cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical profile, comorbidity, and treatment history in 123 hair pullers: a survey study.

Background : Trichotillomania, characterized by an irresistible urge to pull one's hair, may be more prevalent than previously believed. Despite increasing attention devoted to this topic in the recent literature, there are few studies based on large samples that are potentially generalizable to a community population. Method : Surveys addressing clinical profile, comorbidity, and treatment history were mailed to all responders to a nationally distributed magazine article on trichotillomania. Out of 772 surveys sent, 123 completed surveys were returned. Results : While there was a predominance of females in the whole sample, female-to-male prevalence was lower in children than adults. Onset was predominantly in childhood (mean age = 11 years), most frequently in middle childhood and least frequently before age 6. Subjects pulled hair from a variety of sites, including scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, pubic region, face, and body, but the highest incidence and severity involved scalp hair. Children under 6 were more likely than other age groups to pull scalp hair and possibly less likely to pull other hair. In adults, symptom profile was not associated with age at onset. While subjects reported high rates of comorbid conditions in both self and family, trichotillomania was reportedly formally diagnosed in only 40% of the subjects. Although subjects reported a range of treatments, the majority (58%) reported no treatment history. Finally, only minimal improvement was reported for all modalities, with no significant difference in response to psychotherapy, behavior therapy, clomipramine, or fluoxetine. Conclusion : Trichotillomania is a chronic illness that may be difficult to treat. Controlled studies on comorbidity, epidemiology, treatment-seeking patterns, and long-term treatment response are needed.
CCD observations of gas and dust in NGC 4696: implications for cooling flows?

NGC 4696 is a typical, nearby radio elliptical galaxy, occupying a central dominant location in the Centaurus cluster, and is a prime candidate for a galaxy hosting a cooling flow (Fabian et al. 1982, Canizares 1988). It contains an asymmetric dust lane coincident with which are optical emission lines, strong in [N II] relative to Hα (e.g. Jorgensen et al. 1983), and the system is also a source of far infrared emission (Jura et al. 1987).
Two geometric inequalities for the torus

Given an arbitrary Riemannian metric on the torus, a sharp lower bound for the area and a sharp upper bound for the first eigenvalue of the Laplacian is given in terms of the primitive length spectrum.
The interpretation of dreams a classic revisited

In this centenary of Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams it is important to revisit this classic, to discuss why it is a classic, to consider what has been learned since its publication, and to discuss what changes in our understanding of dreams and dreaming are called for. To this end, we briefly discuss some of the main themes of the book. Then we review both changes in psychoanalytic thinking and theory and the results of many studies made possible by the discovery of the electro‐encephalographic changes that occur during sleep and their relevance for understanding dreams and their function. We suspect that Freud would have been delighted to know about this explosion of information about the physiology of dreaming. With this in mind, we consider the need for modification of some of Freud's theories while noting that his basic contribution, that dreams are meaningful and understandable, has been amply confirmed. We then discuss these observations in relation to how we approach working with dreams.
The 6th drug discovery for neurodegeneration conference: an intensive course on translating research into drugs.

Neurodegenerative disorders are rapidly becoming one of the greatest unmet health needs. This annual workshop facilitates innovation and progress in neurodegenerative disease drug discovery by convening stakeholders from charitable foundations, government, academia and industry who introduce scientists to the drug development and approval process. New to the 2012 workshop were candid discussions about re-visiting the CNS therapeutic development process. The continuing challenge is partly due to the poor forecasting potential of models of CNS diseases, as well as the lack of reproducibility of published studies, and greater need to increase focus on pharmacodynamic end points. Significant discussion centered on how to improve discovery approaches using examples of recent successes in the field. For example, the idea of combining reductionist, single-target strategies with functional-approach logic was suggested by several speakers, and widely discussed in the workshop. The didactic aspects of the workshop ...
An analysis of the vapor flow and the heat conduction through the liquid-wick and pipe wall in a heat pipe with single or multiple heat sources

A numerical analysis is presented for the overall performance of heat pipes with single or multiple heat sources. The analysis includes the heat conduction in the wall and liquid-wick regions as well as the compressibility effect of the vapor inside the heat pipe. The two-dimensional elliptic governing equations in conjunction with the thermodynamic equilibrium relation and appropriate boundary conditions are solved numerically. The solutions are in agreement with existing experimental data for the vapor and wall temperatures at both low and high operating temperatures.
Transient, compressible heat and mass transfer in porous media using the strongly implicit iteration procedure.

