cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Second and higher-order correlation analysis of multiple multidimensional variables by joint diagonalization

In this paper, we introduce two efficient methods for second and higher-order correlation, or linear and nonlinear dependence, analysis of several multidimensional variables. We show that both the second and higher-order correlation analysis can be cast into a specific joint diagonalization problem. Compared with existing multiset canonical correlation analysis (MCCA) and independent vector analysis (IVA) algorithms, desired features of the new methods are that they can exploit the nonwhiteness of observations, they do not assume a specific density model, and they use simultaneous separation and thus are free of error accumulation arising in deflationary separation. Simulation results are presented to show the performance gain of the new methods over MCCA and IVA approaches.
Plume control using bioaugmentation with halorespiring microorganisms

Widespread use of chlorinated solvents has resulted in contamination of groundwater requiring effective source and plume containment strategies to prevent contaminant migration and mitigate adverse environmental impacts. The Bachman Road Residential Wells Site is contaminated with predominantly tetrachloroethene and the contaminant plume flows into Lake Huron (USA). Due to natural dechlorination processes, some of the tetrachloroethene has been transformed to cis-1,2-dichloroethene, with lesser amounts of trichloroethene and chloroethene. A bioaugmentation strategy using halorespiring microorganisms at the pilot scale has resulted in complete dechlorination of the groundwater in less than 50 days and significant dechlorination of aquifer solids in less than 80 days. Additionally, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis has provided evidence that some inoculated microbial species have colonized the test plot and sustained their populations for over four months. This field demonstration illustrates that bioaugmentation using halorespiring microorganisms is a viable alternative for contaminant plume control.
Predicting look-alike and sound-alike medication errors

A model for predicting medication name confusion is described. Many medication errors are caused by look-alike and sound-alike medication names, yet few procedures exist to ensure the safety of new drug nomenclature or to identify confusingly similar names from within existing databases. In this study, three automated, quantitative measures of orthographic similarity (i.e., similarity in spelling) were identified (bigram similarity, trigram similarity, and Levenshtein distance). The relationship between orthographic similarity and the likelihood of a medication error was examined. For each measure of similarity, the frequency distribution of similarity scores for pairs of drug names previously reported to cause confusion (error pairs) was compared with the distribution of similarity scores for control pairs randomly selected from the general index of USP DI-Volume I: Drug Information for the Health Care Professional. Then, three parallel, unmatched case-control studies were conducted to discover whether similarity was a significant risk factor for medication errors. Finally, on the basis of the three similarity measures, tests for predicting confusion were developed and evaluated. For each similarity measure, the frequency distribution of error pairs was significantly different from that for control pairs, and orthographic similarity was a significant risk factor for medication errors. Pairs of names whose measures of similarity exceeded present thresholds were between 25 and 523 times more likely to be involved in a medication error than pairs whose similarity did not exceed these thresholds. A prognostic test that correctly identified 91% of all pairs as either errors or controls was developed. This test had a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 99%. Automated measures of similarities between medication names can form the basis of highly accurate, sensitive, and specific tests of the potential for errors with look-alike and sound-alike medication names.
The ultramicro determination of salicylates in biologic fluids.

A method for determining salicylates in ultramicro volumes of blood, spinal fluid, and urine has been investigated. This method combines the simplicity of one reagent for color development and deproteinization with a high degree of accuracy and precision. Apparent salicylate values in blood and spinal fluid of normal individuals are of the order of 0.7 mg./100 ml. The application of this method to analysis of capillary samples of blood would be of value in the treatment of salicylate poisoning in children and in the maintenance of therapeutic salicylate levels in pediatric practice.
Brain disorders associated with corticotropin-releasing hormone expression in the placenta among children born before the 28th week of gestation.

Aim To evaluate the relationship between placenta corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) expression and brain structure and function abnormalities in extremely preterm newborns. Methods In a sample of 1243 infants born before the 28th week of gestation, we evaluated the relationship between CRH expression in the placenta and the risk of brain ultrasound scan abnormalities identified while these infants were in the intensive care nursery, low scores on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II of 900 of these children at age two years and head circumference measurements then more than one and two standard deviations below the mean. Results Infants who had a low placenta CRH messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) concentration were at increased risk of ventriculomegaly on an ultrasound scan. An elevated placenta CRH mRNA concentration was associated with increased risk of an inability to walk at age two years, and a Bayley Motor Scale 3 standard deviations below the mean. Conclusion Placenta CRH mRNA concentration appears to convey information about the risk of brain damage in the infant born at an extremely low gestational age.
Intervening with coaches to promote awareness and prevention of weight pressures in cheerleaders.

