cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PREVALENCE OF HANTAVIRUS INFECTION IN WILD RODENTS FROM FIVE PROVINCES IN KOREA, 2007

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is an infectious disease caused by hantaviruses of the family Bunyaviridae. Among them, Hantaan virus (HTNV) is most widely distributed in Korea. The striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius, is the natural host of HTNV in rural Korea. We trapped 766 small mammals of three species (1 Eothenomys regulus ,1 3 Crocidura suaveolens, and 752 Apodemus agrarius) in five provinces in Korea from January to December 2007. We tested 542 rodent sera for HTNV antibodies by an indirect immunofluo- rescent assay (IFA), finding antibody prevalences of 4 to 29% among the five provinces. Peaks in monthly antibody prevalence occurred in spring and fall. Antibody prevalence during the second peak coincided increased HFRS incidence in autumn. We used multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect the partial S segment of Hantaan, Seoul, and Puumala viruses in 766 lung samples of all captured animals and found HTNV RNA in 25 A. agrarius. Two isolates of HTNV were obtained from PCR-positive A. agrarius by cultivation in Vero E6 cells. This first systemic survey of monthly antibody prevalence in hantavirus hosts in wide regions in Korea could provide useful information for other researchers studying environmental and ecological factors affecting HFRS.
The process of finding contraceptive options.

The purpose of this study was to determine how partner interactions influence contraceptive use. Unstructured interviews were conducted at a mens reproductive health clinic a contraceptive store and a rural family planning clinic in California. The process in which couples identified contraceptive options was one of privatized discovery followed by assigning identities to options and tailoring the options identified to their own needs. Whenever situations changed such as in divorce or when the couple was confronted by sexually transmitted disease options had to be retailored and new options identified. Couples found that they had to coordinate their efforts sometimes through cooperation and sometimes through contesting the other partners decisions.
An unstable hydroxymethyl intermediate formed in the metabolism of 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-methylurea in cotton

Abstract An unstable metabolite was observed following incubation of 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-methylurea in an in vitro microsomal oxidase system isolated from etiolated cotton hypocotyl tissue. Its decomposition products were identified as formaldehyde and 4-chlorophenylurea. A previously characterized glucoside conjugate isolated from the metabolism of the same substrate in excised cotton leaves was found to be transformed into a stable, less polar product upon storage in anhydrous MeOH. This transformation product was identified by IR and MS data as 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-methoxymethylurea. The unstable microsomal metabolite, in turn, was also stabilized by derivatization with MeOH, and this derivative was characterized as 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-methoxymethylurea by isotopic dilution analysis; the original metabolite is therefore 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-hydroxymethylurea.
High-operating-temperature MWIR detectors using type II superlattices

There is an increasing interest in the development of high operating temperature (HOT) detectors with InAs/Ga(In)Sb Type-II superlattice (T2-SL) material systems. A wide variety of unipolar barrier structures have been investigated and successfully implemented in low-noise device architectures. In this paper, some of our recent work on the development of HOT mid-IR (MWIR) T2-SL photodetectors with interband cascade schemes will be summarized. In these structures, the discrete InAs/GaSb SL absorbers are sandwiched between quantum-engineered electron and hole barriers, which facilitate photovoltaic operation and efficient photo-carrier extraction. Even at its initial stage of development, such an advanced design has led to the demonstration of mid-IR photodetectors with background-limited operation above 150 K (300 K, 2π field-of-view), as well as above room temperature zero-bias operation. Further understanding of the device operation and design principles will also be discussed.
Inhibition of Theiler's Virus-induced demylination in vivo by tumor necrosis factor alpha

Employing a murine model of multiple sclerosis which utilizes intracranial injection of Theiler's virus murine encephalomyelitis (TMEV) into SJL/J mice, we tested the potential role of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in ameliorating CNS demyelination. Infection with TMEV caused early grey matter inflammation (7 days post-infection) in the brain and spinal cord followed by chronic demyelination (35 days post-infection) in the spinal cord. Administration of recombinant human or mouse TNF-alpha starting 12 h prior to infection and then three times weekly had minimal effect on development of grey matter inflammation in the spinal cord. In contrast, TNF-alpha dramatically reduced demyelination present in spinal cord on days 14 and 35 after TMEV infection (P less than 0.01) when compared to controls. CNS virus titers of TMEV were not modified by TNF-alpha administration as measured on days 7, 14, and 35 following infection. In vivo administration of TNF-alpha inhibits TMEV-induced demyelination in susceptible SJL/J mice without affecting virus replication in the CNS.
Update on Power Generation in Canada to 2000 A. D.

