cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The lipid content of epididymal spermatozoa of Rattus norvegicus

1. 1. Seven major lipids of rat spermatozoa from the caput, corpus and cauda epididymidis were separated and quantitated by TLC. 2. 2. Spermatozoa from the caput epididymidis had a significantly greater (P < 0.05) content of phospholipid, cholesterol, cholesterol ester and free fatty acid than those from the cauda epididymidis. 3. 3. Spermatozoa from the corpus epidiymidis had a significantly greater (P < 0.05) content of monoglyceride than those from the caput epididymidis and a greater content of phospholipid, cholesterol, free fatty acids and monoglyceride than those from the cauda epididymidis.
Mixed initial-boundary value problems for second order hyperbolic equations

On considere l'equation A(x,D)u=f dans un cylindre Ω=(−∞,+∞)×G, ou x=(x 0 ,x 1 ,...,x n ), x 0 ∈(−∞,+∞), (x 1 ,...,x n )∈G, D=[i∂/∂x 0 ,...,i∂/∂x n ], G est un domaine de R n a frontiere lisse compacte ∂G, x 0 est la variable de temps, f=0 pour x 0 <0, x∈Ω
Afterloading high dose rate intracavitary vaginal cylinder

Abstract Purpose: To design an afterloading vaginal cylinder application appropriate to treat the vault with high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy after prior total abdominal hysterectomy. Methods and Materials: A vaginal cylinder was designed and built using nylon and source loading channels positioned for source movement for HDR vault and vaginal brachytherapy. The channels are positioned to treat a broader isodose surface and to avoid the "end" effects of linear source brachytherapy. The central channel allows an applicator tube to be advanced beyond the end of the cylinder to treat a "tented" vault or a cervical stump (or uterus). Additional peripheral sources can be added to allow vaginal wall plaque therapy. Results: The application allows vault, vault plus proximal vagina, or vault plus entire vagina therapy using HDR. The isodose surface treated is controlled by source positioning and dwell times. Conclusion: The HDR cylinder has wide potential usability for uterus or cervix therapy as both low stage and operable endometrial carcinomas are now usually treated by surgery.
IsoformResolver: A peptide-centric algorithm for protein inference.

When analyzing proteins in complex samples using tandem mass spectrometry of peptides generated by proteolysis, the inference of proteins can be ambiguous, even with well-validated peptides. Unresolved questions include whether to show all possible proteins vs a minimal list, what to do when proteins are inferred ambiguously, and how to quantify peptides that bridge multiple proteins, each with distinguishing evidence. Here we describe IsoformResolver, a peptide-centric protein inference algorithm that clusters proteins in two ways, one based on peptides experimentally identified from MS/MS spectra, and the other based on peptides derived from an in silico digest of the protein database. MS/MS-derived protein groups report minimal list proteins in the context of all possible proteins, without redundantly listing peptides. In silico-derived protein groups pull together functionally related proteins, providing stable identifiers. The peptide-centric grouping strategy used by IsoformResolver allows proteins ...
Overlook: Exploring the Internal Fringes of America with the Center of Land Use Interpretation

Starting with the cover, Overlook: Exploring the Internal Fringes of America with the Center for Land Use Interpretation is an enigmatic work. A standard tour bus, with a guide visibly lecturing wi...
Evaluation of an Isolated Droplet Sample Introduction System for Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

An isolated droplet generator (IDG) has been used as a novel solution sample introduction system for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The IDG converts liquid samples to equally-spaced, uniformsized droplets. The droplets are introduced into the region where a high-powered Nd:YAG laser beam is focused. The resulting analyte emission is spectrally and temporally resolved. The dependence of analyte emission intensity on several parameters (droplet radius, droplet production frequency, etc.) is examined. A flow injection analysis (FIA) manifold has been used to introduce samples to the IDG for quantitative analysis. Performance characteristics of the FIA/IDG/LIBS method are given. Calibration curves linear over 3 orders of magnitude have been obtained for several elements. Detection limits for solutions with the FIA/IDG/LIBS system are in the low ppm range.
FENTANYL STIMULATES ATRIAL NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE SECRETION

Abstract The effects of fentanyl on ultrastructure, protein biosynthesis, and trial natriuretic peptide (ANP) secretion were studied in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (CM). Ventricles from 2-day-old American Wistar rats were digested with 1% collagenase in perfusion buffer. Eight hundred thousand to 1.0 million cells /ml were incubated in tissue culture media, to which fentanyl citrate (Sublimaze®) was added in a dose of 10-50 ng/ml. Fentanyl increased the spontaneous CM beating rate, which became rather fibrillary in nature. Protein biosynthesis also increased in a time-related manner. Simultaneous incubation with naloxone (10-6 M) did not alter the beating rate or protein synthesis. Ultrastructurally, several criteria of myocyte growth were observed: an increase in myofilaments and the appearance of newly formed organized sarcomeres, which were preceded by an increase in the ribosomes and cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum, and the appearance of large, adult-type mitochondria with increased matrix granules and long parallel cristae. The latter replaced the elongated thin fetal mitochondria. This was associated with a network of developing sarcoplasmic reticulum and T-tubular system as well as the formation of intercalated discs between the CM. Furthermore, exposure to fentanyl increased ANP immunoreactivity in the culture media while simultaneous incubation with naloxone blocked the effect of fentanyl on ANP secretion. On the other hand, naloxone alone did not alter ANP secretion. Therefore, it could be concluded that fentanyl stimulated protein biosynthesis and ANP secretion as evidenced both biochemically and ultrastructurally. Although the molecular mechanism of ANP secretion by fentanyl is still unclear, yet an opioid receptor mediation could be possible as ANP secretion was blocked by an opioid receptor antagonist (naloxone).
The synthesis of a precursor of polybenzimidazole (PBI) and blends with polyamic acid (PAA)

