cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular Disease in Women: Focus on Lipid Management

Despite dramatic declines in total cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality among women in the USA, CVD remains the #1 killer of women, causing almost one out of three female deaths in 2016. Hypercholesterolemia is causal in the development of coronary atherosclerosis and incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events in women, as it is in men. Statins lower atherogenic lipoproteins to a similar degree in both sexes. Meta-analyses demonstrate that women and men at similar risk of major vascular events achieve similar proportional and absolute benefits from statin therapy, even in primary prevention and among individuals at low baseline risk. The evidence for prevention of ASCVD in women with the use of non-statin drugs is limited as no large randomized controlled trials have been adequately powered to evaluate sex differences in response to non-statin therapies. However, current guidelines for the use of non-statin therapies for management of dyslipidemia for women are the same as those for men. Clinically significant adverse drug effects and self-reported drug allergies have been reported to occur more frequently among women than men for a number of drug classes, and clinicians should be aware of potential sex differences in adverse events. There are important considerations in management of dyslipidemia in women across the lifespan, particularly during conception, pregnancy, and lactation.
Beyond Seeing Race: Centering Racism and Acknowledging Agency Within Bioethics.

As the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and state violence against Black Americans dominated our national landscape in the spring of 2020, many in medicine, nursing, and public health made renewed calls ...
Coming to America: Genomic surveillance and how B.1.1.7 arrived in the US.

In this issue of Cell, Washington et al. and Alpert et al. demonstrate the value of genomic surveillance when studying the introduction of the B.1.1.7 variant to the US and illustrate the challenge that results from the lack of good sampling strategies.
The impact of blood pressure on the risk of major bleeding complication after renal transplant biopsy

To assess the impact of elevated blood pressure on the rate of major hemorrhagic complication after renal transplant biopsy. Pre-procedural systolic (SBP), diastolic (SBP), and mean arterial (MAP) blood pressure for consecutive patients undergoing US-guided renal transplant biopsies from 08/01/2015 to 7/31/2017 were retrospectively recorded. Patients who had a major bleeding complication were identified. The risk of complication as a function of SBP, DBP, and MAP was statistically analyzed, with significance set at p < 0.05. Of 1689 biopsies, there were 10 bleeding complications (10/1689, 0.59%). There was no statistically significant difference between biopsies with complication compared to those without complication based on SBP (p = 0.351), DBP (p = 0.088), or MAP (p = 0.132). Using risk dichotomization criteria, the odds ratio for hemorrhagic complication when the patient had SBP ≥ 180 mmHg and DBP ≥ 95 mmHg was 75.63 (95% CI 6.87–516.8, p = 0.002). The rate of hemorrhagic complication from renal transplant biopsy is low, and there is no statistically significant threshold for increased biopsy risk based on SBP, DBP, or MAP alone. The risk of complication was significantly higher only when both the SBP is ≥ 180 mmHg and DBP is ≥ 95 mmHg.
An enhancement of overlapping finite elements

Abstract We present a novel further development of overlapping finite elements. The formulation of the enhanced elements is based on the earlier published elements but has an important new ingredient which renders the enhanced formulation more effective with respect to the evaluation of the element matrices and the solution of the governing finite element equations. The novel ingredient is that the elements are no longer based on a function used in meshless solution schemes; hence the elements provide more generality and ease of use. We first give the formulation which is applicable to two- and three-dimensional analyses of solids, give new insights, and then present an evaluation considering the required numerical integration, geometric distortion-insensitivity and the conditioning of the resulting finite element equations. In the study of the element characteristics, we also give some illustrative example solutions that show the performance of the elements in linear static analyses of two- and three-dimensional solids.
Circadian Modulation of Endocrine Secretion

A high degree of temporal organization exists in the endocrine system and is reflected by distinct 24-hour temporal patterns of secretory activity for each endocrine axis. One hormone may be actively secreted in a complex, pulsatile pattern while another may be in a quiescent period. Much of the temporal variability and organization of endocrine activity results from modulatory effects of circadian rhythmicity, a near-24-hour endogenous oscillation originating in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus and from the effects of sleep/wake homeostasis controlled by diverse and diffuse neural centers, as depicted in Figure 1.. These rhythmic patterns of hormonal secretion are thought to provide internal temporal organization through the coordination of physiologic processes in the time domain, and to also provide an adaptive synchronization of the organism relative to predictable variations of the external environment.
Rewarding and aversive effects of ethanol in High Drinking in the Dark selectively bred mice

