cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrochemistry of 1,1,4,4-Tetraphenyl-1,3-Butadiene, 1,1,4,4-Tetraphenyl-1,2-Butadiene, and 1,1,4,4-Tetraphenyl-1-Butene in Dimethylformamide

Abstract In dimethylformamide containing tetra-n-butylammonium perchlorate, 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1-butene exhibits a single polarographic wave; preparative-scale reduction of the starting material produces 1,1,4,4-tetraphenylbutane.A polarogram for 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1,3-butadiene consists of three waves. Large-scale electrolysis of 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1,3-butadiene at potentials corresponding to either the first or second wave yields 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1-butene in the absence of a proton donor and a mixture of 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-2-butene and 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1-butene in the presence of excess glacial acetic acid. If 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1,3-butadiene is electrolyzed at a potential on the third polarographic wave, one obtains 1,1,4,4-tetraphenylbutane in the absence of a proton donor but a mixture of 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-2-butene and 1,1,4,4-tetraphenylbutane in the presence of glacial acetic acid. Reduction of 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1,2-butadiene gives two polarographic waves. At potentials on the first wave, electrolysis of 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1,2-butadiene yields 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1-butene when no proton donor is present and a mixture of 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1-butene and 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-2-butene when a proton donor is added; at potentials on the second wave, 1,1,4,4-tetraphenylbutane is formed in the absence of a proton donor and a mixture of 1,1,4,4-tetrphenyl-2-butene and 1,1,4,4-tetraphenylbutane is produced in the presence of glacial acetic acid. In the absence of a proton source, a facile, elecrolytically induced isomerization of 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1,2-butadiene to 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1,3-butadiene occurs.
Comparison of ventricular arrhythmia induction with use of an indwelling electrode catheter and a newly inserted catheter.

Abstract Two methods of serial electrophysiologic testing are in widespread use. Most commonly, the electrode catheter is removed after each study and a new catheter reinserted through the femoral vein for every subsequent test. An alternative method employs an electrode catheter that remains in place during several days of serial testing. Little is known about differences between these two methods with respect to the likelihood of induction of arrhythmia or the frequency of complications. To determine whether inducibility of sustained arrhythmia is altered or if the frequency of complications is unacceptably high with use of an indwelling catheter, a prospective randomized study was conducted in 78 patients. Each patient underwent baseline testing, several days of electropharmacologic testing with an indwelling catheter, a 24 h drug elimination period and placement of a new electrode catheter. Ventricular stimulation studies were then performed in each patient with both the indwelling and new electrode catheters. No differences were found between the indwelling and new catheter tests with respect to induction of arrhythmia, number of estrastimuli required to induce arrhythmia, rate of arrhythmia or requirement for cardioversion. Ventricular pacing thresholds were higher and effective refractory periods were slightly longer when measured with the indwelling catheter. Complications related to the 156 catheter insertions included two that may have been related to the indwelling catheter (one episode of staphylococcal sepsis and one presumed pulmonary embolism) and four that were related to invasive procedures (pneumothorax in all). There were no long-term adverse sequelae of these complications. An indwelling pacing catheter has induction characteristics identical to those of a newly placed catheter and complications of the indwelling catheter are infrequent. This approach may have advantages for patients and physicians.
Professional development in national organizations: Insights from Girls Incorporated

The largest national youth organizations have targeted, comprehensive professional development systems. For one of them, Girls Incorporated, its mission “to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold”SM drives sophisticated, evaluated professional development for affiliate staff and trustees.
Effect of nitrate supply on the in-vivo synthesis and distribution of trifollin A, a Rhizobium trifolii-binding lectin, in Trifolium repens seedlings.

In-vivo synthesis of the white-clover lectin, trifoliin A, was examined by the incorporation of labeled amino acids into protein during heterotrophic growth of intact Trifolium repens L. seedlings. Lectin synthesis was quantified by measuring the level of labeled protein immunoprecipitated from root exudate, from the hapten (2-deoxyglucose) eluate of the roots, and from root and shoot homogenates. The presence of labeled trifoliin A was confirmed by non-denaturing and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, followed by fluorography and comparison with trifoliin A standards. In-vivo-labeled trifoliin A was detected in seedling root homogenate 2 h after the addition of labeled amino acids and on the root surface by 8 h. Incorporation of labeled amino acids into protein and trifoliin A was greatest with 2-d-old seedlings and was greater when the plants were grown continuously in the dark than when they were exposed to 14 h light daily. Significantly more labeled lectin accumulated on the root surface of seedlings grown with 1.5 mM KNO3 than of seedlings grown either without N or with 15.0 mM KNO3. The labeled lectin from the root surface in all nitrate treatments and from the rootexudate samples of seedlings grown N-free and with 1.5 mM KNO3 was fully able to bind to Rhizobium trifolii. In contrast, only 2% of the immunoprecipitable protein found in the root exudate of seedlings grown with 15.0 mM KNO3 was able to bind to the bacteria. Thus, excess nitrate does not repress the synthesis of trifoliin A in the root, but does affect the distribution and activity of this newly synthesized lectin in a way which reduces its ability to interact with R. trifolii. By using Western blot analysis, much more total trifoliin A is detected in the homogenates of shoots than roots. However, greater than 80% of the total labeled protein and 85–90% of the total labeled lectin were found in the root homogenates of 2-d-old dark-grown seedlings incubated for 5 h with labeled amino acids. In addition, Western blot analysis indicated that the shoot homogenate contained smaller-molecular-weight peptides which reacted with the specific anti-trifoliin A antibody. These studies indicate that stored trifoliin A in the seed is degraded in the shoots during seedling development, while newly synthesized trifoliin A in the roots is excreted to the root surface and external environment.
Evaluation of transdermal application of glipizide in a pluronic lecithin gel to healthy cats.

