cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discomfort Intolerance and the Acquired Capability for Suicide

Research has yet to examine the potential relationship between discomfort intolerance and the acquired capability for suicide. However, a link between numerous constructs related to discomfort intolerance (e.g., DT, pain tolerance) and the acquired capability has been established. Although these constructs are similar to the concept of discomfort intolerance, the operational definitions associated with these variables are divergent enough to merit an investigation pertaining to the relationship between discomfort intolerance and acts of lethal self-harm. Specifically, we chose to determine whether low discomfort intolerance would be associated with elevated levels of the acquired capability for suicide. Results were consistent with the our hypothesis, revealing a significant association between discomfort intolerance and the acquired capability above and beyond the effects of sex, self-reported and behaviorally-indexed DT, pain tolerance, and prior exposure to painful and/or provocative experiences. These findings serve to clarify the role of discomfort intolerance in the acquisition of the capability required to engage in acts of lethal self-harm. Furthermore, these results emphasize the importance of enduring aversive physiological sensations in the development of the acquired capability for suicide.
PBI/Nafion/SiO2 hybrid membrane for high-temperature low-humidity fuel cell applications

Abstract A novel composite membrane for fuel cell applications was prepared by incorporating SiO2 in PBI/Nafion resin by the sol–gel method. Polybenzimidazole (PBI) was blended with Nafion to improve the membrane stability. The presence of PBI also improves the dimensional stability of the composite membrane over a wide range of hydration conditions. Being highly hygroscopic, SiO2 enhances water absorption and retention in the membrane which improves fuel cell performance under low relative humidity conditions. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the PBI and Nafion polymers can be blended uniformly. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the presence of SiO2 in the composite membrane. Thermal gravimetric analysis confirmed the improved thermal stability of the SiO2/PBI/Nafion membrane. Tensile strength, water uptake and swelling of the composite membrane were also measured at 60 °C and compared with Nafion. The fuel cell performance of the novel SiO2/PBI/Nafion composite membrane at 120 °C and 35% relative humidity significantly improved over a pure Nafion membrane of the same thickness.
Effect of Intrusion Detection on Failure Time of Mission-Oriented Mobile Group Systems in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

In this paper, we analyze the effect of intrusion detection system (IDS) techniques on failure time of a mission-oriented group communication system consisting of mobile groups set out for mission execution in mobile ad hoc networks. Unlike the common belief that IDS should be executed as often as possible to cope with insider attacks to prolong the system lifetime, we discover that IDS should be executed at an optimal rate in order to maximize the system lifetime. Further, the optimal rate at which IDS is executed depends on the operational conditions, system failure definitions, attacker behaviors, and IDS techniques used. We develop mathematical models based on stochastic petri nets to identify the optimal rate for IDS execution to maximize the mean time to security failure of the system, when given a set of parameter values characterizing the operational conditions and attacker behaviors.
Preoperative Embolization of Hypervascular Castleman’s Disease of the Mediastinum

We report the case of a 31-year-old woman with mediastinal Castleman's disease of the hyaline vascular type. This large tumor was safely resected after arterial embolization. We describe the steps of this interventional procedure and discuss related necessary precautions.
Direct ubiquitination of β-catenin by Siah-1 and regulation by the exchange factor TBL1

β-Catenin is a key component of the Wnt signaling pathway that functions as a transcriptional co-activator of Wnt target genes. Upon UV-induced DNA damage, β-catenin is recruited for polyubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation by a unique, p53-induced SCF-like complex (SCF(TBL1)), comprised of Siah-1, Siah-1-interacting protein (SIP), Skp1, transducin β-like 1 (TBL1), and adenomatous polyposis coli (APC). Given the complexity of the various factors involved and the novelty of ubiquitination of the non-phosphorylated β-catenin substrate, we have investigated Siah-1-mediated ubiquitination of β-catenin in vitro and in cells. Overexpression and purification protocols were developed for each of the SCF(TBL1) proteins, enabling a systematic analysis of β-catenin ubiquitination using an in vitro ubiquitination assay. This study revealed that Siah-1 alone was able to polyubiquitinate β-catenin. In addition, TBL1 was shown to play a role in protecting β-catenin from Siah-1 ubiquitination in vitro and from Siah-1-targeted proteasomal degradation in cells. Siah-1 and TBL1 were found to bind to the same armadillo repeat domain of β-catenin, suggesting that polyubiquitination of β-catenin is regulated by competition between Siah-1 and TBL1 during Wnt signaling.
The effect of scale size on obtaining information in preference testing

The effect of scale size upon response is the subject of this study. The same questions (regarding preferences) were put to four equal-sized groups measuring preference with four different scale lengths; a three-point scale, a five-point scale, a seven-point scale, and a nine-point scale. This paper describes the results obtained.
Parental history of hypertension and coping responses predict blood pressure changes in black college volunteers undergoing a speaking task about perceptions of racism.

