cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF LYSOSOME-RICH FRACTIONS FROM RAT LIVER

A preliminary electron microscope study has revealed the presence in lysosome-rich fractions, isolated from rat liver, of hitherto undescribed cytoplasmic particles, called "dense bodies." Approximately 0.37 µ in length, the dense bodies often possess an internal cavity and external membrane. They contain many electron-dense granules 55 to 77 A, or less, in diameter. Such dense bodies are also visible in electron micrographs of parenchymatous cells in liver sections. The correlations between dense bodies and lysosomes are listed, but until pure preparations are available it is not possible to assert that dense bodies and lysosomes are identical.
Pleuritis as a manifestation of reactivation tuberculosis

Abstract purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency with which tuberculous pleuritis is a manifestation of reactivation tuberculosis and to compare the clinical manifestations of reactivation tuberculous pleuritis with "classic" tuberculous pleuritis, in which chest roentgenograms reveal no parenchymal infiltrates. patients and methods: We evaluated the medical records of 59 patients in whom tuberculous pleuritis was confirmed by histologic findings or mycobacterial culture. Twenty-seven patients (46%) had typical chest roentgenographic findings of reactivation tuberculosis, whereas 32 (54%) had classic tuberculous pleuritis. The clinical and laboratory features of these two groups were compared. results: Symptoms were more prolonged and pleural fluid glucose and lactate dehydrogenase concentrations were more markedly abnormal in patients with reactivation pleuritis than in those with classic pleuritis, suggesting a more chronic inflammatory process in the former group. Compared with patients with classic tuberculous pleuritis, those with reactivation pleuritis had a lower frequency of reactive tuberculin skin tests (61% versus 88%) and granulomatous pleural inflammation (25% versus 72%), but a higher bacillary burden, manifest by a higher frequency of positive sputum smears for acid-fast bacilli (50% versus 0%) and positive mycobacterial cultures from sputum (60% versus 23%) and pleural fluid (91% versus 66%). conclusions: In contrast to previous reports, tuberculous pleuritis was a manifestation of reactivation tuberculosis in 46% (27 of 59) of patients. Tuberculous pleuritis is a more chronic process in patients with reactivation disease than in those with classic pleuritis. The lower frequency of reactive tuberculin skin tests and granuloma formation, combined with the higher bacillary burden in patients with reactivation pleuritis, suggest that these patients mount a less effective immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection than do patients with the classic form of tuberculous pleuritis.
The Mixed Model Learning Curve

Abstract In this article an extension of the learning curve concept is introduced by considering the rate of reduction in direct labor assembly time for mixed model assembly situations. Here, more than one model is assembled on the same assembly line; hence, the repetitions of the assembly work are not always the same. Following a short description of the mathematical formulation of the learning curve (for convenience called the single model learning curve), a development of a mixed model learning curve is presented. An example is given to demonstrate the application of mixed model learning.
Uranyl acetate induces gel phase formation in model lipid and biological membranes

The effect of uranyl acetate on the mesomorphic phase state of lipids in model membranes as well as in isolated biological membranes has been examined. As little as 0.8 mM (0.03% [wt/vol]) uranyl acetate induces a liquid crystal-to-gel phase transformation in egg phosphatidic acid, bovine brain phosphatidylserine, and in lysed chromaffin granule membranes. These results along with others in the literature indicate that the uranyl acetate used in samples for electron microscopy could alter membrane morphology.
REVISED NEO PERSONALITY INVENTORY PROFILES OF NARCISSISTIC AND NONNARCISSISTIC PEOPLE

This study investigated the construct validity of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory against the Revised NEO Personality Inventory to test the hypothesis that narcissistic and nonnarcissistic people have different personality profiles The two inventories were administered to 96 male and 92 female undergraduates Multivariate as well as univariate analyses of variance indicated that the Revised NEO Personality Inventory profiles were significantly different for narcissistic and nonnarcissistic groups which supported the construct validity of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory.
Evaluating Ecological Indicators: Lakes In The Northeastern United States

We use data from a survey of several hundred lakes in the northeastern United States by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to illustrate an approach to identifying promising indicators of lake condition. We construct a hypothetical gold standard of water quality from the first principal component of 16 chemical variables measured in the lakes, and examine its associations with 71 candidate indicators based on measurements of human activity, birds, fish and zooplankton in the lakes or their watersheds. Nonparametric summaries of these associations - based on rank correlations and receiver-operating-characteristic curves - suggest that variables summarizing the extent of human disturbance are generally the strongest indicators. To the extent that our water-quality variable is a useful proxy for ecological condition, our results suggest that easily-obtained measures of human activity are at least as predictive as many of the harder-to-measure biological indicators that have been proposed.
Hyperketonemia-ketogenesis and ketone body metabolism.