Both rewarding and aversive effects contribute to alcohol consumption. Animals genetically predisposed to be high drinkers show reduced sensitivity to the aversive effects of alcohol, and in some instances, increased sensitivity to alcohol's rewarding effects. The present studies tested the high drinking in the dark (HDID) selected lines, a genetic model of drinking to intoxication, to determine whether intake in these mice was genetically related to sensitivity to alcohol aversion or reward. Male HDID mice from the first and second replicate lines (HDID-1 and HDID-2, respectively) and mice from the heterogeneous progenitor control population (HS/Npt, or HS) were conditioned for a taste aversion to a salt solution using two doses of alcohol, and lithium chloride (LiCl) and saline controls. In separate experiments, male and female HDID-1, HDID-2 and HS mice were conditioned for place preference using alcohol. HDID mice were found to have an attenuated sensitivity to alcohol at a moderate (2 g/kg) dose compared to HS mice, but did not differ on conditioned taste aversion to a high (4 g/kg) dose or LiCl or saline injections. HDID and HS mice showed comparable development of alcohol-induced conditioned place preference. These results indicate that high blood alcohol levels after drinking in the HDID mice is genetically related to attenuated aversion to alcohol, while sensitivity to alcohol reward is not altered in these mice. Thus, HDID mice may find a moderate dose of alcohol to be less aversive than control mice and consequently may drink more because of this reduced aversive sensitivity.
Biodegradation of Ethylene Glycol in Simulated Subsurface Environments

Ethylene glycol is regularly used as an industrial solvent and in vehicular anti-freeze and de-icing compounds. Significant quantities of it are released into treatment streams and onto land. The aim of this study was to establish rates of biodegradation of ethylene glycol in simulated subsurface environments. The utilization of ethylene glycol as substrate by microorganisms naturally occurring in soil and groundwater was monitored over time while substrate concentration, soil type, temperature and nutrient level were varied. Batch studies at 100 and 1000-ppm ethylene glycol demonstrated that increasing substrate concentration decreased the rate of its biotransformation as the first-order kinetic rate constant decreased from 1.01 to 0.95 days −1 . Further increase in initial concentration to 10,000-ppm resulted in minimal substrate disappearance from solution which was likely due to oxygen limitation. Studies with two different soils under identical environmental conditions and substrate concentrations indicated soil type had a clear effect on biodegradation rate. Lowering the temperature from 25° to 10°C for a given soil retarded the degradation rate by a factor of 2.44, but at each temperature greater than 99% removal was achieved in less than 7 days. Removal of nutritional amendments from the microbial population had only a slight impact on biotransformation rate. Unamended microcosms still exhibited nearly complete ethylene glycol transformation in 3 days as compared to 2 days for amended microcosms. Groundwater served as a satisfactory bacterial inoculum and generated a rate constant only slightly lower (0.76 days −1 ) than that found for the soils. All results were comparable to those found by others for the biotransformation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) or of ethylene glycol by activated sludge.
Fear, Panic, and Bio-events: A Population-Based Approach

Reading the Bracha and Burkle article gave me a flashback to a military course I took early in my career:the Combat Casualty Care Course (C4), an exercise of mass-casualty triage and management. Triaging and treating the severely injured–all types of blunt and penetrating injuries–proved relatively manageable with practice. However, what I distinctly remember as the most challenging, were those cases of stress-induced psychosis that the course leaders periodically threw at us. Dazed “soldiers” with the “hundred mile stares” and predictably unpredictable thoughts and behaviors, drained our valuable resourcesas they required constant vigilance in addition to their “three hots and a cot” (three meals and a place to sleep).
Experimental determination of fermi surfaces an extension to metallic compounds and alloys