The precursor of polybenzimidazole (PBI), poly(3,3′-diamino-4,4′-benzidine isophthalamide) (PDABI), was synthesized from poly(3,3′-dinitro-4,4′-benzidine isophthalamide) (PDNBI) by reduction. With increasing temperature, the NH2 moiety which was protected by SnCl5−1 could cyclize and form PBI. Blends with polyamic acid (LaRC-TPI) were prepared. Clear blend films were prepared at up to 400°C. The IR spectra displayed shifts in the NH stretching band, thereby providing evidence for specific interactions related to the miscibility of their cured blends. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Neuroinflammatory responses to traumatic brain injury: etiology, clinical consequences, and therapeutic opportunities.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem accounting for 1.4 million emergency room visits by US citizens each year. Although TBI has been traditionally considered an acute injury, chronic symptoms reminiscent of neurodegenerative disorders have now been recognized. These progressive neurodegenerative-like symptoms manifest as impaired motor and cognitive skills, as well as stress, anxiety, and mood affective behavioral alterations. TBI, characterized by external bumps or blows to the head exceeding the brain’s protective capacity, causes physical damage to the central nervous system with accompanying neurological dysfunctions. The primary impact results in direct neural cell loss predominantly exhibiting necrotic death, which is then followed by a wave of secondary injury cascades including excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, blood–brain barrier disruption, and inflammation. All these processes exacerbate the damage, worsen the clinical outcomes, and persist as an evolving pathological hallmark of what we now describe as chronic TBI. Neuroinflammation in the acute stage of TBI mobilizes immune cells, astrocytes, cytokines, and chemokines toward the site of injury to mount an antiinflammatory response against brain damage; however, in the chronic stage, excess activation of these inflammatory elements contributes to an “inflamed” brain microenvironment that principally contributes to secondary cell death in TBI. Modulating these inflammatory cells by changing their phenotype from proinflammatory to antiinflammatory would likely promote therapeutic effects on TBI. Because neuroinflammation occurs at acute and chronic stages after the primary insult in TBI, a treatment targeting neuroinflammation may have a wider therapeutic window for TBI. To this end, a better understanding of TBI etiology and clinical manifestations, especially the pathological presentation of chronic TBI with neuroinflammation as a major component, will advance our knowledge on inflammation-based disease mechanisms and treatments.
Molecular control using dc electric fields: quenching of the tunneling in HF dimer

Abstract High resolution, optothermal infrared spectra have been obtained for the HF dimer in a uniform dc electric field, varying in strength from 0–150 kV/cm. These fields not only serve to orient the molecules in the space fixed frame, but also to quench the tunneling motion that is normally characteristic of the HF dimer. This is attributed to the fact that the electric field makes the double well tunneling problem asymmetric in the limit that the molecules are well oriented. A simple 1-D model is used to qualitatively explain the results.
Female steroid hormones use signal transducers and activators of transcription protein-mediated pathways to modulate the expression of T-bet in epithelial cells: a mechanism for local immune regulation in the human reproductive tract.

The transcription factor T-bet promotes the differentiation of inflammatory Th1 T helper cells. T-bet expression in lymphoid cells is regulated by cytoplasmic signaling through Janus kinase phosphorylation, nuclear signaling using signal transducers and activators of transcription (Stat) family proteins, and autocrine/paracrine feedback involving interferon (IFN)-γ. T-bet is here shown to be present in epithelial cells of the human female reproductive tract. Regulation of T-bet expression was modulated by cytokines and the female reproductive steroids, estrogen, and progesterone. The mechanisms of T-bet regulation in epithelia differ from those in conventional immune cells. During a 15-d exposure to progesterone, T-bet levels in endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) undulated. Prior exposure to estrogen enhanced these effects. More prolonged exposure of EECs to these hormones, singly or in combination, suppressed T-bet production. Stat1 and Stat5 bound to the EEC T-bet regulatory region (TRR) at the IFN-γ-a...
Histomorphometric comparison of cardiac allograft vasculopathy in miniature swine

