cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alterations in reverse cholesterol transport associated with programmable implantable intraperitoneal insulin delivery

Our previous studies have suggested that intraperitoneal (IP) insulin delivery may be associated with alterations of reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). We thus studied two parameters of RCT. We performed RCT studies in 10 C-peptide-negative type I diabetic patients who were randomized into two groups. The experimental (A) and control (B) groups were studied at -3 and 0 months before and +3 and +6 months after IP pump subcutaneous (SC) insulin use. The first step in RCT was estimated by measuring patient serum-mediated 3H-cholesterol efflux from cultured fibroblasts. Cholesteryl ester transport protein (CETP) activity was assessed by a solid-phase assay. No changes in glucose control occurred during the study. Total low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, apoprotein B, and apoprotein A-I remained unchanged during the study. Cholesterol efflux from group A increased from baseline after 3 months of IP insulin by 9.5% +/- 3.4% (mean +/- SE, P < .05), whereas in group B patients it decreased negligibly by 1.5% +/- 2.9% (P = .045 for changes between groups). CETP activity increased from baseline by 25.3% +/- 7.7% (P < .05) in group A after 3 months of IP insulin, whereas in group B it changed little, -1.5% +/- 7.9%, with modest differences between groups (P = .16). These data indicate that (1) serum from patients treated long-term with IP insulin delivery may enhance cholesterol efflux from fibroblasts and CETP activity, and (2) these effects appear independent from glucose control, implying a direct effect by IP insulin.
Antidepressants as local anesthetics: is there a place in regional anesthesia?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Antidepressants have multiple sites of action. Among these, the ability to inhibit sodium channels has led to the increased interest in their use as local anesthetics. The following review summarizes the results of recent studies on this topic. RECENT FINDINGS Various animal and human models have shown that antidepressants exhibit many properties of local anesthetics with an extended duration of action. Due to limitations in study designs, however, these dramatic effects might have been misinterpreted and therefore possible toxicity may not have been recognized. Indeed, more recent studies focusing on toxic effects of antidepressants when used as local anesthetics proved this to be the case. SUMMARY Although antidepressants indeed act as potent local anesthetics, their use in the clinical setting cannot be recommended as of today due to extensive local tissue toxicity.
The Restructuring of Air Transport Linkages in the New Europe

Air transportation is a vital component of economic interchange. This paper explores changes in the European air transport network that have occurred since the political and economic reorientation of the former Eastern bloc and the restructuring of the European Union. Using basic connectivity measures, it was found that East-West nodal linkage within the network has improved, leading the way for full economic integration of the region.
Brain oxytocin receptor antagonism disinhibits sodium appetite in preweanling rats

Previous studies have shown that preweanling rats do not express an endogenous sodium appetite until postnatal day 12. The present studies tested the hypothesis that prior to 12 days of age sodium appetite, induced by either central administration of angiotensin II (AngII) or adrenalectomy, is inhibited by endogenous oxytocin (OT). After 9- or 10-day old animals were given a central injection of either an OT receptor antagonist or vehicle, they were infused intraorally with 4% sodium chloride which the animals could either swallow or reject. Intake was measured as the increase from initial body weight. There was very little sodium consumption by vehicle-injected animals that received sham surgery or adrenalectomy; however, the OT receptor antagonist significantly elevated sodium consumption in adrenalectomized animals. The OT antagonist also potentiated sodium intake after AngII pretreatment. These results suggest that the neurochemical circuits necessary for the expression of sodium appetite are present and functional as early as postnatal day 9; however, until 12 days of age this behavior is suppressed by endogenous OT.
Physicians for Human Rights and the Kurdish Refugee Crisis

To the Editor. —The article by Drs Geiger and Cook-Deegan 1 cites a Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) report on Kurdish refugee relief after the Gulf War. This report is said to have "contributed to a governmental decision to mount a more effective relief effort." This statement typifies the behavior of civilian disaster intervenors who self-assert their impact as humanitarian change agents in a military theatre. Sandler et al 2 reported on the PHR mission as follows: "After returning to the United States on April 15, we briefed individuals in those government agencies and the press. On April 16, US policy shifted away from merely delivering provisions by aerial drops to a more comprehensive public health emergency relief operation." Delightful is the notion that our errant military was guided in its relief strategy by PHR. The self-asserted claims of impact by civilians are not limited to military relief strategy. Claims
Using phytolith assemblages to reconstruct the origin and spread of grass-dominated habitats in the great plains of North America during the late Eocene to early Miocene

