cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous electrophysiological recording and calcium imaging of suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons.

Simultaneous electrophysiological and fluorescent imaging recording methods were used to study the role of changes of membrane potential or current in regulating the intracellular calcium concentration. Changing environmental conditions, such as the light-dark cycle, can modify neuronal and neural network activity and the expression of a family of circadian clock genes within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the location of the master circadian clock in the mammalian brain. Excitatory synaptic transmission leads to an increase in the postsynaptic Ca2+ concentration that is believed to activate the signaling pathways that shifts the rhythmic expression of circadian clock genes. Hypothalamic slices containing the SCN were patch clamped using microelectrodes filled with an internal solution containing the calcium indicator bis-fura-2. After a seal was formed between the microelectrode and the SCN neuronal membrane, the membrane was ruptured using gentle suction and the calcium probe diffused into the neuron filling both the soma and dendrites. Quantitative ratiometric measurements of the intracellular calcium concentration were recorded simultaneously with membrane potential or current. Using these methods it is possible to study the role of changes of the intracellular calcium concentration produced by synaptic activity and action potential firing of individual neurons. In this presentation we demonstrate the methods to simultaneously record electrophysiological activity along with intracellular calcium from individual SCN neurons maintained in brain slices.
Tedizolid Phosphate: a Next-Generation Oxazolidinone.

Treatment of multidrug-resistant Gram-positive infections continues to challenge clinicians as the emergence of new resistance mechanisms outpaces introduction of novel antimicrobial agents. Tedizolid phosphate is a next-generation oxazolidinone with activity against both methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. Tedizolid has consistently shown potency advantages over linezolid against Gram-positive microorganisms including those with reduced susceptibility to linezolid. Of particular significance, minimum inhibitory concentrations of tedizolid appear to be largely unaffected by the chloramphenicol–florfenicol resistance (cfr) gene, which has been implicated in a number of published linezolid-resistant organism outbreaks. Tedizolid phosphate also has been found to have a favorable pharmacokinetic profile allowing for once-daily dosing in both oral and intravenous forms. Potency and pharmacokinetic advantages have allowed for lower total daily doses of tedizolid, compared to linezolid, being needed for clinical efficacy in the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI). The decreased total drug exposure produced may in part be responsible for a decrease in the observed adverse effects including thrombocytopenia. Tedizolid phosphate is currently indicated for the treatment of ABSSSI and under investigation for the treatment of nosocomial pneumonia. Although much of the role of tedizolid remains to be defined by expanding clinical experience, tedizolid is likely a welcomed addition to the mere handful of agents available for the treatment of multidrug-resistant Gram-positive infections.
Anomalous Resistivity and Ion-Acoustic Turbulence

We evaluate anomalous resistivity and steady-state turbulent spectra for ion-acoustic waves driven unstable by an electron drift. The model assumes that long-wavelength unstable waves couple to short-wavelength damped waves to reach a steady state. The anomalous resistivity turns out to be a very rapidly increasing function of the electron drift velocity.
Massive Transfusion Protocols in the Pediatric Trauma Patient: An Update

There has been significant research dedicated to damage control resuscitation in adult trauma patients with hemorrhagic shock. Balanced blood product resuscitation with restriction of crystalloid has demonstrated improved outcomes in such patients. But to date, there has been insufficient evidence to determine the best resuscitation strategy for severely injured children suffering from exsanguination. Nonetheless, massive transfusion protocols developed for the adult population have been modified and widely implemented for children. Despite the experiences gained during the recent military conflicts overseas and at civilian trauma centers, there continues to be a lack of evidence regarding optimal resuscitation strategies for children in hemorrhagic shock.
A survey of heating and turbulent boundary layer characteristics of several hypersonic research aircraft configurations

Four of the configurations investigated during a proposed NASA-Langley hypersonic research aircraft program were selected for phase-change-paint heat-transfer testing and forebody boundary layer pitot surveys. In anticipation of future hypersonic aircraft, both published and unpublished data and results are reviewed and presented with the purpose of providing a synoptic heat-transfer data base from the research effort. Engineering heat-transfer predictions are compared with experimental data on both a global and a local basis. The global predictions are shown to be sufficient for purposes of configuration development, and even the local predictions can be adequate when interpreted in light of the proper flow field. In that regard, cross flow in the forebody boundary layers was examined for significant heating and aerodynamic effect on the scramjet engines. A design philosophy which evolved from the research airplane effort is used to design a forebody shape that produces thin, uniform, forebody boundary layers on a hypersonic airbreathing missile. Finally, heating/boundary layer phenomena which are not predictable with state-of-the-art knowledge and techniques are shown and discussed.
Structure-based design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of dihydroquinazoline-derived potent β-secretase inhibitors.