Research has found that athletes, particularly those involved in “aesthetically oriented” sports, experience significant pressures for thinness and are at increased risk for developing eating disorders. This study targeted cheerleading coaches as potential change agents by training them to recognize the symptoms of eating disorders and reduce the pressures for thinness among their squads. Cheerleading coaches at national or regional conferences attended an intervention workshop or a control workshop. Coaches who attended the intervention workshop received information regarding negative coaching behaviors, the symptoms of eating disorders, and ways to manage athletes with eating disorders. In addition, intervention coaches were encouraged to participate in six intervention strategies (e.g., reading materials, video, parent handouts, etc.) after attending the workshop. Eight months following the workshop, the coaches completed an assessment battery designed to test the effectiveness of the entire intervention. The results indicated that the intervention was successful in producing behavior changes in coaches. However, the intervention was less successful in producing long-term change in knowledge about eating disorders. These findings imply that interventions can be implemented by important adult figures (e.g., coaches, teachers) but the overall effectiveness of these interventions must be enhanced in order to have a significant and long-term impact.
New relations and constraints on quark spin-flavor content in the symmetry-breaking chiral quark model

New relations between the quark spin-flavor contents of the nucleon and axial weak coupling constants are obtained in the chiral quark model with both SU(3)- and U(1)-breaking effects. Using the nonsinglet spin combinations ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{3}$ and ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{8}$, all spin-flavor observables are functions of only one parameter $a$---the probability for the chiral pionic fluctuation. The upper and lower bounds of these observables are given. The optimum range of $a$, determined by NMC data $\overline{d}\ensuremath{-}\ifmmode \bar{u}\else \={u}\fi{}$, gives a constraint to the cutoff of the chiral quark field theory. The model predictions are in good agreement with the existing data in this range of $a$. The roles of the kaon, $\ensuremath{\eta}$ and ${\ensuremath{\eta}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ are also discussed.
Importance of water quality to nekton habitat use in a North Carolina Branch estuary

Nekton abundance and water quality were examined over 8 yr (1986–1993) in Isaac Creek, a small (2.5 km long), shallow (1–2 m), estuarine creek draining to Adams Creek (Neuse River system), North Carolina, United States. Water quality and nekton were sampled at 8 to 12 stations at 2–3 wk intervals from April to October (76 dates). The nekton assemblage, sampled by trawl, included 42 taxa but was dominated by 11 species (7 fish and 4 decapod crustaceans). Nekton and water quality (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen [DO], salinity gradient) data were grouped and analyzed by three (upper, middle, and lower) creek zones to determine if estimated abundance was correlated with water quality. Potentially stressful water quality conditions for salinity ( 30°C in morning), and DO (<2 mg 1−1) mainly occurred in the upper and middle zones. The most frequent occurrence of potentially stressful conditions for salinity was in the spring and for dissolved oxygen and temperature in middle to late summer. The frequency of potentially stressful conditions increased during a 3-yr period following timber harvest of a large portion of the watershed. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) suggested little correlation between the top 11 species and water quality and indicated an assemblage with regular seasonal changes. Comparison of nekton use of the middle and upper zones of the creek for 3-yr pre- and post-harvest periods showed an increase in proportion of nekton caught in those zones, despite the higher frequency of potentially stressful water quality conditions. This observation suggests that a complex set of factors, including water quality, influence the pattern of nekton use in Isaac Creek.
Subject awareness in differential classical eyelid conditioning

Four treatment groups were employed in a differential classical eyelid conditioning study. The discrimination required of the four groups was of varying complexity and was sufficiently difficult to produce a substantial number of subjects who were not aware of the reinforcement contingencies. Awareness was assessed by a postexperimental questionnaire. The findings were consistent with the generalization that awareness is a necessary but not sufficient condition for differential responding. Moreover, it was found that the probability of a subject’s learning to discriminate, conditional upon his being aware, was independent of treatment condition.
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: a model for the pharmacogenomics of cancer therapy

The use of combination chemotherapy to cure acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in children emerged in the 1980s as a paradigm for curing any disseminated cancer, and many of the therapeutic principles were subsequently applied to the treatment of other disseminated human cancers. Similarly, elucidation of the pharmacogenomics of ALL and its translation into new chemotherapeutic approaches might serve as a model for optimizing the treatment of other human cancers. Germline polymorphisms and gene-expression patterns in ALL cells have been linked to the toxicity and efficacy of chemotherapy for ALL and are beginning to emerge as useful clinical diagnostics.
Melting of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) nanoconfined in controlled pore glasses (CPG)

The melting temperature depression of pentaerythritol tetranitrate, nanoconfined in controlled pore glasses (CPG), was systematically studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The solid–liquid interfacial energy σ sl was obtained from the Gibbs–Thomson equation fit to melting temperature vs. reciprocal pore diameter. The pore size distribution of the CPG pores was also estimated from the DSC data. Pore sizes obtained from the manufacturer by BET are compared with those determined from the DSC curves using either the curves directly or by assuming spherical shaped confining cavities. The thermal mass vales are in better agreement with the BET estimation.
Dementia and the TAR DNA binding protein 43.

