cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inactivation of crotoxin by group-specific reagents.

Acetylation of most of the amino groups, or esterification of the carboxyl groups of crotoxin causes extensive detoxication. Sulfation of the aliphatic hydroxyl groups, or iodination of most of the phenolic groups, or coupling of these and imidazole groups of the rattlesnake neurotoxin also causes inactivation. Reaction with formaldehyde, particularly in alkaline solution, or in the presence of alanine in neutral or acid solution, causes complete inactivation. This is regarded as evidence for the essentiality of any or all of the following groups: indole, guanidyl and amide.
Immunohistochemical localization of transforming growth factor-β1 in Kaposi's sarcoma

Abstract Immunohistochemical localization of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) was studied in Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) tissues obtained from autopsy and biopsy materials of patients with and without acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. There was no difference in the localization and distribution of TGF-β1 in KS tissues regardless of the HIV-1 status of the patients. Rabbit polyclonal antibodies to synthetic peptides, corresponding to the first 30 amino acids of mature TGF-β1, anti-LC(1-30), and anti-CC(1-30), were used for localization of intracellular and extracellular TGF-β1. An antibody to a peptide corresponding to amino acids 266 to 278 of the TGF-β1 precursor sequence anti-Pre(266 to 278) was used to detect the TGF-β1 precursor and the latency-associated peptide. Intracellular mature TGF-β1 was demonstrated in mononuclear cells, presumably macrophages, within KS tumors but not in spindle-shaped KS cells. Extracellular mature TGF-β1 was localized in the basement membranes of blood vessels and fibrous capsules of KS tumors. Intracellular reactivity to anti-Pre was localized in vascular smooth muscle cells and pericytes within the tumor, in variable proportions of spindle-shaped KS cells, and also in macrophage-like cells. These cells appear to be the production sites of TGF-β1, which may exert paracrine as well as autocrine proliferative effects.
The diurnal flux in the dispersion of sewage plant odors

This study used a Gaussian plume dispersion model to analyze the diurnal flux in odors emanating from a sewage treatment facility in Lincoln, Nebraska. For each test day, eight sets of meteorological observations taken every 3 h were utilized in the computations. Input data included both January and July measurements to facilitate seasonal comparisons in the daily flux of odors. The odor problem appeared to be more severe in January when compared to July, and distinctive diurnal patterns were uncovered for both months. The implications of the results are discussed, and suggestions for further research are presented.
Thermal Decomposition of Energetic Materials. 40. Fast thermolysis patterns of Alkanediammonium dinitrate salts

Rapid-scan FTIR/temperature profiling studies of the fast thermal decomposition of alkanediammonium dinitrate salts [H3N(CH2)nNH3](NO3)2, n = 1–4 and 6, are described. All of the salts liberate HNO3 and NH3 early in the first stage. When n = 1–3, small molecule products from redox reactions occur in the second stage of decomposition. When n = 4, 6, the second stage involves cycloclimination to form pyrrolidine (n = 4) and α-ethlypyrrolidine (n = 6). The temperature of the onset of thermal decomposition is lower when n = 1 than when n is larger. Intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding are proposed to play a significant role in these decomposition patterns.
Sexual Health Curricula in U.S. Medical Schools: Current Educational Objectives

The authors identify the explicit and implicit objectives that shape decisions about what medical schools teach regarding human sexuality. The authors reviewed relevant articles in journals, physician licensing examinations, and publications by professional organizations to identify learning objectives for human sexuality in undergraduate medical curricula. There is consensus about many of the attitudinal objectives and some of the skills medical students should acquire in sexual health. There is less consensus on the sexuality-related information student physicians need to master. The few common informational objectives focus narrowly on diagnosing sexual dysfunction and disease. The model sexual health curricula, licensing exams, and guidelines from professional organizations mainly focus on the pathological aspects of sexuality. Student physicians should master fundamental information on healthy sexual function and become familiar with the roles of practitioners in various therapeutic disciplines in addressing sexual concerns and enhancing patients’ sexual functioning and well-being. Instruction should also address ways to incorporate this important topic in time-limited interactions with patients.
Did task type matter in the use of decision room GSS? A critical review and a meta-analysis

This research was undertaken to resolve inconsistent findings on the effectiveness of group support systems (GSS) by investigating the effect of task type, which is, arguably, the most important moderator variable. A qualitative review of the literature was conducted to identify task dimensions that may explain the impact of task type on the effectiveness of GSS. The relationship between task dimension and group outcome was examined. Hypotheses were then developed to predict the effectiveness of GSS in supporting the performance of various tasks. These hypotheses were statistically tested using data from 28 experimental studies in a meta-analysis. Results showed that the impact of task type was dependent on how GSS effectiveness was measured. Task type had a significant impact favoring generation tasks when GSS effectiveness was measured by improved communication, member satisfaction, and decision speed. GSS effectiveness as measured by improved decision quality and member participation was not a function of task type. The significant findings on the effect of task type point out the task dimensions that system designers should consider in order to increase the effectiveness of GSS. These findings also have implications for future GSS research in the control and measurement of the effect of task type and in the measurement of GSS effectiveness.
THE CHANGING CLASS COMPOSITION OF THE FEMALE LABOR FORCE IN LATIN AMERICA