Abstract Background: Whether the pathologic characteristics of vascular lesions manifested in recipients with cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) differ with the severity of the histocompatibility barrier crossed at transplantation or with the type or amount of immunosuppression used to prolong graft survival is unclear. We used miniature swine to determine whether a wide variance in heart transplantation protocols, both in histoincompatibility and immunosuppression, affects the histomorphometry of CAV. Methods: We compared explanted hearts from major histocompatibility complex Class I-disparate recipients who were treated for 12 days with cyclosporine (Group 1) with minor-antigen-disparate hearts transplanted into mixed chimeric recipients previously engrafted with donor hematopoietic progenitor cells (Group 2). We analyzed coronary intimal lesions using computerized morphometry, immunohistochemistry, and TUNEL assay. Myocardial cytokine-gene expression was determined using RNAse protection assays and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Results: The prevalence of CAV in Group 2 was significantly less than that observed in Group 1, but the severity of the lesions in both groups was similar. The vascular lesions that developed in both groups demonstrated the presence of α-smooth-muscle-actin-positive spindle cells expanding the intima, with few inflammatory cells. We noted an absence of proliferating cell nuclear antigen activity and TUNEL-positive cells in both groups. We observed prominent myocardial interferon-γ gene expression only in Group 1. Conclusion: Despite differences in myocardial interferon-γ gene expression, the histology and severity of the vascular lesions in CAV did not vary significantly with different histoincompatibilities or treatment protocols. These results suggest that the origin of CAV cannot be determined by histology alone.
A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials: Web-Based Interventions for Smoking Cessation Among Adolescents, College Students, and Adults

Introduction: Web-based treatments can deliver broad reaching, relatively inexpensive, and clinically tested methods for smoking cessation. We performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of smoking cessation to evaluate the efficacy of Web-based interventions in adults, college students, and adolescents.Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched from January 1, 1990 through February 12, 2010 for RCTs examining the efficacy of Web-based smoking cessation programs. Paired reviewers abstracted data on study design, patient characteristics, and outcomes sequentially and did quality assessments independently.Results: Twenty-one RCTs met eligibility criteria, with 15 conducted among adults. Among adults, 2 RCTs found that a multicomponent intervention with Web and non-Web–based elements was more efficacious than a self-help manual, and one of 2 RCTs found that Web-based interventions may be more effective than no treatment. Three trials provided insufficient evidence to demonstrate whether Web-based interventions were more efficacious than counseling. By contrast, tailored Web sites in 2 RCTs and greater Web site exposure in 6 of 7 RCTs were associated with higher rates of abstinence. Among college students, evidence supporting use of Web-based interventions was insufficient because the one RCT conducted was also a multicomponent intervention. Five RCTs among adolescents demonstrated mixed results, with insufficient evidence supporting their efficacy.Conclusions: Evidence supporting the use of Web-based interventions for smoking cessation is insufficient to moderate in adults and insufficient in college students and adolescents. These RCTs have, however, elucidated clinical, methodological, and statistical practices that are likely to improve future trial design and treatment delivery.
Does the method of cystometry affect the incidence of involuntary detrusor contractions? A prospective randomized urodynamic study.

The International Continence Society (ICS) defines overactive detrusor as “one that is shown objectively to contract during the filling phase while the patient is attempting to inhibit micturition.” The aim of the present study was to assess whether instructing the patient neither to try void nor to inhibit micturition during filling cystometry may improve the detection rate of involuntary detrusor contractions (IDCs). Forty-two consecutive patients (mean age 65 ± 13.5 years), referred for urodynamic evaluation of persistent irritative lower urinary tract symptoms were prospectively enrolled. All patients were presumed, by history, to have IDCs. Cystometry was performed twice at the same session, each time by using randomly different instructions: Method 1, patients were instructed to try to inhibit micturition during bladder filling; and Method 2, patients were instructed to neither try to void nor try to inhibit micturition, but simply report his or her sensations to the examiner. The occurrence, as well as the urodynamic characteristics of IDCs, were analyzed separately and compared between the two filling methods. Method 1 identified only 20 cases of IDCs, while Method 2 identified 27 cases (48 versus 64 % of the study population, respectively; P = 0.02). Analysis of urodynamic characteristics revealed a clear trend of reduced bladder volume at which IDCs occurred when patients were instructed to neither try to void nor to inhibit micturition during bladder filling; however, statistical significance was not established (189 ± 122 versus 240 ± 149 mL, respectively; P = 0.13). All other urodynamic characteristics of IDCs were similar in both methods. In conclusion, better detection rates of IDCs were achieved by instructing the patient to neither try to void nor try to inhibit micturition, but simply report his or her sensations to the examiner, during filling cystometry. If the patient is instructed to inhibit micturition during bladder filling—about 26 % of the IDC cases are misdiagnosed. Neurourol. Urodynam. 20:141–145, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Multi-GPU Implementation of a 3D Finite Difference Time Domain Earthquake Code on Heterogeneous Supercomputers

