cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Emergency department management of patients with seizures: a multicenter study.

Abstract. Objectives: Patients with seizure disorders are common in the emergency department (ED), yet little is known regarding the management of these patients. This study was performed to define the frequency of patients with seizure disorders in the ED patient population and to determine possible seizure etiologies, characteristics of diagnostic activities, treatments, and dispositions. Methods: Twelve EDs monitored all patients with a chief complaint related to seizure disorders presenting over 18.25 days (5% of the calender year) in late 1997. Retrospective chart review was used to gather specific data regarding these consecutive cases. Results: Of the 31,508 patients who presented to these 12 EDs during the study period, 368 (1.2%) had complaints related to seizures. Three hundred sixty-two charts were available for analysis and make up the study population. Two hundred fifty-seven (71%) utilized emergency medical services (EMS) for transport and care. Advanced care, including intravenous access, laboratory work, cardiac monitoring, or oxygen administration, was utilized in 304 (84%) patients. Antiepileptic drugs were given in 199 (55%) patients. Ethanol withdrawal or low antiepileptic drug levels were implicated as contributing factors in 177 (49%) of patients. New-onset seizures were thought to be present in 94 (26%) patients. Status epilepticus occurred in only 21 (6%) patients. Ninety-eight (27%) of all patients were admitted to the hospital. Conclusions: Patients with presenting complaints related to seizures are frequent in the ED population and make considerable demands on EMS and ED resources. Six percent of patients with seizure-related presentations were in status epilepticus and more than a fourth of all patients required hospitalization.
Backscattering of light from disklike particles: is fine-scale structure or gross morphology more important?

The backscattering of light from disklike objects possessing periodic structures (e.g., resembling a wheel with spokes, hereafter called a pinwheel) or an object with a wavelength-sized deviation from a flat disk (e.g., a spherical cap) has been computed by using the discrete dipole approximation. The disks ranged in diameter from 1.5 to 2.7 μm with thicknesses from 0.04 to 0.15 μm. The goal of the study was to obtain some understanding of the differences between the backscattering of a collection of such objects in random orientation and a collection of randomly oriented homogeneous disks of the same size, i.e., the conditions under which the gross morphology (e.g., disklikeness) of these objects determines their backscattering. The computations for pinwheels showed that their backscattering cross sections were nearly identical to those of homogeneous disks of similar size (but with reduced effective refractive indices that are easily estimated) as long as the maximum separations between the spokes was less than one quarter of the wavelength. In this regime the backscattering is totally governed by the particle's gross morphology and effective index. For larger spoke separation, departures from a homogeneous disk are observed and manifest as significant increases (many times) in backscattering. In the case of spherical caps with the same projected area as the associated disk, the computations again show a complete similarity in their backscattering, and when the disks are sufficiently thin (with thickness divided by wavelength <0.15 to 0.25) there is very little difference between the backscattering of a cap and the associated disk.
Steric and complexation factors in hydrogen abstraction from 1-phenylalkanes and α,ω-diphenylalkanes

Abstract As part of a systematic study of steric effects, 1-phenylalkanes and α,ω-diphenylalkanes were reacted at 70° with bromine atoms and trichloromethyl radicals. Exclusive benzylic bromination occurred in all cases. The 1-phenylalkanes reacted with both abstracting agents with rates which were largely independent of substrate. Intermolecular steric interactions must be negligible. In reaction with bromine atoms the α,ω-diphenylalkanes behaved in similar fashion. With trichloromethyl radicals, however, strong rate dependence with structure was observed. A maximum rate was found for 1,6-diphenylhexane. This is felt to be the result of intramolecular transfer of a complexed radical to the reaction site.
Gastrosuillus laricinus is a recent derivative of Suillus grevillei : molecular evidence

Bruns, T., J. W. Taylor, and T. J. White. 1991. Fungal molecular systematics. Annual Rev. Ecol. Syst. 22: 525-564. Gunderson, J. H., H. Elwood, A. Ingold, K. Kindle, and M. L. Sogin. 1987. Phylogenetic relationships between Chlorophytes, Chrysophytes and Oomycetes. Proc. Natl. Acad. USA 84: 5823-5827. Innis, M. A., and D. H. Gelfand. 1990. Optimization of PCRs. Pp. 3-12. In: PCR protocols: a guide to methods and applications. Eds., M. A. Innis, D. H. Gelfand, J. J. Sninsky, and T. J. White. Academic Press, New York. Kusukawa, N., T. Uemori, K. Asada, and I. Kato. 1990. Rapid, reliable protocol for direct sequencing of material amplified by the PCR. Biotechniques 9: 66-72. Kwok, S., D. E. Kellogg, N. McKinney, D. Spasic, L. Goda, C. Levenson, and J. J. Sninsky. 1990. Effects of primer-template mismatches on the polymerase chain reaction: human immunodeficiency virus type 1 model studies. Nucl. Acids Res. 18: 999-1005. Meinkoth, J., and G. Wahl. 1984. Hybridization of nucleic acids immobilized on solid supports. Anal. Biochem. 138: 267-284. White, T. J., T. Bruns, S. Lee, and J. Taylor. 1990. Amplification and direct sequencing of fungal ribosomal RNA genes for phylogenetics. Pp. 315322. In: PCR protocols: a guide to methods and applications. Eds., M. A. Innis, D. H. Gelfand, J. J. Sninsky, and T. J. White. Academic Press, New York.
MURMURS AND NOISE CAUSED BY ARTERIAL NARROWING – THEORY AND CLINICAL PRACTICE