Objective—To evaluate plasma glipizide concentration and its relationship to plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations in healthy cats administered glipizide orally or transdermally. Animals—15 healthy adult laboratory-raised cats. Procedure—Cats were randomly assigned to 2 treatment groups (5 mg of glipizide, PO or transdermally) and a control group. Blood samples were collected 0, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 minutes and 4, 6, 10, 14, 18, and 24 hours after administration to determine concentrations of insulin, glucose, and glipizide. Results—Glipizide was detected in all treated cats. Mean ± SD transdermal absorption was 20 ± 14% of oral absorption. Mean maximum glipizide concentration was reached 5.0 ± 3.5 hours after oral and 16.0 ± 4.5 hours after transdermal administration. Elimination half-life was variable (16.8 ± 12 hours orally and 15.5 ± 15.3 hours transdermally). Plasma glucose concentrations decreased in all treated cats, compared with concentrations in control cats. Plasma glucose ...
Myeloperoxidase-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated crescentic glomerulonephritis with rheumatoid arthritis: a comparison of patients without rheumatoid arthritis.

Several cases of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with myeloperoxidase-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA)-associated crescentic glomerulonephritis (CrGN) have been reported. However, its clinical characteristics are not clear. We summarized 3 patients of concurrent RA and MPO-ANCA-associated CrGN, diagnosed in our hospital from 1992 to 2006, and compared their clinicopathological data with those of 10 MPO-ANCA-associated CrGN patients without RA in the same period. All three RA patients were middle-aged or young adult women with 7–14 years of RA history. The initial clinical symptom was microhematuria, and mean duration from hematuria onset to histological confirmation of CrGN was 17 months. At renal biopsy, serum creatinine concentration (sCr) was modestly elevated, with the mean value of 3.4 mg/dl. Crescents were detected in 30% of glomeruli, whereas advanced glomerular sclerosis, tubular atrophy, and interstitial fibrosis were also observed. In comparison with patients without RA, patients with RA were significantly younger and showed a longer duration from the onset to histological confirmation of CrGN. Serum creatinine concentration at referral was significantly lower; however, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was comparable. The Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score and the Disease Extent Index were significantly lower, and pathological examination showed less crescent formation and a tendency to advanced glomerular sclerosis in patients with RA. In patients with RA, MPO-ANCA-associated CrGN appeared to develop at younger ages and often showed a slowly progressive deterioration of the renal function with slight extrarenal manifestations. These smoldering clinical features may result in late referral from rheumatologists to nephrologists and therefore poor prognosis.
An improved sample applicator for column chromatography.

Abstract A method and device have been devised which substantially reduce the time normally spent in applying a sample to be separated by descending column chromatography and, especially, gel filtration. In addition, the method greatly reduces the possibility for disruption of the bed and provides a means for application of the sample in a minimum volume to improve the final resolution of the separation. The apparatus used is very economical and simple to construct and use.
Assessing the Abu Sayyaf Group's Strategic and Learning Capacities

It remains unclear whether the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) is a well-structured terror organization that poses a strategic threat, or a loosely organized collection of bandits that poses limited risk. Efforts to assess the nature of the organization are complicated by flaws in existing datasets on Violent Non-State Actors (VNSAs). ASG's role in kidnappings serves as a test-case to estimate incongruities among four major datasets on VNSAs. Original data collected at the agent level provides an additional point of comparison and also serves to test the efficacy of ASG's knowledge-dissemination structures, which are key in determining VNSAs' strategic capacities.
Raman and fluorescent scattering by molecules embedded in small particles: numerical results for incoherent optical processes