OBJECTIVE This investigation explored the relationship of coping responses and parental history of hypertension to task-induced blood pressure changes. MATERIALS AND METHODS The sample consisted of 215 black college student volunteers (median age = 25.95 y). During the speaking task, participants responded to standardized questions about perceptions of intra-ethnic and inter-ethnic group racism. Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were measured via an automated blood pressure monitor. Usual ways of coping with intra-ethnic group racism were assessed with the COPE Scale, and parental history of hypertension (PHH) was self-reported by participants. RESULTS Findings from the final step of hierarchical general linear models indicated that the main effect of emotion-focused coping was negatively associated with diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.02) and systolic blood pressure (p = 0.002) changes. Further, these analyses revealed that PHH interacted: (1) with the coping responses of planning (p = 0.007) and denial (p = 0.002) to predict changes in systolic blood pressure and (2) with the planning coping response to predict diastolic blood pressure changes (p = 0.02). The direction of these effects indicated that among participants who were high in these coping responses, participants who also had a positive PHH had larger blood pressure changes. Regression analyses also revealed that PHH interacted with the cognitive coping response (p = 0.01) to predict changes in systolic blood pressure. The direction of this effect indicated that among participants who were low in this coping response, participants who also had a positive PHH had larger systolic blood pressure changes. CONCLUSION This study highlights the importance of examining the joint contribution of biological and psychosocial parameters to blood pressure reactivity in blacks.
Investigations of Potential-Dependent Fluxes of Ionic Permeates in Gold Nanotubule Membranes Prepared via the Template Method

We have been exploring the transport properties of gold nanotubule membranes prepared by electrolessly plating Au within the pores of a microporous polycarbonate filter. We have previously shown th...
Behavioral thermoregulation in the spiny lobster Panulirus Argus (latreille)

Ten spiny lobsters (Panulirus argus) were allowed to thermoregulate individually for 3-day periods in an electronic thermoregulatory shuttlebox which allowed them to control water temperatures (and thereby their own body temperatures) by their movements. The range of preferred (voluntarily occupied) temperatures was 25–35°C (mean 29.9°C; mode 30.0°C; median 30.0°C; midpoint 30.0°C; Sk (skewness, Pearson's coefficient) −0.04; s.e.m. 0.19°C; S.D. 2.32°C). The final thermal preferendum (by the gravitation method) in this species is 30°C.
Progesterone Receptor Isoform A But Not B Is Expressed in Endometriosis

We previously demonstrated that 17beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2, the enzyme that inactivates estradiol to estrone, is expressed in luteal eutopic endometrium in response to progesterone but not in simultaneously biopsied peritoneal endometriotic tissue. This molecular evidence of progesterone resistance, together with the clinical observation of resistance of endometriosis to treatment with progestins, led us to determine the levels of progesterone receptor (PR) isoforms PR-A and PR-B in eutopic endometrial and extra-ovarian endometriotic tissues. It was proposed that progesterone action on target genes is mediated primarily by homodimers of PR-B, whereas the truncated variant PR-A acts as a repressor of PR-B function. Immunoprecipitation, followed by Western blot analysis, was performed to detect bands specific for PR-A and PR-B in paired samples of endometriotic and eutopic endometrial tissues simultaneously biopsed from 18 women undergoing laparoscopy during various phases of the menstrual cycle. PR-B was present in 17 of 18 eutopic endometrial samples, and its level increased in the preovulatory phase, as expected, whereas PR-A was detected in all samples (n = 18) with a similar, but less prominent, cyclic variation in its levels. In endometriotic samples, however, no detectable PR-B could be demonstrated, whereas PR-A was detected in all samples (n = 18), albeit in much lower levels and without any cyclic variation in contrast with the eutopic endometrium. Levels of PR-A and PR-B in endometriotic and eutopic endometrial tissues were determined and compared after normalization to total protein and estrogen receptor-alpha levels. Using RNase protection assay, we also demonstrated indirectly that only PR-A transcripts were present in endometriotic tissue samples (n = 8), whereas both PR-A and PR-B transcripts were readily detectable in all eutopic endometrial samples (n = 8). This was indicative that failure to detect PR-B protein in endometriotic tissues is due to the absence of PR-B transcripts. We conclude that progesterone resistance in endometriotic tissue from laboratory and clinical observations may be accounted for by the presence of the inhibitory PR isoform PR-A and the absence of the stimulatory isoform PR-B.
Efficient method of moments estimation of a stochastic volatility model: A Monte Carlo study

Abstract We perform an extensive Monte Carlo study of efficient method of moments (EMM) estimation of a stochastic volatility model. EMM uses the expectation under the structural model of the score from an auxiliary model as moment conditions. We examine the sensitivity to the choice of auxiliary model using ARCH, GARCH, and EGARCH models for the score as well as nonparametric extensions. EMM efficiency approaches that of maximum likelihood for larger sample sizes. Inference is sensitive to the choice of auxiliary model in small samples, but robust in larger samples. Specification tests and ‘t-tests’ show little size distortion.
The Role of the “Team” for Operative Laparoscopy: Emphasis on Instrumentation, Equipment, and Care Before, During, and After Surgery