Coupled nonlinear partial differential equations describing heat and mass transfer in a porous matrix are solved in finite difference form with the aid of a new iterative technique (the strongly implicit procedure). Example numerical results demonstrate the characteristics of heat and mass transport in a porous matrix such as a charring ablator. It is emphasized that multidimensional flow must be considered when predicting the thermal response of a porous material subjected to nonuniform boundary conditions.
Short-term monitoring of aridland lichen cover and biomass using photography and fatty acids

Abstract Biological soil crust (BSC) communities (composed of lichens, bryophytes, and cyanobacteria) may be more dynamic on short-time scales than previously thought, requiring new and informative short-term monitoring techniques. We used repeat digital photography and image analysis, which revealed a change in area of a dominant BSC lichen, Collema tenax. The data generated correlated well with gross photosynthesis (r=0.57) and carotenoid content (r=0.53), two variables that would be expected to be positively related to lichen area. We also extracted fatty acids from lichen samples and identified useful phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) indicators for the Collema mycobiont (20:1, 15:0, 23:0), and the Collema photobiont (18:3ω3). The 18:3ω3 correlated well with chlorophyll a (r=0.66), a more traditional proxy for cyanobacterial biomass. We also compared total PLFA as a proxy for total Collema biomass with our photographically generated areal change data, and found them to be moderately correlated (r=0.44). Areal change proved to be responsive on short-time scales, while fatty acid techniques were information-rich, providing data on biomass of lichens, and both photo- and mycobionts separately, in addition to the physiological status of the mycobiont. Both techniques should be refined and tested in field situations.
Determination of Methoprene in Water Samples by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract A new high-performance liquid-chromatography method has been developed that can determine low concentrations of methoprene in water samples. The method allows for reliable detection of concentrations between 0.005 μg/mL and 0.5 μg/mL. The detection limit for 5-mL samples is 2.5 ng/mL at 255 nm. The standard curve is linear over the entire concentration range. The method was used to do a stability study on aqueous methoprene samples stored at room temperature and under refrigeration. The study shows that aqueous methoprene samples are stable when stored at 4°C for at least three weeks.
Investigation of micro-PEM fuel cell using experimental and modeling methods

Abstract This study combined the experimental and modeling methods to investigate effects of different factors on the performance of the micro-PEM fuel cell (μ-PEMFC). The results showed that species transport and contact resistance determined the performance of the μ-PEMFC. Contact resistance in the μ-PEMFC contributed to 19.4% of the total inner resistance in this study. The contact resistance changed significantly the distribution of overpotential in the μ-PEMFC and decreased the current output. Small dimensions of the μ-channel drastically affected the species transport and resulted in a non-uniform current distribution along channel direction at low cell potential (high current). Therefore, the designs of new flow field configurations and assembling modes of μ-PEMFCs are very important in improving the performance of μ-PEMFCs. These designs including flow field and assembling mode of μ-PEMFCs should improve species transport through μ-channels and decrease the contact resistance between gas diffusion layers (GDLs) and current collectors.
The analysis of tung fruit

Methods applicable to the routine analysis of tung fruits were developed by taking into account such factors as variation in moisture content of individual fruit, high oil content of the tung kernels and the high reactivity of the extracted oil. It was found that in a closed container the moisture distributes itself evenly between individual fruits, that the oil can be extracted completely from tung kernels if they are reground with sand, and that the moisture can be removed from ground tung kernels and the solvent completely removed from the extracted tung oil without deterioration in a vacuum oven at 100° C. with 28–29 inches vacuum.
Ankle bracing, plantar-flexion angle, and ankle muscle latencies during inversion stress in healthy participants.

Abstract Context: Ankle braces may enhance ankle joint proprioception, which in turn may affect reflexive ankle muscle activity during a perturbation. Despite the common occurrence of plantar-flexi...
SU-FF-T-16: Evaluation of the Dose Perturbation Caused by Tungsten Shields Within a Fletcher-Suit Delclos Applicator in Ir-192 HDR Brachytherapy

Purpose: To evaluate the dose perturbation in bladder and rectal regions caused by tungsten shielding within the ovoids of a Fletch‐Suit Delclos gynecological applicator in Ir‐192 HDR brachytherapy procedures. Method and Materials: A Fletcher‐Suit Delclos (FSD) gynecological applicator, assembled with Tungsten shielded ovoids, was rigidly suspended within a water tank. 28 sheets of gafchromic film were then secured in 6.20 mm increments in regions representative of a patient's bladder and rectum. A treatment plan was created (PLATO) to deliver 650 cGy to a user defined pseudo point A. Each film was scanned and analyzed to ascertain it's dosimetric distribution. The data was arranged into two three‐dimensional matrices based on the physical dimensions of the films and their locations with respect to a pseudo origin (intersection of the central tandem with the ovoids). Dosimetric data was also extracted from the planning system at points corresponding to specific locations on the gafchromic films. The entire process was then repeated for an FSD applicator without shielding in the ovoids. Results: The measured shielded data was compared to the planning system data (computed) that accounted for the tungsten shielding within the ovoids. It was evident that the measured doses in both the bladder and rectal regions were significantly lower than the computed data predicted. The largest reduction was roughly 24% in the bladder region, and 23% in the rectal region. Similar values were noticed in the unshielded comparison, where the unshielded FSD measurements were compared to computed data not accounting for ovoid shielding. This verifies a consistent discrepancy between the computed predictions and the measured doses.Conclusion: With the current dose tolerances for critical organs being estimated using shielded applicators, an accurate assessment of dose is imperative. This study provides a quantitative estimate for adjusting these accepted standards of bladder and rectal dose.
The grand tour: a tool for viewing multidimensional data

