cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Individual feeding variability of protozoan and crustacean zooplankton analyzed with flow cytometry1

Feeding of protozoan and crustacean zooplankton was analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM), resulting in direct counts of particles ingested by each individual. Ciliates (Cyclidium sp.) were allowed to feed on Microcystis aeruginosa and analyzed directly on a flow cytometer for cyanobacterial autofluorescence coincident with each ciliate. Numbers of Microcystis cells ingested (e.g. 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 ciliate−1) were estimated from the total fluorescence intensity of each ciliate. Crustaceans (Daphnia magna and Bosmina tubicen) were fed fluorescent beads or Microcystis, sonicated to release their gut contents, and the resulting suspension from each individual was quantitatively analyzed by FCM. These methods allow estimation of several aspects of feeding behavior, including particle selectivity, mechanisms of particle capture, gut volume of small organisms, feeding and clearance rates, and individual variation of the preceding parameters. Flow cytometry is more rapid than direct counts by microscope and more accurate than many indirect methods.
Model analysis for business event processing

Business event processing requires efficiently processing live events, computing business performance metrics, detecting business situations, and providing real-time visibility of key performance indicators. Given the high volume of events and significant complexity of computation, system performance--event throughput--is critical. In this paper, we advocate model-analysis techniques to improve event throughput. In the build time, a series of model analyses of the application logic are conducted to understand such factors as runtime data-access path, data flow, and control flow. Such analyses can be used to improve throughput three ways: at build time it can be used to facilitate the generation of customized code to optimize I/O and CPU usage; information about the control flow and data flow can be used to ensure that CPU resources are used effectively by distributing event-processing computation logic evenly over time; and at runtime, knowledge gained from the model can be used to plan multithreaded parallel event-processing execution to reduce wait states by maximizing parallelization and reducing the planning overhead. This paper presents a series of model-analysis techniques and the results of experiments that demonstrate their effectiveness.
Coping Strategies of Chronically Ill Adolescents and Their Parents

The purpose of this exploratory pilot study was to determine the coping strategies used by adolescents with chronic illnesses and compare those strategies with the strategies used by their parents. Adolescent coping strategies were measured by the Jaloweic Coping Scale, while parental perceptions of their coping strategies were assessed using the Hymovich Chronicity Impact and Coping Instruments: Parent Questionnaire (CICI:PQ). Fifteen chronically ill adolescents and their parents were administered the tools. Analysis revealed that there were significant differences between the parent coping strategies and those of the adolescents in the sample. Adolescent responses on the three subscales of the Jaloweic Coping Scale were analyzed with ANOVA, resulting in no significant differences in responses on the three subscales.
Ricardo Piglia’s The Absent City: Oppressed Memories Unearthed

The Argentine novelist Ricardo Piglia’s The Absent City reflects upon the retrieval of the past as a prerequisite for healing from national trauma. If postdictatorship countries are to implement a transition to democracy, their citizens must confront the past. The denial of national trauma perpetuates tyranny. Taken together, the many fragmented stories in Piglia’s novel can be viewed as a metaphor for the process of retrieving a repressed history. The central trope of the novel is Elena, a gendered machine made responsible for integrating Argentina’s past dissociations and making healing possible.
Reconstructing ancient Maya animal trade through strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis

Abstract This study explores the potential for using strontium isotope analysis (87Sr/86Sr) to study ancient Maya animal exchange. Traditional zooarchaeological methods of studying trade rely on the identification of animals found outside their natural geographic or habitat ranges. Isotopic analysis provides an additional means of identifying and sourcing non-local animals. 87Sr/86Sr values from Maya zooarchaeological remains indicate that regional and long-distance transport and exchange of animal goods was more common than previously recognized. Widely distributed animals including deer and peccary were among the animals exchanged, which questions their common interpretation as locally-acquired resources. The isotopic results contribute to our understanding of how animal products were integrated into Maya economic and exchange networks. The research is also relevant to human mobility studies in Mesoamerica.
Use of stable lead isotopes to characterize the sources of anthropogenic lead in North Atlantic surface waters

Stable lead isotopes are used to illustrate the impact of surface water circulation on dissolved lead distribution in North Atlantic surface waters during oligotrophic conditions. Using stable lead isotopic signatures from (1) the Sargasso Sea and (2) direct tropospheric deposition to the North Atlantic, we estimate that 10–40% of the lead accumulated in surface waters of the European Basin is transported from the western North Atlantic by the North Atlantic Current. South of 50°N, lead appears to be primarily distributed by the Subtropical North Atlantic Gyre that extends well beyond the western basins to 30°W in the North African Basin (at 30–40°N). There are different lead isotopic signatures between the subtropical gyre to the Guiana and western Guinea Basins, which suggests that the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone acts as an efficient barrier limiting chemical exchanges between the gyre and the equatorial currents.
The Identification and Quantification of Steryl Glucosides in Precipitates from Commercial Biodiesel