The role of the operating room ‘‘team’’ before, during and after operative laparoscopy has expanded greatly over the past several decades. Minimally invasive surgical treatments for women have expanded to include a multitude of procedures. Although these treatment advances have expanded, so has the role of operating room personnel. As a result of phenomenal visualization, everyone in the operating room can anticipate, participate, and follow laparoscopic procedures from the simplest to the most intricate. The role of the team is more important than ever. Most would agree, the more efficient the team, the better the surgeon, which, in turn, may be directly correlated to the efficacy of the surgical treatment of the patient and ultimately the potential for improved patient outcomes. There is an important continuum with all types of surgery, and operative laparoscopy is no exception. The efficiency of the ‘‘team’’ is dependent on the continuum of care of the patient beginning with the preoperative period, through surgery, and culminating during the postoperative period. The ‘‘team’’ encompasses everyone involved with the care of the patient before, during, and after surgery. Specifically, in all 3 of these areas the team refers to perioperative nurses (to include preoperative nurses, the circulating nurse or nurses, laser nurse when a laser is used, and recovery room or postanesthesia care unit [PACU] nurses), anesthesiologist or anesthetist, surgeon, surgical assistant, surgical technician, and the person who cleans the instruments as well as anyone else involved in the surgery and care of the patient. The key ingredient for the team to be successful is that all these people who are involved in some manner with the care of the patient (either directly or indirectly) work together through effective communication to provide the patient with the best possible surgical experience. This includes a variety of people in the continuum of overall patient care [1–13].
Multiple transduction as a means of preserving ganciclovir chemosensitivity in sarcoma cells carrying retrovirally transduced herpes thymidine kinase genes

The potential value of retroviral gene transfer as a means of targeting therapeutic genes to neoplastic cells is threatened by the tendency of occasional cells to lose transduced genes or their expression. To determine whether this threat could be reduced by transducing multiple copies of a therapeutic gene, we compared 8 murine sarcoma sublines carrying from 1 to 6 copies of a retrovirally transduced herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene, which sensitizes cells to ganciclovir (GCV). When variability consequent to differences in vector integration site was excluded, increased copy number was associated with an increase in GCV sensitivity and a major reduction in the frequency of GCV-resistant mutants. The results suggest a potential means of preserving the efficacy of future antineoplastic gene therapy strategies.
Control of pressure-driven components in integrated microfluidic devices using an on-chip electrostatic microvalve

Pressure-driven actuators play a critical role in many microfluidic technologies, but the ancillary equipment needed to operate pneumatic and hydraulic platforms has limited their portability. To address this issue, we created an electrostatic microvalve used to regulate pressures in hydraulic control lines. In turn, these control lines are able to actuate pressure-driven components, e.g., microvalves. The electrostatic microvalve is fabricated exclusively with soft-lithographic techniques, allowing it to be directly integrated in a microfluidic chip. The electrostatic microvalve also contains a passive structural element that balances the pressure on the top and bottom sides of the actuating membrane. This feature enables the microvalve to induce pressure changes up to 20 kPa with electric potentials less than 320 V. When the microvalve is integrated into a microfluidic “pressure amplifier” circuit, the pressure output of the circuit can be tuned with the voltage applied to the microvalve. This integration allows for different types of pressure-driven components to be actuated with variable pressures, and thus eliminates the need for off-chip pressure regulation. In the example reported here, only one actuator is required to adjust the pressure of a single hydraulic line.
Cysteine string protein beta is prominently associated with nerve terminals and secretory organelles in mouse brain

Cysteine string proteins (CSPs) are associated with regulated secretory organelles in organisms ranging from fruit flies to man. Mammals have three csp genes (alpha, beta and gamma), and previous work indicated that expression of the csp-beta and -gamma genes was restricted to the testes. For the current investigation, antibodies specific for CSP-beta were developed. Unexpectedly, immunoblot analysis indicated that CSP-beta was prominently expressed throughout mouse brain. Upon sub-cellular fractionation, CSP-beta was enriched in synaptosomes and synaptic vesicle fractions. Interestingly, CSP-beta existed almost exclusively as part of a high mass complex both in testis and brain. This complex required aggressive denaturation to release monomeric CSP-beta. By Northern analysis CSP-beta mRNA was present at very low abundance as a approximately 1.0kb species in mouse brain. Collectively, the enrichment of CSP-beta in synaptosomes and the association of CSP-beta with synaptic vesicles suggest that CSP-beta, like CSP-alpha, may be an important component of the regulated secretory machinery in mouse brain.
Spatial access to substance abuse treatment for low-income and minority households: a case study in Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Texas

Recent health care overhauls increase demand on services and give a whole new group of individuals the possibility of seeking out care and treatment. One area that often gets overlooked is the substance abuse treatment. Spatial access to healthcare facilities influences health services usage as distance to facilities was recognized as a significant barrier to health access. In this study using an enhanced two-step floating catchment method, we measured spatial access to substance abuse treatment facilities at the Census block group level in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Texas. The results show the access disparities vary spatially within block groups in this area. In addition, we identified hotspots for low-income and racial/ethnic minority households in the area and then compared them with the spatial accessibility environment to better understand the service coverage among low-income and minority communities. The results show that low income and minority have disadvantages to access to substance abuse treatment facilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area.
Probing the mystery of the highest energy cosmic particles with a large distributed observatory