The original Paper appears in IEEE Transactions on Power Apparatus and Systems, January/ February 1977, Volume PAS-96, Number 2, pages 38 to 43. It covered the forecasting work done from June to December 1973, as part of the strategic planning process for Canadian General Electric's Power Generation Business. The forecast covered the period 1973 to 2000 and included all hydraulic turbines and generators, fossil and nuclear turbine-generators, and gas turbine-generators, that were expected to be installed in Canada, by year, in this time frame.
Rotational relaxation of perylene in n-alcohols and n-alkanes studied by two-photon-induced anisotropy decay

Abstract Two-photon-induced anisotropy decays have been measured for perylene in a series of n-alcohols and n-alkanes and in 2-propanol and cyclohexane. Perylene fluorescence was excited at 570 nm and detected by time-correlated single-photon counting. The two-photon-induced anisotropy decays r1(t) and r2(t) were measured for two-photon excitation with linearly and circularly polarized excitation pulses. Rotational correlation times determined from single-exponential fits to anisotropy decays were shorter for linearly polarized excitation than for circularly polarized excitation in all cases with the possible exception of 2-propanol at 20°C. This result demonstrates the existence of at least two underlying rotational diffusion times, which are weighted differently in the decays of the anisotropic distributions generated with linear and circular polarization as predicted by the theory of two-photon-induced anisotropy decay [J. Chem. Phys. 101 (1994) 10283]. The viscosity dependencies of the rotational correlation time follow slip (for alkanes) or sub-slip (for alcohols) boundary conditions. A solvent dependence in the ratio of rotational correlation times determined with linearly and circularly polarized excitation is shown to indicate non-hydrodynamic behavior and can be described as a solvent dependence in the relative values of the principal diffusion coefficients, i.e. the effective rotor shape. The results are consistent with more anisotropic diffusion in alcohols than in alkanes, with faster spinning about the axis normal to the plane of the molecule relative to tumbling about in-plane axes. The initial (t=0) anisotropy values r1(0) and r2(0) together with the two-photon polarization parameter Ω were used to analyze the two-photon tensor governing the transition.
Decomposition analysis of active networks

A method is developed for rapid and intuitive analysis of active RC networks. Only first-order time constants or poles and resistive voltage transfer ratios need be computed, these being calculated under the condition in which various capacitors ore cither shorted or open circuited. A computation graph is presented for ordering the calculations.
Non-NMDA receptors in the nucleus of the tractus solitarius play the predominant role in mediating aortic baroreceptor reflexes.

Abstract The purpose of these studies was to determine the relative role ofN-methyl- d -aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors and non-NMDA receptors in the nucleus of the tractus solitarius (NTS) in mediating arterial baroreceptor reflexes evoked by electrical stimulation of the aortic nerve. Selective blockade of NMDA receptors in the NTS had little effect on aortic baroreflexes except at high frequencies of aortic nerve stimulation. In contrast, blockade of non-NMDA receptors in the NTS abolished aortic baroreceptor reflexes. These results suggest that although NMDA receptors may modulate baroreflex responses, synaptic activation of non-NMDA receptors in the NTS plays the predominant role in mediating aortic baroreceptor reflexes.
Transcript hairpin structures are not required for RNA polymerase pausing in the gene encoding the E. coli RNase P RNA, M1 RNA

Strong pauses at nucleotides +118 and +121 relative to the transcriptional start occur during in vitro transcription of the E. coli rnpB gene encoding the catalytic M1 RNA subunit of Ribonuclease P. These pauses are immediately downstream of 2 phylogenetically conserved stem-loop structures in the RNA. In the present work, single-base changes which disrupted Watson-Crick base-pairing in the hairpins were introduced into rnpB. Transcription studies in vitro with these modified templates revealed that none of the nucleotide changes predicted to increase or decrease the stability of the first hairpin significantly affected the pause half-lives. A mutation which disrupted the second hairpin increased the pause half-life 2-fold. The data suggest that the upstream stem and loop structures in the transcript are not involved in the pausing event.
Observations concerning the complexity of a class of on-line algebraic problems

Defines and studies a class of on-line algebraic problems; a particular problem in this class is specified by providing an n×n matrix A. The author shows that the question of algebraic complexity reduces to determining the existence of what he calls (r, u) factorizations of A. Given an n×n matrix A, a factorization A =RU (R and U are n×m and m×n matrices, respectively; m unconstrained) is called an (r, u) factorization, provided that no row of R has more than r nonzero entries and no column of U has more than u nonzero entries. The existence of (r, u) factorization is explored from a general perspective.
Motor and cognitive factors in the modification of a reflex

By closing a hand-held switch, subjects caused a miniature solenoid to deliver a tap to their own foreheads. (1) The amplitude of elicited eyeblinks was reduced when the delay between switch closure and tap was 50 meec or less. (2) Subjects who expected that switch closure would produce an immediate tap exhibited smaller blinks to such taps than did subjects who expected switch closure to produce a delayed tap. (3) The inhibitory effects of a reflex-modifying tone prior to tap were the same when taps were self-presented as when they were presented by the experimenter. (4) When blinks could be elicited by either a tap or a loud noise, the smallest responses occurred when subjects knew which to expect. (5) On a given trial, the inhibition afforded by the particular stimulus, motor, and cognitive factors operating at the time tended to add in an algebraic fashion.
The effects of enzymes on the photobleaching of fluorescein and fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugates

