also treated with radiation therapy. The patients who underwent mastectomy had better survival compared to partial mastectomy (49% versus 43%, = 0.003). The addition of radiation therapy was also associated with improved 5-year survival (55% versus 40%, < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that black race HR (1.22, 95% CI 1.18–1.35), ER negative status (HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.16–1.28), and higher grade (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.07–1.20) were associated with poor outcome. Cox proportional hazards model showed that total mastectomy (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.65–0.85) and radiation (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.61–0.69) were associated with improved survival. Conclusions. Optimal locoregional therapy for women with nonmetastatic IBC continues to be mastectomy and radiation therapy. These data reinforce the prevailing treatment algorithm for nonmetastatic IBC.
Phase Relations of Plagioclase Feldspars

Albite breaks down to jadeite and quartz at high pressure, and reacts with water at low temperature to give analcime and quartz. Dry anorthite melts incongruently to corundum and liquid above 9 kb, and to grossular plus kyanite plus quartz above 20 kb. Anorthite saturated with water breaks down to a variety of assemblages involving corundum, zoisite, margarite, lawsonite and wairakite with decreasing temperature. Calcic plagioclase saturated with water breaks down to andesine plus zoisite plus kyanite plus quartz.
Oblique Incidence Reflectivity of Microwave Radiometer Calibration Targets in G-Band

High emissivity temperature-controlled microwave blackbodies, or calibration targets, are often used as brightness temperature reference sources for radiometer calibration. Calibration targets are, in practice, often viewed from a range of angles due to the scanning nature of operational radiometers (e.g. a conical scanning instrument). Ideally, the calibration target has view-angle-independent emissivity of unity, but any deviation from ideal can bias the brightness temperature radiating from the target. Microwave emissivity is not a directly-measurable quantity, and instead must be inferred through measurements of reflectivity. We measure reflections from calibration targets by quantifying the magnitude of the standing wave formed by the target as it is linearly stepped through space at sub-wavelength increments. We present monostatic reflectivity results over a range of incidence angles for two types of calibration targets; a periodic pyramidal absorber array and a conical cavity blackbody. Measurements are presented at 165.5 GHz and 183.3 GHz, two channels of interest for environmental remote sensing. We find that the pyramidal array has higher reflectivity than the conical cavity at both frequencies and across the range of incidence angles. Additionally, we find that the pyramidal array has a larger range of reflectivity across the range of incidence angles. The reflectivity magnitude decreases as a function of incidence angle for both geometries, with local maxima at normal incidence except for the pyramidal array at 165.5 GHz. The considerable angular variation in reflectivity observed for the pyramidal array could potentially cause significant calibration bias as large as 0.12 K.
Therapeutic systemic hypothermia for a pediatric patient with an isolated cervical spinal cord injury

Context: While uncommon, spinal cord injuries most frequently occur in adolescent and young adult males. Established treatment options are limited and focused on supportive care. Therapeutic systemic hypothermia is an emerging experimental treatment currently undergoing clinical trials in adults.Findings: Here we report a case of a 13-year-old male with an American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale grade C traumatic cervical spinal cord injury treated with 48 hours of therapeutic systemic hypothermia who made a complete neurological recovery. To our knowledge, this is the youngest such case report.Clinical relevance: This case suggests that consideration should be given to including pediatric patients in future clinical trials of therapeutic hypothermia for spinal cord injury.
CNS disease-related protein variants as blood-based biomarkers in traumatic brain injury

Objective To utilize a panel of 11 single chain variable fragments (scFvs) that selectively bind disease-related variants of TAR DNA-binding protein (TDP)-43, β-amyloid, tau, and α-synuclein to assess damage following traumatic brain injury (TBI), and determine if the presence of protein variants could account for the increased risk of various neurodegenerative diseases following TBI. Methods We utilized the panel of 11 scFvs in a sensitive ELISA format to analyze sera from 43 older veterans, 25 who had experienced at least 1 TBI incident during their lifetime (∼29.4 years after TBI), and 18 controls who did not incur TBI, in a cross-sectional study. Results Each of the 11 scFvs individually could significantly distinguish between TBI and control samples, though they did not detect each TBI sample. Comparing the levels of all 11 variants, all 25 TBI cases displayed higher reactivity compared to the controls and receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed 100% sensitivity and specificity. Higher total protein variants levels correlated with TBI severity and with loss of consciousness. Oligomeric tau levels distinguished between single and multiple TBI incidents. While all TBI cases were readily selected with the panel, the binding pattern varied from patient to patient, suggesting subgroups that are at increased risk for different neurodegenerative diseases. Conclusion The panel of protein variants-specific scFvs can be used to identify blood-based biomarkers indicative of TBI even 20 years or more after the initial TBI. Being able to identify subgroups of biomarker profiles allows for the possibility of individually targeted treatments.
A prospective study of contrast preservation using ultra-low contrast delivery technique versus standard automated contrast injector system in coronary procedures.

