cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Penicillin iontophoresis and the responses of somatosensory cortical neurons to amino acids

Abstract In low doses ( In moderate doses (100–600 nA) penicillin iontophoresis produced enhanced neuronal firing rates in the majority of units. At these same doses of penicillin weak, non-specific, and reversible antagonism of responses to inhibitory amino acids was demonstrated in the inverse order of potency l -glycine (GLY) > β-alanine (ALA) > GABA. The excitatory effects of d,l -homocysteic acid (HC) or l -glutamate (GLU) were not significantly potentiated by comparable penicillin doses (200–400 nA), suggesting against postsynaptic hypersensitivity to these excitatory agents. In higher doses (700 nA−2 μA) penicillin iontophoresis induced the gradual onset of initially negative electrocorticogram (ECoG) discharges. These were seen first in the depth and then surface ECoG with gradually increasing amplitude depending on the dose and duration of iontophoresis. A non-specific decreased response to inhibitory amino acids was observed prior to the onset of unit bursting or depth ECoG discharges. GABA log dose-response curves obtained during modernate and high dose penicillin iontophoresis appeared non-competitive. The weak, non-specific, and reversible decreased response to inhibitory amino acids observed during moderate to high dose penicillin iontophoresis was interpreted as a secondary phenomenon related to penicillin-induced excitation rather than to receptor antagonism.
Crystallographic characterization of a principal non-toxic lectin from seeds of Ricinus communis.

Abstract Large hexagonal crystals of ricinus lectin, present as a major component in the seeds of Ricinus communis, have been obtained at 4 °C in the presence of polyethylene glycol 6000 by vapor diffusion against media containing acetic acid. The crystals are of space group P622, with hexagonal unit cell parameters a = b = 166 A and c = 341 A . The asymmetric unit contains two molecules of molecular weight 125,000. The crystals are extremely unstable, both to environmental changes and to X-irradiation, and have a solvent content of approximately 55% by volume.
Studies on the active site of sheep trypsin.

Abstract In a continuing effort to obtain information regarding the active site of trypsin and chymotrypsin, studies have been extended to both pork and dog-fish pancreas (Rovery et al. , 1960 ; Prahl and Neurath, 1962) . The results of the studies on pork trypsin suggest that it is a molecule with physical properties somewhat comparable to the bovine species but with large changes in its primary structure (Travis and Liener, 1965) . These differences do not, apparently, extend to the active centers of these molecules since it has been shown that amino acid sequences are highly conserved in these areas (Travis and Liener, 1965a ; Smith and Liener, 1967) . This report shows that at least some of these structural similarities extend to the sheep species, and also suggests a possible reason for the autolytic nature of both bovine and sheep trypsins.
The ethics of ennoblement: A review of Leopold on leisure and of Callicott on Leopold

Callicott, J. Baird (Ed.). Companion to “A Sand County Almanac”: Interpretive and Critical Essays. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press. 1987. 293 pp. $12.95 (paper).
Management of streptococcal empyema.

ew environments provide the surgeon such a broad sampling of the etiological and therapeutic spectrum of empyema as do the F larger military hospitals. In the calendar year 1965, 49 patients suffering from empyema were admitted for definitive treatment to the thoracic surgical section of the U.S. Naval Hospital, San Diego, Calif. These 49 cases constituted 9% of all admissions to that service and 16% of all admissions with pulmonary ailments. Eighteen bacterial and fungal agents were recovered by smear or culture. The duration of the empyema varied from 1 day to 48 years. Three patients succumbed to the disease, all with advanced concurrent neoplasm. Treatment, as in previous years, consisted of open or closed drainage, pleural debridement or decortication, conventional or Schede thoracoplasty, and administration of appropriate antibiotics. An unusual epidemic of 29 cases of beta hemolytic streptococcal pneumonia provided us with a homogeneous group of 25 otherwise healthy young men with acute pleural empyema of extreme toxicity. These 25 cases with reference to specific treatment factors comprise the basis of this report.
The role of ragweed pollen in autumnal asthma

Abstract Thirty-nine ragweed-allergic seasonal asthmatics were studied from 1972 to 1974. After quantitative skin tests, antigen E-induced leukocyte histamine release, quantitative inhalation bronchial challenge with ragweed extract to determine PD 35 (provocation dose of allergen causing 35% decrease in specific airways conductance), and radioallergosorbent test (RAST) determinations were done, patients were paired based on PD 35 values and randomly assigned to treatment or placebo groups, receiving either aqueous ragweed extract or placebo prior to the 1973 ragweed season. Treated patients received a mean cumulative dose of extract equivalent to 11.7 μg antigen E (4,180 protein nitrogen units [PNU]). Twenty-nine patients were followed through the ragweed season with daily symptom diaries and biweekly physician examinations. Severity of disease was not predictable by PD 35 data, skin tests, leukocyte histamine release, or radioallergosorbent test (RAST) values. Although all patients were ragweed-allergic by objective tests, only 1329 had asthma symptoms correlating with ragweed counts. Mold spore counts were related significantly to symptoms in some patients. Asthma and hay fever symptoms correlated significantly in 2429 patients. This dose of immunotherapy caused no significant difference to be found in asthma or hay fever symptoms in treated versus placebo patients for the 1973 reporting period as determined by physician evaluations or daily symptom diaries. No patients showed significant improvement in PD 35 values after treatment in 1973. Similar findings were obtained for a smaller group of patients followed through the 1974 ragweed season who received a mean dose of 31.2 μg antigen E (11,140 PNU). The failure of these patients to show a response to immunotherapy could be due to a combination of the relatively low dose of ragweed extract and their sensitivity to other allergens.
Small-tunneling-amplitude boson-Hubbard dimer. II. Dynamics

