cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nanoparticle Inhalation Impairs Coronary Microvascular Reactivity via a Local Reactive Oxygen Species-Dependent Mechanism

We have shown that nanoparticle inhalation impairs endothelium-dependent vasodilation in coronary arterioles. It is unknown whether local reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to this effect. Rats were exposed to TiO(2) nanoparticles via inhalation to produce a pulmonary deposition of 10 microg. Coronary arterioles were isolated from the left anterior descending artery distribution, and responses to acetylcholine, arachidonic acid, and U46619 were assessed. Contributions of nitric oxide synthase and prostaglandin were assessed via competitive inhibition with N(G)-Monomethyl-L-Arginine (L-NMMA) and indomethacin. Microvascular wall ROS were quantified via dihydroethidium (DHE) fluorescence. Coronary arterioles from rats exposed to nano-TiO(2) exhibited an attenuated vasodilator response to ACh, and this coincided with a 45% increase in DHE fluorescence. Coincubation with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl and catalase ameliorated impairments in ACh-induced vasodilation from nanoparticle exposed rats. Incubation with either L-NMMA or indomethacin significantly attenuated ACh-induced vasodilation in sham-control rats, but had no effect in rats exposed to nano-TiO(2). Arachidonic acid induced vasoconstriction in coronary arterioles from rats exposed to nano-TiO(2), but dilated arterioles from sham-control rats. These results suggest that nanoparticle exposure significantly impairs endothelium-dependent vasoreactivity in coronary arterioles, and this may be due in large part to increases in microvascular ROS. Furthermore, altered prostanoid formation may also contribute to this dysfunction. Such disturbances in coronary microvascular function may contribute to the cardiac events associated with exposure to particles in this size range.
Characterizing mineral dusts and other aerosols from the Middle East--Part 2: grab samples and re-suspensions.

The purpose of the Enhanced Particulate Matter Surveillance Program was to provide scientifically founded information on the chemical and physical properties of dust collected during a period of approximately 1 year in Djibouti, Afghanistan (Bagram, Khowst), Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Iraq (Balad, Baghdad, Tallil, Tikrit, Taji, Al Asad), and Kuwait (northern, central, coastal, and southern regions). To fully understand mineral dusts, their chemical and physical properties, as well as mineralogical inter-relationships, were accurately established. In addition to the ambient samples, bulk soil samples were collected at each of the 15 sites. In each case, approximately 1kg of soil from the top 10 mm at a previously undisturbed area near the aerosol sampling site was collected. The samples were air-dried and sample splits taken for soil analysis. Further sample splits were sieved to separate the <38 µm particle fractions for mineralogical analysis. Examples of major-element and trace-element chemistry, mineralogy, and other physical properties of the 15 grab samples are presented. The purpose of the trace-element analysis was to measure levels of potentially harmful metals while the major-element and ion-chemistry analyses provided an estimate of mineral components. X-ray diffractometry provided a measure of the mineral content of the dust. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy was used to analyze chemical composition of small individual particles. From similarities in the chemistry and mineralogy of re-suspended and ambient sample sets, it is evident that portions of the ambient dust are from local soils.
HIV IN OLDER AMERICANS: AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC PERSPECTIVE

The elderly population is increasing as baby boomers are beginning to approach retirement. People 65 years of age or older already constitute approximately one eighth of the U.S. population; this proportion is expected to double in the next 50 years. Older Americans have their own population-specific health challenges, such as Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, adult-onset diabetes, prostate cancer, menopause, and hypertension. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are seldom discussed within this community. Prevention, counseling, testing, and education efforts are not being directed their way. In addition, few practitioners are experts both in HIV and health problems associated with aging, resulting in misdiagnosis, especially in the early stages when AIDS symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, night sweats, and diminished appetite are dismissed as part of the aging process. Very few HIV-related social support services have been aimed at the needs of the elderly, perhaps because older Americans are not suspected to be sexually active or are assumed to be in a monogamous, heterosexual relationship. Older Americans are not suspected of drug use. Yet many are sexually active, often demonstrating risky sexual behavior, such as dispensing with the use of condoms; and the isolation that frequently accompanies old age can lead to alcoholism and injectable drug use. This article examines methods suggested in the literature both in terms of primary and secondary prevention of HIV/AIDS in older Americans. The cost of these efforts is enumerated, and organizations who gear their efforts in reaching and educating older Americans regarding their risks are described.
Spherical carbon particles and carbon nanotubes prepared by autogenic reactions: Evaluation as anodes in lithium electrochemical cells