The grand tour is a method for viewing multivariate statistical data via orthogonal projections onto a sequence of two-dimensional subspaces. The sequence of subspaces is chosen so that it is dense...
Hepatitis viruses under immunosuppressive agents

Clinical and experimental studies have shown that T cell-mediated immune mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus infection. Immunosuppressants may impair T cell function and thereby reduce immune-mediated hepatocytolysis and virus clearance. In addition, corticosteroid may activate the glucocorticoid responsive element in the HBV genome to enhance HBV replication and gene expression. These combined effects result in an increase of viraemia in association with a decrease of serum aminotransferase and hepatic necroinflammation. In acute infection, use of immunosuppressants will increase the incidence of chronic evolution. In chronic infection, withdrawal of immunosuppressants will be followed by a clinical flare due to a rebound of immune attack to hepatocytes with increased viral load. This may lead to a subsequent decrease of the viraemia. Therefore, short-term use of immunosuppressant before antiviral therapy may be beneficial in the treatment of chronic viral hepatitis. However, the clinical rebound may be extremely severe and lead to hepatitis failure; thus, the patients should be monitored closely upon tapering and after the withdrawal of immunosuppressants. Long-term use of immunosuppressants in patients with hepatitis virus infection is usually deleterious, particularly in patients after organ transplantation. These findings suggest that clinicians should be cautious in the use of immunosuppressants in patients with hepatitis virus infection.
Modeling of environmental torques of a spin- stabilized spacecraft in a near-earth orbit

This paper is concerned with modeling disturbance torques experienced by spin-stabilized spacecraft in a near-Earth orbit. A computer program developed to simulate the particular mission was used to evaluate the behavior of the torques, and a simulation was performed to determine the attitude effect of each torque relative to the untorqued vehicle. The magnetic interaction torques were the most significant in terms of spin decay. Torques caused by solar pressure and gravity gradient were the next most significant, while the aerodynamic torque was the least significant. The solar pressure and gravity gradient torques had the greatest effect on precession (A<£ and A\//). State prediction within 15.4-arc sec was possible for 5 min using only the residual magnetic moment and the eddy current torques in the vehicle model.
Epithelial influence on the tracheal non-adrenergic inhibitory response

1. The role of epithelium in the non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) inhibitory response to electrical nerve stimulation as well as to the putative neurotransmitter, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), was evaluated in guinea-pigs anaesthetized with chloralose-urethane. 2. The tracheal pouch, an in vivo method to demonstrate the NANC inhibitory response, was used in all experiments. The relaxation response was measured as a pressure drop (cm of H2O) in the pouch. The animals were given atropine (5 mg kg-1) and propranolol (1 mg kg-1) intraperitoneally to block adrenergic and cholinergic responses in the pouch. Cervical vagi were isolated and cut craneally. The distal ends were positioned on bipolar electrodes for subsequent stimulation with 5V pulses of 2 ms duration at 15 Hz for a total of 90 s. 3. The reproducibility of NANC responses to two consecutive nerve stimulations at 20 min apart was determined in group 1. 4. In group 2 pouch relaxations to electrical nerve stimulations were determined before and after complete epithelial denudation (determined by histological and pharmacological methods) of the pouch. 5. To determine the influence of relaxant prostaglandins synthesized by the epithelial cells, the effect of indomethacin (given either intravenously or into the pouch) on the pouch relaxation due to NANC stimulation was studied in groups 3 and 4 respectively. 6. In group 5, in order to distinguish between the effects of epithelium removal and prostaglandins, the animals were pretreated with indomethacin (i.v.) 30 min before the experiment. The pouch relaxation to nerve stimulation was then determined before and after the removal of epithelium. 7. The reproducibility of the pouch relaxations to consecutive single doses of VIP 10(-9) M at 20 min apart was determined in group 6. 8. In group 7, the pouch relaxation to a single dose of VIP was determined before and after intravenous indomethacin administration, but with the pouch epithelium left intact. 9. The effect of epithelium removal on VIP-induced pouch relaxation was determined in group 8. VIP-induced response was determined before and after the epithelium removal. 10. The study showed that both epithelium removal and indomethacin administration independently had significant effects on the decrease of the pouch relaxation (NANC inhibitory response). However, epithelium removal significantly diminished pouch relaxation despite indomethacin pretreatment suggesting a second, non-arachidonic dependent, mechanism (possibly via a relaxing factor) whereby epithelium maintains airway homeostasis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Multiple-scattering treatment of surfaces and interfaces

