cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elevation of serum 17-β-estradiol in channel catfish following injection of 17-β-estradiol, ethynyl estradiol, estrone, estriol and estradiol-17-β-glucuronide

17-beta-Estradiol is naturally converted in numerous organisms to various derivatives/metabolites, which may be excreted from the organism into its immediate external environment. There is a paucity of data regarding the biological effects of these derivatives/metabolites on aquatic organisms. Male channel catfish (200-500 g, N=5, 12-18 months) were injected with 1 mg/kg 17-beta-estradiol (E2), ethynyl estradiol (EE2), estrone, estriol or E2-17-beta-glucuronide with subsequent measurements of vitellogenin (Vtg) and serum E2 concentrations 7 days post injection. EE2 and E2 gave the largest magnitude of Vtg response followed by estrone and estriol. Exposure to EE2, estrone, and E2-17-beta-glucuronide all induced significant increases in serum E2 concentrations. This study indicates that metabolites of E2 are also estrogenic and may potentially disrupt estrogen feedback loops within aquatic organisms.
Radiology resident applicants: are we interviewing fewer as the pool is getting larger?

c b n p t r p p c ooks have been written about how o get into medical school [1]. Many rticles have been written about how rograms should select residents in a ariety of specialties [2-5]. There are ven several monographs for medical tudents and postgraduates about ow to get into the residency of one’s hoice [6,7]. However, these latter ooks deal predominantly with what ifferent medical fields are all about, hat to look for in a program, and ow to organize one’s approach to pplying to a residency. Outside of he expected superior paper credenials, there is very little written about hat exactly residency selection comittees are looking for in a candidate hen they set up their respective inerview and match lists, particularly n the more competitive fields. Part of his shortage of information is obviusly due to the limited target audince for such work. However, anther reason is that it is difficult to pin own the specific criteria that resiency selection committees use to seect residents. In addition, any idenified selection criteria are sure to vary ith variations in the desirability of ny particular medical field and also ith the perceived strength of any iven program. In response to the lack of any lear criteria that medical students an use to assess their relative hances for matching at residency rograms of their choice or, in ome cases, in any residency at all ithin their desired field, medical tudents seem to be applying to ecord numbers of programs in the ore competitive specialties in an s
Naturally occurring arsenic: Mobilization at a landfill in Maine and implications for remediation

Abstract Elevated levels of dissolved arsenic (∼300 μg L−1) have been detected beneath and in groundwater plumes extending away from a closed landfill in southern Maine. This study sought to determine the source of arsenic to the aquifer, the processes responsible for arsenic mobilization, and to evaluate the effectiveness of remediation efforts that have occurred at this site. The As appears to originate in the natural (glacial) aquifer solids, which contain ∼5 mg kg−1 As on a dry weight basis. This conclusion is supported by the relatively uniform distribution of As in sediment samples, results of laboratory batch incubation experiments, and comparisons with groundwaters in nearby wetlands, which also have high levels of dissolved As that do not appear to originate within the landfill. The As is mobilized in the subsurface by strongly reducing conditions beneath the landfill and in nearby wetlands. In the aquifer beneath the landfill, the average oxidation–reduction potential (ORP) is −95 mV (Eh + 105 mV), and these reducing conditions were primarily induced by landfill leachate. Remediation efforts at this site have included installation of a low permeability clay cap; groundwater extraction, oxidation, and re-injection; and subsurface oxidation by injection of magnesium peroxide. The natural source of arsenic within the aquifer solids, coupled with widespread reducing conditions, has severely limited the effectiveness of these interventions on groundwater arsenic concentrations.
Intraepithelial sebaceous carcinoma of the conjunctiva and skin of the eyelid

The authors report a 65-year-old woman with a 10-year history of conjunctivitis and progressive loss of lashes due to widespread intraepithelial sebaceous carcinoma of the conjunctiva and skin of the eyelid. After surgery, serial sections of the entire conjunctiva and eyelids showed a single focus of invasive carcinoma in the bulbar conjunctiva, which probably arose from the epithelium. The absence of cilia on the affected lower lid was associated with neoplastic obliteration of the cilial orifices and low-grade, smoldering lipogranulomatous inflammation. This type of tumor-related alopecia is likely to masquerade as blepharitis because there is no identifiable tumefaction or clinical evidence of recurrent chalazia to suggest an underlying sebaceous carcinoma. The 10-year history of "conjunctivitis" before diagnosis indicates that intraepithelial sebaceous carcinoma may have a prolonged clinical course.
Human Factors Management in Systems Acquisition: Perspectives on an Applied Research and Development Success Story

The role played by human factors engineering in the research and development of complex weapons systems is critical to satisfactory operational performance of the system. The role of the human factors engineering manager is no less critical; this individual is not only charged with designing, implementing and reviewing the human factors engineering effort, but also providing leadership in resolving conflicts, building concensus, and championing unpopular positions. This paper chronicles the impact of the human factors engineering program in a moderately-large R & D. The details of the project are analyzed using the an organizational model that focuses on the interactions among the organizational, technical and political logics prevalent at the time. Using this approach, several insights regarding the role of the HFE manager are revealed, and some guidelines for managing human factors engineering research and development programs are offered.
Evaluation of time-to-effects as a basis for quantifying the toxicity of contaminated sediments.