There have been several discoveries of unexpected precipitates in manufacturing facilities, transport vessels, and storage tanks containing commercial biodiesel. In some cases these have been formed during storage at temperatures above the cloud point of the fuel. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) methods were applied to 24 field receipt samples of solids from such biodiesels. The analyses revealed the presence of steryl glucosides (SG), common phytosterols (plant sterol) found in crude soybean oil and many other plant materials, in these biodiesel precipitates. Quantitative analysis of the solids revealed SG concentrations as high as 68 wt% of the provided material (which had not been previously washed with solvent to remove entrained biodiesel). In some samples no SG were present. In others they constituted all of the non-biodiesel material present. Monacylglycerols and diacylglycerols, the products of incomplete transesterification of triacylglycerols, were also present in some samples. The normal phase and reverse phase methods described in this report could be used to analyze SG quantitatively from biodiesel precipitates with an HPLC instrument equipped with either an evaporative light-scattering detector (ELSD) or a more common UV detector operating at 205 nm.
Bacterial adhesion to zirconium surfaces

Abstract Zirconium alloys are well-known for their resistance to harsh chemical environments. In the interest of assessing the potential of this class of materials for bio-implant applications, we need to determine if this environmental stability transfers to biological systems. We report on our use of viable counts and infrared spectroscopic techniques to monitor how well thermally processed Zircaloy-2 surfaces resist bacterial adhesion. Specifically, we test the propensity of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and mixtures of all three to adhere to zirconium alloy surfaces. Our data and statistical analyses include stationary and shaken broth cultures and differently prepared surfaces, and we demonstrate differences due to the type of bacteria, the type of surface, and the exposure conditions.
State-of-the-art in volcano forecasting

No single predictive index appears to be the master key to volcanic forecasting. Individual volcanoes are unique variations of the general processes of volcanism, and the case history of one volcano cannot be always used to diagnose the symptoms of another. However, the situation is not hopeless. Useful though not precise forecasting is currently being practiced at Asama, in Japan; at Taal, in the Philippines; at Bezymianny in Kamchatka; at Kilauea in Hawaii, and at a few other volcanoes where continuous observations are being made. The only master key to forecasting is better understanding of volcanic processes. Basic research in the earth sciences should not be made the poor cousin of applied research to solve a particular problem, such as volcanic forecasting. Both basic and applied research are important, and they stimulate one another.
Exploratory Climate Data Visualization and Analysis Using DV3D and UVCDAT

Earth system scientists are being inundated by an explosion of data generated by ever-increasing resolution in both global models and remote sensors. Advanced tools for accessing, analyzing, and visualizing very large and complex climate data are required to maintain rapid progress in Earth system research. To meet this need, NASA, in collaboration with the Ultra-scale Visualization Climate Data Analysis Tools (UVCDAT) consortium, is developing exploratory climate data analysis and visualization tools which provide data analysis capabilities for the Earth System Grid (ESG). This paper describes DV3D, a UV-CDAT package that enables exploratory analysis of climate simulation and observation datasets. DV3D provides user-friendly interfaces for visualization and analysis of climate data at a level appropriate for scientists. It features workflow interfaces, interactive 4D data exploration, hyperwall and stereo visualization, automated provenance generation, and parallel task execution. DV3D's integration with CDAT's climate data management system (CDMS) and other climate data analysis tools provides a wide range of high performance climate data analysis operations. DV3D expands the scientists' toolbox by incorporating a suite of rich new exploratory visualization and analysis methods for addressing the complexity of climate datasets.
A distributed adaptive cache update algorithm for the dynamic source routing protocol

On-demand routing protocols use route caches to make routing decisions. Due to mobility, cached routes easily become stale. To address the cache staleness issue, prior work in DSR used heuristics with ad hoc parameters to predict the lifetime of a link or a route. However, heuristics cannot accurately predict timeouts because topology changes are unpredictable. In this paper, we propose to proactively disseminate the broken link information to the nodes that have that link in their caches. We define a new cache structure called a cache table and present a distributed cache update algorithm. Each node maintains in its cache table the information necessary for cache updates. When a link failure is detected, the algorithm notifies all reachable nodes that have cached the link in a distributed manner. The algorithm does not use any ad hoc parameters, thus making route caches fully adaptive to topology changes. We show that the algorithm outperforms DSR with path caches and with Link-MaxLife, an adaptive timeout mechanism for link caches. We conclude that proactive cache updating is the key to the adaptation of on-demand routing protocols to mobility.
THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE versus THE CARBON CYCLE