A formally exact method for treating semi-infinite solids and thus for evaluating the Green's function at or near surface regions is presented. This method is based on a combined real-space\char21{}reciprocal-space formulation of the well-known Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker multiple-scattering theory or Green's function method and can be used to study a variety of physically important problems such as impurities, substitutional or interstitial, near surfaces or interfaces, surface reconstruction, and others. The advantages and computational requirements of the formalism are discussed.
Asymmetric proton block of inward rectifier K channels in skeletal muscle

Inward rectifier and delayed rectifier K currents were measured in frog skeletal muscle fibers with the vaseline gap voltage clamp technique as internal or external pH were lowered. Inward rectifier currents were only slightly reduced by low external pH but were completely and reversibly blocked when the internal pH was reduced to below 5.5 either by cutting the fiber ends in low pH solutions or by bathing the fiber exterior with permeant acetate buffers at low pH. The steepness of the pH dependence of this block suggests that more than one and perhaps three hydrogen ions are required to bind to the blocking site. The voltage dependence of inward rectifier gating was not shifted by low external pH. Either these channels are not located near the fixed negatively charged groups which apparently alter the voltage sensed by many other ionic channels or the membrane potential drop and the external [K+] are altered in a compensating manner such that the driving force on K+ (upon which inward rectification depends) remains unchanged. In contrast, delayed rectifier channels were blocked and their kinetics dramatically shifted by lowering external pH.
THE MASS MEDIA AND THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE MISSING CHILDREN PROBLEM

This article traces the role of the mass media in the social construction of the “missing children issue’ as a social problem. The social construction explanation of social problems offered by Blumer (1971) and Spector and Kitsuse (1977) has been criticized (cf. Best and Horiuchi 1985) for lacking a conception of extra-media influences that can affect audiences beyond the initial viewing situation. Recent work in mass communication indicates that a media logic is adapted by other institutions to amplify television imagery and themes about crime, danger, and child abuse. A case study of the origins and claims and counterclaims about the nature and extent of missing children is combined with an empirical analysis of the impact of various sources of information about the missing children issue in order to demonstrate the process by which a social problem is constructed. The impact of additional information is analyzed by administering a self-report questionnaire to 96 respondents before and after viewing a two-part documentary on the complexities of the issue. The data suggest that mass-mediated imagery and formats forge an interactive informational context for social problems by sustaining what is viewed in one's living room with imagery in bulk mail, milk cartons, and posters. It is further suggested that mass media depictions of problems such as “missing children’ carry over into consonant images such as child abuse. This conceptualization is capable of encompassing other accounts of social problems (e.g., “urban legends”) within claims-making activity.
The rise of single-molecule DNA biochemistry

We have known about conformational changes in DNA far longer than we have known its three-dimensional structure. Early experiments showing the irreversibility of acid-base titration of DNA and of changes in the ultraviolet absorption associated with heating suggested that changes in conformation were occurring. Experiments with DNA fibers that facilitated the derivation of the double helix by Watson and Crick started with the observation of a conformational change, visualized in fiber x-ray diffraction patterns. The first fibers drawn by M. F. Wilkins, R. Franklin, and their collaborators were usually allowed to dry in air. The air-dried fibers produced a characteristic helical diffraction pattern, which was called the A type. On the other hand, drawing a fiber and maintaining it in the hydrated-state produced a different diffraction pattern, which was called the B type. We speak of B-DNA as the usual form of the double helix in biological systems. When the three-dimensional structures of both the A and B forms were worked out, it turned out that the differences between them are related to a change in the extension of the sugar-phosphate backbone. Thus, the backbone of DNA can be regarded as elastic. The basis of this elasticity is associated with changes in the conformation of the ribose ring. In the A form, the ring has a C3′ endo conformation, which has a phosphate-to-phosphate distance close to 5.9 A. However, in the B form, the ring is in the C2′ endo pucker in which there is ≈7 A between adjacent phosphate groups. The shorter distance in the A form resulted in a wider double helix in which there is actually a hole running down the axis of the helix, with the double-stranded molecule wrapped around it. In the B form, the hole disappears, and the bases form an axial stack in …
CLOTTING OF CITRATED PLASMA BY A PROTEOLYTIC ENZYME ASSOCIATED WITH AN ANTIBACTERIAL AGENT FROM SERUM.

