cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High Altitude Illness: Knowledge, Practice, and Attitudes of Porters in Nepal

Introduction Porters working at high altitude face a number of preventable health risks ranging from frostbite to potentially fatal high-altitude pulmonary and cerebral edema. Porters are often recruited from impoverished low-altitude areas, poorly equipped in terms of protective clothing, and tasked with carrying loads that equal or exceed their body mass to high elevations. Despite a large population of porters working throughout mountainous parts of the world, there is little documentation regarding knowledge levels, attitudes, and practices related to the prevention of altitude illness in this population. Much of the literature focuses on biomechanics of load carrying for porters or altitude issues for trekkers. Methods A cross-sectional survey was developed using a modified Delphi technique. The survey was administered to a convenience sample of porters (n=146) from diverse cultural groups between Lukla (2774 m) and Everest Base Camp (5361 m). Results Many of the porters started at a young age, carried heavy loads, and had difficulty identifying symptoms of high altitude illness, and less than 20% correctly identified preventive measures for high-altitude illness. Conclusions Porters in the Khumbu region continue to face hazards in their working environment. Future research and health education campaigns should address knowledge deficits and help with the design of tailored interventions.
Inexperienced Listeners' Perception of Timbre Dissimilarity Within and Between Voice Categories

Summary Objective/Hypothesis Using stimuli produced by classically trained female singers, this study sought to examine how inexperienced listeners' ratings of timbre dissimilarity relate to singer categorization, both between and within voice category. Method/Design Stimuli were produced by six mezzo-sopranos and six sopranos classically trained female voice students at three pitches, C4, G4, and F5. Within each category, mezzo-soprano and soprano, three singers were classified as lighter in timbre and three were classified as heavier in timbre. At each pitch, the 12 sung stimuli were combined in all possible pairs and presented to 56 inexperienced listeners who judged each pair for the degree of timbre dissimilarity using a visual analog scale. All stimuli also were rated by expert voice professionals in two dimensions: (1) voice category and (2) vocal weight. Results Multidimensional scaling (MDS) dimensions agreed with teacher-determined voice category at C4 and teacher-determined vocal weight at G4 and F5. MDS dimensions also correlated with single-note ratings of voice category and vocal weight provided by expert listeners who were unfamiliar with the singing voices used in this study. With limited exceptions, no single acoustic variable predicted the MDS dimensions that resulted from the inexperienced listeners ratings of timbre dissimilarity; however, weighted linear combinations of acoustic variables were highly predictive of numerous MDS dimensions. Conclusion In spite of a lack of both range and tessitura information, timbre dissimilarity ratings provided by inexperienced listeners yielded MDS dimensions that accurately predicted voice categories and vocal weight and that highly correlated to expert listeners ratings of these two parameters.
Assessment of spatial patterns in benthic macrofauna of the U.S. west coast continental shelf.

Aim We assessed whether currently described marine biogeographic boundaries apply to shelf macrofauna and which environmental drivers were most associated with species differences among regions. Location Pacific coast of North America from the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Washington to the California-Mexico border. Methods Van Veen grab samples were collected from soft sediment 28-138 m deep and sieved using 1 mm mesh. Spatial patterns of species richness, diversity, and abundance were examined in relation to latitude and environmental parameters (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, sediment % fines, and total organic carbon). Analyses of latitudinal distribution patterns of individual species were combined with multivariate analyses of community composition to determine biogeographic and habitat boundaries for mid-depth continental shelf macrofauna. Results Species richness, diversity, and abundance significantly decreased with increasing latitude, primarily between 32 and 40° N. There were positive associations of richness, diversity (H'), and abundance with upwelling index, sediment % fines, and TOC (<2%). Temperature and DO also were significant for richness and H' but not abundance. Assessment of individual species ranges found major faunal transitions at latitudes 33-34°, 37°, 44°, and 46-47°. Major assemblage differences were found at 34.5°, and 42°. Within each latitudinal region, significantly different macrofauna communities were found in sediment with <5% fines. Main Conclusions The biogeographic boundaries proposed under the Marine Ecoregions of the World schema are more closely aligned with shelf fauna distributions than those developed using west coast rocky intertidal communities. However, the proposed province boundary at Cape Mendocino is not apparent in the shelf macrofauna, and a transition appears to occur closer to the Oregon-California border. Further, the shelf macrofauna indicate the Channel Islands should be a separate subregion from mainland southern California Bight. Multivariate community analyses minimizing the impact of rare species appeared more useful in determining macrofaunal community biogeographic boundaries than analysis of individual species range endpoints, which are strongly influenced by uncommon species.
The use of podcast videos for airway skills