Nuclear power provides approximately 17% of the world’s electricity, which is equivalent to a reduction in carbon emissions of ~0.5 gigatonnes (Gt) of C/yr. This is a modest reduction as compared with global emissions of carbon, ~7 Gt C/yr. Most analyses suggest that in order to have a signifi cant and timely impact on carbon emissions, carbon-free sources, such as nuclear power, would have to expand total production of energy by factors of three to ten by 2050. A three-fold increase in nuclear power capacity would result in a projected reduction in carbon emissions of 1 to 2 Gt C/yr, depending on the type of carbon-based energy source that is displaced. This three-fold increase utilizing present nuclear technologies would result in 25,000 metric tonnes (t) of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) per year, containing over 200 t of plutonium. This is compared to a present global inventory of approximately 280,000 t of SNF and >1,700 t of Pu. A nuclear weapon can be fashioned from as little as 5 kg of 239 Pu. However, there is considerable technological fl exibility in the nuclear fuel cycle. There are three types of nuclear fuel cycles that might be utilized for the increased production of energy: open, closed, or a symbiotic combination of different types of reactor (such as, thermal and fast neutron reactors). The neutron energy spectrum has a signifi cant effect on the fi ssion product yield, and the consumption of long-lived actinides, by fi ssion, is best achieved by fast neutrons. Within each cycle, the volume and composition of the high-level nuclear waste and fi ssile material depend on the type of nuclear fuel, the amount of burn-up, the extent of radionuclide separation during reprocessing, and the types of materials used to immobilize different radionuclides. As an example, a 232 Th-based fuel cycle can be used to breed fi ssile 233 U with minimum production of Pu. In this paper, I will contrast the production of excess carbon in the form of CO2 from fossil fuels with the production of plutonium in a uranium-based nuclear fuel cycle, with special emphasis on the “mineralogical solution” for the “sequestration” of Pu into pyrochlore structure-types.
Decontextualization, standardization, and deweyan science

L'A. se propose de resoudre la tension inherente a la philosophie des sciences developpee par Heidegger, opposant la decontextualisation de la science naturelle a la methodologie du pragmatisme genetique. L'A. montre que la standardisation de la science naturelle defendue par J. Rouse est compatible avec le pragmatisme genetique de Heidegger, s'apparentant lui-meme au pragmatisme de Dewey defini comme science deweyienne
Julia sets associated with the Potts model on the Bethe lattice and other recursively solved systems

The q-state Potts model on the Bethe lattice has been investigated by a number of individuals over the last several decades with some of the preceding studies taking a dynamical systems perspective. However, other than for the special case of the q = 2 Potts model, i.e. the Ising model, the Julia sets of the discrete dynamical systems associated with the Potts model on the Bethe lattice have been largely ignored. We look at these sets and find an interesting connection between the phase transition temperature and the dimension of the Julia set. In particular we find the dimension of the Julia set to be a minimum at a phase transition. Furthermore we show this property is not restricted to Potts models on Bethe lattices. This adds to a number of other special properties present at temperatures where a phase transition occurs.
Discourse + Technology/Collaborative Learning = Fraction Success

Recent national public policy addresses the need for strengthening mathematics communication and reasoning skills for elementary students. This study analyzed the effects of using podcasts to increase mathematical discourse on the fraction abilities of a sixth grade mathematics class. Students collaborated within small heterogeneous groups that completed a flow map to show steps in the process representing the sequence of a fraction problem‟s solution. Students grappled with their understanding of mathematics by turning the flow map into a radio script which was ultimately posted as a podcast on the classroom‟s website. Scores from district and school based assessments measured the growth of mathematical ability to add, subtract, and regroup mixed numbers with unlike denominators over a nine week period during the first half of the sixth grade. A paired sample t-test of the sixth grade pretest and posttest scores on a criterion-referenced assessment, revealed a statically significant difference. The use of precise mathematical vocabulary, displays of proper sequence to solve for the correct answer, and accuracy of answers increased. District created measures of progress remained consistent as the level of difficulty in the curriculum increased.
Field Methods and Techniques: A Note on Interviewing Tactics

Arnold Rose proposed, several years ago, that sociological interviewers be more experimental in dealing with their informants. He pointed out that use of the questionnaire or schedule is appropriate only in certain research situations, particularly where information as to the prevalence of a given attitude in a defined population is desired. However, where information as to the nature of a given attitude is desired, "where the subject's attitude must be fully known …," "the interviewer must take an active role." The interviewer must experiment, using those tactics which seem most likely to elicit the desired kind of information. The purpose of this note is to present tactics that proved successful in a research designed to get information about the role problems of Chicago public school teachers.
Clinical Indicators of Immune Restoration following Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy

The course of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease is characterized by a progressive decline in immune function. The advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has allowed patients to experience a significant degree of immune restoration when compared with the era before the availability of HAART. Multiple studies, which have employed sophisticated in vitro measures of immune function, have demonstrated improvement in CD4(+) lymphocyte (T4) responses to various opportunistic pathogens. In addition, for patients treated during acute HIV infection, HIV-specific T4 responses have been restored. By contrast, there are a limited number of in vivo measures of T4 function available to assess immune recovery following initiation of HAART. The primary measurement is an increase in CD4 lymphocyte count, the significance of which may be underappreciated. Delayed-type hypersensitivity testing to recall antigens and serological response to prophylactic vaccines may also have a role. This review discusses available markers of immune function and offers suggestions regarding their use in HAART recipients.
Privacy between technological capabilities and society's expectations (abstract only)