Due to uncertainties as to appropriate procedures and dilution materials, most sediment tests are conducted only with undiluted, whole samples. Hence, it is not possible to use conventional concentration-response approaches to quantify toxicity of samples that elicit a 100% effect (e.g., mortality) at a preset test interval (typically 10 d). An alternative approach to quantifying the relative toxicity of test sediments is to determine time-to-effects. The objective of this study was to assess the utility of a time-to-effects approach for quantifying toxicity of freshwater sediments to the invertebrates Hyalella azteca and Chironomus tentans. Survival of both species and growth of C. tentans was determined using five sediments (four test samples and a control sediment) by destructively sampling replicate test chambers over the course of a "standard" 10-d assay. Studies with the control sediment and a non-toxic test sample indicated excellent recovery of test animals, even early in the test (e.g., <24 h) when individuals of both species are relatively small. Reasonable, typically monotonic, time-to-death relationships were observed for both H. azteca and C. tentans exposed to three comparatively toxic test sediments, all of which caused significant mortality by 10 d. Use of the time-to-effects approach allowed expression of toxicity of the three samples relative to one another, as well as documentation of decreases in toxicity of one of the sediments with increased storage time. These studies demonstrate the feasibility of use of time-to-effects as a basis for quantifying the relative toxicity of contaminated sediments.
HYDROMAGNETIC CONVECTION AT A CONE AND A WEDGE

Abstract Analysis of convection flow and heat transfer in a viscous heat-generating fluid near a cone and a wedge is carried out. The effects of free convection and the presence of heat generation or absorption on the flow and heat transfer characteristics are considered. The equations of conservation of mass, momentum, and energy, which govern the flow and heat transfer, are solved numerically by using a variable order, variable step size finite-difference method. The numerical results obtained for the flow and heat transfer characteristics reveal many interesting behaviors. It is observed that the heat source parameter has the dominating effect, on the flow and heat transfer, in setting in the instability.
Vacancy Rates and the Future of Office Rents

This research confirms the existence of a strong vacancy rental adjustment mechanism in the market for office space, such as has been found in housing markets. Using national time-series data, we find that real office rents drop approximately 2% annually, for every percentage point of “excess vacancy” in the market. We also find that the definition of “excess vacancy” has been trending upward over time. Using a recent vacancy forecast suggests that office income streams seem likely to decline in both real and nominal dollars over the next few years.
Frozen Commodity Shrimp: Potential Avenue for Introduction of White Spot Syndrome Virus and Yellow Head Virus

Abstract Since 1992, white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) and yellow head virus (YHV) have caused mortalities in cultured shrimp throughout Asia. By 1995, WSSV was detected in Texas and South Carolina, and the virus has also been recently reported in Central and South America (Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador). The importation of live infected shrimp is the principal mechanism by which exotic viruses may be introduced to new geographic regions. However, another probable mechanism is via the importation of infected commodity shrimp from regions where the pathogens are enzootic. Ten different lots of imported frozen tails of Penaeus monodon were screened for WSSV and YHV by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcriptase (RT) PCR analysis. In 8 of 10 samples tested, WSSV was detected, and YHV was found in 3 out of the 10 samples. Six of the 10 sample sets of frozen shrimp gave strong positive tests for WSSV or YHV by PCR, and these were selected for bioassay with spe...
Meal pattern analysis in rats reveals partial agonist activity of the bombesin receptor antagonist BW2258U89

The spontaneous feeding behavior of adult male rats was monitored during continuous infusion of the bombesin receptor antagonist BW2258U89 into the coeliac artery (100 μg kg−1 h−1) from an osmotic minipump. Nocturnal food intake was suppressed over 5 days of testing. Similar effects followed acute BW2258U89 treatment [100 μg kg−1, intraperitoneally (IP)]. Moreover, IP BW2258U89 mimicked the acute behavioral effects of 2 μg kg−1 IP bombesin by reducing meal size. Verifying that BW2258U89 can retain its potency throughout the entire period of chronic infusion, we demonstrated that the acute anorectic action of bombesin (4 μg kg−1, IP) was blocked by pretreatment with a BW2258U89 solution (100 μg ml−1 kg−1, IP) that was freshly prepared, or incubated for 1 or 6 days at body temperature. These data demonstrate that acute and chronic administration of BW2258U89, at a dose that abolishes the satiety effect of bombesin, significantly suppresses spontaneous feeding. Thus, BW2258U89 appears to attenuate food intake by acting as a partial agonist at peripheral receptors for bombesin-like peptides.
Radiopathologic correlation in pseudomembranous colitis: report of a case.