Abstract Background We aimed to assess the decrease in contrast media volume (CMV) with ultra-low contrast delivery technique (ULCD) developed at our institution versus the usual automated contrast injector system (ACIS) contrast delivery in coronary procedures. Methods We analyzed the amount of contrast given in the consecutive 204 patients of the operators who use ULCD technique versus consecutive 200 patients of the other operators who use ACIS without ULCD technique for coronary angiograms and/or percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) from May 2017 to July 2018 at our center. We calculated the mean CMV between these groups. Results We observed a significant reduction in mean CMV with ULCD technique versus standard ACIS, respectively: angiogram 24.8 ± 15.8 mL (n = 194) vs 42.3 ± 25.1 mL (n = 200) (p Conclusion Our study showed a highly significant reduction in CMV using ULCD technique compared to standard ACIS contrast delivery in coronary invasive procedures. Even in the standard ACIS arm, CMV was significantly lower than values reported in literature, possibly due to operators' bias toward contrast preservation.
The Anatomy of Racial Inequality: Glenn C. Loury; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2002, 226 pages

Are terms such as racial prejudice and discrimination passe with regard to a discourse of racial inequality in America? Loury would argue that there is a need to analyze these issues differently. I...
Fossil Fuel Combustion Is Driving Indoor CO2 Toward Levels Harmful to Human Cognition

Human activities are elevating atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations to levels unprecedented in human history. The majority of anticipated impacts of anthropogenic CO2 emissions are mediated by climate warming. Recent experimental studies in the fields of indoor air quality and cognitive psychology and neuroscience, however, have revealed significant direct effects of indoor CO2 levels on cognitive function. Here, we shed light on this connection and estimate the impact of continued fossil fuel emissions on human cognition. We conclude that indoor CO2 levels may indeed reach levels harmful to cognition by the end of this century, and the best way to prevent this hidden consequence of climate change is to reduce fossil fuel emissions. Finally, we offer recommendations for a broad, interdisciplinary approach to improving such understanding and prediction.
Textured Mn-doped PIN-PMN-PT Ceramics: Harnessing Intrinsic Piezoelectricity for High-power Transducer Applications

Abstract Mn-doped PIN-PMN-PT ceramics were 90% [001]C textured by reactive templated grain growth (RTGG) with 5 vol% BaTiO3 microplatelets. Hardened properties such as high coercive field (EC) of 14 kV/cm, low dielectric loss (tan δ) of 0.37-0.66%, and high QM of 496 were obtained. Textured Mn-doped ceramics have TC of 219 °C, and a two times greater low-field d33* of 846 pm/V than random ceramics. Rayleigh analysis of textured PIN-PMN-PT ceramics shows that Mn-doping reduces the relative extrinsic contribution of the piezoelectric response to the strain behavior from 38% to 18% (at 4 kV/cm) by reducing irreversible domain wall motion. Mn-doping also reduced the overall strain response of PIN-PMN-PT, but crystallographic texturing increased the intrinsic piezoelectric response of the lattice as evidenced by the increase in d33 (Berlincourt) from 283 pC/N in random ceramics to 341 pC/N in textured ceramics. These results demonstrate that textured Mn-doped PIN-PMN-PT ceramics are excellent candidates for high-power transducer applications.
Interlocking Among American Newspaper Organizations Revisited: “Pressure from the Top” and Its Influence on Newsroom and Content

Today’s media companies seem to be more intertwined than ever. But are they? Do these “interlocks” affect editors and the content journalists produce? This study uses a three-method design to exami...
Changing HIV Risk Behavior: Practical Strategies

AIDS and HIV Infection. Behavioral Skills Acquisition Model for Risk Reduction. Intervention Settings. Risk Assessment. Risk Behavior Education and Preparing Clients for Change. Teaching Risk Behavior Self?Management Skills. Sexual Assertiveness Training. Pride, Self?Esteem, and Empowerment as Contexts of Individual and Community Changes.
Abscisic acid biosynthesis in Cercospora rosicola and related fungi