Background For a procedure-driven specialty such as anaesthesiology, hands-on training has always been the primary method of teaching airway skills. Although this method will always be a necessary component, the current generation of learners tend to gravitate toward media as educational sources. We propose that the addition of watching a series of podcast videos on airway management will further enhance the medical student's procedural skills. Methods A total of 34 medical students scheduled for an anaesthesia rotation were randomised into two groups. Both groups received the conventional one-to-one hands-on training on airway skills in the operating room; however, the study group received an additional series of podcast videos on airway equipment, mask ventilation and intubation. At the end of the rotation, all of the students were given an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) on a mannequin. Results The study group who received the podcasts significantly out-performed the control group on the OSCE (p = 0.003). The mean score for the podcast video group was 94.4%, versus 76.5% in the control group. Commonly missed steps by the control group included checking the endotracheal tube balloon before intubation, taping the eyes and auscultation of the epigastrium and lungs. Discussion Our results showed that supplementing conventional hands-on training with contemporary channels such as podcast videos improved learners' procedural skills. The media format was relatable for these modern learners and provided the added benefit of self-paced learning. Overall, the podcast videos made a positive contribution to students learning airway techniques.
Underpricing, Stabilization, and Governance: Sound and Fury Signifying?

Smart and Zutter (2005) recently published a paper on SSRN purporting to challenge the initial IPO return evidence in Arugaslan, Cook, and Kieschnick (2004), and especially the mixture distribution hypothesis. Unfortunately, Smart and Zutter misrepresent the arguments in Arugaslan, Cook, and Kieschnick. Further, they do not appear to understand the assumptions underlying the statistical models at issue, nor how to test those assumptions. We address the issues raised by their paper, in part to clarify what evidence might be used to reject the mixture distribution hypothesis.
Challenging the Link Between Early Childhood Television Exposure and Later Attention Problems: A Multiverse Approach:

In 2004, Christakis and colleagues published findings that he and others used to argue for a link between early childhood television exposure and later attention problems, a claim that continues to be frequently promoted by the popular media. Using the same National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 data set (N = 2,108), we conducted two multiverse analyses to examine whether the finding reported by Christakis and colleagues was robust to different analytic choices. We evaluated 848 models, including logistic regression models, linear regression models, and two forms of propensity-score analysis. If the claim were true, we would expect most of the justifiable analyses to produce significant results in the predicted direction. However, only 166 models (19.6%) yielded a statistically significant relationship, and most of these employed questionable analytic choices. We concluded that these data do not provide compelling evidence of a harmful effect of TV exposure on attention.
Simvastatin attenuates cerebral vasospasm and improves outcomes by upregulation of PI3K/Akt pathway in a rat model of subarachnoid hemorrhage

Background Cerebral vasospasm is a common sequelae of subarachonoid hemorrhage (SAH), however, the mechanism of cerebral vasospasm is still unclear. Recently, statins have been shown to have efficacy in ameliorating cerebral vasospasm. The present study investigates whether simvastatin attenuates cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) via upregulation of the PI3K/Akt pathway Methods 47 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 6 groups: sham-operated, SAH treated with vehicle, SAH treated with low dose simvastatin (1 mg/kg), high dose simvastatin (20 mg/kg), SAH treated with simvastatin plus the PI3K inhibitor (wortmannin), and sham-operated plus wortmannin. Simvastatin was administered intraperitoneally 30 minutes after SAH created by the standard endovascular perforation model. Histological parameters of the ipsilateral internal carotid artery (ICA - diameter, perimeter, and wall thickness) and neurological score were
A ‘Homeland’s’ Harvest: Biotraffic and Biotrade in the Contemporary Ciskei Region of South Africa

What, scholars of South Africa have recently asked, has become of the former ‘homelands’? This article describes the significance of the former Ciskei homeland to a multi-million-dollar supply chai...
Daily Rhythmicity in Social Activity

This chapter reviews evidence for a 24-hour rhythm in activities associated with social functioning. First, we offer a brief introduction of how social rhythmicity has been conceptualized and proposed to relate to the biological circadian clock. We then consider research support for a consistent daily periodicity in several social phenomena, including everyday behaviors such as living tasks and interpersonal exchanges, affective activation and engagement in reward-seeking, reproduction and group coordination in animals, and close familial relationships. We also discuss evidence that regularity in social activity is linked to health and constitutes a useful target for psychotherapeutic intervention. Finally, we note persistent gaps in the literature and potential future directions for studies of social circadian rhythms, such as implementation of more sophisticated study designs and statistical methods. We conclude that future research should continue clarifying how intrinsically generated physiological processes and socioculturally-imposed schedules interact to produce the 24-hour oscillations in socially-relevant activity observed across individuals.
Against the Tide: Promoting Latino/a Mental & Spiritual Wellness

Latino/as living in the United States are faced with a variety of challenges to their mental and spiritual wellness. In this article, I highlight three of these challenges and outline possible inte...
A systemic whole-plant change in redox levels accompanies the rapid systemic response to wounding.

The wounding-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) wave is accompanied by a systemic whole-plant redox response in Arabidopsis.
Valuing Cultural Activities Moderating the Association Between Alcohol Expectancies and Alcohol Use Among First Nation Adolescents.

Objective:Indigenous youth often exhibit high rates of alcohol use and experience disproportionate alcohol-related harm. We examined the moderating role that valuing cultural activities has on the ...
Enlargement of the genital hiatus is associated with prolapse recurrence in patients undergoing sacrospinous ligament fixation.