Structure-based design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a series of dihydroquinazoline-derived β-secretase inhibitors incorporating thiazole and pyrazole-derived P2-ligands are described. We have identified inhibitor 4f which has shown potent enzyme inhibitory (Ki = 13 nM) and cellular (IC50 = 21 nM in neuroblastoma cells) assays. A model of 4f was created based upon the X-ray structure of 3a-bound β-Secretase. The model revealed critical interactions in the active site.
Neuroticism and Religious Coping Uniquely Predict Distress Severity among Bereaved Pet Owners

ABSTRACTA growing body of literature grounded in contemporary psychological theory suggests that personality and religion have a significant impact on the emotional well-being of the bereaved. Although this approach has been validated in human bereavement research and proposed by specialists in the field, it has not been empirically examined in the context of pet loss. This is surprising given the large number of people who own pets, and the high emotional value placed on animal companions in society today. Thus, the purpose of this study was to fill a void in the literature by examining the influence of neuroticism and religious coping on pet bereavement distress (PBD) while controlling for other variables of interest. A total of 510 adults who had lost a pet completed an online survey measuring pet-related characteristics, demographics, social desirability, religious variables, pet attachment, death anxiety, bereavement distress, neuroticism, and two forms of religious coping. A standard multiple regres...
TU‐A‐BRB‐03: Simultaneous Optimization of Dose and LET in Proton Therapy Using Voronoi Partitions

Purpose: Linear energy transfer (LET) is a measure of local energy deposition along the particle track. There is a positive correlation between relative biological effectiveness (RBE) and LET. As a result, LET painting has become a recent focus in particle therapy planning. The goal of this research is to develop a planning algorithm that can simultaneously optimize dose and LET distributions for particle therapy. Methods: It is well known that the high‐LET region of a charged particle beam is located at the distal edge of the Bragg peak. Therefore if a beam stops at the center of the target, its high LET region is also likely inside the target. This makes lower energybeams more preferable than high energybeams. Intuitively, this means each target voxel should be treated using its “closet” beam, or lowest possible energybeam. This observation makes Voronoi partition a natural choice for simultaneously optimizing dose and LET distributions, which given a set of objects partitions a metric space into cells, where each cell corresponds to a region closest to an object. A planning algorithm based on Voronoi partition has been implemented in C. Given a set of particle beams, the algorithm first partitions the target into a set of Voronoi cell, each corresponding to the region of the tumor closest to a beam. Then a constrained least square solver is used to determine the optimal plan with minimized beamenergies, which simultaneously optimizes the LET distributions. Results: The planning algorithm has been tested on a skull base tumor using protons. A desired LET is observed inside the target, and dose and LET distributions are simultaneously optimized. Conclusions: Voronoi partition can guide the optimization to simultaneously optimize dose and LET distributions. Supported in part by Grants NSF CBET‐0755054 and NSF CBET‐0853157
Genetic variation and host markers in the src gene of recovered avian sarcoma viruses

The src genes of three recovered avian sarcoma viruses were compared by RNase T1 oligonucleotide fingerprinting and tryptic peptide analysis. In all three recovered avian sarcoma viruses the oligonucleotide composition of src was different and also distinct from that of the parental Schmidt-Ruppin strain of Rous sarcoma virus. This evidence for genetic variation src was strengthened by two dimensional peptide maps of the src gene products pp60src, translated in a reticulocyte lysate system in vitro. Numerous differences between the peptide patterns of the pp60src proteins produced by the parental and the recovered viruses were detected. No two src proteins were identical, while the tryptic peptide maps of the internal gag proteins synthesized by these viruses were indistinguishable. The src proteins of recovered avian sarcoma viruses also contained peptides that were absent from the src protein of parental Schmidt-Ruppin D virus but were found in the endogenous src protein of normal cells. We conclude that there is considerable genetic variation in the src gene of recovered avian sarcoma viruses and that these recovered src genes contain host cell-derived markers.
Improved sensitivity and specificity of mammograms by producing uniform luminance from viewboxes.

RADIOLOGISTS routinely are required to view radiographs to identify the presence or absence of disease or other malady. After careful exposure from a uniform x-ray source and careful processing, the most common way of viewing a radiograph is to place it on a viewbox. Viewboxes, however, are constructed rather inexpensively using fluorescent bulbs, reflectors and diffusers to spread the light over an area the size of an x-ray. Simple electro-optic measurements show that the luminance of the viewbox varies considerably depending on position. The question is whether these variations can be lessened or removed entirely and whether doing the removal of source luminance variations would improve the decisions made by radiologists.!" This paper focuses on the removal of viewbox luminance variations. It seems to us that viewbox luminance variation can be corrected by carefully placing the proper mask over the viewbox which has the proper density of mask to adjust the luminance at a given point to the lowest luminance point.' This mask can be made in several ways: (1) by analog methods, and (2) by digital methods.
Automated parametric execution and documentation for large-scale simulations

A language has been created to facilitate the automatic execution of simulations for purposes of enabling parametric study and test and evaluation. Its function is similar in nature to a job-control language, but more capability is provided in that the language extends the notion of literate programming to job control. Interwoven markup tags self document and define the job control process. The language works in tandem with another language used to describe physical systems. Both languages are implemented in the Extensible Markup Language (XML). A user describes a physical system for simulation and then creates a set of instructions for automatic execution of the simulation. Support routines merge the instructions with the physical-system description, execute the simulation the specified number of times, gather the output data, and document the process and output for the user. The language enables the guided exploration of a parameter space and can be used for simulations that must determine optimal solutions to particular problems. It is generalized enough that it can be used with any simulation input files that are described using XML. XML is shown to be useful as a description language, an interchange language, and a self-documented language.
Cognitive impact of social stress and coping strategy throughout development.