We present analytical relations for the quantum evolution of the number difference of bosons between the two sites of a double-well potential, by using perturbative results for small tunneling amplitudes in the two-mode approximation. Results are obtained for two different initial conditions: completely localized states and coherent spin states. In the former case both the short and the long time behavior is investigated and the characteristic Bohr frequencies of the energy spectrum are determined. In the latter case we calculate the short time-scale evolution of the number difference. The analytical expressions compare favorably with direct numerical solutions of the quantum problem. Finally, we discuss the corresponding Gross-Pitaevskii (i.e., mean-field) dynamics and we point out the differences between the full quantum evolution and the mean-field evolution.
Pssst, over here: Communicating without fixed infrastructure

This paper discusses a way to communicate without relying on fixed infrastructure at some central hub. This can be useful for bootstrapping loosely connected peer-to-peer systems, as well as for circumventing egregious policy-based blocking (e.g., for censorship purposes). Our techniques leverage the caching and aging properties of DNS records to create a covert channel of sorts that can be used to store ephemeral information. The only requirement imposed on the actors wishing to publish and/or retrieve this information is that they share a secret that only manifests outside the system and is never directly encoded within the network itself. We conduct several experiments that illustrate the efficacy of our techniques to exchange an IP address that is presumed to be a rendezvous point for future communication.
Access to Specialty Health Care for Rural American Indians in Two States

: Context:The Indian Health Service (IHS), whose per capita expenditure for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) health services is about half that of the US civilian population, is the only source of health care funding for many rural AI/ANs. Specialty services, largely funded through contracts with outside practitioners, may be limited by low IHS funding levels. Purpose: To examine specialty service access among rural Indian populations in two states. Methods: A 31-item mail survey addressing perceived access to specialty physicians, barriers to access, and access to non-physician clinical services was sent to 106 primary care providers in rural Indian health clinics in Montana and New Mexico (overall response rate 60.4%) and 95 primary care providers in rural non-Indian clinics within 25 miles of the Indian clinics (overall response rate 57.9%). Findings: Substantial proportions of rural Indian clinic providers in both states reported fair or poor non-emergent specialty service access for their patients. Montana's rural Indian clinic providers reported poorer patient access to specialty care than rural non-Indian clinic providers, while New Mexico's rural Indian and non-Indian providers reported comparable access. Indian clinic providers in both states most frequently cited financial barriers to specialty care. Indian clinic providers reported better access to most non-physician services than non-Indian clinic providers. Conclusions: Reported limitations in specialty care access for rural Indian clinic patients appear to be influenced by financial constraints. Health care systems factors may play a role in perceived differences in specialty access between rural Indian and non-Indian clinic patients.
Combinatorial effect of Si4 +, Ca2 +, and Mg2 + released from bioactive glasses on osteoblast osteocalcin expression and biomineralization

Osteocalcin (OCN) expression is an essential osteogenic marker of successful bone regeneration therapies. This study hypothesizes that Si(4+) and Ca(2+) combinatorial released by bioactive glass enhance osteoblast biomineralization through up-regulation of OCN expression; and Mg(2+) release delays such enhancement. Osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) were treated with ionic products of bioactive glass dissolution (6P53-b experimental bioactive glass and 45S5 commercial Bioglass™). Results showed that gene expressions, including OCN and its up-stream transcription factors (Runx2, ATF4, MSX1, SP7/OSX), growth factors and signaling proteins (BMP2, BMP6, SMAD3), were enhanced in both 45S5 and 6P53-b glass conditioned mediums (GCMs). This up-regulation led to enhanced mineral formation by 45S5 glass conditioned mediums ([GCM], Si(4+)+Ca(2+)) after 20 days, and by 45S5 GCM and 6P53-b GCM (Si(4+)+Ca(2+)+Mg(2+)) after 30 days. In examining the extracellular matrix generated by cells when exposed to each GCM, it was found that 45S5 GCM had slightly elevated levels of mineral content within ECM as compared to 6P53-b GCM after 30 days while control treatments exhibited no mineral content. The formation of well-defined mineralized nodules (distinct PO4(3-) [960 cm(-1)] and CO3(2-) [1072 cm(-1)] peaks from Raman Spectra) was observed for each GCM as the soluble glass content increased. In examining the individual and combined ion effects between Si(4+), Ca(2+), and Mg(2+), it was found Mg(2+) down-regulates OCN expression. Thus, ions released from both 45S5 and 6P53-b bioactive glasses up-regulate OCN expression and biomineralization while 6P53-b GCM Mg(2+) release down-regulated OCN expression and delayed osteoblast biomineralization. These results indicate that Si(4+), Ca(2+), and Mg(2+) combinatorially regulate osteoblast OCN expression and biomineralization.
The therapeutic misconception, beneficence, and respect