OBJECTIVE To correlate genital hiatus (GH) size with surgical failures in patients undergoing sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF) and compare anatomic outcomes after classification based on GH size. METHODS A retrospective review of 81 patients who underwent SSLF for apical prolapse from 2010 to 2016 at a teaching hospital. Anatomical outcome is reported using the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantifications System. A comparison of parametric continuous variables was performed using unpaired Student t test. Categorical variables were evaluated using Pearson's χ2 test and Fisher's exact test. A P value <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS Among the 81 patients, no difference in age, parity, body mass index, preoperative prolapse stage or follow-up time was noted between those whose surgery succeeded and those with failed surgery. Postoperatively, a widened GH was significantly associated with recurrent prolapse (P < 0.001). When the preoperative size of the GH was dichotomized into widened (≥4 cm) or normal (<4 cm), there was a non-significant (P = 0.444) trend of more failures in the widened GH group. A posterior colporrhaphy did not improve success. CONCLUSION Both preoperative and postoperative widened GH correlated with having more surgical failures following SSLF. Importantly, postoperatively a normal size GH was significantly associated with more surgical success.
Whiplash injuries

The term “whiplash” is not a medical diagnosis, but is the result of soft-tissue trauma to the neck. A whiplash injury occurs as a result of a sudden acceleration or deceleration of the head and neck with respect to the body. This article recommends that patient treatment be individualized.
Reuse Status of Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste Sites after Remediation in Europe and the United States

Reclamation and redevelopment of contaminated properties in the United States (U.S.) and Europe have been addressed by analyzing what has and is being done at the present time.
Recovering Ethical-Political Action in Government: An Introduction to the Symposium -- Foucault's Last Lectures and Their Implications for Public Administration

An introduction is presented in which the author discusses articles within the issue on topics including democratic political theory of political theorist Chantal Mouffe, the concept of parrhesia as described by philosopher Michel Foucault, and practice of parrhesia in public administration.
COHORT ANALYSIS OF PARKINSON'S SYNDROME: EVIDENCE FOR A SINGLE ETIOLOGY RELATED TO SUBCLINICAL INFECTION ABOUT 1920.

Cohort analysis was undertaken of all cases of Parkinson's syndrome seen at the Massachusetts General Hospital between 1875 and 1961. There were 1383 recorded cases which were suitable for analysis. Only 24 cases were located in the 43 years prior to 1918, while 1359 cases were found in the ensuing 42 years. For all cases, the mean year of birth was 1894.3 and the range (mean ± 2 × s.d.) was 1866.7 to 1921.9. Between the group with onset in 1920–1924 and the group with onset in 1955–1959, a period of 35 years, the mean age of the population with Parkinson's syndrome has increased 27 years. When the cases were examined by year of diagnosis, a similar trend was found. Patients with Parkinson's syndrome appear therefore to be part of a cohort of the population aging together. The curve of increasing age was found to correspond well with the mean ages of a population which ranged between ages 5 and 59 in 1920. When a series of cases with known encephalitis lethargica between 1918 and 1920 were examined, it was discovered that they had a mean age of 33.1 (mean ± 2 × s.d. was 3.7–62.5 years). The data indicate that a population very similar to that in which von Economo's disease occurred during the epidemic of 1918 to 1921 in the United States has aged at a rate which is remarkably close to that of the increase in age for successive new cases of Parkinson's syndrome as demonstrated in this study. Only 11.2 per cent of our cases gave a history of encephalitis, however. These data would indicate that most cases of Parkinson's syndrome have a single etiology possibly related to subclinical infection in 1918 to 1920 resulting in the onset of Parkinson's syndrome up to 40 or more years later. A corollary of the hypothesis is that a period of 40 or more years may elapse between an initial, presumably infections insult and the development of a secondary manifestation such as Parkinson's syndrome. If the hypothesis is correct, then the cohort with Parkinson's syndrome will gradually disappear and the number of cases diminish. An attempt has been made to project and predict the occurrence of Parkinson's syndrome in Massachusetts. It appears that a precipitous drop will occur prior to 1980 in the number of cases.
Heterogeneous integration of microscale compound semiconductor devices by micro-transfer-printing

Integrating microscale electronic devices onto non-native substrates enables new kinds of products with desirable functionalities and cost structures that are inaccessible by conventional means. Micro assembly technologies are the practical ways to make such microscale heterogeneous device combinations possible. Elastomer stamp micro-transferprinting technology (µTP) is a widely-demonstrated form of micro assembly, having demonstrated applicability in optical communications, magnetic storage, concentrator photovoltaics and display technologies. Here we describe new experiments designed to assess the useful lifetime of the viscoelastic elastomer transfer stamp, and also describe the methodology and results for heterogeneous integration of microscale compound semiconductor devices onto non-native substrates using µTP.
Congress, The Supreme Court and the Proper Role of Confidential Informants in Securities Fraud Litigation.

