cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of orchiectomy on renal function in control and diabetic rats with chronic inhibition of nitric oxide

1. Male gender is associated with higher blood pressure (BP) and more rapid loss of renal function in a spectrum of clinical and experimental renal diseases, including diabetic nephropathy. Consequently, modulation of testosterone levels could exert beneficial effects in the diabetic kidney. 2. The aim of the present study was to determine whether testosterone deficiency (orchiectomy) could influence BP and renal function in streptozotocin-diabetic rats, with or without accelerated endothelial dysfunction achieved by chronic inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis using N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME; 40-100 mg/L in the drinking water for 2 weeks), as well as in age-matched non-diabetic rats subjected to the same interventions. 3. Orchiectomy did not affect L-NAME-induced increases in BP in non-diabetic or diabetic rats. In non-diabetic rats, orchiectomy prevented L-NAME-induced increases in proteinuria. These effects on proteinuria were not observed in diabetic rats. In non-diabetic rats, orchiectomy had no effect on renal haemodynamics in animals receiving vehicle and did not affect L-NAME-induced changes in renal haemodynamics, characterized by reductions in renal plasma flow (RPF) and higher filtration fractions (FF). In intact diabetic rats, L-NAME treatment resulted in lower RPF. This difference was not observed in diabetic rats subjected to orchiectomy, although L-NAME-treated diabetic orchiectomized rats had lower RPF and higher FF compared with vehicle-treated intact diabetic rats. 4. In conclusion, we report modest beneficial effects of orchiectomy on proteinuria in normal, but not in diabetic, rats with inhibition of NO production. This suggests that testosterone reduction does not attenuate the deleterious impact of the diabetic metabolic milieu in the kidney.
Absorption, metabolism and excretion of N, N-bis(phenylcarbamoylmethyl) dimethylammonium chloride (QX-572) in the rat.

The gastro-intestinal absorption and metabolic fate, after intravenous and intraperitoneal administration, of [3H]N, N-bis(phenylcarbamoylmethyl)dimethylammonium chloride (QX-572), a lidocaine derivative with anti-arrhythmic activity, has been investigated in the rat.Only about one-third of the dose is absorbed after oral administration to fasted animals. Pre-feeding of rats markedly diminishes the apparent availability of the drug. Co-administration of salicylate results in about 50% increase in the absorption of QX-572.After intravenous administration of [3H]QX-572 to normal rats, urinary excretion of 3H is 60% greater than after intraperitoneal administration. Total urinary recovery of 3H is similar after intravenous or intraperitoneal administration to rats with ligated bile ducts, although much higher than that observed in non-ligated rats.Urinary excretion data suggest that in normal rats apparent QX-572 is excreted in bile to a much greater extent after intraperitoneal than after intravenous admini...
Non-random chromosomal distribution of Ac-like sequences in inbred maize

We have searched for evidence of historical transpositions of Ac -like sequences in four standard maize lines using the recombinant-inbred mapping technique. Thirty restriction fragments were mapped using Eco R I, Eco R V, and Hind III. The four inbreds contained 24 fragments which mapped to independent sites within each line; the other 6 fragments probably represented multiple mappings of the same element. Possible allelism between lines reduced this number to a minimum of 15 different sites containing Ac -like elements. The distribution of these sequences does not fit the expected Poisson distribution; instead, an unusually large number of these elements were found on chromosome 4. The other sequences were scattered randomly throughout the genome. With few exceptions, each line had sequences in different locations; however, the overall distribution of Ac -like sequences was similar for all lines. The non-random distribution of Ac -like sequences suggests that they have undergone a limited number of transpositions in maize; the distribution is incompatible with either complete immobility or frequent transposition.
An autoreactive T hybridoma expressing nonspecific helper activity

Two functional T hybridomas were prepared by fusing BW5147 with ovalbumin (OVA)-primed splenic T blast cells. One was OVA specific for helper function requiring concanavalin A supernatant (CAS) for activity while the other, termed autoreactive, was nonspecific for helper-augmenting activity. Both required H-2d presenter cells for interleukin 2 (IL-2) production. The autoreactive clone showed helper activity only in the presence of suboptimal numbers of antigen (Ag)-primed T cells. Both T hybridomas were Lyt 1+2+ and Thy 1+. Cells produced from such fusions should provide a useful instrument not only in dissecting the T-cell regulatory mechanism, but also in isolating and characterizing self-recognition structures.
Review: Applying the insight into superlattices and quantum wells for nanostructures: Low-dimensional structures and devices

Semiconductor superlattices consisting of alternating layers of two semiconductors with different energy bands were conceived by Esaki and Tsu more than 37 years ago at the IBM Research. It was recognized that such structures would show negative differential conductance, the main device ingredient in amplifier and oscillator, called by us, the Bloch oscillator. Two patents were applied at the very beginning and issued. The concept, due to the availability of molecular beam epitaxy, MBE, particularly developed for GaAs injunction lasers, became reality in a few years, led to the wide spread of 2D systems, eventually led the way for the opening of nanoscience. I used this opportunity to tell the story how it all happened, as an example that progress in science and technology frequently depends on something quite obvious once became known.
Selling price, financing premiums, and days on the market