When molecules which give rise to Raman and fluorescent light scattering are distributed within small dielectric particles, the signal is affected by the morphology and optical properties of the particle, and the distribution of molecules of interest within it. These effects are manifested by changes in the magnitude, in the angular distribution, and in the polarization of the scattered radiation. Furthermore, because the effects vary with the wavelengths of both the exciting and the emitted radiation, the emission spectrum for fluorescence may vary with the exciting wavelength, the morphology and optical properties of the particle, the distribution of the active molecules within the particle, and even the angle of observation. These phenomena must be considered in quantitative procedures for utilizing Raman and fluorescent scattering for determining the concentration of specific molecules in small particles such as aerosols or biological cells. The effects are illustrated here by a series of numerical calculations involving inelastic noncoherent scattering by molecules variously embedded in dielectric spheres.
Chemical transport in the top soil zone — the role of moisture and temperature gradients

Abstract The impact of diurnal temperature and moisture profile variations on contaminant transport in the top soil was studied using a one-dimensional transpor
Seven Reasons for Studying Foreign Languages

M ANY college administrations today are faced with the question of whether or not foreign language studies should be required for a liberal arts degree. This question at once leads to another: Is it possible for a person to become liberally educated without having had any contact with a foreign language or culture. In order to answer these questions intelligently, it is necessary to examine what such a study contributes to the college
On the use of the analytic hierarchy process in the aggregation of expert judgments

Abstract Expert judgments are involved in many aspects of scientific research, either formally or informally. In order to combine the different opinions elicited, simple aggregation methods have often been used with the result that expert biases, interexpert dependencies and other factors which might affect the judgments of the experts are often ignored. A more comprehensive approach, based on the analytic hierarchy process, is proposed in this paper to account for the large variety of factors influencing the experts. A structured hierarchy is constructed to decompose the overall problem in the elementary factors that can influence the expert's judgements. The importance of the different elements of the hierarchy is then assessed by pairwise comparison. The overall approach is simple, presents a systematic character and offeres a good degree of flexibility. The approach provides the decision maker with a tool to quantitatively measure the significance of the judgments provided by the different experts involved in the elicitation. The resulting values can be used as weights in an aggregation scheme such as, for example, the simple weighted averaging scheme. Two applications of the approach are presented with reference to case studies of formal expert judgment elicitation previously analyzed in literature: the elicitation of the pressure increment in the containment building of the Sequoyah nuclear power plant following reactor vessel breach, and the prediction of the future changes in precipitation in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain.
On sieved orthogonal polynomials. V: Sieved Pollaczek polynomials

The general Pollaczek polynomials and their sieved analogues are studied in detail. Basic analogues of the Pollaczek polynomials are introduced. The measures that these polynomials are orthogonal with respect to are obtained by applying Darboux’s Method and Markov’s Theorem.
Caring for reproductive-aged women with spinal cord injuries: a case report.

In 2008 there were an estimated 259,000 people living in the USA with spinal cord injuries (SCI). The majority of these people are in their reproductive years, and over 19% are estimated to be women. Advances in medical management have allowed many women to live successfully with congenital defects or injuries resulting in SCI that even a few years ago would have been fatal. Although many of these women may be classified as ‘disabled’, fertility is not usually affected in SCI and many of these women desire children of their own. It is important to counsel these women regarding the range of issues related to pregnancy. These include conception issues, parenting with a disability, emotional concerns of the family, nutrition and exercise in pregnancy, risks in pregnancy, labour and delivery, postpartum care, and breastfeeding. For health-care providers it is important to know and understand your patient’s disability and be able to provide the best patient-centred quality care, understanding that each patient...
Open loop control on large stroke MEMS deformable mirrors

Improvements for open-loop control of MEMS deformable mirror for large-amplitude wavefront control are presented. The improvements presented here relate to measurement filtering, characterization methods, and controlling the true, non-differential shape of the mirror. These improvements have led to increased accuracy over a wider variety of deflection profiles including flattening the mirror and Zernike polynomials.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions as Affected by Alternative Long-Term Irrigation and Tillage Management Practices in the Lower Mississippi River Valley

Ensuring the sustainability of cultivated soils is an ever-increasing priority for producers in the Lower Mississippi River Valley (LMRV). As groundwater sources become depleted and environmental regulations become more strict, producers will look to alternative management practices that will ensure the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of their production systems. This study was conducted to assess the long-term (7 years) effects of irrigation (i.e., irrigated and dryland production) and tillage (conventional and no-tillage) on estimated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from soil respiration during two soybean (Glycine max L.) growing seasons from a wheat- (Triticum aestivum L.-) soybean, double-cropped production system in the LMRV region of eastern Arkansas. Soil surface CO2 fluxes were measured approximately every two weeks during two soybean growing seasons. Estimated season-long CO2 emissions were unaffected by irrigation in 2011 (); however, during the unusually dry 2012 growing season, season-long CO2 emissions were 87.6% greater () under irrigated (21.9 Mg CO2 ha−1) than under dryland management (11.7 Mg CO2 ha−1). Contrary to what was expected, there was no interactive effect of irrigation and tillage on estimated season-long CO2 emissions. Understanding how long-term agricultural management practices affect soil respiration can help improve policies for soil and environmental sustainability.
Observation of the bond-dependent Doppler broadening of the p(15N, αγ)12C nuclear reaction☆