Abstract It is shown that fluorescein is susceptible to bleaching in the presence of organic peroxides, hydroperoxides and oxyradicals. The effectiveness with which enzymes, which can inhibit oxidation processes, retard the photobleaching of fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugates indicates that dye/protein oxidation products are involved in the mechanism of dye fading.
Glass-Ceramic Surfaces, Straight Triangular Passages—Heat Transfer and Flow Friction Characteristics

Abstract : Basic heat transfer and flow friction design data are presented for three straight, triangular passage, glass-ceramic heat exchanger surfaces. These surfaces have heat transfer area density ratios ranging from 1300 to 2400 foot square/foot cubed, corresponding to a passage count of 526 to 2215 passages per sq. in. Glass-ceramic heat exchangers are of importance to vehicular gas turbine technology as they give promise of allowing low mass production costs for the high effectiveness rotary regenerator required in most of the vehicular turbine engine concepts now under development. (Author)
New approaches to trauma management using severity of illness and outcome prediction based on noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring

The mathematical model satisfactorily predicted outcome in acute emergencies based on noninvasively monitored flow, pressure, pulse oximetry, tissue perfusion values, and their cumulative deficits. A decision support system provided information on the relative effectiveness of various therapeutic modalities based on the responses of patients with very similar states. The concept that hypovolemia and oxygen debt is an early primary problem that plays an important role in low flow and poor tissue perfusion states is supported by direct observation of massive hemorrhage, estimated blood loss of hemoperitoneum and hemothorax at the time of surgery, and prior studies in the literature that documented blood volume deficits in posttraumatic and postoperative patients who subsequently developed organ failures and death.
Current-induced oscillations of a Bloch wall in magnetic thin films

Abstract An electric current traversing a domain wall induces an S-shaped distortion of the wall, in a ferromagnetic film with in-plane magnetization such as NiFe. We calculate the degree of ac wall distortion as a function of current intensity and frequency, for sinusoidal ac drive current. The degree of wall distortion exhibits a maximum for exciting frequencies close to a certain resonance frequency ⋍ 10–100 MHz . We predict the resonance frequency as a function of film thickness. The oscillating wall distortion causes a reduction of the coercive field of the material, also maximum near the resonance frequency. Finally, the complex electrical impedance of a sample containing many parallel walls also exhibits a resonance at that frequency.
Salt and water balance in the sipunculan phascolopsis gouldi: is any animal a “simple osmometer”?

Abstract 1. 1. Phascolopsis gouldi , the commonly studied sipunculan of the Woods Hole area, Massachusetts, can tolerate a salinity range from about 45% seawater to at least 100% SW, with literature records extending to about 160% SW. There was no survival at 40% SW. 2. 2. Over this salinity range, P. gouldi is an osmotic and ionic conformer. 3. 3. The osmotic and sodium concentrations of the coelomic fluid are the same as that of the medium; the chloride concentration is about 9% less than that of the medium; the potassium concentration is about 30% higher. 4. 4. Analysis of water content regulation by two different approaches shows that P. gouldi does have a limited ability for volume regulation, restricted to salinities higher than 58% SW. 5. 5. P. gouldi is not a “simple osmometer”.
Avoided valence transition in a plutonium superconductor

The d and f electrons in correlated metals are often neither fully localized around their host nuclei nor fully itinerant. This localized/itinerant duality underlies the correlated electronic states of the high-Tc cuprate superconductors and the heavy-fermion intermetallics and is nowhere more apparent than in the 5f valence electrons of plutonium. Here, we report the full set of symmetry-resolved elastic moduli of PuCoGa5--the highest Tc superconductor of the heavy fermions (Tc = 18.5 K)--and find that the bulk modulus softens anomalously over a wide range in temperature above Tc. The elastic symmetry channel in which this softening occurs is characteristic of a valence instability--therefore, we identify the elastic softening with fluctuations of the plutonium 5f mixed-valence state. These valence fluctuations disappear when the superconducting gap opens at Tc, suggesting that electrons near the Fermi surface play an essential role in the mixed-valence physics of this system and that PuCoGa5 avoids a valence transition by entering the superconducting state. The lack of magnetism in PuCoGa5 has made it difficult to reconcile with most other heavy-fermion superconductors, where superconductivity is generally believed to be mediated by magnetic fluctuations. Our observations suggest that valence fluctuations play a critical role in the unusually high Tc of PuCoGa5.
IP3 receptor purified from liver plasma membrane is an (1,4,5)IP3 activated and (1,3,4,5)IP4 inhibited calcium permeable ion channel.

