cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary inflammation and crystalline silica in respirable coal mine dust: dose-response.

This study describes the quantitative relationships between early pulmonary responses and the estimated lungburden or cumulative exposure of respirable-quartz or coal mine dust. Data from a previous bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) study in coal miners (n = 20) and nonminers (n = 16) were used including cell counts of alveolar macrophages AMs) and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), and the antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels. Miners’ individual working lifetime particulate exposures were estimated from work histories and mine air sampling data, and quartz lung-burdens were estimated using a lung dosimetry model. Results show that quartz, as either cumulative exposure or estimated lung-burden, was a highly statistically significant predictor of PMN response (P 0.4). This study demonstrates dose-response relationships between respirable crystalline silica in coal mine dust and pulmonary inflammation, antioxidant production, and radiographic small opacities.
Mitotic mapping of Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Genetic mapping by means of mitotic haploidization (induced by parafluoropkenylalanine) and mitotic crossing-over was carried out with the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Thirty-two different genetic markers were involved in this investigation; some meiotic linkage relationships had been previously reported (Leupold, Megnet) for 16 of these loci. Mitotic haploidization experiments resulted in the genetic identification of six chromosomes in the haploid complement.Furthermore, in an attempt to study the mechanism of action of parafluorophenylalanine (pFPA) on mitotic haploidization, pedigree analyses were performed by micromanipulation of diploid cells growing in the presence of pFPA. Haploid cells were detected after 40 hours of contact with the analogue and many lethal pedigree branches were observed. These observations seem to agree with Kafer's (1961) and Lhoa's (1968) suggestion that mitotic haploidization in Fungi is achieved by progressive loss of chromosomes throughout cell divisions.
Reversible ischemia model

Abstract A simple, successful method for producing complete but reversible cerebral as well as total body ischemia is presented.
Procedural Applications of Bedside Emergency Ultrasound

Bedside emergency ultrasound (EUS) has been used for decades by emergency physicians and has recently begun to gain widespread acceptance in the pediatric emergency medicine arena. The use of bedside EUS for procedural assistance is a rapidly growing trend in pediatric emergency care. Its use for procedural purposes is aimed at not only improving the success rates of the procedure itself but also reducing complications and, thus, maximizing patient safety. The need to limit these unfavorable consequences resulting from necessary procedures is a powerful force, driving placement of EUS in the pediatric emergency department. Researchers continue to identify new applications for this exciting technology as practitioners are gaining expertise with proper training and education. As the range of procedural applications expands, the pediatric emergency care practitioner will need to become familiar with this evolving technology.
Starch and water-soluble polysaccharides from sugary endosperm of sorghum

Abstract The starch water-soluble polysaccharides from sugary ( su ) endosperm of sorghum were isolated and characterized. Starch granule structure and co
The effect of sedimentation on the primary production of benthic microflora

During February 1978, 20 cm of rain over a seven day period caused an enormous deposition of fine-grained sediments in the eastern arm of Mugu Lagoon, California. For February–July 1978, this deposition decreased the net primary production of the benthic community by an estimated 6.5 fold. The persistence of the fine-grained sediment over much of the lagoon will continue to render these areas lower in exportable organic carbon.
Methods for the Evaluation of Fracture and Strength of Pipeline Steels and Structures Under the Action of Working Media. Part 2. Influence of Hydrogen-Containing Media

We generalize contemporary methods used for the evaluation of the strength and fracture hazard of elements of pipeline structures by using the approaches of fracture mechanics of materials with regard for the specific features of the influence of hydrogen-containing media. We develop the methods and determine the characteristic values of hydrogen concentration in the metal depending on the applied stresses and physicochemical conditions of hydrogenation. On this basis, new methods are proposed for the evaluation of the strength of pipeline steels under the action of working hydrogen-containing media.
Mechanisms of Withdrawal-Associated Increases in Heroin Self-Administration: Pharmacologic Modulation of Heroin vs Food Choice in Heroin-Dependent Rhesus Monkeys

Opioid withdrawal can produce a constellation of physiological and behavioral signs, including an increase in opioid self-administration. Different mechanisms mediate different withdrawal signs, and the present study used pharmacologic tools to assess mechanisms underlying withdrawal-associated increases in opioid reinforcement. Five rhesus monkeys were rendered heroin dependent via daily 21-h heroin self-administration sessions. One hour after each heroin self-administration session, monkeys chose between heroin (0-0.1 mg/kg per injection) and food (1 g pellets) during 2-h choice sessions. Under these conditions, heroin maintained a dose-dependent increase in heroin choice, such that monkeys responded primarily for food when low heroin doses were available (0-0.01 mg/kg per injection) and primarily for heroin when higher heroin doses were available (0.032-0.1 mg/kg per injection). Periods of spontaneous withdrawal were intermittently introduced by omitting one 21-h heroin self-administration session, and test drugs were administered during these withdrawal periods. Untreated withdrawal robustly increased heroin choice during choice sessions. Withdrawal-associated increases in heroin choice were completely suppressed by the mu opioid agonist morphine (0.032-0.32 mg/kg/h, i.v.), but not by the alpha-2 noradrenergic agonist clonidine (0.01-0.1 mg/kg/h, i.v.), the dopamine/norepinephrine releaser amphetamine (0.032-0.1 mg/kg/h, i.v.), or the kappa-opioid antagonist 5'-guanidinonaltrindole (1.0 mg/kg, i.m.). The corticotropin-releasing factor 1 antagonist antalarmin (1.0-10 mg/kg per day, i.m.) produced a morphine-like suppression of withdrawal-associated increases in heroin choice in one of three monkeys. These results suggest that mechanisms of withdrawal-associated increases in the relative reinforcing efficacy of opioid agonists may be different from mechanisms of many other somatic, mood-related, and motivational signs of opioid withdrawal.
Soil testing: Past, present and future