In order to provide benefits to society, human medical trials must place subjects at risk of harm. This activity is thought to be justified in part by the consent of the subjects involved. But, studies have shown that most such consents are based on a therapeutic misconception (TM); the false belief of subjects that their researchers will act as their personal physicians (seeking their benefit and protecting them from harm), rather than placing them at risk of harm for the good of others. Toleration by researchers of the TM in their subjects is a form of "informational manipulation" that renders consent procedures disrespectful to subject autonomy. Consent obtained from subjects who labor under a TM is neither voluntary nor informed; as long as they have not been disabused of the TM, the action they take in enrolling in a trial is not the one they intend nor is it autonomously chosen. Changes in consent procedures should be adopted to ensure that all subjects are aware inter alia that (a) the health interests of future patients (as well as the researchers' and their sponsors' financial interests) may be more important to researchers than the interest of a subject in his or her health, and (b) normal subjects neither understand nor believe this when told. Close attention to the response of prospective subjects to this information should allow for the exclusion of all but the truly altruistic. However, the result of conscientious implementation of such policies would likely be that human medical research could no longer be conducted on more than a minimal level.
Methylene blue alters retention of inhibitory avoidance responses

These experiments examined the effects of methylene blue on retention, by rats and mice, of an inhibitory avoidance response. The studies using mice investigated the effects of graded doses of methylene blue administered shortly before or after training. A 500-mg/kg dose impaired retention in mice (tested 3 days after training) if administered 15 min, but not 30 or 5 min, prior to training. Further studies with rats indicated that retention was enhanced by a low dose (1.0 mg/kg) administered immediately after training (tested 1 day after training). Retention in rats was not affected by a 1.0-mg/kg dose given 15 min before training, 6 h after training, or 15 min before testing. These results are interpreted in the light of methylene blue’s actions on blood hemoglobin and carbohydrate metabolism.
Hereditary disorders affecting the lacrimal system

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Encountering a patient with lacrimal dysgenesis or agenesis is not an uncommon occurrence in an oculoplastic surgeon's practice. Eliciting a hereditary component in patients with lacrimal disorders is helpful in determining the underlying cause of the condition. The purpose of this review is to assist the clinician in understanding and categorizing those lacrimal disorders with a hereditary component. RECENT FINDINGS Compared with genetic diseases which affect the eyelids, hereditary disorders that affect the lacrimal system are fewer in number. These disorders can be categorized into the following groups: fibroblast growth factor 10 associated disorders, tumor protein p63 associated disorders, disorders associated with the development of the branchial apparatus, and disorders associated with autonomic dysfunction. In addition, there are a number of reports of inherited disorders affecting the lacrimal system that have not been elucidated molecularly. SUMMARY Inherited disorders that affect the lacrimal system are limited in number. Knowledge of these disorders by the oculoplastic surgeon may aid in the correct diagnosis, which in turn will allow appropriate treatment of these patients.
Postoperative Radiation Therapy for Patients Who Have Resected Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

The role of adjuvant postoperative therapy for patients who have resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been controversial. Recent large trials and meta-analysis support a modest, but significant, survival benefit for postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Postoperative radiation therapy has little potential benefit in patients who have N(0) or N(1) disease and should not be used routinely in these patients. There are suggestions of benefit for patients who have N(2) disease, but adequately powered trials have not been conducted to demonstrate a possible small, but clinically worthwhile, survival benefit in this subgroup. Central nervous system relapse has emerged as an increasing problem for patients who have NSCLC; trials of prophylactic cranial irradiation are underway in several cooperative trial groups.
The quality analysis system implemented by fragema

Abstract Systematic statistical processing of measurements and quality control data obtained through manufacturing and conformity inspection is necessary for global knowledge of the fuel quality, which is useful both to the designer and to the manufacturer. For this aim the quality control data management and processing system implemented by FRAGEMA is described and illustrated with examples of the different types of statistical quality reports which are printed out.
Single-Dose Dexamethasone Paclitaxel Premedication