Neurodegenerative dementias are characterized by the deposition of soluble aberrant protein(s). β-Amyloid, the microtubule-associated protein tau, and α-synuclein are the most well-recognized proteins associated with neurodegenerative dementias. Recently, another protein, the transactive response DNA binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43), was discovered to play a major role in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), a group of diseases associated with young-onset dementia. TDP-43 has now been linked to more than 10 diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2010) 88 4, 555–558. doi:10.1038/clpt.2010.112
Health related quality of life for men treated for localized prostate cancer with long-term followup.

Purpose: Men who undergo primary treatment for prostate cancer can expect changes in health related quality of life. Long-term changes after treatment are not yet fully understood. We characterized health related quality of life evolution from baseline to 4 years after treatment.Materials and Methods: We identified 1,269 men in CaPSURE™ who underwent primary treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer and completed followup health related quality of life questionnaires for at least 4 years. The men underwent radical prostatectomy, external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy, combined external beam radiotherapy/brachytherapy or androgen deprivation therapy. Health related quality of life was measured using patient reported questionnaires. Effects of select covariates on quality of life were measured with a multivariate mixed model.Results: Age at diagnosis, time from treatment and primary treatment were significant predictors of health related quality of life in all domains (p <0.05) except primary tr...
Mechanisms underlying helper T-cell plasticity: Implications for immune-mediated disease

CD4 helper T cells are critical for proper immune cell homeostasis and host defense but are also major contributors to immune and inflammatory disease. Arising from a simple biphasic model of differentiation (ie, TH1 and TH2 cells). A bewildering number of fates seem possible for helper T cells. To what extent different helper cell subsets maintain their characteristic gene expression profiles or exhibit functional plasticity is a hotly debated topic. In this review we will discuss how the expression of "signature cytokines" and "master regulator" transcription factors do not neatly conform to a simple helper T-cell paradigm. Although this might seem confusing, the good news is that the newly recognized complexity fits better with our understanding of immunopathogenesis. Finally, we will discuss factors, including epigenetic regulation and metabolic alterations, that contribute to helper cell specificity and plasticity.
A Task, Behavior, and Environmental Analysis for Automobile Left-Turn Maneuvers:

A predominance of automobile-motorcycle accidents occurs when drivers turn left across the path of on-coming motorcycles. The source of driver failure may be perceptual, cognitive, environmental, or some interaction among these factors. This paper begins with a task analysis of driver behavior, automobile design considerations, and environmental variables in a left-turn scenario. Then, a methodology is presented to evaluate features of traffic intersections. Finally, an experiment is explained to indicate the differences in patterns of driver eye and head movements at a busy versus a quiet intersection.
Strongyloidiasis as a Cause of Chronic Diarrhea, Identified Using Next-Generation Strongyloides stercoralis-Specific Immunoassays

A 63-year-old-male Vietnam War veteran noted a 6-month history of watery diarrhea. A colonoscopy 6 months prior to presentation was significant for colonic mucosa with inflammation, sheets of eosinophils, and an acellular structure, which was suspicious for a parasite. Initial laboratory testing on presentation revealed an elevated eosinophil count, prompting an investigation for a parasitic infection. Three stool microscopy examinations were negative for parasite ova and larvae, but the patient had a positive Strongyloides immunoglobulin-G antibody on an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Confirmation of S. stercoralis infection was achieved using a Strongyloides-specific luciferase immunoprecipitation systems (LIPS) assay. Accurate diagnosis of Strongyloides infection is particularly crucial for patients who are currently immunocompromised or will be immunosuppressed with medications, as immunosuppression can lead to accelerated autoinfection and systemic dissemination, which, if untreated, carries a fatality rate of nearly 100 %.
Accuracy in performance evaluations

Abstract Rating accuracy, measured as agreement with expert ratings and as ability to predict behavior, was investigated in a sample of student teachers and school administrators evaluating the classroom performance of a focal teacher. Predictive accuracy was significantly related to accuracy as agreement with experts on the performance dimension most closely associated with the behavior predicted. Also, the two accuracy measures were more strongly related when the ratee's behavior was predicted first, followed by performance evaluation than when the ratee's performance was evaluated first, followed by behavioral prediction. An examination of various rater characteristics revealed that raters' perceived similarity to the ratee in attitudes about teaching were related to both accuracy measures. Implications for performance accuracy research and rater accuracy training are discussed.
Clinical relevance of parenteral nutrition prescription and administration in 200 hospitalized patients: A quality control study

Summary Background & aims Optimal implementation of parenteral nutrition (PN) is required to promote clinical outcome and costs control. This prospective quality control study examined if PN prescription was justified and PN administration was adequate to cover the nutritional needs of patients hospitalized in the Geneva University Hospital. Methods Two-hundred consecutive patients receiving PN were included from Medicine, Intensive Care or Surgery Units. PN prescription was considered justified if oral feeding or enteral nutrition were contraindicated or provided less than 40% of the energy target after 5 days. PN was considered adequate if it covered 90%–110% of the recommended need for energy (i.e., 110% of the Harris–Benedict formula) and proteins (i.e., 1.2 or 1.0 g protein/kg body weight/day for patients ≤ or >65 years, respectively), and was supplemented with vitamins and trace elements. Results PN prescription was justified in all but 14 patients (7%). However, PN administration was frequently inadequate: overfeeding (62%) was more often observed than underfeeding (14%), particularly among thin, elderly and female patients (P Conclusion PN prescription is generally justified but PN administration is often inadequate. Further teaching of medical teams and quality control surveys are warranted to optimize PN practices.
Modeling competitive cation exchange of aromatic amines in water-saturated soils.