Abstract In bovine ketosis, hyperketonemia is only one biochemical disturbance that occurs among a multiplicity of metabolic changes. The changes can be grouped into two major categories and these are: 1) a reduction in available carbohydrate and 2) an increase in the quantities of fat and ketone bodies being metabolized. The two major ketone bodies, AcAc and BHB, are interconvertible and their ratio may reflect or alter the redox state of the various tissues. The ketone bodies are readily utilized, are used for milk fat production, and can account for 20 to 30% of the animal's total respiratory CO 2 . There is some evidence that several tissues, notably the brain, can gradually adapt to ketone body utilization while conserving glucose. In the normal ruminant, ketone bodies are produced by the rumen epithelium from dietary fatty acids, notably butyrate, and certain ketogenic diets possibly can predispose the animal to ketosis. During active ketosis, however, most of the excess ketone bodies are produced from FFA in the liver. The excessive ketogenesis seems dependent upon two factors, both of which must operate: 1) a primary factor or FFA mobilization from the body's fat stores and 2) an hepatic factor which involves a shift in hepatic FFA utilization away from the two pathways of esterification and oxidation to CO 2 to the third pathway of partial oxidation to ketone bodies. The availability of carbohydrate seems to play a critical role in each case. Hypoglycemia will cause increased FFA mobilization from the fat stores, and insufficient carbohydrate metabolism in the liver shifts the pathways of hepatic FFA utilization from that of esterification and oxidation to CO 2 to that of ketogenesis. An insufficient mobilization or supply of precursors for the production of oxaloacetate and eventually glucose, relative to the animal's increased needs, thus may be the critical phase of the disorder.
An evaluation of The Ethics Program at General Dynamics

The Ethics Program at General Dynamics was evaluated relative to its stated objectives and its implied objectives. The program was found to have met its specific objectives which require employees to follow rules and standards of conduct. The program did not apparently meet its implied objectives which would have created a more humanistic work environment for employees. This result apparently stemmed from program planners' intentions to use the hope for better working conditions as a motivation for employees to follow company standards. A substantial conflict was found between the philosophical bases for ethics programs and work environment improvement programs.
Loading and unloading solutions for an elastic/plastic annular plate in the state of plane stress under combined pressure and couple

Abstract This paper contains a detailed analysis of the axisymmetric deformation of elastic/plastic ‡ circular annular plates in the state of plane stress under combined pressure and couple (due to circumferential shear) at the inner boundary. With the use of Tresca's loading function and its associated flow rules, the results obtained include complete elastic/perfectly plastic solutions during both loading and unloading, and complete workhardening solutions during loading with isotropic and with kinematic hardening. The major portion of the paper deals with the unloading problem which requires two new solutions (in addition to the usual elastic unloading solution) in order to cover the full range of load programs including those with one load parameter increasing and the other decreasing. Several novel features of this combined load problem are discussed and illustrated through numerical examples.
Solubilization of Oxidized Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Organic and Aqueous Solvents through Organic Derivatization

The solubilization of oxidized carbon nanotubes has been achieved through derivatization using a functionalized organic crown ether. The resultant synthesized adduct yielded concentrations of dissolved nanotubes on the order of ∼1 g/L in water as well as in methanol, according to optical measurements. The nanotube−crown ether adduct can be readily redissolved in 10 different organic solvents at substantially high concentrations. Characterization of these solubilized adducts was performed with 1H NMR spectroscopy; 7Li NMR was also used to examine the ability of the crown ether's macrocyclic ring to bind Li+ ions. The solutions were further analyzed using UV−visible, photoluminescence, and FT-IR spectroscopies and were structurally characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Adduct formation likely results from a noncovalent chemical interaction between carboxylic groups on the oxidized tubes and amine moieties attached to the side chain of the crown ether d...
Noncontact Modal Excitation of a Classical Guitar Using Ultrasound Radiation Force

Previous studies have demonstrated that it is possible to use the ultrasound radiation force in air for modal excitation of objects ranging in size from microcantilevers that are a few hundred microns in length to hard drive suspensions and other cantilevers a few centimeters long. The current study demonstrates that the ultrasound radiation force excitation technique can also be used for modal excitation of significantly larger objects, in this case an acoustic guitar. It was demonstrated that the noncontact combination of ultrasound radiation force excitation and a scanning vibrometer allowed measurements of both the frequency response and operating deflection shapes of a Cordoba 45R classical guitar in the range from 70 to 800 Hz. The resonance frequencies and deflection shapes are similar to those measured using a conventional mechanical shaker. By using a pair of ultrasound transducers and adjusting their relative phase difference, it was possible to selectively enhance or suppress different resonances. This is a substantial extension over previous studies because the guitar is several orders of magnitude larger than devices used previously.
M-matrix generalized inverses of M-matrices