Rationale Stress experience during adolescence has been linked to the development of psychiatric disorders in adulthood, many of which are associated with impairments in prefrontal cortex function.
Isolation and characterization of yeast ring chromosome III by a method applicable to other circular DNAs

A method is described for the isolation and purification of covalently closed circular (ccc) DNA from yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Spheroplasts are lysed at pH 12.45 which denatures linear but not ccc DNA. Next, the lysate is taken through a gentle high-salt-phenol extraction to remove single-stranded DNA. The ccc DNA, recovered by ethanol precipitation, can be further studied by agarose gel electrophoresis, can be cut with restriction endonucleases and can be used to transform Escherichia coli. This method efficiently purifies large (approx. 190 kb) and small (approx. 1.5 kb, TRP1-RI Circle) circular DNAs and thus has general applicability for isolation and purification of plasmids from yeast.
Status of the KEK Super B Factory

After reviewing the physics motivation for Super B factories, I briefly describe the status and plans for the KEK Super B Factory.
Nucleoporin levels regulate cell cycle progression and phase-specific gene expression.

Summary The Nup107-160 complex, the largest subunit of the nuclear pore, is multifunctional. It mediates mRNA export in interphase, and has roles in kinetochore function, spindle assembly, and postmitotic nuclear pore assembly. We report here that the levels of constituents of the Nup107-160 complex are coordinately cell cycle-regulated. At mitosis, however, a member of the complex, Nup96, is preferentially downregulated. This occurs via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. When the levels of Nup96 are kept high, a significant delay in G1/S progression occurs. Conversely, in cells of Nup96 +/− mice, which express low levels of Nup96, cell cycle progression is accelerated. These lowered levels of Nup96 yield specific defects in nuclear export of certain mRNAs and protein expression, among which are key cell cycle regulators. Thus, Nup96 levels regulate differential gene expression in a phase-specific manner, setting the stage for proper cell cycle progression.
Sulforaphane induction of p21cip1 cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor expression requires p53 and Sp1 transcription factors and is p53-dependent

Sulforaphane (SFN) is an important cancer preventive agent derived from cruciferous vegetables. We show that SFN treatment suppresses normal human keratinocyte proliferation via a mechanism that involves increased expression of p21Cip1. SFN treatment produces a concentration-dependent increase in p21Cip1 promoter activity via a mechanism that involves stabilization of the p53 protein leading to increased p53 binding to the p21Cip1 promoter p53 response elements. The proximal p21Cip1 promoter GC-rich Sp1 factor binding elements are also required, as the SFN-dependent increase is lost when these sites are mutated. SFN treatment increases Sp1 binding to these elements, and the response is enhanced in the presence of exogenous Sp1 and reduced in the presence of ΔN-Sp3. CpG island methylation alters p21Cip1 promoter activity some systems; however, expression in SFN-treated keratinocytes does not involve changes in proximal promoter methylation. The promoter is minimally methylated, and the methylation level is not altered by SFN treatment. This study indicates that SFN increases p21Cip1 promoter transcription via a mechanism that involves SFN-dependent stabilization of p53 and increased p53 and Sp1 binding to their respective response elements in the p21Cip1 promoter. These results are in marked contrast to the mechanisms observed in skin cancer cell lines and suggest that SFN may protect normal keratinocytes from damage while causing cancer cells to undergo apoptosis.
Validation of the OMNI RPE Seven Day Exertional Recall Questionnaire

Purpose: The present study examined the validity of the Seven Day Recall Questionnaire among recreationally active men and women. Method: Initially, participants completed a level walk (2.5 mph [4.0 kph]), hill walk (3.5 mph [5.6 kph], 5% grade), and run (5.0 mph [8.0 kph], 2.5% grade). Seven days later, participants were given the Seven Day Recall Questionnaire and rated their perceived exertion associated with the exercise bouts. Participants then repeated the same exercise bouts as in Session 1, and the OMNI rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was estimated. Results: Concurrent validity indicated that for both men and women, respectively, the RPE-Overall (r = .48, r = .70), RPE-Leg (r = .43, r = .66), and RPE-Chest (r = .47, r = .66) derived from the Seven Day Recall Questionnaire distributed as a function of oxygen consumption. RPE-Overall (r = .61, r = .76), RPE-Leg (r = .56, r = .72), and RPE-Chest (r = .61, r = .72) from the Seven Day Recall Questionnaire distributed as a function of heart rate. Con...
Phosphorylation of Protein-tyrosine Phosphatase PTP-1B on Identical Sites Suggests Activation of a Common Signaling Pathway during Mitosis and Stress Response in Mammalian Cells