Two to 4 mg/ml of an antibacterial agent occurring in the serum of humans and animals caused the clotting of citrated rabbit, human, calf, ox, sheep, goat, guinea pig, rat, mouse, horse, chicken, pigeon and swine plasma. Heparinized plasmas of the same species were found resistant to the clotting action of the antibacterial agent. Citrated plasma previously heated at 56 C for 30 min, treated with 640 units/ml tyrosinase for 60 min, or absorbed with 0.2M Ca3(PO4)2 and 0.2M Mg(OH)2 was also found resistant to the clotting action of the antibacterial agent. The clotting action of the antibacterial agent was not affected by heating at 66 C for 60 min, nor by multiple passage through Seitz filters. The coagulation of citrated plasma proceeded most rapidly with 0.2M Tris(hydroxymethyl)-amino-methane buffer, pH 7 to 9, or distilled water as the antibacterial agent solvent; 0.2M phosphate buffer, pH 6 to 8, reduced the clotting action of the antibacterial agent, while 0.2M citrate-phosphate buffer, pH 4.0, or 0.2M carbonate-bicarbonate buffer, pH 10.0, inhibited entirely the clotting activity of this agent.
The Surgical and Systemic Management of Neuroendocrine Tumors of the Pancreas

Neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas comprise a class of rare tumors that can be associated with symptoms of hormone overproduction. Five distinct clinical endocrinopathies are associated with neuroendocrine tumors; however, most of these tumors remain asymptomatic and follow an indolent course. Complete surgical resection offers the only hope for cure, but understanding the basic biology of the tumors has advanced the medical management in metastatic disease. Surgical resection of hepatic metastases offers survival advantage and should be performed when feasible. Although hepatic artery embolization is currently the preferred mode of nonsurgical palliation for pain and hormonal symptoms, other modalities may play a role in metastatic disease.
Relationship between the pregnenolone-induced difference spectrum and cytochrome b5 reduction in guinea-pig adrenal microsomes.

Abstract Addition of pregnenolone to guinea-pig adrenal microsomes produces a slowly developing difference spectrum with peaks at about 425 and 557 nm and a trough at about 410 nm. The spectral change is similar to that resulting from the reduction of cytochrome b5 by NADH or NADPH. In the presence of sufficient quantities of NADH to fully reduce cytochrome b5, pregnenolone produces a typical type I difference spectrum (ΔA385–420 nm). Pregnenolone is converted to progesterone by adrenal microsomes without addition of cofactor (NAD+) for the 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) reaction. The rate of conversion is increased 2–3 fold by NAD+ and inhibited by NADH. Accompanying the metabolism of pregnenolone (with or without added NAD+) is the production of NADH and reduction of cytochrome b5. Addition of pregnenolone alone to adrenal microsomes results in 60–80% reduction of cytochrome b5. The reduction of cytochrome b5 is maintained for at least as long as pregnenolone is being metabolized. Inhibition of pregnenolone metabolism changes the pregnenolone-induced spectral change to a type I and prevents the reduction of cytochrome b5. The results suggest that the oxidation-reduction state of cytochrome b5 in adrenal microsomes is controlled in part by pregnenolone metabolism which in turn influences the pregnenolone-induced difference spectrum. Oxidation of NADH by cytochrome b5 may serve to prevent NADH inhibition of HSD activity and to generate additional NAD+ as cofactor for the reaction.
Rheumatoid arthritis in a United States public health service hospital in Oklahoma : serologic manifestations in rheumatoid arthritis vary among tribal groups

Objective. To study the serologic manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at a United States Public Health Service Hospital that serves numerous tribes in Oklahoma. Methods. Forty-five patients with RA were identified, and serologic studies for antinuclear antibody (ANA), rheumatoid factor, and antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens were performed. Extraarticular manifestions of RA were also evaluated. Results. Twelve of the 45 patients with RA were Kiowa. These patients were significantly more likely to have a positive ANA (75%) than the other patients with RA (28%). In addition, anti-Ro was significantly more common among Kiowa (33%) than among members of other tribes (3%). There was no difference in the extraarticular manifestions of the Kiowa compared with the other Native American tribes. Conclusion. RA can be distinctly characterized by serology among groups of American Indians living in the same geographic area.
Selective Area Deposition of Passivants, Insulators, and Epitaxial Films of II-VI Compound Semiconductors

II-VI semiconductor surface passivants, insulators, and epitaxial films have been deposited onto selective surface areas by employing a new masking and lift-off technique. The II-VI layers were grown by either conventional or photoassisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). CdTe has been selectively deposited onto HgCdTe epitaxial layers as a surface passivant. Selective-area deposition of ZnS has been used in metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures. Low resistance ohmic contacts to p-type CdTe:As have also been realized through the use of selectively-placed thin films of the semi-metal HgTe followed by a thermal evaporation of In. Epitaxial layers of HgTe, HgCdTe, and HgTe-CdTe superlattices have also been grown in selective areas on CdZnTe substrates, exhibiting specular morphologies and double-crystal x-ray diffraction rocking curves (DCXD) with full widths at half maximum (FWHMs) as narrow as 140 arcseconds.
Biological aerosol warning sensor model: an approach to model architecture and accelerated false-alarm prediction