Abstract Soil testing is viewed as the application of Soil Science Research. Thus, the history of soil testing is interwoven with the growth and development of soil science. Soil testing as a recognized sub‐unit of soil science emerged in the early 1940's with agriculture's transition from subsistence to production farming systems. Soil testing today enjoys popularity in direct relation to the research data base and the extent to which the crop production limiting soil factors are manageable and ameliorating materials are available at a reasonable cost.
Organization and expression of a tRNA gene cluster in Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondrial DNA.

We have studied the organization and expression of a group of tRNA genes located on a 2,700 base pair portion of the yeast mitochondrial genome between the genetic markers cap (chloramphenicol resistance) and oxil (cytochrome oxidase subunit II). This region is spanned by mitochondrial DNA inserts of two recombinant plasmids, pYm162 and pYm267, which have been extensively mapped and sequenced. This tRNA group is composed of six tRNA genes, coding for tRNA AAR Lys , tRNA AGR Arg , tRNA GGN Gly , tRNA GAY Asp , tRNA AGY Ser , and tRNA CGN Arg . We report the sequence for the majority of the 2,700 base pair region including the genes for all six tRNAs. All six genes are oriented in the same direction and are, therefore, transcribed from the same DNA strand. Further, a comparison of the organization of this region with the analogous region of a related wild type strain shows that the tRNA gene order in the two strains is the same. Five of the six tRNA genes have corresponding transcripts in wild type RNA. Although a potential structural gene for tRNA CGN Arg is present, we do not detect a tRNA CGN Arg gene transcript.
Medicare coverage for oncology services.

Medicare's mission is to assure health care security for our beneficiaries. Title XVIII of the Social Security Act (the Act) provides the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) with the authority to fulfill this mission. Although Medicare is considered a defined benefit program, the Act vested Medicare with the discretionary authority to make specific policy decisions when necessary. HCFA's discretionary authority, which is found at §1862(a)(1)(A) of the Act, enables HCFA to provide coverage for services that are reasonable and necessary for the treatment and diagnosis of illness or injury or to improve the functioning of a malformed body member. To determine whether a service is reasonable and necessary, HCFA relies on authoritative evidence. This evidence includes, but is not limited to, approvals from appropriate federal agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration, and systematic evaluations of scientific literature via technology assessments. HCFA also may decide that a service warrants a unique type of coverage policy, which is referred to as coverage with conditions. This form of coverage is a middle ground between strict noncoverage and general coverage for a medical service that appears promising, but still is evolving. All these policy specifications effect Medicare coverage of oncology services. This means that reasonable and necessary diagnostic and therapeutic cancer-related services that are not otherwise prohibited by Medicare's statute, regulations, and manual instructions are covered and paid for by the program. Prior to the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA '97), Medicare provided coverage for some beneficiaries to undergo mammography and Papanicolaou smear screening. As a result of BBA '97, Congress has mandated expanding coverage for these services as well as adding coverage for pelvic examinations, prostate cancer screening, colorectal screening, and antiemetic drugs used as part of an anticancer chemotherapy regimen. Other specific coverage policies that relate to cancer treatment include coverage for Group C cancer drugs and off-labeled use of some drugs. HCFA is committed to providing its beneficiaries with quality health care services and will continue to monitor the progress of oncology services with an eye to establishing national policies for those services that demonstrate through authoritative evidence that they are reasonable and necessary. Cancer 1998;82:1991-4. © 1998 American Cancer Society.
The International Prognostic Index predicts outcome after histological transformation of low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Histological transformation of low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) to diffuse large cell NHL is well recognized and is associated with a poor prognosis. We sought to determine the overall outcome and the factors that affect survival in patients with histological transformation of low-grade NHL. Between November 1979 and September 2000, 93 patients who developed transformed lymphoma were identified. The median time to transformation was 4.2 years from the original diagnosis. The median age at transformation was 63 years. Seventy-eight percent had stage III or IV disease. Fifty-seven percent had extranodal involvement, including bone marrow; 33% had an elevated lactate dehydrogenase. The International Prognostic Index (IPI) at transformation was termed the transformation IPI (tIPI); 29% had a tIPI of 0 – 1, 59% had a tIPI of 2 – 3 and 8% had a tIPI of 4 – 5. At a median follow-up of 15 months from histological transformation, 20 of 93 patients (22%) were alive. The median survival from transformation was 1...
Imaging clinically localized prostate cancer