Paclitaxel is one of the most active chemotherapy agents for the treatment of ovarian and other gynecologic cancers. Hypersensitivity reactions (HSR) remain one of the major clinical concerns in the use of paclitaxel. This report deals with 183 consecutive patients treated with paclitaxel chemotherapy. A total of 1010 cycles were administered. Premedication consisted of single-dose intravenous decadron, benadryl, and cimetidine administered immediately prior to chemotherapy. Four hypersensitivity reactions occurred. All patients recovered uneventfully from these reactions. Two of these patients received additional oral decadron followed by the standard premedication and were successfully retreated with multiple courses of paclitaxel therapy without reaction. Our findings confirm other reports that paclitaxel chemotherapy hypersensitivity reactions can be decreased with a single-dose intravenous decadron premedication regimen and that patients who do have paclitaxel HSRs may be safely retreated with paclitaxel.
Dose-dependent decrements in adult male rat sexual behavior after neonatal clorimipramine treatment

Previous studies found that months after clorimipramine (CLI) treatment of male neonatal rats, the mature animals developed behavioral deficits and REM sleep abnormalities that modeled human endogenous depression. In the initial studies neonatal rats received CLI 30 mg/kg/IP daily from age 8 through 21 days. Diminished sexual activity of the adult rats treated neonatally in this manner was a behavioral deficit that supported the depression model. However, in subsequent studies in our laboratory, the same neonatal treatment occasionally failed to produce adult sexual deficiencies found in the initial studies. The inconsistency raised the possibility that neonatal CLI treatment was not a reliable method to produce an animal model of depression. An alternative hypothesis was that the CLI dose was too low. The present study tested this hypothesis. Placebo or one of four CLI doses was administered daily to male neonatal rats (n = 12/treatment group) from age 8 days through 21 days: 30 (the original dose), 40, 50, and 60 mg/kg/IP. Six components of adult sexual behavior were measured at age 5 months. Deficiency of each sexual behavior was found to be dose-dependent (r = 0.5, p < 0.001). The 30 mg/kg/day dose caused deficiencies in some, but not all, sexual behavior measures. Higher doses caused deficiencies in all measures of sexual behavior. The results support the hypothesis that neonatal CLI treatment at doses higher than the original 30 mg/kg/day caused reliable impairments in adult male rat sexual behavior, and therby support the reliability of neonatal CLI treatment to produce an animal model of endogenous depression.
Competitiveness of the Match for Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology Fellowships

Purpose Overall resident interest in certain subspecialties changes with time. We sought to investigate the latest 6-year trend in interventional radiology (IR) and neuroradiology fellowship applications and how it has affected competitiveness in obtaining a position. Methods We analyzed statistics published by the National Resident Matching Program in Results and Data: Specialties Matching Service from 2008 to 2013. From these data, we calculated the positions per IR applicant (PPIRA) and positions per neuroradiology applicant (PPNRA) for each year. Results The number of positions per applicant is one way to assess specialty competitiveness on a supply-and-demand basis. A lower PPIRA or PPNRA indicates a more competitive year. PPIRA has decreased every year, from 1.71 to the present 0.84, and contributed to 52 applicants being unmatched in 2013, up from 9 in 2008. Accordingly, the number of unfilled positions has decreased from 86 in 2008 to 8 in 2013. PPNRA waxed and waned from 2008 to 2010 but stabilized at around 1.15 thereafter. The number of unfilled positions has never dropped below 46. The number of unmatched applicants was consistently in the teens, except in 2011, when it increased to 23. Conclusions Interest in IR fellowship has increased significantly over the past 6 years, whereas interest in neuroradiology fellowships has plateaued. IR fellowships have become increasingly competitive, leading to many unmatched residents.
Stereoselective Access to New Half-Sandwich Complexes Containing an Isodicyclopentadienyl Ligand

The stereoselective synthesis, characterization, and X-ray crystal structure of a new example of a half-sandwich zirconium complex containing a nonplanar cyclopentadienyl ligand are reported. Preli...
Comparison of scaling methods: paired comparisons versus constant-sum.

15 stimuli were scaled by 100 Ss using the paired-comparison procedure; another 100 Ss scaled the same stimuli using the constant-sum procedure; and finally the data obtained from the constant-sum ...
ESTIMATION OF STRUCTURE BY MINIMUM DESCRIPTION LENGTH

A theorem is proved which demonstrates that an earlier derived minimum description length estimation criterion is capable of distinguishing between structures in linear models for vector processes. A fairly simple algorithm is described for the estimation of the best model, including its structure and the number of its parameters.
Distribution of Potato virus Y Strains in Tubers during the Post-Harvest Period

Russet Burbank, Russet Norkotah, and Shepody tubers infected with Potato virus Y strains (PVYO, PVYN:O, PVYNTN) were tested from storage at 4°C at the initiation of sprouting and then the same tubers were tested again from storage at 4°C seventy eight days later. Samples were taken from eyes in the stem, middle, and bud (distal end) areas of the tubers. Testing of the samples was done with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and negative samples were retested using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR). The ELISA alone and the ELISA+PCR combined results were evaluated for each of the strains, sample locations, sample time, and cultivar. Results show that ELISA underestimated the actual percentage of tubers with virus. When test results were combined to show a more accurate percentage, PVYN:O was unevenly distributed in some cultivars, but PVYO and PVYNTN were evenly distributed 78 days after initial sprouting. Results show that protocols for PVY post-harvest testing used by state seed certification agencies should be written to specify the amount of time needed before sampling and that specific protocols may be needed based on cultivar in order to accurately detect PVY in tuber samples.
Estimating the human mutation rate using autozygosity in a founder population

