cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Blockade of the renin angiotensin system abolishes age-dependent hypertension in female intrauterine growth restricted rats in the absence of an enhanced sensitivity to acute angiotensin II (1085.2)

Low birth weight (LBW) as an indicator of poor fetal growth is a risk factor for hypertension. Placental insufficiency induces intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in the female rat indicative of LBW. Female IUGR rats exhibit an enhanced sensitivity to acute angiotensin II (Ang II) while remaining normotensive under basal conditions at 4 months of age. Yet, female IUGR rats develop hypertension by 12 month of age. Thus, this study tested the hypothesis that the renin angiotensin system (RAS) contributes to the etiology of age-dependent hypertension in the female IUGR rat. At 12 months of age rats were treated with vehicle or the ACE inhibitor, enalapril (250 mg/L in drinking water ad libitum), for 2 weeks then mean arterial pressure (MAP) was measured in conscious, chronically instrumented rats. MAP was significantly higher in untreated IUGR versus untreated control rats (134±3 vs. 117±4 mmHg, P<0.05; respectively); enalapril abolished the difference in MAP (118±2 vs. 113±1 mmHg; respectively). Acute in...
Interactive Effects of α-Interferon A/D and Interleukin 2 on Murine Lymphokine-activated Killer Activity: Analysis at the Effector and Precursor Level

Studies from our laboratory and others have demonstrated that alpha-interferon (IFN alpha) can regulate natural killer cells and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell activation. In vitro experiments have shown that IFN alpha has differential effects on both natural killer cells and LAK activity when combined with interleukin 2 (IL2); IFN alpha synergized with IL2 to augment natural killer cells activity while it suppressed the IL2-induced LAK response. Here we demonstrated that IFN alpha A/D can also regulate IL2-induced LAK activity in vivo with enhanced or suppressed activity depending on the IFN alpha A/D dose. The enhanced response was observed with the combination when 80,000 units/day of IFN alpha A/D were used and was detectable in the spleen, lung, and peritoneum. When a high dose of IFN alpha A/D was combined with IL2, a moderate reduction in LAK activity was noted in the spleen and peritoneum. In contrast, a high dose IFN alpha A/D augmented IL2-induced LAK activity in the lung even though it reduced the level of cellular infiltration. We have also evaluated the effect that IL2, IFN alpha A/D, and IL2 plus IFN alpha A/D have on the frequency of LAK precursors in the spleen and lung using limiting dilution analysis. Treatment of normal mice with IL2 alone increased the frequency of LAK precursor (LAKp) in the lung. This increase was associated with an infiltration of Thy-1+, asialo-GM1+, Lyt-2- lymphocytes into the lungs. Moreover, treatment with IL2 plus IFN alpha A/D enhanced the frequency of LAKp over that observed with IL2 alone. Treatment with the combination did not change the phenotype of LAKp in the lung from that seen with IL2. The increase in LAKp frequency induced by the combined treatment may not be a direct effect of IFN alpha A/D on precursor cells since IFN alpha A/D alone did not increase the frequency of LAKp in vivo or in vitro when added to limiting dilution analysis cultures. In contrast to what occurred in the lung, a consistent increase in LAKp was not seen in the spleen after treatment with IL2 or with the combination, although LAK activity was observed. These results demonstrated that in addition to inducing lytic activity from LAK effectors in vivo, IL2 treatment increased the number of precursor cells within the lung. Moreover, IFN alpha A/D in combination with IL2 influenced the level of LAKp in situ.
Evaluation of S-adenosyl l-methionine in a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial for treatment of presumptive osteoarthritis in the dog.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of S-adenosyl l-methionine (SAMe) in the treatment of clinically inferred canine osteoarthritis (OA). Study Design: Six weeks, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, clinical trial. Animals: Dogs (n=33) with clinical signs, history, and orthopedic exams consistent with OA. Methods: Dogs were block randomized by body condition score (<6/9, or ≥6/9) into either the placebo or SAMe group. Outcome was assessed using pressure platform gait analysis, examination score, goniometry, and the Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI) at the time of study entrance and at 3 and 6 weeks after entry. Groups were compared using parametric and nonparametric paired tests as appropriate, and numbers needed to treat (NNT) were calculated for the CBPI and peak vertical force (PVF). Results: Both groups (n=15 placebo, n=18 SAMe) had a reduction in mean PVF (P=.02) and vertical impulse (VI; P=.06) from the 1st to 3rd visit. There was no significant difference between the placebo group and SAMe group for PVF, VI, or either part of the CBPI (Severity or Impact). The NNT at 6 weeks for the Severity score was 3, Impact score was 25, and PVF was 45. Conclusions: These data do not support the use of SAMe as an effective stand alone treatment for reducing clinical signs of OA, as measured by PVF, VI, goniometry, CBPI (both Severity and Impact), and examination score within 6 weeks of treatment.
The orbifolds of permutation-type as physical string systems at multiples of c=26: III. The spectra of cˆ=52 strings