Pseudomembranous enterocolitis has been regarded as a complication of overwhelming infection, especially by staphylococci. Other contributing factors can include colonic obstruction, severe debility, leukemia, and abdominal surgery. Recent reports in medical literature have indicated that pseudomembranous enterocolitis may occur after lincomycin and Clindamycin therapy. We report a further case, describing the radiologic findings with pathologic correlation.
Life at the edge: an experimental study of a poleward range boundary

Experimental studies of biogeographic processes are important, but rarely attempted because of the logistical challenges of research at large spatial scales. I used a series of large-scale transplant experiments to investigate the mechanisms controlling species abundance near a poleward range boundary. The intertidal limpet Collisella scabra experiences a 100-fold decline in abundance over the northernmost 300 km of its range. Temperature and food supply both strongly influenced individual survival, growth, and maturation. Regression analysis also revealed significant interactions among these conditions: the effect of one could not be predicted without knowing the level of the other. But these relationships could not explain geographic abundance patterns. Instead, individual limpets were highly successful at sites with relatively low abundance. These results suggest that, even though temperature is important to the success of individual C. scabra populations, the primary effect of warming temperatures under climate change may not be a shift in geographic distribution.
Optical modulators at 604 nm using strain-balanced InGaP/InGaP MQWs

A reflection modulator using strain-compensated InzGa1–zP/InyGa1–yP (z ≠ y) MQWs in a Fabry-Perot cavity is reported. A contrast ratio of 4.3:1 with an insertion loss of 3.4 dB was achieved at a wavelength of 604 nm.
Wave-packet approach to noise in multichannel mesoscopic systems.

Noise in conductors transmitting electrons coherently between attached reservoirs is calculated by following wave packets incident on the sample. The Pauli principle restricts the occupation of wave packets, spreading electrons more uniformly among the available packets, and thus reducing the noise below that of the classical shot-noise expression for totally uncorrelated electrons. After a brief review of the results for one-dimensional leads, we treat the case of the sample attached to two multichannel leads. A proper choice of basis for the wave packets permits this case to be reduced to that of a set of independent parallel one-channel samples. This picture is extended to the case of excess noise in multiterminal samples at zero temperature, leading to anticorrelated fluctuations between different leads. The anticorrelated fluctuations are analyzed, in particular detail for a Y-shaped three-lead sample. Our wave-packet approach is presented as a physically intuitive alternative to the existing approaches to mesoscopic noise, and leads to identical results.
Influence of the deposition of PECVD hydrogenated silicon nitride on the transparency of an indium tin oxide underlayer

ABSTRACT The effect of the deposition of PECVD hydrogenated silicon nitride (SiNx:H) on indium tin oxide underlayer has beeninvestigated. PECVD SiNxH films were deposited with various film thickness, substrate temperature, gas flow rate,pressure, and RF power. Two kinds of ITO films prepared either ex-situ or in-situ thermal annealing methods are examinedby PECVD SiN:H deposition. Experimental results have shown that the formation of whitened ITO is related to redundantreactive species from SiH4 and H2 during the initial stage of SiNx:H deposition. NH3/SiH4 flow ratio is found to be one ofthe key factors to affect whitening of ITO films during SiNx:H deposition. In-situ annealed ITO films could be morechemically stable than ex-situ annealed ones since in-situ annealed ITO films have less optical degradation than ex-situannealed ones after PECVD SiNx:H deposition.KEYWORDS: ITO, whitening, hydrogenated silicon nitride, PECVD 1. INTRODUCTION Recently, the widespread applications of flat panel display have brought a constantly high rate of growth to liquid crystalindustry. This has led to increasing demand for indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent conductive film for use with pixel andwiring electrode for TFT-LCD. However, TFT-LCD processing sequence often contains a deposition of the hydrogenatedsilicon nitride (SiNx:H) deposited on ITO film, for example, while SiNx:H films act such as (1) a passivation in the invertedstaggered TFT, (2) a dielectric in the top gate type TFT and (3) a dielectric and a passivation ofthe inverted staggered TFTin the buried ITO structure.' To ensure the quality of SiNx:H (ex: the resistance against humidity), the temperature ofPECVD process is generally over 200°C. In this temperature range, the plasma for SiNx:H deposition could whiten ITOfilm and degrade its transparency. The whitening causes problems such as a decrease in the trasmittance of TFT-LCD and
Ultraviolet-induced lethality and reversion to prototrophy in Escherichia coli strains with normal and reduced dark repair ability.