Autogenic reactions, based on the decomposition of one or more precursors at elevated temperatures with self generated pressures can be used to prepare a wide range of materials with interesting structural, morphological and technological properties. Recent reports that spherical carbon particles and carbon nanotubes can be prepared by this technique from waste products, such as used plastic bags, have highlighted this environmentally-attractive approach to synthesize new or modified carbon-based materials. In this paper, we report the synthesis of spherical carbon particles and carbon nanotubes and their evaluation as negative electrodes (anodes) in lithium electrochemical cells. A steady reversible capacity of approximately 240 mAh/g for hundreds of cycles was achieved from both types of carbon, when cycled at a 1C rate between 1.5 V and 5 mV. A reversible capacity of 372 mAh/g, i.e., the theoretical value for graphite, was obtained from the carbon nanotube electrodes by raising the upper voltage limit to 3 V. To increase the graphitic order in the carbon spheres, the particles were heated to 2400 °C in an inert atmosphere. This treatment reduced the first cycle irreversible capacity loss of Li/C half cells from 60 to 20%, the spherical carbon electrodes yielding a stable 252 mAh/g discharge capacity for numerous cycles. Structural and morphological information about the parent and cycled carbon electrodes, obtained by powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, and electron dispersive analysis of X-rays is provided.
A Very High Event Rate Data Acquisition System in Fastbus

A very high event rate Data Acquisition System is described. This DAS is planned for NA36, an SPS heavy ion experiment at CERN that uses calorimetry, wire chambers and a TPC to look for strangeness production enhancement as a signature of the quark-gluon plasma. Because of the high multiplicity final states and the fact that such states have never been seen, real time event selection is impractical and the DAS must record unusual amounts of data. The purpose is to organize and record 1000 events of 20 K byte average size during the 2 sec beam spill and to archive these events during the 10 seconds between spills. Full scale system testing is scheduled for June 1986, so considerable use of FASTBUS modules, developed at other institutions, is made in this design. The overall system block diagram is shown in Fig. 1.
File system virtual appliances: Portable file system implementations

File system virtual appliances (FSVAs) address the portability headaches that plague file system (FS) developers. By packaging their FS implementation in a virtual machine (VM), separate from the VM that runs user applications, they can avoid the need to port the file system to each operating system (OS) and OS version. A small FS-agnostic proxy, maintained by the core OS developers, connects the FSVA to whatever OS the user chooses. This article describes an FSVA design that maintains FS semantics for unmodified FS implementations and provides desired OS and virtualization features, such as a unified buffer cache and VM migration. Evaluation of prototype FSVA implementations in Linux and NetBSD, using Xen as the virtual machine manager (VMM), demonstrates that the FSVA architecture is efficient, FS-agnostic, and able to insulate file system implementations from OS differences that would otherwise require explicit porting.
Sequential maximum likelihood estimation with applications to logistic regression in case-control studies

Abstract In sequential estimation, the investigator obtains data sequentially, collecting observations until his estimator for parameters of interest is sufficiently precise. This note examines sequential estimation in the context of asymptotic likelihood inference in which sampling continues until the smallest eigenvalue of the estimated Fisher information matrix has attained a desired size. The observations are independent but not necessarily indentically distributed. This note shows that to first-order approximation one can ignore the sequential sampling scheme when doing inference. The maximum likelihood estimator is asymptotically normally distributed with asymptotic variance matrix equal to the inverse of the Fisher information matrix when sampling stops. The asymptotically normal distribution of the sequential sample size is derived. This note looks at logistic regression in retrospective case-control studies and shows by Monte Carlo simulation that the asymptotic theory holds very well even for moderate sample sizes.
Absorption, Fluorescence, and Magnetic Properties of Gadolinium Chloride (GdCl 3 ·6H 2 O)†

A study of the Zeeman effect of absorption lines of GdCl3·6H2O and its dependence on the orientation of the crystal has given the constants for the magnetic ellipsoids for the ground state and 11 excited states. Evidence is presented for identifying the first three absorption groups as transitions from 8S to 6P7/2, 6P5/2, and 6I7/2. The magnetic observations were made at 77°K, 4.2°K, and 1.7°K and field-free spectra also taken at 195°K and 273°K. Very strong fluorescence is observed from the lowest excited state to the ground state.The magnetic axes are approximately but not exactly the same for all observed states. The direction of maximum susceptibility is not that of the twofold crystal axis but perpendicular to it. There are small but definite deviations from isotropic magnetic behavior for the ground state.
Estimation of serum IgE by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Abstract A reliable and relatively simple method for the estimation of serum IgE is presented. It is a modification of radioimmune inhibition methods in which the marker is an enzyme, alkaline phosphatase, not radioactivity. The method does not require radioactivity or expensive equipment, and the reagents are stable for long periods of time. As presented it has a minimum sensitivity of about 10 ng. per milliliter. The reproducibility of the method is ±3 per cent and for correlation with radioimmunoassay ϱ = 0.97.
Cardiac arrest before repair or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulation does not increase the mortality rate associated with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Abstract Despite recent advances in the management of high-risk congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), mortality remains high. Deaths occur later because infants with inadequate pulmonary parenchyma are treated aggressively but eventually succumb to respiratory failure. In an attempt to identify absolute predictors of mortality the authors examined retrospectively their experience with CDH to determine if cardiac arrest before repair or initiation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) invariably increased mortality. The authors reviewed the charts of 119 infants who had high-risk CDH treated between 1981 and 1994. They were divided into two groups: those that suffered cardiopulmonary arrest (CA, n=21) before CDH repair or ECMO cannulation; and those that did not (NCA, N=98). The authors compared mortality rate, ventilatory parameters, duration of, and complications on ECMO, as well as length of hospitalization between groups. Twenty-one infants suffered CA before initiation of ECMO support or CDH repair. Three infants (14%) suffered CA before arrival at our institution; seven (33%) after, and 11 (53%) both before and after arrival. There was no difference between the CA and NCA groups in terms of birth weight, gestational age, race and gender mix, or pregnancy and delivery complications. Five-minute Apgar scores were significantly lower in the CA group compared with the NCA group (4.6 v 5.7, P = .04). The CA group also had significantly worse "best postductal" blood gas and ventilatory parameters. There was no significant difference in length of hospitalization, time from admission to ECMO cannulation or CDH repair, or incidence of complications while on ECMO between the two groups. CA cases were more likely to require ECMO support (76% v 48%, P = .02) and to stay on ECMO for a more prolonged period than NCA cases (5.8 v 3.8 days, P = NS). However, there was no significant difference in overall survival between CA and NCA cases (43% v 51%, P = NS). Cardiopulmonary arrest before repair of CDH or ECMO cannulation is not a univariate independent predictor of mortality and therefore should not preclude these highrisk infants from maximum intensive care therapy, including ECMO cannulation.
Off-beam lidar: an emerging technique in cloud remote sensing based on radiative green-function theory in the diffusion domain