Knowledge of the rate and pattern of new mutation is critical to the understanding of human disease and evolution. We used extensive autozygosity in a genealogically well-defined population of Hutterites to estimate the human sequence mutation rate over multiple generations. We sequenced whole genomes from 5 parent-offspring trios and identified 44 segments of autozygosity. Using the number of meioses separating each pair of autozygous alleles and the 72 validated heterozygous single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) from 512 Mb of autozygous DNA, we obtained an SNV mutation rate of 1.20 × 10(-8) (95% confidence interval 0.89-1.43 × 10(-8)) mutations per base pair per generation. The mutation rate for bases within CpG dinucleotides (9.72 × 10(-8)) was 9.5-fold that of non-CpG bases, and there was strong evidence (P = 2.67 × 10(-4)) for a paternal bias in the origin of new mutations (85% paternal). We observed a non-uniform distribution of heterozygous SNVs (both newly identified and known) in the autozygous segments (P = 0.001), which is suggestive of mutational hotspots or sites of long-range gene conversion.
Fostering Growth and Development of Recovering Students in Higher Education Through Servant Leadership

Servant leadership is a leadership style complementary to a lifestyle of recovery from a substance use disorder. Across the country, thousands of students in recovery from substance use disorders are pursuing higher education. Support for students in recovery is increasing, primarily through collegiate recovery programs (CRP) that are being implemented to support student recovery, education and personal development. Servant leadership has been used successfully by many business, organizations, religions, and educational systems. In the 1960s, Robert Greenleaf brought new attention to the concept when he began writing about his observations and experiences in the business world. According to Greenleaf, many businesses and organizations had lost sight of their role and responsibility to serve others. The main philosophy of servant leadership is service to others, and through service, others will look to the one serving for leadership. This article is intended to share elements of servant leadership and how ...
Risk of duodenal adenoma in celiac disease.

Background: There is a 60- to 80-fold increased risk of small-bowel adenocarcinoma in patients with celiac disease. While the adenoma-carcinoma sequence appears to operate in the small bowel as in the large bowel, the risk of duodenal adenomas in celiac patients is unknown. Methods: The records of 381 patients (245 F, 136 M) with biopsy-proven celiac disease were reviewed to determine the prevalence of duodenal adenoma found during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). We conducted an extensive literature review to find data for estimates of the prevalence of duodenal adenoma in a comparable general population; we used data from a study at another New York City medical center of 7346 EGDs conducted between 1976 and 1982 (Ghazi et al., 1984). We estimated the relative risk, expressed as a standard morbidity ratio (SMR), by calculating the observed to expected (O/E) ratio. Results: Duodenal adenomas were found in 3 celiac patients (0.78%), with 24 adenomas (0.33%) in the reference population, giving an SMR of 2...
Quantifying Long-Term Care Preferences:

Background. Current policies redirecting long-term care (LTC) delivery away from institutional care to home- and community-based services are being made in the absence of crucial evidence on prefer...
Purification and characterization of the sesquiterpene cyclase trichodiene synthetase from Fusarium sporotrichioides

The sesquiterpene cyclase, trichodiene synthetase, has been purified from a supernatant fraction of Fusarium sporotrichioides by hydrophobic interaction, anion exchange, and gel filtration chromatography. Purified enzyme had a specific activity 15-fold higher than that previously reported for preparations of terpene cyclases. Molecular weight determinations by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration chromatography indicated the enzyme to be a dimer with a subunit of Mr 45,000. The requirement of Mg2+ (Km 0.1 mM) for activity could be partially substituted with Mn2+ at a concentration of 0.01 mM, but higher concentrations of Mn2+ were inhibitory. Maximum activity was observed between pH 6.75 and pH 7.75. The Km for farnesyl pyrophosphate was 0.065 microM.
Systems Thinking Tools as Applied to Community-Based Participatory Research A Case Study

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is being used increasingly to address health disparities and complex health issues. The authors propose that CBPR can benefit from a systems science framework to represent the complex and dynamic characteristics of a community and identify intervention points and potential "tipping points." Systems science refers to a field of study that posits a holistic framework that is focused on component parts of a system in the context of relationships with each other and with other systems. Systems thinking tools can assist in intervention planning by allowing all CBPR stakeholders to visualize how community factors are interrelated and by potentially identifying the most salient intervention points. To demonstrate the potential utility of systems science tools in CBPR, the authors show the use of causal loop diagrams by a community coalition engaged in CBPR activities regarding youth drinking reduction and prevention.
Characterization of outgassed contaminants from polymeric spacecraft materials