Abstract Excitation curves for the p(15N, αγ)12C nuclear reaction have been measured on a number of hydrogen-bearing gases to investigate the bond-dependent Doppler broadening resulting from the motion of the target hydrogen atoms. Contributions to the resonance width due to the intrinsic width of the resonance, gas-induced beam energy loss and energy straggle, accelerator beam energy spread, and Doppler broadening are considered. Calculations of Doppler broadening based on molecular spectroscopy data are presented.
RUBELLA-ANTIBODY TITRES IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Abstract Serum specimens from 80 patients with proven rheumatoid arthritis (R.A.) were tested for the presence of rubella haemagglutination-inhibition antibody, and the results were compared with similar data on an equal number of well, non-arthritic controls and a group of 62 individuals with other forms of arthritis. All of the R.A. patients but only 86% of the two groups of controls were found to have rubella-specific antibody. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that prior infection with rubella virus or a cllosely re- lated may be the aetiological basis of rheuma- toid arthritis in persons immunologically unable to respond tp the virus infection in a normal fashion.
Some effects of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid on thyroid function in the rat: effects on iodine accumulation.

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, a compound widely used as a weedicide, markedly increases I131 uptake by rat thyroid in vivo. Measurements of a number of thyroid function criteria, including thyroid cell height, rate of discharge of I131 from the gland, and serum and pituitary TSH levels, indicate that this effect does not involve the pituitary thyrotrophic hormone but represents a direct effect on the peripheral iodide pool. This was confirmed by isotope equilibrium analysis of the serum iodide level. The effect can be demonstrated only in rats in which the thyroid functions normally, and does not occur in hypophysectomized or iodine-depleted animals.
Adefovir dipivoxil: a new antiviral agent for the treatment of hepatitis B virus infection.

Abstract Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major problem worldwide and an important cause of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. Currently available treatments include interferon alfa-2b, lamivudine, and adefovir dipivoxil. Adefovir dipivoxil is an acyclic nucleotide analogue that was developed in part to improve on the limitations of earlier therapies. Objective: This article is a review of available data on the clinical pharmacology, virology, efficacy, tolerability, and clinical use of adefovir dipivoxil. Methods: A search of the English-language literature indexed on MEDLINE from 1966 to July 2003 was performed using the terms adefovir, PMEA , and Bis-POM PMEA . Pertinent abstracts from scientific meetings on infectious diseases and hepatology were also included. The manufacturer of adefovir dipivoxil provided additional information. These materials were supplemented by US Food and Drug Administration briefing documents and other unpublished materials. In vitro and preclinical studies were included in the review, as were Phase II and III clinical trials. Results: In vitro, adefovir dipivoxil concentrations exceed those necessary to inhibit both wild-type and lamivudine-resistant isolates of HBV. In clinical trials, adefovir dipivoxil was clinically and virologically effective in patients in whom lamivudine therapy had failed due to the presence of lamivudine-resistant HBV. The drug was generally well tolerated. The risk of nephrotoxicity, the most notable adverse effect of adefovir dipivoxil at previously used higher doses, has been substantially reduced at the currently recommended dosage of 10 mg/d. Conclusion: Based on the data reviewed adefovir dipivoxil is an effective and well-tolerated alternative for the treatment of HBV infection, including disease that is lamivudine resistant.
What can the postanesthesiacare unit manager do to decrease costs in the postanesthesia care unit

The economic structure of the PACU dictates whether a cost-reducing intervention (eg, reducing the length of time patients stay in the PACU) is likely to decrease hospital costs. Cost-reducing interventions, such as changes in medical practice patterns (eg, to reduce PACU length of stay), only impact variable costs. How PACU nurses are paid (eg, salaried v hourly) affects which strategies to decrease PACU staffing costs will actually save money. For example, decreases in PACU labor costs resulting from increases in the number of patients that bypass the PACU vary depending on how the staff is compensated. The choice of anesthetic drugs and the elimination of low morbidity side effects of anesthesia, such as postoperative nausea, are likely to have little effect on the peak numbers of patients in a PACU and PACU staffing costs. Because the major determinant of labor productivity in the PACU is hour-to-hour and day-to-day variability in the timing of admissions from the operating room, a more even inflow of patients into the PACU could be attained by appropriate sequencing of cases in the operating room suite (eg, have long cases scheduled at the beginning of the day). However, this mathematically proven solution may not be desirable. Surgeons, for example, may not want to lose control over the order of their cases. Guidelines for analysis of past daily peak numbers of patients are provided that will provide data to predict the minimum adequate number of nurses needed. Though many managers already do this manually on an ad hoc basis, statistical methods summarized in this article may increase the accuracy.
Further studies on the pinacol coupling reaction