Abstract Atmospheric lidars do not penetrate directly most boundary-layer clouds due to their large optical density. However, the lidar's photons are not absorbed but scattered out of the beam. Typically, about half are actually transmitted through the cloud and the other half escape the cloud by reflection in extended diffuse patterns that evolve in time. For all practical purposes, these are the cloud's space-time Green functions (GFs). In a Fourier-Laplace expansion of the space-time GF, the leading term is representative of solar remote-sensing (i.e., steady/uniform source) while higher-order terms correspond to active approaches with temporal- and/or spatial- resolution capabilities. Radiative GF theory is tractable within the limits of photon-diffusion theory and homogeneous clouds. Monte Carlo simulations with realistically variable cloud models are used to extend the range of validity of analytical GF theory with minor modifications. GF theory tells us that physical and optical cloud thicknesses can be retrieved from off-beam cloud lidar returns.
Fixed-point smoothing of sequentially correlated processes

The fixed-point smoothing problem of sequentially correlated processes is considered. The filtering technique of such processes is extended to smoothing problems by simultaneously estimating the state and the accumulated contribution of process noise. Suboptimal filtering and smoothing are also discussed when data noise is regarded white in designing filters although it is actually sequentially correlated.
Concurrent Simulations of Musculoskeletal Movements and Tissue Deformations

In computational biomechanics, there are two well-developed but separate modeling domains: multibody (MB) dynamics for body movements, and finite element (FE) modeling or tissue deformations. State of the art movement simulations make use of accurate musculoskeletal models and allow prediction of resultant forces in joints and muscles. These simulations, however, do not explicitly represent the distribution of mechanical loads within these anatomical structures. One approach to overcome this limitation is to use these resultant loads as input for a finite element model which is then used for postprocessing at specific instants in time.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Natural levels of lead and cadmium in a remote mountain stream

Lead and cadmium concentrations in marine and terrestrial ecosystems, on surfaces of soil particles, and in the atmosphere have been highly elevated on a global scale because of industrial pollution. In order to ascertain the natural (rock-derived) levels of lead and cadmium in streams, a pristine mountain watershed in the Sierra Nevada, California, was studied in respect to its lead and cadmium contents. The transport of lead and cadmium was compared to iron since it shares similar transport patterns with lead and cadmium, and is relatively uninfluenced by pollution. The concentrations of lead and cadmium in a late-summer mountain drainage water are shown to be close to natural levels that are controlled by the weathering of bedrock and soil. This is demonstrated by (1) measurements of lead isotopic composition, and Fe/Pb ratios in stream water, ground water, soil and bedrock, and (2) the rapid removal rate of excess atmospheric lead and cadmium from the water as it flows downstream. Lead is taken up by particles (mostly hydrous iron oxides) in the studied stream during the autumn at a relatively constant rate. On the other hand, cadmium behavior in the stream water is erratic and cannot be explained by the same adsorption mechanism as lead. The Fe/Pb ratio is constant within an order of magnitude in the bedrock, the soil, soil and rock leachates, unfiltered and filtered ground water, and in filtered and unfiltered stream water. Therefore, the Fe/Pb ratio may provide a first-order estimate for the concentration of natural lead in streams draining through granitoid bedrocks.
Diagnostic accuracy studies of fine-needle aspiration show wide variation in reporting of study population characteristics: implications for external validity.