Arterial narrowing can cause an audible whirling in the blood flow. We propose diagnosing such narrowing by simply recording that sound and analyzing its spectrum. We show how the Navier-Stokes equation for flow through a narrowing can be turned into a Schrodinger type equation. The complex eigenvalues of the latter equation give the frequencies and decay rates of the vortices present in the whirling pattern. Our diagnosis is based on understanding the relation between features in the sound spectrum and the severity of the narrowing. Today the most commonly used method of diagnosis is duplex ultrasound. In a small clinical trial our method appears to be as good as duplex ultrasound.
Two Distinct Modes of Processive Kinesin Movement in Mixtures of ATP and AMP-PNP

An enzyme is frequently conceived of as having a single functional mechanism. This is particularly true for motor enzymes, where the necessity for tight coupling of mechanical and chemical cycles imposes rigid constraints on the reaction pathway. In mixtures of substrate (ATP) and an inhibitor (adenosine 5′-(β,γ-imido)triphosphate or AMP-PNP), single kinesin molecules move on microtubules in two distinct types of multiple-turnover “runs” that differ in their susceptibility to inhibition. Longer (less susceptible) runs are consistent with movement driven by the alternating-sites mechanism previously proposed for uninhibited kinesin. In contrast, kinesin molecules in shorter runs step with AMP-PNP continuously bound to one of the two active sites of the enzyme. Thus, in this mixture of substrate and inhibitor, kinesin can function as a motor enzyme using either of two distinct mechanisms. In one of these, the enzyme can accomplish high-duty-ratio processive movement without alternating-sites ATP hydrolysis.
Teleseismic Sn: a guided wave in the mantle

The short-period seismic phase Sn has been interpreted by Stephens & Isacks as a lid wave’ in which the seismic energy is constrained to the uppermost few tens of kilometres of the mantle. We have extended their normal-mode interpretation for structures both with and without low-velocity zones (LVZ) in the upper mantle. We have used spherical, anelastic models of the Earth. For a model of an oceanic mantle with a LVZ, we agree that Sn is a lid wave for sources above 200–250 km, if only the onset of Sn is considered. The later portions of the Sn wave train sample the structure as deeply as the 420-km discontinuity. For deeper foci, the pseudo-lid wave does not appear to be generated; even the onset of Sn samples the deeper mantle structure. For a model of a continental mantle without a LVZ, in general, sources at all depths above the 420-km discontinuity appear to generate teleseismic Sn which samples the entire mantle as deeply as the discontinuity and which travels with a velocity significantly greater than the lid velocity. Thus the velocity of Sn may be an important diagnostic to determine whether or not a LVZ exists in the upper mantle.
Using Blogs and New Media in Academic Practice: Potential Roles in Research, Teaching, Learning, and Extension.

Compiling a referenced article for publication in a peer-reviewed journal is traditionally the most respected means of contributing to a body of knowledge. However, we argue that publication of evidence-based information via new media – especially blogging – can also be a valid form of academic scholarship. Blogs allow for rapid sharing of research methods, results, and conclusions in an open, transparent manner. With proper references, blogs and other new media can position academic research in the public sphere and provide rapid, reliable information in response to emerging issues. They can also support other traditional goals of higher education institutions, serving as tools for teaching, learning and outreach.
The effects of verbal and visual interference on impressions: An associated-systems approach

This study investigated associated-systems theory's prediction that interference with the visual or verbal mental systems should alter person impressions by removing or reducing the impact of the information represented within those systems, while accentuating the influence of other information. In Experiment 1, interference with the verbal system decreased the influence of verbal information on trait judgments and increased the influence of visual information on attractiveness and liking judgments. In Experiment 2, visual interference decreased the impact of visual information on attractiveness judgments and, at least for attractive targets, increased the impact of verbal information on trait and liking judgments. These results support the premise that impressions consist of representations allied with separate processing systems and that those impressions can be affected by other activities involving those systems.
Enhanced Wind-Driven Downwelling Flow in Warm Oceanic Eddy Features during the Intensification of Tropical Cyclone Isaac (2012): Observations and Theory