Confidential sources are critical to preventing financial harm and prosecuting corporate misconduct. In order to overcome the Private Securities Fraud Litigation Act's heightened pleading requirements, victims of securities fraud often have to rely on confidential sources for particularized facts regarding fraud. In its most recent decision regarding those pleading requirements, the United States Supreme Court held that plaintiffs must allege a strong inference of scienter; meaning the inference of culpability must be at least as likely as nonculpable competing inferences. The question left unanswered by the Court in Tellabs, however, is whether securities fraud victims can satisfy this pleading standard through the use of confidential sources. This article will show that Tellabs cannot fairly be construed to preclude plaintiffs from relying on confidential sources to satisfy the PSLRA's securities fraud pleading requirements. Section II of this article will examine the federal courts' pre-Tellabs treatment of confidential sources for securities fraud cases based on the particularity provision of the PSLRA. This section also will discuss the Tellabs decision and its emergent rule. Section III of this article will analyze the circuits' post-Tellabs treatment of confidential sources. The lower federal courts thus far are split on the place of confidential sources in securities fraud pleading. A recent Seventh Circuit decision invoking Tellabs requires courts to discount allegations from confidential witnesses. This Section will show that the Tellabs rule does not justify such a discounting of confidential sources. Finally, this article will conclude that, while the federal courts previously assessed confidential informants from a particularity viewpoint, some federal courts after Tellabs are beginning to treat confidential sources under an erroneous strong inference standard. The continuation of that trend will disserve the Supreme Court's precedents, the will of Congress and the victims of securities fraud.
Detection of explosives and explosives-related compounds by single photon laser ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

The application of single photon ionization in combination with mass-selective detection by time-of-flight mass spectrometry is described for the rapid detection of the nitro-containing explosives and explosives-related compounds nitrobenzene, 1,3-dinitrobenzene, o-nitrotoluene, 2,4-dinitrotoluene, and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, as well as the peroxide-based explosive triacetone triperoxide in the gas phase. The technique is demonstrated to be a plausible approach for laser-based rapid detection of explosives. The limits of detection for nitrobenzene and 2,4-dinitrotoluene using SPI were also measured and determined to be 17−24 (S/N ∼2:1) and ∼40 ppb (S/N ∼2:1), respectively.
On dislocation models of grain boundaries

Dislocation models of grain boundaries was suggested by Bragg (Proc Phys Soc 52:54–55, 1940) and Burgers (Proc Phys Soc 52:23–33, 1940). The first quantitative study of these models was given by Read and Shockley (Phys Rev 78(3):275–289, 1950). They obtained a formula for the dependence of the grain boundary energy on the misorientation of the neighboring grains, which became a cornerstone of the grain boundary theory. The Read–Shockley formula was based on a proposition that the grain boundary energy is the sum of energies of the two sets of dislocations that come from the two neighboring grains. This proposition was proved under an assumption on a quite special geometry of the slip planes. This paper aims to show that the assumption is not necessary and the proposition holds for arbitrary geometry of slip planes. Another goal of this paper is to provide all basic formulas of the theory: though the dislocation model of grain boundaries is considered in all treatises on dislocation theory, a complete analysis, including the relations for lattice rotations and displacements, has not been given. This analysis shows, in particular, that continuum theory does not yield the proper relations for the lattice misorientations, and these relations must be introduced by an independent ansatz.
Sarcolemmal defect and subsarcolemmal lesion in a patient with γ- sarcoglycan deficiency

We report a case of gamma-sarcoglycanopathy with sarcolemmal defects and subsarcolemmal lesions indistinguishable from those in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Both disorders share certain ultrastructure features that suggest a common pathogenesis related to primary deficiency of transmembrane glycoproteins (e.g., sarcoglycans) or deficiency in dystrophin, which produces a secondary deficiency in sarcoglycans. The lack of transmembrane glycoproteins may contribute to membrane lesions and associated muscle fiber degeneration and necrosis.
Toward a method of determining the impact of tourist expenditures on state tax revenues

This paper presents an econometric approach to analysis of the relationship between tourist expenditures and state tax revenues. Following earlier writers, a multiplicative tax production model is employed with number of tourists included as a proxy variable for tourist expenditures. Time-series and cross-section regressions are run for several tourist impacted categories of state tax. Data from Florida are used for the 1960–70 time period. The results indicate that the model performs well using ordinary least squares. Tourist elasticity estimates generated are used to compute hypothetical tax contributions. These appear to be reasonable, though no definitive statements about direct tax exportation can be made. The contribution of the paper is that it provides a beginning step toward econometric quantification of the tourist impact on state economies.
Minnelide: a novel therapeutic that promotes apoptosis in non-small cell lung carcinoma in vivo.