The unprecedented use of social networking, the Web and other related technologies by all fringes of population, has not been accompanied by an adequate awareness of its potential for abuse, privacy violation and cybercrimes. Furthermore, technology nowadays provides extensive capabilities which often times clash with society's laws and ethics. In particular, modern societies have certain expectations of privacy; that may be contradicted by the capabilities of new technology. It seems then incumbent upon computer science instructors to raise awareness of these risks and threats among the students they teach. The purpose of this session is to provide a forum for discussing technologies that are widely used by CS and non CS professionals alike, and that may well be at variance with society's privacy expectations. A second purpose of this session is to introduce instructional modules currently under development that may assist instructors in addressing some of the relevant themes in courses, in particular privacy in social networks, on the internet, in mobile apps and also privacy in electronic voting and law enforcement. We expect that attendees will provide varying opinions and insight that will help shape the course offering. In addition, attendees will be invited to share their experience teaching or talking about privacy issues and the approaches, resources and techniques they have used in presenting the topic to students.
In vivo lactate and β-hydroxybutyrate editing using a pure-phase refocusing pulse train

A refocusing pulse train consisting of a semiselective refocusing pulse and a selective inversion pulse to obtain a pure-phase refocusing at the frequency of maximal excitation of the semiselective refocusing pulse is proposed and applied to in vivo lactate and beta-hydroxybutyrate editing using difference spectroscopy. It is shown, using both rotation matrix theory and phantom experiments, that the soft inversion pulse has to be halved to flank the semiselective pulse to obtain perfect refocusing and cancellation of interfering resonances. The editing method is used to obtain lactate and beta-hydroxybutyrate spectra from the occipital cortex of juvenile epilepsy patients before and after ketogenic diet treatment.
Evolutionary and Functional Analysis of the Invariant SWIM Domain in the Conserved Shu2/SWS1 Protein Family from Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Homo sapiens

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Shu2 protein is an important regulator of Rad51, which promotes homologous recombination (HR). Shu2 functions in the Shu complex with Shu1 and the Rad51 paralogs Csm2 and Psy3. Shu2 belongs to the SWS1 protein family, which is characterized by its SWIM domain (CXC...Xn...CXH), a zinc-binding motif. In humans, SWS1 interacts with the Rad51 paralog SWSAP1. Using genetic and evolutionary analyses, we examined the role of the Shu complex in mitotic and meiotic processes across eukaryotic lineages. We provide evidence that the SWS1 protein family contains orthologous genes in early-branching eukaryote lineages (e.g., Giardia lamblia), as well as in multicellular eukaryotes including Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster. Using sequence analysis, we expanded the SWIM domain to include an invariant alanine three residues after the terminal CXH motif (CXC…Xn…CXHXXA). We found that the SWIM domain is conserved in all eukaryotic orthologs, and accordingly, in vivo disruption of the invariant residues within the canonical SWIM domain inhibits DNA damage tolerance in yeast and protein-protein interactions in yeast and humans. Furthermore, using evolutionary analyses, we found that yeast and Drosophila Shu2 exhibit strong coevolutionary signatures with meiotic proteins, and in yeast, its disruption leads to decreased meiotic progeny. Together our data indicate that the SWS1 family is an ancient and highly conserved eukaryotic regulator of meiotic and mitotic HR.
In vitro degradation of natural insoluble lignin in aqueous media by the extracellular peroxidases of Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

The lignin peroxidases (LIP) and manganese peroxidases (MNP) of Phanerochaete chrysosporium catalyze a wide range of lignin depolymerization reactions with lignin models and synthetic lignins in solution. However, their ability to degrade insoluble natural lignin in aqueous media has not been demonstrated. Insoluble isolated poplar lignin similar to natural lignin was treated in vitro in aqueous media for 12 h with LIP, MNP, and both. Treatment with MNP alone slightly increased the solid mass and produced measurable amounts of lignin-derived 2,6-dimethoxyhydroquinone and 2-methoxyhydroquinone but did not appreciably decrease the total lignin content. Treatment with LIP alone did not decrease the mass but produced measurable amounts of lignin-derived p-hydroxybenzoic acid and slightly decreased the lignin content. Finally, treatment with LIP and MNP together decreased the solid mass by 11%, decreased the lignin content by 5%, and released low-concentration compounds with mass spectra containing the typical lignin-derived electron-impact fragments of mass 107, 137, 151, 167, and 181. These results suggest that MNP increases the effectiveness of LIP-mediated lignin degradation.
Numerical investigations of cavity mode instabilities induced by a Gaussian gain medium

The variational equations of Firth [W.J. Firth, Opt. Commun. 22 (1977) 226] are used to study instabilities of the Gaussian mode of a resonator containing a Gaussian gain medium. A series of symmetric two-mirror resonators were chosen for study. When the Rayleigh range of the bare cavity Gaussian mode becomes much greater than the cavity length, and the effective gain spot size drops below that of the bare cavity mode, regions of gain in which the cavity does not have a bound, stable modes appear. This is similar to the results obtained by Firth [W.J. Firth, Opt. Commun. 27 (1978) 267] with a confocal cavity. The results are compared to diffraction calculations for the one of the resonators. The comparison points out some intriguing areas of agreement, and suggest that it may be possible to observe the effects in a real system.
Fortification of Foods with Folic Acid — How Much is Enough?