Summary form only given. Scientists from 16 countries are building the largest ever Observatory for the Highest Energy Cosmic Particles. In the Argentina pampas, 1,600 water Cherenkov detectors will cover an area of 3,000 square kilometers overlooked by four fluorescence telescopes. The Cherenkov detectors are placed in a 1.5-kilometer triangular grid, powered by solar panels, timed by GPS's, and communicating via radio antennas. At the highest energies, one cosmic ray particle generates a shower that triggers dozens of detectors within microseconds as the shower reaches the ground. In dark moonless nights, the fluorescence telescopes observe the same showers through the ultraviolet emission of nitrogen molecules in the air excited by shower particles. The fluorescence telescopes are sensitive to the faint UV emission from tens of miles away. Together, the fluorescence telescopes and ground Cherenkov detectors form the most powerful observatory to ever study the highest energy cosmic ray showers. The goal of the Pierre Auger Observatory is to unveil the mysterious origin of particles with energies a billion times larger than present terrestrial accelerators can reach. During deployment, the Observatory has already produced intriguing results during construction. We will discuss the astrophysical and physical challenges of unveiling this high-energy mystery.
Growth and asexual reproduction of the sea anemone Metridium: comparative laboratory studies of three species

Abstract The rate of growth, individual size attained, and mode and frequency of asexual reproduction were investigated in three species of the sea anemone Metridium . The species differ in ecological distribution, characteristic habitat, and morphology. M. exilis Hand is characteristically intertidal and occurs in aggregations of numerous small (0.2 cm 2 pedal disc area, pda) individuals. Growth in laboratory culture ceased at 1.2 cm 2 pda despite copious feeding. Feeding accelerated the rate of asexual reproduction by binary fission but did not result in larger individuals. Individuals of M. senile (L.) are larger and reproduce both sexually and asexually by fragmentation. The species occurs from the mid-intertidal to the shallow subtidal in central California. Individuals from intertidal populations grew rapidly in laboratory culture when fed daily (mean pda after 5 months in culture was 45 cm 2 ). The regenerative ability of M. senile is excellent: 100% of excised fragments (including column and pedal disc tissue) had completely regenerated, including tentacle formation, after 3 wk with no mortality. An undescribed species of Metridium is much larger (individuals grow >/ l m in height) and apparently is exclusively subtidal in central California. Asexual reproduction is rare or absent and no pedal lacerates were produced by individuals during the period of study. The regenerative ability of Metridium sp. is poor: 53% of the excised fragments had regenerated after 19 wk with 25% mortality. The three species thus show distinct patterns of growth and asexual reproduction, paralleling their morphological, ecological, and genetic distinctness.
Preparation and structure of chloro(bis{salicylideniminephenyl}disulfido)iron(III)

Abstract Chloro(bis{o-salicylideniminephenyl}disulfido)iron (III), Fe(C 26 H 18 N 2 S 2 O 2 )Cl, has been prepared and its crystal structure determined from precession camera data. The compound crystallized in space group P2 1 /c (a = 10.02(2) A , b = 21.76(4) A , c = 11.06(2) A , and β = 96.17(10)· at 25°C using Zr filtered Mo Kα radiation) with four formula units per unit cell (ρ calcd = 1.52 gcm −3 ; ρ obsd = 1.55(2)gcm −3 ). The structure, which was refined to a conventional R value of 0.096 by full-matrix least-squares refinement, consists of monomeric iron(III) complexes with octahedral coordination. The disulfide functions as a pentadentate ligand and is coordinated through two nitrogens, two oxygens, and one sulfur atom; the chloride ion occupies the sixth coordination position. The magnetic moment, 5.90 B.M., is normal for a high-spin octahedral iron(III) complex.
Robust mean and covariance structure analysis through iteratively reweighted least squares

Robust schemes in regression are adapted to mean and covariance structure analysis, providing an iteratively reweighted least squares approach to robust structural equation modeling. Each case is properly weighted according to its distance, based on first and second order moments, from the structural model. A simple weighting function is adopted because of its flexibility with changing dimensions. The weight matrix is obtained from an adaptive way of using residuals. Test statistic and standard error estimators are given, based on iteratively reweighted least squares. The method reduces to a standard distribution-free methodology if all cases are equally weighted. Examples demonstrate the value of the robust procedure.
LPCVD of silicon dioxide by pyrolysis of TEOS in a rapid thermal processor

Abstract Low-pressure chemical vapor deposition of SiO 2 by pyrolysis of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), in a lamp-heated, cold-wall rapid thermal processor has been investigated. Effects of rapid-thermal and furnace annealing on the chemical and electrical properties have been studied using standard etching and C - V techniques. Our results have shown that silicon dioxide can be deposited at rates as high as 1000 A/min. Below 800°C, the deposition process is limited by the surface reactions and has an activation energy of 76 kcal/mol. Silicon dioxide films very close to thermal oxide in density can be obtained by following the deposition with a standard furnace or rapid thermal annealing cycle in a nitrogen ambient. The fixed interface charge density of the deposited films is higher than that of a dry oxide control sample processed under the same conditions. The charge densities range from 6.4 × 10 11 to 8.8 × 10 11 cm −2 for furnace annealed films and from 1.58 × 10 11 to 3.72 × 10 11 cm −2 for rapid thermally annealed films.
Maximum likelihood estimation under misspecified lognormal and weibull distributions