AbstractTropical cyclones (TCs) typically produce intense oceanic upwelling underneath the storm’s center and weaker and broader downwelling outside upwelled regions. However, several cases of predominantly downwelling responses over warm, anticyclonic mesoscale oceanic features were recently reported, where the ensuing upper-ocean warming prevented significant cooling of the sea surface, and TCs rapidly attained and maintained major status. Elucidating downwelling responses is critical to better understanding TC intensification over warm mesoscale oceanic features. Airborne ocean profilers deployed over the Gulf of Mexico’s eddy features during the intensification of tropical storm Isaac into a hurricane measured isothermal downwelling of up to 60 m over a 12-h interval (5 m h−1) or twice the upwelling strength underneath the storm’s center. This displacement occurred over a warm-core eddy that extended underneath Isaac’s left side, where the ensuing upper-ocean warming was ~8 kW m−2; sea surface tempera...
Recently developed NIST food related standard reference materials

NIST issues food related, chemical composition standard reference materials for validating food analyses. SRMs certified for inorganic constituents are: Non-Fat Milk Powder (SRM 1549), Oyster Tissue (SRM 1566a), Bovine Liver (SRM 1577a), Wheat Flour (SRM 1567a), Rice Flour (SRM 1568a), and Total Diet (SRM 1548). The certificate of analysis for the total diet SRM also provides a certified concentration for cholesterol. Oyster tissue, a renewal SRM, is certified for 25 elements including 6 (Al, Cl, I, P, S, and V), that had not been certified in the previously issued SRM 1566. The elemental certified concentrations are based on concordant results of two or more independent analytical methods. The chemical compositions of the six food matrix SRMs are tabulated. Three food matrix SRMs certified for organic constituents are: Cholesterol and Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Coconut Oil (SRM 1563), Cholesterol in Whole Egg Powder (SRM 1845) and Organics in Cod Liver Oil (SRM 1588). Serum and urine matrix SRMs are also available that may be useful for metabolic and bioavailability studies.
Art in the Face of Radical Evil

OCTOBER 125, Summer 2008, pp. 3–23. © 2008 October Magazine, Ltd. and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. First, the photos, without interpretation or commentary. Second, the facts. Every summer, the city of Arles, in the south of France, hosts an important photography festival entitled Les Rencontres photographiques d’Arles, with dozens of exhibitions scattered around town. In 1997, the event was placed under the artistic direction of Christian Caujolle, the co-founder and art director of the French photo agency Vu and a former chief pictures editor at Liberation. Among several other exhibitions, Caujolle curated one entitled S-21, composed of one hundred portraits or identity photographs (I don’t quite know what to call them) of victims of the Cambodian genocide. S-21 is the name of a former high school in the borough of Tuol Sleng, in Phnom Penh, which Pol Pot turned into a torture center and extermination camp. Between 1975 and 1979, 14,200 people were brutally executed at S-21, either on the premises or in a field nearby. There are seven survivors. For the sake of the regime’s police and bureaucracy, every man, woman, or child entering the center was photographed before being killed. To carry out this horrendous task, a fifteen-year-old member of the Khmer Rouge named Nhem Ein was sent to Shanghai to learn photography, and, a year later, was promoted to the rank of “photographer in chief” at S-21, with a staff of five under him. When the Vietnamese liberated the center in 1979, some 6,000 negatives were found. In 1994, two American photojournalists, Chris Riley and Douglas Niven, took it upon themselves to restore and print the negatives on behalf of the Photo Archive Group, a non-profit organization they founded. One hundred photos were enlarged and shown around the world, so that the Cambodian genocide—or self-genocide, as some preferred to call it—would not be forgotten. A book of the photos was published two years later, entitled The
The effects of artificial radiation on energetics of the eastern chipmunk, Tamias striatus

Abstract 1. 1. Below thermal neutrality, radiant energy reduces the oxygen consumption of Tamias striatus by 20·6 per cent. 2. 2. Radiant energy (basking) effectively increases insulation below thermal neutrality by decreasing thermal conductance from 0·119 to 0·090 cm3 O2 (g·hr)−1°C−1. 3. 3. Artificial radiation lowers the zone of thermal neutrality by about 5°C. 4. 4. At 10°C, the chipmunks selected artificial radiation 91·7 ± 4·8 S.D. per cent of the time; while at 30°C, the chipmunks selected artificial radiation only 26·2 ± 13·0 S.D. per cent of the time.
Variation in the Cellular Slime Mold Acrasis rosea

A number of isolates of the cellular slime mold, Acrasis rosea, differed from each other in the range of microorganisms on which they could grow and fruit. In a test for the possible occurrence of sexual reproduction and genetic recombination, two of the most widely divergent of these physiological races were studied further. Mixed colonies were obtained in agar plate cultures of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, a yeast utilized by both. When spores from mature fruiting bodies or amoebae migrating out from the mixed colonies were isolated singly, regrown on Rhodotorula, and tested on a critical spectrum of food microorganisms, about 3-4% proved to be distinct from the original two strains. Although some of these new types remained stable for several transfers, they eventually reverted to one or both of the parental types. The possibilities of explaining the neotypes on the basis of diploidy, heterokaryosis, or mixed cytoplasmic effects are discussed. The occurrence of cell anastomoses and occasional binucleate cells favors the latter two possibilities.
Generation of a dual-labeled fluorescence biosensor for Crk-II phosphorylation using solid-phase expressed protein ligation