In the early 1990s two randomized clinical trials showed that folic acid, or multivitamins containing folic acid, could substantially reduce a woman's risk of bearing a child with a neural-tube def...
Interactions between Stationary Planetary Waves in the Stratosphere

The interactions between stationary planetary waves 1 and 2 are investigated using a truncated quasi-geostrophic model in a midlatitude beta channel. The model includes eight interacting horizontal modes with three zonal wave numbers and two meridional scales in a quasi-geostrophic beta channel 40 deg wide; all wave-wave interactions in the model are a result of dissipation. The procedures for solving the model equations are examined. The theory of dissipation-induced interactions is discussed in terms of interactions between weak waves under severe truncation. The behavior of small amplitude waves 1 and 2 in basic states is discussed; it is observed that wave 1 is amplified in a wave 2 basic state, and a wave 2 disturbance in a wave 1 basic state is affected by the relative phases of the waves. The dynamics of these wave interactions are analyzed using potential enstrophy budgets of the waves. The relevance of the waves to the atmosphere is studied. It is noted that the wave behavior is a combination of the linear results with an amplification of wave 1 and a strong dependence on the relative phases of waves 1 and 2 in the stratosphere.
The impact of child sexual abuse and stigma on methods of coping with sexual assault among undergraduate women.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current study was to determine whether a prior history of child sexual abuse increased the likelihood of using disengagement methods of coping with a sexual assault that had occurred within the past year. Once this was established, a mediational model was tested in which it was hypothesized that specific traumagenic dynamics and changed world views would mediate the association between child and/or adolescent sexual abuse and increased use of disengagement coping methods in response to a recent sexual assault. METHOD: One thousand and fifty women undergraduates from a New England state university completed a survey for research credit. Respondents were asked detailed questions regarding experiences of sexual assault within the past year, histories of child and/or adolescent sexual abuse, traumagenic dynamics, and world assumptions. Analyses were based on 106 participants who had experienced a sexual assault within the past year. RESULTS: Sexually assaulted young women with a history of child sexual abuse used more disengagement methods of coping to deal with the adult sexual assault than women without this history. In addition, the relationship between prior sexual abuse and the use of disengagement coping strategies was mediated by feelings of stigma, but not by feelings of betrayal and powerlessness or beliefs in the meaningfulness and benevolence of the world. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to find that sexually revictimized young women may be particularly at-risk of relying on disengagement methods of coping with sexual assault. Furthermore, this association is mediated by feelings of shame or stigma. Directions for further research and clinical implications are discussed. Language: en
Trunk bend and twist coordination is affected by low back pain status during running

Recent literature has related differences in pelvis-trunk coordination to low back pain (LBP) status. In addition, repetitive motions involving bending and twisting have been linked to high incidence of LBP. The purpose of this study was to examine trunk sagittal motion - axial rotation ('bend and twist') coordination during locomotion in three groups of runners classified by LBP status (LBP: current low back pain; RES: resolved low back pain and CTR: control group with no history of LBP). Trunk kinematic data were collected as running speed was systematically increased on a treadmill. Within-segment coordination between trunk sagittal and transverse planes of motion (trunk lean and axial rotation, respectively) was calculated using continuous relative phase (CRP), and coordination variability was defined as the between stride cycle standard deviation of CRP (CRPvar). Bend-twist coordination was more in-phase for the LBP group than CTR (p = 0.010) regardless of running speed. No differences in CRPvar were found between the groups. The results from our coordination (CRP) analysis were sensitive to LBP status and suggest that multi-plane interactions of the trunk should be considered in the assessment of LBP. This analysis also has potential for athletically oriented tasks that involve multi-plane interactions of the trunk, particularly ones that contain asymmetric action, such as sweep rowing or a shot on goal in field hockey or ice hockey.
Comment on " Sn/Ge(111) Surface Charge-Density-Wave Phase Transition".

A Comment on the Letter by T. E. Kidd, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 3684 (2000). The authors of the Letter offer a Reply.
Central AT1 and AT2 receptors mediate chronic intracerebroventricular angiotensin II-induced drinking in rats fed high sodium chloride diet from weaning.

