cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive pharmaceutical services in the surgical suite and recovery room

The operation of a pharmacy satellite located within the operating suite of a large university hospital is described. The satellite provides comprehensive services 24 hours a day, seven days a week to the staff of the operating room (OR), recovery room, and anesthesia department. Kits of anesthetic agents and other drugs used by the anesthetist and surgeon are prepared for each surgical procedure. The pharmacy staff also prepares i.v. admixtures, cardioplegic solutions, and specialized preparations as needed for surgery and provides drugs and i.v. admixture services to the recovery room for postoperative patients. Controlled substances are signed out to the anesthetist as needed in the particular kits and are issued as single doses upon request to the recovery room. All pharmacy charges to patients in the OR are done directly from the pharmacy satellite using a computer charging system. The decentralized pharmacy satellite has substantially reduced drug loss and waste, improved drug delivery to patients, increased revenue for the institution, reduced drug inventory, improved controlled-drug distribution and accountability, improved clinical services, and eased the nursing workload by reassigning drug-related responsibilities to the pharmacy department. The OR pharmacy satellite is a viable cost-effective operation.
Learned vocal and breathing behavior in an enculturated gorilla

We describe the repertoire of learned vocal and breathing-related behaviors (VBBs) performed by the enculturated gorilla Koko. We examined a large video corpus of Koko and observed 439 VBBs spread across 161 bouts. Our analysis shows that Koko exercises voluntary control over the performance of nine distinctive VBBs, which involve variable coordination of her breathing, larynx, and supralaryngeal articulators like the tongue and lips. Each of these behaviors is performed in the context of particular manual action routines and gestures. Based on these and other findings, we suggest that vocal learning and the ability to exercise volitional control over vocalization, particularly in a multimodal context, might have figured relatively early into the evolution of language, with some rudimentary capacity in place at the time of our last common ancestor with great apes.
Information from familiar and related conspecifics affects foraging in a solitary wolf spider

As neighbours become familiar with one another, they can divert attention away from one another and focus on other activities. Since familiarity is a likely mechanism by which animals recognise relatives, both kinship and prior association with conspecifics should allow individuals to increase foraging. We attempted to determine if the interference observed among conspecific foragers could be mitigated by familiarity and/or kinship. Because Pardosa milvina wolf spiders are sensitive to chemotactile cues deposited on substrates by other spiders, we used cues to manipulate the information available to focal spiders. We first verified that animals could use these cues to differentiate relatives and familiar conspecifics. We then documented foraging in the presence of all combinations of related and familiar animal cues. Test spiders were slower foragers, less likely to capture prey, and consumed less of each prey item when on cues from unfamiliar kin, but were faster and more effective foragers on cues from familiar non-kin. Their reactions to familiar kin and unfamiliar non-kin were intermediate. High foraging intensity on familiar cues is consistent with the idea that animals pay less attention to neighbours after some prior association. Lower foraging effort in the presence of cues from relatives may be an attempt to reduce kin competition by shifting attention toward dispersal or to provide increased access to prey for hungry relatives nearby. These findings reveal that information from conspecifics mediates social interactions among individuals and affects foraging in ways that can influence their role in the food web.
Engaging Men for Gender Justice: Overcoming Barriers to Girls’ Education in the Pashtun Tribes of Northern Pakistan

Resistance to girls' education is a social justice and human rights issue in many countries. In Pakistan, where the lowest school enrollment for girls is in Pashtun areas bordering Afghanistan, it is especially problematic. Pashtun society is patriarchal: Men have the power to construct obstacles to girls' education, and to remove them. This article therefore explores a different way of overcoming barriers to gender justice, namely through the participation of men. A qualitative Delphi process and in-depth interviews with Pashtun men led to their consensus on seven key points of leverage where action could be taken. Participants agreed that progress toward gender parity could be achieved only by making allies of powerful community leaders, especially religious leaders, and by utilizing existing institutions, such as the mosque, Jirga (council of elders), and the men's guest house. For each point of leverage, a policy recommendation is made for increasing girls' participation in education.
The Limits of Loyalty: Imperial Symbolism, Popular Allegiances and State Patriotism in the Late Habsburg Monarchy – Edited by Laurence Cole and Daniel Unowsky

The Habsburg monarchy, according to the old textbook standard, was a political archaism too brittle to withstand the centrifugal power of ethnic nationalism. The repressions of 1849 and the empire'...
Analysis of Variation in Some Factors Affecting Multiple Ovulations in Holstein Cattle

Summary A total of 790 parities (728 noncystic and 62 cystic) covering 3,549 ovulations was analyzed for effects of sire-line, system of mating, parity, cystic condition, and individuality of the cow on the incidence of multiple ovulations. Sire-line had no significant influence. Frequency of multiple ovulations increased in association with the cystic condition and with increasing parity. Outbreds had a significantly higher incidence of multiple ovulations than inbreds. A highly significant repeatability (0.07) within a cow also was noted.
A dual-representation strategy for the virtual assembly of thin deformable objects