Background Minnelide, a pro-drug of triptolide, has recently emerged as a potent anticancer agent. The precise mechanisms of its cytotoxic effects remain unclear. Methods Cell viability was studied using CCK8 assay. Cell proliferation was measured real-time on cultured cells using Electric Cell Substrate Impedence Sensing (ECIS). Apoptosis was assayed by Caspase activity on cultured lung cancer cells and TUNEL staining on tissue sections. Expression of pro-survival and anti-apoptotic genes (HSP70, BIRC5, BIRC4, BIRC2, UACA, APAF-1) was estimated by qRTPCR. Effect of Minnelide on proliferative cells in the tissue was estimated by Ki-67 staining of animal tissue sections. Results In this study, we investigated in vitro and in vivo antitumor effects of triptolide/Minnelide in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Triptolide/Minnelide exhibited anti-proliferative effects and induced apoptosis in NSCLC cell lines and NSCLC mouse models. Triptolide/Minnelide significantly down-regulated the expression of pro-survival and anti-apoptotic genes (HSP70, BIRC5, BIRC4, BIRC2, UACA) and up-regulated pro-apoptotic APAF-1 gene, in part, via attenuating the NF-κB signaling activity. Conclusion In conclusion, our results provide supporting mechanistic evidence for Minnelide as a potential in NSCLC.
Racial disparities in training, pay-raise attainment, and income

Abstract Data from the 2001 to 2002 California Workforce Survey are used to assess statistical discrimination and social-closure theories in explaining racial disparities in crucial labor outcomes. The results are mixed. Racial differences between minority groups and whites appear in three crucial labor outcomes: training attainment, pay raises, and income. In particular, compared with white workers, Hispanics are less likely to obtain employer-paid job training, blacks are less likely to receive pay raises, and receive lower income. In-depth statistical analyses are conducted to identify the roots of those inequalities. The conclusion summarizes major findings and discusses their implications for future studies in ascriptive inequalities.
Transitional elements with characteristics of both growth cones and presynaptic terminals observed in cell cultures of cerebellar neurons

As growth cones interact with targets, they become presynaptic terminals by losing growth cone characteristics and acquiring presynaptic characteristics. Results presented here show that transitional elements can be identified in cell cultures of rat cerebellum, which have some characteristics of both growth cones and presynaptic terminals. During the first week in culture, slender growth cones have fine filopodia. Subsequently, many growth cones in contact with the polylysine substrate spontaneously enlarge and become non-motile. In transitional elements, the synaptic vesicle protein p65 extends into the peripheral domain and in some cases, extends into filopodia. Many of these transitional elements have active filopodia but show no movement over the substrate for periods of up to nine days. These transitional elements have lost the actin-rich peripheral domain of the growth cone but retain actin labelling in the filopodia. With electron microscopy, transitional elements were seen to contain accumulations of synaptic vesicles at the site of contact with the substrate. Electron microscopic immunocytochemistry showed these synaptic vesicles labelled for p65 with silver-developed gold particles. Thus, transitional elements have characteristics of both growth cones and presynaptic terminals, suggesting that they may also have functional attributes of both growth cones and presynaptic elements.
SU‐FF‐I‐18: Organ Doses and Projection Angles in Cone Beam CT

Purpose: To calculate how organ doses varies with projection angle for two types of cone beam CT geometry. Method: We used the PCXMC software package to compute organ doses to patients. We modeled a typical x‐ray spectrum using 120 kV x‐ray tube voltage and 6 mm Al filtration. Two cone beam irradiation geometries were modeled: (a) a standard CT gantry; and (b) a C‐arm. Both systems made use of a detector with dimensions of 30 cm × 40 cm. For the CT gantry system, the source to isocenter distance was 57 cm, and the SID was 93 cm. For the C‐arm system, the source to isocenter distance was 78.5 cm, and the SID was 120 cm. Organ dose to the five most radiosensitive organs (breast, colon, lung, red bone marrow, and stomach) were obtained for each cone beam arrangement at 15 degree intervals as the x‐ray tube rotates through 360 degrees around the patient. Results: On average, patient doses using the C‐arm were ∼60% of those obtained using the CT gantry. Ratios of maximum to minimum doses as a function of x‐ray tube angle ranged from ∼2.3:1 for the lung to ∼31:1 for the stomach. For the breast, colon, and stomach the highest doses were obtained for AP projections, whereas for the lung and red bone marrow, PA projections resulted in the highest organ doses. In all cases, dose minima were obtained when the x‐ray beam entered the patient in a lateral orientation. Conclusions: The high maximum to minimum dose ratios for radiosensitive organs such as the stomach and breast indicate that modulation of the x‐ray tube current with projection angle could result in substantial dose reductions in cone beam CT.
SEPARATION OF TEICHOIC ACID OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS INTO TWO IMMUNOLOGICALLY DISTINCT SPECIFIC POLYSACCHARIDES WITH α- AND ß-N-ACETYLGLUCOSAMINYL LINKAGES RESPECTIVELY ANTIGENICITY OF TEICHOIC ACIDS IN MAN