Abstract Background: The site-specific chemical modification of proteins has proved to be extremely powerful for generating tools for the investigation of biological processes. Although a few elegant methods exist for engineering a recombinant protein at a unique position, these techniques cannot be easily extended to allow several different chemical probes to be specifically introduced into a target sequence. As such multiply labeled proteins could be used to study many biological processes, and in particular biomolecular interactions, we decided to investigate whether such protein reagents could be generated using an extension of the semisynthesis technique known as expressed protein ligation. Results: A solid-phase expressed protein ligation (SPPL) technology is described that enables large semisynthetic proteins to be assembled on a solid support by the controlled sequential ligation of a series of recombinant and synthetic polypeptide building blocks. This modular approach allows multiple, different chemical modifications to be introduced site-specifically into a target protein. This process, which is analogous to solid-phase peptide synthesis, was used to dual-label the amino and carboxyl termini of the Crk-II adapter protein with the fluorescence resonance energy transfer pair tetramethylrhodamine and fluorescein, respectively. The resulting construct reports (through a fluorescence change) the phosphorylation of Crk-II by the nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinase, c-Abl, and was used to probe the protein–protein interactions that regulate this important post-translational process. Conclusions: SPPL provides a powerful method for specifically modifying proteins at multiple sites, as was demonstrated by generating a protein-based biosensor for Crk-II phosphorylation. Such protein derivatives are extremely useful for investigating protein function in vitro and potentially in vivo . This modular approach should be applicable to many different protein systems.
Abrasive wear resistance: the effects of ploughing and the removal of ploughed material

Abstract In an earlier paper it was suggested that the wear resistance of a metal would be proportional to H s /(1−ƒ p ) where H s is the hardness of the wear surface and 1− ƒ p is the fraction of a wear groove removed from the wear surface. However, the expression derived for 1−ƒ p could not explain the abrasive wear resistance of very ductile materials. In this work it is proposed that the abrasive wear resistance will scale as H s (1− ƒ) eff and an expression for (1− ƒ) eff has been derived. An initial assessment using data from the literature for values of H s and to evaluate (1− f ) eff suggests the proposed scaling is reasonable. However, geometric considerations suggest the approach underestimates (1− f ) eff for metals of low work-hardening capacity.
The strontium and oxygen isotopic record of hydrothermal alteration of syenites from the Abu Khruq complex, Egypt

Hydrothermal convection initiated by emplacement of the gabbro-syenite complex of Abu Khruq into the Egyptian basement 89 Ma ago systematically altered the trace element and isotopic compositions of the syenites. The scale of Sr transport in migrating solutions was far larger than the scale of Sr isotopic equilibration within rocks. As a result, Sr exchange was heterogeneous in the syenites, an effect which can be observed on three different scales. Within grains of a single mineral species, heterogeneities are related to grain boundaries and microfractures through which fluids migrated. Among minerals within rock samples, heterogeneities are related to differences in susceptibility to Sr alteration. Among samples within a single unit, heterogeneous alteration is apparently related to differences in permeability close to fracture zones. During the early stages of alteration radiogenic Sr derived from the country rocks was added to the syenites, causing small net changes in concentration (5 ppm ave.). Some Rb-Sr mineral isochrons from single rock samples yield the emplacement age because isotopic equilibration of this added Sr sometimes occurred within rock specimens. However, regressions of the whole-rock Rb-Sr data yield apparent ages that are about 10 Ma too old. Later stage alteration involved larger changes in whole-rock Sr concentration (45 ppm ave.) but had little further effect on the isotopic relationships because the Sr was derived from cogenetic gabbros rather than the country rocks. Alterations of Rb, Sr, and Sr isotopic compositions are not well correlated with changes in 18O/16O ratio because mineralogy played an important role in decoupling trace element and oxygen isotopic alteration. In general, the absence of such correlations for whole-rock data is not diagnostic of rocks with unaltered trace element and isotopic compositions. Mineral-scale Sr isotopic heterogeneities associated with grain boundaries and microfractures may be the most unambiguous evidence of trace element mobility.
Voltage Breakdown Characteristics of Close Spaced Aluminum Arc Gap Structures on Oxidized Silicon

The pulsed dc voltage breakdown characteristics of passivated and unpassivated parallel planar aluminum arc gap structures on oxidized silicon, with metal to metal spacings from 0.1 to 1.6 mils, were investigated. The arc breakdown and oxide rupture voltage dependencies, characteristics of breakdown, nonproductive failure modes and applicability for MOS-LSI circuit protection were investigated. Unpassivated arc structures with gap spacings from 0.4 to 1.6 mils, having breakdown voltages in the 225 volt region, would be recommended for protection of MOS-LSI circuits.
Descending projections from the superior olivary complex to the cochlear nucleus of the cat.