The two main objectives of virtual assembly are: (1) to train assembly-operators through virtual assembly models, and (2) to simultaneously evaluate products for ease-of-assembly. The focus of this paper is on developing computational techniques for virtual assembly of thin deformable beam and plate-like objects. To meet the objectives of virtual assembly, the underlying computational technique must: (1) be carried out at a high frame-rate (>20 frames/second), (2) be accurate (<5% error in deformation and force estimation), (3) be conducive to collision detection, and (4) support rapid design evaluations. We argue in this paper that popular computational techniques such as 3-D finite element analysis, boundary element analysis and classic beam/plate/shell analysis fail to meet these requirements. We therefore propose a new class of dual representation techniques for virtual assembly of thin solids, where the geometry is retained in its full 3-D form, while the underlying physics is dimensionally reduced, delivering: (1) high computational efficiency and accuracy (over 20 frames per second with <1% deformation error), and (2) direct CAD model processing, i.e., the CAD model is not geometrically simplified, and 3-D finite element mesh is not generated. In particular, a small-size stiffness matrix with about 300 degrees of freedom per deformable object is generated directly from a coarse surface triangulation, and its LU-decomposition is then exploited during real-time simulation. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method is established through numerical experiments and a case study.
FUS transgenic rats develop the phenotypes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) proteinopathy is a feature of frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTLD), and mutation of the fus gene segregates with FTLD and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). To study the consequences of mutation in the fus gene, we created transgenic rats expressing the human fus gene with or without mutation. Overexpression of a mutant (R521C substitution), but not normal, human FUS induced progressive paralysis resembling ALS. Mutant FUS transgenic rats developed progressive paralysis secondary to degeneration of motor axons and displayed a substantial loss of neurons in the cortex and hippocampus. This neuronal loss was accompanied by ubiquitin aggregation and glial reaction. While transgenic rats that overexpressed the wild-type human FUS were asymptomatic at young ages, they showed a deficit in spatial learning and memory and a significant loss of cortical and hippocampal neurons at advanced ages. These results suggest that mutant FUS is more toxic to neurons than normal FUS and that increased expression of normal FUS is sufficient to induce neuron death. Our FUS transgenic rats reproduced some phenotypes of ALS and FTLD and will provide a useful model for mechanistic studies of FUS–related diseases.
Simplicity and credibility: A counterstrategy

Abstract A counterstrategy to conventional strategies which increase technical complexity to achieve small gains in efficiency and power is to trade of ‘bestness’ for simplicity. In public issues (e.g., neonatal hypothyroidism at Three Mile Island) simplicity enhances credibility.
Effect of cloned gene dosage on cell growth and hepatitis B surface antigen synthesis and secretion in recombinant CHO cells

The effect of cloned gene copy number on growth and product formation has been studied in sufficient detail using a Chinese hamster overy (CHO) cell line producing recombinant hepatits B surface antigen (HbsAg). Batch culture experiments were carried out in T flasks in order to characterize cell growth and HbsAg secretion in various clones carrying different numbers of HbsAg gene copies integrated into CHO cell chromosomes. Specific growth rates were found to decrease with increasing gane copy number. Secreted HbsAg concentration and specific HbsAg secretion rates were found to increase with increase in gene copy number. Gene copy numbers in each clone determined using Southern hybridizations were positively correlated with intracellular dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) content using a flow cytometric assay. The mRNA levels quantitated using Northern hybridization followed by autroadiography and densitometry also gave the same trends. The flow cytometry experiments show that while parental cells were quite homogeneous with respect to intracellular dhfr content, the amplified clones exhibit a great deal of heterogeneity in dhfr content. Pulse-chase experiments show that the efficiency of HbsAg secretion (defined here as the fraction of initially labeled HbsAg that is secreted into the extracellular medium at the end of a 23.5-h chase) decreases and also that the intracellular HbsAg degradation increases with increasing gene copy number.
γδ T-cell-rich variants of pityriasis lichenoides and lymphomatoid papulosis: benign cutaneous disorders to be distinguished from aggressive cutaneous γδ T-cell lymphomas.

Summary Background T cells with a γδ phenotype have been associated with aggressive lymphomas. Yet, inflammatory skin disorders and low-grade lymphoproliferative disorders have rarely been described with a predominant γδ T-cell infiltrate. Objectives To review our experience and determine the clinical relevance of the γδ T-cell phenotype in lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP) and pityriasis lichenoides (PL). Methods A retrospective dermatopathology file review looking for LyP and PL characterized by a γδ T-cell phenotype was performed. Clinical manifestations and course, histological features and molecular data were analyzed. Results Six of 16 cases of LyP and four of 23 cases diagnosed as PL during a 5-year period (2009–14) were identified. The median follow-up for the whole group was 16 months (range 3–64), showing an indolent clinical course in all cases. Conclusions The detection of a predominantly γδ T-cell phenotype in papular lymphoid-rich infiltrates in the absence of other lesions is not associated with a clinically aggressive course. γδ T-cell-rich variants of LyP and PL may reflect a spectrum of related conditions. This is a single academic centre retrospective chart review of a relatively small sample.
Blind equalization with criterion with memory nonlinearity