Silicones and polyolefins are versatile polymeric materials that are often used for spacecraft applications but can produce considerable amounts of non-volatile residue (NVR) contamination. Outgassing properties of a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) polyolefin tubing and GE RTV615 silicone potting, both of which are known to outgas at high levels, were characterized using ASTM E595 testing and infrared (IR) absorption spectroscopy. The total mass loss (TML) values for the polyolefin tubing varied between 1.8 and 2.5%, while the collected volatile condensable material (CVCM) was between 0.7 and 1.2%. The silicone potting had somewhat lower outgassing levels, with TML values between 1.0 and 1.7% and CVCM ranging from 0.7 to 1.3%. IR analysis of the outgassed residue indicates the materials produce NVR contamination through different mechanisms. The polyolefin tubing, which was composed of a hydrocarbon co-polymer mixed with additives, disproportionately outgassed low-weight molecular compounds containing ester functional groups. In contrast, RTV615 outgassing appeared to proceed through the release of shorter chain silicone polymers or oligomers. Combining outgassing test data with the chemical characterization of NVR residue provides a better understanding of contamination processes and will contribute to the development of more efficient mitigation strategies.
Shaped‐reflector antenna designs using particle swarm optimization: An example of a direct‐broadcast satellite antenna

A novel shaped-reflector antenna synthesis technique based on the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is presented. The reflector surface is expanded using the modified Jacobi polynomials, and the expansion coefficients and other antenna parameters compose a solution space to be explored by PSO in a global stochastic evolutionary manner. The conventional weighted aggregation (CWA) method is utilized when multiple objectives are considered. The validity of this technique is verified by an example application, a shaped-reflector antenna for simultaneous reception from multiple satellites for direct-broadcast satellite (DBS) services. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 48: 1341–1347, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.21618
A developmental study of murine epidermal Langerhans cells.

Abstract Prospective skin prior to invasion by neural crest cells was dissected from 10.5-day mouse embryos and cultivated in chick embryo hosts. The graft tissue was prepared for the demonstration of both mouse and chick cells, pigment cells, and Langerhans cells. Chick cells were not found in the graft mouse epidermis; however, ATPase-positive and osmium iodide-positive cells were present. Electron microscopic examination revealed that, in younger grafts, only indeterminate cells could be found among the keratinocytes. In older grafts, both indeterminate cells and Langerhans cells with granules were seen. The evidence affirms that epidermal Langerhans cells are not related to pigment cells. Based on the developmental nature of Birbeck (Langerhans) granules from the cytomembrane, it is proposed that the granule no longer be considered as specific to and characteristic of epidermal Langerhans cells. Rather, Langerhans cells should be defined as ATPase-positive, desmosome-free cells within stratified squamous, potentially keratinizing, epithelia. Thus epidermal, ATPase-positive indeterminate cells and such cells with Birbeck granules both should be considered as components of the Langerhans cell series. Normal chick skin does not show ATPase-positive cells. However, when 10.5-day mouse embryo ectoderm was inserted under the ectoderm of chick embryos, the resulting chimeric epidermis possessed ATPase-positive cells. It is proposed that epidermal Langerhans cells are of ectodermal origin.
Low free energy cost of very long loop insertions in proteins

Long insertions into a loop of a folded host protein are expected to have destabilizing effects because of the entropic cost associated with loop closure unless the inserted sequence adopts a folded structure with amino- and carboxy-termini in close proximity. A loop entropy reduction screen based on this concept was used in an attempt to retrieve folded sequences from random sequence libraries. A library of long random sequences was inserted into a loop of the SH2 domain, displayed on the surface of M13 phage, and the inserted sequences that did not disrupt SH2 function were retrieved by panning using beads coated with a phosphotyrosine containing SH2 peptide ligand. Two sequences of a library of 2 × 108 sequences were isolated after multiple rounds of panning, and were found to have recovery levels similar to the wild-type SH2 domain and to be relatively intolerant to further mutation in PCR mutagenesis experiments. Surprisingly, although these inserted sequences exhibited little nonrandom structure, they do not significantly destabilize the host SH2 domain. Additional insertion variants recovered at lower levels in the panning experiments were also found to have a minimal effect on the stability and peptide-binding function of the SH2 domain. The additional level of selection present in the panning experiments is likely to involve in vivo folding and assembly, as there was a rough correlation between recovery levels in the phage-panning experiments and protein solubility. The finding that loop insertions of 60–80 amino acids have minimal effects on SH2 domain stability suggests that the free energy cost of inserting long loops may be considerably less than polymer theory estimates based on the entropic cost of loop closure, and, hence, that loop insertion may have provided an evolutionary route to multidomain protein structures.
TESTING THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: A Reduced Form Approach