Human sera were found to contain antibodies precipitating with each of two samples of teichoic acid of Staphylococcus aureus prior to immunization; these antibodies were probably formed as a result of contact or infection with this microorganism. Injection of teichoic acid into two individuals resulted in a rise in circulating antibody to teichoic acid; a third subject probably had a primary response to α-teichoic acid. Quantitative precipitin and agar diffusion studies revealed the presence of two distinct antibodies in the sera and showed that each specimen of teichoic acid was a mixture of two polymers an α-linked N-acetylglucosaminyl-ribitol polymer and a β-linked N-acetylglucosaminyl-ribitol polymer, termed α- and β-teichoic acids respectively. The α-teichoic acid anti-α-teichoic acid system was inhibited best by α-linked glucosaminides and the β-anti-β-teichoic acid system was inhibited best by a β-linked glucosaminide. The α- and (β-teichoic acids could be separated from each other by specific precipitation under appropriate conditions and recovered from the washed specific precipitates. The existence of two distinct teichoic acid polymers raises important questions as to cell wall structure and the biosynthesis of the teichoic acids.
Transferable step potentials for amines, amides, acetates, and ketones

Abstract The vapor pressure and liquid density of 11 amines, 5 primary amides, 9 acetates, and 15 ketones are studied to characterize transferable step potential models. Discontinuous molecular dynamics simulations are performed for reference potentials with details of the molecular structure and bond lengths. The simulation results are interpreted with thermodynamic perturbation theory to provide an efficient basis for molecular modeling and characterization of the induction forces. The attractive potential is represented as four steps with only the first and last steps varied independently. The two middle steps are interpolated such that each site type is characterized by three parameters: the diameter, the depth of the inner well, and the depth of the outer well. The depths of the attractive wells are optimized to fit experimental data for vapor pressure and liquid density. In general, the vapor pressure is correlated to an overall 12% average absolute deviation (%AAD) and the liquid density to 4% AAD. These deviations are larger than the errors encountered in characterizing straight chain hydrocarbons but consistent with recent results for naphthenic and aromatic compounds. The subtle variability in molecular structure caused by the consideration of isomers with heteroatoms and branching in varied positions puts a strain on the assumption of transferability. An additional challenge is encountered as the coverage of site types is extended to broader classes of families; the availability of reliable experimental data becomes much more limited. This lack of experimental data is especially a problem for the primary amides in this study and a likely problem for most future extensions.
The cross section for four-gluon production by gluon-gluon fusion

Abstract The cross section for two-gluon to four-gluon scattering is given in a form suitable for fast numerical calculations.
Effect of ventricular pacing on left ventricular function assessed by radionuclide angiography

Abstract Radionuclide angiography was used to evaluate left ventricular contraction on and off ventricular pacing in 35 patients. Twenty patients had permanent rate-adjustable ventricular demand pacemakers whose rate could be programmed to below an underlying sinus rhythm. In these patients there was no difference in left ventricular ejection fraction on and off pacing whether or not heart failure was present (n = 7) or whether or not ventriculoatrial conduction (n = 10) developed during pacing. Eight of the 20 patients also underwent supine bicycle exercise, and rest and exercise ejection fraction values were not significantly different at a similar heart rate and workload when on and off pacing were compared. During pacing, there appeared to be abnormal motion in septal, apical, and inferior walls. In addition, dysynchrony developed, consisting of early right ventricular and anterobasal and posterobasal left ventricular motion with subsequent contraction of the apex. Conversion to atrioventricular pacing produced a clinical improvement in all seven patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction and also in one of the remaining 13 patients without heart failure. Fitteen other patients were studied early after cardiac surgery. Temporary ventricular epicardial pacing resulted in a significant increase in right and left atrial pressure and a significant reduction in stroke volume, end-diastolic volume, and end-systolic volume with no significant change in ejection. Conversion from sinus rhythm to ventricular pacing produces a deterioration in cardiac performance and severe regional left ventricular wall motion abnormalities, but no significant change in ejection fraction. The ejection fraction alone is not useful for measuring the hemodynamic changes induced by ventricular pacing, but when reduced it may help to identify the patient who may require restoration of a normal atrioventricular contraction sequence.
Radiative capture reactions in few-nucleon systems with polarized protons and deuterons at the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility

A short progress report on radiative capture experiments at Indiana University Cyclotron Facility (IUCF) using polarized beam particles is presented. Some experimental details are outlined.
Arylphorin, a new protein from Hyalophora cecropia: Comparisons with calliphorin and manducin

Abstract A hexameric protein of high (18.8%) aromatic amino acid content has been isolated from the haemolymph of pupae of Hyalophora cecropia. It is the major protein present in the haemolymph, and also occurs in the fat body. It is distinct in its behaviour on polyacrylamide gels and in its antigenic reactivity from the two storage proteins of H. cecropia described earlier by Tojo et al. (1978). The new protein is related to similar proteins reported earlier from several species, all of which share the common property of an unusually high content of aromatic amino acid. We propose the generic name arylphorin for such proteins. Hyalophora arylphorin is composed of six seemingly identical subunits of apparent mol.wt. 73,000. Cross-linking studies confirm the hexameric structure, and pore limiting gradient gel electrophoresis of the native protein is consistent with a mol.wt of about 400,000. It contains about 4% carbohydrate, consisting of glucosamine and mannose in a 1:5 molar ratio. The carbohydrate could not be removed by treatment with endoglycosidase H. Hyalophora and Manduca arylphorins are antigenically similar, but their antibodies did not precipitate Calliphora arylphorin. The concentration of Hyalophora arylphorin in haemolymph was examined during the last larval and the pupal-adult moults. In both cases a 95–100% drop in concentration occurred between apolysis and ecdysis.
Anti‐IL‐5 attenuates activation and surface density of β2‐integrins on circulating eosinophils after segmental antigen challenge