Blind equalization methods usually combat the linear distortion caused by a nonideal channel via a transversal filter, without resorting to the a priori known training sequence. We introduce a new criterion with memory nonlinearity (CRIMNO) for the blind equalization problem. The basic idea of this criterion is to augment the Godard [or constant modulus algorithm (CMA)] cost function with additional terms that penalize the autocorrelations of the equalizer outputs. Several variations of the CRIMNO algorithm are derived, with the variations dependent on (1) whether the empirical averages or the single point estimates are used to approximate the expectations, (2) whether the recent or the delayed equalizer coefficients are used, and (3) whether the weights applied to the autocorrelation terms are fixed or are allowed to adapt. Simulation experiments show that the CRIMNO algorithm, and especially its adaptive weight version, exhibits faster convergence speed than the Godard (or CMA) algorithm. Extensions of the CRIMNO criterion to accommodate the case of correlated inputs to the channel are also presented.
The Influence of Ideology On Selecting Clasroom Content, Teaching Style

Can you identify your own personal ideology? Follow the instructions for the inventory provided here.
Interactive initialization of 2D/3D rigid registration

Purpose: Registration is one of the key technical components in an image-guided navigation system. A large number of 2D/3D registration algorithms have been previously proposed, but have not been able to transition into clinical practice. The authors identify the primary reason for the lack of adoption with the prerequisite for a sufficiently accurate initial transformation, mean target registration error of about 10 mm or less. In this paper, the authors present two interactive initialization approaches that provide the desired accuracy for x-ray/MR and x-ray/CT registration in the operating room setting. Methods: The authors have developed two interactive registration methods based on visual alignment of a preoperative image, MR, or CT to intraoperative x-rays. In the first approach, the operator uses a gesture based interface to align a volume rendering of the preoperative image to multiple x-rays. The second approach uses a tracked tool available as part of a navigation system. Preoperatively, a virtual replica of the tool is positioned next to the anatomical structures visible in the volumetric data. Intraoperatively, the physical tool is positioned in a similar manner and subsequently used to align a volume rendering to the x-ray images using an augmented reality (AR) approach. Both methods weremore » assessed using three publicly available reference data sets for 2D/3D registration evaluation. Results: In the authors' experiments, the authors show that for x-ray/MR registration, the gesture based method resulted in a mean target registration error (mTRE) of 9.3 ± 5.0 mm with an average interaction time of 146.3 ± 73.0 s, and the AR-based method had mTREs of 7.2 ± 3.2 mm with interaction times of 44 ± 32 s. For x-ray/CT registration, the gesture based method resulted in a mTRE of 7.4 ± 5.0 mm with an average interaction time of 132.1 ± 66.4 s, and the AR-based method had mTREs of 8.3 ± 5.0 mm with interaction times of 58 ± 52 s. Conclusions: Based on the authors' evaluation, the authors conclude that the registration approaches are sufficiently accurate for initializing 2D/3D registration in the OR setting, both when a tracking system is not in use (gesture based approach), and when a tracking system is already in use (AR based approach)« less
Yolk is a source of maternal testosterone for developing birds

Abstract The sex steroid hormones that affect development in birds have been thought to be produced exclusively by the embryo or neonate. I used radioimmunoassay to measure the amounts of androstenedione, 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, testosterone, 17 beta-estradiol, and corticosterone in the yolk of freshly laid canary (Serinus canaria) and zebra finch (Poephila guttata) eggs. Testosterone was found in both canary and zebra finch eggs, but its contents were much higher in the former than in the latter. The testosterone content of canary eggs in a same clutch increased with the order of laying, regardless of the genetic sex of the offspring that hatched from these eggs. Yolk testosterone was also present in the eggs of female canaries that were kept without a male, indicating that it is of maternal origin. The social rank of juvenile canaries was positively correlated with the concentration of yolk testosterone in the eggs from which they hatched, suggesting that the development of aggressive behavior of offspring might be subject to modification by maternal testosterone. These findings indicate that female songbirds can bestow upon their eggs a dose of hormone that modifies the behavior of offspring. Variable doses of these hormones might explain some of the individual variation in offspring behavior.
Some effects of “back-up” reinforcers on reading behavior ☆ ☆☆

Abstract The effects of number increases in a counter (“counter-only”) and “counter with back-up” reinforcement are compared in a thirty-six session reading experiment with a 6-year-old school girl. During the first eighteen sessions number increases in a counter were initially reinforcing to reading behavior, but the original response rate proved to be not recoverable after a six-session extinction (counter off) period. In the final eighteen sessions back-up reinforcers allowed the S to redeem counter readings for a variety of items of her own choosing. With S-selected back-up reinforcers the reading rate before and after extinction was high and steady and the total amount of responding was considerably above the amount of reading obtained with the counter alone.
Identification of the Limiting Species in the Plutonium(IV) Carbonate System. Solid State and Solution Molecular Structure of the [Pu(CO3)5]6- Ion