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important plant hormone involved in controlling normal growth and development in higher plants. The fungus Cercospora rosicola synthesizes large quantities of ABA (Assante et al., 1977), which has made it a useful organism for studies of ABA biosynthesis. The purpose of this study is to examine the ABA biosynthetic pathway in C. rosicola. Feeding experiments with labeled mevalonic acid (MVA), farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), and I'-deoxy-ABA have confirmed the conversion of these intermediates into ABA. This conversion was inhibited in the fungicide triarimoltreated cultures fed with MVA and FPP, but not I'-deoxy-ABA. The development of a cell-free enzyme system from fungal extracts capable of converting any of these intermediates into ABA has not been previously reported. A cell-free enzyme system has been developed in our laboratory to convert 1'deoxy-^H-ABA into H-ABA. The reaction products were chromatographed by reverse phase HPLC. Tlie presumptive ABA fractions were collected and ^HABA was quantified by GC-MS using a H-ABA standard curve. I'-deoxy-^HABA was converted to an average of 1.47 pmol ^H-ABA mg"^ protein min"^. Most of the enzymatic activity was found in the microsomal fraction. The reaction required NADPH and was enhanced by FAD; it was not inhibited by triarimol. These data, taken together, suggest that cytochrome P-450 may be involved in some oxidative reactions prior to I'-deo^-ABA in the ABA biosynthetic pathway. The phytopathogenic fungi Gnomonia veneta and Cercospora mori infect sycamore and mulberry leaves, respectively. These fungi do not appear to produce ABA in liquid cultures. However, infected leaves with these fungi contain elevated levels of ABA and abscise prematurely.
Towards Flexible Teamwork in Persistent Teams: Extended Report

Teamwork is a critical capability in multi-agent environments. Many such environments mandate that the agents and agent-teams must be persistent i.e., exist over long periods of time. Agents in such persistent teams are bound together by their long-term common interests and goals. This paper focuses on flexible teamwork in such persistent teams. Unfortunately, while previous work has investigated flexible teamwork, persistent teams remain unexplored. For flexible teamwork, one promising approach that has emerged is model-based, i.e., providing agents with general models of teamwork that explicitly specify their commitments in teamwork. Such models enable agents to autonomously reason about coordination. Unfortunately, for persistent teams, such models may lead to coordination and communication actions that while locally optimal, are highly problematic for the team's long-term goals. We present a decision-theoretic technique based on Markov decision processes to enable persistent teams to overcome such limitations of the model-based approach. In particular, agents reason about expected team utilities of future team states that are projected to result from actions recommended by the teamwork model, as well as lower-cost (or higher-cost) variations on these actions. To accommodate real-time constraints, this reasoning is done in an any-time fashion. Implemented examples from an analytic search tree and some real-world domains are presented.
Learning classifiers using hierarchically structured class taxonomies

We consider classification problems in which the class labels are organized into an abstraction hierarchy in the form of a class taxonomy. We define a structured label classification problem. We explore two approaches for learning classifiers in such a setting. We also develop a class of performance measures for evaluating the resulting classifiers. We present preliminary results that demonstrate the promise of the proposed approaches.
Intensity and Galactic Absorption of Soft Background X-Rays

Measurements of the soft X-ray background intensity show that the intensity is largest in that part of the sky where the columnar atomic hydrogen density is smallest. In the direction b II = −60°, l II =10° the intensity is found to be 195 ± 20 photons cm−2 sec−1 ster−1 keV−1 near 0.26 keV and 20 ± 3 photons cm−1 sec−1 ster−1 keV−1 near 0.9 keV. The intensity in the galactic plane is unexpectedly large.
Simultaneous and selective isolation of multiple subpopulations of rare cells from peripheral blood using ensemble-decision aliquot ranking (eDAR)

Rare cells, such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs), can be heterogeneous. The isolation and identification of rare cells with different phenotypes is desirable, for clinical and biological applications. However, CTCs exist in a complex biological environment, which complicates the isolation and identification of particular subtypes. To address this need, we re-designed our ensemble-decision aliquot ranking (eDAR) system to detect, isolate, and study two subpopulations of rare cells in the same microchip. With this dual-capture eDAR device, we simultaneously and selectively isolated two subsets of CTCs from the same blood sample: One set expressed epithelial markers and the other had mesenchymal characteristics. We could apply other selection schemes with different sorting logics to isolate the two subpopulations on demand. The average recovery rate for each subpopulation was higher than 88% with a nearly 100% selectivity of the targeted cells; the throughput was 50 μL min−1.
Interactions of Bacteroides gingivalis with fibrinogen.