Competitive association to several components of soil through ion exchange processes influences the fate of organic cations in the environment. To examine these processes, the distributions of aniline and 1-aminonaphthalene between aqueous 5 mM CaCl 2 solutions and three different Indiana soils were evaluated. Solute ratios (Sr) of aniline to 1-aminonaphthalene of 0.4-4.7 were employed, and the soil solutions ranged in pH from 2.7 to 7.5, with all measurements made 24 h after the introduction of the chemicals to the soils. Two previously proposed equilibrium models-the two-site (TS) and distributed parameter (DP) models-were modified to predict competition. These models assume instantaneous equilibrium of the following reversible processes: (i) acid dissociation of the protonated organic base (BH aq + ) in the aqueous phase; (ii) ion exchange on the soil between the protonated organic base and inorganic divalent cations (D aq 2+ = Ca aq 2+ + Mg aq 2+ ); and (iii) partitioning of the nonionic species of aniline (B aq ) to soil organic carbon. The TS model is a general mass action model that does not take into consideration cation exchange site heterogeneity, whereas the DP model considers association constants to these sites to be distributed in a log-normal fashion. To describe competition for cation exchange sites within the DP model, it was necessary to add a correlation coefficient (p) that relates the ion-exchange association constant (K BH ) probability density distribution functions of the two compounds. The value of p is characteristic of each soil. Results indicate that competition has a greater effect at low pH values, where ion exchange is the predominant process. For all cases, these models capture the general trends in the soil-water distribution data of both amines. The DP model also captures the nonlinearity of the 1-aminonaphthalene isotherms at low pH while at the same time capturing the nearly linear isotherms of aniline as a competing organic base.
Detection of Nitric Oxide in the Lower Atmosphere

THE reaction of stratospheric N2O with O(1D) may provide a natural source of both NO and NO2 (ref. 1) which, in turn, may control the formation and destruction of stratospheric O3. Although the presence of NO2 in the stratosphere has been established2, there have been no reports of the detection of stratospheric NO. Here we describe the results of spectroscopic measurements made in the lower stratosphere, in which absorptions due to NO have been identified.
Long-term effects of irradiation with iron-56 particles on the nigrostriatal dopamine system

Exposure to heavy ions during a Mars mission might damage the brain, thus compromising mission success and the quality of life of returning astronauts. Several workers have suggested that the dopamine system is particularly sensitive to heavy ion radiation, but direct evidence for this notion is lacking. We examined measures of brain dopamine viability at times up to 15 months after acute exposure of rats to 56Fe (1.2–2.4 Gy). No effects were seen in brain sections stained for tyrosine hydroxylase, the classical marker for dopamine cells and nerve terminals. Locomotion stimulated by cocaine, which directly activates the dopamine system, was reduced at 6 months but not at 12 months. Furthermore, in a visually cued lever-pressing test, reaction times, which are prolonged by dopamine system damage, were identical in irradiated and control animals. However, learning times were increased by irradiation. Our data suggest that the midbrain dopamine system is not especially sensitive to damage by 56Fe particles at doses much higher than would be associated with travel to and from Mars.
Atomic Force Microscopy Study of E99P69E99 Triblock Copolymer Chains on Silicon Surface

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed to study the formation of Pluronic Polyol F127 oxyethylene99−oxypropylene69−oxyethylene99 (E99P69E99) triblock copolymer micelles on surface-treated silicon substrates. The micellar size determined by dynamic light scattering and small-angle X-ray scattering techniques was 20−30 nm. The two-dimensional micelle size measured by ambient AFM on the modified silicon surfaces was somewhat distorted (20−50 nm in the xy dimension and ∼7 nm in the z dimension) under the environmental conditions present during scanning (i.e., copolymer chain collapsing in air and AFM tip distortion during scanning). Surface treatment was more important than solution concentration for micelle formation on the silicon surfaces. The results could be correlated with the effect of inner capillary surface coating on the resolution of double-stranded DNA capillary electrophoresis by using E99P69E99/1X TBE buffer as the separation medium.
Shipboard acoustic doppler current profiler surveys to assess tidal current resources