Intracerebroventricular (ICV) angiotensin (All) administration stimulates central All receptors to induce water consumption in rats. The aim of this study was to determine the role of brain AT 1 and AT 2 receptors in mediating chronic ICV All-induced drinking in rats raised on normal or high sodium chloride diets from weaning. Rats were weaned at 21 days of age and placed on normal or high sodium chloride diet for 10-12 weeks. At adulthood, the animals were instrumented with brain lateral ventricular cannulas and femoral arterial catheters. Low dose chronic central All infusion (20 ng min -1 ) significantly (P 0.05) In contrast, in the normal sodium fed rats losartan, but not PD 123319, blocked the All-mediated water intake. The data demonstrate that in high sodium chloride fed rats All stimulates both central AT 1 and AT 2 receptors to induce drinking, while in the normal sodium chloride fed rats the peptide activates the drinking response primarily by stimulation of central AT 1 receptors.
RETRAN thermal-hydraulic analyses: Theory and applications

Abstract This paper summarizes the RETRAN Code from both a theory and application point of view. The main emphasis in the theory section is to describe the features of RETRAN beyond standard homogeneous equilibrium, point kinetic codes like RELAP4 and FLASH-4. The application section emphasizes loss of fluid test facility (LOFT) results, Three-Mile Island, and Peach bottom analyses for which data exist. Current limitations of the code are indicated.
The Influence of Various Drugs on the Growth and Beta-Aminopropionitrile-induced Dissecting Aneurysm of Turkeys

Abstract INTRODUCTION THE use of reserpine for the control of spontaneously occurring dissecting aneurysms (Carlson, 1959, 1960; Barnett, 1960; Ringer, 1960; Morrison, 1960; Patrias, 1960; Waibel, 1960) has stimulated interest in the pharmacological control of this malady. The effective nature of this drug in controlling aneurysms is usually ascribed to its hypotensive action in the turkey, e.g., Carlson (1959), Ringer (1959), Speckman and Ringer (1960), although this drug is known to have a wide spectrum of pharmacological actions. These include tranquilization, blocking of conditioned avoidance responses, anti-stress activity, intestinal stimulation, and blocking of neurogenic-induced ovulation (Bein, 1956). The possible efficacy of drugs other than reserpine with known hypotensive actions in controlling aortic ruptures is of interest. Also, the activity of other tranquilizers with little or no effect on blood pressure seems worthy of consideration. Since the incidence of spontaneous dissecting aneurysms is low and unpredictable, the use of beta-aminopropionitrile (BAPN) to…
Synthetic ion channels: from pores to biological applications

In this Account, we describe the development of several diverse families of synthetic, membrane-active amphiphiles that form pores and facilitate transport within membrane bilayers. For the most part, the compounds are amphiphiles that insert into the bilayer and form pores either on their own or by self-assembly. The first family of synthetic ion channels prepared in our lab, the hydraphiles, used crown ethers as head groups and as a polar central element. In a range of biophysical studies, we showed that the hydraphiles formed unimolecular pores that spanned the bilayer. They mediated the transport of Na+ and K+ but were blocked by Ag+. The hydraphiles are nonrectifying and disrupt ion homeostasis. As a result, these synthetic ion channels are toxic to various bacteria and yeast, a feature that has been used therapeutically in direct injection chemotherapy.We also developed a family of amphiphilic heptapeptide ion transporters that selected Cl– >10-fold over K+ and showed voltage dependent gating. The f...
Stabilization of a Metastable Polymorph of 4-Methyl-2-nitroacetanilide by Isomorphic Additives

4-Methyl-2-nitroacetanilide (1) crystallizes in white (1W), amber (1A), and yellow (1Y) modifications. The isomorphic molecules 4-chloro-2-nitroacetanilide (2) and 2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylacetanilide (3) were synthesized, and their effects on the crystallization of 1 were studied. The percentages of an additive incorporated into the 1W, 1A, and 1Y crystal lattices were determined by HPLC. Compound 2 is incorporated as a solid solution in 1A up to levels of 30% (w/w), whereas the incorporation efficiency of 3 is much lower at the same doping level. From these results it can be assumed that 2 causes less disruption to the host lattices than does 3. At the same doping level of an additive, 1A incorporates the additive at a greater level than 1W or 1Y. As the incorporation level of an additive increases, both the solution and solid-state transformation rate from 1A to either 1W or 1Y decreases. Structural comparison of the 1W, 1A, and 1Y crystal lattices indicates that the additives may be least disruptive t...
Cost-effectiveness analysis of prevention strategies for gynecologic cancers in Lynch syndrome.

BACKGROUND. Women with Lynch syndrome (hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer) have an increased lifetime risk for endometrial and ovarian cancer. Screening and prophylactic surgery have been recommended as prevention strategies. In this study, the authors estimated the net health benefits and cost-effectiveness of these strategies in a Markov decision-analytic model. METHODS. Five strategies were compared for a hypothetical cohort of women with Lynch syndrome: 1) no prevention (‘reference’); 2) prophylactic surgery (hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy) at age 30 years; 3) prophylactic surgery at age 40 years; 4) annual screening with endometrial biopsy, transvaginal ultrasound, and CA 125 from age 30 years; and 5) annual screening from age 30 years until prophylactic surgery at age 40 years (combined strategy). Net health benefit was measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and the primary outcome measured was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Baseline and transition probabilities were obtained from published literature, and costs were from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Agency for Health Care Quality and Research. Sensitivity analyses were performed for uncertainty around various parameters. RESULTS. The combined strategy provided the highest net health benefit (18.98 QALYs) but had an ICER of $194,650 per QALY relative to the next best strategy (prophylactic surgery at age 40 years). Prophylactic surgery at age 30 years and annual screening were dominated by alternate strategies. CONCLUSIONS. Annual screening followed by prophylactic surgery at age 40 years was the most effective gynecologic cancer prevention strategy, but the incremental benefit over prophylactic surgery alone was attained at substantial cost. The ICER would become favorable by improving the effectiveness and reducing the costs of screening in this population. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
XY chromosomal bivalent: Nucleolar attraction