(1963). Experimental determination of fermi surfaces an extension to metallic compounds and alloys. The Philosophical Magazine: A Journal of Theoretical Experimental and Applied Physics: Vol. 8, No. 86, pp. 351-353.
The Troost Crinoids: Lost, Found, and (Finally) Published

In early 1850, Tennessee State Geologist Gerard Troost (1776-1850) completed a manuscript on fossil crinoids that should have been a landmark work in the study of this group. Despite public testimony to the importance of this work before the American Association for the Advancement of Science and in the American Journal of Science, Troost was unable to get legislative support to complete the revision of the manuscript and produce the necessary plates. He then sent his manuscript to the Smithsonian Institution. His death only weeks later was but one factor resulting in a half-century delay during which his manuscript and the related collections were repeatedly misplaced and/or neglected and his species were usurped or independently discovered by others. Despite the ways in which chance events of timing or association combined time and again to delay publication of Troost's findings, his work was never entirely lost. The resulting story is a rich case study in the process of establishing scientific priority...
Identification of Chemisorption Levels on Iridium by Field-Emission Spectroscopy

The surface electronic structure of a stepped Cu(211) crystal was elucidated by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. A surface state was found on the three-atom terraces, indicating that the terrace surface potential resembles that of a Cu(111) crystal surface. The $d$-band dispersion relations of Cu(211) were also found to resemble bulk copper closely. The observed enhanced reactivity of the stepped surface does not appear to arise from gross changes in the surface electronic structure.
Solvent Effects on the Self-Assembly of 1-Bromoeicosane on Graphite. Part I. Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Self-assembled monolayers of 1-bromoeicosane (BrC20H41) have been investigated at the vacuum−graphite and liquid−graphite interfaces using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) (Part I) and theory (Part II). Under ultrahigh vacuum conditions at 80 K, STM images show 1-bromoeicosane in a lamellar assembly structure where individual molecules are predominantly arranged with their bromine groups pointed head-to-head with a 66 ± 3° angle between the lamella direction and the molecular backbone axis. A significant degree of disorder is observed under vacuum conditions, in which head-to-tail defects are interspersed throughout the film. When 1-bromoeicosane monolayers are formed and imaged in equilibrium with solution at ∼290 K, the molecules again pack with their bromines oriented head-to-head but shift to form a nearly rectangular array. Subtle changes are observed depending on the solvent utilized, with the lamella−backbone angle varying between 81 ± 3° and 90 ± 2°, and the corresponding intermolecular spacing...
Feedback linearizing versus integrator backstepping for trajectory tracking of three-link cylindrical-type robot

In a feedback linearization design, the control law is chosen to cancel nonlinearities in the system and replace them by term(s) that will guarantee the stability of the system. The idea of backstepping is to design a controller recursively by considering some of the state variables as virtual controls and designing for them intermediate control laws. A 3-joint cylindrical-type robotics system has been adopted. The robot arm consists of one revolute and two prismatic joints. One joint torque and two joint forces form the system input. All the three-joint force/torque are inputting into the robot real plant so that the robot wrist can approach to a given desired trajectory. In this work, the real plant is simulated with a set of parameters, while the control law is calculated using the model set of parameters in order to simulate the control effect rejecting parameter uncertainty.
HPLC Separations of Zidovudine and Selected Pharmaceuticals Using a Hexadecylsilane Amide Column

Stability indicating high performance liquid chromatography methods have been developed for the assay of zidovudine in combination with either ceftazidime (A), chlordiazepoxide (B), dobutamine (C), lorazepam (D) or ranitidine (E) in intravenous fluid mixtures.
The temperature dependence and thermodynamic functions of partitioning of substance P peptides in dodecylphosphocholine micelles