Abstract This paper outlines a general approach for analyzing siliceous microfossils from plants (phytoliths) in geologic sediments and uses this method to reconstruct the evolution of grasslands in the central Great Plains during the late Tertiary. Phytolith assemblage analysis is widely employed for reconstructing vegetation types in Pleistocene–Holocene paleoecology and archaeology, but no standardized methodology is currently available. Published phytolith studies are often system-specific and tailored after specific modern analogues. As a result, they vary in extraction technique, classification scheme, and method of inference. For ancient phytolith assemblages whose modern analogues are not well understood, a more general analytic approach is necessary. This analytic approach includes studying all size fractions (2–250 mm), using a classification scheme based on the available literature and a comprehensive modern phytolith reference collection, and comparing relative frequencies through time of all diagnostic phytoliths to interpret changes in habitat structure. This general method was applied to late Eocene to early Miocene sediment samples from northwestern Nebraska to deduce vegetation history and the results were compared to those obtained using a more specific technique [Stromberg, Paleogeogr. Paleoclimatol. Paleoecol. 177 (2002) 59]. In both studies, phytoliths were extracted by means of heavy liquid separation from the following lithostratigraphic units: (1) the late Eocene Chadron Formation and the early Oligocene Brule Formation (White River Group); (2) the late Oligocene–early Miocene Monroe Creek Formation, the early Miocene Harrison Formation and Anderson Ranch Formation (Arikaree Group); and (3) the early Miocene Runningwater Formation and Box Butte Formation (Ogallala Group). The two techniques, general vs. specific, produced results that differ markedly. Data from the general approach indicate the presence of relatively closed habitats in late Eocene to early Oligocene, typified by the presence of phytoliths from bambusoid grasses, woody and herbaceous dicotyledons, and palms. The introduction and spread of modern, open-habitat grasses, such as pooids, arundinoids, and panicoids, occurred between the late Oligocene and early Miocene. This resulted in a savanna or woodland type habitat by the early Miocene. In contrast, analysis using the specific method suggested the presence of open habitats in northwestern Nebraska from the late Eocene onward. The difference in interpretation based on the two approaches is principally due to inclusion of phytoliths >50 mm and the use of an expanded reference collection in the current study (general analytic approach). These results point to the importance of methodological choices in phytolith analysis and emphasize the usefulness of phytoliths as paleoecological indicators in the fossil record.
Some new classes of multivariate survival distribution functions

Abstract The concept of the univariate mean remaining life (m.r.l.) function is generalized to the multivariate case. The multivariate mean remaining life (m.m.r.l.) function is utilized to introduce four new classes of multivariate survival distribution functions (s.d.f.'s). Each of these classes is a new generalization of the univariate decreasing mean remaining life (DMRL) class of s.d.f.'s. The duals of these classes are introduced. Some properties, physical interpretation, and relationships among these classes are investigated. Also for each case, the class of s.d.f.'s common in a class and its dual is characterized.
Genes That Enhance the Ecological Fitness of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 in Sediments Reveal the Value of Antibiotic Resistance

Environmental bacteria persist in various habitats, yet little is known about the genes that contribute to growth and survival in their respective ecological niches. Signature-tagged mutagenesis (STM) of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 coupled with a screen involving incubations of mutant strains in anoxic aquifer sediments allowed us to identify 47 genes that enhance fitness in sediments. Gene functions inferred from annotations provide us with insight into physiological and ecological processes that environmental bacteria use while growing in sediment ecosystems. Identification of the mexF gene and other potential membrane efflux components by STM demonstrated that homologues of multidrug resistance genes present in pathogens are required for sediment fitness of nonpathogenic bacteria. Further studies with a mexF deletion mutant demonstrated that the multidrug resistance pump encoded by mexF is required for resistance to antibiotics, including chloramphenicol and tetracycline. Chloramphenicol-adapted cultures exhibited mutations in the gene encoding a TetR family regulatory protein, indicating a role for this protein in regulating expression of the mexEF operon. The relative importance of mexF for sediment fitness suggests that antibiotic efflux may be a required process for bacteria living in sediment systems.
Development of a Measure to Assess the Implementation of Children’s Systems of Care: The Systems of Care Implementation Survey ( SOCIS )

The children’s system of care framework has been extensively implemented in the U.S. Since its inception in 1993, the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program has invested in excess of $1 billion supporting the development of systems of care in 164 grantee sites across the country. Despite these efforts to implement children’s systems of care nationally, little is known about the extent to which the principles and values actually have been put into practice outside of the funded grantee sites. This paper describes the development of the Systems of Care Implementation Survey, a measure designed specifically for the first ever study assessing the level of implementation of factors contributing to effective children’s systems of care in a nationally representative sample of counties throughout the U.S.
How valid are the subscales of the Multiscore Depression Inventory

Investigated subscales of the Multiscore Depression Inventory for construct and concurrent validity. A hierarchical cluster analysis based on the responses of 263 students provided support for the construct validity of Irritability, Energy Level, Guilt, Instrumental Helplessness, Social Introversion, and Cognitive Difficulty. The separation of Low Self-Esteem and Pessimism was supported only partially, while Learned Helplessness and Sad Mood combined in a single cluster. The graph-theoretic advantages of the cluster analysis permitted speculation about the relationship among the subscales. Factor-analytic examination of the same data demonstrated comparable evidence of construct validity for most scales. Concurrent validity was demonstrated on a sample of 89 students, with significant relationships obtained for all subscales with respective criterion measures, with the exception of Learned Helplessness, which had a low, but significant, correlation with its criterion. Discriminant validity was demonstrated by low correlations between the subscales and socially desirable responses.
A Procedure for Improving Discrete Substructure Representation in Dynamic Synthesis