Results of previous studies from our laboratory have shown that a strain of Bacteroides intermedius isolated originally from a patient with acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis binds and degrades human fibrinogen (M.S. Lantz, L.M. Switalski, K.S. Kornman, and M. Hook, J. Bacteriol. 163:623-628, 1985). We report that strains of Bacteroides gingivalis, an organism implicated in the etiology of several forms of periodontitis, also bind and degrade fibrinogen. The binding is rapid, reversible, saturable, and specific. The number of fibrinogen-binding sites per cell varies from 500 to 1,500 in different batches of bacteria, and the dissociation constant for the complex is on the order of 10(-8) M. B. gingivalis possesses cell-associated fibrinogenolytic activity that is activated by dithiothreitol and blocked by thiol protease inhibitors. Interaction with fibrinogen may mediate colonization and establishment of these organisms in the periodontal microbiota. Images
Understanding Desktop Energy Footprint in an Academic Computer Lab

In this paper, we present results from our measurement and analysis of energy use and user behavior in an academic computer lab. We use wireless power sensors to collect power readings from 22 computers in the lab. We use software monitor to log various user activities in the computer. We collected a total of 59.6 million power readings and 220.3 million user activity logs over one month. We analyze the data collected from this instrumentation to not only understand how much energy is used but to also drill down and reveal a detailed understanding of which machines, processes, and users contribute the most to computing energy footprint of the lab. Our results show the power draw on different machines in the lab are different despite the identical hardware and software settings. Our study attributes this difference to different users presenting different types and lengths of load to the computers, preferring specific physical computers, which leads to some computer being used more than others. The results show that the majority of energy was wasted while the computer was left in idle mode, and individual user behavior affects the energy consumption.
Proteins pinpoint double strand breaks

Combining green fluorescent protein with a protein that only binds to double strand breaks in DNA allows these breaks—which are an important form of DNA damage—to be detected with high efficiency in living bacteria.
NEURAL CELL ADHESION MOLECULE L1 : SIGNALING PATHWAYS AND GROWTH CONE MOTILITY

The neural cell adhesion molecule L1 plays a key role in nervous system development including neuronal migration, neurite growth, and axonal fasciculation. L1 is expressed on most developing axons, and homophilic binding of L1 molecules on adjacent axons is likely to play a key role in axon extension. It is now well documented that a number of second-messenger systems are involved in L1-stimulated neurite growth in vitro. However, it is unclear how L1 homophilic or heterophilic binding trigger signals that regulate the mechanical forces that produce axon extension. In this report, we will review recent advances in understanding L1-associated signals, L1 interactions with the cytoskeleton, and the molecular mechanisms underlying growth cone motility.
French volunteer nursing and the myth of war experience in World War I.

"IT SEEMS PARADOXICAL to unite these two words: woman and war." "Women and war ... [I]f there are two words made not to go together, it is these two: war and women." The first quotation is from a speech to a women's organization in Paris in 1912, the second, from an article in L'opinion publique appearing early in 1940.1 World War I had done nothing to clarify a relationship between women and war in France. Even the title of the L'opinion publique article, "Les femmes et la guerre," mirrored that of several World War I publications decades before.2 Although a few writers had placed women "during" or, most daringly, "in" the war, as had Gaston Rageot in La franqaise dans la guerre (1918),3 the most common connection was "and." Women and war could be juxtaposed, but what had the one to do with the other? Although the trenches of World War I ran through northern France, which meant that some French women lived in its midst, and although many French women worked to support the war effort directly, as munitions workers or military employees, for example, or indirectly, by replacing men in civilian jobs, those who made public opinion in France had difficulty envisioning a relationship between women and the war.4
Sounding gay and sounding straight: The performance of male sexual identity in Italian

This paper presents a performance-based approach to the study of the phonetic encoding of sexual identity in Italian. Six male speakers were recruited after being controlled for familiarity, interaction, and comfort with members of both hetero- and homosexual communities. They were recorded reading introductory, scientific, and narrative paragraphs with the goals of conveying straight and gay identities, respectively, as well as in an unmarked style. Analysis focused on segmental (vowels, /s/, liquids), suprasegmental, and pragmatic components of performances, the results of which suggest that speakers use a combination of phonetic features to instantiate socially salient identities.
The role of monocyte/macrophages and cytokines in the pathogenesis of HIV infection

