cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functions of loneliness, social support, health behaviors, and stress in association with poor health

Prior research has established clear links between social support, loneliness, and various health outcomes. This study was designed to test several theoretically derived explanations for such associations. A survey of 265 adults ages 19–85 years was conducted with measures of social support, loneliness, stress, health behaviors, and general health. Results showed that loneliness was more strongly associated with number of close relationships than with sheer contact with social network members. Further, loneliness mediated the association between social support and better health. In addition, health behaviors, especially poor sleep and medical adherence, mediated the association between loneliness and poor health. These results provide confirmation of theoretical mechanisms postulated to explain why loneliness is associated with poor health.
Selectivity of Ion Exchange as a Sign of Soil Quality

A hypothesis is tested that allows study of not only the quantity but also the quality of ion exchange in soils, composts, peats, and its mixtures, which is common in natural and synthetic ion exchangers, on the basis of the ion-exchange process and its selectivity. For practical application of ion exchange in the soil not only the quantity of base cations and hydroxon ions bound by the solid soil phase is significant but also their readiness to ion exchange or ion exchange elasticity. Selectivity of ion exchange, expressed by selectivity coefficient, reflects the readiness of ion exchange while ion-exchange thermodynamics show the degree of spontaneity of the ion-exchange process. The results document that soil humus is the highest-quality ion exchanger in soil and that its quality may be assessed by the proposed method. The effort to replace humus by any synthetic ion exchangers cannot be successful: Although they have a high value of cation exchange capacity, they also show high selectivity for ions of...
Dilatation of the Heart by Amytal.

ConclusionIn a heart-lung-preparation amytal increases diastolic volume and decreases useful outflow.
Maytag: a multi-staged approach to identifying complex events in textual data

We present a novel application of NLP and text mining to the analysis of financial documents. In particular, we describe an implemented prototype, Maytag, which combines information extraction and subject classification tools in an interactive exploratory framework. We present experimental results on their performance, as tailored to the financial domain, and some forward-looking extensions to the approach that enables users to specify classifications on the fly.
Cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil in the primary management of squamous esophageal cancer

A combined treatment program consisting of chemotherapy with cisplatin and infusion 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) for three cycles followed by esophagectomy or radiation, or both, has been conducted in 26 patients with squamous cancer of the esophagus localized to the primary site. Eleven patients had objective evidence of partial or complete response to the chemotherapy. Fourteen patients were operated on and ten underwent total esophagectomy. Drug toxicity was considerable with severe mucositis and myelosuppression occurring in 11 and seven patients, respectively. There were no drug-related deaths. Median survival is 17.8 months. Ten patients have lived more than 2 years. Six of these patients have undergone total thoracic esophagectomy after the induction chemotherapy. Determination of the ultimate benefits of combined modality therapy may require prospective randomized trials isolating the major treatment components but our data suggest that chemotherapy contributes to improved results in this disease and that drug therapy is emerging as an integral component of combined therapy.
Effects of oven humidity on foods baked in gas convection ovens.

Bread, cakes, and cookies were baked in direct- and indirect-gas fired, foodservice style convection ovens. Oven humidity was varied by including different numbers of perlite and water dummy loads during baking. Oven, product, and dummy temperatures were continuously recorded during baking, as was oven humidity. The properties of the finished baked foods were measured. Increased oven humidity resulted in products with higher yield, greater volume or spread, lighter color, and reduced firmness.
Improving wind resistance of wood-frame houses

Abstract Wood-frame houses (light-frame timber construction) are one of the types of buildings most extensively damaged in high winds. Postdisasterinvestigations have identified certain weak links in this type of building, including the use of toenails to anchor rafters and ceiling joists to the bearing plates, the lack of wall resistance to both uplift and racking, the lack of wall anchorage to foundation and so on. Techniques to improve these weak links are discussed. A new research project aimed at developing an analytical method to calculate the response of wood-frame houses to high winds is described. Successful development of this method will enable the determination of the forces and moments on the joints of conventional wood-frame houses caused by high winds under various conditions, and a systematic assessment of the adequacy of the joints to resist high winds.
The binding energy of an adsorbed atom

We discuss the effect of substrate vibrations on the binding of an adsorbed atom. At zero temperature, we compute the binding energyD0-E, whereD0 is the surface well depth (classical binding energy) andE is the quantum correction. For several simple models, we find thatE is surprisingly model independent. We compareD0-E with the binding energies to a rigid substrate,D0-Ers, and to a vibrationally averaged substrate,D0-Eva. We prove thatEva≥E≥Ers and that similar relations hold at finite temperature for the free energy of binding. We find that in most casesErs is better thanEva as an approximation toE.
A Game Theory and BCC based Flexible QoS Multicast Routing Scheme

In this paper, the knowledge of the fuzzy mathematics, game theory and swarm intelligence computing method is introduced to design a flexible QoS multicast routing scheme. Based on BCC (bacteria colony chemotaxis), it searches for a QoS multicast tree with Pareto optimum under Nash equilibrium between the network provider utility and the user utility achieved or approached. Simulation results have shown that the proposed scheme is both feasible and effective with better performance.
Astrogliosis in the adult and developing CNS: Is there a role for proinflammatory cytokines?