Abstract In the second paper of this series, I obtained the twisted BRST systems and extended physical-state conditions of all twisted open and closed c ˆ = 52 strings. In this paper, I supplement the extended physical-state conditions with the explicit form of the extended (twisted) Virasoro generators of all c ˆ = 52 strings, which allows us to discuss the physical spectra of these systems. Surprisingly, all the c ˆ = 52 spectra admit an equivalent description in terms of generically-unconventional Virasoro generators at c = 26 . This description strongly supports our prior conjecture that the c ˆ = 52 strings are free of negative-norm states, and moreover shows that the spectra of some of the simpler cases are equivalent to those of ordinary untwisted open and closed c = 26 strings.
A Statistical Approach to Materials Evaluation and Selection for Chemical Sensor Arrays

We present a generic approach for designing sensor arrays for a given chemical sensing task. First, we present a correlation-based metric to systematically assess the analytical information obtained from the conductometric responses of chemiresistive films as a function of their operating temperatures and material composition. We illustrate how this measure can also be used to test the reproducibility of signals obtained from sensors of equal manufacture. Next, complementing the correlation-based analysis, we employ a statistical dimensionality-reduction algorithm to visualize the multivariate sensor response obtained from sensor arrays. We adapt this method to quantify the discriminability of chemical fingerprints. Finally, we show how to determine an optimal set of material compositions to be incorporated within an array for individual species' recognition when practical constraints/tradeoffs on fabrication are also considered. We validate our approach by designing a microsensor array for the task of recognizing a chemical hazard at sub-lethal concentrations in complex environments.
Gambling and Health Risk-Taking Behavior in a Military Sample

ABSTRACT This study examined the gambling of a cohort of U.S. Air Force recruits (N = 31,104) and the relationship between their gambling and health-risk behaviors. Participants provided self-report data regarding gambling and health-related behaviors. Results suggest that 10.4% of participants gambled weekly or more often, 6.2% reported gambling problems, and 1.9% acknowledged loss of control over gambling. Men were more likely than women to report weekly gambling and possible problematic gambling. Minorities, compared to Caucasians, were more likely to experience gambling problems and report loss of control. Seven health-risk behaviors were significant predictors of frequent gambling; however, considerably fewer health behaviors were uniquely related to problematic gambling. These results suggest that gambling-related problems within the military warrant further attention.
Optimization of the L-M cell bioassay for quantitating tumor necrosis factor α in serum and plasma

Abstract In attempting to quantitate TNF-α in body fluids using current bioassay protocols, we discovered several factors which adversely affect reliability, sensitivity and specificity. The objective of this study was to establish an optimum assay for use with serum and plasma samples. While adopting the commonly used L-M cell bioassay to test serum and plasma samples, we noted non-specific staining of cell debris and protein by crystal violet dye, even if the wells were washed prior to staining. However, when we replaced crystal violet with tetrazolium salts to measure cell viability, we discovered that both serum and plasma, from a variety of species, non-specifically reduced both MTT and XTT tetrazolium salts to a colored formazan product resulting in absorbance values significantly higher than those of medium and serum controls. This effect was particularly pronounced with fetal bovine serum which showed significant color development with as little as 6% serum in the test wells. Maximum sensitivity can only be obtained by eliminating these false negative readings. Therefore the serum or plasma containing supernatant must be removed from the test wells and replaced with fresh serum-free medium prior to addition of the substrate. This finding should be applicable to other body fluids such as urine, milk, and synovial fluid as well as any tetrazolium based assay for cell viability which uses serum-supplemented culture medium. Additionally, when the substrate XTT, which reduces to a water-soluble formazan product, was compared to MTT which reduces to a water-insoluble product, XTT was found to be superior since elimination of the solubilization process resulted in reduction of assay time. Also, overall absorbance readings using XTT were higher than with MTT, without any loss of sensitivity. There were no differences in detectability of TNF-α between serum and plasma and use of preservative-free heparin was found not to have adverse effects on TNF-α assay. Heat treatment of both serum and plasma seemed to inactivate factors that contributed to the non-specific lysis of the L-M cells when their concentrations exceeded 25%.
Interannual variations in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and its relationship with the net northward heat transport in the South Atlantic

[1] Variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and its effect on the net northward heat transport (NHT) in the South Atlantic are examined using a trans-basin expendable bathythermograph (XBT) high-density line at 35S (AX18). The time-mean AMOC is 17.9 ± 2.2 Sv during 2002–2007. Although the geostrophic transport dominates the time-mean AMOC, both geostrophic and Ekman transports are important in explaining the AMOC variability. The contributions of geostrophic and Ekman transports to the AMOC show annual cycles, but they are out ofphase,resultinginweakseasonalvariabilityoftheAMOC. The NHT variability is significantly correlated with the AMOC, where a 1 Sv increase in the AMOC would yield a 0.05 ± 0.01 PW increase in the NHT. Partition of transport into the western and eastern boundaries and interior suggests that, to quantify changes in the AMOC and NHT, it is critical to monitor all three regions. Citation: Dong, S., S. Garzoli, M.Baringer,C.Meinen,andG.Goni(2009),Interannualvariations intheAtlanticmeridionaloverturningcirculationanditsrelationship with the net northward heat transport in the South Atlantic, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L20606, doi:10.1029/2009GL039356.
Team‐based sewn products manufacturing: a case study