N important problem in the dynamic analysis for flexible structures is that of determining the natural frequencies and associated natural modes of vibration, particularly the lower ones. Complex structures are often represented by mathematical models, such as finite-element models, possessing a very large number of degrees of freedom, where the number can reach into the tens of thousands. Because of the large number of degrees of freedom, a direct iterative method for obtaining a partial eigensolution, know as subspace iteration, was developed. The subspace iteration method has a long history. An extensive bibliography is given in Ref. 1 and the current status of the method is discussed in Refs. 2-4 in the context of structural dynamics. Even the subspace iteration method, however, can be overwhelmed by the large number of degrees of freedom in the mathematical model, so that a method for prior reduction of the number of degrees of freedom is desirable. Complex structures are often modeled by breaking the structure into a number of simpler components or substructures. The substructure models are then coupled together to form the whole structure model. The technique is known as substructure synthesis and its origin can be found in Refs. 5 and 6. The idea of Refs. 5 and 6 is to represent the motion of each substructure by a set of substructure normal modes, obtained by solving an eigenvalue problem for each substructure. Then each substructure is represented in the synthesis process by a reduced number of lower substructure modes. The synthesis leads to an eigenvalue problem for the assembled structure of a substantially smaller order than that of the original formulation. The price paid in reducing the order of the eigenvalue problem is that its solution is only an approximation of the actual eigensolution of the original structure.
Secondary structure creates mismatched base pairs required for high-affinity binding of cAMP response element-binding protein to the human enkephalin enhancer.

Abstract Transactivation studies of the enkephalin enhancer indicate that two cAMP response elements (CRE-1 and CRE-2) are needed to mediate the transcriptional response to cAMP and to the CRE-binding protein (CREB) transcription factor. CRE-1 and CRE-2 are contained within a nearly palindromic region that can form stable hairpin structures in vitro. CREB binds only weakly to the native duplex enhancer and only within CRE-2. In contrast, CREB binds with high affinity to the hairpin in which CRE-1 and CRE-2 come together to form a CREB site with two G.T base pairs. NMR and binding studies show that high-affinity binding to the G.T hairpin requires one of the mismatched G.T pairs. Insertion of that G.T pair into the duplex confers high-affinity binding. Parallel studies with the somatostatin CRE show that the T in one G.T pair is crucial for high-affinity binding. The existence within a short enhancer of alternative sites for a single factor suggests a mechanism for regulation of transcription by DNA structure.
Toxicity of a fuel oil to the eggs of parhyale hawaiensis and amphithoe valida (amphipoda)

Experiments were carried out on the toxicity of a fuel oil to developing embryos and juveniles of two marine amphipods. Parhyale hawaiensis eggs were able to develop from early germinal disc stage (early eggs) to juvenile form in concentrations of 10 (2 ppm) up to 40% (8 ppm) WSF, but deleterious effects were evident in hatching success of eggs and survival of juveniles at concentrations ≥ 10% WSF. The juveniles that hatched from those eggs in higher WSFs had greater mortality than the juveniles that hatched from the eggs exposed to lower WSFs. Survival of juveniles from late eggs (cephalic region differentiated) was also greater than those from early eggs. Amphithoe valida eggs were more sensitive to the WSF of fuel oil than the eggs of P. hawaiensis; < 10% of the test eggs hatched in the 4 ppm WSF compared with 66% of P. hawaiensis eggs at the same concentration. The toxicity of fuel oil to the two amphipod eggs is therefore dependent on the concentration and duration of exposure on the one hand, and on the developmental stages and probably the nature of the egg case on the other.
A rapid screening test for gastric achlorhydria.

A device was developed for delivering a pH indicator to the stomach and retrieving it without discomfort to the patient. Thread impregnated with Congo-red dye was encased in a gelatin capsule, with one end protruding through a hole. While the end of the thread is held the capsule is swallowed; as the capsule descends the thread unwinds. The thread turns purple or black at a pH below 5; above this pH the thread turns various shades of red. After 1 min. the thread can be withdrawn.
Global observations of the carbon budget: 1. Expected satellite capabilities for emission spectroscopy in the EOS and NPOESS eras

This paper investigates the expected capabilities of the new generation of infrared satellite sounders for detecting CO2. A general circulation model is used to simulate realistic CO2 fields and to define the needed accuracy of CO2 observations in order to be useful in constraining surface sources and sinks of CO2, which will be described in more detail in a future paper. Optimal estimation retrieval theory is then used to determine the possible accuracy of the satellite measurements and to define the retrieval characteristics. A discussion of several factors that affect the retrievals is also included. We conclude that tropospheric column retrievals of CO2 are possible with an accuracy of better than 1 ppmv on a monthly mean basis. Several factors, like thin cirrus clouds and radiative transfer modeling errors, will degrade these results if not carefully accounted for. The possibility of extensive time and spatial averaging of the satellite observations will overcome some of these problems.
Psychiatric Comorbidity as a Predictor of Clinical Response to Nortriptyline in Treatment-Resistant Major Depressive Disorder