The IP3 receptor is involved in Ca2+ mobilization from intracellular stores. Recently, we purified an inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate receptor from rat liver plasma membrane (LPM-IP3R) [Schafer R. Hell K. Fleischer S. (1993) Purification of an IP3 receptor from liver plasma membrane. Biophys. J. 66, A146]. The purified LPM-IP3 receptor was incorporated into vesicle derived planar bilayers and its channel properties characterized. The receptor displayed ion channel activity that was activated by inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate [(1,4,5)IP3] (1 microM) and inhibited by inositol (1,3,4,5)-tetrakisphosphate (IC50 approximately 1 microM) and by heparin (IC50 approximately 20 micrograms/ml). The channel displays a unitary conductance of 9 pS, and 13 pS in symmetrical 100 mM and 500 mM KCl, respectively, and in symmetrical 250 mM cesium methanesulfonate the slope conductance is 11 pS. Activation by (1,4,5)IP3 is specific to the cis-side of the chamber, equivalent to the cytoplasmic face. The receptor is a Ca2+ permeable ion channel based on ion selectivity (Ca2+ > K+ > Na+ >> Cl). The LPM-IP3 receptor was also permeable to Cs (Cs+ > or = K+), similar to other intracellular Ca2+ release channels, i.e. the IP3 receptor from brain and smooth muscle (IP3R-1) and the ryanodine receptor from skeletal muscle (RyR-1) and heart (RyR-2). Channel activity is not voltage dependent (+/- 100 mV applied voltage). The channel is activated by ATP and Ca2+. The open probability of the (1,4,5)IP3 activated channel activity displays a bell shaped response to cis Ca2+ ion concentration of our system. The LPM-IP3 receptor differs from intracellular IP3R-1 in that the Ca2+ and ATP concentration required for maximum activation is about 10 times higher as compared with IP3R-1 from brain cerebellum and smooth muscle. We conclude that the LPM-IP3 receptor is an (1,4,5)IP3 activated Ca2+ permeable ion channel. The implication of our studies is that in liver, (1,4,5)IP3 regulates Ca2+ influx via the plasma membrane.
Managing massive remote sensing data in a database: Using a pure object database as a solution

The Data Rod model is an object-oriented approach to remote sensing data management that provides the ability to query grid cell changes through time. Grid cells are the atomic data structures within our pure-object databases. A data rod is the time-series collection of data at a grid cell location, and can be visualized as a record of infinite length that contains all the information known at each grid cell through time. This resolves the long-standing problem of managing time-series data and opens new possibilities for temporal analysis. Our initial databases are extensible to any field of study with spatially referenced data. Several prototype databases have been created that contain greater than 2 billion grid cell objects. Current development efforts include the creation of a database containing the complete 5km AVHRR satellite data set (28+ years) covering all of Greenland.
Impact of Dyspnea and Physiologic Function on General Health Status in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Study Objective : To examine the relationships among clinical dyspnea ratings, physiologic pulmonary function, and general health status in symptomatic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Design : Observational data collected at a baseline state. Setting : Outpatient pulmonary disease clinics at a university hospital and two VA medical centers. Patients : One hundred ten male patients with COPD with no significant comorbidity were recruited. Measurements and Results : Clinical ratings of dyspnea were measured by the multidimensional baseline dyspnea index (BDI). Pulmonary function tests included forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ), and maximal inspiratory mouth pressure (Pimax). General health status was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Study short-form survey, which consists of 20 questions that cover six health components. The mean age of the patients was 67 ±8 yr (±SD). The mean value for FVC was 2.84 ±0.84 L (68 ±18 percent of predicted), for FEV 1 was 1.28 ±0.59 L (44 ± 17 percent of predicted), and for Pimax was 59.0 ±25.0 cm H 2 O. The BDI score and Pimax were significantly correlated with five of the six components of general health status. Only three of the six components of general health were significantly correlated with FEV 1 as percent predicted (r s value range, 0.30 to 0.44) and with FVC as percent predicted (r s value range, 0.25 to 0.33). Statistical comparisons showed that the BDI score had significantly higher correlations than FVC (percent predicted), FEV 1 (percent predicted), and Pimax values with physical functioning and role functioning. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the BDI score was the only statistically significant predictor of role functioning, mental health, and health perceptions for general health status, whereas both the BDI score and FEV 1 (percent predicted) were independent predictors of physical functioning and social functioning. Conclusion : Dyspnea ratings influence and predict general health status to a greater extent than do physiologic measurements in symptomatic patients with COPD. A shift in focus from the pathophysiology of disease to assessment and relief of symptoms may provide more meaningful benefits for the individual patient in terms of quality of life. This consideration requires that health-care providers use available measuring tools in clinical practice to quantify symptoms, as well as overall health status.
Object Perception: Vision and Audition