Examines a team system using a case study approach in a sewn products plant that transitioned to the team system almost ten years ago. The theoretical framework utilized in the analysis of data was participative management, wherein it has been found that there is a relationship between employee knowledge and performance. Specific themes that arose were successes in the transition to the new team system, including benefits to the plant, and ongoing challenges of the new team system. Data were based on 16 in‐depth personal interviews, observations, written documents, and informal conversations with plant employees. The key elements of success in the transition were commitment by upper level managers, education for all employees, and the establishment of open communication among employees and with management. The team system resulted in a number of benefits and challenges to the plant as a whole.
Assessing cardiac anatomy with digital subtraction angiography

The use of intravenous digital subtraction angiography in the assessment of patients with congenital heart disease is described. Intravenous digital subtraction angiographic techniques are particularly helpful in visually assessing left to right shunts in patients with atrial and ventricular septal defects and anomalies of pulmonary venous return. Digital subtraction angiographic techniques have also been used to quantitate the magnitude of left to right shunts and have been compared with radionuclide-determined pulmonary flow/systemic flow ratios (r = 0.89, p
The Self and Schizophrenia: A Cultural Perspective

Much of what is known about schizophrenia necessarily reflects and deals with what is expected of and known about the self and human subjectivity. Schizophrenia is a disorder that by definition affects individual perception and cognition, and compromises social identity and functioning. The changes wrought by schizophrenia affect the self in a broad context, encompassing such things as self-concepts, self-awareness, self-functioning, and self-career. Thus, schizophrenia erodes and undermines the organization and functioning of the self, and because of this, schizophrenia and self/subjectivity are integrally linked. However, our knowledge of self and human subjectivity is a Western European-influenced knowledge. A basic assumption of this article is that there exist other, non-Western varieties of selves and human subjectivities that provide essential information for understanding human psychological and social behavior. The aim of this article is to show how an account of such alternative psychologies through cross-cultural anthropological studies may contribute to a fuller understanding of schizophrenia and the self in a cultural and cross-cultural perspective.
Control of crop emptying in the blowfly

Abstract The control of crop emptying in the blowfly, Phormia regina , was investigated by the technique of X-ray photography. Increasing the osmotic pressure of the solution in the crop slows crop emptying. This effect is independent of the nutritive value, stimulating power, and viscosity of the solution. Increasing the osmotic pressure of the blood also greatly slows crop emptying. Blood osmotic pressure is the controlling factor. The effect of increased blood osmotic pressure in slowing crop emptying is independent of nervous or endocrine elements.
Estimation of circuit activity considering signal correlations and simultaneous switching

This paper presents accurate estimation of signal activity at the internal nodes of CMOS combinational logic circuits. The methodology is based on stochastic model of logic signals and takes correlations and simultaneous switching of signals at logic gate inputs into consideration. In combinational logic synthesis, in order to minimize spurious transitions due to finite propagation delays, it is crucial to balance all signal paths and to reduce the logic depth. As a result of balancing delays through different paths, the inputs to logic gates may switch at approximately the same time. We have developed and implemented an technique to calculate signal probability and switching activity of the CMOS combinational logic circuits. Experimental results show that if simultaneous switching is not considered the switching activities of the internal nodes can be off by more than 100% compared to simulation based techniques. In contrast, our technique is on the average within 2% of logic simulation results.
microRNAs - powerful repression comes from small RNAs

microRNAs (miRNAs) encode a novel class of small, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression post-trancriptionally. miRNAs comprise one of the major non-coding RNA families, whose diverse biological functions and unusual capacity for gene regulation have attracted enormous interests in the RNA world. Over the past 16 years, genetic, biochemical and computational approaches have greatly shaped the growth of the field, leading to the identification of thousands of miRNA genes in nearly all metazoans. The key molecular machinery for miRNA biogenesis and silencing has been identified, yet the precise biochemical and regulatory mechanisms still remain elusive. However, recent findings have shed new light on how miRNAs are generated and how they function to repress gene expression. miRNAs provide a paradigm for endogenous small RNAs that mediate gene silencing at a genome-wide level. The gene silencing mediated by these small RNAs constitutes a major component of gene regulation during various developmental and physiological processes. The accumulating knowledge about their biogenesis and gene silencing mechanism will add a new dimension to our understanding about the complex gene regulatory networks.
Grain size effects on the magnetic properties of chemically synthesized Ni : Ni3C nanocomposites

Abstract Chemical synthesis has been used to produce Ni : Ni 3 C nanocomposites with Ni grain sizes from 5 to 60 nm and Ni 3 C grain sizes from 20 to 50 nm. The room-temperature coercivity and remanence ratio can be understood strictly in terms of Ni grain size; however, temperature-dependent measurements show that the Ni 3 C can affect the collective magnetic behavior by affecting interactions of the Ni particles.
The creation of specific hominid names: Gloria in excelsis deo? or ego? or praxis?