— Two derivatives of E. coli B/r having the same auxotrophic marker but differing in their ability to dark repair u.v.-induced dimers in DNA were compared for their sensitivity to u.v.-induced lethality and reversion to prototrophy. Ability to dark repair influenced both biological endpoints to the same extent. Thus, dimers may be primary photochemical lesions for both effects. A possible model for the system was proposed. According to this model, organisms which have more than a critical number of dimers are inactivated and organisms with the critical number or slightly fewer, survive as revertants. Post-irradiation influences which enhance or reduce repair of dimers, in effect shift the population distribution of dimers. The result is either a net increase or decrease in the number of revertants depending upon the U.V. dose and upon whether repair is enhanced or reduced.
Cation-sensitive ATPase from gills of the salt water mussel, Mytilus edulis

Abstract 1. 1. Membranes from gills of Mytilus edulis contain an ATPase which is stimulated by the univalent cations, Na + , K + , Rb + , Li + , and, to a lesser extent Cs + . 2. 2. Activity requires Mg 2+ and is insensitive to ouabain, vanadate, and SH inhibitors. 3. 3. Stimulation of activity by the uncouplers, FCCP, ∗ dinitrophenol and nonyldinitrophenol, suggests that the preparation is at least partially vesicular and that it is best described as a univalent cation-proton ATPase. 4. 4. It is likely that the ATPase plays a role in the ability of this organism to concentrate solutes, such as amino acids, from surrounding seawater.
New omega results in a weighted divisor problem

Abstract New omega results are given for the error term in a weighted divisor problem, improving results of Schierwagen. The Ω + result is improved (surprisingly, perhaps) by a logarithm factor in all cases. The methods are similar to earlier results of the author for Dirichlet's divisor problem and in fact, with a slight modification of the argument, include that result as a special case. The Ω − result is improved by an exponential of iterated logarithms, similar to results of Katai and Corradi, and Joris and Redmond. Both results rely on a Voronoi-type identity for the error term due to Kratzel.
Anomaly of the round window a histopathological study using a graphic reconstruction method.

Although literature to date has reported that anomalies of the round window occur infrequently, no study to our knowledge has investigated such anomalies quantitatively. Thus, we developed a graphic reconstruction method and used it to study histology sections of the temporal bones. By this method we studied quantitatively the morphology of the round window of individuals with Mondini dysplasia of the inner ear and com pared it to that of individuals with no anomaly. It was found that in 3 of 19 individuals with dysplasia, the total area of the round window was more than two standard deviations below the mean, thus small enough to be called anomalous. Moreover, the area of the round window was statistically significantly smaller in the ears from individuals with Mondini dysplasia, as a gorup, than in normal ears. This round window anomaly seems to be due to interruption of the normal development of the round window early in fetal life, as the result of poor development of the cartilage bar between the tympanic cavity and the subarachnoid space and also of the otic capsule in the hook portion of the basal turn of the cochlea.
The basic proline-rich proteins in human parotid saliva from a single subject

Eleven Chromatographic fractions of basic proline-rich proteins isolated from parotid saliva from a single donor showed similar but not identical chemical compositions; proline, glycine and glutamic acid-glutamine accounted for 70–80 per cent of the total residues in the proteins. The basic amino acids, lysine and arginine, accounted for a further 10 per cent. All the proteins were in freshly-collected saliva and did not result from post-secretory proteolysis. The most basic of the proline-rich proteins, I-B9, was purified and characterized. The amino terminal residue was serine and the carboxyl terminal residue arginine. The molecular weight determined by quantitative end-group analyses was 9000–9500. Protein I-B9 was resistant to hydrolysis by collagenase and Staphylococcus aureus protease, whereas papain and subtilisin extensively degraded it. I-B9 fragments from clostripain and elastase digestions were isolated for use in sequence determination. Basic proline-rich proteins, acidic proline-rich proteins and proline-rich glycoprotein accounted for 23, 30 and 17 per cent, respectively of the total protein in the parotid saliva.
Distortion-invariant kernel filters for general pattern recognition

We note several key general pattern recognition (GPR) issues that have been ignored in all prior distortion-invariant kernel filter (kernel DIF) work. These include: the unrealistic assumption of centered test data, the lack of a fast FFTbased on-line implementation, the significantly larger storage and on-line computation requirements, incorrect formulation of the kernel filter in the FT domain, incorrect formulation of prior image-domain kernel SDF and Mace filters, and the unrealistic use of test set data for parameter selection. We present several improvements to prior kernel DIF work. Our primary objective is to examine the viability of kernel DIFs for GPR and automatic target recognition (ATR) applications (where the location of the object in the test input is not known). Thus, in this paper, we apply our improved kernel DIFs to CAD ATR data. We address range and full 360° aspect view variations; we also address rejection of unseen confuser objects and clutter. We use training and validation set data (not test set data) to select the kernel parameter. We show that kernel filters (higher-order features) can improve classification and confuser rejection performance. We consider only kernel SDF filters, since their on-line computation requirements are reasonable; we present test results for both polynomial and Gaussian kernels. The main purposes of this paper are to: note issues of importance ignored in all prior kernel DIF work, detail how to properly perform energy minimization in kernel DIFs, show that kernel SDF filters can correct errors for ATR data, and compare the performance of kernel SDF filters and standard Minace DIFs. We also introduce our new Minace-preprocessed kernel SDF filter.
A factor analysis of six measures extracted from the category norms: Evidence for three properties of categories in semantic memory