Context.—Study comparisons rest on the assessment of applicability or external validity. Population characteristics are an important component of external validity and, although there has been a he...
Resampling of network-induced variability in estimates of terrestrial air temperature change

Uneven and changing spatial distributions of air temperature stations can produce unrepresentative samples of the space-time variability of near-surface air temperature. Over the last century, station networks have varied from less than 300 stations that are largely limited to the Northern Hemisphere to nearly 1700 stations that are fairly well distributed over the terrestrial surface. As a result, estimates of air temperature change derived from historical observation networks often contain network-induced variability. Spatial resampling methods are used to estimate network-induced variability in terrestrially averaged air temperature anomalies and trends. Random resampling from the station networks allows pseudo confidence intervals and other statistics of variability to be estimated. Network-induced variability appears to be substantial during the late 1800s, especially in the Southern Hemisphere. Most networks from the 1900s and the Northern Hemisphere, however, appear to produce reliable estimates of spatially averaged air temperature anomalies and trends. A non-random, but historically appropriate, resampling method - sampling a given year's air temperature anomaly field using another year's station distribution - also is used. Using 1987 - one of the warmest years on record - as an example, station distributions from 1881-1988 are used to sample the 1987 air temperature anomaly field. This sampling procedure produces spatially averaged air temperature anomalies for 1987 that vary by over 0.3°C. A combinatorial process of resampling a given year's anomaly field is repeated for every year and every station network to produce terrestrial average air temperature anomaly estimates that vary by more than 0.3°C solely due to network changes.
Effects of uridine diphosphoglucose (UDPG) infusion on 5-phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate (PRPP) levels of mouse tissues.

Abstract Uridine diphosphoglucose (UDPG) has been shown to have tissue-specific effects that have proved to be of clinical value in the treatment of some liver ailments. In an effort to determine something about the mechanism of action, we investigated the effect of UDPG on the levels of 5-phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate (PRPP) and PRPP synthetase in mouse liver, spleen and transplanted tumors. Three strains of mice were studied with and without tumors under various experimental conditions. Balb/c mice were infused with UDPG intraperitoneally at levels of 0.16 g/kg/day (0.28mmole) to 1.6 g/kg/day (2.8 mmoles) for 5 days. At the low dose rate the PRPP level in the liver was found to increase 3-fold. A slight increase was noted in the activity of PRPP synthetase. However, when the UDPG was infused at a level of 2.8 mmoles/kg/day, the increases in both the synthetase and PRPP were inhibited. Both CRF1 and CD8 mice were less sensitive to the effects of UDPG per se. However, the high level of PRPP in the tumors they carried was greatly affected by the UDPG infusion. The tumor-specific inhibition of PRPP suggests that this action might prove to be useful combination therapy with inhibitors of purine and pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis in various rescue regimens. UDPG was found to enter cells intact before it was cleaved into glucose phosphate and UMP. The fact that UDPG was also found in the membrane fraction suggests that either there is a specific transport mechanism or UDPG exerts its action via interaction with the cell membrane.
Sexual Responsiveness in Women: Physiological Correlates

42 women described their degree of sexual responsiveness and also the quality of their sexual experiences. A variety of measures of physiological reactivity (e.g., heart rate, vaginal temperature, GSR) were also obtained from them. The chief positive finding was that those who experienced intercourse as having an intense, arousing quality followed by relaxation in the post-orgasm period were characterized by relatively high levels of physiological arousal in a setting with numerous sexual connotations.
Laser ultrasonic array system for real-time cure monitoring of polymer-matrix composites

A laser ultrasonic system for real-time cure monitoring of a graphite-epoxy composite is proposed. The system contains an array of fiberized laser ultrasonic sources, and an embedded fiber optic Sagnac ultrasonic sensor, and is integrated with a Resin Transfer Molding machine. The use of an optical switch allows ultrasonic generation at several locations of the composite part. Ultrasound generated by the laser source is transmitted into the composite and is detected by the embedded sensor. The cure state is inferred from measurements of ultrasonic velocity. The results of ultrasonic measurements during manufacturing of a composite specimen are presented. The laser ultrasonic cure monitoring system described in this paper has the ability tooperate in a high temperature and high pressure environment; is small enough to be incorporated into molds; and measures the cure state at several locations within the composite part.
The prevalence of HLA-B27 in the US: Data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009

Objective To carry out the first large-scale population study of the prevalence of HLA–B27 in the US, which is needed for public health planning purposes because of recent improvements in medical therapy and diagnostic testing for ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods The national prevalence of HLA–B27 was determined as part of the 2009 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a cross-sectional survey monitoring the health and nutritional status of the US civilian, noninstitutionalized population. DNA polymerase chain reaction analysis was conducted in samples from 2,320 adults ages 20–69 years from this nationally representative sample. Results The age-adjusted US prevalence of B27 was 6.1% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 4.6–8.2). By race/ethnicity, the prevalence of B27 was 7.5% (95% CI 5.3–10.4) among non-Hispanic whites and 3.5% (95% CI 2.5–4.8) among all other US races/ethnicities combined. In Mexican Americans, the prevalence was 4.6% (95% CI 3.4–6.1). The prevalence of B27 could not be reliably estimated for other US racial/ethnic groups because of the low number of B27-positive individuals in those groups. For adults 50–69 years of age, the prevalence of B27 was 3.6% (95% CI 2.2–5.8), which suggested a decrease in B27 with age. These prevalence estimates took into account the NHANES survey design and are reviewed with respect to data from the medical literature. Conclusion Our findings provide the first US national prevalence estimates for HLA–B27. A decline in the prevalence of HLA–B27 with age is suggested by these data but must be confirmed by additional studies.
The defect structure of CdTe