The recent recommendation that it is preferable to recognize too many rather than too few species in the fossil record has led to a growing proliferation of specific names. Single specimens are being referred to different species by different authors, and new species are being proposed based on the juxtaposition of specimens from different sites and time levels representing different anatomical parts. In part this may represent the continuity of the Medieval assertion that a multitude of species is a better demonstration of the goodness of a divinely created world than a multitude of individuals in a single species. This has apparently accompanied the resurgence of the Medieval faith that species relationship are best demonstrated by the application of hierarchical Aristotelean logic. On the other hand, the suspicion remains that the vanity of the namer is frequently involved in the creation of new nomina. In general, anthropologists do not exhibit the “wide experience” and consequent “sound judgment” that Darwin recommended as necessary for those giving specific names. If the same criteria used to assign specific fossil names were applied to modern Homo sapiens, the different regional human populations would have to be recognized as specifically distinct. In opposition to the recommendation that we should recognize ever more specific names, there should be a moratorium called and no new species names should be proposed at all. The continuation of patterns of trivial trait configurations associated with the various inhabited regions of the world clearly indicates genetic continuity through time but, unless it can be shown that there is no reproductive continuity between one region and another, these differences do not warrant taxonomic recognition. Major adaptive changes such as significant increases in relative brain size do warrant formal named recognition.
Skew and internal consistency

The effects of skew on the standardized item alpha were examined with Monte Carlo techniques. Alphas computed from normal variables were compared with alphas from lognormal variables, ranks, and skewed versus normal Likert-type variables. The extent and direction of skew were varied, as was the size of the population interitem correlation (rho), the number of items, and the number of categories for Likert-type variables. Because the average interitem correlation affects alpha and skew affects the average interitem correlation, the effect of skew on the average interitem correlation also was examined. Results indicated that skew decreased the average interitem correlation and produced small decreases in alpha that were largest when skew was large, rho was small, items were skewed in opposite directions, and there were fewer items.
Optical confinement in ZnSe-based quantum well structure using impurity induced disordering

Abstract We have investigated the phenomenon of layer disordering in CdZnSe/ZnSe strained layer superlattices (SLSs) by Ge diffusion and have fabricated CdZnSe/ZnSe optical waveguides using the Ge-induced disordering. Both the as-grown sample and the sample annealed without a Ge layer showed several orders of well-resolved double crystal X-ray satellite peaks due to SLS periodic structure. However, the satellite peaks completely disappeared in the Ge-diffused sample, indicating that the SLS structure was disordered by the Ge diffusion and not by the annealing process. PL measurements at 1.4 K of both the as-grown and the annealed samples without Ge diffusion show intense, sharp excitonic emission around 483 nm in CdZnSe/ZnSe SLS. After Ge diffusion, the PL peaks shift to higher energy confirming the layer disordering of the SLS. The blue shift due to disordering was also observed in the PL at room temperature (RT). The optical guided mode in the SLS guiding layer confined by the disordered alloy was confirmed. Lateral optical confinement in the stripe geometry laser was also confirmed by observing the RT stimulated emission produced by optical pumping.
Origin of transmembrane potentials in non-excitable cells.

Abstract Although transmembrane potentials of non-excitable cells are generally much lower than those of nerve and muscle, ionic gradients for Na+ and K+ are similar. Thus if the origin of the potential is the same in excitable and non-excitable cells, the relative ionic permeabilities must be different. Data on effects of K+ on transmembrane potentials of non-excitable cells are used to calculate the permeability ratio, P Na P K . This ratio is larger for non-excitable cells, and explains the reduction in magnitude of the potential and the reduced slope of potential vs. log [K+]0 plots.
Cryomicroscopic analysis of intracellular ice formation during freezing of mouse oocytes without cryoadditives