Nucleolar organization by autosomal bivalents occurs during male meiotic prophase in mammalian species. During late leptotene-early zygotene stages, several autosomal bivalents are engaged in ribosomal RNA synthesis. At pachytene stage, nucleolar masses detach from the sites of primary autosomal origin, relocate close to the XY chromosomal pair, and nucleolar components become segregated. In early pachytene, an extensive synaptonemal complex at the pseudoautosomal region, links X and Y chromosomes in close juxtaposition along most of the length of the Y chromosome, except for a terminal region of the Y that diverges from the pairing region. As meiotic prophase advances, X and Y chromosomes progressively desynapse and, at diplotene, the XY pair is associated end-to-end. Xmr (Xlr-related, meiosis regulated) is a protein component of the nucleolus associated to the XY pair and of the asynapsed portions of the X and Y axial cores. Xmr, like SCP3, is a component of the lateral element of the synaptonemal complex. Both share structural homology in their C-terminal region. This region contains several putative coiled-coil domains known to mediate heterodimeric protein-protein interactions and to provide binding sites to regulatory proteins. Like Xmr, the tumor repressor protein BRCA1 is present along the unsynapsed cores of the XY bivalent. Both Xmr and BRCA1 have been implicated in a mechanism leading to chromatin condensation and transcription inactivation of the XY bivalent. The BRCA1-ATR kinase complex, as recent research suggests, triggers the phosphorylation of histone H2AX, which predominates in the condensed chromatin of the XY chromosomal pair. Xmr is not present in the XY bivalent when the expression of histone H2AX is deficient. The role of Xmr in chromatin condensation of the XY bivalent has not been determined. The partial structural homology of SCP3 and Xmr, their distribution along the unsynapsed axial cores of the X and Y chromosomes, and the presence of Xmr in the XY pair-associated nucleolus raises the possibility that Xmr, and other proteins including protein kinases, may be recruited to the nucleolus to perform functions related to chromosomal synapsis, chromatin condensation and recombination processes, as well as cell cycle progression.
Clinical use of Norgestomet ear implants or intravaginal pessaries for synchronization of estrus in anestrous dairy goats.

Abstract Ear implants that contained 3 mg Norgestomet or vaginal pessaries that contained 40 or 45 mg fluorogestone acetate were used to induce estrus in dairy goats in three herds in May. Ear implants or vaginal pessaries were left in place for 11 d. Cloprostenol (50 μg) and PMSG (500 IU) were administered i.m. 24 h prior to removal of ear implants or vaginal pessaries. After removal of vaginal pessaries, onset of standing estrus occurred in 22 23 goats (96%) at 20 ± 4.7 h, in 19 20 goats (95%) at 22 ± 6.3 h, and in 16 16 goats (100%) at 19 ± 1.2 h in Herds A, B and C, respectively. After removal of ear implants, onset of standing estrus occurred in 25 25 goats (100%) at 19 ± 4.9 h, in 20 22 goats (91%) at 22 ± 7.0 h, and in 15 15 goats (100%) at 18 ± 2.2 h in Herds A, B and C, respectively. Does were bred by natural service in Herds A and B, and by artificial insemination 28 h after vaginal pessary or ear implant removal in Herd C. Pregnancy rates were determined 39 to 53 d post breeding by real-time ultrasound. Pregnancy rates in goats with vaginal pessaries were 32, 55 and 6%; and in goats with ear implants they were 56, 67 and 27% in Herds A, B and C, respectively. Problems encountered included poor libido in some bucks, abortions in undersized yearling does, and loss of ear implants by three does (not included in the data). Statistically there was no difference in pregnancy rates between goats receiving vaginal pessaries or ear implants (P>0.10).
Daucane esters from Ferula communis subsp. communis

Abstract Fourteen daucane esters together with a known propiophenone 3,4-methylenedioxy-5-hydroxy-propiophenone, were isolated from Ferula communis subsp. communis . Except for the 6-( p -anisic acid) ester of jaeschkeanadiol all these esters are new. Structures were elucidated using spectral properties of the esters and their partial hydrolysis products. X-ray diffraction analysis of one of the compounds confirmed its structure including the stereochemical assignments made on the basis of spectral data.
Relative efficacy of lactate isomers in the repair of acidosis in cats