PTP-1B is a widely expressed non-transmembrane tyrosine-specific phosphatase. Previous studies indicated that, at mitosis, PTP-1B undergoes phosphorylation on two sites, 352Ser-Pro-Leu-Asn and 386Ser-Pro-Ala-Lys. Although the Ser-386 site can be phosphorylated by Cyclin B/Cdc2 in vitro, the kinase for the Ser-352 site is unknown. We have found that these phosphorylation events are not unique to normal mitosis. Instead, treatment with many, but not all, stress stimuli, in particular osmotic shock and certain phosphatase and protein synthesis inhibitors, leads to phosphorylation of PTP-1B. Tryptic phosphopeptide and mutant analysis reveals that, as in mitosis, stress-induced PTP-1B phosphorylation involves both Ser-352 and Ser-386. Activation of the proline-directed kinases Erk1/2, JNKs, and p38 was neither necessary nor sufficient for stress-induced PTP-1B phosphorylation. Our data suggest the existence of a novel mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in mammalian cells, which is activated at mitosis and in response to osmotic shock and other stresses and results in PTP-1B phosphorylation. This pathway may be similar to the recently described Spc1/Sty1 pathway in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.
Sudden equity price declines and the flight-to-safety phenomenon: additional evidence using daily data

Using daily data we show sudden, extreme declines in the U.S. stock market for crash dates to lead to a capital preserving (as opposed to strategic or tactical) reallocation to government debt securities. In most cases we find flight-induced reallocation reverses direction within one day of a crash. However, for the 1987 world crash we find increased and persistent return volatility in both equity and bond returns lasting up to five days following this dramatic decline in world equity prices. Like previous research in this area, we find equity crashes alter long-run stock/bond return correlations and lead to increased stock and bond return volatility. Finally, we describe the somewhat unique stock and bond correlation adjustments triggered by the 9/11 attack and the impact this event had on the behavior of U.S. equity investors’ flight-to-safety reaction.
Anatomic basis for evaluation of abdominal and groin pain in athletes

c ( fi l p c o he term athletic pubalgia describes a group of sometimes surgically correctable syndromes that are relaively common in athletes. In this article, we aim to highight key parts of the pelvic anatomy that are involved in hese types of syndromes. One important concept deserves pecial emphasis. Most exertional abdominal and groin ains in high performance athletes have no association ith actual hernias. The term sports hernia mischaracterzes the pathology and misleads surgeons to perform inorrect operations. Therefore, we recommend the latter erm be abandoned. The athletic pubalgia syndrome is not ssociated with abdominal wall defects that resemble herias. Unlike hernias, the pain of athletic pubalgia occurs in variety of locations consistent with multiple sets of forces nteracting pathophysiologically around a fulcrum—a oncept that helps define joint instability. We refer to the oint involved in this case as the “pubic joint.” While herias certainly can occur in athletes, most abdominal and roin pain in athletes have nothing to do with hernias and o, in fact, have specific mechanisms of injury. Like the knee and other joints, the “pubic joint” has a umber of musculoskeletal attachments that serve as ligaents and functionally stabilize this joint. The pubic joint is ndoubtedly complex, which probably explains why these yndromes have remained mysterious for so long. The purpose of this article is twofold: (1) to depict the elvic anatomy pertinent to the clinical problems, and (2) to orrelate this anatomy with a number of syndrome variants hat we have come to recognize in an experience of over ,000 athletes. While these diagnoses are for the most part mpiric, they result from multiple observations on multiple resh and fixed cadaveric dissections as well as careful folow-up of large contingents of patients who have had various perations designed with the above concepts in mind.
Protonolysis reactions in the series RMn(CO)5 and RC(O)Mn(CO)5

Abstract Proton cleavage (protonolysis) of the RMn bond in RMn(CO) 5 complexes occurs readily and cleanly with CF 3 SO 3 H to give the corresponding RH compounds. The relative order of reactivity in the series of RMn(CO) 5 compounds we have prepared is R  H, CH 3 , Ph, p -CH 3 C 6 H 4 , p -BrC 6 H 4 , p -CF 3 C 6 H 4 > PhCH 2 > p -ClC 6 H 4 CH 2 ≅ p -CH 3 OC 6 H 4 CH 2 ⪢ PhCH 2 CH 2 . Protonolysis with HBF 4 is much slower than with triflic acid in every case. The reaction with both acids very likely proceeds by attack of the proton on Mn followed by reductive elimination. Surprisingly, the corresponding RC(O)Mn(CO) 5 compounds on treatment with triflic acid do not undergo protonolysis to aldehydes. Instead, hydroxycarbenes are formed reversibly and the acyls are slowly decarbonylated to RMn(CO) 5 which then undergo protonolysis and reductive elimination to give quantitative yields of RH.
Sensory processing differences and urinary incontinence in school-aged children