BACKGROUND A number of studies of major depressive disorder suggest that psychiatric co-morbidity may contribute to treatment resistance. The purpose of this study was to test whether the presence of comorbid Axis I and Axis II disorders predicts clinical response to an open trial of nor-triptyline among patients with treatment-resistant depression. METHOD Ninety-two outpatients with treatment-resistant DSM-III-R major depressive disorder were enrolled in a 6-week open trial of nor-triptyline (Nov. 1992-Jan. 1999). The presence of comorbid Axis I and Axis II disorders was established at baseline with the use of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R. Chi-square analyses were used to test Axis I or Axis II co-morbid conditions as a predictor of clinical response to nortriptyline. RESULTS Thirty-nine patients (42.4%) responded to nortriptyline. The presence of avoidant personality disorder (p <.01) predicted poorer response to nortriptyline. The response rate was 16.7% for patients with and 48.6% for patients without comorbid avoidant personality disorder. No other comorbid diagnoses were found to predict clinical response in a statistically significant manner. CONCLUSION The presence of avoidant personality disorder conferred a poorer prognosis in treatment-resistant depression patients treated with nortriptyline.
BIOCHEMICAL RESPONSE TO 1,1-DIMETHYLHYDRAZINE (UDMH).

Abstract The effect of the intraperitoneal injection of UDMH on rat tissue sulfhydryl levels, serum GOT, and urinary amino acid excretion has been studied. The approximate LD 50 in rats was found to be 100 mg/kg. Rats given a single injection of 80 mg/kg of UDMH show no changes in liver or brain sulfhydryl levels, nor are serum GOT levels altered by this dose. Analyses of urine samples show that rats injected with UDMH at levels of 40, 60, or 80 mg/kg excrete correspondingly increased amounts of amino acids in the urine during the subsequent 24-hour period. It appears that this is a general increase in amino acid excretion, and abnormalities associated with specific amino acids are not apparent. Histopathologic studies do not reveal any tissue pathology as a result of this single injection of UDMH. Since neurologic symptoms are present in these animals, the present findings tend to support the evidence for a biochemical mechanism mediating the acute toxic effects of UDMH.
Vocal fold paralysis following surgical ductal closure in extremely low birth weight infants: a case series of feeding and respiratory complications

Surgical closure of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) continues to be a frequent procedure among extremely preterm infants. Recent evidence indicates surgical closure is associated with worse outcomes than after medical closure. Left vocal fold paralysis is a known complication of this surgery, but there is little information available on the impact of this specific complication on long-term outcomes of these infants. In this case series, we describe the clinical course of three sets of multiple births, in which at least one infant underwent surgical closure of the PDA and subsequently developed feeding and/or breathing difficulties due to left vocal fold paralysis, and compare to their siblings who did not sustain this complication. The case series suggests that some long-term morbidities associated with surgical closure of the PDA may be attributable to this specific complication.
Accuracy of image stabilization by an optical-electronic feedback system.

Abstract The performance of an optical-electronic image stabilization system is described. The system uses the contact lens-mirror method for eye movement tracking in connection with a feedback principle for image stabilization. Stabilization accuracy is such that the maximum residual image movement is only 0.2′ for one subject, and 0.6′ for another.
The Role of Lymphatic Flow in Edema Formation of Nephrotic Syndrome

ABSTRACT Recent studies have supported the possibility that mechanisms other than alterations in transcapillary oncotic pressure may contribute to edema formation in nephrotic syndrome. In a patient with a discrete, partial obstruction to lymphatic flow in the left upper extremity, the authors determined the transcapillary oncotic pressure differential in the obstructed, more edematous extremity and the contralateral, unobstructed extremity. The results demonstrate a normal transcapillary oncotic pressure gradient in the unobstructed extremity, while in contrast, the gradient in the obstructed extremity was reduced. Clinically, the edema resolved completely in conjunction with resolution of the nephrotic syndrome. The authors conclude, therefore, that the obstructed extremity may be more susceptible to edema formation because of inability to increase lymphatic flow during periods of hypoalbuminemia to levels suflicient to reduce the interstitial oncotic pressure gradient. Furthermore, the normal gradient in the unobstructed extremity supports the view that other mechanisms, such as intrinsic alterations in renal sodium reabsorption, may be involved in edema formation because edema was present without demonstrable alterations in the transcapillary oncotic pressure differential and plasma volume was increased in this patient.
Efficiency of degenerate four-wave mixing in a two-level saturable absorbing medium.