Abstract Let P be an n × n nonnegative, irreducible, and stochastic matrix, and consider the associated singular and irreducible M-matrix Q = I − P. We show that without further restrictive spectral or combinatorial assumptions on P, it is reasonable to expect that the group inverse Q♯ of Q will be an M-matrix only when P lies in a small wedge about a rank 1 nonnegative matrix, a wedge whose existence is itself dependent on P. We go on to consider the question of when Q has a nonzero generalized inverse, not necessarily the group inverse, which is an M-matrix. We give examples of all sorts of classes of P for which such is the case, but point out that the general problem remains unsolved.
Effect of grain refinement on mechanical properties of ball-milled bulk aluminum

Abstract In this study, high quality bulk ultra-fine grained and nanocrystalline pure aluminum samples were prepared through room temperature ball milling, cold and warm compaction, sintering, and annealing processes. The as-received (−325 mesh) powder was subjected to different milling times in order to achieve specimens with different average grain sizes (d). The prepared samples were then subjected to uniaxial compressive loading to large strains (∼45%) to investigate the effect of grain size on the stress–strain response of the material. The 10-h milled bulk nanocrystalline samples (d = 82 nm) were tested at a very wide range of strain rates from quasi-static to dynamic regimes. The strain rate sensitivity of the material increased as the grain size was reduced to nanometer realm; the flow stress, and work hardening behavior were dramatically influenced by change in the grain size (milling time).
Ecosystem carbon storage in arctic tundra reduced by long-term nutrient fertilization

Global warming is predicted to be most pronounced at high latitudes, and observational evidence over the past 25 years suggests that this warming is already under way. One-third of the global soil carbon pool is stored in northern latitudes, so there is considerable interest in understanding how the carbon balance of northern ecosystems will respond to climate warming. Observations of controls over plant productivity in tundra and boreal ecosystems have been used to build a conceptual model of response to warming, where warmer soils and increased decomposition of plant litter increase nutrient availability, which, in turn, stimulates plant production and increases ecosystem carbon storage. Here we present the results of a long-term fertilization experiment in Alaskan tundra, in which increased nutrient availability caused a net ecosystem loss of almost 2,000 grams of carbon per square meter over 20 years. We found that annual aboveground plant production doubled during the experiment. Losses of carbon and nitrogen from deep soil layers, however, were substantial and more than offset the increased carbon and nitrogen storage in plant biomass and litter. Our study suggests that projected release of soil nutrients associated with high-latitude warming may further amplify carbon release from soils, causing a net loss of ecosystem carbon and a positive feedback to climate warming.
Brachial plexus block with a peripheral nerve stimulator

Axillary brachial plexus blockade is a versatile technique that can be used to provide anesthesia and analgesia of the arm below the shoulder. This report describes the use of a bullet-tipped catheterover-the-needle device in combination with a peripheral nerve stimulator for performing axillary brachial plexus block. This technique has distinct advantages over other techniques commonly used. They include a set of very distinct insertion endpoints, potentially decreased risk of vascular or neural trauma from the blunt needle, an insulated needle that may be used with a peripheral nerve stimulator to confirm entry into the sheath, a more proximal delivery site for local anesthesia due to the 6.6 cm length of the catheter, and a ready means of providing prolonged anesthesia or analgesia with the use of the indwelling catheter. In conclusion, this technique represents a valuable addition to the armamentarium of the anesthesiologist providing regional anesthesia/analgesia of the upper extremity.
Opioid-like effects of the neurokinin 1 antagonist aprepitant in patients maintained on and briefly withdrawn from methadone.

Background: Although opioid substitution therapy is an effective clinical tool used to manage opioid abuse and dependence, concerns regarding the current FDA-approved medications have lead to a search for efficacious, non-opioid medications. Preclinical data indicate that neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptor activity may modulate opioid effects and withdrawal. This investigation sought to examine the ability of the NK1 antagonist aprepitant to alter the effects of methadone as well as withdrawal symptoms induced by brief methadone discontinuation. Methods: This blinded, placebo-controlled, within-subjects study consisted of placebo and aprepitant conditions. Experimental assessments occurred on the first three days (days 1–3: placebo or aprepitant + methadone) and again on days 8–10 (aprepitant or placebo + methadone). Fifteen methadone-maintained patients completed the investigation. Outcome measures were the assessments of opioid withdrawal, as well as subjective measures of opioid-like effects. Results: Statist...
Biophysical effects on plant competition and coexistence

Summary Physical laws influence the ability of plants to exchange energy and mass with their external environments, which is influenced by the size and spatiotemporal display of surface area. In turn, energy–mass exchange rates affect plant growth and thus the consumption of resources and plant competitiveness. Representative physical laws and processes are reviewed, and empirical data and computer models are used to elaborate on how energy–mass exchange rates, growth and competitiveness are interconnected. Our review shows that biophysical constraints on energy–mass exchange rates significantly influence plant growth and plant–plant competition. We also show that biophysical constraints also provide opportunities for adaptation and species coexistence.
Conformational analysis of Met-enkephalin in both aqueous solution and in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles using multidimensional NMR and molecular modeling.