The temperature dependence of the partition of a neuropeptide, Substance P (SP), and its [Tyr8] analogue in a widely used membrane mimic, dodecylphosphocholine micelles, was studied by using a pulsed field gradient nmr diffusion technique. The partition coefficient was found to decrease when the temperature is increased, indicating a favorable (negative) enthalpy change upon partitioning of the peptides. Thermodynamic functions of the partitioning were determined. The enthalpy of partition ΔHpart, was found to be in the −2.5 to −3.0 kcal/mol range, which is between 2 and 3 times higher than the entropic term −TΔSpart. The free energy of partitioning is consistent with a model in which the SP peptides interact with the micelles mainly through the hydrophobic side chains of the residues Phe7, Phe8 (or Tyr8), Leu10, and Met11, and without the insertion of a major portion of the peptide into the hydrophobic core of the micelles. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopoly 45: 395–403, 1998
Aquatic Plant Densities and Larval Fish Abundance in Vegetated Habitats on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway System

ABSTRACT We examined the relations of larval fish abundance to different aquatic plant densities in a backwater cove of Aliceville Lake, a reservoir on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, located on the Alabama-Mississippi border. We tested the hypothesis that intermediate plant densities enhance larval fish density. Larval fish were sampled using modified Quatrefoil light traps. We also quantified percentage of aquatic plant coverage. Larval fish catch-per-unit-effort, larval fish species richness, and larval fish species diversity were higher at intermediate plant coverage than at lower or higher levels of plant coverage, emphasizing the importance of this intermediate level of plant coverage for early life stages of fish.
Decentralized signal detection with fuzzy information

We extend the decentralized signal detection problem to the case where the observations available at the sensors display measure- ment inaccuracy. The imprecise measurements at each sensor are mod- eled as fuzzy information systems. The fuzzy information system model consists of fuzzy partitions defined on the corresponding crisp (nonfuzzy) observation space. A Bayesian decision criterion is employed in the de- sign of the signal detection schemes at the local sensors and the deci- sion fusion center. Compression of the input fuzzy systems at the sen- sors into a fewer number of levels is studied. Both optimal and suboptimal methods are employed to partition the fuzzy observation space for signal detection applications. © 1997 Society of Photo-Optical Instru- mentation Engineers.
Cell surface localization of a novel non-genomic progesterone receptor on the head of human sperm

Summary Cell surface receptors for progesterone were visualized in human sperm using fluorescein isothiocyanate-progesterone 3-(0-carboxymethyl) oxime-bovine serum albumin (FITC prog CMO BSA). The receptors were confined to the head and not the midpiece or tail. FITC prog CMO BSA was also an effective stimulus to elevate intracellular free calcium in human sperm as detected by fura-2 fluorescence. The elevation of intracellular free calcium is a stimulus for the acrosome reaction, a process which is necessary to occur for sperm to fertilize the egg. It is proposed that progesterone, which is present in the female reproductive tract, can bind to progesterone receptors located in the plasma membrane of the sperm head and elicit an influx of Ca 2+ into the underlying cytoplasm and or acrosome and induce the acrosome reaction and facilitate fertilization.
On the Links in Vertical Communication Chains A Comment on McPhee's (1988) Vertical Communication Chains

In this article. I suggest that McPhee (1988) identified a particular level of analysis—chains—that is compatible, not incompatible, with the approach of Dansereau, Alutto, and Yammarino (1984). Moreover, whereas McPhee focuses on vertical communication chains, Dansereau and Markham (1987) focus on the links in such chains. The article concludes by suggesting the appropriateness of focusing on chains (McPhee, 1988), as well as the links in such chains (Dansereau et al., 1984).
Modality and cueing in multimedia learning: Examining cognitive and perceptual explanations for the modality effect

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of modality (written text vs. spoken text) and visual cueing (low cueing vs. high cueing) on the learning and mental effort of participants studying a computer-based static diagram at their own pace. Participants were randomly assigned to four versions of the computer-based materials formed into a 2x2 factorial design by crossing modality with cueing. The results revealed a reverse modality effect, wherein participants studying written text outperformed those studying spoken text on tests of free recall, matching, comprehension, and spatial recall, but not mental effort. Information cueing did not significantly affect either performance or mental effort. These findings are discussed in the context of two popular explanations of the modality effect: the cognitive resources explanation and the perceptual resources explanation. The results were best explained from a perceptual resources viewpoint.
Temporal reflections of spontaneity in homilies