Astrogliosis, characterized by the enhanced expression of GFAP, represents a remarkably homotypic response of astrocytes to all types of injuries of the CNS, including injuries of the developing CNS. As such, astrocytes serve as microsensors of the injured microenvironment regardless of their location in the CNS. The diversity of insults that engender astrogliosis and the brain-wide nature of the astrocytic response suggest that common injury factors serve as the trigger of this cellular reaction. One prominent theme that has emerged in recent years is that proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines serve as a stimulus for induction of astrogliosis. Here we present a brief critique of this hypothesis based on a review of literature and some of our own recentfindings. Studies of astrocytes, in vitro, clearly indicate that these cell types are responsive to a variety of growth factors, including cytokines and chemokines. A somewhat different picture, however, can be seen from data obtained in vivo. It is true that trauma and diseases of the nervous system, as well as some exposures to neurotoxic chemicals, can be associated with the expression in brain of large varieties of cytokines and chemokines. That these same conditions result in astrogliosis has fostered the circumstantial link between cytokine/chemokine expression and the induction of astrogliosis. Several lines of evidence argue against this view, including (a) suppression of cytokine expression does not suppress gliosis, (b) gliosis can occur in the absence of enhanced expression of cytokines, (c) elevations in brain cytokines can occur in the absence of gliosis and (d) the patterns of cytokine expression in the adult and developing CNS are more consistent with a trophic role for these chemical messengers rather than a role in the induction of inflammation. Enhanced expression of cytokines and chemokines after brain injury appear to be signal transduction events unrelated to the induction of astrogliosis.
Phenylisothiocyanate as a Multiple Chemical Dimension Reagent for the Relative Quantitation of Protein Nitrotyrosine

A highly selective sequential derivatization sequence has been developed for the transformation of 3-nitrotyrosine to a 2-anilino-benzoxazole derivative. This sequence can be applied to any ortho-nitrophenol, such as 3-nitrotyrosine or 3-nitrotyrosine residues present in proteins and/or peptides as a result of oxidative stress. The sequence involves a standard reduction of the nitro functional group to the corresponding amine using aqueous dithionite, followed by aqueous solution coupling with phenylisothiocyanate (PITC) and then eventual product formation by a photochemical mediated intramolecular cyclization of the intermediate thiourea. While this cyclization step has been effected numerous times by various reagents commonly used in synthetic organic chemistry, many requiring non-aqueous reaction media, the present transformation appears to the be first description this reaction using 350 nm light in aqueous media. The resulting overall transformation provides a specific mass shift signature of 116 amu when conducted with 1H5-PITC and 121 amu with 2H5-PITC, thus forming the basis of relative quantitation by MS detection. In preliminary experiments, relative quantitation was accomplished for the decapeptide angiotensin I that had been subjected to nitration.
Effect of precocious and delayed afferent arrival on synapse localization on the amphibian mauthner cell

Afferents often form synapses on restricted regions of their target cells. The connections between vestibular axons and the Mauthner cell are an example of this sort of specificity. The Mauthner cells are a pair of identifiable central neurons in certain fish and amphibians. In the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), the large vestibular axons form club endings on only one portion of one dendrite of the Mauthner cell. During development, this specific distribution might result from nothing more than when and where the growing axons and dendrite meet (spatiotemporal model). Alternatively, the distribution might reflect constraints on where the developing axons may grow (axon segregation model) or form synapses (active recognition model). As a test of the spatiotemporal model, ears and vestibular ganglia from older embryos (Harrison stage 33/34-) were unilaterally grafted in place of prospective ear/ganglion placodes of younger embryos (stage 23). Light and electron microscopic examination revealed that the axons precociously entered the brain and formed synapses on the Mauthner cell. Similarly, grafts from younger to older embryos resulted in a delay. In both situations, mapping the club endings on the mature Mauthner cells of 21-mm larvae revealed a distribution similar to that of the contralateral control cells. Thus precocious and delayed afferent arrival did not alter the eventual localization of the synapses. These results conflict with the spatiotemporal model and imply that the vestibular axons are either restricted to a certain region of the neuropil or capable of recognizing a specific region of the Mauthner cell surface.
Fundamentals of Spin-Exchange Optical Pumping

The standard model of Spin-Exchange Optical Pumping of 3He has come under close scrutiny as researchers try to maximize the quantity and polarization of 3He. This paper will review four important effects that have come to light: 1) pumping with frequency narrowed diode lasers significantly improves the polarization and production rate as compared to off-the-shelf broadband sources 2) Rb-K mixtures again improve the production rate due to reduced collisional loss in K-He collisions, 3) a unexplained 3He wall relaxation mechanism that scales closely with alkali vapor pressure limits the attainable 3He polarization to about 80%, 4) a small collisionally-induced breakdown in the selection rules for optical pumping explains why narrowband lasers are so advantageous, and may explain some observed limitations for Rb-K pumping as well.
Effects of hypophysectomy, beef growth hormone replacement therapy, pituitary autotransplantation, and environmental salinity on growth in the black bullhead (Ictalurus melas)