Kinetics of intracellular ice formation (IIF) under various freezing conditions was investigated for mouse oocytes at metaphase II obtained from B6D2F1 mice. A new cryostage with improved optical performance and "isothermal" temperature field was used for nucleation experiments. The maximum thermal gradient across the window was less than 0.1 degrees C/10 mm at sample temperatures near 0 degrees C. The dependence of IIF on the initial concentration of the suspending medium was found to be pronounced. The mean IIF temperatures were found to be -9.56, -12.49, -17.63, -22.20 degrees C for freezing at 120 degrees C/min in 200, 285, 510, and 735 mosm phosphate-buffered saline, respectively. For concentrations higher than 735 mosm, the kinetics of IIF showed a break point at approximately -31 degrees C. Below -31 degrees C, all the remaining unfrozen oocytes underwent IIF almost immediately over a temperature range of less than 3 degrees C. This dramatic shift in the kinetics of IIF suggests that there were two distinct mechanisms responsible for IIF during freezing. The effect of the cooling rate on the kinetics of IIF was also investigated in isotonic PBS. At 1 degrees C/min none of the oocytes contained ice, whereas, at 5 degrees C/min all the oocytes contained ice. The mean IIF temperatures for cooling rates between 1 and 120 degrees C/min were almost constant with an average of -12.82 +/- 0.6 degrees C (SEM). In addition, constant temperature experiments were conducted in isotonic PBS. The percentages of oocytes with IIF were 0, 50, 60, and 95% for -3.8, -6.4, -7.72, and -8.85 degrees C. In undercooling experiments, IIF was not observed until approximately -20 degrees C (at which temperature the whole suspension was frozen spontaneously), suggesting the involvement of the external ice in the initiation of IIF between approximately -5 and -31 degrees C during freezing of oocytes.
Drinking elicited by CNS injection of angiotensin in the rat

Limbic system sites from which drinking can be elicited by angiotensin are distributed similarly but not identically to cholinergic drinking sites in the rat. Furthermore, neither cholinergic nor adrenergic blocking agents depress drinking to angiotensin. However, water-deprived, cholinergically stimulated, and angiotensin-stimulated rats show similar sodium chloride preferences. Although the cholinergic and angiotensin systems seem independent, they may both produce a “true thirst.”
Molecular mechanism of glutamine induction of HSP70 involves activation of the O-linked-N-acetylglucosamine pathway in murine embryonic fibroblast cells

The purpose of this study was to determine whether glutamine (GLN)-mediated cellular protection is dependent on the O-linked-N-acetylglucosamine (O-glcNAc) pathway. GLN can protect against critical illness via induction of HSP70. The molecular mechanism by which GLN enhances HSP70 is unknown. GLN can increase flux through the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway and activate transcription factors by O-glcNAc. We investigated GLN's effect on O-glcNAc levels and nuclear translocation of SP1 and HSF-1, which are vital to HSP70 expression. To determine the importance of O-glcNAc, we used silencing RNA (siRNA) against O-linked-N-acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT), the enzyme that catalyzes addition of O-glcNAc to proteins.
Miscibility and immiscibility in functionalized associating polymer systems: polystyrene-poly(phenylene oxide) blends

Abstract The thermal properties of several families of polystyrene-poly(phenylene oxide), sulphonated polystyrene-poly(phenylene oxide), polystyrene-sulphonated poly(phenylene oxide), and sulphonated polystyrene-sulphonated poly(phenylene oxide) blends were studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The appearance of a single glass transition temperature, i.e. blend miscibility, depended on the level of sulphonation of one or both components of the blend. Even though blends formed from the unfunctionalized components were miscible over the complete composition range, miscibility was reduced as the sulphonation level increased in either component. A substantially broader range of miscibility was observed when both blend components were functionalized. Compared with blends containing one sulphonated component, where immiscibility could occur within a relatively modest sulphonation range (typically 2–4 mol%), blends with two sulphonated components retained miscibility over a substantially broader sulphonation range (typically 10 mol%). The results are interpreted in terms of the mean field theory involving interaction parameters for the individual monomer segments.
Polydispersed aerosol filtration in granular media

Abstract Granular filtration of polydispersed aerosols were studied experimentally. The objectives of the study were to investigate the effect of deposited particle size on the increase of the unit collector efficiency and to quantify the increase for predicting filter performance. An algorithm for determining the effluent concentration histories of polydispersed aerosol filtration was presented. Together with the correlations developed in this work, prediction of filter performance can be made readily. Good agreements between experiments and predictions based on the correlations established in this work were observed.
Adapting a full-text information retrieval system to the computer troubleshooting domain

There has been much research in full-text information retrieval on automated and semi-automated methods of query expansion to improve the effectiveness of user queries. In this paper we consider the challenges of tuning an IR system to the domain of computer troubleshooting, where user queries tend to be very short and natural language query terms are intermixed with terminology from a variety of technical sublanguages. A number of heuristic techniques for domain knowledge acquisition are described in which the complementary contributions of query log data and corpus analysis are exploited. We discuss the implications of sublanguage domain tuning for run-time query expansion tools and document indexing, arguing that the conventional devices for more purely “natural language” domains may be inadequate.
Effect of Different Meditation Types on Migraine Headache Medication Use