The identity of the limiting Pu(IV) species under high carbonate concentrations has been determined to be Pu(CO3)56-. Single crystals of [Na6Pu(CO3)5]2·Na2CO3·33H2O were obtained from a 0.15 M solution of Pu(IV) in 2.6M Na2CO3. The asymmetric unit contains a complex network consisting of [Pu(CO3)5]6- anions and Na+ cations which are linked through interactions with CO32- and H2O ligands. Each Na+ ion is coordinated to the O atoms of H2O or CO32- ligands such that the Na+ ions achieve either octahedral or square-based pyramidal coordination. The [Pu(CO3)5]6- anion can be viewed as a pseudohexagonal bipyramid with three CO32- ligands in a equatorial plane and two in axial positions. EXAFS data for Pu(IV) in 2.5M Na2CO3 solution were collected at the Pu LIII edge. Curve fitting reveals three shells in the FT spectrum. The first shell contains ten O atoms with Pu−O = 2.42(2) A; the second shell was fit with five C atoms with Pu- - -C = 2.89(2) A; and the third shell was fit with five O atoms with Pu- - -O = 4...
Did medieval trade activity and a viral etiology control the spatial extent and seasonal distribution of Black Death mortality

summary Recent research into the world’s greatest recorded epidemic, the Medieval Black Death (MBD), has cast doubt on Bubonic Plague as the etiologic agent. Prior research has recently culminated in outstanding advances in our understanding of the spatio-temporal pattern of MBD mortality, and a characterization of the incubation, latent, infectious, and symptomatic periods of the MBD. However, until now, several mysteries remained unexplained, including perhaps the biggest quandary of all: why did the MBD exhibit inverse seasonal peaks in mortality from diseases recorded in modern times, such as seasonal Influenza or the Indian Plague Epidemics of the early 1900s? Although some have argued that climate changes likely explain the observed differences between modern clinical Bubonic Plague seasonality and MBD mortality accounts, we believe that another factor explains these dissimilarities. Here, we provide a synthetic hypothesis which builds upon previous theories developed in the last ten years or so. Our allencompassing theory explains the causation, dissemination, and lethality of the MBD. We theorize that the MBD was a human-to-human transmitted virus, originating in East-Central Asia and not Africa (as some recent work has proposed), and that its areal extent during the first great epidemic wave of 1347–1350 was controlled hierarchically by proximity to trade routes. We also propose that the seasonality of medieval trade controlled the warm-weather mortality peaks witnessed during 1347–1350; during the time of greatest market activity, traders, fairgoers, and religious pilgrims served as unintentional vectors of a lethal virus with an incubation period of 32 days, including a largely asymptomatic yet infectious period of roughly three weeks. We include a description of the rigorous research agenda that we have proposed in order to subject our theory to scientific scrutiny and a description of our plans to generate the first publicly available georeferenced GIS dataset pertaining to MBD mortality, as far as we are aware. This proposed theory, if supported by our aggressive and statistically robust proposed research activities, finally contains all of the elements necessary to convincingly reanalyze both the greatest historical epidemic of the last millennium, and the risk to modern populations in light of such findings.
Evaluation of M-band orthonormal filter banks: hierarchical and direct structures

This paper compares the objective and subjective performance of direct and hierarchical subband decomposition schemes for image coding. It is observed that the hierarchical subband schemes outperform the direct structures in image coding. It is also shown that the dyadic tree subband codec outperforms the full-tree case for the image coding experiments performed in this study.
Four-color photometry of the Galilean satellites

Photometry obtained in 1973 on the uvby system yields high-precision rotational light curves for Io, Europa, and Ganymede at a mean phase angle of about 6 deg. By combining our observations with photometry obtained by others over a broader range of phase angle, we also derive improved values for the phase coefficients and opposition surges of the four Galilean satellites. The values of V(1, 0) obtained by linear extrapolation to zero phase are accurate to + or - 0.03 magnitudes. We also derive the colors of the sun on the uvby system and use these to obtain albedos of the satellites in four colors.
College chemistry students' mental models of acids and acid strength

The central goal of this study was to characterize the mental models of acids and acid strength expressed by advanced college chemistry students when engaged in prediction, explanation, and justification tasks that asked them to rank chemical compounds based on their relative acid strength. For that purpose we completed a qualitative research study involving students enrolled in different types of organic chemistry course sections at our university. Our analysis led to the identification of four distinct mental models, some of which resembled scientific models of acids and acid strength. However, the distinct models are better characterized as synthetic models that combined assumptions from one or more scientific models with intuitive beliefs about factors that determine the properties of chemical substances. For many students in our sample, mental models served more as tools for heuristic decision-making based on intuitively appealing, but many times mistaken, concept associations rather than as cognitive tools to generate explanations. Although many research participants used a single general mental model to complete all of the interview tasks, the presence of specific problem features or changes in the nature of the task (e.g., prediction vs. explanation) prompted several students to change their mental model or to add a different mental representation. Our study indicates that properly diversifying and sequencing the types of academic tasks in which students are asked to participate could better foster meaningful learning as different types of cognitive resources may be activated by different students, and thus shared, analyzed, and discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Inc. J Res Sci Teach 48: 396–413, 2011
Derivation radical subspace arrangements

a b s t r a c t In this note we study modules of derivations on collections of linear subspaces in a finite dimensional vector space. The central aim is to generalize the notion of freeness from hyperplane arrangements to subspace arrangements. We call this generalization ‘derivation radical’. We classify all coordinate subspace arrangements that are derivation radical and show that certain subspace arrangements of the Braid arrangement are derivation radical. We conclude by proving that under an algebraic condition the subspace arrangement consisting of all codimension c intersections, where c is fixed, of a free hyperplane arrangement are derivation radical. Published by Elsevier B.V.
An actor-centred approach to multi-level governance