Evidence concerning the defect structure of CdTe is reviewed with particular reference to the conditions producing high resistivity material.
Strengthening of iron aluminides by vacancies and/or nickel

Abstract At room temperature, iron aluminides may be strengthened by quenched-in thermal vacancies as well as by solid solution alloying additions. Since the separation of these two effects requires precise vacancy concentration measurements, a novel extrapolation procedure was developed to determine vacancy volume fractions with an accuracy approaching 1 part in 10 000. The rate of removal of quenched-in vacancies during annealing, as well as the hardening by vacancies, were found to be influenced by solid solution additions of Ni to Fe-45 at.% Al. First, yield strength and density measurements showed that nickel slows down the removal of vacancies, making it more difficult to obtain iron aluminides with low vacancy concentrations. Second, in the absence of vacancies, additions of nickel result in substantial strengthening. Third, for high vacancy concentrations (e.g. 0.2 vol.%), nickel additions can cause softening. These results are rationalized in terms of the interaction between the vacancies and the nickel atoms.
Diel Vertical Migration in Daphina Iumholtzi (Sars)

ABSTRACT In light of recent studies which suggest that the extreme morphology of Daphnia lumholtzi (Sars) does not effectively deter all vertebrate predators, we sought to determine if this species exhibits behavioral responses that, may minimize planktivory by fish. Zooplankton vertical migration patterns were monitored in Newton Lake (Jasper County, Illinois, USA) by sampling the same site every 4 h for 48 h at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 m depths. Single factor ANOVAs revealed that Daphnia lumholtzi, Diaphanosoma brachyurum, Daphnia pulex, mature calanoid and cyclopoid copepods, and Chaoborus punctipennis were migrating vertically, but rotifers and copepod nauplii were not. The occurrence of diel vertical migration in D. lumholtzi suggests that extreme morphological features possessed by this species may not deter all predators. Temporal overlap in vertical distribution of D. lumholtzi and Chaoborus punctipennis indicates that vertical migration in this species is not an effort to avoid the only invertebrate pre...
Combinatorial expression of immediate early genes in single neurons

To address the question how relatively small numbers of immediate early gene (IEG) could specifically couple a wide range of stimulus-response cascades, we examined the possibility that IEG could be expressed heterogeneously in individual neurons. Analysis of multiple IEG in single neurons revealed that many individual DRG neurons express several IEGs. The combinatorial expression of IEGs by individual DRG displays substantial heterogeneity. Analysis of mRNA species encoding AP-1 composition in single cells also revealed coordinated change of mRNAs coding for AP-1 factors after membrane depolarization. Our results indicate that differential expression of IEG in individual cells, and the possible interaction among them may represent a mechanism by which the specificity in stimulation-response coupling may be achieved by IEGs.
Lorentz covariant representation of the NN interaction at energies above 500 MeV

Abstract Using the formalism developed in the paper by Maxwell [Nucl. Phys. A 600 (1996) 509] a relativistic Love-Franey representation of the NN t -matrix has been obtained over the laboratory energy range from 500 to 800 MeV. The real and imaginary parts of this t -matrix are expanded separately in complete sets of on-shell Lorentz invariant amplitudes, which are represented by isoscalar and isovector “meson” exchanges. The masses associated with these exchanges are assumed to be independent of energy, while the coupling strengths and form factor masses are allowed to vary quadratically and linearly with energy, respectively. Direct and exchange contributions to the interaction are handled explicitly in the model. The model parameters are fit to the Summer 1997 Arndt amplitudes [Arndt and Roper, VPI and SU scattering analysis interactive dial-in program and data base (SAID)] and results given for various np and pp observables. The spin-averaged differential cross section and the vector asymmetry are generally reproduced quite well. The results for the other observables considered are not quite as good, especially at higher energy.
Is the wealth of the world’s billionaires not Paretian?

Abstract According to previous studies that applied a popular goodness-of-fit test, the wealth of the world’s billionaires does not follow a Pareto distribution. The test applied by those studies assumes that wealth is measured without error, yet, if different sources of data on the wealthiest people in the world are compared, then wealth appears to be measured with error. This paper shows that the conclusions drawn from the goodness-of-fit test can change when the test is modified to account for measurement errors.
Endothelial-specific ablation of serum response factor causes hemorrhaging, yolk sac vascular failure, and embryonic lethality.