Models of optically-based biological aerosol sensors may help to predict baseline performance and support efficient sensor optimization. Reducing a sensor’s false positive rate while maintaining sensitivity is an important performance goal that must be optimized. To that end, the capacity to theoretically test environmental backgrounds, in an accelerated fashion, would be valuable. Sensor false positives are presumed to occur as a result of complicated transient fluctuations in the environmental aerosol background. Simulating a sensor’s response to such naturally occurring transients, with an appropriate model, is a mechanism for accelerating sensor characterization. These models complement and reduce the need for experimentally challenging interferant tests. Additionally, validated models include the ability to characterize sensor responses to harmful agents or rare materials while simultaneously adjusting many transient parameters. We describe a model of the Lincoln Laboratory Biological Agent Warning Sensor (BAWS), highlighting our general approach to sensor model architecture. The resulting model was utilized to simulate the sensor’s response to a variety of individual background constituents as well as to time varying backgrounds with multiple constituents. The result of the simulation predicts the sensor’s false positive rate to a simulated indoor and outdoor aerosol background, which can be compared to experimental data. Model applications and improvements will be discussed.
Efficacy and side effects of magnesium sulfate and ritodrine as tocolytic agents

Ritodrine as the first-line drug in the treatment of established preterm labor has been supplanted in some centers by magnesium sulfate. To assess the relative efficacy and rates of side effects of these two agents, 120 patients were randomly assigned to receive one of these two drugs. Patients were included if they had intact membranes and met strict criteria for the definition of labor. In both groups excellent outcome was achieved, with 96.3% and 92.3% of patients receiving ritodrine and magnesium sulfate, respectively, obtaining a delay in delivery of >48 hours. Side effects were comparable in both groups, although they tended to be more serious in the patients receiving ritodrine. In patients receiving both drugs together, the rate of side effects was 77% without a demonstrable benefit over a single agent. We conclude that ritodrine and magnesium sulfate are tocolytics of comparable efficacy and when used aggressively are highly successful in delaying delivery.
Absolute configuration of isosilybin A by X-ray crystallography of the heavy atom analogue 7-(4-Bromobenzoyl)isosilybin A.

Isosilybin A (1) is one of the major flavonolignans that constitute silymarin, an extract of the fruits (achenes) of milk thistle (Silybum marianum). The chemistry of the Silybum flavonolignans has been studied for over four decades, and the absolute configuration of 1 has been determined previously by electronic circular dichroism and X-ray crystallography via correlating the relative configuration of the phenylpropanoid moiety to the established absolute configuration of the 3-hydroxyflavanone portion of the molecule. Herein we report the X-ray crystallographic structure of the product of the reaction of 1 with 4-bromobenzoyl chloride, and, thus, the absolute configuration of 1 was established as (2R, 3R, 7″R, 8″R) directly via X-ray crystallography of an analogue that incorporated a heavy atom. The results were consistent with previously reported assignments and verified the absolute configuration of the diastereoisomer of 1, isosilybin B, and the related diastereoisomeric regioisomers, silybin A and s...
Dynamic winter climate response to large tropical volcanic eruptions since 1600

[1] We have analyzed the mean climate response pattern following large tropical volcanic eruptions back to the beginning of the 17th century using a combination of proxy-based reconstructions and modern instrumental records of cold-season surface air temperature. Warm anomalies occur throughout northern Eurasia, while cool anomalies cover northern Africa and the Middle East, extending all the way to China. In North America, the northern portion of the continent cools, with the anomalies extending out over the Labrador Sea and southern Greenland. The analyses confirm that for two years following eruptions the anomalies strongly resemble the Arctic Oscillation/Northern Annular Mode (AO/NAM) or the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in the Atlantic-Eurasian sector. With our four-century record, the mean response is statistically significant at the 95% confidence level over much of the Northern Hemisphere land area. However, the standard deviation of the response is larger than the mean signal nearly everywhere, indicating that the anomaly following a single eruption is unlikely to be representative of the mean. Both the mean response and the variability can be successfully reproduced in general circulation model simulations. Driven by the solar heating induced by the stratospheric aerosols, these models produce enhanced westerlies from the lower stratosphere down to the surface. The climate response to volcanic eruptions thus strongly suggests that stratospheric temperature and wind anomalies can affect surface climate by forcing a shift in the AO/NAM or NAO.
Lactate Production from Glucose and Response to Insulin in Perifused Adipocytes from Mesenteric and Epididymal Regions of Lean and Obese Rats