The shift from an agrarian to an urban society in advanced capitalist as well as Third World countries has generally been accompanied by the decline in the family as a productive unit. Commercialized agriculture and mass production of goods and services reduced the role of the individual peasant or artisan family and moved production into the factory, office, or other centralized work places, with the bulk of the male population becoming wage earners and depending entirely on the sale of their labor for an income. In both developed and less developed societies, the rise of commodity production outside the home thus introduced an entirely new division of labor in the family as well as in the society at large. As wages became increasingly important as a principal source of income, male heads of households assumed primary responsibility for the family's support, while women and children became principally a reserve labor force, called upon only in times of need or for highly specialized tasks (see Saffioti, 1969). The family no longer functioned as an economic unit, and women were relegated to a subordinate status as housewives, dependent on a man's wages and, unless they worked, deprived of an independent earning capacity. This article is a preliminary attempt to examine the changes occurring in the pattern of female labor-force participation in Latin America as a result of the development of industrial capitalism and the decline of the family as a productive unit. Several studies now appearing on women in Third World countries demonstrate that the prevailing style of development, dependent on foreign capital and a relatively small modern sector, does not favor the incorporation of women, particularly from the proletarian class, into the labor force. Increases in female employment, as a result of development and modernization, have tended to benefit women from the upper and middle strata more than women of the rural or urban proletariat, who remain locked in marginal jobs with little opportunity for upward mobility.
Enzymatic interesterification of triolein and tristearin: Chemical structure and differential scanning calorimetric analysis of the products

The structural composition and thermal properties of the products of enzymatic interesterification of triolein and tristearin were investigated. The biocatalyst for the reaction was an immobilized Candida antarctica lipase, SP435. Enzyme load of 10% (w/w reactants) produced 72% of desired total products. Oleoyl-distearoyl triglycerides (SSO, OSS) had higher melting points than dioleoyl-stearoyl triglycerides (OOS, SOO) because the sample contained larger amounts of stearic acid than oleic acid residues. SOS and OSO were hardly produced (0.2 to 1.2%), which indicates that SP435 acted as a nonspecific lipase when catalyzing the interesterification of triolein and tristearin. The maximal yield of OSS and SSO (46.9%) was achieved with a 1.2 mole ratio of triolein to tristearin. As the proportion of tristearin was increased, the production of SOO and OOS decreased, the melting profile of the interesterified triglycerides shifted toward higher melting forms, and the solid fat content increased, indicating formation of hard fats.
Corneal myofibroblast viability: Opposing effects of IL-1 and TGF β1

The purpose of this study was to test the effect of corneal epithelial scrape on myofibroblasts associated with haze and elucidate the effect of interleukin-1 and transforming growth factor beta1 on corneal stromal myofibroblasts viability and death in vitro. Corneal epithelial scrape was performed in rabbit eyes with severe haze at one month after -9 diopter photorefractive keratectomy. Corneas were processed for immunocytochemistry for myofibroblast marker alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and the TUNEL assay to detect apoptosis. Rabbit corneal fibroblasts were cultured with 2 ng/ml of transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF beta1) to induce myofibroblast differentiation confirmed by monitoring alpha-SMA expression. Fluorescence-based TUNEL assay was performed to analyze the apoptotic response of myofibroblasts to IL-1alpha or IL-1beta, in the presence or absence of TGF beta1. Dose response experiments were performed after withdrawal of TGF beta1 and exposure to 1, 5, or 10 ng/ml of IL-1alpha or IL-1beta for 1 h. Subsequent experiments were performed with myofibroblasts exposed to 5 ng/ml of IL-1alpha or IL-1beta in conjunction with 0, 1, 5, or 10 ng/ml of TGF beta1. Corneal epithelial scrape with a scalpel blade produced myofibroblast apoptosis. Exposure to TGF beta1 in vitro resulted in greater than 99% transformation of corneal fibroblasts to alpha-SMA+ myofibroblasts. There was a statistically significant dose-dependent increase in the percentage of TUNEL+ cells with either IL-1alpha or IL-1beta initiated at concentrations as low as 1 ng/ml. For example, after withdrawal of TGF beta1, the % TUNEL+ cells at 1 h after exposure to IL-1alpha increased significantly with increasing concentration (0 ng/ml, 2.4 +/- 0.8% [S.E.M.]; 1 ng/ml, 15.4 +/- 1.8%; 5 ng/ml, 47.4 +/- 3.9%; or 10 ng/ml, 70.3 +/- 3.2%). Similar results were obtained with IL-1beta. The differences between the means of apoptotic myofibroblasts for the different concentrations of cytokine for either IL-1alpha or IL-1beta were significantly different (ANOVA, p < 0.001). When myofibroblasts were exposed to 5 ng/ml of IL-1alpha or IL-1beta, the % TUNEL+ cells at 1 h were reduced in a significant dose-dependent manner when TGF beta1 at a concentration of 5 ng/ml or 10 ng/ml was present in the medium (ANOVA p < 0.01). IL-1alpha or IL-1beta triggers the death of myofibroblasts in vitro and TGF beta1 reduces the IL-1 effect on cell death. TGF beta1 and IL-1 have opposing effects on myofibroblast viability and likely interact to modulate haze generation after corneal injury.
Interleukin-1β and interferon-γ regulate interleukin-6 production in cultured human intestinal epithelial cells