For men residing within the United States, prostate cancer is second only to lung cancer in cancer mortality and second in incidence to nonmelanomatous skin cancers. The introduction in the 1980s of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as a part of cancer screening protocols increased detection of clinically significant (and insignificant) prostate cancer, which has led to earlier identification of prostate cancer, at more treatable stages [1]. Given the substantial stage migration that has occurred, prostate cancer is rarely a systemically detectable disease at presentation. Therefore, clinicians have gone from using imaging-based staging to using clinical variables in combination (ie, serum PSA, T stage, Gleason score, and extent of disease on biopsy) as a more efficient means of assessing the likely extent of disease and the best initial treatment. Thus, there is significant controversy with regard to the optimal treatment of prostate cancer and the role of imaging in staging prostate cancer. This article explores the current literature with regard to the accuracy and utility of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS), modifications of TRUS, MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), radiolabeled antibody imaging (ProstaScint) (Cytogen, Princeton, NJ), and CT in staging clinically localized prostate cancer.
Method for Assessing the Effect of Design Parameters on Controllability

The interaction between design and control can offer significant opportunities for dynamic performance improvement if one is willing to consider building and operating a chemical process at other than the steady-state economic optimum. This paper describes a method that a process designer could use to identify design and control parameters that could be used to improve the controllability of a process. The method relies upon designed experimentation in two separate steps. The first step uses steady-state information as a screening tool to filter the important factors from the many possible design factors. The second step uses dynamic simulation and provides more details about how the design and control decisions affect the ultimate dynamic performance in the presence of disturbances and production rate changes. The capital and operating costs of the various designs are calculated to indicate the economic penalty for designing and operating at other than the steady-state optimum. Three examples are provided to illustrate the method and to develop several design heuristics.
Inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysms: a case-control study.

Abstract Purpose: This study was designed to identify significant differences in the clinical and radiologic characteristics and outcome between patients with inflammatory and noninflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Methods: We reviewed 29 consecutive patients who underwent repair of an inflammatory AAA between 1985 and 1994. This group was matched in a case-control fashion by date of surgery and by the performing surgeon to a group of 58 patients who underwent repair of noninflammatory AAAs. Results: The two groups had comparable characteristics of age, gender, and cardiovascular risk factors. Patients with inflammatory AAAs were significantly more symptomatic than those with noninflammatory AAAs (93% vs 9%, p = 0.007), and tended to be current smokers (45% vs 24%, p = 0.049). Thi most significant laboratory difference was an elevated sedimentation rate in patients with inflammatory AAAs (mean, 53 mm/hr vs 12 mm/hr, p p p p = 0.04). Five-year survival rates, however, were similar for the two groups (79% for inflammatory and 83% for noninflammatory AAAs). On follow-up computed tomographic scans, the retroperitoneal inflammatory process resolved completely in 53% of the patients, but 47% of patients had persistent inflammation that involved the ureters in 32% and resulted in long-term solitary or bilateral renal atrophy in 47%. Conclusions: This case-control study provides preliminary evidence that inflammatory AAAs may have a relatively strong familial connection and that current smoking may play an important role in the inflammatory response. The study also documents that persistent retroperitoneal inflammation may be more prevalent than has been previously reported, and stresses the need for an improved understanding of the pathogenesis and long-term management of inflammatory AAAs. (J Vasc Surg 1996;23:860-9.)
An improved soil incubation apparatus 1

Abstract An improved version of a soil incubation apparatus which can be used in various aerobic and anaerobic soil incubation studies is described. This apparatus facilitates periodical sampling of gas as well as any gas absorbent without disturbing the gas‐tight atmosphere. Maintenance of any partial pressure of oxygen is possible in aerobic or partially aerobic incubation studies. Assemblage of this incubation set‐up is simple and does not require expensive equipment.
Biochemical and electron microscopic studies of the transcription of vaccinia DNA by RNA polymerase from Escherichia coli: localization and characterization of transcriptional complexes.