Proton and 13C chemical shift assignments are reported for the neuropeptide Met-enkephalin (ME) in both aqueous solution and in the presence of 50 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Rotating frame nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy was used to qualitatively describe interproton distances. These distances were then used as restraints in the distance geometry based molecular modeling program Dspace, developed by Hare Research to generate sets of conformations of ME. The resulting aqueous solution conformations of ME were determined to exhibit characteristic of an extended random-coil polypeptide with no distinguishable secondary structure. The resulting set of solution conformations of ME in the presence of 50 m M SDS exhibited characteristics of an amphiphilic type IV β turn that are stabilized by hydrophobic aromatic-aromatic interactions between the side chains of Tyr1 and Phe4. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Characterization of high-risk HIV-1 seronegative hemophiliacs

Mechanisms that protect most high-risk HIV-1 seronegative (HRSN) persons are not well understood. Among hemophiliacs from the Multicenter Hemophilia Cohort Study who remained HIV-1 seronegative despite a high (94%) risk for acquisition of HIV-1 infection, only 7/43 were homozygous for the protective CCR5 Δ32 polymorphism. Among the remainder, neither CCR5 density nor β-chemokine production, nor in vitro susceptibility to infection with the HIV-1 isolate JR-FL could distinguish HRSN hemophiliacs from healthy controls. When compared to lymphocytes of healthy controls not at risk for HIV-1 infection, diminished spontaneous lymphocyte proliferation was seen in lymphocytes of HRSN hemophiliacs as well as in lymphocytes of hemophiliacs not at risk for HIV-1 infection. Surprisingly sera/plasmas obtained from high-risk HIV-1 seropositve hemophiliacs prior to seroconversion more often contained alloreactive antibodies than date-matched sera/plasmas obtained from HRSN hemophiliacs. Thus alloreactivity may predispose to acquisition of HIV-1 infection after parenteral exposure.
Stephen A. Vincent, Southern Seed, Northern Soil: African-American Farm Communities in the Midwest, 1765–1900. Bloomington and Indianapolis, IN: Indiana University Press, 1999. xvii + 224pp. $35.00 cloth; $19.95 paper.

Stephen A. Vincent's Southern Seed, Northern Soil challenges some of the cornerstone views of African-American migration to the North. By examining the migration of African Americans to the rural North in the nineteenth century, Vincent highlights the fact that African-American northern migration did not solely take place in the twentieth century, particularly after the start of World War One, and that all migrants did not move to northern cities. Vincent's welcome book focuses on the migration of free blacks from North Carolina and Virginia to two communities in Indiana in the 1830s—the Beech and Roberts settlements located in Rush and Hamilton counties. Vincent charts the southern precursors to this migration, the building of the Beech and Roberts settlements in Indiana, the success of these communities in the 1850s and 1860s, and then their decline that began in the wake of the Civil War and continued throughout the rest of the nineteenth century. By the turn of the twentieth century, almost all African Americans had left the Beech and Roberts settlements. Concurrently, these two communities began a new form of existence in the living memory of former residents as annual homecoming festivities were begun to celebrate “the neighborhoods' exceptional character and history.” These events, which continued throughout the twentieth century, became the “second phase in the communities' histories,” a phase that Vincent's book is certainly a part (151).
Constraining massive neutrinos using cosmological 21 cm observations

Observations of neutrino oscillations show that neutrinos have mass. However, the best constraints on this mass currently come from cosmology, via measurements of the cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure. In this paper, we explore the prospects for using low-frequency radio observations of the redshifted 21 cm signal from the epoch of reionization to further constrain neutrino masses. We use the Fisher matrix formalism to compare future galaxy surveys and 21 cm experiments. We show that by pushing to smaller scales and probing a considerably larger volume, 21 cm experiments can provide stronger constraints on neutrino masses than even very large galaxy surveys. Finally, we consider the possibility of going beyond measurements of the total neutrino mass to constraining the mass hierarchies. For a futuristic, 21 cm experiment we show that individual neutrino masses could be measured separately from the total neutrino mass.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv3406 Is a Type II Alkyl Sulfatase Capable of Sulfate Scavenging

The genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) encodes nine putative sulfatases, none of which have a known function or substrate. Here, we characterize Mtb’s single putative type II sulfatase, Rv3406, as a non-heme iron (II) and α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase that catalyzes the oxidation and subsequent cleavage of alkyl sulfate esters. Rv3406 was identified based on its homology to the alkyl sulfatase AtsK from Pseudomonas putida. Using an in vitro biochemical assay, we confirmed that Rv3406 is a sulfatase with a preference for alkyl sulfate substrates similar to those processed by AtsK. We determined the crystal structure of the apo Rv3406 sulfatase at 2.5 A. The active site residues of Rv3406 and AtsK are essentially superimposable, suggesting that the two sulfatases share the same catalytic mechanism. Finally, we generated an Rv3406 mutant (Δrv3406) in Mtb to study the sulfatase’s role in sulfate scavenging. The Δrv3406 strain did not replicate in minimal media with 2-ethyl hexyl sulfate as the sole sulfur source, in contrast to wild type Mtb or the complemented strain. We conclude that Rv3406 is an iron and α-ketoglutarate-dependent sulfate ester dioxygenase that has unique substrate specificity that is likely distinct from other Mtb sulfatases.
Bordering on Peace: Democracy, Territorial Issues, and Conflict

I argue that democracy and peace are both symptoms—not causes—of the removal of territorial issues between neighbors, and in this sense the “empirical law” of democratic peace may in fact be spurious. As democracies tend to stabilize their border relations prior to becoming democratic, democracy as an independent variable in conflict studies captures the effects of an absence of territorial issues. States without these issues are less prone to disputes prior to regime type, and I show that, after controlling for the presence of stable borders, joint democracy exercises no pacifying effect on conflict behavior from 1946 to 1999.
Hsp60-induced tolerance in the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis exposed to multiple environmental contaminants.

Hsp60 induction was selected as a sublethal endpoint of toxicity for Brachionus plicatilis exposed to a water accommodated fraction (WAF) of Prudhoe Bay crude oil (PBCO), a PBCO/dispersant (Corexit 9527®) fraction and Corexit 9527® alone. To examine the effect of multiple stressors, exposures modeled San Francisco Bay, where copper levels are approximately 5 μg/L, salinity is 22‰, significant oil transport and refining occurs, and petroleum releases have occurred historically. Rotifers were exposed to copper at 5 μg/L for 24 h, followed by one of the oil/dispersant preparations for 24 h. Batch-cultured rotifers were used in this study to model wild populations instead of cysts. SDS-PAGE with Western Blotting using hsp60-specific antibodies and chemiluminescent detection were used to isolate, identify, and measure induced hsp60 as a percentage of control values. Both PBCO/dispersant and dispersant alone preparations induced significant levels of hsp60. However, hsp60 expression was reduced to that of controls at high WAF concentrations, suggesting interference with protein synthesis. Rotifers that had been preexposed to copper maintained elevated levels of hsp60 upon treatment with WAF at all concentrations. Results suggest that induction of hsp60 by chronic low-level exposure may serve as a protective mechanism against subsequent or multiple stressors and that hsp60 levels are not additive for the toxicants tested in this study, giving no dose-response relationship. The methods employed in this study could be useful for quantifying hsp60 levels in wild rotifer populations.
An infra-red and isopiestic investigation of the interaction between di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid and tri-n-octylphosphine oxide in octane

Abstract Upon the addition of tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (R3PO), B, to di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid ((RO)2PO2H), A, in octane the intensity of the phosphoryl band of A at 1232 cm−1 is decreased and a new band at ca. 1275 cm−1 appears. Detailed study of this change by Job's method of continuous variation and by the addition of B to solutions in which the total concentration of A is held constant has suggested the reactions: B + 1 2 A 2 = AB , Q 1 = 25 ± 5 M −1 2 ; B + A2 = A2B, Q2 = 100 ± 50 M−1. (The unreacted dialkylphosphoric acid is present as a dimer A2 in octane solution). The shift in the phosphoryl band of A is consistent with H-bonded structures for A2, A2B and AB. Isopiestic results appear consistent with these reactions.
Bioluminescent probes of sulfatase activity.

Sulfation of glycans, proteins, and small molecules is a biological regulatory modification that plays important roles in normal and disease processes.[1] The enzymes that install and hydrolyze sulfate esters are the sulfotransferases and sulfatases, respectively. The sulfatases in particular have been associated with a number of congenital and acquired disease states.[2] Steroid sulfatase inhibitors are under evaluation as anticancer drugs,[3] and the association of heparan sulfatases with cancer[2b, 4] suggests future opportunities for therapeutic approaches that target this enzyme class. Moreover, sulfatases are predicted from the genome sequences of many pathogenic microbes, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis,[5] although their biological functions are not well defined.
EFFECTS OF SPEED AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF TREADMILL ON THE RANGE OF MOTION OF THE LOWER EXTREMITIES

This study examined the range of motion of the lower extremities in 20 subjects (10 men, 10 women) exercising on treadmills. Of particular interest was how this parameter was affected by speed and different types of treadmill. Analysis indicated that there were statistically significant differences in the hip and knee joints, but not in the ankle joint for two selected types of treadmill set at the same speed.
On uniquely 3-colorable graphs II

Abstract We show the following. (1) For each integer n ⩾12, there exists a uniquely 3-colorable graph with n vertices and without any triangles. (2) There exist infinitely many uniquely 3-colorable regular graphs without any triangles. It follows that there exist infinitely many uniquely k -colorable regular graphs having no subgraph isomorphic to the complete graph K k with k vertices for any integer k ⩾3.
Periventricular lesions on MRI. Facts and theories.