Recent studies suggest that interleukin-6 (IL-6) is produced in the intestinal mucosa during sepsis and endotoxemia and that the enterocyte may be a source of IL-6 in these conditions. The regulation of IL-6 production in the enterocyte is not fully understood. We tested the hypothesis that IL-6 production in the enterocyte is regulated by proinflammatory cytokines. This was done by treating cultured Caco-2 cells, a transformed human intestinal epithelial cell line, with different concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), IL-1 beta, IL-6 or interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). IL-6 production by the Caco-2 cells was determined by ELISA. The expression of IL-6 mRNA was determined by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. IL-6 was not produced in unstimulated Caco-2 cells. Treatment of the Caco-2 cells with IL-1 beta resulted in a dose- and time-dependent stimulation of IL-6 production with a maximal effect noted at an IL-1 beta concentration of .5 ng/mL at 24 h. IFN-gamma alone did not stimulate IL-6 production but potentiated the effect of IL-1 beta in a synergistic fashion. Treatment of the Caco-2 cells with IL-1 beta induced expression of IL-6 mRNA with a response noticed after 30 min. TNF-alpha and IL-6 did not influence the production of IL-6 in the Caco-2 cells. The results suggest that enterocyte IL-6 production is stimulated by IL-1 beta and that this effect is potentiated by IFN-gamma. The regulation of IL-6 production in the enterocyte may be specific for IL-1 beta, since neither TNF nor IL-6 stimulated IL-6 production.
Kernels of elliptic operators: Bounds and summability

In this paper we shall study the kernel of the resolvent R = (c-A)-’ and of some other related “functions of A” (e.g., e-“) for elliptic operators A on F?“, or more generally, for perturbations of elliptic operators. It turns out that the resolvent (consequently all other related functions) are given by an integral kernel, which is bounded by a convolution with a radial decreasing L ‘-function. This result has numerous applications: bounds for L”-spectrum of A, closedness, semigroup generation, essential selfadjointness, summability etc. In [GKl] we studied this problem for perturbation of constant- coefficient elliptic operators and established the following bound on the kernel R,(x, y) of ([--A)-‘, IR,(w)I ~c(W”‘W’” IX-VI); P = ICI7 (1) where H is the radial L ‘-function H(z) = i IZl-s;
An exploratory randomized controlled trial of a novel high-school-based smoking cessation intervention for adolescent smokers using abstinence-contingent incentives and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Abstract Background There are few effective smoking cessation interventions for adolescent smokers. We developed a novel intervention to motivate tobacco use behavior change by (1) enhancing desire to quit through the use of abstinence–contingent incentives (CM), (2) increasing cessation skills through the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and (3) removing cessation barriers through delivery within high schools. Methods An exploratory four-week, randomized controlled trial was conducted in Connecticut high schools to dismantle the independent and combined effects of CM and CBT; smokers received CM alone, CBT alone, or CM + CBT. Participants included 82 adolescent smokers seeking smoking cessation treatment. The primary outcome was seven-day end-of-treatment (EOT) point prevalence (PP) abstinence, determined using self-reports confirmed using urine cotinine levels. Secondary outcomes included one-day EOT PP abstinence and cigarette use during treatment and follow up. Results Among participants who initiated treatment (n = 72), group differences in seven-day EOT-PP abstinence were observed (χ2 = 10.48, p Conclusions High-school, incentive-based smoking cessation interventions produce high rates of short-term abstinence among adolescent smokers; adding cognitive behavioral therapy does not appear to further enhance outcomes.
Lost Mold Rapid Infiltration Forming of Mesoscale Ceramics: Part 1, Fabrication

Free-standing mesoscale (340 μm × 30 μm × 20 μm) bend bars with an aspect ratio over 15:1 and an edge resolution as fine as a single grain diameter (∼400 nm) have been fabricated in large numbers on refractory ceramic substrates by combining a novel powder processing approach with photoresist molds and an innovative lost-mold thermal process. The colloid and interfacial chemistry of the nanoscale zirconia particulates has been modeled and used to prepare highly concentrated suspensions. Engineering solutions to challenges in mold fabrication and casting have yielded free-standing, crack-free parts. Molds are fabricated using high-aspect-ratio photoresist on ceramic substrates. Green parts are formed using a rapid infiltration method that exploits the shear thinning behavior of the highly concentrated ceramic suspension in combination with gelcasting. The mold is thermally decomposed and the parts are sintered in place on the ceramic substrate. Chemically aided attrition milling disperses and concentrates the as-received 3Y-TZP powder to produce a dense, fine-grained sintered microstructure. Initial three-point bend strength data are comparable to that of conventional zirconia; however, geometric irregularities (e.g., trapezoidal cross sections) are present in this first generation and are discussed with respect to the distribution of bend strength.
Safety and efficacy of femoral-based hemodialysis access grafts.