Pause and rate phenomena were examined for two levels of spontaneity in speech in a nonlaboratory setting. Speech samples were taken from two groups of homilies (sermons): those prepared and taped for radio broadcast (Group B) and those delivered live to a congregation during a weekday service (Group L). When compared with the less spontaneous Group B, the more spontaneous Group L exhibited slower speech rate, longer pauses, greater percentage of pause time, and different distribution of pauses relative to preceding and following content and function words. Pause frequency was higher, but not significantly so. Results are compared with data from studies of temporal phenomena in reading and retelling stories and in telling spontaneous narratives.
Fluid dynamic model of invertebrate sperm chemotactic motility with varying calcium inputs

In a marine environment, invertebrate sperm are able to adjust their trajectory in response to a gradient of chemical factors released by the egg in a process called chemotaxis. In response to this chemical factor, a signaling cascade is initiated that causes an increase in intracellular calcium (Ca2+). This increase in Ca2+ causes the sperm flagellar curvature to change, and a change in swimming direction ensues. In previous experiments, sperm swimming in a gradient of chemoattractant have exhibited Ca2+ oscillations of varying peaks and frequency. Here, we model a simplified sperm flagellum with mechanical forces, including a passive stiffness component and an active bending component that is coupled to the time varying Ca2+ input. The flagellum is immersed in a viscous, incompressible fluid and we use a fluid dynamic model to investigate emergent trajectories. We investigate the sensitivity of the model to the frequency of Ca2+ oscillations. In this coupled model, we observe that longer periods of Ca2+ oscillation corresponds to circular paths with greater drift. In contrast, shorter periods of Ca2+ oscillations corresponded to tighter search patterns. These outcomes shed light on the relation between Ca2+ oscillations and different searching trajectories and strategies that invertebrate sperm may utilize to reach and fertilize the egg in a marine environment.
On the Mechanisms of Titanium Particle Reactions in O2/N2 and O2/Ar Atmospheres

Combustion of titanium particles in air may potentially be used for the in situ synthesis of nanoscale TiO2 particles, which can photocatalytically degrade chemical and biological air pollutants. The knowledge of Ti particle reactions in O2-containing atmospheres is required to develop this method. In the present work, large (∼3 mm) single Ti particles were heated by a laser in O2/N2 and O2/Ar environments. High-speed digital video recording, thermocouple measurements and quenching at different stages of the process were used for diagnostics. Analysis of the obtained temperature-time curves and quenched particles does not show a significant influence of nitrogen on the oxidation of solid Ti. In all experiments, noticeable surface oxidation started at temperatures between ∼850 and ∼950 °C, leading to a sharp temperature rise at ∼1400 °C. During prolonged heating at the Ti melting point (1670 °C), a liquid TiO2 bead formed and, after an induction period, ejected fragments. It was shown that this phenomenon may result from an excess of oxygen in the liquid bead. Fragment ejection in O2/N2 atmospheres was more intense than in O2/Ar, indicating that N2 accelerates the oxidation of liquid Ti.
Explicit Henkin sentences

On donne une formalisation precise de la notion de Hofstadter et on montre que des phrases de Henkin explicites existent
Automated highway system technology

Automated highway systems must operate safely at high capacities (≥ 3600 vehicles/lane/hr) over a range of highway speeds (13-27 m/s). The technology required depends, in large part, upon the selected system structure. Two "extreme" choices are considered: First, highly centralized control (i.e., the making of virtually all decisions at a central level and their communication to "dumb" vehicles); and Second, employment of sufficient vehicle-based intelligence so that most control decisions could be made at the vehicle level. A feasible choice for implementation, especially in the context of an evolutionary progression from today's highways to future automated ones, would probably fall within these extremes. Each of the extreme structures is delineated, an overview of the state of the relevant technology given (and shortcomings noted) and the prospects for future deployments are considered. In addition, an extensive reference list is included.
Dating Violence Among Male and Female Youth Seeking Emergency Department Care