The monocyte/macrophage system, which is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity, is a target of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro as well as in vivo. Both bone-marrow-derived precursor elements and circulating monocytes are infectable in vitro and have also been found infected in seropositive individuals. However, terminally differentiated macrophages are the most commonly infected cells found in vivo in addition to the CD4+ T lymphocytes. Several immunoregulatory cytokines have been shown to either up-regulate or suppress virus replication/expression in vitro in cells belonging to the monocyte/macrophage lineage by affecting both transcriptional as well as posttranscriptional events. The observation that elevated levels of several of these cytokines are present in HIV-infected individuals suggests that they may play an important role as regulators of virus expression in vivo.
Analysis of parenchymal patterns using conspicuous spatial frequency features in mammograms applied to the BI-RADS density rating scheme

Automatic classification of the density of breast parenchyma is shown using a measure that is correlated to the human observer performance, and compared against the BI-RADS density rating. Increasingly popular in the United States, the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) is used to draw attention to the increased screening difficulty associated with greater breast density; however, the BI-RADS rating scheme is subjective and is not intended as an objective measure of breast density. So, while popular, BI-RADS does not define density classes using a standardized measure, which leads to increased variability among observers. The adaptive thresholding technique is a more quantitative approach for assessing the percentage breast density, but considerable reader interaction is required. We calculate an objective density rating that is derived using a measure of local feature salience. Previously, this measure was shown to correlate well with radiologists' localization and discrimination of true positive and true negative regions-of-interest. Using conspicuous spatial frequency features, an objective density rating is obtained and correlated with adaptive thresholding, and the subjectively ascertained BI-RADS density ratings. Using 100 cases, obtained from the University of South Florida's DDSM database, we show that an automated breast density measure can be derived that is correlated with the interactive thresholding method for continuous percentage breast density, but not with the BI-RADS density rating categories for the selected cases. Comparison between interactive thresholding and the new salience percentage density resulted in a Pearson correlation of 76.7%. Using a four-category scale equivalent to the BI-RADS density categories, a Spearman correlation coefficient of 79.8% was found.
Ruminal Solubilization of Selected Macrominerals from Forages and Diets

Abstract Dry matter disappearance and ruminal solubility of Ca, P, Mg, and K from samples of forages and diets containing these forages were measured. Forages included alfalfa hay ( Medicago sativa L.), fescue hay ( Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), bromegrass hay ( Bromus inermis L.), and corn ( Zea mays ) silage. Diets were from lactating cow trials conducted by this laboratory and were formulated using the forages listed so that most of the dietary Ca would be supplied by forage. Mineral solubility and DM disappearance were measured in ruminally cannulated cows; nylon bags with samples were incubated for 0, 3, 12, 24, and 48h. The 0-h bags were only washed with distilled water. For the 0-h samples, more than 60% of the P, Mg, and K in forages and diets was solubilized. However, 45% of the Ca in forages was soluble compared with 36% for diets. Magnesium solubility increased 22% with time for both forages and diets; otherwise, mineral solubilities at 3h were not different from 0h. Time for maximum solubility varied; K solubility was maximized by 0h, Mg and P by 24h, and Ca by 48h. Across forages and diets, K was most soluble (99%) followed by Mg (92%), P (72%), and Ca (71%). Ruminal solubilities of K, Mg, and P were similar for forages and diets and averaged 93, 85, and 70%. respectively. Solubility of Ca from forages averaged 63% and was 12 percentage units greater than that of diets. These data indicate that rumen solubilization is not a factor limiting the ruminant's ability to absorb these macrominerals.
Serologic and enzymatic investigations of Trichinella spiralis II. Characterization of larval lactic dehydrogenase

Abstract A comparison has been made between lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) of extracts of Trinchinella spiralis larvae and pooled sera from normal rabbits and animals 8 weeks postinfection. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated differences between the LDH isozymes of the parasite and those separated in the sera from normal and infected rabbits. The pH optimum of the parasite LDH was observed at 9.0, while optimal enzymatic activity of the sera enzymes was demonstrated at pH 10.5. It was shown that the larval LDH was considerably more heat stable than the serum enzyme of either the normal or trichina-infected rabbits. Differences in the inhibitory effects of several divalent cations were demonstrated between the enzyme of Trichinella extract and that from sera from normal and infected rabbits. Serological studies did not show cross-reactions between the rabbit and larval LDH by antibodies made by the rabbit. An isozyme found in the larvae was demonstrated in the adult worms. These studies indicate basic differences between physicochemical properties of the LDH of the parasite and the rabbit sera.
Rheology of synthetic latex. II. Concentration dependence of flow in type V GR-S latex