A compelling aspect of power generation from tidal currents is the predictability of the resource, which is generated by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon on the earth's oceans. For technical feasibility studies, it is presupposed that once the currents at a site have been well characterized it is possible to make accurate predictions of the electricity that would be generated by an array of turbines. These data are generally collected by Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP), which use active acoustics to measure currents throughout the water column. Stationary ADCP deployments in Admiralty Inlet, WA, indicate operationally important variability over length scales less than 100 m and use of shipboard ADCP surveys aims to identify regions of peak currents without deploying a high resolution grid of stationary ADCPs. Shipboard surveys involve multiple laps during a tidal cycle around a short “racetrack”. Data are aggregated within bins such that multiple laps produce time series at 100 m spatial resolution along the track. The time series is then fitted with a half sine wave assuming that each tidal cycle can be represented as such due to the periodic nature of tidal currents. The amplitude and timing of the peak currents along the survey track are estimated from the fit. Multiple ebb current surveys indicate that relative amplitude trends are consistent between cycles of differing strength and time of the year. Therefore, by overlapping surveys, greater spatial coverage can be achieved from multiple cycles without changing the survey characteristics. Results obtained to date suggest a noise floor of approximately ±15 minutes for phase. This method could be applied to other tidal energy sites as a lower cost alternative to siting studies using arrays of stationary ADCPs.
William F. Whyte: An appreciation

William Foote Whyte is one of my heroes. He helped me understand the method of participant observation and how it could be so vital to the field of sociology. Bill's classic Street Corner Society set me thinking about how qualitative studies is a "grounding" for the social sciences. Sociology is rooted in the humanities, not simply in the physical sciences. Bill wrote a book that surpassed the power of statistical surveys to tell the truth about human nature. After reading Street Corner Society, I would speak to people who faced the loss of a friend or who had just lost their job. When trouble began to happen to them, I would recall Bill's insights about gang life. I would tell them how Bill saw a gang member's bowling scores go down when he was separated from his street gang. Could anyone know what happens to a person in a separation like this? Bill saw the connection between a personal loss and what it can do to members isolated from their gang, but the same principle applies to people in everyday life. Bill taught us about how case studies reveal universal features of social life. I began to consider the aftermath problems of separation in many other cases?a child isolated from its parents, a man and a woman in divorce, workers fired from their job, a loved one's death. When people at any age face a separation from the ones they love, the mind does not always notice the loss. People often overlook the hurt that goes with the separation. Forgetting the loss and the hurt, then, other things happen. Bill noticed a gang member's bowling scores go down when he was no longer a gang member. I noticed a student's school grades drop from A to C when his father died, and another who forgot an appointment after an argument with friends. I had been taught that you cannot generalize from case studies, but Bill's case began to open my eyes. I saw the generalizing potential in such case studies. Bill could see what was invisible to others and could tell us about it so well. That sort of personal insight into an individual's loss of contact and subsequent mal functioning would not be discovered in a statistical survey of city gangs. The in sights came from Bill's own participation in the gang and then through his own imaginative role-playing. After I finished Street Corner Society, I read Bill's study of restaurants in Chi cago. I believe this work had been the subject of his doctoral dissertation?at least
Seasonal Adjustment of Data for Econometric Analysis

Abstract An earlier paper [3] provides axioms for the seasonal adjustment of economic time series. Seasonally adjusted data should be minimum variance, unbiased, and linear in an appropriate sense. These axioms yield a unique method for seasonal adjustment. The seasonally adjusted data may be obtained by an application of ordinary least squares regression.1 The problem of seasonal adjustment of economic time series in [3] is not the same as the problem of seasonal adjustment of data for econometric analysis.2 The first problem is completely resolved by appeal to the axioms of minimum variance, unbiasedness, and linearity. The second problem requires formulation as a standard problem in econometrics: estimation of the parameters of a single equation in a system of simultaneous equations. Lovell [4] has proposed to solve the problem of seasonal adjustment of data for econometric analysis by applying ordinary least squares directly to a structural equation in a system of simultaneous equations. Ordinary leas...
Chloroplast DNA replication in vitro: site-specific initiation from preferred templates

Abstract An enzyme system prepared from maize chloroplasts catalyzes the synthesis of DNA from maize chloroplast DNA sequences cloned in bacterial plasmids. Cloned maize chloroplast DNA fragments Bam HI 17' (2470 bp) and Eco RI x (1368 bp) have been shown to be preferred templates for in vitro DNA synthesis catalyzed by pea chloroplast DNA polymerase preparations [Gold et al. (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84, 194-198]. Analysis of replicative intermediates indicates that although the template activity of the recombinant plasmid pZmcBam 17' is substantially greater than that of the pZmcEco x, replication in both cases originates from within a 455 bp region which overlaps the two plasmids. The remaining approximately 1500 basepair portion of maize chloroplast BamHI fragment 17' is not more active because it contains additional origins for replication. The overlapping region shows sequence homology with a portion of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplast chromosome that contains a replication origin. Replication is shown to proceed bidirectionally within the 455 bp origin region. Recombinant plasmid pZmc 427, which is also active in the in vitro DNA synthesis assay, promoted localized replication initiation within a 1 kbp Bg1II-Eco RI fragment of the chloroplast DNA insert, a region that includes the 3' terminal part of the psbA gene.
The Effect of Compaction Force and Type of Pregelatinized Starch on the Dissolution of Acetaminophen