Patchy subcortical lesions are frequently identified on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain in the elderly. On computed tomography (CT) these lesions appear as periventricular zones of lucency and have been termed «leuko-araiosis» by Hachinski and colleagues. Despite limited knowledge of the pathological correlates of the lesions, there has been speculation about their nature, pathophysiology, and clinical significance
Methodology for estradiol treatment in marine larval and juvenile fish: uptake and clearance in summer flounder

Abstract Female flatfish grow faster than males. Our goal is to use immersion in estradiol as a method for producing all female populations of summer flounder ( Paralichthys dentatus ). To this end, we measured uptake and clearance of estradiol in the whole-body of larval and juvenile summer flounder. Uptake reached an initial plateau within 30 min and was accumulated above the exposure concentration (EC) in juveniles, but not larvae. An EC of 16 nM significantly elevated whole-body estradiol concentrations in both larvae and juveniles. We recommend an EC of 50–100 nM to raise estradiol levels to high physiological levels. Depuration was significant within 4 h after transfer to clean water and complete after 24 h. Estradiol in the exposure water was lowered to undetectable levels within 1 h of charcoal filtration. This information should be useful to investigators working on sex differentiation in this and other species, or in the areas of vitellogenin biology and endocrine disruption.
TEMPORAL COURSE OF PROACTIVE INTERFERENCE IN SHORT-TERM MEMORY

In each of three experiments, each subject in each condition received five successive short-term memory (STM) tests with phonemically similar consonant trigrams as the items to be remembered. The retention interval for tests 1–4 of all conditions in the three experiments was held constant at 16·5 sec. On test 5 the retention interval was varied across conditions with the three experiments exploring retention intervals in the range 1–21·5 sec. In all three experiments little, if any, forgetting was observed on test 1; in all three experiments proactive interference (PI) was observed to develop across tests. Analysis of the test 5 data indicated that the PI effect of prior test items upon the test 5 target item reached a maximum by 6·5 sec., with no further forgetting beyond this interval. The test 5 data also suggested a reminiscence effect at the longest retention interval of 21·5 sec. The implications of the data for a theory of PI in STM are discussed.
A measure of equality of choice in higher education

Abstract Equality of choice in higher education is measured by indices of inequality calculated for this paper. These indices compare the distribution of parental family income of incoming freshmen at 13 classifications of institutions of higher education with the distribution of income of families in the United States. The resulting indices show substantial systemic differences in equality of choice by institutional type. The low point (least inequality) in the 26-year trend of these indices is in either 1979 or 1980. and the high point is in 1988. Further, the indices for the least equitable parts of the system are the least likely to change over time.
Predictable programs in barcodes

We explore the challenges for making the programming interfaces for embedded devices open and safe, and present a prototype architecture for delivering verified programs using barcodes. In particular, we consider programs for microwave ovens, which provide a basic open API for controlling cooking times. In our architecture, recipes are written in Java, and their safety properties are formally verified using the model checker Spin. We use off-the-shelf utilities for compressing the byte code, and use two-dimensional barcodes for program delivery. We report on experiments that demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed architecture for predictability and delivery.
Sanitation's impact on the effectiveness of the pest management programs of food processing facilities

Pest management in food processing facilities strives to prevent product loss due to insect consumption or infestation of raw or processed product. Facility managers may use a combination of different control methods to prevent or eliminate insect outbreaks. Prior research has suggested that sanitation, a preventative measure, may improve the effectiveness and reliability of other control methods, which may also reduce the cost of pest management for food processors when using these methods. Two food processing facilities in the Midwest were evaluated on their levels of sanitation and then monitored for insect pests following fumigation with Profume™. Facility managers were interviewed regarding their facility's pest control and sanitation programs, as well as their own attitudes and opinions regarding pest control. Bioassay results suggested an equal level of effectiveness of fumigation for both facilities, but monitoring data suggested that the cleaner facility (Facility A) had slower pest population rebound rates than the less-clean facility (Facility B). Comparison of pest control costs in each facility revealed that Facility A spent less than Facility B on pest control as predicted, but also spent less on sanitation. This suggests that greater investment in sanitation is not required for improved facility cleanliness and pest management effectiveness. Knowledge and involvement on the part of management and the employees in the facility's pest management program, may serve as a better indicator of sanitation's impact on facility pest management. These findings appear to correlate with the early results of an online survey that seeks a broader perspective of industry trends.
Brine ingredients alter the immunoassay of lactate dehydrogenase isozyme 5 in beef