Abstract Type V GR-S latex is non-Newtonian at all concentrations above about 0.25 rubber by volume, Newtonian below. The exponential flow equation may be used to convert experimental observations in capillary and concentric cylinder viscometers to rate of shear and shearing stress values. For volume fractions above about 0.40, however, separate exponential equations must be used for the high and low shearing stress ranges, due to the inadequacy of a single two-parameter equation to express the wide variation observed. The constants N and η′ of the exponential equation increase in a regular manner with concentration for both shearing stress ranges up to a volume fraction of about 0.60, and either decrease or “level off” from 0.60 to 0.62, the highest concentration studied. This unusual behavior, equivalent to a decrease in viscosity with increasing volume fraction, is tentatively attributed to the setting in of a degree of order, which would restrict Brownian motion of the particles, and permit flow to occur along more or less definite planes. An empirical extension of the Einstein equation of the form log η′ η 0 = bZ, where Z = αφ 1 − αφ , holds well all the way from 0 to 0.60 volume fraction of rubber. The limiting form of this equation at low volume fraction is identical with that of the Einstein equation, with a factor not far from Einstein value of 2.5. Extrapolation of the formula predicts infinite viscosity at a total volume fraction of rubber plus an adsorbed soap monolayer of about 0.75-0.77, a value which corresponds closely to the maximum obtainable by tight packing of spheres.
Bilateral sequential germ cell tumors of testis

Abstract Eight cases of bilateral sequential germ cell tumors of the testis are presented. Current treatment regimens are discussed in view of postlymphangiographic findings in patients with prior abdominal radiation and retroperitoneal surgery. Prognosis reflects the stage of disease at diagnosis with 6 patients in this series alive without evidence of metastases for as long as ten years following treatment for their second testicular tumor.
Outpatient combination chemoimmunotherapy for patients with metastatic melanoma. Results of a phase I/II trial.

BACKGROUND Few studies have examined the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of an outpatient biochemotherapy regimen of low dose, subcutaneously administered interleukin-2 (IL-2) for patients with metastatic (Stage IV) melanoma. METHODS Nineteen patients were treated with intravenous cisplatin and dacarbazine (DTIC), oral tamoxifen, and subcutaneous IL-2 and interferon-α-2b (IFN). Eligibility requirements included bidimensionally measurable metastatic melanoma, a Karnofsky performance score of 60 or higher, absence of significant cardiac or pulmonary dysfunction, no prior DTIC or cisplatin chemotherapy, and no evidence of central nervous system involvement. Patients were given a minimum of 2 6-week cycles. Treatment was continued in the absence of progressive disease, and patients were monitored for response at two-cycle intervals. RESULTS Of the 19 patients, 1 (5%) achieved a complete response; 6 (32%) a partial response; 3 (16%) stable disease; and 9 (47%) progressive disease, for an overall response proportion of 37% (95% confidence interval, 16–61%). The median survival of the treated cohort was 10.6 months. The mean time to disease progression for patients with stable disease or better was 8.4 months, with a mean response duration of 5.1 months. The most common toxicities noted were constitutional symptoms, weight loss, nausea, neutropenia, and fatigue. The 19 patients received a total of 59 cycles of treatment, and IL-2, IFN, or both were held in 14 of these cycles secondary to Grade 3 or 4 toxicities. In addition, six patients required dose reduction of IL-2 and/or IFN. CONCLUSIONS Chemoimmunotherapy consisting of cisplatin, DTIC, and tamoxifen combined with subcutaneous IL-2 and IFN can be safely administered in an outpatient setting. The described regimen yields moderate activity in metastatic melanoma, and efforts to improve its efficacy merit further examination. Cancer 1999;86:2160–5. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
Paternal transmission of entire compounds of chromosome two in Drosophila melanogaster.

In Drosophila melanogaster, entire compound second chromosomes (2R2L·2L2R) consist of the entire amount of genetic material normally found on separate homologues, as well as significant amounts of heterochromatin derived from the Y chromosome, joined to a single centromere. Genetic analysis demonstrates that information carried upon the Y chromosome influences the rate of transmission of the compound in the male.
Inhibition by 5-thio-d-glucopyranose of protein biosynthesis in vitro in spermatids from RAT testis