This article provides expressions for computing the asymptotic distribution of maximum likelihood estimators of lognormal and Weibull parameters when the distribution is misspecified and data are Type I or II censored. The results can be used to derive the asymptotic normal distribution of observed bias in estimation of functions of model parameters such as quantiles. The methods are applied to a Type I censored dataset on locomotive controls. The results are used to derive test plans that are bias-robust for estimating quantiles. Values of the proportions failing that minimize asymptotic mean square error and absolute asymptotic bias are tabulated.
Silent patent ductus arteriosus in association with ventricular septal defect

Abstract Clinical, hemodynamic, electrocardiographic, roentgenographic, anatomical and surgical findings in 40 patients with a ventricular septal defect and a coexisting patent ductus arteriosus are presented. A patent ductus arteriosus was present in approximately 7 per cent of all cases designated clinically as having an isolated ventricular septal defect. The clinical examination and roentgenologic and electrocardiographic observations are virtually of no help in establishing presence of the two coexisting malformations in the vast majority of cases. The hemodynamic data obtained at right-sided cardiac catheterization are essentially of no aid unless the catheter tip is passed through the open ductus. Thoracic aortography or indicator-dilution technics yield signs sufficiently characteristic for identification of the patent ductus. Among 4 of 19 cases operated upon for clinically isolated ventricular septal defect, the cause of death was attributable partially or totally to the complication associated with an unsuspected “silent” patent ductus arteriosus. These complications included improper perfusion resulting in acute cerebral hypoxia and technical difficulties connected with closing the patent ductus arteriosus through an anterior thoracotomy. Our early experiences have led to the current practice of performing aortography in all cases of clinically evident ventricular septal defect with pulmonary hypertension in order to identify associated patent ductus arteriosus or other aortic malformations. In symptomatic infants with apparent left-to-right shunts, aortography is done as the initial diagnostic procedure. Present day management of patients with both anomalies is as follows: At the initial operation the ductus arteriosus is closed. At a second operation, done weeks or months after the first, the ventricular septal defect is closed.
BPA'S New Generation of 500 kv Lines

After obtaining approximately seven years of operating experience, BPA initiated a major study in 1974 to review and re-evaluate the existing 500 kV line design parameters and criteria. Based on the results of this study, BPA designed a new generation of 500 kV lines. This report discusses the electrical and structural design parameters and criteria for BPA's new generation of 500 kV single and double circuit lines. Also discussed are cost savings of 10% for the new single circuit lines and 17% for the new double circuit lines.
Time-dependent contrast functions for quantitative imaging in time-resolved transillumination experiments.

We have developed a methodology that can be used in reconstruction algorithms to quantify the optical coefficients and the geometrical cross section of a weakly abnormal optical target embedded in an otherwise homogeneous medium. This novel procedure uses different time-dependent point-spread functions to analyze the diffusive and absorptive contrasts obtained from time-of-flight measurements. Data obtained from time-resolved transillumination of a tissuelike phantom are used to test the accuracy of this new deconvolution methodology.
The entry of genetics into medicine.

I have been asked to recount the history of the invasion of genetics into medicine. The scope of this history is too broad, so I have chosen to tell that which I believe to be the heart of the matter, that from which it seems to me all else flows. It is my view that what genetics has done for medicine is to give it a coherent core. Whatever kind of doctor one is, when we see a patient, we are seeing someone whose biological individuality is at odds with the conditions of life. This history is encapsulated in changes in ideas. One of these ideas is the reduction of phenotypes to molecules, made possible by technology suitable to the ideas. A reciprocal idea is the gradual liberation of human genetics from the thought and terminology of drosophila genetics. Not that the reductive path was possible without drosophila genetics. Nothing could be done without it, but as medical missions were increasingly better served by the reductionist path, drosophila thinking got in the way. This shift in thought began in earnest around 1950, when the reductionist path entered an exponential phase of growth that it has pursued ever since. Perhaps genetics has changed medical thinking most notably in its focus on molecular individuality. The biological uniqueness of each person is reflected in the expression of disease, and I would add at the outset, that individuality was nowhere to be seen or heard in the drosophila lexicon. Why should we care about history? Is it not enough simply to observe how genetic thinking has altered that of medicine? History, however, is not just chronology; it is a way of thinking. The historian Carl Schorske calls it "thinking with history. "1 "If we locate ourselves in history's stream," he says, "we can begin to look at ourselves--as conditioned by the historical present as it defines itself out of, or against, the past." In the medical context, this means that we
Microcalorimetric study of the interactions of aspartame with β-cyclodextrin and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin: The anamalous heat of dilution of the latter

Abstract Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin has been shown to interact less strongly with aspartame thann does β-cyclodextrin. Solutions of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin in phosphate buffers exhibit a large concentration-dependent apparent heat of dilution, presumably as a result of the loss of extensive intermolecular attraction during dilution, which accounts for its great solubility in water.
Remodeling and suppression of intimal hyperplasia of vascular grafts with a distal arteriovenous fistula in a rat model.