Background Serum response factor (SRF), a member of the MADS box family of nuclear transcription factors, plays an important role in cardiovascular development and function. Numerous studies demonstrate a central role for SRF in regulating smooth and cardiac muscle cell gene expression. Consistent with this, loss of SRF function blocks differentiation of coronary vascular smooth muscle cells from proepicardial precursors, indicating SRF is necessary for coronary vasculogenesis. The role of SRF in endothelial cell contribution during early vascular development, however, has not been addressed. To investigate this, we generated transgenic mice lacking expression of SRF in endothelial cells. Mice expressing Cre recombinase (Tie2Cre+) under Tie2 promoter control were bred to mice homozygous for Srf alleles containing loxP recombination sites within the Srf gene (Srff/f). Tie2 is a tyrosine kinase receptor expressed predominantly on endothelial cells that mediates signalling during different stages of blood vessel remodelling. Resulting embryos were harvested at specific ages for observation of physical condition and analysis of genotype.
Imino-ether complexes of platinum: cis-[PtCl2(NHC(OR)Me)2] and [PtCl4(NHC(OR)Me)2], where R = Me, Et and Pri. Preparation, characterization and X-ray structure for [PtCl4(NHC(OPri)Me)2]2

Abstract The reaction of cis-PtCl2(NCMe)2 with KOH or KOPh in MeOH, EtOH or PriOH produces the imino-ether complexes [PtCl2(NHC(OR)Me)2] which have been characterized by IR, NMR and elemental analysis. The crystal structure of [PtCl2(NHC(OPri)Me)2]2 was determined by X-ray diffraction. Each molecule comprises two units of [PtCl2(NHC(OPri)Me)2] with a PtPt distance of 3.327(1) A. The lack of any bridging ligand suggests the presence of hydrogen bonds. The N(4)C1(3′) and N(11)C1(2′) distances are within the range of van der Waals' interactions. Oxidation reactions of these compounds with C6H5ICl2 give the corresponding platinum(IV) complexes [PtCl4(NHC(OR)Me)2].
The Sequence from Invention to Innovation and Its Relation to Economic Growth

Introduction, 97. — I. The propensity to develop pure science, 98. — II. The propensity to invent, 102. — III. The propensity to innovate, 105. — IV. The propensity to finance innovation, 108. — V. The propensity to accept innovations, 110.
Ganglion cell acuity in hooded rats

Abstract Previous measurements of retinal ganglion cell acuity in hooded rats have differed significantly from behavioral tests of visual acuity. One possible source of this discrepancy is examined—that light deprivation in early life may result in deficits in ganglion cell acuity. No evidence to support this hypothesis is found. Rat retinal ganglion cells exhibit a broad range of acuities. Cells with the highest resolving capacities have acuities close to those measured previously in behavioral tests. The relationships which may potentially exist between physiological and behavioral measures of visual acuity are discussed.
Assessing automobile head restraint positioning in Portland, Oregon

Objective: Automobile head restraints, when used properly, have been shown to decrease the incidence and severity of whiplash injuries to the neck. Before the development of a public campaign on proper head restraint positioning, the authors assessed head restraint positioning and public understanding. Design: Over a one month period, the position of the vehicle head restraint of drivers was observed in moving cars in the city of Portland, Oregon (population 530 000). Optimal position was defined as having the head restraint above the ears with the back of the head touching the head restraint. A questionnaire on head restraint understanding was administered to people during jury service. Results: Of the 4287 drivers observed, 1% (n = 30) had no head restraint on their seat, 4% (n = 158) had a fixed head restraint, and 95% (n = 4099) had an adjustable head restraint. Among the fixed head restraints, 21% (33/158) were positioned optimally with no horizontal gap. Among the adjustable head restraints, only 7% (280/4099) had optimal head restraint positioning. Overall, 93% (3974/4287) of all head restraints observed were suboptimally positioned. Seventy five percent (38/51) of polled Portland residents identified safety as the primary head restraint function. Conclusion: Ninety three percent of all head restraints observed were suboptimally positioned. Fixed head restraints were three times more likely to be in optimal position than adjustable head restraints (21% v 7%). Most polled Portland residents understood the proper function and positioning of head restraints. This discrepancy between actual practice and understanding should be addressed with public education and manufacturer design changes.
Binding energies of Wannier excitons in GaAs-Ga1−xAlxAs quantum well structures

Abstract Binding energies of Wannier excitons in a quantum well structure consisting of a single slab of GaAs sandwiched between two semi-infinite slabs of Ga 1− x Al x As are calculated using a variational approach. Due to reduction in symmetry along the axis of growth of these quantum well structures and the presence of band discontinuities at the interfaces, the degeneracy of the valence band of GaAs is removed leading to two exciton systems, namely, the heavy hole exciton and the light hole exciton. The variations of the binding energies of these two excitons as a function of the size of the GaAs quantum wells for various values of the heights of the potential barrier are calculated and their behavior is discussed.
Effects of staphylococcal enterotoxin A on pituitary–adrenal activation and neophobic behavior in the C57BL/6 mouse