Abstract Sodium L-lactate was rapidly effective in the repair of acutely induced cation-deficit acidosis in cats. At 30 minutes, the results of treatment with this isomer were equal to those achieved with sodium bicarbonate. Sodium D-lactate was completely ineffective in cats under these conditions. The results of treatment with sodium R-lactate were intermediate and indicated that only half of the sodium administered was available for buffer base extension during the 2-hour experimental period. It was apparent that the L-lactate was appreciably more effective in the treatment of cation-deficit acidosis than was the R-lactate currently in use.
Adsorption and desorption of butanethiol on Au{100}-(5×20)

Abstract The adsorption and desorption of butanethiol in ultra-high vacuum on Au{100}-(5×20) has been investigated using temperature programmed desorption/reaction (TPD/R), low energy electron diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy. The TPD/R results clearly show that butanethiol adsorbs into both a chemisorbed and a physisorbed state. Desorption of physisorbed butanethiol occurs molecularly at ∼138 K. By contrast, desorption of the chemisorbed butanethiolate species occurs with decomposition at ∼500 K to yield primarily 1-butene; the thiol sulfur remains adsorbed on the surface and either desorbs or possibly dissolves into the bulk of the gold sample at above 700 K. The substrate temperature dependence of the chemisorption process suggests a precursor mechanism for the chemisorption kinetics. The TPD/R results also show that chemisorption does not occur on a very clean and ordered Au{100}-(5×20) surface at 100 K, and that low coverages of pre-adsorbed sulfur atoms facilitate the chemisorption process, suggesting a defect-mediated precursor mechanism.
A nonlinear regression model for describing averaged growth curves of mice

A general four parameter growth curve is presented as a model for the growth curve of a group of mice for which averaged weights of the group are available. Several data sets of mice weights obtained from experiments performed at the National Center for Toxicological Research are analyzed. The results are compared with traditional models for growth curves. Both additive and multiplicative error models are analyzed. It is shown that for this data the four parameter model gives a much better fit than traditional growth curve models and should be given serious consideration in model fitting.
The Equivalence of Cohen's Kappa and Pearson's Chi-Square Statistics in the 2 × 2 Table

With two judges and a two-point rating scale, the test statistic for Kappa is the same as Pearson's chi-square statistic applied to the 2 × 2 table of paired observations. This equivalence allows a quick test of the null hypothesis of no agreement, as Pearson's chisquare statistic is much less cumbersome to compute than the Kappa statistic and its variance. A simple formula for the null hypothesis variance is also derived.
Intranasal lidocaine to prevent headache following migraine aura.

Objective.—To report the consistent effect of intranasal lidocaine 4% on preventing headache following aura in one individual. Background.—A treatment that could prevent the headache which follows an aura would be an important advance in the treatment of migraine. No migraine abortive treatment has been shown to have such an effect. Methods.–A 15-year-old adolescent boy with a history of recurrent headache since aged 2, fulfilling the criteria for migraine with aura, was seen in consultation. Intranasal lidocaine 4% was used during the aura phase to prevent the headaches. Results.—Before using intranasal lidocaine, the patient invariably experienced a migraine following a typical visual aura. The episodes occurred approximately weekly, with a stable pattern for several years. When given during the aura, intranasal lidocaine prevented the headache following the aura, and remained successful on all but two occasions over 1 ½ years of use (approximately 75 episodes). Them was no effect on the duration of the aura itself. Conclusions.–Intranasal lidocaine consistently prevented the development of headache symptoms following aura in this individual. Such an effect suggests a role for the sphenopalatine ganglion in the development of migraine pain.
Impact of Process Variations on Reliability and Performance of 32-nm 6T SRAM at Near Threshold Voltage

Power consumption has become a major concern of integrated circuit (IC) design, especially for SRAM design. Reducing the supply voltage to the near-threshold region is one method to reduce the power consumption. However, operating in this region makes the circuit more sensitive to process variations. In this paper, the impact of process variations on a 32-nm 6T SRAM cell under near-threshold voltage is studied using Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate the potential for soft errors. The double-exponential current source is used to simulate the strike of an ionizing particle onto nodes of interest. The results show that threshold voltage variability is a more significant parameter affecting the critical charge distribution of the circuit under both near-threshold voltage and nominal supply voltage. Also under near-threshold voltage, the leakage power in standby mode is reduced compared to the nominal supply voltage, and the write delay time of the SRAM circuit is much larger than the nominal supply voltage.
Open Loop Control of Combustion Instability With a High-Momentum Air-Jet

A new strategy for open-loop control of combustion oscillations using a high-momentum air-jet modulated at low frequencies is presented in this paper. The oscillations in the swirl-stabilized spray combustor of interest are dominated by an acoustic mode (235 Hz) with a low frequency (13 Hz) bulkmode (of the upstream cavity) oscillation superimposed. The most effective strategy for control is shown to be achieved through the use of a new concept which utilizes a high-momentum air-jet injected directly into the region of flame dynamics. It is shown that with a low frequency modulation (15 Hz) of the high momentum air-jet, the pressure oscillations can be reduced significantly (by a factor of nearly 10). Square wave modulation is shown to be considerably more effective than sine-wave modulation. These results are extremely promising since high bandwidth actuation is not required for effective control.Copyright © 2004 by ASME