Subdivisions of the cochlear nuclear complex give rise to a number of discrete projections to certain cell groups of the superior olivary complex and also received substantial descending projections from the periolivary nuclei. In the present study, we sought to determine by means of retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), and anterograde transport of radiolabeled protein, if the periolivary nuclei give rise to discrete projections to the various subdivisions of the cochlear nuclear complex. Following medium to large injections of HRP into the cochlear nucleus, irrespective of location, labeled cells were found in all periolivary nuclei bilaterally. In every case more than 40% of the labeled cells were found in the lateral nucleus of the trapezoid body on the same side and the ventral nucleus of the trapezoid body of both sides. Other periolivary nuclei contributing more than 5% of the total number of cells in individual cases were the contralateral lateral nucleus of the trapezoid body and the ipsilateral anterolateral and dorsal periolivary nuclei. Injections of tritiated leucine into periolivary nuclei gave rise to axonal labeling to the trapezoid body and the dorsal acoustic stria, usually bilaterally, and to terminal labeling that was widely distributed within the cochlear nuclear complex. In several cases with small injections, particularly in the lateral nucleus of the trapezoid body, the projections from the periolivary nuclei to the anteroventral and dorsal cochlear nuclei connected areas described as having similar best-frequency representation. The autoradiographic data corroborated the main results from the HRP experiments and provided additional information permitting these conclusions: (1) the projections from the periolivary nuclei to the cochlear nuclear complex are organized tonotopically, at least in part; (2) each periolivary nucleus (and perhaps individual cells), projects widely throughout the cochlear nuclear complex; (3) the pattern of termination of projections from different periolivary nuclei to a given region of the cochlear nuclear complex are similar, as seen in autoradiograms, and (4) the lateral and dorsal periolivary nuclei project mainly ipsilaterally, while the medial periolivary nuclei project bilaterally with a contralateral bias. The magnitude of these projections and their widespread distribution within the cochlear nuclear complex would suggest an important role for the descending projections in the normal functioning of the cochlear nucleus.
The Measurement of Firm Diversification: Some New Empirical Evidence

Two approaches to the measurement of firm diversification are compared: (1) continuous SIC-based product count measures and (2) categorical measures as popularized by Rumelt. The measures are found...
Medications for Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: Back to the Future?:

Objective:To reexamine the existing medications for the potential treatment of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB), based on susceptibility data, and to identify potential future medic...
Novel Filter Design Method using Time Domain Transforms ms

The author presents a novel way at approaching coupled-resonator filter design by utilizing the time domain response of the filter to establish resonator frequency and determine coupling factors. This method can also be used with coupled cavity filters, comb-line filters, discrete LC filters, among others.
REFFORM: An automatic reference and bibliography formatting system

A system to assist authors in maintaining a bibliographic library, to automatically number and format references within a manuscript, and optionally to convert it to a ChemText document is described. The program, REFFORM, creates an automatic standard reference style for Tetrahedron Computer Methodology, and other Tetrahedron journals. The system eliminates errors and promotes sharing of bibliographic libraries. The executable program, REFFORM.COM. and a ChemText macro, REFFORM.MCR, are included.
Device loading effects on nonresonant detection of terahertz radiation by silicon MOSFETs

Results of room temperature measurement of nonresonant sub-terahertz detection by nanoscale silicon MOSFETs under a variety of load conditions are reported. The effect of device loading is incorporated into existing response models to explain diminished response in the sub-threshold region, and calculation of noise equivalent power indicates minima near the threshold voltage
A dynamic postoperative protocol provides efficient care for pediatric patients with non-ruptured appendicitis.

Abstract Purpose Postoperative management of pediatric patients with non-ruptured appendicitis is highly variable and often includes an overnight stay in the hospital. We implemented a criteria-based postoperative protocol designed to eliminate postoperative antibiotics and facilitate timely discharge by utilizing the bedside nurse to evaluate for readiness for discharge. Methods We collected data on all patients with non-ruptured appendicitis at our institution following protocol implementation (May 1, 2012 to April 30, 2013) and compared them to a control group. Results 580 patients were treated for non-ruptured appendicitis (285 prior protocol, 295 new protocol). Following implementation of our protocol, there was an overall reduction in length of stay from 40.1 (SD 27.5) to 23.5 (SD 20.8)h, and total cost of care per patient also decreased from $5783 (SD $2501) to $4499 (SD $1983) (p Conclusion Our new protocol reveals the value of eliminating postoperative antibiotics and leveraging the continuous availability of the bedside nurse in the determination of readiness for discharge.
Organization and psychological problems in developing community mental health services: a case study.