Abstract Objective: Arteriovenous fistulae traditionally have been placed in the upper extremity. Experience with groin hemodialysis access has been discouraging because of high infection rates and associated limb amputation. We reviewed our experience with angioaccess grafts in the groin to assess safety and viability in our hemodialysis patient population. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of all groin hemodialysis access grafts placed at a single tertiary care center between June 1990 and February 1998. Demographics, complications, and subsequent treatment were recorded. Graft patency and infection rates were analyzed with life-table analysis. Results: Data were collected on 73 graft insertions. A total of 52 episodes of thrombosis occurred in 26 grafts. Primary patency rate was 71% at 1 year. Secondary patency rate was 83% at 1 year. There was a 22% incidence rate of infection. Conclusion: We conclude that the incidence rate of infection and thrombosis in our series of femoral-based hemodialysis grafts is comparable with rates reported in the literature for upper extremity polytetrafluoroethylene angioaccess grafts. Although not considered a first choice, femoral artery–based hemodialysis access is a viable option when arteriovenous fistulae in the upper extremity cannot be constructed. (J Vasc Surg 2002;35:691-3.)
Response of Susceptible Strains of the Pacific Spider Mite and the Citrus Red Mite to O-Isopropyl O-(2,4,5-Trichlorophenyl) Phosphoramidate or Phosphoramidothioate

A laboratory strain of the Pacific spider mite, Tetranychus pacificus McGregor, was relatively slow in developing resistance to O -isopropyl O - (2,4,5-trichlorophenyl) phosphoramidothioate or the phosphoramidate under selection pressure, as compared with the response of this strain to demeton and parathion. In large-scale field tests, however, the citrus red mite, Panonychus citri (McGregor), developed resistance to this phosphoramidothioate after 6 applications and to the phosphoramidate as a result of 3 treatments. These and other studies mentioned suggest that laboratory selection pressure was of little value as a means of predicting that resistance may be slow in occurring. When, however, resistance develops rapidly under laboratory selection pressure it should be a good indication that resistance will develop rapidly in the field.
Sequential Study of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and “Progestin” Secretion on the Afternoon of Proestrus in the Rat

Sequential measurements were made of LH concentrations in systemic blood and of progesterone and 20α-OH-pregn-4-en-3- one secretion rates into ovarian venous blood of female rats on the afternoon of proestrus. On the days of estrus, diestrus I and diestrus II, evaluation was limited to a single time period between 3:30 and 5:00 PM. LH was quantitated by double antibody radioimmunoassay. Progesterone and 20α-OH-pregn-4-en-3-one were measured by gasliquid chromatography following purification through thin-layer chromatography. Elevations in LH level were observed as early as 2:00 PM and as late as 8:00 PM on the day of proestrus (uterine ballooning). On the days of estrus, diestrus I and diestrus II, LH remained at basal levels. No change in progesterone secretion occurred between diestrus II and 4 : 3 0 PM of proestrus. Secretion rates (μg/hr/ovary) of progesterone rose sharply after 4:30 PM and exhibited peak levels (40-fold change) at 8:00 PM. 20a-OHpregn- 4-en-3-one secretion rates (μg/hr/ovary) were hi...
Subjective duration distortions mirror neural repetition suppression.

BACKGROUND Subjective duration is strongly influenced by repetition and novelty, such that an oddball stimulus in a stream of repeated stimuli appears to last longer in duration in comparison. We hypothesize that this duration illusion, called the temporal oddball effect, is a result of the difference in expectation between the oddball and the repeated stimuli. Specifically, we conjecture that the repeated stimuli contract in duration as a result of increased predictability; these duration contractions, we suggest, result from decreased neural response amplitude with repetition, known as repetition suppression. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Participants viewed trials consisting of lines presented at a particular orientation (standard stimuli) followed by a line presented at a different orientation (oddball stimulus). We found that the size of the oddball effect correlates with the number of repetitions of the standard stimulus as well as the amount of deviance from the oddball stimulus; both of these results are consistent with a repetition suppression hypothesis. Further, we find that the temporal oddball effect is sensitive to experimental context--that is, the size of the oddball effect for a particular experimental trial is influenced by the range of duration distortions seen in preceding trials. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our data suggest that the repetition-related duration contractions causing the oddball effect are a result of neural repetition suppression. More generally, subjective duration may reflect the prediction error associated with a stimulus and, consequently, the efficiency of encoding that stimulus. Additionally, we emphasize that experimental context effects need to be taken into consideration when designing duration-related tasks.
Relation of occlusion to temporomandibular joint dysfunction: the prosthodontic viewpoint

The fact that many patients with occlusal disharmony, lack of eccentric mobility, deep overbite, and overclosure do not develop TMJ dysfunction, points to the existence of etiologic factors other than occlusion.
Absolute Rates of Intermolecular Carbon−Hydrogen Abstraction Reactions by Fluorinated Radicals§