Abstract The somatotropic function of the pituitary gland was studied in the bullhead ( Ictalurus melas ) at 24° using the techniques of hypophysectomy, growth hormone replacement therapy, and pituitary autotransplantation. Hypophysectomy arrested linear growth within 1 to 3 weeks; weight changes after ablation were small. Hypophysectomized fish were kept in isotonic saline to prevent death from sodium loss. Intact bullheads under similar conditions grew well, often better than in freshwater. An isotonic environment specifically offset the short-term negative effects of sham hypophysectomy. After pituitary autotransplantation, length and weight changes were small, suggesting a stimulatory role for the hypothalamus in controlling growth hormone secretion. Beef growth hormone replacement therapy (1.0 μg/g body weight, every second day) stimulated respective length and weight increases in hypophysectomized 30- to 35-g bullheads of 7.00 and 49.2% after 16 days, and 10.66 and 66.3% after 32 days. Comparable figures for sham-hypophysectomized, saline-injected controls were 4.44 and 31.5%, and 7.75 and 46.2%. Growth hormone at 0.1 μg/g had little effect; treatment with 10 μg/g resulted in high mortality and failed to stimulate length and weight gains larger than those seen with 1.0 μg/g. Both environmental salinity and surgical manipulations influenced the relationship between body weight and length. Growth hormone-treated fish (1.0 μg/g) developed significantly heavier bodies with respect to length than either hypophysectomized or sham-operated, saline-injected controls.
Torsion as a contributing cause of the anti-elevation syndrome.

Background: The anti-elevation syndrome is an adverse outcome of anterior transposition of the inferior oblique muscle. The presumed cause is an excessive anti-elevating force vector that occurs with attempted elevation in abduction. This causes apparent overaction of the contralateral inferior oblique muscle due to fixation duress. It has been suggested that excessive residual extorsion may help explain this phenomenon. Methods: Fundus photographs to assess torsion were evaluated by masked observers in 18 patients who had undergone anterior transposition of the inferior oblique muscle. Eight of the patients were found to have the anti-elevation syndrome and 10 were not. Results: Patients with the anti-elevation syndrome had more extorsion (mean, 16.6° ± 3.4°) than the patients who did not have the anti-elevation syndrome (mean, 8.8° ± 2.3°). This difference was significant (P < .0001). In addition, 2 patients who initially did not show the anti-elevation syndrome were found to have an increase in their fundus extorsion after they subsequently developed the anti-elevation syndrome. Two patients who had the antielevation syndrome showed a marked decrease in fundus extorsion after the anti-elevation syndrome was surgically eliminated by converting the anterior transposition to a simple recession. Conclusion: The presence of substantial extorsion may contribute to the cause of the anti-elevation syndrome after inferior oblique muscle anterior transposition. Lateral placement of the posterior (lateral) corner of the inferior oblique muscle at the time of surgery may cause substantial extorsion after surgery. (J AAPOS 2001;5:172-7)
Temporal sequence of clinical manifestation in schizophrenia with co-morbid OCD: Review and meta-analysis

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is often a comorbidity in schizophrenia (SCZ), but little is known about whether OCD emerges before or after a diagnosis of SCZ in the absence of atypical antipsychotic medications. The authors analyzed data from clinical studies reporting the temporal sequence of OCD and SCZ in comorbid patients to determine if there was a significant statistical difference between the mean ages of onset in both disorders and the percentage of patients diagnosed with OCD before SCZ. A MEDLINE search was conducted using the keywords "OCD" and "Schizophrenia." Studies were assessed for the presence of data regarding the ages of onset of patients comorbid with both disorders as well as the number of patients in each study diagnosed with OCD first, SCZ first, or both disorders concurrently. A meta-analysis was performed to test the a priori hypothesis that OCD is diagnosed before SCZ in patients who are comorbid with both disorders. There was no statistically significant difference in the unstandardized difference in the mean age of onset of OCD and SCZ. A strong trend in the data exists suggesting that the onset of OCD precedes SCZ. Future prospective studies with larger sample sizes are warranted.
Comparison of VTA dopamine neuron activity in lines of rats selectively bred to prefer or avoid alcohol.