Spiritual meditation has been found to reduce the frequency of migraines and physiological reactivity to stress. However, little is known about how introducing a spirituality component into a meditation intervention impacts analgesic medication usage. In this study, 92 meditation-naive participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: (1) Spiritual Meditation, (n = 25), (2) Internally Focused Secular Meditation (n = 23), (3) Externally Focused Secular Meditation (n = 22), or (4) Progressive Muscle Relaxation (n = 22); and practiced their technique for 20 min/day over 30 days while completing daily diaries. Headache frequency, headache severity, and pain medication use were assessed. Migraine frequency decreased in the Spiritual Meditation group compared to other groups (p < 0.05). Headache severity ratings did not differ across groups (p = ns). After adjusting for headache frequency, migraine medication usage decreased in the Spiritual Meditation group compared to other groups (p < 0.05). Spiritual Meditation was found to not affect pain sensitivity, but it does improve pain tolerance with reduced headache related analgesic medication usage.
Thermospheric changes shortly after the onset of daytime joule heating

In the first few tens of minutes after the onset of widespread Joule heating, the motion of the ionospheric atmosphere can be approximated by the one-dimensional motion of a gas in a gravity field—a problem that is easily solved because the motion takes place at constant pressure. The solution provides an estimate of time for which the model is applicable to the physical situation. Seasonal variations of the early effects are examined by using ion profiles appropriate to each season. The results show that the atmosphere above 100 km is strongly modified within a few tens of minutes after the onset of widespread heating: the density can double, the temperature can increase several hundred degrees, and the molecular nitrogen concentration can quadruple. Vertical winds exceeding 100 m/sec at 400km altitude are possible for a brief period after the onset of electric fields of 100 mV/m—rare but observed events. In the first few tens of minutes after the onset of a given electric field, the greatest power is deposited in the thermosphere around summer solstice, while the greatest winds occur at 200 km altitude in the summer and at 400km in the winter. These differing seasonal effects show primarily that a given level of change occurs sooner for one season than another, not that long term seasonal differences exist. Once a magnetic storm is in progress, the quiet-day ion profiles change to the non-seasonal storm profile ; for this ion distribution, F-region effects are minimum regardless of season. Joule heating effects in the upper thermosphere are therefore concluded to be self-limiting.
A mode III crack problem in a bonded composite material

Abstract The problem of a semi-infinite mode III crack terminating at a wedge-shaped inclusion consisting of bonded dissimilar materials is considered. The radial and angular dependence of the stress field upon material inhomogeneity is described in detail. Results for various geometries and elastic constants are illustrated numerically. The implications of these results with regard to the prediction of crack propagation are discussed.
Human prion protein cDNA: molecular cloning, chromosomal mapping, and biological implications

A human complementary DNA whose protein product is considered to be the major component of scrapie-associated fibrils in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, kuru, and Gerstmann-Straussler syndrome has been identified and characterized. The extensive homology of this gene sequence to the hamster PrP 27- to 30-kilodalton prion protein complementary DNA clone, and its existence as a single copy in the human genome, leads to the conclusion that this is the human prion gene. This human prion gene has been mapped to human chromosome 20, negating a direct link between the prion protein and Down's syndrome or the amyloid of Alzheimer's disease.
Suicide Inactivation of Cytochrome c Oxidase: Catalytic Turnover in the Absence of Subunit III Alters the Active Site†

The catalytic core of cytochrome c oxidase is composed of three subunits: I, II, and III. Subunit III is a highly hydrophobic membrane protein that contains no redox centers; its role in cytochrome oxidase function is not obvious. Here, subunit III has been removed from the three-subunit mitochondrial-like oxidase of Rhodobacter sphaeroides by detergent washing. The resulting two-subunit oxidase, subunit III (-), is highly active. Ligand-binding analyses and resonance Raman spectroscopy show that its heme a(3)-Cu(B) active site is normal. However, subunit III (-) spontaneously and irreversibly inactivates during O(2) reduction. At pH 7.5, its catalytic lifetime is only 2% that of the normal oxidase. This suicide inactivation event primarily alters the active site. Its ability to form specific O(2) reduction intermediates is lost, and CO binding experiments suggest that the access of O(2) to reduced heme a(3) is inhibited. Reduced heme a accumulates in response to a decrease in the redox potential of heme a(3); electron transfer between the hemes is inhibited. Ligand-binding experiments and resonance Raman analysis show that increased flexibility in the structure of the active site accompanies inactivation. Cu(B) is partially lost. It is proposed that suicide inactivation results from the dissociation of a ligand of Cu(B) and that subunit III functions to prevent suicide inactivation by maintaining the structural integrity of the Cu(B) center via long-range interactions.
Government and the pursuit of rigorous drug testing in Major League Baseball: a study in political negotiation and reciprocity