There are three principal alternative explanations for the dramatic rise in crime over the last 15 years: (I) the retirement of capital punishment; (2) socioeconomic trends; (3) random social shocks starring with the Kennedy assassination in 1963. This article reports a statistical test of the second of these explanations. On balance, the results are unfavorable to it. The statistical test involves the extrapolation of a predicted homicide rate obtained from a reduced form regression equation estimated over the capital punishment era into the postcapital punishment era. The predicted homicide rate (based on socioeconomic variables) continues the long-run secular decline pattern after 1962, while the actual homicide rote rises precipitously. The article concludes with a brief argument that the capital punishment moratorium seems somewhat more plausible than the social shock theory as an explanation for the crime increase.
Surgery for Anomalous Origin of the Right Coronary Artery From the Left Aortic Sinus

This case report illustrates the presentation, diagnosis, and surgical management of an anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the left coronary sinus in a young adult in whom the right coronary artery was reimplanted directly onto the aorta, rather than bypassed, as is typically done.
Dialysis of the rectum for sampling drug concentrations in the luminal extracellular fluid of the gut: technique and precision

Background: It is useful to measure the luminal concentration of drugs which act in the gut. Dialysis of the rectum has not previously been used or validated for this purpose. Aim: To determine the precision of rectal dialysis for measuring rectal drug concentrations. Methods: To establish the duration of dialysis required to approach equilibrium, the rate of methotrexate diffusion into dialysis bags was first determined in vitro. The precision of rectal dialysis for sampling the methotrexate concentration of colonic lumen extracellular fluid was determined in seven subjects who underwent two consecutive dialysis procedures. Subjects treated with subcutaneous methotrexate for refractory inflammatory bowel disease were studied. Results: Methotrexate crossed the dialysis membrane by a first-order process, and after a 2 h in vitro dialysis, equilibration was 74 ± 2% (mean ± s.d.) complete. Rectal dialysis was well tolerated by all subjects. The mean ± s.e. methotrexate concentration of 3.6 ± 1.1 nmol/L in the first dialysate was not significantly different from 3.6 ± 0.9 nmol/L in the second dialysate, P = 0.99 (paired two-tailed t-test). Similar precision was obtained for an endogenous molecule, potassium, secreted by the rectal mucosa. Conclusions: Dialysis of the rectum is a well tolerated and precise technique for sampling the colonic lumen extracellular fluid for quantitative analyses of exogenous and endogenous substances.
Time-stratigraphic aspects of a formation: Interpretation of surficial Pleistocene deposits by analogy with Holocene paralic deposits, southeastern Delaware

Pleistocene shoreline deposits in close spatial and temporal proximity to Holocene deposits permit detailed interpretation of the development of Pleistocene coastal deposits when a modern-ancient analog approach is used. Peak sea levels during the past 1 m.y. or more have allowed the preservation of transgressive shoreline systems, here referred to as paralic units, along the inner continental margin. These Pleistocene paralic units are similar to Holocene coastal deposits now forming on Delmarva Peninsula. The Omar Formation (early to late Pleistocene age) incorporates at least four juxtaposed, transgressive, paralic units of different ages, each containing deposits of lagoonal sands and muds, tidal marsh, barrier sands and gravels, tidal delta sands and silty sands, and tidal channel sands and gravels. The successive paralic units become younger in the seaward direction. Thus, although the Omar Formation in the study area is almost entirely made up of transgressive deposits produced during rising sea levels, in a longer time frame it forms a progradational sequence. Only about 2% to 5% of the elapsed time during the deposition of the studied part of the Omar Formation is represented by sedimentary units. The internal time-stratigraphy of the Omar Formation is extremely complex. This makes the time-stratigraphic interpretation of any one outcrop or drill hole difficult. Any lithologic change may represent a wide variety of time gaps, from minutes to tens of thousands of years. The analog approach, in which sedimentary lithosome mapping is used, allows one to infer a time-stratigraphic framework of the deposits. These concepts can aid in the interpretation of depositional history of older paralic deposits and the nature of the development of certain types of clastic formations.
Attenuating PP/PET bicomponent melt blown microfibers

This research investigated the attenuation of polypropylene (PP)/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) bicomponent (bico) filaments during the melt blowing (MB) process. It was found that both mono- and bi-component filaments attenuated from several hundred micrometers to a few micrometers in the first 5 centimeters from the die. However, fiber diameter distributions were found to be broad in these regions. The filaments were attenuated much slower but exhibited narrower diameter distributions as they moved further from the die. The diameters of bico MB filaments were between those of 100% PP and 100% PET filaments. The PET component in a bico filament controls the final fiber diameter. During melt blowing, filaments were aligned orderly with the airflow direction in a short distance near the die. Filament entanglements started at about 2.5 cm from the die and became more and more randomly oriented as the distance-from-the-die (DFD) increased. The fiber diameter distribution of bico filaments was broader than that of 100% PP filaments. A higher airflow rate led to a narrower fiber size distribution for bico filaments.
WOLVES, CHIMPS AND DEMSETZ