Abstract The pinacol coupling of R(+)3-methylcyclohexanone gives a product distribution dependent on the mode of coupling . Similar changes in product composition are also seen in the coupling of 4-methylcyclohexanone and in the mixed coupling of 3-methylcyclohexanone with cyclohexanone. In all cases studied , the [Al-Hg] method results in products having an axial methyl group. An X-ray structure of a product containing two axial methyl groups is presented.
The Determinants of Economic Sanctions Success and Failure

With an inconclusive track record, questions about the future utility of sanctions continue to plague policy makers and scholars. Drawing on previous episodes, both successful and failed sanctions tell us a great deal about economic coercion, but the causes of failure have been largely understudied. In order to further understanding of the coercive influence of sanctions, the analysis presented here delineates between the determinants of failure and success. To this end, a competing risks event history model is employed to test the impact that domestic politics have on sanctions success as well as sanctions failure, with strong results suggesting that political structures do affect the way states respond to economic coercion. The author wishes to thank Chris Zorn, Brian Lai, Dan Reiter, and Suzanne Werner as well as the anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Political Science Association Meeting, Atlanta, Ge...
Towards digitally integrated urban places

Purpose – Digital media has been firmly established in contemporary society and now is a time of unprecedented growth and innovation in the world of digital technologies. Conversely, before and during this period, physical public space has diminished in quantity and quality. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that creating and intensifying connections between digital space and physical public space might open up new possibilities to reactivate urban places.Design/methodology/approach – Historically, art has provided a territory in which new ideas could be introduced and tested. For example, the great landscape gardens of Versailles provided a model for the later development of the urban structure of Paris. Many artists in the last few decades have experimented with how digital/virtual environments might be related to real physical space. It is reasonable to assume that these experiments will be applied in broader contexts and will most likely have impact at the scale of the city. This essay contextua...
Head-on collisions between radiation-driven fronts with self-consistent absorption

Abstract Head-on collisions between supersonic radiation fronts have been analyzed using a self-consistent calculation of the absorption of driving radiation in the collision zone. Somewhat lower temperatures are found for collisions between weakly compressed radiation fronts than when all of the incident radiation is absorbed.
pT1 SUBSTAGING IN RENAL CELL CARCINOMA: VALIDATION OF THE 2002 TNM STAGING MODIFICATION OF MALIGNANT RENAL EPITHELIAL TUMORS

ABSTRACTPurpose:: Tumor size has been used as one of the criteria to stratify renal cell carcinoma (RCC) into different pathological stages (pT). The recent 2002 UICC/TNM classification of malignant epithelial renal tumors is modified to substratify pT1 RCC into pT1a (less than 4.0 cm) and pT1b (greater than 4.0 but less than 7.0 cm). In this study we ascertained if this stage modification has prognostic relevance.Materials and Methods:: A total of 259 consecutive radical nephrectomy specimens of organ confined RCC from 1970 to 1997 at 1 institution, including 153 of conventional RCC (CRCC), 71 of papillary RCC, 28 of chromophobe RCC, 1 of collecting duct carcinoma and 6 of RCC not otherwise specified, with a mean clinical followup of 7.5 years (median 6.4) were included in the study.Results:: There were 115 pT1a (44.4%), 95 pT1b (36.7%) and 49 pT2 tumors (18.9%). Disease recurrences (DR) and disease specific death occurred in 2 (1.7%) and 0 cases (0%) of pT1a, 7 (7.3%) and 5 (5.3%) of pT1b, and 16 (32.6%...
NMR microscopy--beginnings and new directions.

In this paper we briefly review the origins of NMR microscopy, and in the spirit of the Sir Peter Mansfield Symposium of which this presentation was a part, point out especially Sir Mansfield and his co-workers contributions in this area. We then review some recent studies applying magnetic resonance (MR) microscopy focusing on our own contributions in these regards, in particular with reference to imaging of single neurons and more recent microimaging studies on isolated perfused brain slices. Finally we briefly describe recent preliminary studies on the feasibility of spectroscopic experiments that may be performed at the single cell level, further illustrating the growing scope and potential of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in general as a tool for examining biological systems non-invasively
Local image restoration by a least-squares method

Restoration of individual image points by the method of least squares is investigated. We show that restorations computed point by point appear the same as global restorations produced by Fourier techniques. Moreover, parameters that are related to noise, point-spread functions, or object texture can be varied easily from pixel to pixel, allowing a flexibility that is achieved only with computational difficulty in global restoration techniques. To restore individual pixels, only a few points in their neighborhood, need to be considered, and the matrices that must be inverted are small enough for practical computation. The sizes of these matrices can be reduced especially if the blurring point-spread function has symmetries.
Two new alleles in the tetranucleotide repeat polymorphism at the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) locus.