Abstract The effect of 5-thio- d -glucopyranose (thioglucose) upon protein biosynthesis in vitro was examined in testes from mature rats. Thioglucose in vitro is without demonstrable effect upon incorporation of l -[U-14C]phenylalanine into protein by whole testis but inhibits this incorporation by a purified fraction of immature spermatids (stages 1–8) prepared by centrifugal elutriation; the inhibition is observed with or without glucose added in vitro and is concentration dependent in the range 1–50 mM. Similar inhibition is observed with three other 14C-labeled amino acids (leucine, lysine and glutamate). Mature spermatids ( > stage 8 ) and other heterogeneous fractions of testicular cells prepared by the same method also show inhibition by thioglucose of incorporation of phenylalanine into protein so that it is not possible to say that the effect is confined to spermatids although it is most pronounced in these cells. Inhibition of protein synthesis in vitro is also observed when thioglucose was administered in vivo (33 mg/kg body wt./day). This change occurs at the minimal dose observed by other workers to produce arrest of spermatogenesis and hence infertility.
Evaluating cumulative effects on wetland functions: A conceptual overview and generic framework

This article outlines conceptual and methodological issues that must be confronted in developing a sound scientific basis for investigating cumulative effects on freshwater wetlands. We are particularly concerned with: (1) effects expressed at temporal and spatial scales beyond those of the individual disturbance, specific project, or single wetland, that is, effects occurring at the watershed or regional landscape level; and (2) the scientific (technical) component of the overall assessment process. Our aim is to lay the foundation for a research program to develop methods to quantify cumulative effects of wetland loss or degradation on the functioning of interacting systems of wetlands. Toward that goal we: (1) define the concept of cumulative effects in terms that permit scientific investigation of effects; (2) distinguish the scientific component of cumulative impact analysis from other aspects of the assessment process; (3) define critical scientific issues in assessing cumulative effects on wetlands; and (4) set up a hypothetical and generic structure for measuring cumulative effects on the functioning of wetlands as landscape systems. We provide a generic framework for evaluating cumulative effects on three basic wetland landscape functions: flood storage, water quality, and life support. Critical scientific issues include appropriate delineations of scales, identification of threshold responses, and the influence on different functions of wetland size, shape, and position in the landscape. The contribution of a particular wetland to landscape function within watersheds or regions will be determined by its intrinsic characteristics, e.g., size, morphometry, type, percent organic matter in the sediments, and hydrologic regime, and by extrinsic factors, i.e., the wetland's context in the landscape mosaic. Any cumulative effects evaluation must take into account the relationship between these intrinsic and extrinsic attributes and overall landscape function. We use the magnitude of exchanges among component wetlands in a watershed or larger landscape as the basis for defining the geographic boundaries of the assessment. The time scales of recovery for processes controlling particular wetland functions determine temporal boundaries. Landscape-level measures are proposed for each function.
Potential-sweep and pulse voltammetric investigations of the anodic dimerization of tetrahydrocarbazoles

Abstract The mechanisms of electrodimerization of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazole (THC) and its N -methyl derivative ( N -MeTHC) have been investigated using cyclic, linear-sweep, normal pulse, and reverse- pulse voltammetry at carbon-paste and platinum electrodes in MeCN/water (9:1). The electrooxidations of these compounds proceed by different mechanisms. Both compounds exhibit two one-electron oxidation waves resulting in dimeric products. The first step in these oxidations is reversible electron transfer to yield a cation radical. For THC this reaction is followed in succession by radical—parent coupling and a rate-determining disproportionation of dimeric and monomeric radicals. For N -MeTHC, initial formation of the cation radical is followed either by radical—radical or radical—parent coupling. In either case the rate-determining step is deprotonation by cleavage of a carbon—hydrogen bond. These processes appear to be unaffected by the nature of the electrode surface. Voltammetric data for the second oxidation waves of the tetrahydrocarbazoles are consistent with oxidation of the cation radical formed in the first wave. For THC, electron transfer from this radical to the electrode appears to be slow. The corresponding radical of N -MeTHC seems to undergo a reversible electron transfer. Additional chemical reactions involving products of the oxidation and the parent compound occur following the second electron transfer.
Leukocyte-endothelium adhesion: microhemodynamics in mesentery of the cat.