Background: Studies comparing alcohol-naive alcohol-preferring (P) and -nonpreferring (NP) rats indicate that high alcohol drinking is associated with an innate deficiency of the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system. We previously reported that ventral tegmental area (VTA) DA neurons in alcohol-naive P rats burst fire more frequently than VTA DA neurons in alcohol-naive Wistar rats. We hypothesized that increased burst firing in P rats may represent a compensatory mechanism to maintain adequate levels of DA in terminal areas, such as the nucleus accumbens, despite the deficient mesolimbic DA system. The present study sought to extend our previous work and include NP rats and to determine whether differences in VTA DA neuron activity could be generalized to other rat lines selected for high and low alcohol preference, namely the high (HAD) and low (LAD) alcohol-drinking rats. Methods: The extracellular activity of posterior VTA DA neurons was recorded in unanesthetized alcohol-naive rats from the P/NP and HAD/LAD lines. Firing frequencies, burst activity, and the number of DA neurons encountered per electrode track were compared. Results: Dopamine neurons in the posterior VTA of P rats had a greater percentage of action potentials in bursts and greater number of bursts compared with posterior VTA DA neurons in NP rats. There were no differences in VTA DA neuronal activity between both replicate lines of HAD and LAD rats. Conclusions: Burst activity of posterior VTA DA neurons distinguishes P from NP rats, but does not generalize to other lines of rats selectively bred at Indiana University for alcohol preference and nonpreference. Increased burst activity of DA neurons in the posterior VTA may be related to alcohol preference in P rats but is not necessary for high alcohol drinking.
Stimulation by prostaglandin E2 of glucagon and insulin release from isolated rat pancreas.

Abstract To ascertain whether prostaglandins (PG) may play a role in the secretion of glucagon and in an attempt to elucidate the conflicting observations on the effects of PG on insulin release, the isolated intact rat pancreas was perfused with solutions containing 1.1 × 10 −9 to 1.8 × 10 −5 M PGE 2 . In the presence of 5.6 mM glucose significant increments in portal venous effluent levels of glucagon and insulin were observed in response to minimal concentrations of 2.8 × 10 −8 and 1.4 × 10 −7 M PGE 2 , respectively; a dose-response relationship was evident for both hormones at higher concentrations of PGE 2 . When administered over 60 seconds, 1.4 × 10 −6 M PGE 2 resulted in a significant increase in glucagon levels within 24 seconds and in insulin within 48 seconds. Ten-minute perfusions of 1.4 × 10 −6 M PGE 2 elicited biphasic release of both islet hormones; Phase I glucagon release preceded that of insulin. Both phases of the biphasic glucagon and insulin release which occurred in response to 15-minute perfusions of 10 mM arginine were augmented by PGE 2 . These observations indicate that PGE 2 can evoke glucagon and insulin release at concentrations close to those observed by others in the extracts of rat pancreas. We conclude that PG may be involved in the regulation of secretion of glucagon and insulin and may mediate and/or modify the pancreatic islet hormone response to other secretagogues.
Defeasible security policy composition for web services

The ability to automatically compose security policies created by multiple organizations is fundamental to the development of scalable security systems. The diversity of policies leads to conflicts and the need to resolve priorities between rules. In this paper we explore the concept of defeasible policy composition, wherein policies are represented in defeasible logic and composition is based on rules for non-monotonic inference. This enables policy writers to assert rules tentatively; when policies are composed the policy with the firmest position takes precedence. In addition, the structure of our policies allows for composition to occur using a single operator; this allows for entirely automated composition. We argue that this provides a practical system that can be understood by typical policy writers, analyzed rigorously by theoreticians, and efficiently automated by computers. We aim to partially validate these claims here with a formulation of defeasible policy composition for web services, an emerging foundation for B2B commerce on the World Wide Web.
Direct Observation of Site-Specific Molecular Chemisorption of O2 on TiO2(110)

Molecularly chemisorbed O2 species were directly imaged on reduced TiO2(110) at 50 K with high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Two different O2 adsorption channels, one at bridging oxygen vacancies (VO) and another at 5-fold coordinated terminal titanium atoms (Ti5c), have been identified. While O2 species at the Ti5c site appears as a single protrusion centered on the Ti5c row, the O2 at VO manifests itself by a disappearance of the VO feature. It is found that the STM tip can easily dissociate O2 species, unless extremely low magnitude of the tunneling parameters are used. The O2 molecules chemisorbed at low temperatures at these two distinct sites are the most likely precursors for the two O2 dissociation channels, observed at temperatures above 150 and 230 K at the VO and Ti5c sites, respectively.
Online nanoflow RP-RP-MS reveals dynamics of multicomponent Ku complex in response to DNA damage.

Tandem affinity purification (TAP) coupled with mass spectrometry has become the technique of choice for characterization of multicomponent protein complexes. While current TAP protocols routinely provide high yield and specificity for proteins expressed under physiologically relevant conditions, analytical figures of merit required for efficient and in-depth LC−MS analysis remain unresolved. Here we implement a multidimensional chromatography platform, based on two stages of reversed-phase (RP) separation operated at high and low pH, respectively. We compare performance metrics for RP−RP and SCX−RP for the analysis of complex peptide mixtures derived from cell lysate, as well as protein complexes purified via TAP. Our data reveal that RP−RP fractionation outperforms SCX−RP primarily due to increased peak capacity in the first dimension separation. We integrate this system with miniaturized LC assemblies to achieve true online fractionation at low (≤5 nL/min) effluent flow rates. Stable isotope labeling i...
Don't Hesitate--Articulate.