Home buyers face the task of trading off selling price and the time required to sell a property. One factor that may affect this decision is the presence of financing premiums. The effects of financing premiums on the time a single-family home remains on the market is examined in this paper. The question is to what extent home sellers are willing to compromise on financing premiums and make concessions to buyers in order to sell their properties more quickly. The study uses a sample of single-family residential homes sold with assumption financing and new conventional financing. The sample covers segments of time when interest rates were relatively low and stable (1975–1976) and when rates were much higher on average and more volatile (1980). The results show that financing premiums were present in selling prices of assumption-financed home sales during the 1975–1976 period and that sellers were able to capture a premium and maintain the same average time on the market as properties with other types of financing. During a period of unfavorable market conditions, such as 1980, the results indicate that home sellers with assumption financing conceded or negotiated away any premium in order to significantly decrease the number of days their properties stayed on the market for sale.
Minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum in patients with Marfan syndrome and marfanoid features

Abstract Purpose The presence of a pectus excavatum (PE) requiring surgical repair is a major skeletal feature of Marfan syndrome. Marfanoid patients have phenotypic findings but do not meet all diagnostic criteria. We sought to examine the clinical and management differences between Marfan syndrome patients and those who are marfanoid compared with all other patients undergoing minimally invasive PE repair. Methods A retrospective institutional review board–approved review was conducted of a prospectively gathered database of all patients who underwent minimally invasive repair of PE. Patients were grouped according to diagnosis of Marfan syndrome (MAR), Marfanoid appearance (OID), and all others (ALL). Patient demographics, preoperative imaging and testing, operative strategy, complications, and postoperative surveys were evaluated. Fisher's Exact test and χ 2 were applied for statistical analysis. Results From June 1987 to September 2008, 1192 patients underwent minimally invasive PE repair (MAR = 33, OID=212, ALL=947). There was a significantly higher proportion of females with either MAR or OID who underwent repair (21.5%vs 15.5%, P = .04). The MAR patients had significantly more severe PE determined by computed tomography index (MAR = 8.75, OID=5.82, ALL=4.94, P P = .001). There was a trend toward higher wound infection rates in MAR patients (MAR = 6%, OID=1.4%, ALL=1.3%, P = .07). The recurrence rate was similar among all groups (MAR = 0%, OID=2%, ALL=0.7%, P = .12). Successful outcome from surgeon perspective in either MAR or OID patients was similar to ALL (98%vs 98%, P = .88) and correlated well with patient satisfaction after repair (96%vs 95%, P = .43). Conclusions Minimally invasive PE repair is safe in patients with Marfan syndrome or marfanoid features with equally good results. Patients with Marfan syndrome have clinically more severe PE requiring multiple bars for chest repair and may have slightly higher wound infection rates. Patients are satisfied with minimally invasive repair despite a phenotypically more severe chest wall defect.
Developmental changes in embryonic resistance to adverse effects of maternal heat stress in cows

The objective of this study was to determine whether bovine embryos become more resistant to deleterious effects of maternal heat stress as early embryonic development progresses. Superovulated, lactating Holstein cows were bred by AI and assigned to be heat stressed on d 1, 3, 5, or 7 of pregnancy (d 0 = day of estrus) or not heat stressed (control). Embryos were retrieved from the uterus on d 8 and evaluated for viability and stage of development. Compared with embryos of control cows, embryos of cows receiving heat stress on d 1 had decreased viability and development. Maternal heat stress on other days had no detrimental effect on embryonic viability or stage of development. Bovine embryos become more resistant to adverse effects of maternal heat stress as pregnancy progresses; substantial resistance develops by d 3. This information may be useful in design of environmental modification systems that provide cooling at critical periods of gestation to enhance pregnancy rates during summer in hot climates.
Evaporation control of monomers from solventless resin compositions

Abstract Evaporation of monomers such as styrene or methyl methacrylate from thin films of polymer/monomer blends or films of pure monomers can be eliminated by the addition of small amounts of an n-paraffin. The paraffin or wax must be selected so that it is soluble during application but is sufficiently insoluble to form a film at the liquid/air interface. Optimum evaporation control over a narrow temperature range can be obtained with a specific n-paraffin and over a wider range with a combination of paraffins or waxes at temperatures up to 60°C.
Beef nutrition in the 21st century