Abstract Organizational and psychological problems encountered in reorganizing a research-oriented mental hospital with a highly selected clientele and a predominantly psychoanalytic ideology into a community mental health center are presented in this case study. A period of social crisis marked by suicides and suicide attempts occurred. A variety of definitions of the situation and their relationship to occupational status are presented in an effort to reconstruct the world of the mental hospital as it was understood by different groups of professionals. Sources of conflict and modes of adaptation are identified. Reasons for advancing and resisting change are discussed.
Social organization in the dusky-footed woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes): A field and laboratory study

Abstract The dusky-footed woodrat has been characterized as solitary and asocial. In this research I sought to determine some of the parameters of woodrat social organization. In the field, I live trapped, marked and released members of a distinct group of woodrats at bi-weekly intervals from February to June. Twenty-two residents were identified and 21 out of 34 houses were found to be occupied. Visiting occurred regularly, most often at non-occupied houses. Males were unlikely to be visited at their house and were more likely to visit occupied houses than females. Females were visited at home and visited each other. In June the population was removed to the laboratory where paired encounters with familiar and unfamiliar woodrats were used to examine the effect of sex and familiarity on social interactions. Both females and males interacted little with familiar same sex conspecifics, with the behaviour of one member of such pairs being very inhibited. Females with strange females were more interactive and spent more time in contact. Neither sex clearly differentiated between familiar and strange conspecifics of the opposite sex. Males were agonistic or affiliative in encounters with females. The type of response was consistent for a given male, and females responded differently to the two types. It is concluded that woodrats differentiate between same sex conspecifics and show sufficient individual variability to make individual recognition possible and adaptive.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-l) gp160-Specific Lymphocyte Proliferative Responses of Mononuclear Leukocytes from HIV-l Recombinant gp160 Vaccine Recipients

The lymphocyte proliferative responses were studied of 12 volunteers enrolled in a phase I trial of a baculovirus-expressed recombinant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein (rgp160) vaccine. Six subjects received rgp160 and three subjects each received recombinant hepatitis B vaccine or placebo at 0, 1, and 6 months. rgp160 and a control preparation, baculovirus-expressed recombinant HIV-1 p24, were used as in vitro antigens. At day 56, all rgp160 recipients had stimulation indexes (rgp160/rp24) greater than 3.0, and five of six had differences in counts per minute (cpm) greater than 1000. Stimulation indexes were less than 2.0 and cpm differences were less than 150 in all six who did not receive rgp160. Lymphocyte proliferative responses were first noted 2 weeks to 5 months before initial Western blot reactivity and persisted for greater than or equal to 540 days, even among subjects who lost detectable antibody. Thus, the HIV-1 rgp160 vaccine induces persistent cellular immune recognition as demonstrated by lymphocyte proliferation.
Polymorphisms in vitamin D receptor, osteopontin, insulin-like growth factor 1 and insulin, and their associations with bone, egg and growth traits in a layer--broiler cross in chickens.

Summary Bone strength traits in chickens are gaining importance due to economic losses and welfare concerns associated with bone fractures and other abnormalities. A chicken F2 resource population was generated from layer and broiler genetic lines, and traits relating to bone strength, egg production, egg quality and growth rate were measured in approximately 500 F2 hens. Four biological candidate genes (vitamin D receptor, VDR; insulin, INS; insulin-like growth factor 1, IGF1; and osteopontin, SPP1) were selected for investigation. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified for each candidate gene by comparing sequences between grandparent lines. Polymerase chain reaction restriction-fragment length polymorphism or SNaPshot assays were developed to genotype the F2 population and to evaluate associations between each SNP genotype and multiple phenotypes. Significant associations (P < 0.0125) were found between VDR and bone mineral content of the humerus at 35 weeks of age; between IGF1 and SPP1 and 5-week body weight; and between INS and 55-week body weight.
Recent aspects of mammalian fertilization research

Mammalian fertilization has been the subject of intensified research in recent times. Application of recombinant DNA, transgenic and gene targeting technology, in particular, to issues in mammalian fertilization has revolutionized the field. Here, we present some of the latest results coming from application of these and other technologies to four aspects of mammalian fertilization: 1. formation of the egg zona pellucida (ZP) during oocyte growth; 2. species-specific binding of sperm to the egg zona pellucida; 3. induction of the sperm acrosome reaction (AR) by the egg zona pellucida 4. binding of sperm to and fusion with egg plasma membrane. In virtually every instance, new information and new insights have come from relatively recent investigations.
Postpartum eclampsia and subarachnoid hemorrhage

In the clinical setting of ankle edema, headache, proteinuria, and elevated blood pressure, a 33-year-old woman developed a postpartum subarachnoid hemorrhage that was seen on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Angiography demonstrated diffuse cerebral vasospasm without other underlying pathology. Subarachnoid hemorrhage with vasospasm in pre-eclampsia, not previously documented in the absence of associated systemic or cerebral abnormality, is described.
Does the fast, blue photoluminescence from spark-processed silicon originate from tungsten doping?