AbstractThe influence of four pregelatinized starches—National® 1551, Lycatabps, Pregeflo®M, and Starch 1500®—as binders, on the dissolution of acetaminophen was evaluated in a model wet-granulated system. Systems containing 82% acetaminophen were prepared under the same processing conditions and compacted to three target tablet thicknesses. The dissolution performance was assessed using a point estimate of percent dissolved at 30 min (%T30) as well as dissolution eflciency through 30 min (DE30). All four binders evaluated meet USP requirements for purity. National 1551, Lycatab PGS, and Starch 1500 were not affected by compaction force in terms of dissolution performance. Differences were observed between the fully pregelatinized systems of National 1551 and Lycatab PGS, in comparison to the partially pregelatinized system, Starch 1500. The Pregeflo M starch produced a system with delayed drug dissolution and was influenced by compaction force.
Canada thistle ( Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.) dynamics in young, postfire forests in Yellowstone National Park, Northwestern Wyoming

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.) is an invasive, non-native plant in many terrestrial systems, often dominating plant communities, particularly in agricultural systems. Its invasion into forest systems is not well understood. Our objectives were to investigate the establishment, persistence, and abundance of C. arvense over a 7-year period following wildfire in a forest system, and to understand environmental factors related to variability in plant community composition. In 2006, we resurveyed 30 sites in young lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex. Loud. var. latifolia Engelm. ex Wats.) stands that burned during 1988 in Yellowstone National Park, and that had been previously sampled in 1999. C. arvense disappeared from six of nine sites where it was present in 1999, persisting in the remaining three sites; it also established at 4 new sites since 1999. Notably, the relative cover of C. arvense and other non-native plant species decreased during the 7-year period. Important ecosystem measures (plant species diversity and richness, aboveground net primary productivity, and leaf area index) were all higher in sites where C. arvense was present, and its abundance was higher on more fertile substrates and at lower elevations. Plant community composition was strongly influenced by gradients of soil texture and bare ground, rather than the presence or absence of non-native plant species. This project demonstrates the dynamic nature of an invasive species 18 years following a major disturbance, and suggests that intensive management of this species in forested systems is probably unnecessary.
Aberrant left pulmonary artery with tracheal stenosis without vascular sling.

We report a case of abnormal origin of the left pulmoanry artery from the right pulmonary artery, associated with tracheal stenosis but with no vascular sling. This is the first such case, to our knowledge, without vascular sling.
The Adsorption of Disperse Dyes in Admixture

The dyeing behaviour of binary mixtures selected from four disperse dyes of dissimilar structure has been examined and it has been shown that no interaction takes place. These mixtures, and also other non-interacting mixtures, yield normal melting point diagrams with a eutectic point, whereas mixtures of interacting dyes show no eutectic.
High pressure phases of III–V semiconductors: A microscopic theory

Abstract The static structural properties and the structural stability of III-V semiconductors are investigated as a function of pressure using the pseudopotential method. At high pressures we predict a metallic rocksalt phase as the most stable structure. This phase is more stable than the ordered β-Sn structure previously thought to be the most stable form.
The Logos of Heraclitus: Updating the Report

In 1952 there appeared a short article in Theological Studies entitled “Heraclitus' Alleged Logos Doctrine.” As one may guess from the title, the author, T. F. Glasson, reported to his largely theological audience that the conception of Heraclitus' Logos as a cosmicmetaphysical principle, far from being a possible source for the Logos of the Fourth Gospel, rests upon a gigantic mistake. The truth is, rather, that Glasson's report rests upon a gigantic mistake, as well as several lesser ones. At the very least it does not do justice to a quite different interpretation, an interpretation which, indeed, has become in the meantime the “accepted” one. Our task, also intended primarily for theologians and nonspecialists in pre-Socratic philosophy, is to provide a corrected and updated report, and to make a few observations of our own.
A density functional theory study of H2S decomposition on the (111) surfaces of model Pd-alloys

Abstract In this work, we report density functional theory calculations exploring H 2 S dissociation on the (1 1 1) surfaces of Pd, Cu, Ag, Au, and various bimetallic surfaces consisting of those metals. To understand the contributions of lattice strain and electronic ligand effects, the thermodynamics of each elementary dissociation step were explored on model bimetallic surfaces, including PdMPd sandwiches and Pd pseudomorphic overlayers, as well as strained Pd(1 1 1) surfaces and homogeneous Pd 3 M alloys. Sulfuric (H 2 S, SH, and S) adsorption energies were found to correlate very well with lattice constant, which can be explained by the strong correlation of the lattice constant with d-band center, Fermi energy, and density of states at the Fermi level for strained Pd(1 1 1) surfaces. Compressing the Pd lattice shifts the d-band center away from the Fermi level, lowers the Fermi energy, and reduces the density of d-states at the Fermi level. All three effects likely contribute to the destabilization of sulfuric adsorption on Pd alloys. Introducing ligand effects was found to alter the distribution of the d-states and shift the Fermi level, which eliminates the correlation of the d-band center with the density of states at the Fermi level and the Fermi energy. As a result, the d-band center by itself is a poor metric of the H 2 S reaction energetics for bimetallic surfaces. Furthermore, combining strain with ligand effects was found to lead to unpredictable alterations of the d-band. Therefore, adsorption of H 2 S, SH, and S on PdMPd surfaces do not accurately predict adsorption on Pd 3 M surfaces.
Resistive embedded heating for homogeneous curing of adhesively bonded joints