Several investigations of the role of categories in semantic memory have studied the variable of category size. It is possible that categories possess other properties which also affect processing. Consequently, a study of the 56 categories in the Battig and Montague (1969) norms was undertaken to determine what other properties categories may possess. Six different measures were computed for each category, three of which were originally reported by Battig and Montague. A factor analysis of the intercorrelations of the six measures indicated that at least three factors underlie the data in the Battig and Montague norms. These three factors were tentatively interpreted as reflecting the properties of category size, category accessibility, and category familiarity.
Optimal equipment replacement without paradoxes: A continuous analysis

Combining known continuous- and discrete-time models of equipment replacement, we show that the optimal equipment lifetime is shorter when the embodied technological change is more intense. The paper has been inspired by a paradox in the equipment replacement raised by Cheevaprawatdomrong and Smith in Oper. Res. Lett. 31 (2003).
Spinal chondrosarcoma following adenocarcinoma of the breast: case report.

BACKGROUND Chest wall chondrosarcomas have been reported rarely in breast cancer patients treated with chest wall radiation therapy. However, there are no prior reports of spinal chondrosarcomas arising in patients with a history of breast adenocarcinoma. CASE DESCRIPTION A neurologically intact 53-year-old woman with breast adenocarcinoma and new onset back pain was evaluated. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine revealed a tumor of the posterior elements of T7, impinging upon the spinal cord. A computed tomography guided needle biopsy of the spinal mass failed to yield diagnostic results. The patient underwent an open surgical biopsy and complete excision of a low-grade chondrosarcoma. The patient's thoracic pain resolved after surgical excision of her thoracic tumor. She remained neurologically intact. Pathological examination of the tumor revealed a low-grade chondrosarcoma. CONCLUSION We present the first reported case of chondrosarcoma of the spine arising in a patient with a history of breast adenocarcinoma without prior irradiation. Solitary spinal tumors in patients with breast adenocarcinoma should not be assumed to be metastatic lesions, and chondrosarcoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of spinal lesions in this patient population. Experimentally, chondrosarcomas have been shown to be sensitive to circulating levels of estrogens, and this might explain an association with adenocarcinoma of the breast treated with tamoxifen.
A standardized patient enrolled in medical school considers the national clinical skills examination.

The National Board of Medical Examiners’ recent decision to include a clinical skills examination as part of the licensing requirements for U.S. medical graduates has generated widespread discussion about the role of standardized patients in medical education. The author demonstrates that while spec
Gene therapy for acute lung injury

The remarkable transition of biological science into the age of molecular biology held great promise for development of new therapies for treatment of human disease. The fact that the technology exists for analyzing genetic material in exquisite detail and constructing DNA in virtually any desired form was the basis for promising rapid translation into clinical medicine and the final cure for genetically determined diseases; cystic fibrosis is the prime example of such a lung disease. The promise was not kept, at least not in a time frame which was expected. That result is neither because the rationale was faulty nor because the tools of molecular biology were wanting. The devil was and is in the details. How do you deliver DNA to the desired cell targets in amounts sufficient to accomplish the desired effect? Viral vectors have received the most attention, but viral vectors have proven to have both theoretical and practical problems. In the lungs, these vectors have not fulfilled their original promise. Non-viral based strategies work in a general sense, but efficiency of gene delivery in vivo has been a limitation. In addition, the experimental end points in both clinical and preclinical investigation have been most often designed to demonstrate phenomenology rather than potential efficacy. And, why limit the potential of gene therapy to inherited disease? In fact, treatment of acquired diseases by increasing or decreasing expression of a given gene in the lungs that would hasten recovery from an acquired disease might be easier than treating inherited disease because the requirements for duration of transgene expression would be less stringent. Over the past two decades, we have learned enough about the pathogenesis of acute lung injury to predict that increased (or decreased) production of certain biologically active mediators should be beneficial. Genes encoding some of these mediators have been cloned and constructs made which express the genes. It is now possible using either viral or non-viral strategies to deliver expression constructs to the lungs and, since acute lung injury has a dismal prognosis and no effective drugs have been identified, this seems a good clinical target for gene therapy. In preclinical studies, we have shown that increased expression of the gene encoding the constitutive form of the cyclooxygenase gene (COX-1) results in increased production of prostacyclin and PGE2 by the lungs and inhibits endotoxin induced pulmonary hypertension and edema. Additional studies demonstrate that increased expression of the alpha-1 antitrypsin gene in human respiratory epithelium in culture and in vivo has anti-viral and anti-inflammatory effects that are not predicted by extracellular concentrations of the transgene product. Thus, acute lung injury is a reasonable target for gene therapy, and evidence to date indicates that current technology is sufficiently robust to pursue this novel area for treatment of this devastating disease.
Is dawn simulation effective in ameliorating the difficulty awakening in seasonal affective disorder associated with hypersomnia