ASSTRACT: Ground beef Semimembranosus muscle was prepared in neutral phosphate buffer containing sodium chloride (0% to 3%) with and without 0.5% sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP). Extracts were cooked to end point temperatures of 58 °C to 65 °C, and aliquots were analyzed for total soluble protein and immunoblot quantification of lactate dehydrogenase isozyme 5 (LDH5). More protein was solubilized in the presence of STPP, with all extracts exhibiting a linear decline in total protein with temperature. LDH5 showed parallel log decreases with temperature, which were lowered by increased salt and moderated by STPP. The presence of brine ingredients must be considered when using LDH5 to verify end point cooking temperatures in beef.
Which Patients Benefit the Most from a Geriatrician's Care? Consensus Among Directors of Geriatrics Academic Programs

Given the anticipated limited availability of geriatricians for the foreseeable future, how should the geriatrician's specialized clinical skills be deployed to optimally benefit the health of our aging population? Directors of geriatrics academic programs (DGAPs) at all 145 U.S. allopathic and osteopathic medical schools were asked this question as part of a winter 2007 on-line survey. The DGAPs were to indicate the types of patients who would most benefit from a geriatrician's services in three practice situations: primary care, consultations, and care in the hospital. The survey response rate was 74.5%. There was high consensus among the DGAPs on the benefits of having a geriatrician care for the most complex and vulnerable older adults in primary care and hospital settings. There was slightly less consensus as to when geriatrics consultations are beneficial. The patient subsets that were viewed as benefiting the most from geriatrician care were aged 85 and older, frailty, geriatric syndromes, severe functional impairment, and complexity. The results of this survey suggest that, because of the predicted shortage of geriatricians, the DGAPs would target geriatricians to work with the most vulnerable older adults. These findings offer the beginning of a consensus statement as to the role of geriatricians in the continuum of American medical care.
Description of an Aircraft Lightning And Simulated Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse (NEMP) Threat Based on Experimental Data

Most modern aircraft are designed to withstand a direct lightning strike. To accomplish this protection, the aircraft must have an external conductive path with a given skin thickness and a minimum amount of exposed areas and antennas that could allow energy coupling to the inside. Additionally, some modern military aircraft are also designed to operate in a nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NEMP) environment. This paper provides experimental lightning data and NEMP scalemodel data to characterize both phenomena. The lightning data were obtained by measuring the surface electromagnetic fields on a CV-580 research aircraft during an actual lightning strike. The aircraft was struck by lightning 48 times in central Florida between 1500- and 18 000-ft altitude during the summers of 1984 and 1985. One of these lightning events, for which an extensive set of data was available, has been analyzed. For this event, the maximum measured values were as follows: time rate of change of the surface magnetic flux density, 3750 T/s; total normal current density, 20 A/m2; peak current, 4.7 kA; and rate of rise of the current, 38 kA/ps. The NEMP data were obtained by measuring the surface electromagnetic fields during a simulated NEMP test in a 1:74 scale model of the same aircraft. During scale-model NEMP simulation, the maximum values measured were as follows: time rate of change of the surface magnetic flux density, 40 000 T/s; and total normal current density, 90 A/m2. The analyses of these results should provide new insights for combined lightning and NEMP protection.
Fluoxetine: a review on evidence based medicine.

Fluoxetine was the first molecule of a new generation of antidepressants, the Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). It is recurrently the paradigm for the development of any new therapy in the treatment of depression. Many controlled studies and meta-analyses were performed on Fluoxetine, to improve the understanding of its real impact in the psychiatric area. The main objective of this review is to assess the quality and the results reported in the meta-analyses published on Fluoxetine. Published articles on Medline, Embase and Cochrane databases reporting meta-analyses were used as data sources for this review. Articles found in the searches were reviewed by 2 independent authors, to assess if these were original meta-analyses. Only data belonging to the most recent and comprehensive meta-analytic studies were included in this review. Data, based on a group of 9087 patients, who were included in 87 different randomized clinical trials, confirms that fluoxetine is safe and effective in the treatment of depression from the first week of therapy. Fluoxetine's main advantage over previously available antidepressants (TCAs) was its favorable safety profile, that reduced the incidence of early drop-outs and improved patient's compliance, associated with a comparable efficacy on depressive symptoms. In these patients, Fluoxetine has proven to be more effective than placebo from the first week of therapy. Fluoxetine has shown to be safe and effective in the elderly population, as well as during pregnancy. Furthermore, it was not associated with an increased risk of suicide in the overall evaluation of controlled clinical trials. The meta-analysis available on the use of Fluoxetine in the treatment of bulimia nervosa shows that the drug is as effective as other agents with fewer patients dropping out of treatment. Fluoxetine has demonstrated to be as effective as chlomipramine in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder (OCD). Fluoxetine can be considered a drug successfully used in several diseases for its favorable safety/efficacy ratio. As the response rate of mentally ill patients is strictly related to each patient's personal characteristics, any new drug in this area, will have to be developed under these considerations.
Glucose Monitoring During Pregnancy