Abstract Adhesively bonded single-lap joints with laminated composite adherends were cured using heat generated by passing an electrical current through a carbon fiber fabric embedded in the bondline. Resistance heating using the embedded fabric resulted in a uniform temperature distribution in the bondline, as compared to temperature fields typically generated using more conventional surface heating methods such as heat blankets or heat lamps. Composite single-lap joint specimens were created using the proposed embedded heating approach, via an oven cure under a vacuum and through the use of an autoclave. The bond strengths of all specimens were measured and found to be comparable. The proposed embedded curing technique results in bond strengths that equal or exceed those achieved with conventional methods, and at potentially lower cost.
Employee wage growth within the firm: a deferred payment or human capital investment

An analysis of the relationship between seniority and wages within a large US manufacturing firm is presented. Firm specific information is used to infer the ability level of employees. Knowledge of employee ability is essential in devising tests of the ‘deferred payment scheme’ and ‘human capital’ models of wage growth. Hypotheses regarding the ways in which the returns to seniority are expected to vary across the firm hierarchy were constructed and empirically tested. The results appear to lend some support to the ‘deferred payment scheme’ model, and to be inconsistent with the predictions of the simple ‘human captial’ model.
Strontium ranelate improves implant osseointegration

Abstract Introduction Endosseous implantation is a frequent procedure in orthopaedics and dentistry, particularly in the aging population. The incidence of implant failure, however, is high in situations where the bone at the site of implantation is not of optimal quality and quantity. Alterations of bone turnover and changes in intrinsic bone tissue quality have potentially negative effects on optimal osseointegration. Strontium ranelate, which acts on both resorption and formation, and improves biomaterial properties, is hypothesized to improve osseointegration and this hypothesis was tested here. Materials and methods Titanium implants were inserted into the proximal tibias of thirty 6-month-old Sprague–Dawley female rats. During the 8 weeks following implantation, animals received orally strontium ranelate (SrRan) 5 days a week (625 mg/kg/day) or saline vehicle. Pull-out strength, μCT and nanoindentation were assessed on the implanted tibias. Results SrRan significantly increased pull-out strength compared to controls (+ 34%). This was associated with a significant improvement of bone microarchitecture around the implant (BV/TV + 36%; Tb.Th + 13%; Conn.D + 23%) with a more plate-shape structure and an increase in bone-to-implant contact (+ 19%). Finally, strontium ranelate had a significant beneficial effect on parameters of bone biomaterial properties at both cortical (modulus + 11.6%; hardness + 13%) and trabecular areas (modulus + 7%; hardness + 16.5%). Conclusions SrRan is an antiosteoporotic agent that increased mechanical fixation of the implant. The improvement of pull-out strength was associated with an improvement of implant osseointegration with both a positive effect on bone microarchitecture and on bone biomaterial properties in the vicinity of the implant. These current results may support potential benefits of strontium ranelate in orthopaedic and dental surgery to enhance osseointegration.
The effect of Hurricane Katrina on the prevalence of health impairments and disability among adults in New Orleans: Differences by age, race, and sex

We examined the effects of Hurricane Katrina on disability-related measures of health among adults from New Orleans, U.S.A., in the year after the hurricane, with a focus on differences by age, race, and sex. Our analysis used data from the American Community Survey to compare disability rates between the pre-Katrina population of New Orleans with the same population in the year after Katrina (individuals were interviewed for the study even if they relocated away from the city). The comparability between the pre- and post-Katrina samples was enhanced by using propensity weights. We found a significant decline in health for the adult population from New Orleans in the year after the hurricane, with the disability rate rising from 20.6% to 24.6%. This increase in disability reflected a large rise in mental impairments and, to a lesser extent, in physical impairments. These increases were, in turn, concentrated among young and middle-aged black females. Stress-related factors likely explain why young and middle-aged black women experienced worse health outcomes, including living in dwellings and communities that suffered the most damage from the hurricane, household breakup, adverse outcomes for their children, and higher susceptibility.
Renal norepinephrine overflow during graded renal nerve stimulation before and after beta-adrenoceptor blockade.