Abstract It has recently been stated in the literature that the fast, blue photoluminescence which emanates from spark-processed silicon upon laser irradiation originates from tungsten contaminants which have been inadvertently introduced into the silicon substrate when Si is spark-processed by utilizing a tungsten counter electrode. We present four pieces of experimental evidence which argue against this suggestion. An alternative interpretation is presented.
The effect of abscisic acid on the differential expression of α-amylase isozymes in barley aleurone layers

The treatment of barley aleurone layers with gibberellic acid (GA3) results in the synthesis of two groups of α-amylase isozymes. Addition of abscisic acid (ABA) at the same time as GA3 inhibited the synthesis of both groups of isozymes. However, midcourse ABA addition (12 h or later after GA3) had a more inhibitory effect on the high pI α-amylase group than on the low pI α-amylase group. This midcourse inhibition was detectable within 2 h of ABA addition. Northern analysis results using cDNA probes for the high pI and low pI α-amylase groups paralleled the protein synthesis results for both isozyme groups. High pI α-amylase mRNA levels began to decrease within 2 h of midcourse ABA treatment and were less than 10% of the original level by 4 h. The levels of low pI α-amylase mRNA were decreased less by midcourse ABA addition than were high pI mRNA levels. Cordycepin and cycloheximide blocked the effects of midcourse ABA addition on α-amylase mRNA. These observations indicate that ABA inhibits α-amylase expression at the pretranslational level and that protein and RNA synthesis are required for midcourse ABA action to occur. Our results also show that α-amylase mRNA, which has been thought to be very stable, is degraded after midcourse ABA treatment.
Thermal Elastohydrodynamic Analysis Using a Generalized Non-Newtonian Formulation With Application to Bair-Winer Constitutive Equation

The governing equations together with a solution methodology are given which enables one to effectively handle an EHL line contact problem with simple non-Newtonian fluids including thermal effects. A computational algorithm is proposed that determines the equivalent viscosity as a function of shear strain rate for a specified constitutive equation. It is shown that the method effectively handles Bair-Winer's rheological equation in its original form and without the need for an ap proximate perturbation analysis. Among the performance parameters presented are the local behavior of the shear stress as predicted by the Bair-Winer's model and its comparison to that of the Ree-Eyrings constitutive equation
Granger-causality and path diagrams for multivariate time series

In this paper, we introduce path diagrams for multivariate time series which visualize the dynamic relationships among the variables. In these path diagrams, the vertices represent the components of the time series and are connected by arrows or lines according to the nonvanishing parameters in the autoregressive representation of the time series. We show that these path diagrams provide a framework for the analysis of the dependence structure of the time series. In particular, we give sufficient graphical conditions for Granger-noncausality and Granger-noncausality up to a certain horizon.
Variation in enteral nutrition delivery in mechanically ventilated patients

Abstract Objective We determined the variability in enteral feeding practices in mechanically ventilated patients in four adult intensive care units of a tertiary-care, referral hospital. Methods Patients who had been mechanically ventilated for at least 48 h and received enteral nutrition were prospectively followed. Results Fifty-five of 101 consecutive mechanically ventilated patients received enteral nutrition; in 93% of patients, feedings were infused into the stomach. Patients who were cared for in the medical intensive care unit, where a nutritional protocol was operational, received enteral nutrition earlier in their ventilatory course (P = 0.004) and feedings were advanced to target rates faster (P = 0.043) than those who received care in other units. The number (P = 0.243) and duration (P = 0.668) of interruptions in feeding did not differ by patient location. On average, patients received only 50% to 70% of their targeted caloric goals during the first 6 days of enteral nutrition. Most feeding discontinuations (41%) were secondary to procedures. Gastrointestinal intolerances, including vomiting, aspiration, abdominal distention, and increased gastric residuals, were uncommon despite allowing gastric residuals up to 300 mL. Conclusions The practice of providing enteral feeds to mechanically ventilated patients varies widely, even within one hospital. A protocol enhanced early initiation of enteral feeds and advancement to target feeding rates but did not alter the number or duration of interruptions in enteral feedings. Procedures represented the most common reason for stopping enteral feeds, and gastrointestinal intolerances (vomiting, aspiration, and increased gastric residuals) caused few feeding interruptions. The gastric route was safe and well tolerated for early enteral feeding in most mechanically ventilated patients.
Emerging Pattern of Rabies Deaths and Increased Viral Infectivity

Most human rabies deaths in the United States can be attributed to unrecognized exposures to rabies viruses associated with bats, particularly those associated with two infrequently encountered bat species (Lasionycteris noctivagans and Pipistrellus subflavus). These human rabies cases tend to cluster in the southeastern and northwestern United States. In these regions, most rabies deaths associated with bats in nonhuman terrestrial mammals are also associated with virus variants specific to these two bat species rather than more common bat species; outside of these regions, more common bat rabies viruses contribute to most transmissions. The preponderance of rabies deaths connected with the two uncommon L. noctivagans and P. subflavus bat rabies viruses is best explained by their evolution of increased viral infectivity.
Redefining the role of cardiovascular imaging in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