Degenerate four-wave mixing in a two-level saturable absorbing medium is calculated on and off resonance for arbitrary input laser intensities and absorption coefficients. The maximum efficiency occurs at laser intensities higher than saturation in an optically thick medium. On resonance, the maximum efficiency can approach ∼4%, and it can be as large as 25% when the laser is tuned off resonance.
Spatial modeling of micron-scale gate length variation

Systematic gate length variations caused by microlithographic processing [1] have a significant impact on the variability of circuit performance. In this work, rigorous simulation shows the importance of proper spatial modeling. More specifically, the Monte Carlo framework used in [2] has been recast into an analytical macromodel-based Matlab framework. With accuracy in the 2% range, this analytical model allows for much faster critical path variability analysis. The analytical framework has been used to evaluate the assumptions made about the structure of spatial variation in [2]. It has been shown that a more rigorously-defined nested variance model of spatial variation yields substantially different circuit performance variability results. To further establish the nature of spatial variation in the sub-mm regime, a new set of electrical linewidth metrology (ELM) test structures is proposed. These ELM structures enable the measurement of critical dimensions of neighboring polysilicon lines packed at maximum density. Dummy lines may also be inserted between the measurable polysilicon lines, allowing for measurement of near-neighbor lines and thereby increasing the total measurable range. With the fine granularity and wide range of these test structures, spatial variation and correlation in the separation range of 0.2μm to 1.0mm can be measured.
Structure and magnetism of the Pr2Fe14-xCoxB system

Abstract Isostructural, tetragonal materials were synthesized for the entire composition range (x = 0 to 14). They were studied by X-ray and magnetometry methods. Magnetization measurements confirm a ferromagnetic arrangement of 3d and Pr magnetic moments and reveal a sharp increase of the Curie temperature with the increase of Co concentration. Saturation magnetization at 295 and 77 K reaches a slight maximum around x = 1 and gradually decreases for higher Co content. Anisotropy fields initially decrease and afterwards increase very quickly as more Co is introduced to the system. A spin reorientation occurs in alloys with x ⩾ 9.5 at temperature higher than 660 K. It marks a transition between uniaxial anisotropy and planar anisotropy. Spin reorientation temperature becomes lower for materials with higher Co content. A discussion of the Curie temperature change is conducted in terms of preferential substitution of Co into 16k2 sites. The weakening of the exchange interaction between Pr and 3d sublattices, as well as the decreasing Pr-sublattice anisotropy with rising temperature, are considered to be responsible for anisotropy field changes. The interplay between crystal field and exchange field interactions is emphasized. A comparison with the Nd2Fe14-xCoxB system is included.
210Po in the marine environment with emphasis on its behaviour within the biosphere

The distribution and behaviour of the natural-series alpha-emitter polonium-210 in the marine environment has been under study for many years primarily due to its enhanced bioaccumulation, its strong affinity for binding with certain internal tissues, and its importance as a contributor to the natural radiation dose received by marine biota as well as humans consuming seafoods. Results from studies spanning nearly 5 decades show that (210)Po concentrations in organisms vary widely among the different phylogenic groups as well as between the different tissues of a given species. Such variation results in (210)Po concentration factors ranging from approximately 10(3) to over 10(6) depending upon the organism or tissue considered. (210)Po/(210)Pb ratios in marine species are generally greater than unity and tend to increase up the food chain indicating that (210)Po is preferentially taken up by organisms compared to its progenitor (210)Pb. The effective transfer of (210)Po up the food chain is primarily due to the high degree of assimilation of the radionuclide from ingested food and its subsequent strong retention in the organisms. In some cases this mechanism may lead to an apparent biomagnification of (210)Po at the higher trophic level. Various pelagic species release (210)Po and (210)Pb packaged in organic biodetrital particles that sink and remove these radionuclides from the upper water column, a biogeochemical process which, coupled with scavenging rates of this radionuclide pair, is being examined as a possible proxy for estimating downward organic carbon fluxes in the sea. Data related to preferential bioaccumulation in various organisms, their tissues, resultant radiation doses to these species, and the processes by which (210)Po is transferred and recycled through the food web are discussed. In addition, the main gaps in our present knowledge and proposed areas for future studies on the biogeochemical behaviour of (210)Po and its use as a tracer of oceanographic processes are highlighted in this review.
Design of Three-Dimensional Active Noise Control Systems With Random Excitations

This paper addresses a general case of an active noise control problem with bandlimited random excitations. This study has concentrated on a combined adaptive feedforward/feedback (hybrid) active noise control architecture. Feedforward control is to attenuate the noise with frequency contents correlated to a reference signal, provided by the sensory output, and feedback is to attenuate the residual noise. Theoretical analysis of this hybrid control, and the required software and hardware designs for implementation of the proposed system are presented. The resulting controller has been applied to a common noise control problem, i.e. acoustic radiation. Experimental results from the implementation of this controller are discussed, and two-dimensional and three-dimensional quiet zones are illustrated.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Photosynthetic Electron Transport Chain of Chlamydomonas reinhardi. V. Purification and Properties of Cytochrome 553 and Ferredoxin.