Study objective We determine prevalence and correlates of dating violence, dating victimization, and dating aggression among male and female patients aged 14 to 20 years seeking emergency department (ED) care. Methods This was a systematic sampling of subjects aged 14 to 20 years seeking care at a single large academic ED between September 2010 and March 2013. Participants completed a computerized, self-administered, cross-sectional survey of demographics, dating violence from physical abuse measures of the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory, associated behaviors, and ED health service use. Separate analyses were conducted for male and female patients. Results Four thousand three hundred eighty-nine youths (86.1% participation rate) were screened, and 4,089 (mean age 17.5 years; 58% female patients) were eligible for analysis. Almost 1 in 5 female patients (n=215; 18.4%) and 1 in 8 male patients (n=212; 12.5%) reported past-year dating violence. Of female patients, 10.6% reported dating victimization and 14.6% dating aggression, whereas of male patients, 11.7% reported dating victimization and 4.9% reported dating aggression. Multivariate analyses showed that variables associated with any male dating violence were black race (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.26; 95% CI 1.54 to 3.32), alcohol misuse (AOR 1.03; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.06), illicit drug use (AOR 2.38; 95% CI 1.68 to 3.38), and depression (AOR 2.13; 95% CI 1.46 to 3.10); any female dating violence was associated with black race (AOR 1.68; 95% CI 1.25 to 2.25), public assistance (AOR 1.64; 95% CI 1.28 to 2.09), grades D and below (AOR 1.62; 95% CI 1.07 to 2.43), alcohol misuse (AOR 1.04; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.07), illicit drug use (AOR 2.85; 95% CI 2.22 to 3.66), depression (AOR 1.86; 95% CI 1.42 to 2.44), and any past year ED visit for intentional injury (AOR 2.64; 95% CI 1.30 to 5.40). Conclusion Nearly 1 of 6 male and female patients aged 14 to 20 years and seeking ED care report recent dating violence, and health disparities remain among this population. Dating violence was strongly associated with alcohol, illicit drug use, and depression and correlated with previous ED service use among female youths. ED interventions should consider addressing these associated health conditions, as well as improving screening protocols to address dating violence among male and female youths.
Route of breech delivery and maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Abstract Objective: To compare maternal and neonatal outcomes in elective cesarean vs. attempted vaginal delivery for breech presentation at or near term. Methods: We reviewed the maternal and neonatal charts of all singleton breech deliveries of at least 35 weeks’ gestation or 2000 g delivered between 1986 and 1997 at our institution. Patients delivered by elective cesarean were compared to those attempting a vaginal delivery. The neonatal outcomes analyzed were: corrected mortality; Apgar scores less than 7 at 5 min; abnormal umbilical cord blood gases; birth trauma; and admissions to the intensive care nursery. Maternal morbidity was also assessed and compared. Results: Of 848 women meeting criteria for evaluation, 576 were delivered by elective cesarean while 272 attempted a vaginal delivery. Of 272 women undergoing a trial of labor, 203 (74.6%) were delivered vaginally, while 69 (25.4%) failed an attempt at vaginal delivery and underwent a cesarean. When comparing patients delivered by elective cesarean with those attempting a vaginal delivery, no significant differences were noted in neonatal outcomes. However, maternal morbidity was higher among women delivered by cesarean, regardless of the indications for the procedure. Similar neonatal and maternal results were noted when nulliparous patients were analyzed separately. Conclusions: Cesarean delivery of selected near-term infants presenting as breech is associated with increased maternal morbidity without corresponding improvement in neonatal outcomes.
Manduca sexta lipid transfer particle: Synthesis by fat body and occurrence in hemolymph

Lipid transfer particle (LTP) is present in hemolymph of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta. Biosynthesis of LTP, occurrence in hemolymph, and the role of LTP-apoproteins in the lipid transfer reaction were investigated using antibodies specific for LTP or for each of the apoproteins. In vitro protein synthesis followed by immunoprecipitation demonstrated that LTP is synthesized by the fat body and secreted into the medium. In contrast to apolipophorin III, an exchangeable apoprotein of lipophorin (the major lipid transport protein in hemolymph), apoLTP-III could not be detected free in hemolymph. LTP concentrations in the hemolymph were measured by a sandwich ELISA using a mouse monoclonal antibody against apoLTP-III as capturing antibody and rabbit polyclonal antibody against apoLTP-I as detecting antibody. LTP concentration increased during the late fifth instar larval stage, followed by a decrease in the wandering stage. Subsequently, LTP concentrations were strongly increased in hemolymph of adult moths. The role of the three apoproteins of LTP in the lipid transfer reaction was analyzed using apoprotein-specific antibodies. All three, apoLTP-I, -II, and -III, appeared to be important for lipid transfer activity, as shown by inhibition of lipid transfer by antibodies specific for each of the three apoproteins.
Biologically active soil organic matter fractions in sustainable cropping systems