The article suggests that the initiation of school/college articulation efforts does not need to be considered the exclusive domain of college foreign language departments. It sets forth and illustrates a three-stage program that a secondary school teacher can follow to establish and maintain contact with a nearby college department.
Nerve growth factor is a mitogen for cultured chromaffin cells.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is essential for the survival and differentiation of a number of neural crest derivatives, including sympathetic and sensory neurones1–3. While early studies suggested that NGF might also have a mitogenic effect on these neurones4,5, subsequent work has favoured the interpretation that NGF promotes cell survival or differentiation rather than proliferation6,7. We have addressed the issue of a mitogenic effect of NGF using adrenal chromaffin cells, which are endocrine cells derived from the neural crest, and are closely related to sympathetic neurones. Adrenal chromaffin cells respond to NGF in vitro by expressing neuronal traits8–11. We now report that NGF elicits a mitotic response in cultured chromaffin cells from young rats, and that this response is blocked by an antiserum to 2.5S NGF. The chromaffin cells that divide in response to NGF can subsequently become neuronal in the continued presence of NGF.
Practical design considerations and performance characteristics of high-numerical-aperture holographic lenses

The diffraction efficiency of interferometrically formed holographic lenses is influenced by the recording geometry and properties of the recording material. Variations in efficiency increase when attempting to make high numerical aperture elements. The factors which influence the diffraction efficiency of high numerical aperture holographic lenses are examined.
Thermoelectric quantum-dot superlattices with high ZT

Following the experimentally observed Seebeck coefficient enhancement in PbTe quantum wells in Pb1−xEuxTe/PbTe multiple-quantum-well structures which indicated the potential usefulness of low dimensionality, we have investigated the thermoelectric properties of PbSexTe1−x/PbTe quantum-dot superlattices for possible improved thermoelectric materials. We have again found enhancements in Seebeck coefficient and thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) relative to bulk values, which occur through the various physics and materials science phenomena associated with the quantum-dot structures. To date, we have obtained estimated ZT values approximately double the best bulk PbTe values, with estimated ZT as high as about 0.9 at 300 K.
Complementarity in root architecture for nutrient uptake in ancient maize/bean and maize/bean/squash polycultures.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS During their domestication, maize, bean and squash evolved in polycultures grown by small-scale farmers in the Americas. Polycultures often overyield on low-fertility soils, which are a primary production constraint in low-input agriculture. We hypothesized that root architectural differences among these crops causes niche complementarity and thereby greater nutrient acquisition than corresponding monocultures. METHODS A functional-structural plant model, SimRoot, was used to simulate the first 40 d of growth of these crops in monoculture and polyculture and to determine the effects of root competition on nutrient uptake and biomass production of each plant on low-nitrogen, -phosphorus and -potassium soils. KEY RESULTS Squash, the earliest domesticated crop, was most sensitive to low soil fertility, while bean, the most recently domesticated crop, was least sensitive to low soil fertility. Nitrate uptake and biomass production were up to 7 % greater in the polycultures than in the monocultures, but only when root architecture was taken into account. Enhanced nitrogen capture in polycultures was independent of nitrogen fixation by bean. Root competition had negligible effects on phosphorus or potassium uptake or biomass production. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that spatial niche differentiation caused by differences in root architecture allows polycultures to overyield when plants are competing for mobile soil resources. However, direct competition for immobile resources might be negligible in agricultural systems. Interspecies root spacing may also be too large to allow maize to benefit from root exudates of bean or squash. Above-ground competition for light, however, may have strong feedbacks on root foraging for immobile nutrients, which may increase cereal growth more than it will decrease the growth of the other crops. We note that the order of domestication of crops correlates with increasing nutrient efficiency, rather than production potential.
The Validity of the Subtests of 1976 Edition of the Metropolitan Readiness Tests

Significant positive correlations, with one exception, between ratings of kindergarten pupils by their teachers in six readiness areas and pupil raw scores suggested the concurrent validity of the five subtests of the 1976 edition of the Metropolitan Readiness Tests (MRT), Level II, Form P. Correlations between MRT subtest scores and teachers' ratings of pupil readiness ranged from .235 to .745.
Thermodynamics of the interaction between O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase and the C-terminus of serine acetyltransferase.

Cysteine biosynthesis in plants is partly regulated by the physical association of O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase (OASS) and serine acetyltransferase (SAT). Interaction of OASS and SAT requires only the 10 C-terminal residues of SAT. Here we analyze the thermodynamics of formation of a complex of Arabidopsis thaliana OASS (AtOASS) and the C-terminal ligand of AtSAT (C10 peptide) as a function of temperature and salt concentration using fluorescence spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Our results suggest that the C-terminus of AtSAT provides the major contribution to the total binding energy in the plant cysteine synthase complex. The C10 peptide binds to the AtOASS homodimer in a 2:1 complex. Interaction between AtOASS and the C10 peptide is tight (Kd = 5−100 nM) over a range of temperatures (10−35 °C) and NaCl concentrations (0.02−1.3 M). AtOASS binding of the C10 peptide displays negative cooperativity at higher temperatures. ITC studies reveal compensating changes in the enthalpy and...
The establishment and reversibility of species affinities in domestic sheep and goats