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a distal arteriovenous fistula (dAVF) on the morphologic changes occurring in arterial bypass grafts by the use of a novel experimental model. Methods: Aortofemoral bypass grafts with or without dAVFs were constructed in 36 Sprague-Dawley rats with a microsurgical technique. The bypass graft material consisted of deendothelialized autogenous tail artery (length, 25 mm; inside diameter, 0.5 mm). In 18 rats, dAVFs were constructed at the distal anastomosis. After 6 weeks, flow rates and shear stress were determined, and grafts were then harvested. Luminal, intimal, and medial cross-sectional areas were measured with computer imaging. Desmin, α–smooth muscle actin, and von Willebrand factor (vWF) were identified with immunohistochemistry. Endothelialization was evaluated with SEM. Results: All bypass grafts remained patent at the time of graft harvest. Grafts with dAVFs showed increased flow rates (11.5 ± 0.6 mL/min) compared with grafts without dAVFs (2.1 ± 0.3 mL/min; P 2 vs 113.7 ± 12.5 dyne/cm 2 ; P 2 for dAVF grafts vs 0.225 ± 0.009 mm 2 for non-dAVF grafts; P Conclusion: A small animal experimental model of an arterial bypass graft can enable the evaluation of a variety of factors that influence graft patency. Increased blood flow velocity and shear stress induced by a dAVF are associated with a decrease in intimal and medial areas, which may reflect changes in cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, or matrix deposition. Deposition of vWF was also found both in the endothelium and throughout the hyperplastic intima. These findings suggest that the hemodynamic and morphologic changes associated with dAVF may potentiate graft patency and function. (J Vasc Surg 2001;34:701-6.)
Factors contributing to emotional distress during cancer chemotherapy

Recent studies have demonstrated that patients receiving cancer chemotherapy are more likely to have a successful treatment outcome if they receive optimal doses of drug continually. The current study was designed as a first step toward discovering factors that are associated with emotional distress during treatment and subsequent decisions by patients to delay, reduce, or terminate treatment. Interviews were conducted with 61 patients receiving chemotherapy for malignant lymphoma. Patients reported on side effects of treatment and their efforts to control them, their knowledge and beliefs about their illness, their strategies for monitoring the effectiveness of treatment, and the extent to which they had been prepared for the experiences of chemotherapy. Ratings of emotional distress were obtained on an 11-point self-report scale, and information about treatment schedules was obtained from medical records. The number of side effects experienced, but not the duration or severity, was positively correlated with distress. Vague, diffuse side effects such as tiredness and pain were more likely to be associated with distress than were acute, specific side effects such as nausea and vomiting. Patients who reported either unsuccessful attempts to cope with side effects or no attempts at all had greater distress than those who were coping successfully. Patients who developed conditioned nausea during treatment reported higher distress than those who did not.
Distribution of microbial biomass and secondary production in a warm-core Gulf Stream ring

Abstract Microbial biomass, bacterial abundance and secondary production were examined in relation to the changing physiochemical conditions within warm-core Gulf Stream ring 81-F. Highest densities of bacterioplankton (6.14 × 108 cells 1−1) occured at the ring margin in continental shelf and slope water entrained by the ring. Likewise, both total bacterial secondary production (measured as incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA) and per-cell bacterial secondary production were highest at the ring margin, averaging 291.1 pmoles 1−1 d−1 and 4.95 × 10−7 pmoles cell−1 d−1, respectively. In contrast, high concentrations of ATP (mean, 1.45 μg l−1) and chlorophyll α (mean, 2.29 μg l−1) were found both at the periphery and near the center of the ring. A similar distribution pattern was found for the incorporation of [3H]adenine into microbial RNA. The elevated values for microbial biomass and activity at the ring margin may reflect the response of microbial populations to new conditions resulting from the juxtaposition of water masses comprising and surrounding the ring. Our results indicate that the distribution of microbial populations and the rates of microbial processes occuring within warm-core ring 81-F were influenced by the age of the ring and the extent of its interaction with continental shelf water, surrounding slope water and Gulf Stream meanders.
Measuring Behaviors of Individual Adolescents During Group-Based Substance Abuse Intervention

ABSTRACTBackground: Group treatment is delivered in youth correctional facilities, yet groups may be iatrogenic. Few measures with demonstrated psychometric properties exist to track behaviors of individuals during groups. The authors assessed psychometrics for the Group Process—Individual Level measure (GP-IL) of group treatment. Methods: N = 152 teens were randomized to 1 of 2 groups (10 sessions each). Adolescents, counselors, and observers rated teen behaviors at sessions 3 and 10. GP-IL assesses reinforcement for deviancy and positive behaviors, member rejection, and counselor connection and praise. Results: Internal consistency and 1-month stability were demonstrated. Concurrent validity is supported by correlations with measures expected to be associated with group behavior (e.g., coping skills). Counselors and observers rated more deviancy during interactive skills-building groups versus didactic psychoeducational groups (P ≤ .005). Scales evidenced incremental validity. Conclusions: GP-IL offers ...
Hydrogen in C-rich Si and the diffusion of vacancy-H complexes