Cytochrome 553 and ferredoxin were isolated and purified from acetone powders prepared from intact cells of the wild-type strain of Chlamydomonas reinhardi. Purification was achieved by ion exchange chromatography on DEAE cellulose and gel filtration on Sephadex G-75.Cytochrome 553 could be oxidized with postassium ferricyanide and reduced with sodium ascorbate. The absorption maxima of the cytochrome in reduced form were found to be alpha-band 552.5 nm, beta-band 522.5 nm, and Soret band 416.5 nm. The normal redox potential was +0.37 volt, and the molecular weight was estimated to be 12,000 +/- 2000. The cytochrome closely resembled that of the c-type cytochromes extracted from Euglena and Porphyra. When cultures were harvested after they had entered stationary phase, the cytochrome could be extracted in soluble form, and in some cases a yield of one cytochrome per 1000 chlorophyll molecules could be obtained.Ferredoxin showed absorption maxima at 278, 330, 420 and 460 nm. Thus it resembles the ferredoxin extracted from spinach. The molecular weight of the ferredoxin was estimated to be 15,000 +/- 2000.
The effect of swelling on the stress-strain isotherms and ultimate properties of polydimethylsiloxane networks in elongation

Gamma radiation was used to prepare three cross-linked, unfilled samples of highly elastomeric polydimethylsiloxane. Portions of each sample were studied in elongation to their rupture points, at 30 °C, in both the unswollen state and swollen with low molecular weight dimethylsiloxane fluid. Values of the volume fraction ν2 of polymer in the networks ranged from 1.00 to 0.40. None of the stress-strain isotherms obtained showed any upturn in the reduced force or modulus [f*] at high elongation, an observation in agreement with the conclusion that such increases in [f*], when observed, are due to strain-induced crystallization. All of the isotherms were well represented by the semi-empirical equation [f*]=2C1+2C2α−1, whereα is the elongation, and 2C1 and 2C2 are the Mooney-Rivlin constants. Values of 2C2, which serves as a measure of the extent to which [f*] varies with elongation, showed a decrease with decrease in ν2, and generally also with decrease in degree of cross-linking. The ultimate properties reported were the valuesλr and [f*], of the total elongation and the reduced force, respectively, at the rupture point. Decrease in degree of cross-linking causes a significant increase inλr and a significant decrease in [f*]r; decrease in ν2, however, has only a relatively small effect onλr and [f*]r.
An explicit representation of steady state response of a beam on an elastic foundation to moving harmonic line loads

A closed-form deflection response of a beam rest is presented in this paper using the integral transform method. The theory of linear partial differential equations is used to represent the deflection of beam subjected to a moving harmonic line load in integration form. The solution is finally carried out using the inverse Fourier transform. To evaluate the integration analytically, poles of the integrand are identified with the help of algebraic equation theory. Residue theorem is then utilized to represent the integration as a contour integral in the complex plane. Closed-form deflections and numerical results are provided for different combinations of load frequency and velocity. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An overview of power transmission systems in China

In the past 20 years, China's economy has grown rapidly, but so has the country's power industry. This paper provides a comprehensive introduction on the current status and the future development of the power transmission systems and grids, which include HVAC and HVDC transmissions, regional power grids and grid interconnections, several important operational issues, e.g., stability problems that China's power grids face, new technologies for increasing transmission capacity, and stabilizing the grids, and so on. Under the constructed UHVAC and UHVDC, some pilot projects and planned future development of UHVAC and UHVDC transmission systems are also introduced.
Scaling Laws of Cylindrical Shells Under Lateral Pressure

The main objective of this study is to demonstrate the applicability of similitude theory in designing scaled down models for predicting the buckling behavior of laminated cylindrical shells subjected to lateral pressure
Diagnóstico y guía terapéutica de la insuficiencia cardíaca diastólica

Despite diastolic dysfunction is recognized to play a major role in the pathophysiology of heart failure, the importance of an accurate diagnosis and treatment of this syndrome in clinical practice is poorly established. Recent publications suggest that diastolic dysfunction is the primary cause of heart failure in 30-50% of patients. Several studies also show that, in a significant number of patients with systolic dysfunction, diastolic function is the major determinant of their symptomatic status, their response to treatment and their outcome. Other preliminary data suggest that diastolic dysfunction is an important cause of exercise intolerance in patients with chronic hypertension. This paper discusses the most recent concepts related to the mechanisms, the diagnosis and the treatment of diastolic dysfunction based on diagnostic imaging techniques.
Food intake and estradiol effects on insulin binding in brain and liver

Three groups of ovariectomized rats were treated for 6 days: 1) estradiol benzoate (100 micrograms/kg) (SC) and fed ad lib; 2) vehicle-injected controls fed the same amount of food as eaten by estradiol-treated rats; 3) vehicle-injected, free-feeding controls. Specific binding of insulin to liver and hypothalamus slices was measured by quantitative film autoradiography. Estradiol-treated rats lost weight (p < 0.001) and had elevated plasma insulin (p < 0.01). Liver insulin binding in rats with estradiol treatment was greater (p < 0.01) than in rats without estradiol, but was less (p < 0.05) than in controls fed the same food levels as consumed by the estradiol-treated rats. Therefore, with equal food intake, estradiol decreased liver insulin binding. Insulin binding in the dorsomedial, ventromedial, and arcuate nuclei of the hypothalamus was unchanged by food intake or estradiol, however. Thus, altered insulin binding in the arcuate, ventromedial, or dorsomedial nuclei of the hypothalamus is probably not involved in the effects of insulin or estradiol on food intake.
THE POSSIBLE ORIGIN OF THE SPIRAL-ARM INSTABILITY