(1996). An actor‐centred approach to multi‐level governance. Regional & Federal Studies: Vol. 6, The Regional Dimension of the European Union Towards a Third Level in Europe?, pp. 20-38.
In vitro degradation behavior of chitosan based hybrid microparticles

The degradation properties of the MPs is important to the long-term benefits of the use of the chitosan (CS) based hybrid MPs in bone tissue-engineering, because the degradation kinetics could affect a multitude of processes within the cell, such as cell growth, tissue regeneration, and host response. The aim of this study was to investigate the degradation of solid, hybrid CS microparticles (MPs), CS-10% calcium phosphate (CaHPO4, w/w), and CS-10% calcium carbonate (CaCO3, w/w) MPs in phosphate buffered solution (PBS) over a 30-week period. The hybrid MPs were synthesized by emulsification technique, cross-linked with 64% sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP), purified and air dried overnight. Each sample had 30 mg of MPs was placed in a glass vial with 9 ml of PBS added and then the vial was closed to prevent evaporation. Every week 4 ml of the incubated solution was removed for sample measurement and all samples were replaced with an equivalent amount of fresh medium. The samples were maintained at 37oC under continuous shaking. The hybrid MPs were measured for pH and calcium release, every week in triplicate. At 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 weeks, surface and bulk morphology were analyzed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The degradation data suggested that the hybrid MPs were stable at least up to 25 week and maintain the physiologically relevant pH. Therefore, we can use these hybrid MPs to apply in the bone tissue engineering applications since they do not degrade within a short period.
Water relations of insecticide resistant and susceptible German cockroaches (dictyoptera: Blattellidae)

1. 1. Percentage total body water content (%TBW), cuticular permeability (CP), and rate of water loss were determined for insecticide resistant and susceptible strains of the German cockroach, Blatlella germanica (L.). 2. 2. Initial body mass ranged from means of95.52–122.72mg, for female insecticide susceptible (ACY strain) and resistant (Maple) strains, respectively. Initial body mass of males ranged from means of 58.36 mg for a resistant strain (109) to 65.18 mg for a susceptible strain (Black). There were no differences in initial mass of nymphs among strains. 3. 3. Mean % total body water (%TBW) ranged from 68.21 to 71.95 for adult males, 66.78–71.89 for adult females and 70.56–71.61 for nymphs. ACY strain adults had greater %TBW than the other strains. There were no differences in %TBW of nymphs among strains. 4. 4. Mean cuticular permeabiity was not affected by initial mass for any stage or strain and ranged from 11.34 to 32.69 μg/cm2/hr/mmHg for nymphal and male susceptible strain (Black) B. germanica, respectively. 5. 5. Cumulative mass and %TBW lost increased linearly with desiccation time. 6. 6. Water relations of B. germanica are not related to levels of insecticide resistance.
Abdominal vagotomy does not block carbohydrate-conditioned flavor preferences in rats

The effects of abdominal vagotomy on the flavor preferences conditioned by Polycose (a maltodextrin) were investigated in female rats. Using an oral-delay training method, a modest conditioned flavor preference (67%) was obtained in control rats but not in rats with subtotal abdominal vagotomy (hepatic branch intact). The rats were fed a chow diet, and gastric stasis in the vagotomized rats may have interfered with preference learning. To facilitate conditioning, the rats were switched to a liquid maintenance diet and trained with new flavors paired with intragastric (IG) infusions of Polycose and water. With this procedure, the vagotomized and control rats acquired strong preferences (83-88%) for the flavor paired with IG Polycose. In a second experiment, flavor preferences conditioned by IG Polycose were obtained in rats with total abdominal vagotomy although the preference was attenuated relative to control rats (79% vs. 97%). Gastric motor problems (dumping) may have been a factor because the vagotomized rats consumed much less flavored solution (and therefore received less IG Polycose) during training than did controls. These findings indicate that an intact vagus nerve is not necessary to obtain carbohydrate-conditioned preferences, although vagotomy may interfere with the conditioning in some experimental situations.
Patient-Controlled Analgesia in Patients with Sickle Cell Vaso-Occlusive Crisis