SummaryBackground IL-5 activates αMβ2 integrin on blood eosinophils in vitro. Eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) following segmental antigen challenge have activated β2-integrins. Objective To identify roles for IL-5 in regulating human eosinophil integrins in vivo. Methods Blood and BAL eosinophils were analysed by flow cytometry in ten subjects with allergic asthma who underwent a segmental antigen challenge protocol before and after anti-IL-5 administration. Results Blood eosinophil reactivity with monoclonal antibody (mAb) KIM-127, which recognizes partially activated β2-integrins, was decreased after anti-IL-5. Before anti-IL-5, surface densities of blood eosinophil β2, αM and αL integrin subunits increased modestly post challenge. After anti-IL-5, such increases did not occur. Before or after anti-IL-5, surface densities of β2, αM, αL and αD and reactivity with KIM-127 and mAb CBRM1/5, which recognizes high-activity αMβ2, were similarly high on BAL eosinophils 48 h post-challenge. Density and activation state of β1-integrins on blood and BAL eosinophils were not impacted by anti-IL-5, even though anti-IL-5 ablated a modest post-challenge increase on blood or BAL eosinophils of P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1), a receptor for P-selectin that causes activation of β1-integrins. Forward scatter of blood eosinophils post-challenge was less heterogeneous and on the average decreased after anti-IL-5; however, anti-IL-5 had no effect on the decreased forward scatter of eosinophils in post-challenge BAL compared with eosinophils in blood. Blood eosinophil KIM-127 reactivity at the time of challenge correlated with the percentage of eosinophils in BAL post-challenge. Conclusion and Clinical Relevance IL-5 supports a heterogeneous population of circulating eosinophils with partially activated β2-integrins and is responsible for up-regulation of β2-integrins and PSGL-1 on circulating eosinophils following segmental antigen challenge but has minimal effects on properties of eosinophils in BAL. Dampening of β2-integrin function of eosinophils in transit to inflamed airway may contribute to the decrease in lung inflammation caused by anti-IL-5.
Laparoscopic Management of Ureteral Endometriosis: The Stanford University Hospital Experience With 96 Consecutive Cases

Purpose: We report the clinical characteristics and the principles of laparoscopic management of ureteral endometriosis at our institution.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of patients with ureteral endometriosis.Results: Preoperatively 97% of patients complained of pain but only a third had urinary symptoms. The left ureter was affected in 64% of cases and disease was bilateral in 10%. Four patients had hydroureter and 2 had hydronephrosis.Conclusions: To our knowledge this report represents the largest series of laparoscopically treated, pathologically confirmed ureteral endometriotic cases to date. It confirms that laparoscopic diagnosis and management of ureteral endometriosis are safe and efficient. All patients who undergo laparoscopy for endometriosis should be evaluated for possible ureteral involvement regardless of the presence or absence of urinary symptoms, or prior radiological evaluation since undiagnosed ureteral disease may result in loss of renal function.
Effect of HNO3 and HCl on HDO Diffusion on Crystalline D2O Ice Multilayers

HDO diffusion kinetics on ultrathin (25−200 BL, 90−730 A) HNO3- and HCl-dosed crystalline D2O ice multilayers were investigated using a combination of laser-induced thermal desorption (LITD) probing and isothermal desorption depth profiling. Crystalline hexagonal D2O ice multilayers were grown epitaxially on a Ru(001) single-crystal substrate. HDO diffusion into the ice bulk was measured along the c-axis of crystalline ice by monitoring the HDO and D2O LITD signals during depth profiling by isothermal multilayer desorption. The HDO diffusion rate into HNO3-dosed D2O ice films was ∼30−70 times slower than that of HDO diffusion into pure D2O ice. The measured HDO diffusion coefficients at initial HDO and DNO3 coverages of 0.5−3.0 bilayers (BLs) ranged from D = 2.5(±0.3) × 10-18 cm2/s at T = 150 K to D = 1.5(±0.2) × 10-15 cm2/s at T = 173 K. Arrhenius analysis yielded diffusion kinetic parameters of Do = 71.9 ± 9.2 cm2/s and EA = 13.2 ± 1.4 kcal/mol. In contrast, the HDO diffusion rate into HCl-dosed D2O ice...
Ablation of postinfarction ventricular tachycardia: virtual or reality?