Two new alleles are described in the tetranucleotide polymorphism at the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) locus by using polymerase chain reaction and nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
Proton inhibition of sodium channels: mechanism of gating shifts and reduced conductance.

Extracellular acidosis affects both permeation and gating of the expressed rat skeletal muscle Na+ channel (μ1). Reduction of the extracellular pH produced a progressive decrease in the maximal whole-cell conductance and a depolarizing shift in the whole-cell current-voltage relationship. A smaller depolarizing shift in the steady-state inactivation curve was observed. The pK of the reduction of maximal conductance was 6.1 over the pH range studied. An upper limit estimate of the pK of the shift of the half-activation voltage was 6.1. The relative reduction in the maximal whole-cell conductance did not change with higher [Na+] o . The conductance of single fenvalerate-modified Na+ channels was reduced by extracellular protons. Although the single-channel conductance increased with higher [Na+] o , the maximal conductances at pH 7.6, 7.0 and 6.0 did not converge at [Na+] o up to 280 mm, inconsistent with a simple electrostatic effect. A model incorporating both Na+ and H+ binding in the pore and cation binding to a Gouy-Chapman surface charge provided a robust fit to the single-channel conductance data with an estimated surface charge density of 1e−/439A2. Neither surface charge nor proton block alone suffices to explain the effects of extracellular acidosis on Na+ channel permeation; both effects play major roles in mediating the response to extracellular pH.
Direct Sulfonation of Methane at Low Pressure to Methanesulfonic Acid in the Presence of Potassium Peroxydiphosphate as the Initiator

A high-yield, direct sulfonation of methane with SO3 to methanesulfonic acid (MSA) is effected in sulfuric acid using potassium peroxydiphosphate (K4P2O8) as the initiator. The influences of initia...
Renaissance Enameled Jewelry and 19th century Renaissance Revival: Characterization of Enamel Compositions

Enamels from European Renaissance enameled gold jewelry and other objects dating from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and Renaissance style and other objects from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were quantitatively analyzed using energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Differences were observed in the overall compositions, as well as the colorants and opacifiers used, of the Renaissance period and most of the later enamels. Some enamels from as late as the early nineteenth century, however, appeared to be essentially the same as those used during the Renaissance. The differences found in the enamel compositions can provide a set of objective compositional criteria to help distinguish between authentic Renaissance period enameled objects and some later enamels done in the style of the Renaissance.
Trophic Substances in a Blind Cave Crayfish

The eyestalks, supraesophageal ganglia, and circumesophageal connectivesof the blind cave crayfish Orconectes pellucidus australis contain a red pigment-concentrating substance and a distal retinal pigment light-adapting one. Assays were performed on the dwarf crayfish, Cambarellus shufeldti. Thesignificance of these findings is discussed in relation to endocrine regulation of pigmentary effectors in crayfishes.
Fast pulsars, variational bounds, other facets of compact stars

We derive a limit on the rotation period of a gravitationally bound star that is analogous to Ruffini's mass limit for a neutron star. We discuss the impact of gravitational radiation-reaction instabilities. The condition that self-bound stars can rotate faster is derived. The present status of searches for fast pulsars is reviewed. The composition of neutron stars is discussed in the context of nuclear and hypernuclear constraints. The phase transition from hadron to quark phase in the interior of dense neutron stars is discussed properly accounting for the fact that this first order phase transition involves two conserved charges. Hybrid stars are then described. 28 refs., 13 figs.
A special k -coloring for a connected k -chromatic graph

For each positive integer k we consider the smallest positive integer f(k) (dependent only on k) such that the following holds: Each connected graph G with chromatic number ?(G) = k can be properly vertex colored by k colors so that for each pair of vertices xo and xp in any color class there exist vertices x1, x2, ?, xp-1 of the same class with dist(xi, xi+1) ? f(k) for each i, 0 ? i ? p ? 1. Thus, the graph is k-colorable with the vertices of each color class placed throughout the graph so that no subset of the class is at a distance > f(k) from the remainder of the class.We prove that f(k) < 12k when the order of the graph is ? k(k ? 2) + 1.
Results on the strong equivalence principle, dark matter, and new forces

Abstract Laboratory based torsion balance experiments allow sensitive tests of gravitational forces and of forces much weaker than gravity. Our EotWash group at the University of Washington has used torsion balances to set new limits on the equivalence principle and to probe new physics at very low energy scales. We present preliminary results that have implications for the strong equivalence principle, the interaction of ordinary matter with dark matter, and for limits on new forces between unpolarized and polarized matter.
Liposomes in diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disorders.