ABSTRACT Pain control using intramuscular analgesia is often unsatisfactory in sickle cell patients. In a pilot study, 15 patients with sickle cell anemia (SS) and one patient with SB thalassemia in vaso-occlusive crisis were treated with the Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) technique using a Pharmacia Deltec Programmable pump (CADD PC A). Age range was 19–50 years (median = 27); there were nine females and seven males. The protocol consisted of 3 days of therapy using a background of continuous infusion meperidine. The starting dose was 20 mg/hr and was escalated to 30 mg/hr. The average amount given was 25.8 mg/hr. One to two boluses of 2.5–5.0 mg/dose (mode = 5.0) were also allowed each hour. In addition, patients number 8 through 16 were given hydroxyzine (Vistaril) 50 mg PO q6h. The number of days in pain prior to study entry (mean ± SD) was 3.3 ± 1.6. The number of pain sites per patient was 3.6 ± 1.2. Using categorical and analog pain scales, patients’ pain scores decreased only about 30%. However, most patients were fairly satisfied with the treatment and rated it overall as follows: 1 poor, 1 fair, 3 good, 6 very good, 4 excellent, 1 no comment. Patients number 8 through 16 gave higher ratings probably because a more idealized dosage regimen was being used by that time in the study. There were no adverse effects or major problems noted. It is our impression that PCA, when optimized, will be a safe and effective alternative method for providing patients with sickle cell vaso-occlusive crisis pain relief.
Closed cosmological solutions to Einstein’s field equations

I n th i s n o t e we p r e s e n t a p r e s c r i p t i o n m a d e for ~ geome t r i z ing ~> t h e space t ime man i fo ld as a n e x t e n s i o n of W h e e l e r ' s (( w o r m h o l e ~> t h e o r y (1). I n t he m e t h o d pres e n t e d a se t of va r iab les , t e r m e d q u a n t a l un i t s , is i n c t r o d u e e d i n to t h e cosmological e q u a t i o n s and , w h i c h a re cons idered to ac t as a n a d d i t i o n a l cons t r a in t , w h i c h m a k e imp l i ca t i ons a b o u t poss ible closed cosmological so lu t ions (2,3). R e c e n t e x p e r i m e n t a l ev idence is c i t ed for a closed un ive r se t heo ry . WHEELER (1) a t t e m p t e d to geome t r i ze t h e space t ime m a n i f o l d in t e r m s of a ( , t e r m e d t h e W h e e l e r ( >, 1 = (Gh/ca)L WHEELER p ic tu re s t he m e t r i c of h is space as f luc tua t ions in a m u l t i p l e c o n n e c t e d foaml ike s t r u c t u r e in w h i c h t h e m i c r o c u r v a t u r e ha s a scale (( size ,~ of l cha rac t e r i s t i c of his topology. Th i s topological s t r u c t u r e , accord ing to W H ~ L E R , desc r ibed b y t h e use of t h e q u a n t a l u n i t s or P l a n e k u n i t s in W h e e l e r ' s t e rmino logy , appl ies to t h e topo logy of t he U n i v e r s e as a whole, to s t a r sy s t em s a n d to s y s t e m s h a v i n g less t h a n a t o m i c d imens ions (a). Also t h e m i c r o e u r v a t u r e sets a lower l imi t on t h e m e a n i n g f u l i n t e r v a l s of l e n g t h a n d t ime . He also discusses a q u a n t u m of mass , m = (eh/G) 89 a n d a q u a n t u m of energy, E ~ (]~cS/G) 89 Ear l ie r , P~A~CK (~) de r i ved d i m e n s i o n e d q u a n t i t i e s in t e r m s of t h e f u n d a m e n t a l un ive r sM c o n s t a n t s ~ (P l anck ' s c o n s t a n t ) , G (un iversa l g r a v i t a t i o n a l cons t an t ) , c (veloci ty of l ight) . T he q u a n t i t i e s P l a n e k i n t r o d u c e d were
Mesospheric sulfate aerosol layer

[1] We investigate the heretofore unstudied role of volcanic and nonvolcanic sulfur aerosols and gases in the mesosphere. Two-dimensional microphysical calculations show that sulfur may be an important source of particles below the cold summer mesopause. Observed increases in SO2 with altitude in the upper stratosphere had previously suggested ultraviolet destruction of H2SO4, discounting its survival in the mesosphere. Laboratory measurements have now ruled out ultraviolet photolysis of H2SO4, however, and a recent proposal of visible and near-infrared photolysis of H2SO4 explains the SO2 observations. Our calculations show that enough H2SO4 survives this weak photolysis mechanism to produce significant sulfate aerosol surface area in the mesosphere. Neutralization of H2SO4 by metals on the surfaces of meteoritic dust is modeled and affects the mesospheric aerosol negligibly. We discuss the possible implications for this new class of particles for the formation of polar mesospheric summer echoes and polar mesospheric clouds in volcanically quiescent and active periods.
At least two mRNA species contribute to the properties of rat brain A-type potassium channel expressed in xenopus oocytes

Fast transient K+ channels (A channels) of the type operating in the subthreshold region for Na+ action potential generation were expressed in Xenopus oocytes injected with rat brain poly(A) RNA. Sucrose gradient fractionation of the RNA separates mRNAs encoding A-currents (6-7 kb) from mRNAs encoding other voltage-dependent K+ channels. A-currents expressed with fractionated mRNA differ in kinetics and pharmacology from A-currents expressed with total mRNA. The original properties of the A-currents can be reconstituted when small mRNAs (2-4 kb) are added to the large mRNA fraction. Thus the properties of the A-currents expressed with total poly(A) RNA depend on the presence of more than one mRNA species. mRNA(s) present in the large RNA fraction must encode channel subunits since they express an A-current by themselves. The small mRNA(s) may encode a second subunit(s) or a factor, such as an enzymatic activity that modulates the properties of the channels, which could play a role in generating A-channel functional diversity.
Desensitization of Brain Opiate Receptor Mechanisms by Gonadal Steroid Treatments that Stimulate Luteinizing Hormone Secretion