Using competition kinetic methodology, absolute rate constants for bimolecular hydrogen abstraction from a variety of organic substrates in solution have been obtained for the n-C4H9CF2CF2•, n-C4F9...
Neurochemical similarities between d,l-cathinone and d-amphetamine

Cathinone, the principal alkaloid of Khat, was compared to the psychomotor stimulant d-amphetamine on a number of neurochemical measures. Like d-amphetamine, d,l-cathinone released and blocked the uptake of tritiated dopamine (DA) in synaptosomal preparations. In addition, repeated high doses of d,l-cathinone produced long-lasting DA depletions in various rat brain regions and decreased the number of synaptosomal DA uptake sites in a manner similar to that seen after repeated d-amphetamine administration. Importantly, this DA neurotoxic effect of d,l-cathinone, like that of d-amphetamine, is selective since regional brain levels of norepinephrine (NE) or serotonin (5-HT) are not altered on a long-term basis by repeated administration of d,l-cathinone. These findings are discussed with reference to the current practice of Khat leaf chewing by people in north-eastern Africa.
Dispelling the Notion of Inconsistencies in Teachers' Mathematics Beliefs and Practices: A 3-Year Case Study.

Researchers in the field of mathematics education have focused on beliefs as a significant area of study because of the influence of beliefs on what is taught and learned. Much of the research in this area speaks about inconsistency between teachers’ beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning and their classroom practices. In this case study, I look beyond two elementary teachers’ perceived inconsistencies to gain a better understanding of the nature of their beliefs and how they are organized. Data were gathered from individual and focus group interviews, classroom observations, email communications, and researcher memos over the course of 3 years. Results showed that non-mathematics beliefs and contextual factors took precedence in certain classroom situations and contextual factors had an intervening influence on the actualization of beliefs. Several theoretical, methodological and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Interest versus Identity: Economic Voting in Ukrainian Presidential Elections

To what extent do economic factors accentuate or mitigate ethno-cultural fault lines in Ukrainian politics? Previous analyses of Ukrainian elections have focused on Ukraine's ethno-cultural regional divide, which splits the Ukrainophone West and Center from the Russian-speaking East and South. A newly-fashioned subnational dataset that includes ethno-linguistic, economic, and electoral data for Ukraine's 225 territorial election districts is used to tease out the relative importance of ethnic and economic factors in Ukrainian electoral behavior. The role of economic conditions in Viktor Yanukovych's 2010 victory and shifts in vote shares for Viktor Yushchenko and Yuliya Tymoshenko from 2004 to 2010 are given in-depth examination.
Phenanthrene Biodegradation in Freshwater Environments

Phenanthrene, a low-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, was incubated with water samples from various reservoir systems in Tennessee to evaluate the potential for significant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation by the indigenous microbial populations. Biodegradation was assessed by comparison of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon substrate recovery in degradation flasks relative to sterile control flasks. During 1977 field studies, the mean phenanthrene biodegradation was approximately 80% after a 4-week incubation. Within a given habitat, 45% of the total variability in phenanthrene biodegradation was attributable to the physical, chemical, and microbiological site characteristics examined. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation was directly related to the historical environmental pollution of the sampling sites examined, the length of biodegradation assessment, temperature, and the molecular size of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon substrate.
Modeling nonlinear neural dynamics with Volterra-Poisson kernels

A nonparametric quantitative model is introduced that captures the nonlinear dynamic properties of neural systems using input/output data. It is based on the Volterra modeling approach adapted for point-process inputs and outputs. Using input/output data, a model is presented for the CAl region of the hippocampus. The model represents reliably the nonlinear dynamic mapping performed by CAI with high accuracy. Compared to traditional descriptors of nonlinear neural dynamics, the presented model provides a generalized, comprehensive view.
The transformation of genetics by DNA: an anniversary celebration of Avery, MacLeod and McCarty (1944).

In this article, Lederberg marked the fiftieth anniversary of the 1944 paper by Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty and the opening of the field of genetics.
Smoking Cessation Related to Improved Patient-Reported Pain Scores Following Spinal Care.

Background: Smoking is associated with low back pain, intervertebral disc disease, inferior patient outcomes following surgical interventions, and increased rates of postoperative complications. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of smoking and smoking cessation on pain and disability in patients with painful spinal disorders. Methods: We examined a prospectively maintained database of records for 5333 patients with axial or radicular pain from a spinal disorder with regard to smoking history and the patient assessment of pain on four visual analog scales during the course of care. Confounding factors, including secondary gain, sex, age, and body mass index, were also examined. The mean duration of follow-up was eight months. Multivariate statistical analysis was performed with variables including smoking status, secondary gain status, sex, depression, and age as predictors of pain and disability. Results: Compared with patients who had never smoked, patients who were current smokers reported significantly greater pain in all visual analog scale pain ratings (p < 0.001). The mean improvement in reported pain over the course of care was significantly different between nonsmokers and current smokers (p <0.001). Compared with patients who had continued to smoke, those who had quit smoking during the course of care reported significantly greater improvement in pain in visual analog scale pain ratings for worst (p = 0.013), current (p < 0.05), and average weekly pain (p = 0.024). The mean improvement in the visual analog scale pain ratings was clinically important in patients in all three groups of nonsmokers. As a group, those who had continued smoking during treatment had no clinically important improvement in reported pain. Conclusions: Given a strong association between improved patient-reported pain and smoking cessation, this study supports the need for smoking cessation programs for patients with a painful spinal disorder. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Electromigration and thermomigration in gamma-uranium