The sites, gap levels, and migration barriers of interstitial H in Si are predicted. The hydrogenation of C-rich Si results in the formation of H2*(C) and C2H2, in contrast to FZ-Si where H2 molecules dominate. The fully saturated vacancy (VH4) also forms. This complex is normally stable up to 650 °C. However, in C-rich Si, VH4 anneals around 550 °C while the VH3HC complex appears. There, C replaces one of the four Si nearest-neighbors to the vacancy. This implies that VH4 begins to diffuse at 550 °C, and then traps at Cs. This in turn implies that all the VHn complexes (n = 1, 2, 3, 4) are mobile at moderate temperatures. In this paper, we discuss the energetics of H in Si, summarize the key experimental and theoretical results about H interactions in C-rich Si, and discuss the migration paths and activation energies of the four VHn complexes.
Mutant spectra analysis at hisG46 in Salmonella typhimurium strain YG1029 induced by mammalian S9- and plant-activated aromatic amines.

Mutant spectra analysis was conducted with spontaneous hisG46 revertants of Salmonella typhimurium strain YG1029 and revertants induced by the plant- and mammalian S9-activation of benzidine and 4-aminobiphenyl (4-ABP). Under preincubation conditions, YG1029 cells were exposed to benizidine or 4-ABP with mammalian S9 activation or to a high molecular weight fraction that contained the plant-activated products. The induced revertants were isolated at mutagen concentrations that caused an increased mutant frequency of approximately 4- to 10-fold above background. Genomic DNA from each revertant was isolated and the hisG region was amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Using a series of specific probes and a modified version of the ECL3's-oligolabelling and detection system, each of the six possible base-pair substitution mutations at hisG46 that leads to a reversion event was determined. Of the YG1029 spontaneous revertants, transition mutations were 31.8% and transversion mutations were 68.2%. The YG1029 spontaneous mutant spectrum differed significantly from the spontaneous spectrum of TA1535 but did not significantly differ from the spontaneous TA100 mutant spectrum. The differences of the spontaneous mutant spectra among these highly related strains illustrate that the introduction of the plasmid pKM101 into S. typhimurium increased the frequency of transversions (CCC→ACC; CCC→CAC) and reduced site 2 (CCC→CTC) transitions. With plant-activated benzidine, 21.1% of recovered revertants resulted from transitions and 78.9% from transversions while S9 activated-benzidine induced revertants were recovered as 14.2% from transition and 85.8% from transversion mutations. Plant-activated 4-ABP recovered 20.0% transitions and 80.0% transversions. S9-activated 4-ABP-induced 21.4% transitions and 78.6% transversions. Chi-square analysis of mutant spectra indicated that the DNA lesions that resulted in reversion at the hisG46 allele induced by plant-activated benzidine or 4-ABP were different from those generated after mammalian S9 activation of these promutagens. The plant-activated benzidine and 4-ABP induced statistically identical mutant spectra. Also, the mammalian-activated benzidine and 4-ABP induced statistically similar mutant spectra. These data show that the plant-activated and mammalian-activated aromatic amine products inflicted different types or distributions of DNA lesions that were reflected in the resulting induced mutant spectra. Teratogenesis Carcinog. Mutagen. Suppl. 1:47–60, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Dynamic relationships between field temperatures and romaine lettuce yield and head quality

Abstract Romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. longifolia Lam.) has great potential as a winter alternative crop in coastal South Carolina. Apache (A), Darkland (D), Green Tower (GT), Green Forest (GF), Ideal Cos (IC), and Tall Guzmaine (TG) romaine lettuce cultivar transplants were planted on 9 different planting dates in Charleston, South Carolina (SC) on monthly intervals from September to April from 1998 to 2001. The objective was to determine romaine's yield and quality responses to different growing season climates. Growing season mean (GSM) minimum or maximum temperatures (temps) were determined by averaging daily min and max temps from planting date to harvest date. The growing season for the September planting date (PD) was the warmest, followed by the April PD. The coldest growing season was the December PD, followed by January and November PDs. Collectively, GSM max temps ranged from 17 to 27 °C and GSM min temps ranged from 5 to 15 °C with these planting dates. The total accumulated heat units (Base 4.5 °C) were similar for all 8 PD growing seasons. The harvest maturities were similar between: September versus April PDs; October versus March PDs; and November versus February PDs. The December PD growing season required the greatest number of days to reach harvest from transplanting followed by the January PD growing season, with every 1 °C decrease in GSM min or max temps, days to harvest increased by 5 days. GSM min temperature affected number of marketable heads produced per plot more than GSM max temps for A, D, GT and TG but not GF and IC. Individual marketable head weight, however, was unaffected by GSM min and max temps. When all cultivar data were pooled and regressed, we found that from about 3 to 6 °C GSM min temps, the number of culls produced dropped steeply, but then plateaued from about 6 to 11 °C, and then decreased rapidly from 11 to 14 °C. The major cull defect was loss due to field rots. Generally, the pooled cultivar mean indicated that with an increase in GSM min temps from 3 to 6.5 °C, the rate of field rot production accelerated, but from 6.5 to 14 °C, field rot production was much slower in contrast.
Inaccuracies in seismicity and magnitude data used by Varotsos and Coworkers