Consumer demand for a leaner product will drive to some extent how finishing cattle are fed in the 21st century. A major challenge is to produce a leaner product while maintaining the flavor characteristics desired in quality beef. Several compounds are currently being evaluated that increase lean and reduce fat and if these compounds are approved for use in cattle, requirements of certain nutrients will likely be affected. Environmental pressures to reduce the excretion of nitrogen and phosphorus and decrease the loss of methane from the rumen will also affect how cattle are fed in the future. Requirements for many minerals are poorly defined but hopefully by early in the 21st century our knowledge of requirements and factors that affect requirements for specific minerals will become more complete, allowing nutritionists to better formulate mineral supplements to meet animal requirements. Feedlot diets will likely be formulated for a specific cation-anion balance. The amount of grain used in cattle diets in the future will depend on the cost of cereal grains. Molecular biology techniques offer potential for improving forage quality in the future. Considerable potential also exists for improving the digestibility of low quality fibrous feeds by ruminants via various chemical treatments. It may be possible through genetic engineering technologies to enhance the ability of certain rumen microorganisms to digest fiber by introducing appropriate genes. Finally, the use of nutrients to enhance immunity and thus prevent disease will become increasingly important in the future because of increasing pressure to restrict the use of antibiotics to treat or prevent disease.
Constructing the Organ of Deceit: The Rhetoric of fMRI and Brain Fingerprinting in Post-9/11 America

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and the electroencephalography (EEG)-based technology of Brain Fingerprinting have been hailed as the next, best technologies for lie detection in Ameri...
Functional roles of charged residues in the putative voltage sensor of the HCN2 pacemaker channel.

Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels contribute to pacemaking activity in specialized neurons and cardiac myocytes. HCN channels have a structure similar to voltage-gated K+ channels but have a much larger putative S4 transmembrane domain and open in response to membrane hyperpolarization instead of depolarization. As an initial attempt to define the structural basis of HCN channel gating, we have characterized the functional roles of the charged residues in the S2, S3, and S4 transmembrane domains. The nine basic residues and a single Ser in S4 were mutated individually to Gln, and the function of mutant channels was analyzed in Xenopus oocytes using two-microelectrode voltage clamp techniques. Surface membrane expression of hemagglutinin-epitope-tagged channel proteins was examined by chemiluminescence. Our results suggest that 1) Lys-291, Arg-294, Arg-297, and Arg-300 contribute to the voltage dependence of gating but not to channel folding or trafficking to the surface membrane; 2) Lys-303 and Ser-306 are essential for gating, but not for channel folding/trafficking; 3) Arg-312 is important for folding but not gating; and 4) Arg-309, Arg-315, and Arg-318 are crucial for normal protein folding/trafficking and may charge-pair with Asp residues located in the S2 and S3 domains.
Regrowth-free single-mode quantum cascade lasers with power consumption below 1 W

We report on single-mode distributed-feedback quantum cascade lasers emitting at 4.8 μm with continuous-wave threshold power consumption as low as 0.76 W at 20 °C and 0.98 W at 50 °C. Following growth of the laser active region and semiconductor cladding layers by a single molecular beam epitaxy process, devices with 4-μm-wide ridges and vertical sidewall gratings were fabricated using plasma etching and standard dielectric and metal deposition processes. In terms of mode stability, output power, and efficiency, we show that lasers with 1-mm cavity length and high-reflectivity back-facet coatings can match the performance of buried heterostructure devices, but with the advantage of requiring only a single epitaxial growth step.
Properties and Variability of Soil and Trench Fill at an Arid Waste-Burial Site

During fall construction of two test trenches next to the waste facility on the Amargosa Desert near Beatty, NV, samples were collected to: (i) characterize physical and hydraulic properties of native soil (upper 5 m) and trench fill, (ii) determine effects of trench construction on selected properties and vertical variability of these properties, and (iii) develop conceptual models of vertical variation within the soil profile and trench fill. Water retention was measured to air dryness ({psi} = 2 x 10{sup 6} cm water suction). The 15300-cm pressure-plate data were omitted from the analysis because water-activity measurements showed the actual suction values were significantly less than the expected 15300-cm value (avg. difference = 8550 {+-} 2460 cm water). Trench construction significantly altered properties and variability of the natural site environment. For example, water content ranged from 0.029 to 0.041 m{sup 3} m{sup -3} for fill vs 0.30 to 0.095 m{sup 3} m{sup -3} for soil; saturated hydraulic conductivity was = 10{sup -4} cm s{sup -1} for fill vs. 10{sup -2} to = 10{sup -4} cm s{sup -1} for soil. Statistical analyses showed that the native soil may be represented by three major horizontal components and the fill by a single component.more » Under initial conditions, calculated liquid conductivity (K{sub 1}) plus isothermal vapor conductivity (K{sub v}) for the upper two soil layers and the trench fill was = 10{sup -13} cm s{sup -1} and K{sub 1} was = K{sub v}. 29 refs., 5 figs., 6 tabs.« less
Feasibility of a patient decision aid about lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography

Objective New clinical guidelines endorse the use of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for lung cancer screening among selected heavy smokers while recommending patients be counseled about the potential benefits and harms. We developed and field tested a brief, video-based patient decision aid about lung cancer screening.
The K+p interaction from 864 to 1585 MeV/c; angular distributions for inelastic scattering