Background: Patients with winter depression, (seasonal affective disorder, SAD) frequently complain of difficulty awakening in the morning. Dawn simulation has been found effective in treating SAD, but its effect on difficulty awakening has not been assessed. Methods: Fifty medication-free patients with SAD associated with hypersomnia were randomized to receive either 1 week of dawn simulation (250 lux) or a dim (0.2–2 lux) placebo signal. The patients assessed their level of drowsiness upon awakening during the baseline week and during the treatment week using the Stanford sleepiness scale (SSS). A psychiatrist rated difficulty awakening after the baseline week and after the treatment week. Results: Dawn simulation lowered both the difficulty awakening score (P<0.05) and the SSS score (P<0.05) compared to the placebo dawn signal. Limitations: Replication is necessary. No biological markers of circadian phase were measured. Conclusions: Compared to a placebo condition, dawn simulation appears effective in decreasing both prospectively assessed morning drowsiness and retrospectively assessed difficulty awakening. The symptom of difficulty awakening is consistent with the phase delay hypothesis of SAD. Assessment of difficulty awakening could prove useful in the evaluation of SAD.
The importance of stroma in morphogenesis and functional activity of urogenital epithelium

Urogenital morphogenesis and cytodifferentiation are presented in the context of the epithelial-stromal interaction. The essential role of stroma in these processes is reviewed.
Two is Better Than One: Improving Multilingual Collaboration by Giving Two Machine Translation Outputs

Machine translation (MT) creates both opportunities and challenges for multilingual collaboration: While MT enables collaborators to communicate via their native languages, it can introduce errors that make communication difficult. In the current paper, we examine whether displaying two alternative translations for each message will improve conversational grounding and task performance. We conducted a laboratory experiment in which monolingual native English speakers collaborated with bilingual native Mandarin speakers on a map navigation task. Each dyad performed the task in one of three communication conditions: MT with single output, MT with two outputs, and English as a common language. Dyads given two translations for each message communicated more efficiently, and performed better on the task, than dyads given one translation. Our findings show the value of providing multiple translations in multilingual collaboration, and suggest design features of future MT-based collaboration tools.
Inhibition by drugs of the accumulation in vitro of 5-hydroxytryptamine in guinea-pig vas deferens.

AFTER an injection of 14C-5-hydroxytryptophan, autoradiographic grains were found to accumulate in the sympathetic neurones of the pineal gland and vas deferens1. These observations suggested that the sympathetic nerves of these organs might take up or retain 5-hydroxytryptamine. Subsequent work has shown that 5-hydroxytryptamine can accumulate in the guinea-pig vas deferens in vitro by an active transport process2. Subcellular distribution studies also indicated that the site of accumulation of the 5-hydroxytryptamine is the storage vesicle present in the sympathetic neurone2. Certain drugs such as imipramine3 and cocaine4 are potent inhibitors of the uptake of noradrenaline into sympathetic neurones, and these drugs also block the uptake of 5-hydroxytryptamine in platelets5 and some tissues in the rat6. Subsequent work has shown that the site of blockade of noradrenaline uptake is the neuronal membrane7. These observations prompted us to investigate the ability of these drugs to block the uptake in the vas deferens of 5-hydroxytryptamine labelled with carbon-14.
Exponential Transmission Line Design for Impedance Ratios Greater than 10

The use of an exponential transmission line as a high- pass pulse transformer has received much attention and has yielded analytic expressions for line parameters as a function of the geometrical factors, material properties, and the impedance ratio from input to output. The one- dimensional analysis applied to a stripline has been used by Arnold and Bailey for an impedance ratio of 33 or a voltage step-up/down of 5.74. Use of one-dimensional analysis to design a stripline with an impedance ratio of 100 introduces an unwanted phase variation at the low- impedance end of the line. This phase variation detracts from ideal performance. Two approaches are discussed to restore proper phasing. The first is to apply a linear taper to decrease the height of the stripline at the low- impedance end of the line. The height is greatest at the high-impedance (high-voltage) end of the line and tapers to a minimum value at the low-impedance (low-voltage) end. This taper reduces the overall width of the exponential line at the low impedance end and so reduces the overall variation of phase path length within the line. The second approach is a ray tracing algorithm that maintains coherent phase fronts in the exponential line as the impedance increases exponentially as a function of distance. This algorithm places additional geometrical constraints on the stripline. Experiments are discussed that quantify the performance of a 46-inch long exponential stripline with an impedance ratio of 100, from 50 Omega to 500 mOmega.
Suppression concentration of clean agents exposed to a continuously energized heated metal surface