Abstract Bacterial superantigens, such as the staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE), exert a strong capacity for in vivo stimulation of T cell proliferation and cytokine production. Among these superantigens, staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) has been shown to promote anxiety-like properties, possibly mediated by activation of central corticotropin-releasing hormone. In the present study, using male C57BL/6J mice, it was shown that challenge with another prominent superantigen, staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA), produced a dose-dependent (0.2–50 μg/mouse) increase in corticosterone and ACTH levels. Interestingly, while the adrenocorticoid response to SEA persisted in cyclosporine A-pretreated mice, it was completely abolished in RAG-1 deficient mice that lack functional T and B lymphocytes. The latter is consistent with the need for cellular interactions involving T cells and B cells (probably in an antigen-presenting capacity) that will initiate events leading to pituitary–adrenal activation by SEA. Since pituitary–adrenal activation typically alters “emotional” reactivity in animals, a final set of experiments assessed behavioral responses to an open field, exposure to a novel object, and a novel appetitive stimulus. These tests revealed a significant augmentation of reactivity to the novel object in SEA-challenged mice, although activity in the open field was not affected. Furthermore, consumption of a novel solution was reduced only if testing involved unfamiliar contextual circumstances. This suggested that anorexic effects per se were not induced by SEA at the dose used, but that attentional mechanisms focused on novelty were enhanced.
Dynamic patterning at the pylorus: Formation of an epithelial intestine–stomach boundary in late fetal life

In the adult mouse, distinct morphological and transcriptional differences separate stomach from intestinal epithelium. Remarkably, the epithelial boundary between these two organs is literally one cell thick. This discrete junction is established suddenly and precisely at embryonic day (E) 16.5, by sharpening a previously diffuse intermediate zone. In the present study, we define the dynamic transcriptome of stomach, pylorus, and intestinal tissues between E14.5 and E16.5. We show that establishment of this boundary is concomitant with the induction of over a thousand genes in intestinal epithelium, and these gene products provide intestinal character. Hence, we call this process intestinalization. We identify specific transcription factors (Hnf4 gamma, Creb3l3, and Tcfec) and examine signaling pathways (Hedgehog and Wnt) that may play a role in this process. Finally, we define a unique expression domain at the pylorus itself and detect novel pylorus-specific patterns for the transcription factor Gata3 and the secreted protein nephrocan.
Elevated pain threshold in anorexia nervosa subjects.

Abstract Background: Conflicting data have been published regarding pain threshold in subjects with anorexia nervosa (AN), with some studies indicating elevated pain threshold and others indicating normal thresholds. Previous research has indicated the presence of elevated pain threshold in eating disorder subjects with binge-eating behavior. Methods: In this study pressure pain detection thresholds (PDT) (assessed by a pressure analgesiometer) in binge-eating/purging and restricting subtypes of AN subjects were compared to control subjects. Results: PDT was elevated in AN compared to control subjects at baseline. There was no difference in PDT between the subgroups of AN subjects. Conclusions: The etiology of elevated PDT in AN subjects is most likely different from the etiology of elevated PDT in bulimia nervosa subjects.
Ethanol- and acetaldehyde-mediated developmental toxicity in zebrafish.

Ethanol is a well-established developmental toxicant; however, the mechanism(s) of this toxicity remains unclear. Zebrafish are becoming an important model system for the evaluation of chemical and drug toxicity. In this study, zebrafish embryos were utilized to compare the developmental toxicity resulting from either ethanol or acetaldehyde exposure. Embryos were exposed to waterborne ethanol concentrations for various lengths of time but encompassed the earliest stages of embryogenesis. The waterborne ethanol concentration that causes 50% mortality (LC50) following a 45-h ethanol exposure was approximately 340 mM (1.98% v/v). A number of reproducible endpoints resulted from ethanol exposure and included pericardial edema, yolk sac edema, axial malformations, otolith defects, delayed development, and axial blistering. When the exposure period was reduced, similar signs of toxicity were produced at nearly identical ethanol concentrations. To estimate the embryonic dose following a given waterborne ethanol concentration, a kinetic alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) assay was adapted. The average embryonic ethanol dose was calculated to be a fraction of the waterborne concentration. Embryos exposed to waterborne acetaldehyde resulted in similar, but not identical, endpoints as those induced by ethanol. Embryos were however, almost three orders of magnitude more sensitive to acetaldehyde than to ethanol. Ethanol and acetaldehyde both negatively impact embryonic development; however, ethanol is more teratogenic based on teratogenic indices (TIs). These results demonstrate that the zebrafish model will provide an opportunity to further evaluate the mechanism of action of ethanol on vertebrate development.
Position: "insider" is relative

A security policy defines "security" for a given site or set of sites. Most security policies provide for trusted users to whom the policy either does not apply or to whom some parts of the policy do not apply. For example, in a traditional Bell-LaPadula model with strong tranquility, labels of entities do not change. In practise, this is too restrictive, so a trusted user (the site security officer) is allowed to set and change labels. Indeed, in their demonstration that Multics satisfies the model [1], Bell and LaPadula explicitly defined trusted users as subjects against whom the *-property is not enforced. The users are trusted not to violate that property.
Effects on DON (6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine) and azaserine on the sand-dollar embryo.