We studied the effects of two ovarian steroid treatments that induce proestrous-like surges in LH secretion on responsiveness to morphine sulfate (MS), as measured by induced hypothermic, antinociceptive, behavioral, and LH secretory changes. Ovariectomized rats received no steroids (OVX), 7.5 ng estradiol benzoate 2 days before the experiment (EB), or EB and then 5 mg progesterone 48 h later (EBP). MS administration coincided with the steroid-induced LH hypersecretion that occurs in the EB and EBP rats at 1530–1630 h. Serum LH concentrations were determined 30 min after administration of MS. In OVX and EB rats, MS caused a dosedependent decrease in serum LH, but even 20 mg/kg MS did not alter serum LH during the EBP-induced LH surge. Brainmediated morphine-induced analgesia was evaluated in the three steroid treatment groups from measurement of latency to pawlick on a hot plate. EB and EBP rats were less responsive than OVX rats to MS-induced antinociception. EB and EBP rats were also less responsive tha...
Disaster preparedness measures: a test case development and application

Purpose – This paper sets out to develop disaster preparedness measurement methodology using a small test case of two communities. It is aimed at furthering discussion of the issues and complexities of developing measurement of preparedness indicators for application and utilization.Design/methodology/approach – The study used a multi‐modal approach, utilizing several data sources, including: a survey of essential facility managers in the two communities; document data extracted from the two city's Comprehensive Plans, Budgets, and the Emergency Operation Plans; and key informant interviews. Data collected from these sources formed the basis of the model construction and testing.Findings – The primary conclusion is that a preparedness measurement model, while inherently difficult to construct and execute, has the potential to assist in the comparison and evaluation of community preparedness. Further such development requires additional refinement, calibration, and applied testing.Research limitations/impl...
Increasing the “Smoking Age”: The Right Thing to Do

A critical aspect of tobacco control is to prevent young people from ever becoming smokers. Toward this aim, New York City has proposed to increase the legal age of sale for tobacco products from 1...
Colon perforation due to cholesterol embolism

Embolization to the gastrointestinal tract is a common complication of systemic atheroembolism, but is rarely catastrophic. This study describes perforation of the colon with fatal peritonitis in a 65-year-old patient following cholesterol embolization to the intestinal tract.
Membership Change and Collective Voting Change in the United States Supreme Court

Scholars and other observers of the Supreme Court generally perceive that change in the Court's membership is the primary source of change in its policies and decisional patterns. This article is an effort to test that perception by examining the sources of collective voting change in civil liberties decisions during the 1946-1985 terms of the Court. Focusing on periods of significant change in collective voting behavior during this era, the analysis shows that membership change was the primary source of voting change overall but that change in the voting behavior of continuing members played a major role in producing collective voting change during some periods.
Rapid Detection of Ampicillin-Resistant Haemophilus influenzae and Their Susceptibility to Sixteen Antibiotics

Ampicillin-resistant and -susceptible strains of Haemophilus influenzae were tested for susceptibility to 16 antibiotics. Chloramphenicol and a new cephalosporin, cefamandole, were most active with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for all bacteria tested between 0.5 to 2.0 μg/ml. All but two organisms were susceptible to tetracycline. Ampicillin-resistant strains of H. influenzae were less susceptible (MIC, 4 to 32 μg/ml) to carbenicillin and ticarcillin than ampicillin-susceptible organisms (MIC, 0.25 to 1.0 μg/ml). A rapid assay for β-lactamase, utilizing a chromogenic cephalosporin substrate, detected enzyme production in all 17 ampicillin-resistant strains of H. influenzae . Images
Plastocyanin: Structural and functional analysis

Plastocyanin is one of the best characterized of the photosynthetic electron transfer proteins. Since the determination of the structure of poplar plastocyanin in 1978, the structure of algal (Scenedesmus, Enteromorpha, Chlamydomonas) and plant (French bean) plastocyanins has been determined either by crystallographic or NMR methods, and the poplar structure has been refined to 1.33 A resolution. Despite the sequence divergence among plastocyanins of algae and vascular plants (e.g., 62% sequence identity between theChlamydomonas and poplar proteins), the three-dimensional structures are remarkably conserved (e.g., 0.76 A rms deviation in the Cα positions between theChlamydomonas and poplar proteins). Structural features include a distorted tetrahedral copper binding site at one end of an eight-stranded antiparallel β-barrel, a pronounced negative patch, and a flat hydrophobic surface. The copper site is optimized for its electron transfer function, and the negative and hydrophobic patches are proposed to be involved in recognition of physiological reaction partners. Chemical modification, cross-linking, and site-directed mutagenesis experiments have confirmed the importance of the negative and hydrophobic patches in binding interactions with cytochromef and Photosystem I, and validated the model of two functionally significant electron transfer paths in plastocyanin. One putative electron transfer path is relatively short (∼4 A) and involves the solvent-exposed copper ligand His-87 in the hydrophobic patch, while the other is more lengthy (∼12–15 A) and involves the nearly conserved residue Tyr-83 in the negative patch.
Useful distraction: Ritualized behavior as an opportunity for recalibration