Vision has been the primary focus of naturalistic philosophical research concerning perception and perceptual experience. Guided by visual experience and vision science, many philosophers have focused upon theoretical issues dealing with the perception of objects. Recently, however, hearing researchers have discussed auditory objects. I present the case for object perception in vision, and argue that an analog of object perception occurs in auditory perception. I propose a notion of an auditory object that is stronger than just that of an intentional object of audition, but that does not identify auditory objects with the ordinary material objects we see. 1. Objects in Perception Humans understand the world in terms of objects. We take the environment to be populated by things like forks and bottles and steaks. Whether or not the world contains any such items, medium-sized dry goods are one central component to our conceptual schemes. Objects also feature in how we perceive the world to be. Several initial considerations support this intuitive claim. Birds attract and hold our attention as we track them in flight. So, if we can attend only to what we perceive, we visually perceive material objects. Objects are subjects of empirical beliefs formed on the strength of visual experience. If perceptual experiences constrain the structure and content of thoughts, the experience of objects explains the structure and content of thoughts about objects. Common actions, such as reaching for a spatula or swinging a racket at a ball, target objects. If the details of what we do in such cases depend upon characteristics of what we see, perception targets objects. Thus, attention, perceptual belief, and action hint that experience not merely causes cognition aimed at objects, but that it does so because objects figure among the things we perceive. An object-involving structure for perception helps explain the object-involving structures of attention, belief, and action. This much seems compelling, at least when we focus upon vision. Seeing, however, typically is presented as an exemplar of perceiving. Given the prominence of objects in visual perception, it is tempting to think that all perceiving concerns objects, their features, and their
Generic features of the spectrum of trapped polarized fermions

We show that bimodal radio frequency spectra universally arise at intermediate temperatures in models of strongly interacting trapped Fermi gases. The bimodality is independent of superfluidity or pseudogap physics, depending only on the functional form of the equation of state -- which is constrained by dimensional analysis at low temperatures and the virial expansion at high temperatures. In addition to these model independent results, we present a simple calculation of the radio frequency line-shape of a highly polarized Fermi gas which uses energetic considerations to include final state interactions. While this model only qualitatively captures the line-shapes observed in the experiments, it provides a conceptually clean and powerful technique for estimating the energy scales and how they vary with experimental parameters.
Rapid and Nondestructive Testing of Photovoltaic Materials for the Manufacturing Environment

The carrier recombination lifetime is a critical parameter in photovoltaic performance. A description of current nondestructive, laboratory techniques, and the potential adoption for the production line will the focus of this presentation.
Postpartum psychosis, infanticide and the law

In the past few years postpartum phychosis has been offered as a legal defense in a small number of deeply disturbing infanticide cases in several American jurisdictions. These cases have attracted a great deal of media attention, and fueled public discussion about the mental health of mothers who kill their own babies. From the perspective of the criminologist these cases present an extraordinary pattern of criminal behavior. Not merely a few isolated incidents, but a recurring pattern of the destruction of planned-for, wanted children by their own mothers with no apparent motive and under circumstances that suggest transitory postpartum phychoses. This article presents a detailed examination of specific cases aimed at exploration of the following issues: Are these women insane at the time of the act? Is their behavior the product of a diseased state of mind, or is it premeditated and willful? These issues lie at the core of the concept of criminal responsibility.
Functional oligomers for the control and fixation of spatial organization in nanoparticle assemblies.

Interactions in nanoparticle assemblies play an important role in modulating their interesting magnetic and optical properties. Controlling and fixing the distance between nanoparticles is therefore crucial to the development of next-generation nanodevices. Here, we show that the interparticle distance in two-dimensional assemblies can be quantitatively controlled by functionalizing the nanoparticles with short polymers containing one functional end group that binds to the nanoparticle. Carboxy-functional poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) ligands are attached to the nanoparticle surface by a simple ligand exchange process with the oleic acid synthesis ligands. The distance between nanoparticles is manipulated by adjusting either the number of PDMS ligands per molecule or their molecular weight. The use of PDMS ligands is unique in that they provide a means to permanently and robustly fix the spatial distribution of nanoparticles because PDMS is readily converted to silicon oxide by a simple UV/ozone treatment...
Percutaneous left atrial appendage closure in a patient with atrial fibrillation.

Background A 73-year-old woman presented with a history of persistent atrial fibrillation, which had lasted more than five years. She also had a remote history of transient ischemic attack and had received warfarin therapy. The international normalized ratio had been carefully maintained at slightly subtherapeutic levels because of recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding, which was severe enough to require frequent blood transfusions. With colonoscopy, the source of bleeding was localized to multiple arterial-venous malformations. The patient underwent catheter ablation of the atrioventricular junction and received a single chamber pacemaker. Two years later, she received a dual chamber pacemaker followed by cardioversion to restore a sinus rhythm. Following brief cardioversion, her symptoms of atrial fibrillation returned after two days. Investigations Transesophageal echocardiography, pacemaker interrogation. Diagnosis Persistent atrial fibrillation, gastrointestinal bleeding requiring transfusion. Management Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion, antiplatelet therapy.
Phantom maps and torsion

Abstract For 1-connected, finite type CW-spaces X and Y with Y a loop space, the group Ph( X , Y ) of pointed homotopy classes of phantom maps from X to Y is divisible abelian. We obtain sharpened and generalized versions of examples demonstrating that the group Ph( X , Y ) may possess torsion. Moreover, we give a complete and explicit description of those divisible abelian groups that may be realized as Ph( X , Y ) for suitable X and Y .
Transition data and kinetics of the hcp-fcc 4 He transition between 4 and 9 kbar

The transition hcp-fcc $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ was studied from 4 to 9 kbar using an optical method. It was found that the estimated transition line is essentially linear in this range with a slope of 622 bar/K. This line deviates increasingly from theoretical predictions at higher pressures. The temperature hysteresis of the transition increases from 1 to 2.8 K, and the athermal width from 0.1 to 2 K. Detailed study of the kinetics near 9 kbar showed that both athermal and isothermal transformations are possible. The isothermal transformation goes to completion in heating, but not in cooling. Reproducibility of the $c$-axis orientation was also established for the athermal transition if prolonged annealing is avoided.
Response of rhesus monkey lymphocytes to short-term administration of THC.