Abstract We sampled corn ( Zea mays L.), soybean ( Glycine max L.), and wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) rotations, corn monocultures, and plant successional experiments in Southwest MI over a 2-year period to study the effects of alternative management practices on microbial biomass and particulate organic matter (POM) C and N in the top 20 or 25 cm of soil. Microbial biomass was measured using the chloroform fumigation, incubation method. POM was defined as the organic C and N content of primary soil particles in the 53–2000 μm size class. Microbial C decreased during a drought in 1994, and was greater in treatments receiving compost rather than inorganic fertilizer in 1995, but was only weakly correlated with N mineralization in aerobic laboratory incubations. Microbial biomass accounted for an average of 2.6% of soil C and 4.9% of soil N in all treatments sampled in 1995. Microbial C:N ratio was lower in July and November (6.0) than in April and September (7.3), and lower in successional treatments without tillage (5.2) than in agronomic treatments (6.7). Changes in microbial N were large enough to affect short term N availability, but tended to be transitory. POM increased after compost additions, and was greater in successional plots without tillage than in tilled treatments, but did not increase immediately after the incorporation of plant residues. POM accounted for 19.7% of C and 14.8% of N in 1995. Its C:N ratio was 20.8 in a never tilled successional treatment and 16.0 in all other soils. The C:N ratio was 17.0 on average in the 250–2000 μm size fraction, compared to 15.5 in the 53–250 μm fraction. There was a strong correlation between POM and N mineralization in 70- and 150-day aerobic incubations, but there was greater N mineralization per unit POM in April and November than in September or October in both years of the study. These results suggest that POM could be used to estimate N mineralization if combined with information about recently deposited plant residues.
Discovery of multiple, ionization-created CS2 anions and a new mode of operation for drift chambers

This paper focuses on the surprising discovery of multiple species of ionization-created CS2 anions in gas mixtures containing electronegative CS2 and O2, identified by their slightly different drift velocities. Data are presented to understand the formation mechanism and identity of these new anions. Regardless of the micro-physics, however, this discovery offers a new, trigger-less mode of operation for the drift chambers. A demonstration of trigger-less operation is presented.
Systematics of fission fragment total kinetic energy release

Recent data for the most probable total kinetic energy release in fission $〈{E}_{K}〉$, have been combined with earlier results in order to reevaluate the systematic dependence of these values on the Coulomb parameter $\frac{{Z}^{2}}{{A}^{\frac{1}{3}}}$. A least-squares analysis of the current data base yields $〈{E}_{K}〉=0.1189\frac{{Z}^{2}}{{A}^{\frac{1}{3}}}+7.3$ MeV, where $\frac{{Z}^{2}}{{A}^{\frac{1}{3}}}$ refers to the fissioning nucleus. This expression exhibits a somewhat steeper slope than previous fits.
A numerical study of the frontal region of gravity currents propagating on a free-slip boundary

We investigate numerically the three-dimensional flow near the head of gravity currents propagating along a free-slip boundary. The simulations show that two states are possible: a high-mixing state, where the flow departs from the analytic inviscid solution 0.5 channel heights downstream of the front location, and with characteristics similar to the ones observed for purely two-dimensional simulations; and a low-mixing state, where billows are weaker and appear further downstream. To access the high-mixing state, it is necessary to add a source of perturbation upstream of the head in the form of turbulence. At high values of the Reynolds number, the intensity of rms turbulent fluctuations necessary to switch to the high-mixing state is small (0.5% of the speed of propagation) and may explain why the low-mixing state has so far eluded experimental detection. In the low-mixing state, the flow becomes three-dimensional near the front due to centrifugal instabilities caused by the curved streamlines. This instability of the outer flow is coupled to overturning instabilities that develop within the heavy fluid in the head, and suppresses the formation of billows. This complex behavior, which feeds on the interplay of streamline curvature and stratification, should be considered a good model to understand how instabilities occur in other types of strongly nonlinear stratified flows.
Dynamic mechanical properties of several elastomers and their potentialities in vibration control applications