Abstract We used the prokaryotic Escherichia coli RNA polymerase to determine if vaccinia DNA might provide recognition sites for the bacterial enzyme binding and initiation. Electron microscopic studies of the interaction of E. coli RNA polymerase with vaccinia DNA and molecular hybridization analysis of the transcription products formed after 3 or 5 min of in vitro incubation showed that: (a) there were 30–40 sites on the template where the polymerase could bind and initiate cRNA synthesis; (b) the entire coding capacity of the genome was utilized for cRNA synthesis; (c), transcription was asymmetric; (d) cRNA molecules were similar in size to the transcripts synthesized by the vaccinia virus RNA polymerase in vitro and in vivo; (e) cRNA contains sequences in common with ‘pre-early’, ‘early’ and ‘late’ in vivo RNA; (f) ‘self-annealing’ of cRNA in the presence or absence of RNA synthesized in vitro by the virion associated RNA polymerase showed that less than 1% dsRNA product could be detected suggesting that initially the same strand(s) was copied by the viral and bacterial enzymes; (g) no differences in the frequency with which sequences represented in the Hind III fragments of vaccinia DNA were transcripted with time of in vitro incubation could be detected. These findings strongly suggest that the bacterial enzyme might recognize truly viral promotors. With extended in vitro incubations of the E. coli RNA polymerase with vaccinia DNA the control of transcription was found to diminish. This was correlated with an increase in the size of the transcripts and the synthesis of significant amounts of self-complementary RNA, indicating that symmetrical transcription was occurring. The dsRNA species recovered after self-annealing the cRNA from a 30 min in vitro reaction mixture were found to contain sequences which hybridized to some portion of all the Hind III restriction fragments of vaccinia DNA. The methods described here might be useful for the localization and characterization of promotor sequences in the genome of vaccinia virus, as well as for studies on sequence conservation between members of the Poxvirus genus.
Intercorrelations of maternal activities in the rat.

Abstract Intercorrelations of scores obtained during retrieving and nesting tests given to primiparous dams indicates that pup retrieving and care of retrieved pups in the nest site are relatively independent of one another and of nesting activities. These data suggest that the term maternal behaviour does not represent a unitary behavioural process and that use of one or two measures of maternal activity are insufficient for assessing the effects of experimental manipulations on the maternal behaviour in the rat.
The Roles of Engagement at The Ohio State University Libraries: Thoughts from an Early Adopter

Changes in information and technology continue to test how librarians interact with and support patrons. Now, engaged librarians have the opportunity to immerse themselves in their user’s workflows and become partners in the research enterprise. Engagement represents a model of librarianship in which librarians are challenged to move from the traditional collection-centered model to an engaged-focused one. It requires new roles and tasks, as well as a deeper understanding of the academic setting. This article discusses working in a large research institution and articulates the engagement model.
Low- and High-IQ Learning Disabled Children in the Mainstream.

Nine low-IQ (<80) and 12 high-IQ (100+) children who had been classified by the schools as learning disabled (LD) and who attended resource room programs were observed during their participation in regular classes. Data were collected on teacher's perceptions of the LD children, teacher's behavior toward the children, and on the children's academic achievement. Results indicated that teachers did not perceive the two groups of LD children differently but that the teachers behaved differently toward the two groups. Finally, the high-IQ children gained significantly more than the low-IQ children in reading achievement.
Chickens coming home to roost? New Labour at the eleventh hour

New Labour's current low standing in opinion polls is not to be explained solely by reference to deficiencies in Gordon Brown's leadership style, or by the visibility of party divisions. It is better understood as the consequence of weaknesses in the entire New Labour project, weaknesses thrown into sharp relief by the 2008–2009 financial crisis. The restoration of the Labour party's electoral fortunes requires that those weaknesses should be recognized and addressed.
A Simple Dosing System for Continuous Stream Dosing

Abstract A simple mechanical dosing apparatus to continuously dose streams with chemical solutions involves a modified Sutro weir and a simple lever-float system. This dosing device is easily constructed, inexpensive, and quite reliable under conditions of minor flow variation (a seasonal fluctuation of one order of magnitude or less). It maintained an average stream concentration variation of only ± 10 percent during a year of low level pesticide dosing.
Phonological and semantic representations of words, compartments of memory, and rehearsal

The effect of inhibiting rehearsal on Ss’ capacity to remember phonological and semantic representations was studied with bilingual and nonbilingual Ss in a semifree recall task. The procedure used to retard rehearsal caused an overall decrement in the capacity of bilingual and nonbilingual Ss to remember words in both Cantonese and English. Inhibiting rehearsal did not cause a relatively greater decrement in the nonbilinguals’ recall of foreign language words.
Determination of organic acids and sugars in guava (Psidium guajava L.) cultivars by high-performance liquid chromatography

The major organic acids and sugars in five Florida guava cultivars were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Glycolic, malic, ascorbic and citric acids were determined, citric being the major acid in all five cultivars. Ascorbic acid levels varied more than ten-fold (0.04–0.44%) among the cultivars. Trace amounts of fumaric acid were detected for the first time in guava fruit. In all cultivars, fructose was the major sugar; glucose and sucrose were also determined.
Lithium atom chemisorption on silicon clusters

Abstract Ab initio self consistent unrestricted Hartree-Fock (UHF) formalism has been applied to study the chemisorption of Li on a Si surface. The Si surface has been modelled by hydrogen-bonded Si clusters and the interactions of a Li atom with these clusters have been studied for the pedestal, valley bridge, bridge and cave approach positions. Complete geometry optimizations have been carried out and the effects of electron correlation have been investigated by invoking the concepts of a many body perturbation theory. Results have been compared with published data in the literature.
A nuclear quadrupole spin echo and double resonance study of DMn(CO)5