Abstract Four Rhesus monkeys were subjected to daily administration of 2.5 mg of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) /kg body wt, after establishing the norms for complete blood count, T- and B-cell concentrations, and the dose response of thymidine incorporation after PHA stimulation. THC was administered daily for 3 weeks, the treatment was stopped, and then the animals were allowed to recover for 4 weeks. Cellular responses, incorporation studies and fibrinogen levels were determined during the treatment and recovery phases. Compared to 4 vehicle-treated animals, the THC-treated animals experienced significant augmentation of both their total white cell and their neutrophil counts during the treatment phase which returned to normal levels during the recovery phase. There was no alteration in total lymphocyte count or T- or B-cell concentrations. Fibrinogen levels of the THC-treated animals during the treatment phase were also elevated compared to controls, and the levels diminished to the same values as the vehicle-treated animals during the recovery phase. Possible mechanisms for the response of Rhesus monkeys to short-term administration of THC are discussed.
Deterministic analysis of queueing systems with heterogeneous servers

Using deterministic (sample-path) analysis, we generalize and extend fundamental properties of systems with “stationary deterministic flows” as introduced by Gelenbe (1983) and Gelenbe and Finkel (1987). Primarily, we provide conditions for stability and instability for general queueing models, and focus attention on multichannel queueing systems with servers that work at different rates. Stability analysis is important in computer applications and usually precedes any further investigation of the system in question. Our results complement and extend those of Gelenbe and Finkel by making weaker assumptions, allowing multichannel facilities with heterogeneous servers, and including more general queueing disciplines such as processor sharing and LCFS-PR. The key to our stability analysis is a deterministic version of the renewal-reward theorem which we call Y=lX , and a relationship that shows the “operational analysis” definition of average service times, when considered as the observation period t→∞ , coincides with the standard definition of average service times for all stable queueing systems. Our analysis is completely deterministic and avoids any stochastic assumptions about the system under investigation; thus, it provides the practitioner with a method that often leads to a better and deeper understanding of the system under consideration. It also gives a powerful tool to determine which properties of the system are independent of the usually needed probabilistic assumptions. As an illustration, a sample-path relationship that gives the long-run average busy period (cycle) for a general queueing model is given and utilized to derive several well-known results under weaker conditions. — Authors' Abstract
The Landau Theory of the Ordering Transitions of the Early Ditransition‐Metal Carbides

Landau's theory of symmetry and phase transitions is applied to the ordering transitions reported for the dimetal carbides of V, Nb, Mo, Ta, and W. Auf die in der Literatur beschriebenen Ordnungs-Unordnungstransformationen der Dimetallcarbide von V, Nb, Mo, Ta and W wird die Landautheorie der Symmetrie und Phasenubergange angewandt.
Semiclassical nonadiabatic surface-hopping wave function expansion at low energies: hops in the forbidden region.

The accuracy of a semiclassical surface-hopping expansion of the time-independent wave function for problems in which the nonadiabatic coupling is peaked in the classically forbidden regions is studied numerically for a one-dimensional curve-crossing problem. This surface-hopping expansion has recently been shown to satisfy the Schrodinger equation to all orders in h and all orders in the nonadiabatic coupling. It has also been found to provide very accurate transition probabilities for problems in which the crossing points of the diabatic energy surfaces are classically allowed. In the numerical study reported here, transition probabilities are evaluated for energies well below the crossing point energy. It is found that the expansion provides accurate results for transition probabilities as small as 10 -11 .
Detection of intracardiac shunts with radionuclide imaging