Abstract The establishment and reversibility of cross-species attachments were studied in sheep and goats taken from their mothers at birth and reared in same- or cross-species pairs until 12 months of age. Species affinities were determined at eight to nine months of age by time spent proximate to stimulus herds of sheep and goats housed in separate enclosures within a larger pasture. Sheep reared with goats spent significantly more time with the stimulus goats than did controls (sheep reared with sheep). Likewise, goats reared with sheep spent a significantly greater percentage of time with the stimulus sheep than did control goats. At approximately 13 months of age the sheep were segregated from the goats in separate pastures and were retested, as before, for species affinities after 34 to 90 days of exposure to conspecifics. Experimental subjects demonstrated a significant reversal of species preferences. However, the reversal was more complete for subjects housed for 57 to 90 days in same-species groups than for those tested after 34 to 56 days of exposure to conspecifics. It was concluded that species affinities of sheep and goats are basically learned and that relatively long-standing cross-species social attachments can be reversed by approximately 60 to 90 days of same-species cohabitation.
Responsiveness of the SF-36 and WOMAC following periacetabular osteotomy for acetabular dysplasia.

Background Periacetabular osteotomy is a relatively common reconstructive procedure for the adolescent or young adult with acetabular dysplasia. Although several measures have been used to characterize the outcome, the responsiveness of these measures in this population has not been determined. The purpose of this study was to estimate the responsiveness of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the Short Form-36 (SF-36) in patients with acetabular dysplasia treated with periacetabular osteotomy. Methods Eighty-three patients with acetabular dysplasia treated with periacetabular osteotomy between 2000 and 2005 completed the WOMAC and SF-36 both preoperatively and postoperatively. The scores on each domain of these outcome measures were calculated and analyzed to determine the parameters of responsiveness, including the minimal detectable change at the 90% confidence level. Results The mean duration of follow-up was 1.9 years. Comparison of the effect size, standardized response mean, and minimal detectable change for the SF-36 and WOMAC demonstrated that the WOMAC was more sensitive to change than the SF-36 was, particularly in the physical function domain (minimal detectable change, 9.1) and the pain domain (minimal detectable change, 5.5). Only one of the eight domains of the SF-36, bodily pain, demonstrated a change in outcome that exceeded the minimal detectable change, which was 2.38. Conclusions Both the WOMAC and the SF-36 demonstrated adequate responsiveness to change over time in patients with acetabular dysplasia treated with periacetabular osteotomy, although the WOMAC was more sensitive to change. These results indicate that the WOMAC is sufficiently responsive to be used as a joint-specific measure for assessing changes following periacetabular osteotomy for the treatment of acetabular dysplasia.
NEUROTOXICITY IN LEUKEMIC CHILDREN RECEIVING PROPHYLACTIC CRANIAL IRRADIATION AND MAINTENANCE HIGH DOSE METHOTREXATE

Non-leukemic neurologic abnormalities may be produced or enhanced in children with lymphoblastic leukemia receiving prophylactic CNS therapy and high-dose maintenance methotrexate (MTX). 22 children given cranial irradiation and intrathecal MTX after remission induction were maintained for 1-3 years with biweekly intravenous MTX, 125-450 mg./m2; cyclophosphamide, 200 mg./m2, and cytosine arabinoside, 100 mg./m2. Eight children (36%) suffered transient encephalopathy, previously described by Aur, et al., during the second month after irradiation. Other neurologic abnormalities were observed 6-24 months after CNS prophylaxis, during which time dosage of MTX was increased to tolerance. Four children developed a seizure disorder and perceptual-motor deficits; two improved clinically after discontinuation of parenteral MTX. McCarthy tests administered to 18 patients revealed gross and fine motor or perceptual-motor deficits in 9 (50%). Insidious limping of uncertain etiology was persistent in 8 children (36%). CSF folate levels fell to less than 10 ng./ml. in 13 (59%), and transient, mild EEG changes occurred in 8 asymptomatic patients. The combination of high-dose parenteral MTX following CNS prophylaxis may be causally related to subsequent non-leukemic neurologic disturbances.
Eccentricities of Activitrax pulse generators.

Abstract At present, and on a worldwide basis, the Activitrax (VVI plus activity or VVIR) pulse generator is the most frequently implanted unit that uses signals other than intracardiac electrograms to control the rate of stimulation. Because all pulse generators have eccentricities, 1 it is of clinical importance to describe some of the unexpected varieties of normal function observed during the evaluation of these devices.
Tracking of the Mu Rhythm using an Empirically Derived Matched Filter

This paper introduces a method for improved detection and tracking of cortical mu rhythm modulation for the purpose of a brain-computer interface (BCI). The cortical mu rhythm found in the EEG is of particular interest in BCIs because it can be modulated through motor imagery and can be monitored via noninvasive techniques. With proper training, a disabled person can learn to control the mu rhythm to operate a communication device. This paper discusses the extraction of the empirical mu rhythm, proposes a synthetic model for the mu rhythm, and examines the effectiveness of the synthetic model as a matched filter on two-dimensional cursor control data recorded from a BCI
Designing and Installing Safe, Durable, and Cost-Effective Photovoltaic Power Systems