Abstract Objective Urinary Incontinence (UI) is a common problem among school-aged children (5–11 years). Symptoms such as urgency, diminished awareness of wetting, or apparent apathy may represent differences in sensory processing (SP). This study aims to describe the SP abilities of incontinent school-aged children with typical development to determine if they differ from established norms for continent children. Materials and methods The SP abilities of 209 school-aged children with UI were evaluated using the short sensory profile (SSP), a judgment-based caregiver questionnaire, then compared with established norms using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results Forty-four percent of children showed significant differences in global SP with the greatest differences noted in tactile sensitivity. Higher section subscores were also noted in “seeks sensation/under responsive” and “auditory sensitivity”. Children with dysfunctional voiding (DV) were more likely to show global differences (p = 0.015), differences in “seeks sensation” (p = 0.006), and auditory sensitivity (p = 0.041). The odds for low tactile sensitivity scores were five times greater for children with UI and DV (p = 0.006). Conclusion These results suggest that differences in SP may be found among typical school aged children with UI. Continued research is indicated to understand the significance of the study results.
Fluid preconditioning for Newton-Krylov-based, fully implicit, electrostatic particle-in-cell simulations

A recent proof-of-principle study proposes an energy- and charge-conserving, nonlinearly implicit electrostatic particle-in-cell (PIC) algorithm in one dimension [9]. The algorithm in the reference employs an unpreconditioned Jacobian-free Newton-Krylov method, which ensures nonlinear convergence at every timestep (resolving the dynamical timescale of interest). Kinetic enslavement, which is one key component of the algorithm, not only enables fully implicit PIC as a practical approach, but also allows preconditioning the kinetic solver with a fluid approximation. This study proposes such a preconditioner, in which the linearized moment equations are closed with moments computed from particles. Effective acceleration of the linear GMRES solve is demonstrated, on both uniform and non-uniform meshes. The algorithm performance is largely insensitive to the electron-ion mass ratio. Numerical experiments are performed on a 1D multi-scale ion acoustic wave test problem.
Decentralized network reconfiguration and restoration for smart distribution systems — Part I: Decentralized approach

Network reconfiguration is a constrained, nonlinear, integer optimization problem. This paper presents a decentralized methodology that is capable of incorporating network reconfiguration algorithms to minimize power losses for smart distribution systems. The “optimal” configuration of the entire system results from collaborations of individual agents, and the computational time is greatly reduced compared with conventional approaches.
Fiscal policy in Germany during the Great Depression

Abstract The state of German fiscal policy during the Great Depression is investigated using the concept of the high employment budget. Fiscal policies followed by pre-Nazi governments, even those in office during 1932, were found to have been consistently restrictive. Only after Hitler assumed power in early 1933 did fiscal policy move toward expansion, almost totally through increases in government expenditures. In contrast to the United States and Britain, fiscal policies undertaken by the Nazis helped to promote a quick and complete economic recovery from the Great Depression in Germany.
Quality-of-service and error control techniques for mesh-based network-on-chip architectures

Network-on-a-chip (NoC) has been proposed as a solution for addressing the design challenges of future high-performance system-on-chip architectures in the nanoscale regime. Many real-time applications require input data that arrives with low delay jitter. Such communication traffic can only be supported by incorporating multiple levels of service in the interconnection network. Further, as technology scales toward deep submicron, on-chip interconnects are becoming more and more sensitive to noise sources such as power supply noise, crosstalk, and radiation induced effects, that are likely to reduce the reliability of data. Hence, effective error control schemes are required for ensuring data integrity. This paper addresses two important aspects of NoC architectures, quality of service and error control schemes and makes the following contributions: (i) it presents techniques for supporting guaranteed throughput (for low delay jitter traffic) and best-effort traffic quality levels in NoC router, (ii) it presents architectures for integrating error control schemes in the NoC router architecture, and (iii) it presents cycle accurate power and performance models of the two architecture enhancements for a mesh based NoC architecture.
Anomalous mantle structure at the Proterozoic-Paleozoic boundary in northeastern US

Using teleseismic P wave tomography we detect very large (∼5%) variation in the compressional velocity of the upper mantle beneath the Proterozoic-Paleozoic boundary in the Northeastern US. In this region, the upper mantle is heterogeneous on the 100 km scale to a depth of 300 km. Below this depth, the mantle appears to be laterally homogenous, at least on the scale of 200–250 km. Given the tectonic history of the region, the large amplitude, short wavelength heterogeneities can not be caused by temperature variations, but may be due to chemical heterogeneity or variations in the amount and orientation of flow-induced seismic anisotropy.
High-resolution Martian atmosphere modeling