Physical argumenls suggest the spiral arms may be manifestations of the galaxy not being in dynamical equilibrium - in the sense that the kinetic energy of its stars and gas is less relative to its binding energy than that dictated by the virial theorem. Without constant cooling of the galactic disk (i.e., a progressive increase in the binding energy of the galaxy) such a departure from dynamical equilibrium would be corrected and the spiral arms destroyed in about i09 yr due to an increase in the velocity dispersion of the stars in the disk resulting from their interacting with the spiral arms. The rate of cooling required to maintain the spiral arms, about 6 x 104 L| may be provided by mass loss from stars in the disk population. The cooling arises from the average scale-heights and velocities of these stars being larger than that of the gas in the disk, so that there is a net loss of kinetic energy and an increase in the binding energy of the galaxy due to the ejected gas settling down to a lower terminal velocity and scale-height in the galactic disk. In this paper we suggest an instability mechanism that may be responsible for the existence of spiral arms in galaxies. Although the gravitational-wave theory of spiral structure, as formulated by Lin and Shu (1964), has enjoyed considerable success in explaining many properties of spiral arms, there is no satisfactory theory of why these arms exist. The situation is similar to the study of stellar pulsations where it is possible to determine many dynamical properties of a pulsating star without knowing the instability mechanism responsible for the pulsations. Even without knowing what pro- duces the spiral arms one can, for example, demonstrate that a standing spiral-wave pattern can exist in a galaxy and relate the angular rotational velocity of this pattern to the radial spacing of the spiral arms. The source of excitation of the spiral arms in galaxies may not be unique. Different mechanisms may excite the waves without affecting their overall appearance just as the permissible standing waves in an open pipe are largely independent of the mechanisms employed to excite them. However, the wide-spread occurrence of spiral arms in disk galaxies suggests that these galaxies have some internal default mechanism which is capable of exciting the waves even in an isolated system. We propose a possible mechanism of this type.
Do Whatever You Can: Temporality and Critical, Interpretive Methods in an Age of Despair

This essay argues that critical qualitative methods might well be harnessed to the potential of the Internet and the Web to undertake and enhance intervention as events unfold. Flexible and multifaceted, such methods differ with regard to temporal dynamics, hence the capacity to intervene. At least two uses are possible, research into interactions and emerging structures, and dissemination of findings and critiques in experimental forms on the Internet, Web, cell phones, iPods. Such strategies offer rapidity, flexibility, and presentations of listener/viewer dialogue and response.
A Numerical Study of Integrated Direct Cure Kinetics Characterization and Control for Resin Transfer Molding (RTM)

In Resin Transfer Molding (RTM), the fiber preform is first placed inside a mold cavity and is subsequently impregnated with liquid resin. After mold filling, the resin starts to cure and bind the fiber preform into a solid composite part. The cure cycle will affect the residual stress built during RTM and must be controlled. Traditionally, the cure cycle control is achieved through three steps: offline resin cure kinetics characterization, offline cure cycle optimization, and mold temperature control. Different from other traditional cure cycle control approaches, this paper presents an investigation to achieve an integrated cure kinetics characterization-control system by combining a newly developed direct cure kinetics characterization method with online cure cycle optimization. A methodology to seamlessly combine these components for a practicable online cure characterization-control system will be presented and demonstrated by a numerical case study. The accuracy and reliability of this methodology will be examined and discussed based on the results of the numerical case study.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Transport of hydrophobic organics by colloids through porous media 2. Commercial humic acid macromolecules and polyaromatic hydrocarbons

Abstract In Part 1 of this series [Colloids Surfaces A: Physicochem. Eng. Aspects, 94 (1995) 197] we reported the influence of a model colloid (polystyrene latex) on the transport of pollutants through a model porous medium (glass beads). In this paper the influence of commercial Aldrich humic acid macromolecules on the partitioning and transport of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) through two different porous media under carefully controlled pH and ionic strength conditions are reported. The PAHs studied were pyrene, phenanthrene and dibenzofuran, and the porous media used were glass beads and quartz sand subjected to extensive cleaning procedures to obtain reproducible surfaces. The influence of ionic strength on the transport of PAHs through the porous media in the presence and absence of humic acid macromolecules were explored. Under low ionic strength conditions, the humic acid macromolecules enhanced the transport of PAHs through the porous media; however, at high ionic strength the deposition of humic acid on the porous media retarded the transport of PAHs. The effects of different types of inorganic salts were studied. CaCl 2 had a greater effect than KCl in retarding the movement of humic acid macromolecules and PAHs through the column.
Modeling of Changes in Tumor Burden