While pulmonary arterial hypertension is a disease primarily affecting the pulmonary vasculature, the right ventricle plays an integral part in the disease process. Although widely used, two-dimensional echocardiography is limited in visualizing the right ventricle and, therefore, assessment of its structure and function has been largely subjective or invasive. Advanced imaging modalities such as real-time three-dimensional echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance overcome many challenges of two-dimensional echocardiography and have provided further insight into the pathophysiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Indices of right ventricular function obtained from these noninvasive techniques are being assessed for their prognostic capabilities as well as their ability to monitor response to pulmonary arterial hypertension–specific therapies. Future research is needed to compare the accuracy, reproducibility, and prognostic value of each of these parameters to definitively establish the role of cardiovascular imaging in the management of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
The LexA protein does not bind specifically to the two SOS box-like sequences immediately 5′ to the phr gene

There are two SOS box-like sequences located at the regions -161 to -142 and -69 to -50 with regard to the initiation codon of phr. Ihara et al. (1987) constructed a phr'-'lacZ fusion plasmid in which these sequences and the amino terminal end of the phr gene was fused to lacZ and therefore lacZ was under the regulatory control of phr promoter-operator. The authors found that in cells carrying this plasmid beta-galactosidase was inducible by UV and UV-mimetic agents and concluded that phr was controlled by the LexA repressor. We wished to confirm these results by theoretical analysis of the SOS-like sequences by the method developed by Berg (1987) as well as by measuring the binding of LexA protein to the putative SOS boxes by a novel gel retardation assay. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results indicate that the putative SOS boxes immediately 5' to phr have no specific affinity for LexA protein.
Response of thermoplastic and thermosetting composites under compressive loading—An experimental and finite element study

Abstract The influence of long-term moisture exposure and temperature on the compressive properties of T-300/epoxy (thermosetting) and APC-2 (thermoplastic) composites has been studied. Specimens of quasi-isotropic configuration [45°/90°/−45°/0°] 5 were designed on the basis of the Euler buckling criterion, and a temperature range of 23–100°C was considered for both dry as well as wet tests. Specimens for wet tests were soaked in distilled water for a period of 360 days, and the effects of moisture absorption on the compressive properties and geometry of the specimens were investigated. The results of the investigation indicated that the moisture absorption rate of T-300/epoxy was higher than that of APC-2. It was noticed that the geometry of the specimen influenced the moisture absorption rate. The thick plate with a smaller surface area absorbed less moisture than the thin plate with a larger surface area. The compressive strength and modulus of APC-2 were found to be comparatively higher than that of T-300/epoxy both in dry and wet conditions. The effect of moisture at 100°C was negligible for both materials. The modes of failure in both materials under compressive load were found to be delamination, interlaminar shear and end brooming. Thick laminates of thermoplastic composites (APC-2) were modeled with isoparametric layered shell elements to predict the responses of the dry laminate at various temperatures under compressive loading. A large-displacement finite element analysis was performed by considering the geometric non-linearities in the composite structure. Multiple load steps with linear material behavior were used to model the load-displacement characteristics found in the experimental study. The compressive response with respect of displacements, normal stresses and interlaminar shear stresses under three different temperatures is presented. The laminate response along the length as well as through the thickness is also presented, to analyze and understand the failure mechanisms under such loading. Experimental data were compared with the FEM results to test the accuracy of the finite element analysis (FEA) using the layered shell element under the assumption of first-order shear-deformation theory. A reasonably good correlation between FEA and experimental results was found.
Observations of large amplitude parallel electric field wave packets at the plasma sheet boundary

We report the first observation of large amplitude electric fields parallel to the earth's magnetic field at radial distances of ∼6 RE on magnetic field lines linking the plasma sheet boundary to the auroral zone. The parallel fields, with magnitudes up to 40 mV/m, occur in three different electrostatic structures: unipolar wave packets with a net potential drop, bipolar wave packets, and solitary waves. Examples from one boundary crossing are presented which show that the wave packets have durations of <1s, are traveling at velocities of ≤100 k/s, and are consistent with ion acoustic waves. The waves can contribute to the acceleration of auroral electrons and modify the pitch angle distributions. The wave packets occur in a region of large-scale field-aligned currents and are often associated with perpendicular waves near the lower hybrid frequency with strongly modulated amplitudes. The velocities determined for the solitary waves are faster than those of the wave packets.
Delamination of Sensitized Al-Mg Alloy During Fatigue Crack Growth in Room Temperature Air

Fatigue crack growth experiments in air at 295 K (22 °C) were conducted on 6.35 mm thick plate samples of a commercial Al-Mg alloy machined from the L-T orientation. Thermal exposures for times up to 2000 hours at 343 K, 353 K, 373 K, and 448 K (70 °C, 80 °C, 100 °C, and 175 °C) produced sensitization and delamination in the S-T plane during fatigue testing, dependent on the level of thermal exposure and K max employed. Identical tests conducted in a “dry” environment produced no delamination, indicating that environment may enhance the phenomena.