Abstract Zero field nuclear quadrupole spin echo signals have been observed for 55Mn in DMn(CO)5 in the temperature range 77–242°. The ν2 transition occurs at 13.767 or 13.683 MHz at 77°, depending on crystal form obtained. The quadrupole coupling constant e 2 Qq h and asymmetry parameter η at 77° are 45.66 MHz and 0.07, respectively. Using the spin echo double resonance (SEDOR) technique, the quadrupole coupling constant of 2D in DMn(CO)5 was determined to be 68.3 kHz, with η ∼ 0. Because the 55Mn2D spins exist in the lattice as isolated spin pairs, it is possible to determine the dipolar interaction between the two spins directly, and from this, to estimate the MnD distance. The value obtained from the 2D spectrum is 1.61 ± 0.01 A, in excellent agreement with the neutron diffraction result.
Comparison of tip-tilt controllers using the STRAP wavefront sensor in the W.M. Keck Observatory laser guide star adaptive optics system

ABSTRACT The W. M. Keck Observatory adaptive optics (AO) system uses the STRAP wavefront sensor to sense tip-tilt using a natural guidestar. The higher-order wavefront sensing can be done using light from either a laser guidestar (LGS) or a natural guidestar (NGS). The tip-tilt guidestar can be as bright as 10 th or as faint as 19 th magnitude. In both cases, as high a control bandwidth as possible is desired. Thus, it is of interest to determine the potential of various control algorithms over a wide range of signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). This paper compares two control algorithms using a set of tip-tilt data taken with the STRAP wavefront sensor (a set of four avalanche diodes arranged as a quad cell). The two algorithms are the standard integral control and a minimum variance (LQG) control designed using the power spectral density (PSD) of the data. The bandwidths of the integral control and the minimum variance control are adjusted to produce the least RMS residual wavefront error. The controllers are compared for SNRs representa tive of the expected range of guidestars.
Attentional guidance of the eyes by contextual information and abrupt onsets.

Contextual cuing is a memory-based phenomenon in which previously encountered global pattern information in a display can automatically guide attention to the location of a target (Chun& Jiang, 1998), leading to rapid and accurate responses. What is not clear is how contextual cuing works. By monitoring eye movements, we investigated the roles that recognition and guidance play in contextual cuing. Recognition does not appear to occur on every trial and sometimes does not have its effects until later in the search process. When recognition does occur, attention is guided straight to the target rather than in the general direction. In Experiment 2, we investigated the interaction between memorydriven search (contextual cuing) and stimulus-driven attentional capture by abrupt onsets. Contextual cuing was able to override capture by abrupt onsets. In contrast, onsets had almost no effect on the degree of contextual cuing. These data are discussed in terms of the role of top-down and bottom-up factors in the guidance of attention in visual search.
Organizational Variations In Vehicle Pursuits By Police: The Impact Of Policy On Practice*:

Research in the past decade has documented the number and patterns of vehicle pursuits by police officers. Drawing upon this research base, this paper shifts the focus away from pursuits as isolated individual events to study vehicle pursuits as departmental products occurring within organizational contexts (both physical and cultural). Positing that the structure and environment of police organizations constrain the activities of officers through the intervening effects of departmental policy, the paper examines the variations in vehicle pursuit policies across a sample of 51 Illinois police departments. The results indicate that organizational features are substantially related to departmental pursuit policies and to officer pursuit behaviors.
High-throughput proteomics: a flexible and efficient pipeline for protein production.

Many studies that aim to characterize the proteome require the production of pure protein in a high-throughput format. We have developed a system for high-throughput subcloning, protein expression ...
Interspecies Gene Transfer In Vivo Producing an Outbreak of Multiply Resistant Shigellosis

In 1983, a small outbreak of infections caused by a previously unrecognized multiply-drug-resistant Shigella flexneri 3a strain occurred on the Hopi Indian reservation. The index patient, a diabetic woman with recurrent Escherichia coli bacteriuria on prophylactic trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMZ) therapy, was hospitalized with concurrent E. coli urinary tract infection and shigellosis. Both E. coli isolated from her urine and S. flexneri isolated from her stool were resistant to ampicillin, carbenicillin, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole, tetracycline, and TMP/SMZ. Both isolates contained a 35-MDa plasmid transferrable to recipient E. coli, and transconjugates acquiring the plasmid from either donor strain also acquired resistance to the same agents. The number and size of fragments generated by plasmid digestion with DNA restriction endonuclease ClaI were similar. A review of clinical microbiology records showed that an E. coli strain isolated from the patient 3 w before the onset of shigellosis had identical antimicrobial resistance to the E. coli and Shigella isolated during the outbreak. These studies indicate that the index patient receiving prophylactic TMP/SMZ was the likely source of the R-plasmid for the outbreak strain of Shigella.
Brain stimulation-induced feeding alters regional opioid receptor binding in the rat: an in vivo autoradiographic study.