Abstract An apparatus for the determination of autoignition temperature of hydrocarbon fuels has been used to measure the change in ignition temperature of a stoichiometric mixture of ethene/air with and without the addition of a suppressant: N2, IG-542, HFC-23, HFC-227ea, FC-218 or FC-3-1-10. When exposed to a heated metal surface of nickel, a fuel/air stream with clean agent added generally required higher temperatures to ignite than when no agent was present. For some agents at low concentrations, it was found that ignition occurred at temperatures lower than when no agent was present. As agent concentration was increased, ignition became harder, i.e., the temperature required for ignition was higher. For each of these suppressants, with foil temperatures approaching 1000°C, the agent concentration necessary to prevent ignition of the ethene/air mixture exceeded the total flooding and met or exceeded the inerting design concentrations recommended in NFPA 2001, the Standard on Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems.
Glycoconjugate stability in human milk: glycosidase activities and sugar release.

Many human milk glycoconjugates (glycolipids, glycoproteins, mucins, glycosaminoglycans) and oligosaccharides are biologically active, and their activity depends on the precise structure of the glycan. The sugars on the terminus of the glycan are vulnerable to cleavage by glycosidases. Because glycoconjugates incubate together with endogenous glycosidases in the breast between feedings, and in expressed milk during storage, the presence and activity of glycosidases in human milk was investigated. α-L-Fucosidase, α-D-galactosidase, β-D-galactosidase, β-D-glucosidase, N-acetyl-β-hexosaminidase, β-D-glucuronidase, and neuraminidase were measured in milk samples from 4 donors by use of synthetic fluorogenic glycosides; fucosidase and hexosaminidase displayed the highest activity. The catabolic activity of the major glycosidases was confirmed by measuring the corresponding free sugars in milk. Free fucose, N-acetylneuraminic acid, and N-acetylhexosamines were measured and their identities were confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Incubation of samples for 16 hr at 37°C and 20°C, but not at 4°C, resulted in time-dependent increases in the amount of free fucose, N-acetylneuraminic acid, and N-acetylhexosamines, consistent with their enzymatic release by the endogenous glycosidases. Stored frozen milk had the same levels of these sugars as did samples analyzed immediately after collection, indicating that glycosidases are inactive in the frozen milk. Samples analyzed immediately after collection contained only small amounts of free sugars, suggesting that glycoconjugate degradation during the typical residence time of milk in the breast is modest.
CHANGING MARKETING SYSTEMS IN EASTERN EUROPE: WHAT WESTERN MARKETERS SHOULD KNOW

East European marketing progress has followed a series of economic reforms in different countries of the region. Changing marketing systems in these countries can be depicted as a move away from an authoritative to an integrative macro system. Most of the countries are at different points on this particular spectrum. Marketing reforms are more specifically related to both economic and managerial decentralisation. Most marketing decisions are beginning to be made at the enterprise level rather than at the central governmental level. U.S. and other Western practitioners must understand these changes so that they can expand their business with this potentially large market.
Chronicles of the end of the femoral-only era and the rise of radial access in the modern era of tailored vascular approaches in the catheterization laboratory.

Transradial access for cardiac catheterization is not a new concept but came back to the modern era in the early 1990s. Percutaneous transradial techniques were embraced by early innovators and dispersed around the globe. Variations of the technique incubated for the next decade insulated by a lack of deep-pocketed industrial support for disseminating this technologic innovation. Only through grass roots recognition by many of these early innovators of the important potential for this new approach for percutaneous interventions did this nascence innovation survive and spread by its evangelical supporters. In many countries, transradial uptake occurred rapidly, not unlike the way many previously, new technologies such as intra-coronary stents had done across the cardiovascular community. Yet, in some countries, most notably the United States in North America and Germany in Europe, acceptance of this new approach was met with disregard and growth was stagnant. Despite several countries lagging in uptake, the consistent trend around the world remains that once a country or region has switched to a transradial-first approach as the default to cardiac catheterization, there has not been a reversion to the traditional transfemoral approach. This strongly supports the contention that this is a secular change and not just a limited edition fad in the practice of cardiology. The trends seen in radial adaption follow the classic findings described first in the 1950s and popularized by Everett M. Rogers in the text “Diffusion of Innovations” [1]. An “S-”shaped curve of adaption for new technology, be it new agricultural products such as seed or new computer technology, is described. Initial use is slow but taken up by early innovators. Use rises with early adapters joining
Past and current alcohol consumption patterns and elevations in serum hepatic enzymes among US adults.