Abstract We have developed a highly scalable 3D Finite Difference GPU code for use in earthquake engineering and disaster management through regional petascale earthquake simulations. This MPI-CUDA code is based on a widely-used wave propagation code called AWP-ODC and restructured for high throughput and efficiency on a heterogeneous computing architecture. We present an effective communication reduction technique for leveraging GPUs with minimal PCI-e overhead, and a novel overlapping method to fully hide data communication latency between GPUs. The optimization concept used in this work can be extended to general stencil computing on a structured grid. The benchmarks demonstrated sustained 100 TFlops in single precision for 49 billion mesh points using 952 GPUs on the NCCS Titan Phase 5 system, which is a 77-fold speedup compared to the CPU version of the code. This multi-GPU implementation has been validated and used for a large-scale verification wave propagation simulation of Mw5.4 Chino Hills earthquake using 128 GPUs.
The dark energy of proteins comes to light: conformational entropy and its role in protein function revealed by NMR relaxation

Historically it has been virtually impossible to experimentally determine the contribution of residual protein entropy to fundamental protein activities such as the binding of ligands. Recent progress has illuminated the possibility of employing NMR relaxation methods to quantitatively determine the role of changes in conformational entropy in molecular recognition by proteins. The method rests on using fast internal protein dynamics as a proxy. Initial results reveal a large and variable role for conformational entropy in the binding of ligands by proteins. Such a role for conformational entropy in molecular recognition has significant implications for enzymology, signal transduction, allosteric regulation and the development of protein-directed pharmaceuticals.
Effects Of Chemicals In Thermal Effluent On Homarus americanus Maintained In Aquaculture Systems1

Effects of chemicals in thermal effluent on American lobsters (Homarus americanus) maintained in aquaculture systems were evaluated. Atomic absorption analysis of intake and effluent water samples from three fossil-fuel generating stations in southern California indicated that chemical additions did not affect concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, Co, Cr, Pb, and As in the thermal effluent. Concentrations of these metals in the intake and effluent water at the San Diego Gas & Electric Company's Encina Power Plant were not significantly different than their concentrations in seawater from the Scripps Institution, and were well within the reported ranges for levels of those metals in normal seawater. The amounts of heavy metal chelating agents in Encina effluent were significantly greater than in Encina intake and Scripps seawater. No significant differences were observed in mean concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Cr, and Co in larval, juvenile and adult lobsters maintained in three water types (Encina effluent, Encina intake and Scripps). Lobsters maintained in Scripps seawater were dissected and metal levels in the gills, hepatopancreas, tail muscles, claw muscles, digestive tract, and exoskeleton were analyzed by atomic absorption. The highest concentrations of Cu, Zn, Co and Cr were found in the gills, while Cd was found in equally high concentrations in the gills and hepatopancreas. The lowest concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Cr were found in the exoskeleton, while Pb and Co were found in the lowest concentrations in the tail muscle. Regressions of metal levels in tissues of lobsters on carapace length indicated that Hamericanus does not accumulate metals in the tissues, but rather regulates the levels. The 24, 48, 72, and 96 hour median lethal limits for Cu++, Zn++, Cr6+, Co+++, Cd++, Pb++, Cl−, and acids were established for lobster larvae held in static systems. Median effective times also were determined. Median lethal limits for these eight chemicals were all far above levels of the chemicals encountered in the generating station effluents. In most cases they were at least an order of magnitude higher. Longterm bioassays in static systems indicated that growth and survival of larval and juvenile lobsters were similar in Encina effleunt, Encina intake, and Scripps seawater at constant temperature. All of these studies indicate that the thermal effluent from typical generating stations in southern California provides an essentially pollution-free heated water source for the culture of H. americanus.
Regioselective Rh-Catalyzed Allylic Amination/Ring-Closing Metathesis Approach to Monocyclic Azacycles: Diastereospecific Construction of 2,5-Disubstituted Pyrrolines

Regioselective rhodium-catalyzed allylic amination followed by ring-closing metathesis, using the Grubbs' catalyst, provides an expeditious route to monosubstituted azacycles. The enantiomerically ...
Detenerse En la pausa, abrir la escritura: experiencia y tiempos desarticulados en la novela de Diego Meret

Este trabajo examina las diferentes posibilidades que plantea la idea de la pausa en la primera novela de Diego Meret, En la pausa (2009). Ya sea como una etapa historica, como una condicion fisiologica o como la escritura misma, la pausa se presenta aqui como aquello que permite proponer una reflexion sobre la recuperacion de la experiencia y la irrupcion de tiempos desarticulados que quiebran las expectativas o las linealidades argumentales o historicas. Propongo, entonces, la pausa como una estrategia narrativa que expone el caracter letargico de los anos neoliberales del gobierno de Carlos Menem en Argentina y la imposibilidad de recobrar la experiencia durante ese periodo. Al mismo tiempo, la pausa se convierte en si misma en narracion, totalmente abierta a la incertidumbre. Palabras claves Diego Meret, experiencia, Menem/menemismo, tiempo desarticulado ( out of joint ), neoliberalismo This article considers the different possibilities represented by the idea of pause in Diego Meret’s first novel, En la pausa (2009). Whether as a historical period, a physiological condition, or as writing itself, pause is here presented as that opens a space for reflection on the recovery of experience and the emergence of disjointed temporalities that break with the expectation of chronological storytelling and historical linearity. I suggest that we understand pause as a narrative device that highlights the social and political lethargy that marked the neoliberal years of the Carlos Menem government in Argentina and the impossibility of recovering experience during that period. At the same time, pause itself becomes narration, completely open to uncertainty. Keywords Diego Meret, experience, Menem/menemismo, time out-of-joint, neoliberalism
Time-dependent effects of chloroquine on pH of hepatocyte lysosomes