Since June 2002, the point at which Sports Illustrated published a cover story about widespread steroid use in Major League Baseball, US legislators and baseball officials have sparred over the use of performance-enhancing drugs. This paper examines political negotiations that took place in 2005, focusing on how the threat of legislative acts, such as the Drug Free Sports Act (H.R.1862), the Professional Sports Integrity Act (H.R.2516), the Clean Sports Act (S.1114, H.R.2565) and the Professional Sports Integrity and Accountability Act (S.1334), may have led Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) to ratify a more rigorous drug-testing policy than both would have preferred. The article suggests that while professional baseball players may need to be more careful under the new joint drug agreement, reached in December 2005, more expensive substances, such as human growth hormone, will continue to be used.
C. V. Raman and Colonial Physics: Acoustics and the Quantum

Presenting the social and historical context of Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, this paper clarifies the nature and development of his work in early twentieth-century colonial India. Raman’s early fascination with acoustics became the basis of his later insights into the nature of the light quantum. His work on light scattering played an important role in the experimental verification of quantum mechanics. In general, Raman’s worldview corrects certain Orientalist stereotypes about scientific practice in Asia.
Relative toxicity of pyrolysis gases from materials: Specific toxicants and special studies

Various aspects of Pyrolysis gas toxicity studies at the University of San Francisco are discussed. Animal response data can be used to establish patterns which would help identify specific toxicants by their mode of action. Reference time-concentration curves for individual gaseous toxicants can be used to permit deduction of importance of these toxicants in complex mixtures of toxic gases. These techniques can be used to identify cause and mechanisms of toxicity without significant additional cost. The versatility and economy of the basic test permits rapid survey of test variables to identify potential problem situations.
Troubled Teen or Troubled System?: TV Interprets the Zion Malpractice Case

The wrongful death suit filed by Sidney Zion against New York Hospital for the death of his daughter, Libby, in 1984, became famous not only for the issues of possible malpractice that arose from case, but also because it drew attention to the long hours and overburdened schedules young doctors are expected to keep as part of their training. The case revealed how these common circumstances could potentially endanger patients. Using contemporary theory about documentary, Joan McGettigan examines two television programs devoted to the Zion Malpractice case. She explores how the two programs reach different conclusions about the responsibilities of physicians and their patients, and yet also re-establish the public's faith in the medical profession as a whole.
Collapse of floating ice covers under vertical loads: test data vs. theory

Abstract Various criteria have been advanced to describe and predict the conditions under which a load will break through a floating ice cover. As a rule, the experimental basis for each of these criteria has been limited, and a comprehensive performance evaluation has yet to be carried out. Criteria based on stress, strain, deflection and strain energy are discussed first, in conjunction with the viscoelastic nature of ice and the mode of failure of an ice sheet. Five data sets are then described and utilized to test and compare the performance of failure criteria that have been proposed in the literature. Stress-based criteria, though simple to use, are only useful for very brief loading because they do not account for loading time and history. Strain- and deflection-based criteria are also subject to time and history effects that similarly limit their applicability to short-term loads. On the other hand, strain-energy criteria are found to apply equally well to short- and long-term loads of different histories. This feature is attributed to implicit consideration of time and load-history effects through integration of the deflection–load variation. Safety implications and future research avenues are discussed.
Lead, Manganese, and Methylmercury as Risk Factors for Neurobehavioral Impairment in Advanced Age

Contamination of the environment by metals is recognized as a threat to health. One of their targets is the brain, and the adverse functional effects they induce are reflected by neurobehavioral assessments. Lead, manganese, and methylmercury are the metal contaminants linked most comprehensively to such disorders. Because many of these adverse effects can appear later in life, clues to the role of metals as risk factors for neurodegenerative disorders should be sought in the exposure histories of aging populations. A review of the available literature offers evidence that all three metals can produce, in advanced age, manifestations of neurobehavioral dysfunction associated with neurodegenerative disease. Among the critical unresolved questions is timing; that is, during which periods of the lifespan, including early development, do environmental exposures lay the foundations for their ultimate effects?
Creation of a RFID Based Real Time Tracking (R-RTT) System for Small Healthcare Clinics

A well-managed healthcare system improves the quality of the patient experience. However, many small healthcare clinics have suboptimal systems for scheduling and locating patients and medical staff, delaying the relay of information and creating poor resource and room utilization. This paper proposes a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-based Real-Time Tracking (R-RTT) System for optimizing small healthcare facility operations, enabling further optimization of throughput time, room utilization, and patient flow. In the proposed scenario, RFID readers were equipped in strategic locations throughout the facility. Patients and medical staff were issued personalized RFID tags. When they pass through the reader's interrogation zone, it reads their RFID tag and sends the information to a central computer equipped with software capable of filtering the RFID data into useable information. A Visual Basic Application (VBA) program uses the information received from the ID tags to display the location of the patients and staff as they move throughout the facility. This increases their visibility within the facility by allowing medical staff to determine where their colleagues and patients are at all times. The VBA program was also able to record the data in order to track the time each stage of the appointment process takes to complete. The recorded time data can be broken into processes, making it easier to determine if it adds value. This data can then be transformed into a value stream map for further analysis and improvement.
Quantifying the scale of gravel-bed clusters with spatial statistics