A multilayer radiative transfer, high-spectral-resolution infrared model of the lower atmosphere of Mars has been constructed to assess the effect of scattering on line profiles. The model takes into accout aerosol scattering and absorption and includes a line-by-line treatment of scattering and absorption by CO2 and H2O. The aerosol complex indices of refraction used were those measured on montmorillonite and basalt chosen on the basis of Mars ir data from the NASA Lear Airborne Observatory. The particle sizes and distribution were estimated using Viking data. The molecular line treatment employs the AFGL line parameters and Voigt profiles. The modeling results indicate that the line profiles are only slightly affected by normal aerosol scattering and absorption, but the effect could be appreciable for heavy loading. The technique described permits a quantitative approach to assessing and correcting for the effect of aerosols on lineshapes in planetary atmospheres.
Recent developments in hormone delivery systems

Women who want safe, effective contraception have many more options than they did only a few years ago. Each option must be weighed carefully according to the needs and lifestyle of each particular woman. One method that provides long-term convenience with a side-effect profile that is comparable to that of oral contraceptives is the once-a-month injectable contraceptive containing 25 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate and 5 mg estradiol cypionate. Another option is the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine contraceptive system that offers pregnancy prevention for 5 years. Finally, hormonal implants that release low doses of progestins have been used for more than 30 years by a total of 10 million women, and easier-to-use implants will soon be available.
Differential cross sections for the 14N(α, p)17O∗ reaction

Abstract Differential cross sections for the reaction 14N(α, pi)17O∗ are reported for angles from 14° to 166° in the lab system and at Eα = 12.99, 13.39, 14.25, 14.5 and 18.07 MeV. Most of the previously reported levels up to E x ( 17 O ) = 7.26 MeV are observed. A doubtful level at E x ( 17 O ) = 6.99 MeV is confirmed. On the basis of a possible statistical compound nuclear mechanism and the use of the (2J + 1) rule, a spin of J = 7 2 , 9 2 or 11 2 is suggested for the state E x ( 17 O ) = 5.22 MeV .
Infrared and Raman Spectra of Bis-β-Diketonates of Palladium (II)

Infrared and Raman data are reported for four palladium-β-diketonates, including the bis-acetylacetonate, bis-1-phenyl-1,3-butanedionato trans chelate, as well as the cis and trans isomers of 1-p-octyloxyphenyl-1,3-butanedionato chelates. The data indicate that a straightforward application of local symmetry selection rules for the —PdO4— subunit is adequate to explain the low frequency infrared and Raman spectra.
An Analysis of Knowledge Acquisition Roles and Participants

Much recent research effort in the field of knowledge acquisition (KA) has focussed on extending knowledge acquisition techniques and processes to include a wider array of participants and knowledge sources in a variety of knowledge acquisition scenarios. As the domain of expert systems applications and research has expanded, techniques have been developed to acquire and incorporate knowledge from groups of experts and from various sources such as text, video, and audio tapes. However, the dominant participant-role model remains that of the knowledge engineer eliciting knowledge from one or more human experts. This conceptual gap has contributed to the major divisions in the KA field between researchers interested in manual KA and those developing tools for automated KA. This article considers the wide variety of possible KA scenarios and presents a meta-view of KA participants and the roles they may assume.We suggest that it is more appropriate to think of knowledge acquisition participants as playing one or more roles. These include knowledge sources, agents and targets for KA processes. We also present a participant model drawn from research in decision support systems that more accurately characterizes the diversity of the entities participating in the KA process. This view is more inclusive as it allows us to consider both human-human and human-computer KA interactions as well as the whole variety of knowledge sources and targets. A careful consideration of the meta-view and its associated role-participant mappings also yields the new ideas of the elemental and composite role and the multi-role entity. These new constructs are then used to identify areas where research is currently needed and to generate specific research issues. Taken altogether, this view allows a more flexible consideration of the many possible combinations that can and frequently do occur in actual KA situations.
HIV protease inhibitors to prevent progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia to cervical cancer: therapeutic opportunities and challenges.

Human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers remain one the most common causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide [1]. HIV-infected women are at even higher risk of cervical cancers compared with HIV-uninfected women, and HIV-infected men and women are at increased risk of anal cancer compared with their HIVuninfected counterparts [2–4]. HPV-associated cancers are largely preventable. Primary prevention is available through HPV vaccination to prevent cancers associated with vaccine HPV types (HPV 16 and HPV 18) [5,6]. Secondary prevention is accomplished through detection of high-grade cancer precursors such as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) or anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) and physical removal/destruction of these lesions to prevent progression to cancer. These measures are effective for preventing cervical cancer and their efficacy is inferred, although not yet definitively established for anal cancer. Treatment of high-grade precancerous lesions is invasive and associated with sideeffects such as pain, bleeding, scarring and, in the case of CIN treatment, premature delivery [7]. Better strategies for eradication of precancerous lesions are clearly needed. The article by Barilleri et al. [8] points to a new approach to treat HPV-associated precancerous lesions, employing protease inhibitors commonly used to treat HIV infection to inhibit matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs).
Performance of a programmable structure