Atom transport produced by large direct currents (electromigration) and thermal gradients (thermomigration) was measured in gamma-uranium by observation of local dilatations induced in high purity rods which were heated with a.c. or d.c. in a vacuum of 10−8 Torr. or better. Both radial and longitudinal dimensional changes, the latter obtained from displacements of surface markers, were measured in order to determine the atom flux. Rates of dimensional change were observed constant during the 8–12 days duration of the experiments. In the d.c. experiments, where the electromigration effect dominated, mass transport was observed toward the anode with Z∗ƒ equal to − 1·6 ± 0·1; here f is the tracer diffusion correlation factor. The small negative value for Z∗, the effective charge, indicates a dominance of the electron ‘wind’ force over the combined forces of the hole ‘wind’ and the electrostatic field. In the a.c. experiments mass transport was observed toward the cooler regions with Q∗f equal to + 4.7 ± 0.5 kcalmole. If one adopts the Wirtz model for a vacancy mechanism, the thermomigration results imply a relatively large migration enthalpy and a correspondingly small formation enthalpy; the latter leads to a vacancy fraction at melting of about 2·7 per cent. Semi-log plots of DZ∗ƒ and DQ∗ƒ vs. 1T were found linear with ‘activation energies’ of 27·2 ± 0.6 and 23·0 ± 1.6 kcalmole, respectively. The former agrees with the activation energy obtained from tracer experiments while the latter is slightly less. A possible explanation is that Q∗ has some temperature dependence, which is not too surprising in view of the large absolute thermoelectric power of gamma-uranium.
Rheology, dynamics, and structure of hydrocarbon blends: a molecular dynamics study of n-hexane/n-hexadecane mixtures

Equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) and non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations are carried out on n-hexane/n-hexadecane binary mixtures. Using EMD, dynamic properties such as the viscosity, self-diffusivity, and rotational relaxation, as well as static structural properties are computed at different compositions. Upon mixing, a slowing down of the dynamics of the smaller species is observed, while the dynamics of the long species increases. The fluids exhibit non-ideal mixing due to a non-random distribution of the methylene units of the chain molecules. By examining the short range structure of the fluid, a local clustering of the smaller chains is observed. NEMD is used to simulate shear Couette flow and compute the shear viscosity of the fluid, particularly in the non-linear viscoelastic regime. Phenomena such as shear thinning, normal stress effects and molecular alignment are observed. Two shear thinning transitions are observed for the case of mixtures. It is shown that this is a result of the two species having differing relaxation times and varying tendencies to align with the shear flow. The longer chains shear thin first and align more readily than the shorter ones. The effect this has on the overall properties and shear-thinning spectrum, and its relation to the dynamics of each species, is examined.
To translate, to interpret, to write

Through a philosophical revision of concepts pertaining to the fields of hermeneutics and translation, this text brings to question the logic that rules the production of the contemporary essay. Its central hypothesis posits that in our days the hypostasis of the essay is a translation from one language into that same language, and is divided into two sections. The former establishes a connection between translation and interpretation, while the latter focuses on the relation between interpreting an essay and producing one. The third basal connection explored in this text deals with translating and writing in the same language and serves as metadiscourse on the other two. This threefold pattern hinges in two directions, for the current essay is questioned in its form and its background, under a specular dynamics in which whatever is said can be refuted by the very format of the essay; of this essay. Published in Sociedad. Social Science Journal, School of Social Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, # 23. Buenos Aires Argentina. Translated by Marta Ines Merajver Translation from Sociedad (Buenos Aires) no.23, ano 2005
Welfare Receipt Among Black and White Adolescent Mothers A Longitudinal Perspective

Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth were analyzed to determine whether the impact of adolescent childbearing on women's subsequent contact with the welfare system differed for Black and White women. Results of a path analysis indicate that there were distinctive differences between young Black and White women in the way early childbearing influences welfare receipt over an 8-year period. These differences are not fully apparent unless both direct and indirect effects of predictor variables are taken into account.
The effect of inlet constriction on bubble growth during flow boiling in microchannels

Flow boiling through microchannels is characterized by nucleation of vapor bubbles on the channel walls. In parallel microchannels connected through a common header, formation of vapor bubbles often results in flow mal-distribution that leads to reversed flow in certain channels. One way of eliminating the reversed flow is to incorporate flow restrictions at the channel inlet. In the present study, a nucleating vapor bubble placed near the restricted end of a single microchannel is numerically simulated. Placing restrictions at channel inlet increased the incoming liquid velocity for the same flow rate that prevented explosive bubble growth and reversed flow. It is proposed that channels with increasing cross-sectional area may be used to promote unidirectional growth of the vapor plugs and prevent reversed flow.
Riboflavin and ultraviolet A as adjuvant treatment against Acanthamoeba cysts.