Abstract We present angular distributions for production and decay of the quasi- two-body final states KΔ(1236) and K ∗ (891)p produced in K + p interactions at 864, 969, 1207, 1367 and 1585 MeV/ c . The analysis of these distributionsleads to the following conclusions: (a) KΔ(1236) production near threshold is largely via P-waves and is, except for coupling constants, fairly well approximated at all momenta by the predictions of the Stodolsky-Sakurai ϱ-exchange model; (b) K ∗ (891)p production appears dominated by vector exchange down to threshold, and no evidence of significant relative increase in pseudoscalar exchange contribution at low energy is seen; (c) study of the partial-wave structure of KΔ(1236) production shows no evidence of resonant behavior at the total cross-section peak near 1200 MeV/ c .
Group a streptococcus necrotizing fasciitis

Necrotizing fasciitis due to Group A streptococcus has been observed with increasing frequency over the past decade. Appropriate management requires rapid recognition of this life-threatening infection and expeditious antimicrobial therapy as well as surgical debridement or excision of tissue.
Overactive bladder: paediatric aspects.

Dr Nijman said that lower urinary tract function, which he called 'control', is a complex process of nervous system development and behavioural modification; indeed it is. This complexity is part of the price humans pay for their phylogenetic position. compared with, for example. freshwater coelenterates, which have only a single stoma for entry and exit of nutrients. Higher evolutionary life-forms, of necessity, evolved more sophisticated systems to manage elimination functions. For mammals, elimination is more than species-specific; in humans, various stages of life. lifestyles and transient situations place special demands on their excretory function. In fact. the fetus and infant control their lower urinary tracts very effectively, just as they control their pulmonary, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems. The difficulties lie in the assumption of conscious control over a previously neuro-viscerally controlled system, because of the effects of the elements of consciousness, behaviour, personality and social pressures. Most people manage these hurdles effectively. but it should come as no surprise that many children have some difficulty attaining cognitive management of the lower urinary tract. Most children surmount their problems, but for a few children the problems we label as dysfunctions become a way of life. There is probably one fairly simple unifying pathophysiological explanation for these dysfunctions.
Studies on the red blood cell oxygen affinity and 2,3-diphosphoglyceric acid in the hibernating woodchuck (Marmota monax).

Abstract 1. 1. The P50 of the blood of seven woodchucks decreased from an average of 23·4 ± 0·6 to 22·3 ± 0·8 mm Hg during hibernation and the 2,3-diphosphoglyceric acid (2,3-DPG) decreased from 5·2 ± 0·8 to 3·4 ± 0·4 μmoles/ml erythrocytes. 2. 2. The change in P50 is consistent with, and probably results from the decrease in 2,3-DPG. Such a small increase in oxygen affinity could have little adpative significance to the hibernating animal.
Chemical and Structural Relationships Among the Oligomeric Compounds MFe(CO)4 (M=Zn, Cd, Hg), PbFe(CO)4, AgCo(CO)4, and Their Lewis Base Adducts.

CdFe(C0)4, and (4-C6HSC5H4N)CdFe(CO)+ Proper ligational strategy thus allows the isolation of several types of compounds which differ from the previously known B2CdFe(C0)4 and (NH3)3ZnFe(C0)4 patterns. It is also possible to manipulate the degree of association of these species by control of the group 2B metal ion coordination sphere. Thus the first four of the new compounds listed are tentatively assigned monomeric structures, while the latter three are assigned oligomeric structures. The present studies also reveal that A~CO(CO)~ is isomorphous with [CdFe(C0)4]4 and that (~y),CdFe(C0)~ exists as a trimer in the solid state. The complex (2,2’-bpy)AgCo(CO), is found to be at most partly associated in noncoordinating solvents. In the solid state, PbFe(CO)4 is associated. It has been known for some time that the metal-metal bonded oligomer [CdFe(C0)4],3 forms adducts, B2CdFe(C0)4, with a wide variety of Lewis bases, B.334 Until very recently there has been no structural information available for any of these materials. Diffraction studies have now shown that [CdFe(CO),], is a tetramer (n = 4) with approximately D4h symmetrysa and that (2,2’-bpy)CdFe(CO),, bpy = bipyridyl, is a trimer with approximately D3h symmetry.5b The molecular geometries of these compounds are illustrated in Figure 1. The structures of [CdFe(C0)J4 adducts with other Lewis bases remain largely undefined. The compound [HgFe(C0)4]4 is also known6,’ and is isomorphous with [CdFe(C0)4]4,sa but no base adducts have been isolated. In comparison to the results for cadmium and mercury, the only reported zinc-containing derivative, B3ZnFe(C0)4 where B = NH,,’ contains three molecules of base. Unlike the cadmium diammine, (NH3)2CdFe(C0)4, the zinc triammine does not readily lose ammonia on heating in V~CUO.~ A number of structural types are conceivable for the above Lewis base adducts, viz., A-C. In isoelectronic group 1B metal-transition
Media coverage of sports and violent behavior: An elusive connection

The general relationship between the media and violence has proven to be exceptionally elusive in spite of decades of research. Furthermore, there have been no attempts to link media coverage of sports to the lifestyles of their audiences. Exposure to the media does not occur in a social, cultural or political vacuum, and the responses to such exposure, including coverage of sports violence, vary according to individual circumstances.
LOCALIZATION OF MELANIN SYNTHESIS WITHIN THE PIGMENT CELL: DETERMINATION BY A COMBINATION OF ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC AUTORADIOGRAPHY AND TOPOGRAPHIC PLANIMETRY.