In vivo administration of chloroquine to rats caused an increase in the pH of hepatocyte lysosomes within 1 hr after administration with a return to baseline pH values by 3 hr; continued administration of chloroquine for up to 12 days was unaccompanied by any further changes in hepatocyte lysosomal pH. We interpret these data as evidence against a major role for an increase in the pH of hepatocyte lysosomes in CAC-induced phospholipidosis.
Interaction of oligomycin with the pathway of mitochondrial energy transfer

Abstract In bovine heart submitochondrial particles, energy-linked reactions driven by coupling to aerobic oxidation, are stimulated by the antibiotic oligomycin. Hill plots of the stimulation show two distinct slopes, indicating that oligomycin interferes with two steps in the energy conservation process. ATP-driven energy-linked reactions are stimulated at low concentrations of oligomycin and inhibited at high concentrations. The Hill plots for the stimulation as well as the inhibition show only one slope. The addition of energy coupling factors does not alter the slope of the Hill plots. In intact mitochondria, the inhibition of ATP-P i exchange and active oxidation by oligomycin yield single-slope Hill plots, while the inhibition of dinitrophenol-stimulated ATPase yields a Hill plot with two distinct slopes. The results of Hill analysis are interpreted on the basis of the mechanism of oligomycin action proposed by Lee and Ernster.
Dermal exposure to m-xylene leads to increasing oxidative species and low molecular weight DNA levels in rat skin.

Dermal absorption of organic solvents, such as m-xylene, can lead to skin inflammation and pathological changes within hours after exposure. This study detected oxidative species formation and low molecular weight (LMW) DNA in rat skin as potential indicators of m-xylene-induced skin injury. At 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6 h after the beginning of a 1-h exposure, skin samples were removed and analyzed for oxidative species formation and LMW DNA analysis. At 2 h, mean oxidative species levels increased significantly (P < 0.05) above unexposed samples. Significantly higher (P < 0.05) LMW DNA values were observed at 2, 4, and 6 h compared to unexposed controls. These results show that oxidative species formation and LMW DNA levels in the skin may serve as indicators for predicting safe exposure levels to m-xylene and other volatile organic solvents.
Predicting outcome after liver transplantation: utility of the model for end-stage liver disease and a newly derived discrimination function.

Background The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) has been found to accurately predict pretransplant mortality and is a valuable system for ranking patients in greatest need of liver transplantation. It is unknown whether a higher MELD score also predicts decreased posttransplant survival. Methods. We examined a cohort of patients from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database for whom the critical pretransplant recipient values needed to calculate the MELD score were available (international normalized ratio of prothrombin time, total bilirubin, and creatinine). In these 2,565 patients, we analyzed whether the MELD score predicted graft and patient survival and length of posttransplant hospitalization. Results. In contrast with its ability to predict survival in patients with chronic liver disease awaiting liver transplant, the MELD score was found to be poor at predicting posttransplant outcome except for patients with the highest 20% of MELD scores. We developed a model with four variables not included in MELD that had greater ability to predict 3-month posttransplant patient survival, with a c-statistic of 0.65, compared with 0.54 for the pretransplant MELD score. These pretransplant variables were recipient age, mechanical ventilation, dialysis, and retransplantation. Recipients with any two of the three latter variables showed a markedly diminished posttransplant survival rate. Conclusions. The MELD score is a relatively poor predictor of posttransplant outcome. In contrast, a model based on four pretransplant variables (recipient age, mechanical ventilation, dialysis, and retransplantation) had a better ability to predict outcome. Our results support the use of MELD for liver allocation and indicate that statistical modeling, such as reported in this article, can be used to identify futile cases in which expected outcome is too poor to justify transplantation.
Analysis of dienestrol and its dosage forms by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis is described for dienestrol as a drug substance and in cream, foam, and tablet dosage forms. After incorporation of the drug or dosage form into a solvent mixture containing an internal standard, biphenyl, an aliquot was chromatographed using a reversed-phase medium, followed by UV spectrophotometric detection at 254 nm. The response of the chromatographic system was linear over a concentration range corresponding to 50–200% of the labeled amount of dienestrol. Satisfactory accuracy and precision were confirmed by analyzing cream by the standard addition method. The advantages of the HPLC method are its simplicity, speed, and sensitivity, which permit direct analysis of single-dose quantities of dienestrol.
Kinin-generating and esterolytic activity of purified human urinary kallikrein (urokallikrein)