The claims of successful earthquake predictions by VAN are based on magnitudes said to be Ms (surface wave). However, they are larger by 1.0 unit, on the average, than those published in the Preliminary Determination of Epicenters (PDE), the authoritative source for Ms values. This discrepancy arises because VAN calculate Ms from ML (local magnitude) using the incorrect transformation Ms(VAN)=ML+0.5. Least squares regressions, based on the PDE data for Greece, yield Ms=l.50ML−2.62 and Ms=1.82mb−4.16 instead. An important part of many author's evaluations of VAN's claims is an assessment of whether their performance is better than that expected by random chance. If the random chance probability is defined using standard (PDE) seismicity data and magnitudes, whereas VAN's claims are based on a non-standard scale, the significance of VAN's successes will be overestimated strongly. Additional discrepancies are introduced because Ms(VAN) is based on preliminary ML values), or sometimes on newspaper reports, rather than those published in the final bulletin of the Seismological Institute of the National Observatory Athens (SI-NOA). The correct final magnitude should be used in all studies claiming success and evaluating these claims years after the earthquakes occurred. Inaccuracies in presenting an earthquake catalog also exist in Varotsos et al. [1981b], who claimed a one-to-one correlation of seismic electric signals (SES) with the list of earthquakes with mostly ML>2.9 published by the SI-NOA. In fact, VAN had used instead a list called “Ten Days Preliminary Seismogram Readings at Athens” which is not a bulletin and contains no epicenters. As a consequence 37% of the earthquakes reported in the SI-NOA Monthly Bulletin (including the largest one) were not contained in the list of VAN, and 40% of the earthquakes VAN claimed had occurred, were not in the SI-NOA Bulletin. In addition, VAN added another 25% of events to the list. These latter events were identified as added, but there is no evidence that they were not explosions or other cultural disturbances. It is concluded that some of VAN's claims of correlations between SESs and earthquakes, and some of the evaluations of these claims, are based on incorrect earthquake lists.
Remembering and Researching the Old and the New: An Interview with Roddy Roediger

Dr. Henry L. (Roddy) Roediger is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in the Psychology Department at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) and a scholar of human memory. He graduated from Washington & Lee University in 1969 and received his PhD in psychology from Yale University. He served as chair of the Psychology Department at WUSTL from 1996 to 2004, when he was named dean of academic planning in Arts and Sciences. Roediger's research interests include such topics as how people can suffer memory illusions and false memories (remembering events differently from the way they happened or remembering events that never happened at all); implicit memory (when past events affect ongoing behavior without one's awareness); and, most recently, applying cognitive psychology to improving learning in educational situations. One primary current interest is why the process of retrieval serves as a powerful memory enhancer. David G. Elmes is professor emeritus of psychology at Washington & ...
A Quantitative Assessment of the Conservation Benefits of the Wetlands Reserve Program to Amphibians

The Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) originally consisted of nearly contiguous bottomland hardwood (BLH) forest encompassing approximately 10 million hectares. Currently, only 20–25% of the historical BLH forests remain in small patches fragmented by agricultural lands. The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) was established to restore and protect the functions and values of wetlands in agricultural landscapes. To assess the potential benefit of WRP restoration to amphibians, we surveyed 30 randomly selected WRP sites and 20 nearby agricultural sites in the Mississippi Delta. We made repeat visits to each site from May to August 2008 and performed both visual encounter and vocalization surveys. We analyzed the encounter history data for 11 anuran species using a Bayesian hierarchical occupancy model that estimated detection probability and probability of occurrence simultaneously for each species. Nine of the 11 species had higher probabilities of occurrence at WRP sites compared to agriculture. Derived estimates of species richness were also higher for WRP sites. Five anuran species were significantly more likely to occur in WRP than in agriculture, four of which were among the most aquatic species. It appears that the restoration of a more permanent hydrology at the WRP sites may be the primary reason for this result. Although amphibians represent only one group of wildlife species, they are useful for evaluating restoration benefits for wildlife because of their intermediate trophic position. The methods used in this study to evaluate the benefit of restoration could be used in other locations and with other groups of indicator species.
Silicon Schottky-barrier modification by ion-implantation damage

Low-energy (5-keV) high-dose (1015cm-2) argon implantation has been carried out on n- and p-type silicon to confirm the role of ion damage on the characteristics of subsequently formed Schottky barrier diodes. The electrical behavior of the diodes is similar to that observed recently on inert-gas ion-etched and reactive-ion-etched silicon surfaces, thus unambiguously attributing the Schottky-barrier modification to ion-induced surface damage.