Localization of melanin synthesis within the pigment cells of the Cloudman S-91 mouse melanoma was determined by means of a combination of high resolution autoradiography and topographic planimetry. Initial melanin biosynthesis occurred predominantly in the endoplasmic reticulum and associated ribonucleoprotein particles of the melanocytes. By measuring a number of cell organelles and employing the index of “relative specific localization” it could be shown that the nucleus and mitochondria are of little or no importance in the process of melanogenesis.
A decoder architecture for high-speed free-space laser communications

We present a decoding architecture for high-speed free-space laser communications. This system will be used by NASA's Mars Laser Communication Demonstration (MLCD) project, the first use of high-speed laser communication from deep space. The Error Correction Code (ECC) and modulation techniques for this project have been motivated by an analysis of capacity, and existing designs have been shown to operate within 0.9 dB of the Shannon limit on the nominal operating point. In this paper, we give the algorithmic description and FPGA implementation details that led to the development of a 50 Mbps hardware decoder.
Optimization strategies for resilient freight transport and sustainability

A resilient system is one that is able to sustain disruptions by been able to operate close to the optimum or acceptable sub optimum performance by reconfiguring itself to accommodate the disruptions. Resiliency is an important component of sustainability, as a non-resilient system will not be sustainable in the long term. The freight transportation chain that goes through ports is very susceptible to disruptions and poses important issues related to its resiliency. The purpose of this paper is to use optimization models to address freight chain disruption problems and evaluate their resiliency. Our approach is based on reconfiguration to include other resources and routes which in the absence of disruption were not cost effective, and therefore under normal conditions were not feasible choices. Using other resources and alternative routes depends on location, severity, and duration of disruption. Our approach identifies which of these resources and routes are best choices for the kind of disruption that took place. We use a simulation case study that focuses on disruption scenarios in the two major sea ports on the south west coast of the United States. The computational results demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed algorithm in mitigating the impact of freight chain disruption.
Psychovisual-based distortion measure for monochrome image compression

ABSTRACT In this paper we describe a quantitative distortion measure for judging the quality ofcompressed monochrome images based on a psycho-visual model. Our model follows thehuman vision perception in that the distortion as perceived by a human viewer is dominatedby the compression error uncorrelated with the local features of the original image. We haveperformed subjective tests to obtain the ranking results for images which were compressed using different compression algorithms and compared the results with the rankings obtained using our distortion measure and other existing mean-square error based distor..tion measures. We have found that our distortion measure's ranking matches the subjectiveranking perfectly where as the mean-square error and its variants are only 60% correct onthe average. 1. INTRODUCTION There is an ever increasing demand for transmission and storage of vast amounts of infor-mation in image processing environments today. To reduce the large costs involved, image corn-pression is a widely accepted tool which aims at minimizing the amount of data to be stored ortransmitted. Numerous image compression techniques exist with the common goal of reducingthe number of bits needed to store or transmit images. The efficiency of the compression algo-rithm depends on three criteria: compression ratio, implementation complexity and quality of thecompressed image.The first two criteria are easy to quantify but the third criterion is difficult to evaluate for alossy compression algorithm. There is no reliable and consistent distortion measure for determin-ing the magnitude of distortion resulting from a lossy compression algorithm. Such a measure isnot only needed for comparing images produced by different compression algorithms, but also fordesigning image compression systems.By far the most popular measure of perceptual fidelity in use today for image compressionis the pixel-squared error between the original and the compressed images [1]. Variants of thismeasure include the normalized mean-square error, maximum absolute deviation, the signal-noiseratio and the peak signal-noise ratio [21. These error measures have been computed between bit-maps generated from the original and the compressed images, without taking into considerationthe human visual system.
Brief Report: Parental Age and the Sex Ratio in Autism

The male-to-female (M:F) ratio for autism spectrum disorders (ASD), typically about 4:1, appears to decrease with increasing paternal age, but this relationship has not been systematically tested. With 393 ASD cases from families with two or more ASD cases, we categorized paternal age into five age groups (<30, 30–34, 35–39, 40–44, 45+) and found that the M:F ratio was significantly decreased with increasing paternal age groups and remained so after also adjusting for maternal age. No significant relationship between maternal age group and the M:F ratio was observed. This study suggests that the M:F ratio is reduced with increasing paternal age consistent with de novo genetic or genomic anomalies arising more frequently as men age and then conceive children.
Improving the analysis of arteriovenous passage times.