Summary1. DON and azaserine interrupt the development of sand-dollar embryo at mid-blastula and early gastrula stages. The minimum dose of DON producing consistent effects is 3 milligamma/10 cc of sea-water; azaserine is approximately 1/32 as active. Large doses of DON up to 1 mg/10 cc of sea-water have no appreciable effect on fertilization, cleavage or early development. 2. Various physiological purines and derivatives will protect against the action of DON and azaserine, even when added up to 12 hours after fertilization. The most active ones are guanine, hypoxanthine and inosine. The protective action of these substances appears to be non-competitive, and they are not effective against large doses of DON and azaserine. 3. In view of the fact that DON and azaserine, acting as glutamine antagonists, apparently interrupt the de novo synthesis of purines, it is suggested that embryonic development in the sand-dollar is blocked at the time when DNA production, initially supplied by endogenous purine precur...
Blood velocity measurements in intact subjects

Venous blood velocities in intact human forearms can be measured by the use of nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. In essence, two separated coils are placed over the vein, and the arm is held in a magnetic field. Radio-frequency energy in one coil "flips" over the protons in the blood stream, and the second coil detects the arrival of the "flipped" protons. Human blood in vivo and in vitro has a nominal nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation time of 0.4 second.
Center of mass and relative motion in time dependent density functional theory.

It is shown that the theorem asserting separability of the center of mass motion for a system of interacting particles in a harmonic external potential is satisfied in the time dependent density functional theory, provided that the exchange-correlation potential satisfies a simple symmetry under transformation to an accelerated frame of reference. Examples of approximations for the exchange-correlation potential which satisfy or violate this symmetry are given.
Intraurban interactions, social structure, and urban government expenditures: A stochastic model

Abstract A behavioral model is presented to identify the linkages between urban social structure and urban public expenditure data. The model is then tested on data from the 198 largest U.S. cities using first a principal components analysis to dimension the structural variables and second a regression model to measure the covariation between urban spending and selected measures of urban structure. The results suggest a relevant set of considerations for planning the urban fisc for purposes of State and Federal intergovernmental policy as well as for purposes of urban physical planning.
Comparative effects of prolyl-leucyl-glycinamide and naloxone on morphine-induced inhibition of gastrointestinal transit.

The effects of prolyl-leucyl-glycinamide (MIF) and naloxone on the gastrointestinal transit in mice were investigated using the charcoal meal test. MIF administered intraperitoneally (IP) (1–10 mg/kg) or intracerebroventricularly (ICV) (10 μ g/mouse) had no effect on the transit. Administration of morphine by subcutaneous (SC) route significantly inhibited the gastrointestinal transit. The morphine-induced inhibition of the transit was not affected by MIF whether given by IP or ICV route. Administration of the opiate antagonist naloxone ( 1 mg/kg, IP or 10 μ g/mouse, ICV) had no effect on the gastrointestinal transit, but it significantly antagonized the inhibition produced by morphine. Some earlier studies have indicated narcotic antagonistic effect of MIF. However, in the present study, evidence for such an action of MIF was not obtained. It is suggested that MIF does not appear to have narcotic antagonistic activity and further supports an earlier study from this laboratory that MIF may not interact with opiate receptors.
Does the Al substitution in C-S-H(I) change its mechanical property?

This study examines the influence of Al substitution for Si on the bulk modulus of calcium silicate hydrate I [C-S-H(I)], a structural analogue of C-S-H, by performing high-pressure synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments in two C-S-H(I) samples: one a hydration product of alkali-activated slag and the other a synthetic C-S-H(I). The test result shows that not only the bulk modulus but also the incompressibility of the lattice parameters a, b, and c of two C-S-H(I) samples are very similar to each other, regardless of the Al substitution. This result may be due to the four-coordinated configuration of the substituted Al, which makes the dreierketten silicate chains maintain the same arrangement after the substitution.
Noninvasive transabdominal monitoring of fetal cerebral oxygenation using pulse oximetry

Pulse oximetry (oxygen saturation monitoring) has markedly improved medical care in many fields, including anesthesiology, intensive care, and newborn intensive care. In obstetrics, fetal heart rate monitoring remains the standard for intrapartum assessment of fetal well being. Fetal oxygen saturation monitoring is a new technique currently under development. It is potentially superior to electronic fetal heart rate monitoring (cardiotocography) because it allows direct assessment of both fetal oxygen status and fetal tissue perfusion. Here, we present feasibility studies for trans-abdominal fetal cerebral pulse oximetry. Our experiments on more than 20 patients indicate feasibility. We will present the methodology for obtaining these data, as well as a summary of our pilot clinical study.