Abstract Urinary kallikrein (urokallikrein), as defined by its capacity to generate kinin from heat-inactivated plasma or from purified human kininogen, was isolated from fresh concentrated male human urine and shown to be an antigenically unique urinary p -tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester HCl (TAMe) esterase. The isolation procedure achieved a 400- to 576-fold purification of the kinin-generating activity/mg of protein and yielded a product with albumin as the only significant contaminant at the isoelectric focusing step. The purified urokallikrein, defined by its kinin-generating activity, exhibited an isoelectric point with a range from pH 3.9 to 4.2 with charge heterogeneity, an apparent molecular weight of 25,000–40,000 on Sephadex gel filtration, and an anodal mobility on alkaline disc gels. Urokallikrein eluted from disc gels and identified by kinin-generating activity elicited monospecific antiserum in the rabbit. That purified urokallikrein is a TAMe esterase was evident from the concordance of kinin-generating activity, antigenic reactivity with a donkey antipancreas serum shown to recognize urokallikrein and esterolytic capacity as assessed after isoelectric focusing. There was suppression of the esterolytic activity of purified urokallikrein by increasing doses of TAMe or benzoyl-L-arginine methyl ester HCl (BAMe), and analysis of these data with Dixon plots indicated substrate inhibition.
Ultrafast optical waveforms.

Mise en forme d'une impulsion femtoseconde par un systeme: reseau de diffraction, lentilles, et masque. Emploi de cristaux liquide pour la realisation du masque (modulateur spatial)
Biochemical and histological effects of exendin-4 (exenatide) on the rat pancreas.

Exendin-4 is a 39 amino acid agonist of the glucagon-like peptide receptor and has been approved for treatment of type 2 diabetes. Many reports describe an increased incidence of acute pancreatitis in humans treated with exendin-4 (exenatide). Previous studies have evaluated the effect of exendin-4 on beta cells and beta cell function. We evaluated the histological and biochemical effects of exendin-4 on the pancreas in rats. We studied 20 Sprague–Dawley male rats, ten of which were treated with exendin-4 and ten of which were used as controls. The study period was 75 days. Serum and pancreatic tissue were removed for biochemical and histological study. Blood glucose, amylase, lipase, insulin and adipocytokines were compared between the two groups. Animals treated with exendin-4 had more pancreatic acinar inflammation, more pyknotic nuclei and weighed significantly less than control rats. They also had higher serum lipase than control animals. Exendin-4 treatment was associated with lower insulin and leptin levels as well as lower HOMA values than in the untreated control group. Although the use of exendin-4 in rats is associated with decreased weight gain, lower insulin resistance and lower leptin levels than in control animals, extended use of exendin-4 in rats leads to pancreatic acinar inflammation and pyknosis. This raises important concerns about the likelihood of inducing acute pancreatitis in humans receiving incretin mimetic therapy.
The federal government role in marine hard minerals mining

The Federal Government's involvement in marine hard minerals began with the Truman Proclamation on the Continental Shelf in 1945. In the 30 years since then, government involvement in marine hard minerals mining has been sporadic and controversial. In the last decade, increasing interest by industry has focused attention on the government roles to the point where they may now be better defined. Two separate areas of involvement include the Outer Continental Shelf and the Seabed Beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction. The major role is seen for the Department of Interior as resource manager (USGS, BLM, Bureau of Mines and MESA), with specialist roles for State in international aspects, Commerce in charting and mapping, environmental monitoring (NOAA), and certain fiscal responsibilities, and ancillary roles in coastal and near shore waters for the Environmental Protection Agency, the Army (Corps of Engineers), and Transportation (Coast Guard). The National Science Foundation (IDOE) has an important role in basic scientific research.
Tolmetin kinetics and synovial fluid prostaglandin E levels in rheumatoid arthritis

Tolmetin kinetics were determined in the plasma and synovial fluid of five rheumatoid arthritis patients after they had ingested tolmetin (400 mg every 6 hr) for 7 days. Tolmetin was rapidly absorbed, with average peak levels in plasma and synovial fluid occurring at 45 min and 2 hr. The drug concentration in synovial fluid was higher than that in plasma for prolonged periods, while the rates of elimination from both plasma and synovial fluid were similar. The average half-lifes of tolmetin in plasma and synovial fluid were 6.77 ± 1.47 hr and 6.90 ±2.3 hr. Total prostaglandin E levels in synovial fluid of these patients were suppressed for at least 24 hr after the last dose of tolmetin, suggesting that PGE synthesis continues to be suppressed even by the very low concentrations of tolmetin remaining after 24 hr. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1982) 32, 371–377; doi:10.1038/clpt.1982.174
The treatment of advanced hodgkin's disease.

Between January, 1975, and December, 1978, 118 patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease were treated with 8 months of alternating MOPP and adriamycin, belomycin, dacarbazine and vinblastine (ABDV) combined with 1 month of low-dose radiation therapy (2,000 rad) to areas initially involved with bulky disease. Among 57 evaluable previously-untreated patients, 50/57 (88%) achieved complete and 7/57 (12%) partial remissions. The estimated relapse rate among the complete responders was 16% at 36 months from date of remission. Toxicity was comparable to that of other combination chemotherapy regimens. These results are among the best reported for the treatment of patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease.
Analysis of switched and hybrid systems - beyond piecewise quadratic methods