Abstract Purpose. This study evaluated the effect of two techniques, time-based correction (TBC) and de-interlacing, on the quality of an image sequence from a scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO), and their impact on subsequent analysis for the determination of arteriovenous passage (AVP) times. Methods. Fluorescein angiograms obtained from one patient participating in a concurrent study approved by an institutional review board (IRB) were analyzed before and after the serial connection of a TBC, and before and after de-interlacing of the images. Informed consent was obtained, and all tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki were followed. AVP times were determined and the variance in time per 100 frames was calculated. Results. The average error in the determination of AVP times was significantly less after the application of these techniques (p<0.05). Also, the coefficient of variance in the time elapsed per 100 frames was reduced after TBC and de-interlacing of the video sequence. Conclusion. The study showed that in addition to the subjective improvement in image quality after de-interlacing and TBC, quantitative parameters are improved. This leads to a more accurate analysis of the angiogram.
Bichromatic force on helium

We have observed the bichromatic force on metastable He using fiber amplifiers to produce the high power of light needed at $\ensuremath{\lambda}=1.083 \ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}.$ We have done deflection experiments to confirm that the very large magnitude of the force scales to He, and preliminary deceleration experiments for eventual trap loading. Our measurements support earlier experiments in Rb. Helium is ideally suited for this kind of beam slowing because its slowing length with the usual radiative force is more than a factor of 100 larger than with the bichromatic force. Thus, loading a MOT will be much more effective because of the much larger angular capture range associated with the shorter distance.
Sex and age modify biochemical and skeletal manifestations of chronic hyperparathyroidism by altering target organ responses to Ca2+ and parathyroid hormone in mice

We studied mice with or without heterozygous deletion of the Casr in the parathyroid gland (PTG) [(PTG) CaSR(+/-)] to delineate effects of age and sex on manifestations of hyperparathyroidism (HPT). In control mice, aging induced a left-shift in the Ca(2+) /parathyroid hormone (PTH) set point accompanied by increased PTG CaSR expression along with lowered serum Ca(2+) and mildly increased PTH levels, suggesting adaptive responses of PTGs to aging-induced changes in mineral homeostasis. The aging effects on Ca(2+) /PTH set point and CaSR expression were significantly blunted in (PTG) CaSR(+/-) mice, who showed instead progressively elevated PTH levels with age, especially in 12-month-old females. These 12-month-old knockout mice demonstrated resistance to their high PTH levels in that serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-D) levels and RNA expression of renal Cyp27b1 and expression of genes involved in Ca(2+) transport in kidney and intestine were unresponsive to the rising PTH levels. Such changes may promote negative Ca(2+) balance, which further exacerbate the HPT. Skeletal responses to HPT were age-, sex-, and site-dependent. In control mice of either sex, trabecular bone in the distal femur decreased whereas cortical bone in the tibiofibular junction increased with age. In male (PTG) CaSR(+/-) mice, anabolic actions of the elevated PTH levels seemed to protect against trabecular bone loss at ≥ 3 months of age at the expense of cortical bone loss. In contrast, HPT produced catabolic effects on trabecular bone and anabolic effects on cortical bone in 3-month-old females; but these effects reversed by 12 months, preserving trabecular bone in aging mice. We demonstrate that the CaSR plays a central role in the adaptive responses of parathyroid function to age-induced changes in mineral metabolism and in target organ responses to calciotropic hormones. Restraining the ability of the PTG to upregulate CaSRs by heterozygous gene deletion contributes to biochemical and skeletal manifestations of HPT, especially in aging females.
Exposing an individual to two types of prisoner’s dilemma game matrix formats

A study was conducted to provide direction to further research and theorizing concerning the nature of the variables that cause people to respond differentially to structurally different, but theoretically equivalent, matrix formats. Changes in the response pattern of a single individual were observed as a function of the matrix format presented. These results were interpreted as suggesting that individuals are responsive to such nonstrategic factors as format and that research should be directed at identifying and assessing the influence of these psychologically important factors.
Transport properties of heavily AsF5 doped polyacetylene

Abstract We report measurements of the temperature dependence of the thermoelectric power and electrical conductivity for polyacetylene heavily doped (more than 10%) with arsenic pentafluoride. The thermopower is small, positive and linear with temperature. The conductivity is very large for a polymeric system, about 1000 (Ω cm) -1 at room temperature, and as temperature is decreased drops in value by less than a factor of two, becoming essentially temperature independent below 4 K. The samples exhibited ohmic behavior at the current densities used and did not show any frequency dependence up to 1000 Hz. No evidence for superconductivity was found down to 30 mK. The results are interpreted as the first conclusive evidence for the existence of a metallic state at all temperatures in this material.
Lead Paint Lessons: Confronting Cultural Disconnections in Outreach