Utility-interactive photovoltaic (PV) power systems are a mature technology. PV systems designed and installed following existing guidelines and codes will achieve long life, durable service, excellent safety, and cost-effective power production. However, it is evident that great numbers of systems being installed today will not achieve these levels of performance and reliability because of poor design and installation practices. To achieve top performance and long lifetimes, PV systems must be designed using the best available locating tools, the excellent information provided by the module and inverter manufacturers, and by following both the U. S. National Electrical Code and good workmanship practices.
Nuns and Nunneries in Renaissance Florence – By Sharon T. Strocchia

Drawing on the rich sources surviving for Florence and on numerous existing studies of its lineages, government, and institutions, this author uses a variety of sources in her study of nuns from 13...
RMED: A reconfigurable architecture for embedded medical monitoring

In this paper we propose a multi-parameter reconfigurable architecture framework for patient-specific medical monitoring. This architecture is mainly composed of a set of heterogeneous processing engines and flexible communication interfaces, which enable the run-time configuration of the architecture for optimal diagnosis of different diseases. The flexibility of the proposed framework is evaluated by demonstrating two different medical applications for monitoring brain and heart status on an FPGA-based hardware prototype. The evaluated epileptic seizure detection application gains a high detection performance with overall accuracy of 98.52% and sensitivity of 99.47%. For the cardiac ICU monitoring application, the experimental results for detecting abnormality of blood pressure and heart rate in selected patients show a high true positive rate of 94.74%. By applying algorithmic enhancements in the detection scheme, we even achieve early detection of abnormalities in blood pressure in the range of few minutes before standard ICU monitor alarms with a true positive rate of 64%. With a balanced mixture of flexibility, patient-specificity, and detection accuracy at small hardware footprint, the proposed architecture can be an attractive framework for embedded monitoring of a wide variety of medical conditions.
The Failed Anoplasty: Successful Outcome After Reoperative Anoplasty and Sigmoid Resection

Abstract Background/Purpose: Children with anorectal malformations often have less than optimal results after repair. The authors report on five patients (ages 3 to 17 years) born with imperforate anus and treated with anoplasty as a newborn. At presentation, all patients were completely incontinent of stool. None had ever experienced voluntary bowel movements, and all wore diapers continuously. Methods: Perineal examination with the nerve stimulator showed the muscle complex was largely intact with good contraction, but the neoanus was outside of the muscle complex. Contrast enema showed massive dilation of the rectosigmoid colon and fecal impaction. A tethered spinal cord was excluded by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We treated these patients with a combined reoperative anoplasty via the posterior sagittal approach and sigmoid resection. Results: Within 6 months after the procedure, all patients had achieved complete continence. They had from one to three voluntary bowel movements per day without soiling. Conclusions: Children with severe constipation and fecal incontinence after anoplasty should undergo evaluation by a surgeon. If examination shows a reasonably intact muscle complex and correctable anatomic defects, an excellent result can be achieved with appropriate reoperation.
The Symbolic Meaning of Childbearing

Women born during the baby boom are predicted to have historically high rates of childlessness and low fertility. Many popular explanations for such predictions point to the costs involved in having and rearing children—both direct and opportunity costs. The evidence for such costs, however, is quite weak. In this article, the costs in earnings, labor-force time, and time with one's spouse are considered and argued to be inadequate to explain contemporary women's low fertility. Instead, it is argued that fundamental values held by women about male-female relationships and the role of women in society are quite important in affecting women's fertility. Limited empirical tests of this argument provide consistent support. This article concludes by noting how, for growing numbers of women, the role of mother is being redefined in ways quite similar to the traditional role of father—financial support of children.
The nature of chemical innovation: new enzymes by evolution.

I describe how we direct the evolution of non-natural enzyme activities, using chemical intuition and information on structure and mechanism to guide us to the most promising reaction/enzyme systems. With synthetic reagents to generate new reactive intermediates and just a few amino acid substitutions to tune the active site, a cytochrome P450 can catalyze a variety of carbene and nitrene transfer reactions. The cyclopropanation, N–H insertion, C–H amination, sulfimidation, and aziridination reactions now demonstrated are all well known in chemical catalysis but have no counterparts in nature. The new enzymes are fully genetically encoded, assemble and function inside of cells, and can be optimized for different substrates, activities, and selectivities. We are learning how to use nature's innovation mechanisms to marry some of the synthetic chemists’ favorite transformations with the exquisite selectivity and tunability of enzymes.
Absorption monitoring and optical damage protection for micromechanical optics