Harold Demsetz has argued that when an externality can be internalized through the existence of property rights such that societal benefits exceed costs, property rights will emerge. This paper shows that property rights exist in some animal systems with respect to specific pieces of property and for reasons similar to those postulated by Demsetz. Two cases are considered: wolves, where the property right is in land; and chimpanzees, where the property right exists for meat. The external costs or benefits that produce the property rights are examined and comparisons are drawn with situations in which no externalities exist and no property rights emerge.
Distribution of chondroitin 4-sulfate epitopes (2/B/6) in various zones and compartments of articular cartilage in guinea pig osteoarthrosis

We studied changes in the morphology of tibial articular cartilage in early guinea pig osteoarthrosis (OA) at 6 and 12 months of age with quantitative light microscopy, and the distribution of chon...
Specific Image Characteristics Influence Attitudes about Chimpanzee Conservation and Use as Pets

Chimpanzees are endangered in their native Africa but in the United States, they are housed not only in zoos and research centers but owned privately as pets and performers. In 2008, survey data revealed that the public is less likely to think that chimpanzees are endangered compared to other great apes, and that this is likely the result of media misportrayals in movies, television and advertisements. Here, we use an experimental survey paradigm with composite images of chimpanzees to determine the effects of specific image characteristics. We found that those viewing a photograph of a chimpanzee with a human standing nearby were 35.5% more likely to consider wild populations to be stable/healthy compared to those seeing the exact same picture without a human. Likewise, the presence of a human in the photograph increases the likelihood that they consider chimpanzees as appealing as a pet. We also found that respondents seeing images in which chimpanzees are shown in typically human settings (such as an office space) were more likely to perceive wild populations as being stable and healthy compared to those seeing chimpanzees in other contexts. These findings shed light on the way that media portrayals of chimpanzees influence public attitudes about this important and endangered species.
Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy

This PDF file contains the editorial “Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy” for JBO Vol. 10 Issue 03
The Globalization of Multicultural Education in Social Science Textbooks: Cross-national Analyses, 1950–2010

In this study the authors analyze 548 secondary social science textbooks to examine the extent to which multiculturalism-related content appears over time and around the world. Findings suggest significant global increases in textbook depictions of minority rights and groups experiencing discrimination over time and in many regions.
Nonimaging optics for nonuniform brightness distributions

We present a general design method of nonimaging optics that obtains the highest possible concentration for a given absorber shape. This technique, which uses a complimentary edge ray to simplify the geometrical formulism, recovers familiar designs for flat phase space distributions, such as trumpets, and (theta) 1-(theta) 2 concentrators. This method is easy to use and handles diverse boundary conditions, such as reflection, satisfying total internal reflection or design within a material of graded index. Presented is a novel two-stage 2D solar collector with a fixed circular primary mirror and nonimaging secondary. This newly developed secondary gives a 25% improvement over conventional nonimaging concentrators.
Delivery of Anti-Gap-43 Antibodies into Neuroblastoma Cells Reduces Growth Cone Size

Abstract We have previously demonstrated that antibodies to the growth-associated protein, GAP-43, introduced intracellularly using a lipid carrier inhibited neurite outgrowth in NB2a/d1 neuroblastoma cells, and that culturing of these cells on adhesive substrates such as laminin or poly-L-lysine overcame this restriction. These findings suggest that GAP-43 may faciliate neuritogenesis by increasing membrane adhesiveness. To address this issue, in the present study we examined the effect of intracellular delivery of this antibody on growth cone size. A statistically significant percentage of those neurites that did elaborate following intracellular delivery of GAP-43 exhibited either no observable growth cones or smaller growth cones versus cells receiving pre-immune IgG. These results support the hypothesis that the requirement for GAP-43 in neuritogenesis may be related to growth cone formation and membrane adhesiveness.
Correlation of Pseudocholinesterase Inhibition and Plant Growth Retardation by Quaternary Ammonium Derivatives of (+)-Limonene

THE terpene hydrocarbon (+)-limonene is widely distributed in nature and comprises more than 95 per cent of distilled citrus peel oils. As part of a study of limonene derivatives having possible biological activity, I reported the synthesis of a number of quaternary ammonium compounds which are plant growth retardants1,2. Several of these derivatives also inhibited human blood serum (pseudo) cholinesterase in tests for drug activity (my unpublished results). Here I report the discovery of a direct correlation between serum cholinesterase inhibition by these compounds and their ability to retard plant growth.
Associativity of the tensor product of semilattices

The tensor product of semilattices has been studied in [2], [3] and [5]. A survey of this work is given in [4]. Although a number of problems were settled completely in these papers, the question of the associativity of the tensor product was only partially answered. In the present paper we give a complete solution to this problem.
Culturally based differences in work beliefs

Considers the nature of beliefs and differentiates between three different kinds of beliefs as defined by Rokeach. Outlines the findings of a survey of business and economic students from a variety of countries in order to establish if work beliefs vary across nations. Suggests that there are significant differences and that future research should focus on what will motivate Western managers in the now developing information age.