Resigned and a bit weary, the parents of a seriously lead poisoned boy sought help in moving from one of Philadelphia's crumbling old homes covered in long-outlawed, lead-based paint. In the Lead Coordinator's office at Tenants' Action Group (TAG) one afternoon in the summer of 1998, the 3-year-old pounded on a two-drawer file cabinet in the office, swept papers off the top, and then fell to the floor bawling. Nothing kept his attention for long. He was frustrated and inconsolable. "He's so poisoned," said the lead coordinator, who had seen this type of behavior before. Lead poisoning in children can cause poor muscle coordination and problems with speech, language and attention span. The boy's father looked at me and said, "Every day".
Cancer pain management with a controlled-release oral morphine preparation

Abstract An open-label pilot study was conducted to assess the efficacy and acceptability of a controlled-release oral morphine formulation, MS Contin tablets, when administered "by the clock" two to three times daily as a substitute for opioids given on request to patients with pain caused by advanced cancer. Initially, four-hourly doses of standard "immediate-release" oral morphine sulfate tablets were substituted for the patients' prior analgesic medication and titrated to individual needs. Forty of the 47 patients enrolled in the study were subsequently switched to an eight-hourly MS Contin regimen (three patients became too ill to continue the study, and four left the study during the immediate-release titration phase because of adverse reactions that may have been drug related). Small "rescue" doses of standard oral morphine were available to the patients, but they were taken infrequently. Twenty-one of the 37 patients maintained on the eighthourly schedule consented to be treated with, and were subsequently stabilized on, MS Contin administered every 12 hr, with a reduction of over 20% in their average daily morphine dose. Most of the patients rated the controlled-release medication superior to the standard oral morphine tablets in terms of both convenience and adequacy of relief.
Plume splitting and sharpening in laser-produced aluminium plasma

Plume splitting and sharpening were observed in laser-produced aluminium plasma created using 532 nm, 8 ns pulses from a frequency doubled Nd : YAG laser. Measurements were made using 2 ns gated fast photography as well as space and time resolved optical emission spectroscopy. The motion of the leading edge of the plume was studied with several background air pressures and the expansion of the plume front was compared with various expansion models. Combining imaging together with time resolved emission diagnostics, a triple structure of the plume was observed.
HAZUS — Its Development and Its Future

This paper discusses the history of HAZUS development and plans for the future. HAZUS was created with a process that included state-of-the-art review of earthquake loss estimation methods, followed by methodology, software development, and pilot testing. The model was first released for earthquakes in 1997, and consisted of an inventory database, ground motion model, building and lifeline damage models, fire following model, direct and indirect economic loss models, and casualties model. Subsequent enhancements included a new bridge damage model and a single/group building analysis model. Development of the full earthquake, flood, and hurricane-capable HAZUS began in 1997, with release as HAZUS-MH in early 2004. The Flood Model included methods for assessing riverine and coastal flooding damage to a wide variety of infrastructure. Effects of flood warning were taken into account, as were flow velocity effects. In 2002, prior to release of the full Flood Model, a Flood Information Tool was released to allow users to begin collecting and sorting local flood hazard data, as well as other pertinent data, for Level 2 analyses. The Hurricane Model adapted an existing peer-reviewed and validated model that describes the entire track and wind field of a hurricane or tropical storm as the basis for hazard characterization. Methods for assessing building damage, building and tree debris and shelter needs are also included in the Hurricane Model. Throughout the history of HAZUS, inventory data and methodology development always have been mirrored by software implementation efforts, such as InCAST, which facilitates development and organization of databases for creating building portfolios, and Building Data Import Tool, which allows easy import of tax assessor data. The release of HAZUS-MH was followed in early 2005 by the first maintenance release, HAZUS-MH MR1. Currently, 4 additional releases are anticipated. HAZUS was used in 2001 to estimate annualized earthquake losses for the U.S. Annualized studies for all 3 hazards are currently being conducted with the newer versions of HAZUS.
Cyberbullying in a Rural Intermediate School: An Exploratory Study:

Students (N = 221) in an intermediate school (grades 5-8) in a rural area of the Southwestern United States completed a survey regarding their familiarity with technology and their experiences with cyberbullying during the school year. Initial evidence of survey reliability is presented. In the sample, 1.5% of participants were classified as cyberbullies only, 3% as cybervictims only, and 8.6% as cyberbully/victims. Grade and gender differences were investigated. The best predictor of cyberbullying in a regression equation was cybervictimization, and vice versa. Self-blaming attributions predicted emotional distress in response to a cyberbullying scenario; moral disengagement predicted acting out behaviors in response to the same scenario. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Determination of an optimal organ set to implement deformations to support four-dimensional dose calculations in radiation therapy planning

Surface-based deformable image registration to generate a four-dimensional (4D) dose calculation in radiation treatment planning requires the selection of a set of organ contours to represent a basis set to generate anatomic deformation. The purpose of the present work was to determine the optimal set of organs needed to generate a basis set for deformation in treatment planning for thoracic tumors such that the required computations are minimized but dose accuracy is high. Using retrospectively reviewed records, we calculated 4D dose distributions based on treatment plans for 10 patients with thoracic tumors using a deformable model algorithm in a research version of a commercial radiation treatment planning system. Various combinations of organs (total lungs, heart, spinal cord, external body surface) were used to generate the basis set for deformations used in the calculations. The external surface contour did not have a noticeable effect on the dose calculation. Total lung, heart, and spinal cord together provided an adequate set of deformation organs to generate accurate dose deformations. The magnitude of calculated dose differences had no obvious relationship to tumor parameters, including site, histologic type, disease stage, extent of motion, or degree of centralization.
‘La contenance italienne’: the motets on Beata es Maria by Compère, Obrecht and Brumel *