Self-monitoring of blood glucose in women with mild gestational diabetes has recently been proven to be useful in reducing the rates of fetal overgrowth and gestational weight gain. However, uncertainty remains with respect to the optimal frequency and timing of self-monitoring. A continuous glucose monitoring system may have utility in pregnant women with insulin-treated diabetes, especially for those women with blood sugars that are difficult to control or who experience nocturnal hypoglycemia; however, continuous glucose monitoring systems need additional study as part of larger, randomized trials.
New premises and new tools for medical education

Postgraduate education in medicine is flawed because medical education itself is flawed. The basic premises and tools for medical education and practice must be changed. Until these changes are made, the medical care system will continue to fail to consistently couple for each patient the best current thinking in an area to the everyday actions in that area. Audits of medical practice, criticism of physicians, public discussion of bad outputs of medical practice, and malpractice suits will not help because awareness of the problems is not the difficulty. The difficulty is the failure to act upon the awareness in realistic and constructive ways. The PROMIS system is based on new premises and new tools that are effective and constructive.
A first step in determining appropriate amounts of obstetric anesthesia work

Ginosar, et al. describe a new performance indicator, the Obstetric Anesthesia Activity Index, to represent the current amount of obstetric anesthesia work done daily at each of 25 Israeli hospitals. The authors claim, correctly, that this index is a closer reflection of the anesthetic workload than simply looking at the number of deliveries at each hospital. However, the Obstetric Anesthesia Activity Index could easily be refined to reflect more closely the actual obstetric anesthesia workload by using the average cesarean delivery time for each hospital rather than one value for all hospitals. Although the authors state that they developed the Obstetric Anesthesia Activity Index out of concern for inadequate obstetric anesthesia manpower in Israel, they have not compared the Obstetric Anesthesia Activity Index with the size of the patient population or any measure of patient satisfaction or patient safety. In its current form, the Obstetric Anesthesia Activity Index describes the current work situation but does not evaluate the extent of the unmet need for additional anesthesia providers. Despite these shortcomings, the Obstetric Anesthesia Activity Index is an important first step in developing a tool to assess unmet obstetric anesthesia needs.
Perspectives of third-year medical students toward their surgical clerkship and a surgical career.

Introduction A deficit of surgeons currently exists in the health care workforce. We have designed a study that identifies predictors of students choosing a career in surgery. First, we conducted two feasibility studies, and on the basis of these data, designed a third study for addressing our specific aims. The design and one-year results for the new study are provided here. Methods For the feasibility studies, students participating in the third-year surgery clerkship at our institution were asked to complete surveys using two different study designs. For the new study, which began in June 2005, students complete surveys covering domains of interest at the beginning of the clerkship and at weekly intervals throughout the clerkship, and will be providing match results. Results The feasibility studies offered insight into ways to improve our study design. In the first year of this multi-year study, 93 students participated (response rate = 77%). Forty-five students were women (48%), and the average age was 26.09 (sd 2.85). Proportion of students rating general surgery or a surgery subspecialty in their top three choices for a career increased over the course of the clerkship by 24.7% (n = 32, 34.4% at baseline; n = 55, 59.1% at end of clerkship). Seventy-one students (76.3%) reported having a meaningful experience on the clerkship, and 30 (32.3%) received honors grades. Conclusion Our study design benefitted from the knowledge we gained from our feasibility studies. We look forward to achieving the necessary sample size in the next several years to report the final results of this study.
A semiautomated approach for artefact removal in serial tissue cryosections

Summary Thinly sliced serial tissue sections of an organ can be imaged using optical microscopy at a resolution detailing individual cells. When the tissue sections are first subjected to in situ hybridization or immunohistochemistry, these data sets can be analysed for changes in gene expression and gene products. Such spatial information is important for understanding the functional effects of experimental or environmental challenges to the organism. However, a critical step in analysing these data sets is mitigating artefacts that result from the preparation of the tissue sections. In this paper, we describe an automated method with manual validation tools that together enable detecting and addressing artefacts including dust particles and air bubbles.
Introduction to SWIFT (sweep imaging with fourier transformation) for magnetic resonance imaging of materials

A novel, fast, and quiet method of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), called SWIFT (sweep imaging with Fourier transformation) has recently been introduced. In addition to SWIFT's potential for in-vivo MRI, it creates new opportunities for MRI of materials. SWIFT currently operates in 3d radial acquisition mode. A series of segmented hyperbolic secant excitation pulses is accompanied by acquisition in the gaps. Each excitation, after correlation with the pulse results in a free induction decay (FID). The spectrum corresponding to the FID is a projection. There is very little “dead time” between excitation and acquisition, making SWIFT useful for imaging of short T2 materials, but in total imaging times comparable to fast gradient echo sequences.