This paper presents a method for stability analysis of switched and hybrid systems using polynomial and piecewise polynomial Lyapunov functions. Computation of such functions can be performed using convex optimization, based on the sum of squares decomposition of multivariate polynomials. The analysis yields several improvements over previous methods and opens up new possibilities, including the possibility of treating nonlinear vector fields and/or switching surfaces and parametric robustness analysis in a unified way.
DECISION‐MAKING IN THREE‐ VS. FOUR‐PERSON GROUPS

Summary A total of 519 managers were used as Ss to test the decisions of individuals as compared to three- and four-person discussion groups. The decision involved a promotion with job facts and individual capabilities supplied (behavior data, job descriptions, and brief interview transcripts). Ss were asked to try to reach one of three decisions: Encourage, Discourage, or Insufficient Information. The results show that (1) discussion makes for unanimous decisions with about equal frequency in three- and four-person groups (76.4% vs. 72.7%); (2) three-person groups are more likely to compromise on the Insufficient Information decision than four-person groups (55.1% vs. 30.3%); and (3) both the high quality and low quality decisions increase as the compromise alternative declines.
Genetic testing for colon cancer susceptibility: Anticipated reactions of patients and challenges to providers

The commercial availability of genetic tests for colon cancer susceptibility is creating new opportunities and challenges for both patients and providers. To provide information useful in the education and counseling of individuals considering genetic testing, we conducted structured interviews with 45 male and female first-degree relatives of colorectal cancer patients. Fifty-one percent of respondents indicated that they definitely would want to obtain a genetic test for colon cancer susceptibility when it is available and 31% said that they probably would want to be tested. Interest in genetic testing was significantly higher among persons with less formal education and those with a Catholic religious preference. Motivations for genetic testing included the following : to know if more screening tests are needed, to learn if one's children are at risk and to be reassured. Barriers to testing included concerns about insurance, test accuracy and how one's family would react emotionally. Most participants anticipated that they would become depressed and anxious if they tested positive for a mutation, while many would feel guilty and still worry if they tested negative. Of note, about one-half of respondents expected that they would decrease their use of screening tests and make fewer attempts to reduce dietary fat if they tested negative. These preliminary results underscore the importance of educating patients about the potential risks, benefits and limitations of genetic testing, with particular emphasis on the possibility of adverse psychological effects and implications for health insurance. The potential for false reassurance following a negative test result should be addressed by emphasizing the residual risks of cancer among non-carriers of predisposing mutations.
Short-term variability of Sgr A*

Observations of Sgr A* over the past 4 years with the Keck Telescope in the nearinfrared, coupled with millimeter and submillimeter observations, show that the 3.7 × 10M Galactic Black Hole, Sagittarius A*, displays continuous variability at all these wavelengths, with the variability power concentrated on characteristic time scales of a few hours, and with a variability fraction that increases with wavelength. We review the observations indicating that the few-hour time scale for variability is reproduced at all accessible wavelengths. Interpreted as a dynamical time, this time scale corresponds to a radial distance of 2 AU, or ∼25 Schwarzschild radii. Searches for quasi-periodicities in the near-infrared data from the Keck Telescope have so far been negative. One interpretation of the character of these variations is that they result from a recurring disk instability, rather than from variations in the mass accretion rate flowing through the outer boundary of the emission region. However, neither a variable accretion rate nor a mechanism associated with a jet can presently be ruled out.
Communication-Free Parallelization via Affine Transformations

The paper describes a parallelization algorithm for programs consisting of arbitrary nestings of loops and sequences of loops. The code produced by our algorithm yields all the degrees of communication-free parallelism that can be obtained via loop fission, fusion, interchange, reversal, skewing, scaling, reindexing and statement reordering. The algorithm first assigns the iterations of instructions in the program to processors via affine processor mappings, then generates the correct code by ensuring that the code executed by each processor is a subsequence of the original sequential execution sequence.
Baclofen intoxication in a dog successfully treated with hemodialysis and hemoperfusion coupled with intensive supportive care

Objective: To describe a case of confirmed baclofen intoxication in a dog that was successfully treated with hemodialysis and hemoperfusion (HD/HP) and to report the serum baclofen kinetics. Case summary: A 2.5-year-old, 23 kg, spayed female Brittany Spaniel-mix was treated after ingesting 21-52 mg/kg of baclofen. The dog was comatose and was receiving manual ventilation at the time of presentation. Extracorporeal HD/HP was started 10 hours after admission. Within 3 hours of starting HD/HP the dog began initiating breaths and was extubated 18 hours after admission. Serial serum samples that were obtained during the first 24 hours of hospitalization were later analyzed for baclofen concentrations. The dog had elevated creatine phosphokinase and liver enzymes that correlated with an agitated recovery period. The dog had thrombocytopenia that resolved by 10 days after presentation. New or unique information provided: HD/HP shortened the baclofen serum elimination half-life from 5 to 1.5 hours in the initial 2 hours of treatment. The intrinsic elimination rate constant (Kintr) for this dog was 0.138/hour and the total elimination rate constant (Ktot) during the first 2 hours of HD/HP treatment was 0.458/hour. In this dog, HD/HP was an effective method for rapidly decreasing serum baclofen concentration after an acute overdose.
Comparative Infectivity of Cronartium ribicola Aeciospores and Urediniospores in Genotypes of Ribes nigrum