Musicians have recognised distinct national styles of musical composition and performance for centuries, and even today our understanding of the development of musical style in virtually every period rests in large part on observations of the contact and melding of national idioms. From the suppression and absorption of Gallic chant by Roman plainsong during the time of Charlemagne, through the wedding of French, Italian and German styles accomplished by Bach, to the joining of north Indian classical musical elements with modern avant-garde music by Philip Glass and other minimalist composers, our telling of music history is in large part analysis of a continuing process of musical colonialisation.
The Response of Chickens to D-Mannoheptulose: Feeding Behavior and Blood Glucose

Abstract Administration of mannoheptulose (MH) at a concentration of 200-300 mg./kg. body weight, administered intraperitoneally or intracardiacly resulted in a significant increase of plasma glucose concentration (24.3%) four hours after administration. Food consumption was affected by administration of 300 mg./kg. body weight. There was a significant reduction in the mannoheptulose treated animals compared to the saline controls during the second and third hours of testing. The results were similar to those reported for mammals although the increase in plasma glucose concentration was not as dramatic in birds as it is in mammals. Food consumption studies in rats indicate a suppression, however, it is not significant as it was in this study.
Search for carbon 14 in tektites.

An attempt was made to detect cosmic-ray produced C-14 in australites and far-east tektites. No C-14 activity was found outside of statistical fluctuations. If a terrestrial age of 10 thousand years is assumed for australites, a maximum cosmic-ray exposure time of one thousand years is obtained for these tektites on the basis of a 2-sigma statistical error.
Predictive Probability of Success and the Assessment of Futility in Large Outcomes Trials

We consider a class of futility rules based on a Bayesian approach for computing the predictive probability of success for large clinical trials, given a certain amount of observed data. This paper focuses on outcomes trials in particular, thus we are concerned with binary response variables. The proposed method determines the likelihood of observing a statistically significant treatment effect at the end of a study, conditional on the data observed at an interim time point and assuming that event rates governing future observations follow beta distributions. In particular, the prior distributions for the event rates of interest are updated based on the observed data at an interim time point, such that means and variances are intuitive functions of the data. Computational aspects will be discussed for the case in which event counts are functions of sample size and event rates only, and for situations in which they are functions of sample size, event rates, and exposure duration. We will discuss appropriat...
Proton transfer in proton glasses

Abstract Proton intrabond transfer in O H⋯O bonds is the mechanism for dynamic behavior of rubidium/ammonium dihydrogenphosphate mixed crystals. Because of strong proton-proton interactions, such transfer is associated with thermally activated creation of H 3 PO 4 -HPO 4 intrinsic defect pairs, their hindered diffusion in a random-step fractal potential, and their eventual annihilation. Predictions of a model based on this behavior are compared with determinations on a 35% ammoniated crystal by Courtens of dielectric susceptibility and of relaxation time distribution limits calculated from Brillouin scattering results.
Development of an Acute Care Index of Functional Status for Patients with Neurologic Impairment

The Acute Care Index of Function (ACIF) was developed to standardize the functional status assessment of patients with acute neurologic impairment. The ACIF was used to collect patient data for a six-month period. A scoring system was then developed for the ACIF using data from 75 randomly selected patients in three discharge categories: 1) home (n = 25), 2) nursing home (n = 25), and 3) rehabilitation center (n = 25). After a scoring system was established, the ACIF was examined to determine whether it met the design criteria. The average amount of time required to administer the ACIF was 12 minutes, demonstrating feasibility for use in acute care. Data from 28 patients with a cerebrovascular accident from the discharge categories of nursing home and rehabilitation center demonstrated that the ACIF was precise enough to detect functional status changes in patients with an acute neurologic impairment. Data from the original 75 patients were examined to determine the ability of the ACIF to separate patients by score into groups consistent with their discharge placement. A 1 x 3 analysis of variance and a Scheffe post hoc analysis demonstrated that the mean ACIF scores of patients in the three discharge categories were significantly different.
Empirical estimation of system parallel resonant frequencies using capacitor switching transient data

Simple yet accurate techniques for estimating system parallel resonant frequencies are presented. The proposed techniques make use of existing power quality data, specifically those of capacitor switching transients, to determine frequency estimates. A detailed representation of the system including the data required to develop device models (transmission lines, transformers, loads, etc.) is not required. The efficacy and pitfalls of the technique was demonstrated using power quality data collected at transmission and distribution systems where resonant frequencies were known so as to identify the best application environment of the technique. Frequency estimation results correspond closely to actual system resonant frequencies.