Background Experimental studies have shown that the standard dose of riboflavin (R) or R + ultraviolet-A (UVA) as solo treatment are not able to exterminate Acanthamoeba cysts or even trophozoites. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the application of R + UVA can enhance the cysticidal effects of cationic antiseptic agents in vitro. Methods The log of either polyhexamethylene biguanide or chlorhexidine minimal cysticidal concentration in solutions containing riboflavin (concentrations 0.1, 0.05 and 0.025%) plus either Acanthamoeba castellanii cysts or Acanthamoeba polyphaga cysts was determined and compared in groups treated with UVA 30 mW/cm(2) for 30 min and in control groups (with no exposure to UVA). A permutation test was used to determine the P value associated with treatment. Results Regardless of the riboflavin concentration and UVA treatment condition, no trophozoites were seen in plates where the cysts were previously exposed to cationic antiseptic agent concentrations ≥200 µg/mL for Acanthamoeba castellanii samples and ≥100 µg/mL for A. polyphaga samples. There was no statistical evidence that R + UVA treatment was associated with minimal cysticidal concentration (P = 0.82). Conclusion R + UVA in doses up to 10 times higher than recommended for corneal crosslinking does not enhance the cysticidal effect of either polyhexamethylene biguanide or chlorhexidine in vitro.
The Relationship between Health and Community across Aging Cohorts

Research is needed to examine the connection between older adults and their community as they age. This is important as increasing numbers of older adults wish to age in place. Regression models were examined across 3 cohorts testing relationships among social capital indicators (neighborhood trust, neighborhood support, neighborhood cohesion, neighborhood participation, and telephone interaction) with health outcomes (self-rated health, activities of daily living (ADL), and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL)). Results showed that most social capital indicators remained significant for all health outcomes into very old age. Development of tools for individual and community interventions to ensure optimal fit between the aging individual and their environment is discussed, along with recommendations for enhancing social work theory and practice.
Capital's brandscapes

This article explores the contradictory cultural tendencies at play in the political economy of corporate brand values.Corporate brand values often serve mutually contradictory goals of capital accumulation and legitimation.Though competitive branding aims at distinguishing firms from one another, in the overall landscape of branding, the semiotics of branding contributes to tightly condensed, yet overarching, capitalist metanarratives.What additional contradictions evolve out of a branding process that indiscriminately mines culture for the purpose of boosting brand values?
Splendor: A secure, private, and location-aware service discovery protocol supporting mobile services

In pervasive computing environments, powerful handheld devices with wireless connections create opportunities for many new nomadic applications. We propose a new service discovery model, called Splendor, supporting nomadic users and services in public environments. Splendor emphasizes security and supports privacy. Location awareness is integrated for location dependent services discovery and is used to lessen service discovery network infrastructure requirements. We analyze the Splendor system performance and provide our experimental results.
Genetic Control of Susceptibility to Cryptococcus neoformans in Mice

Inbred mice injected intravenously with 5 × 106 cells of Cryptococcus neoformans showed two patterns of survival: sensitive (A/WySn, A.BY, A/J, DBA/2J, NZB/B1NJ, and SWR/J) and resistant [C57BL/10Sn, B10.A, B10.A (2R), B10.S (7R),C57BR/cdJ, C58/J, C3H/HeJ, BALB/c, DBA/1J, and SJL/J]. Relative susceptibility based on survival time was shown to correspond to differences obtained for 50% lethal dose values. Either decreasing the dose of organisms or changing to the intraperitoneal route of inoculation resulted in prolonged survival times, but neither change affected the observed patterns of survival. F1 hybrids between different sensitive strains were also sensitive, whereas F1 hybrids between sensitive and resistant strains were resistant, indicating a dominant mode of inheritance. Sensitivity and resistance were shown to be under single gene control by segregation analysis in F2 progeny produced by inbreeding (B10.A × A/WySn)F1 hybrids and in (F1 × A/WySn) backcross progeny. Blood obtained from parental strains, F1, F2, and backcross hybrids was tested for the presence or absence of hemolytic complement. Mice lacking hemolytic complement activity in their sera are homozygous for the Hc0 allele at the Hc locus on chromosome 2 and are deficient in the complement component C5. A 1:1 correspondence was found between C5 deficiency and sensitivity to C. neoformans. Resistance was shown to cosegregate with the presence of hemolytic complement in the F2 and the backcross progenies.
Ex vivo electroporation of retinal cells: a novel, high efficiency method for functional studies in primary retinal cultures