Summary form only given. It is critically important to understand the absorption characteristics of micromachined optical devices. Etch-released microstructures generally have extremely poor thermal conductance and are unable to handle high powers without thermal damage or warping. This problem is compounded in tunable structures whose optical characteristics are dynamic because their maximum acceptable intensity is dependent on actuation conditions. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to extract absorption from reflectivity and transmission experiments since the contributions of the device and layers around it (such as the substrate) are often indistinguishable. In this paper, an absorption monitoring method is described using the micromachined optic as a thermal probe of its own absorption. The method requires no changes to the device design and is demonstrated by measuring the absorption of a diffractive microbeam dynamically during actuation and light source spectral changes.
Effect of Stress-Like Concentrations of Cortisol on Estradiol-Dependent Expression of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor in Orchidectomized Sheep

The effect of stress-like concentrations of cortisol (C) on estrogen-dependent expression of GnRH receptor was evaluated using orchidectomized sheep (wethers; n 5 6 animals per group). C (5.0 mg/50 kg per hour; groups 1‐4) or a comparable volume of vehicle (groups 5‐8) was delivered by continuous infusion for 48 h. During the final 24 h of infusion, animals received concurrent infusion of estradiol (E2) at rates of 0 (groups 1 and 5), 0.5 (groups 2 and 6), 2.0 (groups 3 and 7), or 8.0 (groups 4 and 8) mg/50 kg per hour. Pituitary tissue was collected at the end of infusion. Although C did not affect (p . 0.05) the basal concentration of GnRH receptor or GnRH receptor mRNA, it reduced (p , 0.05) the increase in receptor and receptor mRNA induced by concurrent administration of 0.5 m gE 2/50 kg per hour. In contrast, the increase in GnRH receptor expression induced by higher levels of estrogen stimulation was not affected (p . 0.05) by concurrent administration of C. The effect of C on the temporal pattern of E2-dependent increase in GnRH receptor expression was assessed using wethers receiving E2 (0.5 mg/50 kg per hour) by continuous infusion for 0 (groups 1 and 5), 24 (groups 2 and 6), 48 (groups 3 and 7), or 72 h (groups 4 and 8). Animals received C (5.0 mg/ 50 kg per hour; groups 1‐4) or vehicle (groups 5‐8) beginning 24 h before, and continuing throughout, the E2 delivery period. Stress-like concentrations of C reduced (p , 0.05) the increase in GnRH receptor and receptor mRNA induced after 24 h of E2 stimulation. However, the suppressive effect of C was transient, and tissue levels of GnRH receptor and receptor mRNA were comparable after 72 h of E2 infusion in animals receiving C or vehicle alone. Collectively these observations demonstrate that C suppresses estrogen-dependent increase in tissue concentrations of GnRH receptor and receptor mRNA. However, this effect of C is transient and not evident in animals receiving moderate to high levels of estrogen stimulation. This transient suppression of GnRH receptor expression may account, at least in part, for the anti-gonadal effect of glucocorticoids.
Improving methodological and technological analyses of adaptive switch use of individuals with profound multiple impairments

Basic response–event relations can be difficult to demonstrate with individuals with profound multiple impairments who participate in adaptive switch programs. Numerous variables that impede learning and contribute to performance variability present challenges to assessment methods. As switch use may be the only operant under stimulus control with some individuals, however, improvement in assessment methods and measurement technology is important. In three case studies, response–event relations were examined in individuals who were provided with an adaptive switch that could activate an electronic leisure device. With two individuals, evidence of learning was assessed in a novel alternating-treatments design. Switch use was compared under conditions in which switch closures produced activation and conditions in which closures deactivated the device. With the remaining individual, the effects of momentary activation by switch closure were compared to timed activation. Data were collected with a combination of data collection technologies. Whole-session rate and response-duration data provided some evidence of learning in all participants. Data also were converted into within-session cumulative graphs, which aided data interpretation. The results demonstrate advances in assessment of learning in people with profound multiple impairments. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analytical Modeling of Sandwich Beams with Functionally Graded Core

This study investigates several available sandwich beam theories for their suitability of application to one-dimensional sandwich plates with functionally graded core. Two equivalent single-layer theories based on assumed displacements, a higher-order theory, and the Fourier-Galerkin method are compared. The results are also compared with the finite element analysis. The core of the sandwich panel is functionally graded such that the density, and hence its stiffness, vary through the thickness. The variation of core Young's modulus is represented by a differentiable function in the thickness coordinate, but the Poisson's ratio is kept constant. A very good agreement is found among the Fourier-Galerkin method, the higher-order theory, and the finite element analysis.
Assembly of Bacterial Ribosomes

The assembly of ribosomes from a discrete set of components is a key aspect of the highly coordinated process of ribosome biogenesis. In this review, we present a brief history of the early work on ribosome assembly in Escherichia coli, including a description of in vivo and in vitro intermediates. The assembly process is believed to progress through an alternating series of RNA conformational changes and protein-binding events; we explore the effects of ribosomal proteins in driving these events. Ribosome assembly in vivo proceeds much faster than in vitro, and we outline the contributions of several of the assembly cofactors involved, including Era, RbfA, RimJ, RimM, RimP, and RsgA, which associate with the 30S subunit, and CsdA, DbpA, Der, and SrmB, which associate with the 50S subunit.