Abstract Although opioid antagonists block feeding behavior in a variety of animal models, the number and identify of CNS regions in which the inferred endogenous opioid activity mediates feeding have yet to be established. Furthermore, it is not yet clear whether the opioid activity that sustains feeding is a concomitant of the appetitive motivational state or the consummatory response. In an effort to address these issues, an in vivo autoradiographic method was used to visualize CNS regional changes in opioid release during appetitively motivating electrical stimulation in the lateral hypothalamus (ESLH) and during consummatory behavior elicited by such stimulation. Regional decreases in [3H]diprenorphine ([3H]Dpr) binding, suggesting increased release of an endogenous opioid peptide, were observed in the medial prefrontal cortex, medial septum, gustatory cortex, zona incerta, mediodorsal thalamus, and hippocampus of rats receiving ESLH. Decreased binding in the latter 4 structures did not appear when animals were allowed to eat during ESLH, suggesting that the inferred opioid release is associated with appetitive behaviors elicited by ESLH which are suppressed when food is available and consummatory behavior predominates. When animals were allowed to eat during ESLH, [3H]Dpr binding in anterior cingulate cortex decreased substantially, suggesting that feeding behavior specifically triggers opioid release in this region. ESLH and feeding were found to increase [3H]Dpr binding in a number of CNS regions. Alternative explanations for increased binding, including inhibition of tonic opioid release, changes in cerebral blood flow, and opioid receptor up-regulation are discussed.
Moisture diffusion in cementitious materials Adsorption isotherms

Abstract This article describes an improvement on a previous model proposed by Bažant and Najjar, in which moisture diffusivity and moisture capacity are treated as separate parameters. These parameters are evaluated from independent test results, and are shown to depend on the water:cement ratio, curing time, temperature, and cement type. The moisture capacity is obtained as the slope of the adsorption isotherm. A mathematical model is developed and is shown to predict experimental adsorption isotherms of Portland cement paste very well. In the present form, the model is not applicable to high temperatures.
Daily Behavior Report Cards An Investigation of the Consistency of On-Task Data Across Raters and Methods

In this study, the consistency of on-task data collected across raters using either a Daily Behavior Report Card (DBRC) or systematic direct observation was examined to begin to understand the deci...
Volunteering and Hypertension Risk in Later Life

Objective: This study examined the relationship between volunteer activity and hypertension, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, renal failure, and cognitive impairment. Method: Employing data from the Health and Retirement Study, we estimated regression models of hypertension status that include volunteer activity and psychosocial and health behavior risk factors for middle-aged and older persons. Results: Multivariate analyses showed volunteers had lower hypertension risk and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure than nonvolunteers and that a threshold effect was present, whereby a modest amount of volunteer time commitment (but not a high amount) was associated with lower risk of hypertension. We did neither find support that psychosocial and health behaviors mediated this relationship nor find support for a moderating effect of volunteering for the relationships among health behaviors and hypertension. Discussion: The results of this study indicate that research is needed to determine what...
Death-Ritual and Social Structure in Classical Antiquity

1. The anthropology of a dead world 2. 'Mos Romanus': cremation and inhumation in the Roman empire 3. 'Dem bones': skeletal remains 4. Taking it with you: grave-goods and Athenian democracy 5. Monuments to the dead: display and wealth in classical Greece 6. Famous last words: the inscribed tombstone 7. At the bottom of the graves: an example of analysis 8. Conclusion Bibliographical essay Bibliography Index.
Fault tolerance of the backpropagation neural network trained on noisy inputs

Preliminary results of a study to determine the effect of noisy training sets on fault tolerance are presented. Backpropagation was used to train three networks on 7*7 numeral patterns. One network was the control and used noiseless inputs and the other two used two different noisy cases. After learning was complete, the networks were tested for their fault tolerance to stuck-at-1 and stuck-at-0 element faults, as well as weight connection faults. The networks trained on noisy inputs had substantially better fault tolerance than the network trained on noiseless inputs. >
31P NMR characterization of graded traumatic brain injury in rats

Irreversible tissue injury following central nervous system trauma is believed to result from both mechanical disruption at the time of primary insult, and more delayed "autodestructive" processes. These delayed events are associated with various biochemical changes, including alterations in phosphate energy metabolism and intracellular pH. Using 31P NMR, we have monitored the changes in phosphorus energy metabolism and intracellular pH in a single hemisphere of the rat brain over an 8-h period following graded, traumatic, fluid percussion-induced brain injury. Following trauma the ratio of phosphocreatine to inorganic phosphate (PCr/Pi) declined in each injury group. This decline was transitory with low injury (1.0 +/- 0.5 atm), biphasic with moderate (2.1 +/- 0.4 atm) and high (3.9 +/- 0.9 atm) injury, and sustained following severe injury (5.9 +/- 0.7 atm). The initial PCr/Pi decline in the moderate and high injury groups was associated with intracellular acidosis; however, the second decline occurred in the absence of any pH changes. Alterations in ATP occurred only in severely injured animals and such changes were associated with marked acidosis and 100% mortality rate. After 4h, the posttraumatic PCr/Pi ratio correlated linearly with the severity of injury. We suggest that a reduced posttraumatic PCr/Pi ratio may be indicative of altered mitochondrial energy production and may predict a reduced capacity of the cell to recover from traumatic injury.
Packet error rates for DPSK and differentially encoded coherent BPSK