Primary retinal cultures constitute valuable tools not only for basic research on retinal cell development and physiology, but also for the identification of factors or drugs that promote cell survival and differentiation. In order to take full advantage of the benefits of this system it is imperative to develop efficient and reliable techniques for the manipulation of gene expression. However, achieving appropriate transfection efficiencies in these cultures has remained challenging. The purpose of this work was to develop and optimize a technique that would allow the transfection of chick retinal cells with high efficiency and reproducibility for multiple applications. We developed an ex vivo electroporation method applied to dissociated retinal cell cultures that offers a significant improvement over other currently available transfection techniques, increasing efficiency by five-fold. In this method, eyes were enucleated, devoid of RPE, and electroporated with GFP-encoding plasmids using custom-made electrodes. Electroporated retinas were then dissociated into single cells and plated in low density conditions, to be analyzed after 4 days of incubation. Parameters such as voltage and number of electric pulses, as well as plasmid concentration and developmental stage of the animal were optimized for efficiency. The characteristics of the cultures were assessed by morphology and immunocytochemistry, and cell viability was determined by ethidium homodimer staining. Cell imaging and counting was performed using an automated high-throughput system. This procedure resulted in transfection efficiencies in the order of 22-25% of cultured cells, encompassing both photoreceptors and non-photoreceptor neurons, and without affecting normal cell survival and differentiation. Finally, the feasibility of the technique for cell-autonomous studies of gene function in a biologically relevant context was tested by carrying out gain and loss-of-function experiments for the transcription factor PAX6. Electroporation of a plasmid construct expressing PAX6 resulted in a marked upregulation in the expression levels of this protein that could be measured in the whole culture as well as cell-intrinsically. This was accompanied by a significant decrease in the percentage of cells differentiating as photoreceptors among the transfected population. Conversely, electroporation of an RNAi construct targeting PAX6 resulted in a significant decrease in the levels of this protein, with a concomitant increase in the proportion of photoreceptors. Taken together these results provide strong proof-of-principle of the suitability of this technique for genetic studies in retinal cultures. The combination of the high transfection efficiency obtained by this method with automated high-throughput cell analysis supplies the scientific community with a powerful system for performing functional studies in a cell-autonomous manner.
MEFS - MIND electrical impedance tomography forward solver

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) offers a possibility of realizing of a low cost and safe modality for clinically monitoring patients being treated with mechanical ventilation. However, image reconstruction algorithm employed at different clinical or research settings varies from one to another, which in turn makes interpretation of regional ventilation across institutions difficult. Seeing the lack of a standardized algorithm, GREIT (Graz consensus Reconstruction algorithm for EIT) was proposed lately in an attempt to develop a unified EIT image reconstruction algorithm. To assess GREIT, an anatomically-detailed electrical model of the thorax is indispensable. In view of this need, we describe a high resolution, image-based electrical thoracic modeling software environment, named MEFS (MIND EIT Forward Solver). The software environment utilizes anatomically realistic geometry of the thorax, allows placing electrode of any shape interactively, and yields the detailed field information in the simulated volume. The goals of the development of MEFS are: 1) to generate electrical measurements needed for EIT image reconstruction, 2) to provide a platform to compare various EIT reconstruction algorithms.
Medical Hazards of Obesity

The medical hazards of obesity are discussed. Risks include insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridemia, decreased levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and increased levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Obesity is also associated with gallbladder disease and some forms of cancer as well as sleep apnea, chronic hypoxia and hypercapnia, and degenerative joint disease. Obesity is an independent risk factor for death from coronary heart disease. A central distribution of body fat enhances the risk for most of these conditions.
Panel Contribution—IAU Symposium 168

These brief comments will reflect the point of view of an observer, rather than a theorist. They will also be quite informal, as were the remarks I made while at the symposium in The Hague. Finally, I will restrict myself to relatively low energy proton backgrounds-roughly speaking from 105–101eV. I fear that will slight the important work being done by our colleagues on the X-ray and gamma ray backgrounds, but those topics were nicely covered in the symposium itself.
Structural Characterization of Heat‐treated Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide and Topotactic Transformation of Discharge Products in the Li ‐ MnO2 Cells

The crystal structures of heat-treated electrolytic manganese dioxide (HEMD) and the discharge products are characterized by high-spatial-resolution convergent-beam electron diffraction (CBED) and lattice imaging. In this paper, CBED results are used to clarify the ambiguity in the x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of these materials. The CBED results of HEMD used as the positive electrode material confirms that the major phase has the pyrolusite space group, P4{sub 2}/mnm, but with a range of c/a ratios. The experimentally observed variability of the lattice parameters from grain to grain is found to coincide with broadening on the low-angle sides of the XRD peaks. Both XRD and CBED analyses indicate that the unit cell volume of the pyrolusite-type phase increases during discharge, which is consistent with previous work by Ohzuku et al. CBED patterns of the discharge products suggest that a second discharge phase is formed by a topotactic phase transformation during discharge and has a specific orientation relationship with the expanded pyrolusite-type phase. The symmetry and lattice parameters obtained from the single-crystal diffraction patterns of the second discharge phase are consistent with an intermediate structure in the mechanism proposed by David et al. for the formation of the spinel structure upon chemical lithiationmore » of {beta}-MnO{sub 2}.« less