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to examine the association between patterns of past and current alcohol consumption and elevations in serum hepatic enzymes among a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States. Methods We estimated the age-adjusted prevalence of elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) among 8993 adults aged 20 years or older who participated in the 2005–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We produced prevalence ratios by using patterns of alcohol consumption as a predictor; elevations in serum ALT, AST, and GGT were used as an outcome variable while adjusting for covariates in multivariate regression models. Results The age-adjusted prevalence of elevated serum ALT, AST, and GGT in adults was 9.7%, 16.0%, and 8.6%, respectively. Male excessive current drinkers had 50%–71% and 75%–314% increased likelihoods of having elevated serum AST and GGT, respectively; female excessive drinkers with a history of consuming 5 or more drinks almost daily had a 226% increased likelihood of having elevated serum GGT, when compared to their respective counterparts who were lifetime abstainers. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that elevations in serum hepatic enzymes, especially AST and GGT, are common in adults who are excessive current drinkers. There is evidence to suggest that excessive current drinkers with a history of protracted drinking are especially vulnerable to potential liver injury. These findings lend further support to the early identification of excessive drinkers who may have an increased risk for alcohol-related morbidity and mortality in health care settings.
The Tuberculosis Clinic

Patient compliance is the major obstacle to successful treatment of tuberculosis. To counter factors of inconstant attention to compliance, inconsistent follow-up, and incomplete documentation, a tuberculosis clinic, managed by nurse specialists, was established. To evaluate this clinic, records of all patients with tuberculosis followed-up there were compared with patients with tuberculosis observed in the other clinics over a nine-year period. Twelve percent of patients in the general clinics group had complete, documented, effective treatment compared with 86 percent in the tuberculosis clinic group. Only 31 percent of the general clinics patients compared with 100 percent of the tuberculosis clinic patients had completely documented follow-up. In hospitals in endemic areas for tuberculosis, a tuberculosis clinic may be superior to general clinics for the care of patients with tuberculosis. Staff of a specialized clinic can quickly identify a break in therapy, provide support necessary for better compliance, lessen the number of incomplete records, and decrease the number of patients who do not receive full therapy.
The Puerto Armuelles Earthquake (Southwestern Panama) of July 18, 1934

The Puerto Armuelles Earhquake of July 18 1934 and its six main aftershocks nave been relocated using a new version of Dewey's Joint Hypocenter Determination program: JHD89. The main event focal mechanism has been determinated from historical seismograms first arrivals. The results of this study suggest that the active Panama, Balboa and possibly the Mykland fracture zones extent through the southwestern Panama continental shelf up to connect with faults inland as proposed by BERRAGE & THORPE (1988). The Burica Peninsula medial fault zone, stratigraphically infered by CORRIGAN (1986) also seems to be active. This group of parallel northwest trending right lateral strike-slip faults interact, at least for large events. The focal mechanism solution of the 1934 Puerto Armuelles Earthquake indicates a right lateral strike slip solution with a normal component.
A Meta-Analysis of the RTI Literature for Children at Risk for Reading Disabilities

This article synthesizes the literature comparing at-risk children designated as responders and low responders to interventions in reading. The central question addressed in this review is whether individual differences in reading-related skills at pretest predict responders at posttest across a variety of interventions and sets of criteria for determining responding and low responding. A total of 13 studies met criteria for the meta-analysis, yielding 107 weighted effect sizes (ESs) at posttest (M = .76, SE = .03, 95% confidence interval [CI] =.71, .81) and 108 weighted ESs at pretest (M = 1.02, SE = .03, CI = 1.02, 1.13). The results showed that the magnitude of ES between responders and low responders increased from pretest to posttest on measures of reading (e.g., real word identification = 1.06 vs. 1.53, word attack = 1.10 vs. 1.28, and passage comprehension, 0.45 vs. 1.43). Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that overall posttest ESs were significantly moderated by pretest scores as well as the ...
Nonspecific shielding of unfavorable electrostatic intramolecular interactions in the erythropoietin native-state increase conformational stability and limit non-native aggregation.

Previous equilibrium and kinetic folding studies of the glycoprotein erythropoietin indicate that sodium chloride increases the conformational stability of this therapeutically important cytokine, ostensibly by stabilizing the native-state [Banks DD, (2011) The Effect of Glycosylation on the Folding Kinetics of Erythropoietin. J Mol Biol 412:536–550]. The focus of the current report is to determine the underlying cause of the salt dependent increase in erythropoietin conformational stability and to understand if it has any impact on aggregation, an instability that remains a challenge to the biotech industry in maintaining the efficacy and shelf-life of protein therapeutics. Isothermal urea denaturation experiments conducted at numerous temperatures in the absence and presence of sodium chloride indicated that salt stabilizes erythropoietin primarily by increasing the difference in enthalpy between the native and unfolded sates. This result, and the finding that the salt induced increases in erythropoietin melting temperatures were independent of the identity of the salt cation and anion, indicates that salt likely increases the conformational stability of erythropoietin at neutral pH by nonspecific shielding of unfavorable electrostatic interaction(s) in the native-state. The addition of salt (even low concentrations of the strong chaotrope salt guanidinium hydrochloride) also exponentially decreased the initial rate of soluble erythropoietin non-native aggregation at 37 °C storage.