When a digital communication system transmits data in packet (block) form, straightforward techniques exist for computing the probability that at least one bit in the packet of N bits is in error. For differential phase-shift-keying (DPSK) or differentially encoded coherent biphase-shift-keying (DE-BPSK), the paired error tendency precludes the simpler computational approach used, for example for straight BPSK, if precise results are required. The exact expression for the probability of a packet error is derived for both DPSK and DE-BPSK. It is shown that ignoring the paired error tendency and using the simpler independent bit error assumption yields an upper bound which, for large packet sizes, is in error by no more than approximately 0.1 dB for DPSK and 0.2 dB for DE-BPSK. An excellent approximation is derived for both cases; that is useful for precise results. >
Estimation of decay rates of transient signals

The problem of estimating time constants of multiple exponentials in additive white Gaussian noise is investigated. It is shown that existing linear-production-based techniques, which perform very well for decay-rate estimation of signals with different frequencies, fail when applied to the case of decaying exponentials at a single frequency. An alternate, minimum weighted-norm method is proposed. It is shown that this new technique achieves acceptable estimates of time constants at a signal-to-noise ratio of 20 dB, a significant improvement over existing techniques. >
Experimental Investigation of Flow Boiling Performance of Open Microchannels With Uniform and Tapered Manifolds (OMM)

Boiling can provide orders of magnitude higher cooling performance than a traditional air cooled system especially related to electronics cooling application. It can dissipate large quantities of heat while maintaining a low surface temperature difference. Flow boiling with microchannels has shown a lot of potential due to its high surface area to volume ratio and latent heat removal. Flow instabilities and early critical heat flux have however prevented its successful implementation. A novel flow boiling design is experimentally investigated to overcome the above mentioned disadvantages while presenting a very low pressure drop. The design uses open microchannels with a tapered manifold (OMM) to provide stable and efficient operation. Distilled, degassed water at atmospheric pressure was used as the fluid medium. Effect of tapered block with varied dimension is investigated. Pressure drop data for uniform and tapered manifold for plain and microchannel chip are presented. A maximum heat flux of 281 W/cm 2
Longitudinal changes in allergen skin test reactivity in a community population sample.

A cohort of 1333 subjects, aged 3 years and older, was followed for a mean of 8.1 years to assess changes in allergen skin test reactivity. The overall prevalence of reactivity to the five antigen mixtures was 39.1% during the initial survey and 50.7% after the follow-up period. The greatest increase in prevalence occurred among children and teenagers (22.2% and 19.5%) with only minimal increases after the age of 65 years (6.0%). No difference in prevalence between male and female subjects was apparent, either initially or at the end of the follow-up period. In-migration to the Tucson area was a major factor in determining changes in reaction prevalence. Among subjects more than 35 years of age, recent in-migrants accounted for most of the increased prevalence. Comparisons of atopy among consistent smoking groups confirmed the previous observation that smokers are less atopic than either nonsmokers or exsmokers, probably because of a self-selection process. In contrast, exsmokers were generally the most atopic, both initially and at the end of the longitudinal observation period. The high overall prevalence of allergen reactivity in this population is believed to be due in large measure to high year-round concentrations of multiple aeroallergens in the Tucson environment
A Comparison of the Activity Reduction Occurring in Two Detergent‐Assisted Protein (Cellulase and Lysozyme) Foam Fractionation Processes

Abstract Foam fractionation has the potential to be an inexpensive alternative to current protein drug concentration or separation methods; however, it has a few drawbacks. One is the fact that not all proteins form a foam layer when aerated at low concentrations. The other is the possible protein denaturation caused during the foaming process. Adding a detergent to the nonfoaming protein solution causes it to foam when aerated. Here, cellulase and lysozyme are studied as model proteins in this process. By themselves, both cellulase and lysozyme solutions hardly form a foam layer when aerated at concentrations below 1000 mg/L (1000 ppm). The addition of 100 mg/L of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to a 200 mg/L cellulase solution increases the foam volume and makes it possible to almost quadruple (relative to the initial bulk concentration) the concentration of the resulting cellulase foam solution. The foaming, however, reduces the cellulase activity. Diluting the foam with β‐cyclodextrin regains so...
The noninvasive prediction of cardiac mortality in men and women with known or suspected coronary artery disease