Dalton, D. T., Postman, J. D., and Hummer, K. E. 2010. Comparative infectivity of Cronartium ribicola aeciospores and urediniospores in genotypes of Ribes nigrum. Plant Dis. 94:461-464. Hosts for the fungus Cronartium ribicola, causal agent of white pine blister rust (WPBR), include five-needle pines as aecial hosts, and currants and gooseberries as uredinial/telial hosts. Aeciospores produced on diseased pine, and urediniospores produced on diseased Ribes plants, can infect Ribes foliage. Resistance and susceptibility for both spore types have been reported for Ribes; however, the comparative infectivity of these spore types on clonal Ribes nigrum genotypes is under-described. Immunity, resistance, and susceptibility to WPBR resides at a clonal level in Ribes. Previous studies have emphasized fungal diversity or forestry considerations, rather than horticultural aspects. The objective of this study was to determine if aeciospores and urediniospores were equally infective to specific genotypes of black currant, Ribes nigrum, with differential responses. A family of 51 black currant genotypes from a cross between a known-immune cultivar containing the Cr gene and a susceptible cultivar was examined. Single-leaf softwood cuttings of each of these genotypes were artificially inoculated with a spore solution and incubated in airtight plastic containers within a growth chamber. Inoculations were replicated three times for each spore type. Twenty-two of the F1 genotypes did not develop uredia after artificial inoculation. These may be immune; 22 developed uredia after exposure to both types of inoculum, and were susceptible; whereas seven exhibited differential responses and may have some mechanism for resistance to WPBR other than the Cr gene. The infectivity of aeciospores and urediniospores was not significantly different on specific Ribes genotypes. Either spore type can therefore be considered equally effective as inoculum when screening for WPBR resistance or immunity in horticultural settings.
Argon in gas fields of northern West Siberia as an indicator of the time of their formation

Studies of the isotope composition of argon in samples from Cenomanian gas fields of West Siberia established that the gas entered pools of the Cenomanian producing horizon in the Paleocene-Oligocene period.
Multilevel selection analysis of a microbial social trait

The study of microbial communities often leads to arguments for the evolution of cooperation due to group benefits. However, multilevel selection models caution against the uncritical assumption that group benefits will lead to the evolution of cooperation. We analyze a microbial social trait to precisely define the conditions favoring cooperation. We combine the multilevel partition of the Price equation with a laboratory model system: swarming in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We parameterize a population dynamics model using competition experiments where we manipulate expression, and therefore the cost-to-benefit ratio of swarming cooperation. Our analysis shows that multilevel selection can favor costly swarming cooperation because it causes population expansion. However, due to high costs and diminishing returns constitutive cooperation can only be favored by natural selection when relatedness is high. Regulated expression of cooperative genes is a more robust strategy because it provides the benefits of swarming expansion without the high cost or the diminishing returns. Our analysis supports the key prediction that strong group selection does not necessarily mean that microbial cooperation will always emerge.
Sub-hydrostatic pore pressure in coalbed and sand aquifers of the Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana, and implications for disposal of coalbed-methane-produced water through injection

Coalbed methane (CBM) production in the Powder River Basin (PRB), Wyoming, is associated with the production of large volumes of water. Locally, water in coalbeds from the PRB has high saline and sodium contents, making it unsuitable for agricultural use and potentially environmentally damaging if discharged at the surface. One option for the disposal of CBM-produced water is injection into aquifers. For injection to be feasible, however, the porosity and permeability of the sands need to be high, the pore pressure ideally needs to be sub-hydrostatic, and the aquifer cannot be in hydraulic communication with coalbeds or aquifers used for irrigation use. In order to determine if pore pressures in the aquifers are low enough to allow for significant water injection (and to determine whether the coals and nearby sands are in hydraulic communication), we have compiled pore pressures in 250 wells that monitor water levels in coalbeds and adjacent sands within the PRB. All 250 wells have pore pressures below hydrostatic pressure, suggesting that injection of produced water should be feasible. Through the analysis of pore pressure changes with time for both the coals and their overlying/underlying sands, we find after 8 to 13 years of water-level monitoring that none of the sands more than 200 ft (61 m) vertically from producing coals appear to be in hydraulic communication with the coalbeds. Therefore, injection of CBM-produced water should be carried out in sands at least 200 ft (61 m) from adjacent coalbeds to be sure that the disposed water does not rapidly migrate back into the coalbeds. In addition, we constructed two 3D stochastic reservoir models of conceptualized sand units to determine the rates at which water can be injected into shallow (∼300 ft (91 m)) and deep (∼1000 ft (305 m)) sub-hydrostatic aquifers. We find that for shallow sands we can inject water at a rate of ∼160 bbl/day, whereas for deeper sands, whose pore pressures are lower than the shallower sands, the rate is ∼435 bbl/day. Both of these rates are higher than the average water production rate from CBM wells in the PRB of ∼100 bbl/day. This implies that for deep aquifer injection sites, it would take only one injection well to dispose of the water production from approximately four CBM wells.