Lactate, an important metabolic substrate for peripheral tissues and the liver, is released in significant amounts from adipose tissue. Using a perifusion system, we measured lactate production from glucose and response to insulin in isolated mesenteric and epididymal adipocytes removed from fed or fasted male Wistar rats at two stages of growth and development: (a) lean rats (7 weeks to 9 weeks old, weighing approximately 250 g), and (b) fatter rats (6 months to 8 months old, weighing approximately 550 g). The results show that lactate production in perifused adipocytes is regulated by the prior nutritional state of the animals, by the adipose tissue region, and by the presence of insulin in the perifusate. In fat cells from lean rats, basal lactate production was significantly higher (p<0.05) in mesenteric cells when compared with epididymal cells, both in the fed state (7.8 nmo/10(7) fat cells per minute vs. 2.9 nmol/10(7) fat cells per minute) and after 2 days of fasting (13.6 nmol vs. 3.5 nmol). When the response to 1 mU/mL insulin was studied, however, the relative increase in lactate production produced by insulin was greater in the epididymal cells than in the mesenteric cells, in both the fed (194% vs. 91% over basal, respectively) and fasted (360% vs. 55% over basal, p<0.05) state. When larger epididymal adipocytes from fatter rats were compared with an equal number of smaller epididymal cells from leaner rats, the larger cells produced 4.99 nmol of lactate/10(7) fat cells per minute, whereas the smaller cells produced 2.93 nmol (p=0.08). Large fat cells showed a small and nonsignificant response to insulin in either type of cell (epididymal vs. mesenteric) or nutritional state (fed vs. fasted). This study indicates that distinct regional differences exist in lactate production and response to insulin. Mesenteric adipose tissue, which drains directly into the portal vein and provides substrates to the liver, may be an important source of lactate for the hepatic processes of gluconeogenesis and glycogenesis.
First-principles prediction of optical second-order harmonic generation in the endohedral N @ C 60 compound

Non-linear-optical properties in ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ have attracted enormous attention for over two decades. The endohedral complex $\mathrm{N}@{\mathrm{C}}_{60}$, with its remarkable thermal stability and spin-quartet ground state, is a candidate for future room-temperature quantum computing, but there has been no investigation of its non-linear-optical properties. Here, a first-principles calculation shows that $\mathrm{N}@{\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ is a promising material for nanoscale and ultrafast modulations. Excitation by a pump laser pulse of the nitrogen-atom vibration inside the ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ cage transiently breaks inversion symmetry and can enable second-harmonic generation (SHG) from a probe pulse. Unlike the SHG observed in ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ thin films, this harmonic signal is switched on and off periodically every 345 fs. For an fcc crystal of $\mathrm{N}@{\mathrm{C}}_{60}$, the second-order susceptibility ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(2)}$ is on the order of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{esu}$, similar to commercially used nonlinear materials.
Information and Meaning: Use-Based Models in Arrays of Neural Nets

The goal of philosophy of information is to understand what information is, how it operates, and how to put it to work. But unlike ‘information’ in the technical sense of information theory, what we are interested in is meaningful information. To understand the nature and dynamics of information in this sense we have to understand meaning. What we offer here are simple computational models that show emergence of meaning and information transfer in randomized arrays of neural nets. These we take to be formal instantiations of a tradition of theories of meaning as use. What they offer, we propose, is a glimpse into the origin and dynamics of at least simple forms of meaning and information transfer as properties inherent in behavioral coordination across a community.
The use of preventive health services among elderly uterine cancer survivors

Objective The purpose of the study was to determine whether women who survived uterine cancer received 4 recommended preventive services (mammography, colorectal cancer screening, influenza immunization, and bone density testing) at the same rates as women with no history of cancer. Study Design We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare database to compare the rates among survivors aged 67 years or older with a matched group of women with no history of cancer. Results Survivors were significantly more likely to have a mammogram (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30-1.50) or a colorectal cancer screening examination (adjusted OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.05-1.18). Influenza immunization and bone density testing rates were similar. The 28% of survivors seen by an obstetrician-gynecologist or gynecologic oncologist had the highest rates of use. Conclusion Efforts need to be made to increase the use of services by all women to achieve the target rates established by Healthy People 2010.
Assembly of a Vectorially Oriented Four-Helix Bundle at the Air/Water Interface via Directed Electrostatic Interactions

We sought to construct a monolayer composed of four-α-helical bundles formed by association of di-α-helical peptides. Specular X-ray reflectivity showed that dihelices that have been made amphiphilic by attachment of C16 hydrocarbon chains to their N-termini can be vectorially oriented in Langmuir monolayers at an air−water interface with their helical axes normal to the interface. But off-specular X-ray reflectivity indicated that these dihelices did not associate to form four-helix bundles possibly because they were constrained to be of parallel topology. To achieve four-helix bundles vectorially oriented at the interface, we relaxed this constraint to allow for a 1:1 association of the amphiphilic dihelices with their water-soluble counterparts. Electron density profiles for the monolayers derived from specular X-ray reflectivity demonstrated four-helix bundle formation only when the association between dihelices is directed via designed attractive electrostatic interactions between the polar faces of ...
Effectiveness of an Aggressive Antibiotic Regimen for Chemoembolization in Patients with Previous Biliary Intervention