Skin painting studies on transgenic mice have recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for carcinogenicity testing. Data consist of serial skin tumor counts on the backs of shaved mice in each of several dose groups. Current methods for assessing the tumorigenicity of test compounds are based on generalized estimating equations and require large samples. This paper proposes a new framework for modeling of the change over time in the papilloma burden in each mouse. A latent variable underlying the observed papilloma response is assumed to follow a generalized linear mixed-effects transition model. The model accounts for heterogeneity among animals and serial dependency in the skin tumor counts. Extensions of existing Markov chain Monte Carlo procedures for Bayesian estimation in generalized linear mixed models are proposed. The methods are applied to data from a National Toxicology Program short-term carcinogenicity study of lauric acid.
Preparation of a Standard Technique for Determination of Neutron Equivalence for Bulk Damage in Silicon

This report defines how a neutron energy (1 MeV) equivalence should be calculated and the limitations of its utility. The differences in the l-MeV equivalence obtained by using Messenger's expression for the damage curve is examined. An experiment was performed to verify the adequacy and utility of using l-MeV equivalence units to compare different neutron spectra. It is shown that for fission spectra close to a bare reactor that l-MeV equivalence provides a slight improvement in the correlation of data taken from devices irradiated at different reactors. However, this improvement in correlation did not extend to devices irradiated with 14 MeV neutrons. The devices irradiated in this experiment showed a fission/fusion fluence ratio for equal damage of about 1.7 rather than the expected value of 2.5.
Rationale for Reclassification of a Distinctive Subdivision of Mammalian Class Mu Glutathione S-Transferases That Are Primarily Expressed in Testis

A rat testicular Mu-class glutathioneS-transferase (GST) resolved by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography cross-reacted with peptide sequence-specific antisera raised against the human hGSTM3 subunit. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry indicated that this rat GST subunit (designated rGSTM5 in this report) has a significantly greater molecular mass (26,541 Da) than the other rat GST subunits. The mouse homologue (mGSTM5 subunit) was also identified and characterized by high performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Sequence analysis of rGSTM5 peptide fragments and the sequence deduced from a cDNA clone showed that the protein is highly homologous to the hGSTM3 and murine mGSTM5 subunits. All three GSTs of this subclass have N- and C-terminal extensions with C-terminal cysteine residues, but the two penultimate amino acids near the C terminus are divergent in the three species. The proteins of this class Mu subfamily have similar catalytic specificities and mechanisms, are all cysteine rich, are found mainly in testis, and share characteristics that distinguish them from other GSTs. Moreover, the rGSTM5 subunit isolated from rat testis was not found in heterodimeric combination with other common Mu-class GST subunits. As the rGSTM5, mGSTM5, and hGSTM3 subunits are structurally more closely related to each other than they are to other Mu GSTs, it is proposed that they be considered a functionally distinct and separate subfamily within class Mu. The identification of this unique mammalian GST subclass could advance strategies for interspecies comparisons of GSTs and provides a rodent model for studies on functions and regulatory mechanisms for human GSTs.
The Oppenheimer-Phillips Process

The mechanism proposed by Oppenheimer and Phillips for the disintegration of nuclei by deuterons with proton emission ($d\ensuremath{-}p$ reaction) is examined. A formula is derived which expresses the probability of this process in terms of the sticking probability of the neutron (\textsection{}2) and the penetrability of the potential barrier. The importance of the finite (rather than zero) nuclear radius for the penetrability is pointed out and the penetrability is calculated for various values of the radius (\textsection{}3). The energy distribution of the emitted protons is found to be given directly by the sticking probability of the neutron (\textsection{}5). Therefore it may differ considerably from the distribution in "ordinary" nuclear reactions by containing relatively more high energy protons. A measurement of the energy distribution would allow direct conclusions about the width of low nuclear levels which is of importance for the theory of the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay and therefore of the nuclear radius (\textsection{}5). The probability of the O-P reaction is compared with that of ordinary nuclear reactions. The O-P mechanism is found to prevail in the $d\ensuremath{-}p$ reactions for nuclear charges of about 25 and higher; if the reaction leads to a nucleus which emits fast $\ensuremath{\beta}$-rays, the O-P mechanism will be valid at still lower charges. The relative probability of $d\ensuremath{-}p$ as compared to $d\ensuremath{-}n$ reactions is found to be (on the average) unity for very light nuclei, to decrease with increasing atomic number until the O-P process becomes prevalent, and to increase from there on. The excitation function of reactions with nuclei up to $Z\ensuremath{\sim}30$ is found to be an inadequate test for the O-P mechanism (\textsection{}6). The question of secondary (cascade) disintegration following the $d\ensuremath{-}p$ reaction is discussed and it is found that such disintegrations (e.g. $d\ensuremath{-}pn$ or $d\ensuremath{-}p\ensuremath{\alpha}$) should be rare with deuteron energies below the top of the potential barrier (\textsection{}7).