Responding to potential hazards is likely to require precaution-related recalibration, the extensive integration of complex variables related to inferred risk and fitness. By swamping working memory with goal-demoted actions and focusing recalibration on the inferred threat, ritualized behaviors may serve to increase the efficacy of precaution-related recalibration. This benefit may be an important mechanism maintaining non-pathological ritualized behavior.
Identification and characterization of a brain-specific antigen enriched in neonatal brain. I. Developmental, regional distribution and molecular weight studies.

Abstract An antiserum raised to the 20–40% ammonium sulfate cut of the soluble proteins extracted from whole neonatal rat brain has been absorbed with liver affinity columns. The absorbed antiserum recognizes a high molecular weight antigen(s) that is (i) restricted to nervous tissue, (ii) enriched in neonatal rat brain, and (iii) present from the 17th day of gestation throughout adult life. The name given to this brain-specific antigen(s) is NABSA, short for ‘neonatal-associated brain-specific antigen’. NABSA is immunologically unrelated to S-100 or 14-3-2. NABSA levels in whole rat brain increased soon after birth. The specific activity of NABSA at 2–3 days postpartum reached 3–5-fold higher levels than are found in adult brain. NABSA declined to adult levels by the 10th postnatal day, well before CNS maturation was complete. Regional variations in NABSA levels were found in the rat neonate; highest activities occurred in neonatal cerebellum. Similar variations were observed in adult brain.
Euler analysis of a swirl recovery vane design for use with an advanced single-rotation propfan

Recent work has demonstrated the propulsive efficiency improvement available from single- and counter-rotation propfans as compared with current technology high bypass ratio turbofans. The concept known as swirl recovery vanes (SRV) is examined through the use of a 3-D Euler code. At high speed cruise conditions, the SRV can improve the efficiency level of a single-rotation propfan, but a concern is to have adequate hub choke margin. The SRV was designed with 2-D methods and was predicted to have hub choking at Mach 0.8 cruise. The 3-D Euler analysis properly accounts for sweep effects and 3-D relief, and predicts that at cruise the SRV will recover roughly 5 percent of the 10 percent efficiency loss due to swirl and have a good hub choke margin.
A new procedure to reinforce fixed provisional restorations.

The typical unreinforced fixed partial denture provisional restoration commonlyfails because of fractures and loss of cement retention. A procedure to reinforce the provisional restoration with a substructure of orthodontic band material has dramatically increased the longevity of this restoration. The procedure requires commonly available materials without a significant increase in cost or construction time.
Heavy family masses: Analytic results

Abstract We solve analytically the one-loop renormalization group equations for the fermion mass matrices and the quartic coupling, assuming a perturbative SU(3)×SU(2)×U(1) desert, one elementary Higgs boson and any number of families. The low energy asymptotic forms of our exact results show how the infrared fixed point structure arises and leads to predictions of heavy family masses. The sum of the squares of the quark masses is (290 GeV) 2 and the Higgs mass is 240 GeV, for one heavy family; similar predictions hold if there are more families.
208 ACCURACY OF EXPIRATORY CO2 MEASUREMENTS IN SMALL SUBJECTS USING THE COAXIAL AND CIRCLE BREATHING CIRCUITS

Mass spectrometry is widely used to measure end-tidal concentrations of inhalation anesthetics and other gases during and after surgery in order to estimate their arterial concentrations. When certain breathing circuits are used in newborns, however, fresh gas flow may contaminate the expired sample, introducing a systematic error in the measurement of any end-tidal gas concentration. This error was estimated using CO2 as an indicator substance of expired gas. The capnograms and the difference between PaCO2 and peak-expired CO2 (PeCO2) were compared when either a coaxial or circle circuit was used to ventilate paralyzed newborn piglets. Gas was sampled from proximal and distal tracheal sites. No combination of standard circuit and sampling site produced a flat alveolar phase until the circle circuit was modified slightly to reduce gas mixing. Mean PaCO2-PeCO2 using the coaxial/proximal sampling, coaxial/distal sampling, and modified circle/proximal sampling circuits were 12.4, 9.2, 8.8 mm Hg, respectively. Mean PeCO2 of each combination was significantly different from PaCO2 (p<.05). Using the modified circle circuit with distal sampling, mean PaCO2 in 17 piglets was 2.2 ± 0.2 mm Hg (SEM), range 0–6 mmHg, with 95%, confidence limits for each point ≤ 8 mmHg. The modified circle system with distal tracheal sampling produces accurate results, although the standard coaxial and circle circuits do not.
Bioaccessibility of pro-vitamin A carotenoids is minimally affected by non pro-vitamin a xanthophylls in maize (Zea mays sp.).

The absorption of some carotenoids has been reported to be decreased by coingestion of relatively high concentrations of other carotenoids. It is unclear if such interactions occur among carotenoid...