PURPOSE Liver abscess occurs in most patients with biliary stents or bypass undergoing chemoembolization despite the use of standard prophylactic antibiotics. The present study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of an aggressive prophylactic regimen to prevent abscess in such patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between November 2002 and July 2005, 16 chemoembolization procedures were performed in seven patients who had undergone biliary intervention. Prophylaxis was initiated with levofloxacin 500 mg daily and metronidazole 500 mg twice daily 2 days before chemoembolization and continued for 2 weeks after discharge. A bowel preparation regimen was given with neomycin 1 g plus erythromycin base 1 g orally at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 11 p.m. the day before chemoembolization. With the Fisher exact test, the incidence of infectious complications was compared with previously reported data for patients with and without earlier biliary intervention who had received standard prophylaxis. RESULTS Liver abscess occurred in two of seven patients after two of 16 procedures. Previously reported incidences were six of seven patients ( P = .103) and six of 14 procedures ( P = .101) among patients with previous biliary intervention receiving standard prophylaxis and one of 150 patients ( P = .005) and one of 383 procedures ( P = .004) among patients with no previous biliary intervention. CONCLUSIONS There was a trend toward a lower rate of abscess formation among patients at high risk who received more aggressive antibiotic prophylaxis, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. The rate of infection remained significantly higher than among patients without previous biliary intervention.
The Discovery of Acanthinula harpa , Say, in Central Siberia

IN the course of a study of the molluscan fauna of Siberia, carried out under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution during 1932 and 1933, a point has come to light which appears to merit special notice. This concerns the discovery of the gastropod mollusc, Acanthinula harpa, Say, in central Siberia. This species has long been known to occur in Europe, North America, and the eastern fringe of Asia (Kamchatka, etc.), and its apparent absence from the central part of Siberia led Dall1 to believe that migration into that territory had been delayed by a transgression of the sea, or of glacial ice, over at least a part of this region.
Net energy analysis of in situ oil shale processing

Abstract Although the domestic resources of shale oil are large, there has been some question regarding the magnitude of the energy subsidy that must be committed in order to extract the contained oil. This study shows that for a 50,000-bbl-per-day, modified in situ extraction facility in 20-gal-per-ton Green River Shale, the energy yield is about 8.6 times the energy subsidy and that about 21% of the in-place oil can be thus recovered. If the mined-out shale is retorted at the surface rather than being discarded, the recovery factor rises to 37% and the net energy ratio should rise significantly as well. It is difficult to compare these figures with those for aboveground retorts because oil burned in place for retorting never enters the energy accounts. However, the resource commitment per unit of recovered energy is more easily compared and is essentially indicated by the reciprocal of the recovery fraction.
Topical vitamin C protects porcine skin from ultraviolet radiation‐induced damage

Ultraviolet radiation damage to the skin is due, in part, to the generation of reactive oxygen species. Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) functions as a biological co-factor and antioxidant due to its reducing properties. Topical application of vitamin C has been shown to elevate significantly cutaneous levels of this vitamin in pigs, and this correlates with protection of the skin from UVB damage as measured by erythema and sunburn cell formation. This protection is biological and due to the reducing properties of the molecule. Further, we provide evidence that the vitamin C levels of the skin can be severely depleted after UV irradiation, which would lower this organ's innate protective mechanism as well as leaving it at risk of impaired healing after photoinduced damage. In addition, vitamin C protects porcine skin from UVA-mediated phototoxic reactions (PUVA) and therefore shows promise as a broad-spectrum photoprotectant.
QUANTITATIVE EXAMINATION OF SUPRA-ARCADE DOWNFLOWS IN ERUPTIVE SOLAR FLARES

Downward motions above post-coronal mass ejection flare?arcades are an unanticipated discovery of the Yohkoh mission, and have subsequently been detected with TRACE, SOHO/LASCO, SOHO/SUMER, and Hinode/XRT. These supra-arcade downflows are interpreted as outflows from magnetic reconnection, consistent with a three-dimensional generalization of the standard reconnection model of solar flares. We present results from our observational analyses of downflows, which include a semiautomated scheme for detection and measurement of speeds, sizes, and?for the first time?estimates of the magnetic flux associated with each shrinking flux tube. Though model dependent, these findings provide an empirical estimate of the magnetic flux participating in individual episodes of patchy magnetic reconnection, and the energy associated with the shrinkage of magnetic flux tubes.
Voltage-dependent calcium channel mutations in neurological disease.

ABSTRACT: Calcium ion channel mutations disrupt channel function and create recognizable disease phenotypes in the nervous system. The broad array of underlying cellular alterations is commensurate with the expanding genetic diversity of the voltage-gated calcium ion channel complex and its critical role in regulating cell function. Currently, 16 calcium channel genes are known, and mutations in 7 of these are associated with distinct inherited neurological disorders. These mutations provide new insight into the structure and function of the channels, and link specific subunits to cellular disease processes, including altered excitability, synaptic signaling, and cell death. Studies of mutant channel behavior, subunit interactions, and the differentiation of neural networks demonstrate unique patterns of downstream rearrangement. Developmental analysis of molecular plasticity in these mutants is a critical step to define the intervening mechanisms that translate aberrant ion channel behavior into the diverse clinical phenotypes observed.