A performance study of a prototype programmable structure is presented. The programmable structure considered here consists of a self-sensing actuator imbedded in a beam with a self- contained surface mounted control module. The structure is powered by a 9 volt battery (external). Active control is implemented through the use of a positive position feedback filter which suppresses vibration in the beam. The results of the experimental implementation of a programmable structure are presented. An identification of the physical parameters using modal techniques is performed. These physical parameters are then used to perform a parameter study to illustrate the performance capabilities of a programmable structure. The programmable beam presented here is capable of reducing the settling time of the beam by an order of magnitude. This corresponds to an order of magnitude increase in the damping ratio. Similar results can be obtained by using passive damping treatment in the form of constrained layers. In contrast, however, the programmable structure is capable of adapting to changing operating conditions whereas passive damping treatments are designed for a single performance objective.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Particle sightings by the infrared telescope on Spacelab 2

Part of the objective of the cooled infrared telescope on Spacelab 2 was to determine the particle environment around the Space Shuttle. The telescope scanned the sky in six wavelength bands ranging from 2 to 100 microns with high time resolution. Dust particles could be identified from their particular signature in the data stream. Particle data from about 4 h early in the mission were analyzed in terms of size, color temperature, velocity, and time. The 1100 particles that were seen were slow moving and ranged in color temperature from 190 to 350 K with a few much hotter. The minimum detectable diameter is between 5 and 13 microns, depending on temperature. The size distribution resembles sample distributions collected at a Shuttle preparation facility. Although particle detection rates varied widely with time, no specific events were identified to be associated with particle production. It was not possible to determine the particle composition, although it was probably not ice.
Nutrient Composition of Cantaloupe and Honeydew Melons

Proximate and micronutrient composition of cantaloupe and honeydew melons purchased from six marketing locations at marketing times near maximum and minimum product availability were determined. Cantaloupe varieties purchased at periods near maximum availability showed significantly higher (α= 0.01) levels of niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, ascorbic acid, folacin and Cr compared to those purchased near minimum availability. Honeydew melon varieties purchased at periods near maximum availability showed significantly lower (α= 0.01) levels of ascorbic acid, folacin, pantothenic acid, K, Zn, and Cr compared to those purchased near minimum availability. Although some differences were observed between values obtained and those reported in Handbook 8–9, proximate composition and mean values for micronutrients approximated those previously reported.
Trabeculotomy Compared to Goniotomy for Glaucoma in Children

Trabeculotomy ab externo and goniotomy seem to be in many ways equivalent, and both are particularly successful in previously unoperated cases of primary infantile glaucoma that become apparent postnatally but before the age of 1 year. It may be more difficult to achieve a technically perfect procedure with trabeculotomy than it is with goniotomy, but trabeculotomy has an advantage in cases where the cornea is so cloudy that the angle cannot be seen well enough for goniotomy under direct visualization. Overall, the two procedures seem equally effective and safe.
Errors associated with the measurement of scattered polarized X-rays

Abstract In two previous papers methods of calculating the cross sections integrated over solid angle for the coherent and incoherent scattering of polarized X-rays by atoms into an arbitrarily placed circular aperture were presented. The errors associated with the measurement of scattered X-rays for quantitative analyses are discussed in the present paper.
Ballistic expansion of trapped thermal atoms

We study the time evolution of the distribution function for an ensemble of classical particles in a harmonic trap when the oscillation frequencies are varied with time. We compare our results with the near circular density distributions observed for the thermal part of the expanded cloud in a recent experiment demonstrating the Bose-Einstein condensation of an alkali-metal vapor. The shape and extent of this noncondensed component characterize the temperature of the original cloud.
Estimation in noncentral distributions

This paper investigates alternatives to MIU estimators in noncentral X 2 and F distributions. Two directions are pursued. In the first, a general approach for uniformly improving on MVU estimators is described and illustrated. In the second, Bayesian, procedures are characterized and illustrated as well. This effort extends earlier work of Perlman and Rasmussen and of Neff and Strawderman.
Experimental evaluation of the deformation path concept

Study of natural finite strain states in several oolitic limestones indicates that, unlike most rocks, many limestones have undergone deformation by a process of approximately plane strain. Accordingly, specimens of oolitic limestone were deformed experimentally in plane strain at confining pressures of 100 and 200 MPa, at temperatures of 25, 100, and 200 ?C, and to total strains from 20 to 50 % by increments of 10 and 5 %. From subsequent strain analysis, utilizing thin sections of the deformed specimens, we find that the greatest strain heterogeneity exists, as is to be expected, for conditions under which the rock has low ductility, i.e. low confining pressure and low temperature. Increased pressure and temperature promotes a change in microscopic mechanism from cataclasis to intracrystalline gliding. The degree of strain heterogeneity is significantly decreased at higher confining pressure; it is affected to a lesser degree by higher temperature. From our results, it appears that the degree of strain heterogeneity remains sufficient within the deformational mode fields of uniform flow and ductile faulting to justify utilization of the deformation path concept.
Oil-weathering behavior in Arctic environments