Clustering of large surficial particles affect the critical shear stress, bedload transport rate, and ecological processes of gravel rivers. Particle clusters have been the subject of careful study and taxonomy but would benefit from new quantitative, reproducible, statistical analysis, particularly in the gravel size classes where clusters are difficult to reliably resolve by visual, gestalt methods. This study quantified a clustering length scale for a gravel and cobble bed. The size, orientation, and location of 7726 gravel and cobble particles were measured from 100 photographic samples of a symmetrical bar on the Navarro River, California. Nearest neighbor spatial statistics were used to analyze particle associations. Clustering was identified between gravel particles throughout the river bar. Clustering was also identified for large (>d84 of the sample) and medium (between the d50 and d84 of the sample) particles relative to the local gradation. The spatial scale of these large and medium particle clusters were 1.75d84 and 3.0d50, respectively.
Exact solution of the electrostatic problem for a single electron multijunction trap.

We present an exact solution for the potential profile of a biased single electron trap. Analytical expressions for the total free energy as well as the corresponding charging energy, barrier height for a trapped electron in the store island, and threshold voltage for a single charge transfer are derived. This enables us to demonstrate the important role of well capacitance ${C}_{w}$ in determining the barrier height of the trapped electron, and to show that systems with small well capacitance are not suitable for studying the single electron trap. Our techniques are applicable to a variety of other single charge tunneling systems.
Multiple active forms of a novel serine protease from Bacillus subtilis.

We have cloned and sequenced a gene (epr) encoding a novel serine protease from Bacillus subtilis. Several active forms of the enzyme with molecular masses between 40 and 34 kDa were found in the medium of B. subtilis cultures containing the epr gene cloned on a plasmid. Deletions at the 3′ end of the gene, removing up to 240 amino acids of the reading frame, abolished the expression of the larger species but did not affect the expression of the 34 kDa enzyme. The C-terminal third of the protein is therefore not required for protease activity. The size variation of the active forms expressed by the complete epr gene appears to be the result of partial removal of the C-terminus either by processing or degradation. Thus, the epr gene consists of two domains, one encoding a serine protease homologous to subtilisin and the other a C-terminus of unknown function.
A Novel Approach to the Synthesis of Threonyl- and Allothreonylglycine Derivatives. Application of a Reductive Acylation Technique to Diazopeptides

Abstract The synthesis of (γ-aryloxythreonyl)peptide derivatives by the reductive acylation of N-(2-diazo-3-oxoalkanoyl)glycine esters recently has been described. In the present communication, we report the preparation of N-trifluoroacetyl-DL-allothreonylglycine ethyl ester and a tripeptide congener via sequences which do not require coupling of an allothreonine derivative with an amino acid or peptide ester.
Reduction of blood loss using aprotonin during spinal surgery in children for non‐idiopathic scoliosis.

Background Aprotinin, a serine protease inhibitor, reduces surgical blood loss by mechanisms including antifibrinolysis and preservation of platelet function. Its effectiveness has been reported in adult patients undergoing cardiac, major orthopaedic surgery (1) and liver surgery, as well as in paediatric cardiac surgery. Spinal surgery in children with scoliotic deformities involves major blood loss. This may often be more than one circulatory blood volume and therefore results in exposure to blood products and the accompanying risks and problems. Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy or other neuromuscular conditions presenting for correction of a spinal deformity pose a particular problem because of their propensity to bleed during surgery. Aprotinin was introduced into the RMCH for the purpose of reducing blood loss in this group of patients in 1999. Administration of aprotinin carries the risk of the formation of aprotinin specific antibodies and anaphylaxis. Re-exposure carries a greater risk. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of aprotinin on blood loss during corrective spinal surgery in the neuromuscular patients. Methods We have performed a retrospective review of 33 ASA III cases operated on in period June 1998–September 2000. All notes were studied and data recorded on the intraoperative blood loss and the length of surgical procedure. Aprotinin was used only in children where it was felt that they would be unlikely to be re-exposed because of their initial presenting diagnosis. Our regimen for aprotinin administration was: test dose 5 ml (50 000 KIU) over 20 min, loading dose 2 ml·kg−1 (20 000 KIU·kg−1) infused over 30 min, then maintenance at 0.5 ml·kg−1·hr−1 (5 000 KIU·kg−1·h−1). Results In the group that had not received aprotinin were 15 patients aged 7–17 years (mean age 13 ± 2 years), measured blood loss was 2849 ± 1802 ml, length of surgery 343 ± 78 min. In the aprotinin group we had 18 patients aged 7–15 years (mean age 12 ± 2 years) with recorded mean blood loss of 1380 ± 1000 ml and duration of procedure 389 ± 142 min. The blood loss in the group that had received aprotinin was significantly reduced (P < 0.01). Discussion Our two groups of patients were similar regarding the age of patients, pathology and clinical presentation. We believe that the use of aprotinin resulted in significant reduction of blood loss and requirements for blood products.