The effects of leukocyte-endothelium adhesion on microhemodynamics were studied in cat mesentery under control conditions and following tissue suffusion with the chemotactic agent N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP). The results indicate that under normophysiological conditions there is little or no leukocyte-endothelium adhesion in arterioles and venules. Tissue suffusion with FMLP significantly increases the number of adhering leukocytes in venules, but not in arterioles. Analysis of the number of adhering leukocytes (in venules) as a function of wall shear rate suggested that increased adhesion of leukocytes was primarily due to elevated adhesive forces and not the result of decreases in dispersal forces, i.e., wall shear stress. From measurements of upstream to downstream pressure drop, red cell velocity, and microvessel hematocrit in 16 unbranched venules, no significant changes in diameter (mean of 39.9 ± 7.8 (SD) μm), intravascular pressure gradient (0.59 ± 0.40 × 10−2 cm H2O/μm), nor microvessel hematocrit (31.0 ± 9.8%) occurred in response to FMLP. There were significant decreases in upstream pressure (8%) and estimated bulk flow (28%) as well as significant increases in the number of adhering leukocytes, from 1.5 ± 2.8 to 11.4 ± 8.3 cells/100 μm, and vessel resistance (81%). Changes in hemodynamics were found to be more pronounced in venules with small diameters. The observed response to FMLP suggests that changes in hemodynamics during leukocyte-endothelium adhesion can be accounted for by a decrease in the effective diameter due to obstruction of the lumen by WBCs, and that adhesive interactions between WBCs and endothelium are a major determinant of blood flow resistance in the microcirculation.
Community Residence One Year After Hip Fracture

We examined the relationship ofprehospital and in-hospital variables to location one yearfollowinghipfracture in a sample of 84 community-residing subjects aged 60 and older, whose fractures were not due to metastatic cancer or other bone disease or severe trauma and who were treated surgically and discharged alive. Prehospital and in-hospital data were gathered through retrospective chart reviews and one-year data obtained through telephone interviews. At one year, 70 (83%) of subjects were living in the community, 11 (13%) were in a nursing home, and 3 (4%) had died. Logistic regression showed that location at discharge and persistent mental impairment (present at admission and throughout the hospitalization) significantly increased the odds of not residing in the community when other variables were controlled.
REDUCTION OF AMMONIA TOXICITY BY SALINITY AND PH MANIPULATION

The toxicity of un-ionized ammonia (NH3) has severely limited development of high density salmonid culture. In the work described, an interrelationship between pH, salinity, and ammonia tolerance is established. Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawtyscha) smolts will tolerate higher levels of ammonia under mildly acidic culture condi-conditions. This is the result of shifting the NH3/NH4 + equilibrium in favor of the non-toxic NH4+ ion. Intermediate salinities in water re-use culture systems have also been shown to be beneficial in overcoming the toxic effects of ammonia. This may be related to an ionic exchange relationship between sodium and ammonium ions across the cellular membranes of the gill branchial cells. Environmental manipulation, leading to a reduction in ammonia toxicity, can decrease production costs in water re-use culture systems. Such prodecures would also help to maintain cultured organisms should problems within water treatment components be encountered.
Gate-level commercial microelectronics verification with standard cell recognition

The DARPA TRUST program was established to address the need to verify integrated circuits (ICs). This paper explores methodologies to resolve conflicts among IC designs in prior applications of commercial software to verify designs ranging in size from 1 to 283,359 cells. Preliminary results show the capability of commercial software tools to generate test cases for evaluation.
Multivariate Point Process Models for Response Times in Multiprogrammed Systems

We consider the formulation of marked multivariate point process models for job response times in multiprogrammed computer systems. Complementing queueing network representation of the structure of the system to be modeled, the particularR-process (Response time process) model we propose permits representation of resource contention, facilitates the incorporation of realistic workload characteristics into system performance predictions, and can reproduce inhomogeneities observed in running systems. Specification of the structure of theR-process model is conditional on workload marks; this effectively separates the difficult problem of formal representation of workload characteristics from the overall problem of response time prediction. To illustrate these ideas, an application to database management systems is considered. Evidence of the predictive capability of theR-process model, based on statistical analysis of response time data from an IMS system, is also given.
Techniques for resilient transmission of JPEG video streams

In this paper, we develop a transmission system, referred to as Dual Stream JPEG (DSJ), that improves the resiliency of JPEG video streams by unifying layered encoding with image scrambling techniques. Whereas layered encoding techniques naturally provide resiliency to isolated loss of low priority image data, scrambling techniques make is possible to distribute burst losses throughout the image. In DSJ, this unification is instantiated by employing the discrete cosine transform (DCT) to convert each 8 X 8 pixel block of an image into frequency domain, partitioning the resultant locks into high-priority DC coefficients and low-priority AC coefficients, and the scrambling the transmission of encoded blocks of AC coefficients. Furthermore, DSJ defines an adaptation layer that implements efficient error detection and recovery by including the sequence number and offset (relative to the beginning of the cell payload) of blocks carried in each cell. We have evaluated the performance of DSJ through extensive simulations. We present and analyze our results.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.