Oil-weathering processes in ice-free subarctic and Arctic waters include spreading, evaporation, dissolution, dispersion of whole-oil droplets into the water column, photochemical oxidation, water-in-oil emulsification, microbial degradation, adsorption onto suspended particulate material, ingestion by organisms, sinking, and sedimentation. While many of these processes also are important factors in ice-covered waters, the various forms of sea ice (depending on the active state of ice growth, extent of coverage and/or decay) impart drastic, if not controlling, changes to the rates and relative importance of different oil-weathering mechanisms. Flow-through seawater wave-tank experiments in a cold room at ?35°C and studies in the Chukchi Sea in late winter provide data on oil fate and effects for a variety of potential oil spill scenarios in the Arctic. Time-series chemical weathering data are presented for Prudhoe Bay crude oil released under and encapsulated in growing first-year columnar ice through spring breakup.
Borided metal catalysts in methanation of carbon monoxide: I. Initial activity and conversion-temperature behavior of unsupported catalysts

Abstract Unsupported metal borides were prepared by reduction at 273–300 K of Ni II and Co II by sodium borohydride in aqueous and ethanolic solvents in the presence and absence of noble metal promoters. These materials were further activated by H 2 reduction at 675–725 K which resulted generally in borided metals having higher metal: boron ratios than commonly encountered in the chemically reduced materials. Chemical, physical, and catalytic properties were determined by chemical analysis, BET surface area measurements, H 2 adsorption measurements, and reactor studies of methanation activity/selectivity properties at 1 atm and 475–675 K. Though generally slightly less active and selective than commercial Raney nickel, borided nickel catalysts are nevertheless very effective methanation catalysts compared to pure nickel. Borided cobalt is apparently as active as Raney nickel on a site basis but less selective for CH 4 production. Ruthenium- and rhodium-promoted nickel borides are slightly more active and about as selective for methane production as unsupported nickel.
Atorvastatin reduces the plasma lipids and oxidative stress but did not reverse the inhibition of prostacyclin generation by aortas in streptozotocin diabetic rats

The effect of atorvastatin (Lipitor) on diabetes-induced changes in plasma lipids, oxidative stress and the ability of aortic tissues to generate prostacyclin was studied in streptozotocin diabetic rats. In diabetic rats, plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides and serum glucose significantly increased compared to nondiabetic rats. Atorvastatin administration to diabetic rats did not affect hyperglycemia but significantly reduced plasma total cholesterol and triglycerides compared to diabetic rats. The oxidative stress markers urinary isoprostane, liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and plasma protein carbonyl content significantly increased in diabetic rats compared to nondiabetic rats. Atorvastatin admnistration to diabetic rats significantly reduced oxidative stress levels compared to diabetic rats, but urinary isoprostane and liver TBARS remained significantly higher than nondiabetic rats. Prostacyclin (PGI(2)) generation by aortic tissues significantly decreased in diabetic rats compared to nondiabetic rats. Atorvastatin administration to diabetic rats did not reverse that inhibition. These results were discussed in the light of the possible effects of hyperglycemia and statins on NAD(P)H-oxidase and cyclooxygenase-2 activities and the genetic difference between rats and other mammals regarding the level of vascular superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity.
Practice patterns in the diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction among family practice physicians

Abstract Objectives. To examine the philosophies and practices of the family practitioner (FP) regarding the diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). Methods. A prospective study by questionnaire of a group of FPs was performed. The Spearman correlation coefficient and proportional odds regression analysis were used to measure the relationship between the continuous variable and ordinal-scale variables. The Goodman-Kruskal gamma test was used to measure the strength of the association between the ordinal-scale variables. Results. Eighty-five FPs completed the questionnaire. All respondents had at least occasional discussions with their patients about ED. History taking, physical examination, and laboratory data were the most common tools used for diagnosis. Eighty-two percent of the FPs reported being either comfortable or somewhat comfortable in making a diagnosis of ED; 93% believed that only selected patients required more extensive diagnostic workups for ED. Sildenafil was the most commonly used agent. All physicians referred patients with ED to urologists at least occasionally. Most referred only after unsuccessful trials with sildenafil. The relationship between the degree of managed care penetration and the percentage of patients with ED referred for evaluation to a urologist was not statistically significant (P = 0.402). The relationship between the number of years in practice and the percentage of patients referred to a urologist for treatment or evaluation was found to be a negative, but statistically significant, relationship (P = 0.003). Conclusions. FPs are now diagnosing and treating ED on a routine basis. Referrals to urologists are likely to be made when they are no longer comfortable treating the problem.