Cardiac catheterization for the performance of contrast angiography is accepted presently as method for the demonstration of intracardiac shunts in children and adults. The procedure is an essential part of the presurgical workup. Cardiac angiography requires a skilled team of pediatric cardiologists, radiologists, technical personnel, and excellent equipment; consequently, it is a time consuming and expensive procedure. In addition, cardiac catheterization is not without risk, and is particularly hazardous in the cyanotic newborn. The use of the angiographic contrast medium provides additional hazards. Prior to the development of the Anger camera, the precordial radiocardiogram was the major nuclear medicine technique used for the diagnosis of intracardiac shunts. Scintillation probes, well counters, strip-chart recorders, and, occasionally, cardiac catheterization were required to perform the radiocardiogram. It was a time consuming procedure. Pulmonary dilution curves were also used for the diagnosis of intracardiac shunts. Although various types of intracardiac shunts could be detected with these two types of dilution curves, no satisfactory method of accurate shunt quantitation was developed. After adequate experience was obtained with the Anger camera, radionuclide angiocardiography became a major investigative technique in nuclear medicine for the diagnosis of intracardiac shunts. The technique has several potential technical and clinical advantages over heart catheterization and contrast angiography. These advantages are (1) there is no need for withdrawal of arterial or venous blood, (2) it can be performed simply and quickly, (3) it requires only an intravenous bolus injection, (4) it is reliable in all age groups, (5) it may be performed in patients who are sensitive to cardiographic agents or in those too ill to undergo heart catheterization and contrast angiography, and (6) its risks to the patient are negligible. Characteristic nuclide flow patterns and images have been demonstrated in patients with left-to-right and right-to-left intracardiac shunts. Techniques for the quantitation of shunts employing nuclide angiocardiography are being developed.
Prospective randomized trial of vitrectomy or observation for stage 2 macular holes

Purpose To determine the risks and benefits of vitrectomy surgery in eyes with stage 2 macular holes. Methods A multicentered, controlled, randomized clinical trial was performed with participation of 16 community and university-based ophthalmology clinics. Thirty-six eyes with stage 2 macular holes and 12 months of follow-up were studied. Pars plana vitrectomy with separation of the posterior hyaloid membrane and intraocular injection of perfluoropropane (C3F8) was followed by postoperative face-down positioning for two weeks. This protocol was compared with observation alone. Outcome variables included anatomic closure of the macular hole, macular hole size, and four standardized measures of vision. Results At 12 months, 15 (71%) of 21 eyes randomly assigned to observation progressed to stages 3 or 4, compared with three (20%) of 15 eyes randomly assigned to surgery (P Conclusion Compared with observation alone, surgical intervention in stage 2 macular holes resulted in a significantly lower incidence of hole enlargement and appeared to be associated with better outcome in some measures of visual acuity.
A rare treat.

Abstract The Biology of Rarity: Causes and Consequences of Rare-Common Differences by W.E. Kunin and K.J. GastonChapman and Hall (Population and Community Biology Series 17), 1997. £55.00 hbk (xiv +280 pages) ISBN 0 412 63380
Variability in measures of coronary lumen dimensions using quantitative coronary angiography

Abstract Objectives:The purpose of this study was to determine the true total variability of quantitative coronary angiographic measures and their components in the clinical setting. Background:Many studies describe quantitative coronary angiographic variability on the basis of repeated quantitative coronary angiographic measures from the same cineangiogram. Although these studies characterize well the performance of quantitative coronary angiographic analysis methods, they do not include other potentially important sources of variability in results of this procedure, such as day to day variations in patients and equipment or variability in selection of frames for analysis. Methods:Coronary angiograms from 20 patients who underwent diagnostic angiography followed by percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty an average of 2.9 days later were reviewed. A total of 30 lesions well visualized in both films were analyzed multiple times using an automated first-derivative edge-detection quantitative coronary angiographic technique. Results:The coefficient of variation for quantitative coronary angiographic measures of the same lesions from separate angiograms ranged from 8.11% to 14.01%. Average diameter was the least variable and percent diameter stenosis the most variable. Day to day variations in the patient, procedure and equipment accounted for an average of 30% of the total variability. Of the remaining variability, only 13.26% was due to variability in frame selection. Conclusions:These results provide useful information for planning clinical studies using quantitative coronary angiography, identify areas where additional improvements in this technology are needed and define more clearly the applicability of quantitative coronary angiography in the setting of routine clinical practice.
Selective sensor for silver ions built from polyfluorophores on a DNA backbone.

To explore a new modular metal ion sensor design strategy, fluorophores and ligands were incorporated into short DNA-like oligomers. Compound 1 was found to function as a selective sensor for Ag+ in aqueous buffer, where low micromolar concentrations of Ag+ induce a red-shifted, turn-on fluorescence signal. Experiments with HeLa cells show that 1 can penetrate cells and yield a signal for intracellular Ag+. This suggests a broadly applicable approach to developing sensors for a wide variety of cations.
Second life for casks

Casks can face decommissioning from their intended use for many reasons: for example, they reach administrative retirement due to regulatory changes, they become too expensive to maintain in intensive use, the characteristics of their payload evolve, the transport of some fuels is discontinued or present day technology results in more economical concepts. Many of these casks are still perfectly and safely usable for other purposes. Reuse of casks has merits from economic and environmental points of view. It alleviates unnecessary disposal of materials, design and production of dedicated casks, premature use of decommissioning funds and use of expensive repository or storage space. Examples are given of successful reuse of casks, and insights are provided into further uses of existing casks, as transport casks into onsite transfer and/or storage, transport and disposal of waste, spent fuel casks into MOX fuel transport, emergency storage of unexpected waste, etc.
Evasion of cytotoxic T lymphocytes is a functional constraint maintaining HIV-1 Nef expression