Advances in ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) after myocardial infarction have come in the form of new mapping technologies, new ablation delivery systems, and novel strategies for identifying target sites for ablation. Nevertheless, catheter ablation has not evolved into firstline therapy for ischemic VT. The reason lies in large part with the unacceptably high frequency of recurrent ventricular arrhythmias after ablation. Acute success rates of ablation for ischemic VT vary widely, depending on several factors, including the population studied and the type of arrhythmia (hemodynamically stable or unstable VT), the mapping technology (electroanatomic or conventional mapping), the mapping strategy (activation, entrainment, and pace mapping, as well as voltage mapping), and the ablation modality (standard or cooled radiofrequency). In addition, various definitions of success have been proposed and include elimination of all forms of inducible VT, all mappable VTs, targeted ventricular arrhythmias, and modification of clinical VTs. Historically, elimination of all inducible VTs can be accomplished in approximately 40% to 70% of patients, whereas elimination or modification of targeted arrhythmias is more easily achieved (70%‐90%). 1‐5 Previous studies suggest improved outcomes if monomorphic VT is not inducible after ablation. 5,6 Therefore, a mapping modality that facilitates ablation of multiple VT morphologies might have favorable long-term effects. In this issue of Heart Rhythm, Segal et al 7 describe the long term outcomes of 40 patients who underwent VT ablation guided by noncontact electroanatomic mapping. This study has implications for the role of VT ablation in patient management and the relative merits and limitations of noncontact mapping. The salient finding of this study is that recurrent ventricular arrhythmias are common after VT ablation despite a relatively high acute procedural success rate of 83%. During the follow-up period, which averaged 36 months, 50% of patients had recurrent VT and 7.5% had ventricular fibrillation (VF). By Kaplan-Meier analysis, arrhythmia-free survival was 28% at 5 years, and arrhythmia recurrence was evenly distributed throughout the follow-up period. The vast majority of recurrences were “nonablated” tachycardias, as judged by the tachycardia morphology or cycle
Relationship of changes in student motivation to student evaluations of instruction

Research has demonstrated that student evaluations of instruction are influenced by variables extraneous to the instructional procedures being evaluated. One of the most important of these is the student's motivation to take the course. The Instructional Development and Effectiveness Assessment (IDEA) system controls this variable by comparing a course evaluation to a norm group of courses having students with similar motivation. The present study examined the possibility that the IDEA procedure of having students rate their precourse motivation at theend of a course might be unacceptable, because the rating would be influenced by experiences within the course itself. The data indicated that postcourse ratings of precourse motivation do deviate somewhat from actual precourse ratings, but the deviation is not of an order of magnitude which would seriously distort the interpretation of the ratings.
Gambling Initiation in Preadolescents

Gambling has increased in the past decade, with growing opportunities for initiation by adolescents. More limited data, however, are available regarding gambling in preadolescents. In the investigation reported here, gambling for money was the most common risk behavior in 10- to 12-year-olds. Gamblers were more likely to be white, have tried alcohol, have positive affect toward gambling, and have friends who gamble.
Rex-dependent exclusion of lambdoid phages. III. Physiology of the abortive infection.

Abstract Rex-dependent exclusion of Ren − and Red − lambdoid phages resembles the exclusion of T4 r II- phages in that phage adsorption and DNA injection are unaffected, whereas protein and DNA syntheses are inhibited after a period of normal synthesis. As in exclusion of T4 r II − , exclusion of λ Rem − phages requires the presence of monovalent ions. A novel observation in this exclusion system is that the excluded superinfecting phage must replicate in order to provoke the turn off of phage early protein synthesis that is seen during the abortive infection. The similarities between Rex-dependent exclusion and other superinfection systems and the possible relationship between exclusion and membrane function are discussed.
Synthesis and some pharmacological properties of [I-β-mercaptopropionic acid, 2-(3,5-dibromo-l-tyrosine)]-8-lysine-vasopressin☆

Abstract The title compound, [1-β-mercaptopropionic acid, 2-(3,5-dibromo- l -tyrosine)]-8-lysine-vasopressin (X), was synthesized by condensation of Pro-Lys(Boc)-Gly-NH 2 with the cyclic peptide [1-β-mercaptopropionic acid, 2-(3,5-dibromo- l -tyrosine)]-pressinoic acid. X has no oxytocic, avian vasodepressor, pressor, or antipressor activities, but is a weak inhibitor of the responses to oxytocin in the oxytocic and avian vasodepressor assays. Its pharmacological properties are qualitatively identical to those of the corresponding analog of oxytocin, although it is a less potent antagonist than the latter compound.
“Blind Vacancy”: Sighted Culture and Voyeuristic Historiography in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

The concept of the voyeuristic viewpoint competes, in eighteenth‐century historiography, with a multi‐perspectival approach to history. This article places Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in the context of the historiography of Edward Gibbon and William Godwin, arguing that the novel challenges eighteenth‐century historiographical methods that base truth values on visual perception. Frankenstein underscores, instead, the hierarchical superiority of words over visual evidence, and represents blindness as a condition that encourages rationality. Shelley characterizes this distrust of sight through extensive uses of the “gothic gaze” – an oppressive, stigmatizing, disciplinary look that is implicated in the definition of normalcy, in social relationships, in moral and legal culpability, and in narrative authority.