These experiments were designed to determine if renal venous norepinephrine (NE) overflow provides a valid index of renal sympathetic nerve activity. In addition, we evaluated the effect of beta-adrenoceptor blockade on renal NE overflow during graded renal nerve stimulation in order to examine the possibility that presynaptic beta-adrenoceptors facilitate neuronal release of NE in the kidney. In 6 pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs, the renal nerves were transected to remove tonic nerve activity and the distal ends were electrically stimulated (8–25 V, 0.5 ms) over the range of 0.3–5.0 Hz for consecutive 4-min periods. NE overflow rate was calculated as the product of the veno-arterial NE concentration difference and renal plasma flow. Control values for NE overflow (−8.7 ± 1.8 ng/min) demonstrated net clearance of NE from the renal circulation. NE overflow rate rose to −3.1 ± 2.2, 1.0 ± 4.0, and 33.2 ± 15.4 ng/min at 0.3, 0.6, and 1.2 Hz stimulation, respectively, with no accompanying change in renal blood flow. At 2.4 and 5.0 Hz, renal blood flow decreased by 21 ± 4% and 37 ± 3%, but there was no further increase in NE overflow rate (38.8 ± 9.4 and 27.8 ± 6.5 ng/min). Propranolol (0.5–1.0 mg · kg−1 plus 0.4–0.5 mg · kg−1 · h−1 i.v., n = 4) did not alter the effect of nerve stimulation on either NE overflow or renal blood flow. Thus we were unable to demonstrate the presence of functional renal presynaptic beta-adrenoceptors. Further, our data indicate that renal norepinephrine overflow rate is not always a reliable index of renal nerve activity, since NE overflow was not proportional to renal nerve stimulation rate at frequencies high enough to cause vasoconstriction.
Pulmonary function of guinea pigs exposed to freshly generated ultrafine zinc oxide with and without spike concentrations.

Exposure of guinea pigs 3 hr/day for 5 consecutive days to freshly formed ultrafine zinc oxide (ZnO) (count median diameter: 0.05 µm; geometric standard deviation: 2.0) at a concentration of 7 mg/m3 produced a gradual decrease in total lung capacity and vital capacity over the course of the exposure period. The carbon monoxide (CO) diffusing capacity (DLco) was not affected until the fourth day, when it dropped abruptly to 30% below control levels. Wet-lung weight/body weight ratios and wet-lung/dry-lung weight ratios increased, indicating the presence of edema. Exposures to 2.7 mg/m3 ZnO, using the same 3 hr/day, 5 day time frame, did not alter any parameters measured. In 2 experiments a single high peak of ZnO (25–34 mg/m3) occurred. In one experiment exposure was stopped, but pulmonary function measurements were made as scheduled; in the other case, exposures to ZnO were continued. In both, lung volumes were decreased abruptly and to a greater extent than when peaks were absent. Continued exposure caus...
The Xfeb gene is directly upregulated by Zic1 during early neural development

The transcription factor Zic1 plays important roles in patterning the neural plate in early vertebrate development. However, few genes that are regulated by Zic1 are known. We have identified a new direct downstream target gene of Zic1 that we have named Xfeb. Xfeb is a member of the pathogenesis-related (PR) protein superfamily and contains five tandem SCP domains. The sequence of Xfeb suggests that it may possess serine protease activity. Xfeb is expressed in the presumptive hindbrain region during neurula stages and in somite tissues later in development. Xfeb represses the hindbrain gene hoxB1 and the anterior neural gene otx2, suggesting that Xfeb is involved in regionalizing the neural plate, possibly by ensuring a posterior expression limit for otx2. Developmental Dynamics 235:2817–2827, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Evidence for direct action of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on thymic epithelium.

Abstract 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD) acts on selected targets within the immune system to produce a characteristic profile of pathologic responses typified by thymic atrophy, suppressed cellular immunity, and inhibition of antibody production to T-lymphocyte-dependent antigens. Studies in inbred mice differing in sensitivity to TCDD indicate that TCDD-induced thymic atrophy is mediated by a receptor protein (designated the Ah receptor). To study the cellular and molecular basis for TCDD-induced thymic atrophy, primary cultures of thymic epithelial (TE) cells were established from C57BL 6 mice, a strain sensitive to TCDD. Treatment of TE monolayers with TCDD (0.1 to 10 n m ) resulted in the altered maturation of cocultured syngeneic thymocytes as judged by suppression (40% of control at 10 n m TCDD) of TE-dependent responsiveness of thymocytes to the mitogens concanavalin A and phytohemagglutinin. TE-conditioned medium enhanced the mitogen responsiveness of thymocytes three- to four-fold; however, the enhanced mitogen response mediated by the TE-conditioned medium was not suppressed in thymocytes incubated in medium collected from TCDD-treated cultures or in TE-conditioned medium to which TCDD (10 n m ) had been added directly. The suppression of TE-dependent maturation of thymocytes was concentration dependent (EC 50 ∼ 1 n m ) and stereospecific, suggesting involvement of the Ah receptor. The Ah receptor in cytosol fractions from cultured TE cells was measured directly and was found to be present at a concentration 3 and 3.5 times greater than that measured in whole thymus and thymocytes, respectively. The results of this study indicate that TCDD can act directly on epithelial target cells in the thymus: one consequence of this action appears to be the altered thymus-dependent maturation of T-lymphocyte precursors, mediated through direct cell-cell contact between thymocytes and TE cells.