Introduction The common goal in using liposomes for diagnostics and therapy is to deliver a pharmaceutic to the injured area. Liposomes are spherical, self-closed structures formed by one or several concentric lipid bilayers with an aqueous phase inside and between the lipid bilayers. Their ability to entrap different water-soluble compounds within the inner aqueous phase and lipophilic agents between liposomal bilayers has made them useful for delivery of different kinds of drugs and for carrying diagnostic agents in all imaging modalities — gamma-scintigraphy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) imaging, and sonography. Liposomal modification with polyethylene glycol (PEG) increases their field of usage by enhancing circulation time and attachment of antibodies or different targeting moieties to their surface to target specific affected areas. Such modified liposomes and immunoliposomes can be considered for intravascular drug delivery, using cells and noncellular components (such as endothelial cells, subendothelial structures, and blood components) as the targeted sites for diagnosing and treating the most important cardiac pathologies, including myocardial infarction, coronary thrombosis, and atherosclerosis (Figure 1).
Optimism as a Mediator Between the Experience of Child Abuse, Other Traumatic Events, and Distress

In this study, we examined the role of dispositional optimism in mediating distress among students who experienced traumatic events, including child physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse. Participants included 199 undergraduate and graduate students (aged 18–63 years) from a private university in Oregon. In this study, dispositional optimism partially mediated distress among individuals who had experienced child physical abuse and child emotional abuse; participants with higher levels of optimism had lower levels of distress. In addition, dispositional optimism fully mediated distress among individuals who had experienced traumatic events such as rape, assault, and fire; participants with higher levels of optimism had lower levels of distress. Contrary to prediction, the experience of child sexual abuse was not associated with distress. Clinical implications of these results are addressed.
Inductive revision of quantitative process models

Abstract Most research on computational scientific discovery has focused on developing an initial model, but an equally important task involves revising a model in response to new data. In this paper, we present an approach that represents candidate models as sets of quantitative processes and that treats revision as search through a model space which is guided by time-series observations and constrained by background knowledge cast as generic processes that serve as templates for the specific processes used in models. We demonstrate our system’s ability on three different scientific domains and associated data sets. We also discuss its relation to other work on model revision and consider directions for additional research.
Dating people with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: attitudes and beliefs of university students

Attitudes and beliefs about dating people with eating disorders were investigated in men and women using a questionnaire administered to 752 university students. Students believed that people with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa had a difficult time dating, dates would involve conflict, and dating would be a negative experience. Students were more comfortable in casual interactions than more serious dating activities with people with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Men were somewhat comfortable dating people with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, but less so for obesity. Most students believed dating people with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa would not be a positive experience, and men stigmatized people with eating disorders differently than did women.
A lattice boltzmann modeling of corrosion behavior and oxygen transport in the natural convection lead-alloy flow

Abstract Corrosion of structural materials presents a critical challenge in the use of lead–bismuth eutectic (LBE) or liquid lead as a nuclear coolant in accelerator-driven systems and advanced reactors. Actively controlling the oxygen concentration in LBE has been proved to be effective to mitigate corrosion under certain conditions. For mixing the oxygen uniformly and quickly, natural convection is proposed to enhance the oxygen transport. In the present study, a lattice Boltzmman simulation of coupled natural convection and lead bismuth eutectic flow in a simplified container was carried out to study characteristics of the oxygen transport and corrosion behaviors. It is assumed that the corrosion product (mainly iron) concentration is at its equilibrium level at the wall. The wall boundary condition for the mass transfer of corrosion production was taken based on the active-oxygen-control model. To examine the effect of different nature convection flow patterns on corrosion behavior and oxygen transport, three heating cases, which correspond to one-, two- and four-vortex flow patterns, are examined. Both of the local and average Sherwood number at the wall, distribution of corrosion product and oxygen, and oxygen diffusion time are analyzed. Some useful information was obtained to understand the mechanism of corrosion behavior and oxygen transport in the LBE system.
An Interactive System for Analysis of Global Cloud Imagery

Synoptic images of the global cloud pattern composited from six contemporaneous satellites provide an unprecedented view of the global cloud field. Having horizontal resolution of about 0.5 deg and temporal resolution of 3 h, the global cloud imagery (GCI) resolves most of the variability of organized convection, including several harmonics of the diurnal cycle. Although the GCI has these attractive features, the dense and 3D nature of that data make it a formidable volume of information to treat in a practical and efficient manner. An interactive image-analysis system (IAS) has been developed to investigate the space-time variability of global cloud behavior. In the IAS, data, hardware, and software are integrated into a single system providing a variety of space-time covariance analyses in a menu-driven format. Owing to its customized architecture and certain homogeneous properties of the GCI, the IAS calculates such quantities effectively. Many covariance statistics are derived from 3D data with interactive speed, allowing the user to interrogate the archive iteratively in a single session. The 3D nature of those analyses and the speed with which they are performed distinguish the IAS from conventional image processing of 2D data.
Relation of oxytocin to psychological stress responses and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis activity in older women.