Nef expression is not required for HIV-1 replication and is highly targeted by CD8+ CTL, raising the question of why Nef expression is not lost in order to evade immunity in vivo. We explore whether MHC class I (MHC-I) down-regulation to evade CTL in general is a selective pressure maintaining Nef. HIV-1 with functional Nef (wild type, WT) is compared to virus containing a Nef point mutation (M20A) that selectively ablates MHC-I down-regulation. WT-infected cells are relatively resistant to cytolysis and less suppressed for viral replication by Gag- and RT-specific CTL compared to M20A. These viruses grow similarly in vitro in the absence of CTL, but the presence of Gag- or RT-specific CTL strongly favors WT overgrowth of M20A. Finally, while in vitro selection by Nef-specific CTL readily drives disruption of the nef reading frame, the addition of Gag- or RT-specific CTL markedly limits such escape. These data indicate that MHC-I down-regulation is an important function favoring Nef maintenance due to a net selective advantage in the setting of the general CTL response.
The effect of low dose of 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate on collagen platelet interactions

Abstract We and others have reported that phorbol ester doses ranging from 0.25 to 25 μg/ml induce human platelets to aggregate and release serotonin. In this paper, we report the effect of low doses of phorbol (0.5 to 50 ng/ml) on subthreshold amounts of collagen induced platelet aggregation. The platelet aggregation induced by the addition of subthreshold amounts of collagen can be enhanced by low doses of phorbol. The combined low doses of phorbol and subthreshold amounts of collagen induced platelet aggregation can be inhibited by the addition of aspirin and imidazole. The increase in platelet aggregation induce by the combined low doses of phorbol and subthreshold amounts of collagen is probably mediated by the collagen fibril formation.
Enhancement of X-Ray Power from a Z Pinch Using Nested-Wire Arrays

Nested-wire arrays on the 20-MA Z -pinch accelerator have produced x-ray powers up to 280{plus_minus}40 TW (a 40{percent} increase over a single array) and an x-ray pulse width of 4thinspthinspns. The short x-ray pulse widths are associated with the formation of tight (1-mm-diameter), uniform pinches at stagnation. Two-dimensional radiation magnetohydrodynamic calculations suggest that the inner array mitigates the growth of implosion instabilities thereby leading to smaller diameter pinches that radiate at higher power than single-wire arrays. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society }
Judges who drive under the influence of alcohol: ethical implications and the role of restorative justice measures to balance judicial duty and societal expectations

Judges across the US have been charged or convicted of driving while intoxicated, yet many judges are allowed to continue to practice despite their criminal act(s). The issue becomes not only a societal issue, but also an ethical and professional one which impacts the individual criminal justice practitioner and criminal justice agencies. Duty to judicial and social expectations informs an argument regarding ethical theories: deontology and utilitarianism. Solutions include an examination of restorative justice measures such as: a balance of service to the community such as participating in victim-offender mediation and victim-offender panels as the offender, and completing community service where the victim chooses the judges number of hours and location of the service. While some may believe these jurists should suffer punitive punishments such as loss of judgeships, long-term treatment, and extensive probation coupled with individual psychiatric therapy, consideration of all factors with restoration in...
Phylogenetic status of four new species of Acanthobothrium (Cestoda : Tetraphyllidea) parasitic on the wedgefish Rhynchobatus laevis (Elasmobranchii : Rhynchobatidae): implications for interpreting host associations

A recent major revision of the elasmobranchs of Australia, which expanded the described fauna from 190 to 307 species, has serious implications for our understanding of the host associations of parasites of Australian elasmobranchs. Most importantly, it questions the identities of the host records for many parasite species. This study focuses on cestodes of the tetraphyllidean genus Acanthobothrium parasitising Rhynchobatus, a batoid genus, the Australian elements of which have recently been revised. Four new cestode species are described from Rhynchobatus laevis (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) from the Northern Territory, Australia. These species differ from their ~160 congeners in several morphological respects. They differ conspicuously from their four Australian congeners also hosted by a Rhynchobatus species, all four of which (i.e. Acanthobothrium bartonae Campbell & Beveridge, 2002, Acanthobothrium gibsoni Campbell & Beveridge, 2002, Acanthobothrium lasti Campbell & Beveridge, 2002 and Acanthobothrium rhynchobatidis Subhapradha, 1955) were reported from Rhynchobatus djiddensis (Forsskal, 1775), a batoid species no longer considered to occur in Australian waters. This suggests that one or both of the other Australian members of Rhynchobatus (i.e. R. australiae Whitley, 1939 and R. palpebratus Compagno & Last, 2008) are likely candidates as hosts for one or more of the latter four species. With respect to the relationships among congeners parasitising the same host species, phylogenetic analyses of sequence data of the D1–D3 region of 28S rDNA for three of the four new cestode species support previous work suggesting that congeners parasitising the same host species are not each other’s closest relatives. This study also serves to emphasise the importance of careful scrutiny of host identities, particularly in systems such as this, in which host taxonomy is under active revision.