Abstract PURPOSE: The association between myocardial perfusion imaging defects and cardiac mortality in women is undefined. We examined whether myocardial perfusion imaging predicted cardiac mortality in men and women and compared this with other variables influencing prognosis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Six academic institutions with high-volume nuclear cardiology laboratories consecutively studied 5,009 men aged 62 ± 12 years (mean ISD) and 3,402 women aged 66 ± 11 years with symptomatic known or suspected coronary artery disease undergoing exercise (n = 7,486) or pharmacologic stress (n = 925) myocardial perfusion imaging. A pretest clinical risk index was calculated from age, history of myocardial infarction, diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia. Myocardial perfusion images were analyzed for stress-induced defects or any defect in the territories of the three major coronary arteries. RESULTS: Stress-induced perfusion defects were seen in 39% of men and 25% of women ( P = 0.0001). Extensive stress-induced or fixed defects (>2 vascular territories) were less common in women than men (10% vs 19%, and 4% vs 18%, both P = 0.0001). During a mean of 2.4 ± 1.5 years of follow-up, 143 patients died of cardiac causes. The clinical risk index and number of territories with perfusion defects were associated with cardiac mortality in women and men. In women undergoing exercise myocardial perfusion imaging, the number of abnormal territories remained the strongest correlate of mortality after adjustment for exercise variables. CONCLUSIONS: The results of myocardial perfusion imaging are important, independent predictors of survival in both women and men.
Music and Cultural Rights

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Andrew N. Weintraub and Bell Yung Year: 2009 Pages: 328 Publisher: University of Illinois Press ISBN: 978-0-252-03473-2 (hard cover). Prices: $70.00 USD(hard cover).
HOT-WIRE MEASUREMENTS OF INSTABILITY WAVES ON A BLUNT CONE AT MACH-6

Hot wire calibrations were completed in the supersonic jet facility at Purdue University. This jet consists of a Mach-4 nozzle and allows for a continuous run time. The hot wires were calibrated under conditions similar to those seen in the Mach-6 facility at Purdue University. These hot wires were then used in the Mach-6 tunnel to study the amplitude and growth of instability waves on 7-deg half-angle sharp and blunt cones.
A Study of Blood Coagulation Following an Acute Stroke

A battery of blood coagulation tests were performed on 14 acute stroke patients. Various abnormalities were found, notably elevation of blood fibrinogen, factor VIII, prothrombin, platelet factor 3, and a shortened P.T.T. The significance of these findings is discussed and they are considered to be of no importance since similar changes were noted in the blood of healthy subjects of the same age range.
Understanding and preventing the edge effect.

Edge stenosis, combining neointimal proliferation and negative remodeling, remains a serious limitation of vascular brachytherapy. This review comprehensively presents terminology, definitions, mechanisms, and treatment strategies to better understand the complexities of edge narrowing. The major contributors to this phenomenon are known; understanding the practical solutions will enable us to further minimize the problem of the edge effect. (J Interven Cardiol 2003;16:1–7)
Extreme electronics for in situ robotic/sensing systems

NASA's desire to study and characterize the solar system and small bodies like comets and asteroids will be done by in situ robotic systems in the near term. Work has already begun on the design of Mars and Europa mole penetrators, ultrasonic coring systems for Venus, and corers for comet nucleus sampling. Along with these in situ sampling systems come miniature science instruments that allow samples to be imaged microscopically, or sensor suites that break down and examine the chemical composition and DNA of samples. Both sample acquisition and instruments will be exposed to extreme radiation, temperatures, corrosion, or pressures. This paper describes these intended extreme mission environments, and discusses technologies being developed to enable systems to operate in extreme conditions.
Fully-automated multi-objective optimization for fitting a neuronal model with real morphology.

Morphologically realistic models have successfully been used to elucidate many complex mechanisms in neuronal dendrites. However, the tuning of such models to match experimental data remains challenging. Here we introduce a fully automated parameter optimization methodology that uses the Python programming language to control the NEURON simulator in parallel on a high performance computing cluster. Using targeted experimental protocols, including sub- and supra-threshold somatic as well as dendritic voltage recordings, we constrain a model hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cell built with a complete reconstructed morphology. The optimization is performed using the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II), and model fitness is evaluated by directly comparing the simulated and recorded voltage traces. In order to impose minimal a priori assumptions, we use a multi-objective framework, which tunes all of the free parameters with respect to all of the experimental objectives simultaneously. Furthermore, the multi-objective approach avoids the pitfalls of overfitting, because the algorithm produces a diverse family of solutions on the so-called Pareto-optimal front. To facilitate model selection, we have developed a clickable interface for visually browsing the set of optimal solutions, which permits the explicit and rapid identification of trade-offs among the fitting objectives and the biophysical parameters that govern variability in the solution set. Figure 1 Clickable interface for browsing the Pareto front of solutions produced by our multiobjective optimization platform. Top row: Scatterplot of error scores across a 6-dimensional error space. The abscissa and ordinal represent errors in the objectives shown ...