Objective Animal research suggests that oxytocin (OT) plays a role in stress responses and that in females, this role is modulated by estrogen. Yet little is known about the relation of OT to human stress responses. This study was conducted to examine the relations between estrogen activity and OT, identify stressors distinctively associated with elevations in OT, and investigate whether OT is related to cardiovascular and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) activity in a laboratory challenge paradigm. Methods Seventy-three postmenopausal women who were on hormone therapy (HT) or not completed questionnaires assessing psychological distress and social relationships and then participated in a laboratory stress challenge (Trier Social Stress Task), during which OT, cortisol, and blood pressure were assessed. Results HT was significantly associated with higher plasma OT. Controlling for HT, elevated plasma OT was significantly associated with gaps in social relationships, with less positive relationships with a primary partner, and with elevated cortisol levels. OT was not associated with stress reactivity or recovery. Conclusion In women, plasma OT signals relationship stress and is associated with elevated cortisol; it does not appear to significantly affect cortisol or blood pressure responses to acute stress.
Sappho, Tithonos and the ruin of the body

The ruins of classical antiquity provoke a paradoxical, antinomic response; they evoke fears of decay and death, even as they promise survival and even immortality. The paper illustrates this point by discussing a newly discovered fragment of Sappho. The author suggests that the poem's meanings, held in abeyance, echo the ways in which we encounter the ruins of antiquity as twenty-first-century readers, identifying with these bodies, desiring both the pathos of ruin, and the consolations of the material objects' relative immortality. Twenty-first century readers of Sappho's poetry read, restore and reinscribe her poems within the horizon of their own aesthetics, their conscious and unconscious desires. The fragment, with its doubled, ambiguous, ambivalent endings, juxtaposed with other recovered fragments, is emblematic of the encounter with the remnants and ruins of all of antiquity, material remains that call for identification and fantasy, the recognition of inevitable physical decay, and the utopian h...
HEREDITY IN ANTHROPOMETRIC TRAITS

A number of years ago I published the results of a study of heredity in head form which was based on material that Dr Maurice Fishberg had the great kindness to collect for me among the Russian Jews of New-York City.' The results seemed sufficiently interesting to justify a continuation of the work. This has been made possible by a grant from the Esther Herrman Fund of the Scientific Alliance of New York. While my first report was based on observations on 48 families, I have been able, through the kind assistance of Dr Fishberg and Mr Joseph Fish, to collect data relating to 192 families. The extended calculations were made by Dr A. B. Lewis. All the families from which measurements were collected were East European Jews, and almost all of them Russian Jews. I have confined myself to gathering measurements of length and width of head. Only in the first series of 48 families was the width of face also observed. The principal question that I have had to investigate is, whether there is a tendency in offspring to group themselves around the middle value of the parents (Galton's midparent), or whether they rather tend to revert to either the paternal or the maternal type. I have shown in a previous paper that in regard to some head measurements the latter tendency is found in the mixture of American Indian and of White blood,2 and the preliminary investigation tended to show that in the intraracial marriages of Russian Jews the same tendency prevailed. It seemed, however, necessary to base this conclusion on more extensive material.
Monitoring high-level disinfection with 0.55% ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA)

ISSUE: Our clinical center (CC) strives to provide a consistent standard of care across its continuum of clinical services. At the time of our last accreditation survey in 2003, questions were raised about the consistent use of OPA. PROJECT: As part of its mission, the CC must address standards of practice for high-level disinfection including documentation standards. The CC already had in place an OPA education system. Because of the concern raised by accreditation surveyors, the hospital epidemiology service worked with the 11 users of OPA and hospital central supply to design and implement a flow sheet to facilitate documentation. We developed infection control guidelines for the use of OPA test strips based on recommendations from the manufacturer and the available literature. RESULTS: We convened a small task force to identify where documentation was inadequate. This group met in person initially, but subsequently only by e-mail. The group crafted a three-page flowchart that followed the manufacturer's recommendations and CDC guidelines, but which was tailored to the unique needs of our existing infrastructure. This process was reviewed by: 1) hospital infections committee, 2) hospital central supply, and 3) an expert in hospital epidemiology. Detailed follow-up sessions were conducted with all product users. To ensure compliance with new documentation requirements, a detailed check sheet for monitoring OPA documentation and process was also developed. LESSONS LEARNED: To ensure standard care across the continuum, development of a hospital-wide documentation system requires constant monitoring and detailed ongoing assessment to ensure both understanding and compliance. Monitoring use of OPA in our organization created a dialogue with our ancillary services and improved the compliance for documentation but also served as a model for improving organizational communication.