The time–temperature-dependent mechanical properties of Viton A, Neoprene ILA, Adiprene L-167, and Nordel hydrocarbon elastomer have been measured primarily on the Fitzgerald transducer. The results cover the plastic to rubberlike transition regions which have been reduced to 25°C. whenever possible. The data are then discussed in terms of the relaxation spectra, monomeric friction coefficients and the shift factors, log QT. Following a brief presentation on the viscoelastic requirements for various vibration control devices, the potentialities of the present elastomers, as well as other common elastomers, are evaluated. It is found that Nordel, Hevea rubber, and Neoprene W are potential vibration isolators, whereas Viton A, Neoprene ILA, and polyisobutylene have desirable vibration damping characteristics. Their effective temperature-frequency regions of application have been calculated.
Microbial origin of glutamate, hibernation and tissue trauma: an in vivo microdialysis study.

Abstract Using quantitative microdialysis in hibernating Arctic ground squirrels (AGS), striatal glutamate concentrations ([glu] dia ) progressively increased to approximately 200 μM after 3 days of microdialysis in euthermic but not hibernating ground squirrels. Initially, the progressive increase in [glu] dia was thought to be related to greater tissue response in euthermic animals. Alternatively, given the vastly different body temperatures between the two groups (37 vs. 3 °C), glutamate might have originated from microbes, replicating at a faster rate in the warmer animals. To test these hypotheses, microdialysis was repeated using sterile technique and tissue response surrounding the probe tract was assessed in hematoxylin and eosin stained sections. Using sterile microdialysis technique, traumatic tissue response was greater in euthermic compared to hibernating tissue. However, sterile microdialysis abolished the progressive increase in glutamate. To confirm the microbial origin of glutamate we monitored [glu] dia collected in vitro from probes immersed in glutamine-rich liquid medium incubated at 37 °C. In vitro, [glu] dia increased as much as in vivo. Two bacteria isolated from in vitro dialysate and liquid medium were both identified as Ralstonia pickettii . Growth of these isolates as well as glutamate release was enhanced when glutamine rather than NH 4 NO 3 was added to the medium suggesting the bacteria utilize glutamine preferentially over ammonium as a nitrogen source.
School adjustment problems of children from small vs. Large families

Primary grade children from small (two children) and large (five or more children) families were compared on teacher ratings of school maladjustment. Children from small families, referred to a school mental health program, scored as significantly more maladjusted than referred large-family children on Aggression and Acting-out problems. Conversely, children from large families had significantly more serious Learning problems. Thus, each group had predominant types of school adjustment problems.
Thermal nonlinear behavior of sandwich panels: Experimental measurements

Elasticity solutions for sandwich panels assembled with nonrigid bondings and subjected to temperature changes are presented. The solutions satisfy the equilibrium equations of the face and core element, and the compability equations of stresses and strains at the interfaces. An experimental program is conducted to measure the normal strains in the faces of sandwich specimens under different temperature changes. A heat chamber is designed and used to cause thermal gradients across the specimens. The material properties were determined experimentally and used in conjunction with the analytical solutions. Both analytical and experimental results are found to be in very good agreement.
Quantitative inheritance of forage quality traits in intermediate wheatgrass

Knowledge of heritability and inheritance of nutritive quality traits in intermediate wheatgrass [Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkw. & D.R. Deweys would be helpful in choosing effective selection techniques. This study assess variation and heritability of traits associated with hay quality in intermediate wheatgrass, ascertains the relative magnitude of general and specific combining ability (SCA and GCA) for these traits, and examines relationships among important agronomic and quality traits. Six parent clones and the 15 progenies from a diallel cross (reciprocal crosses not included) were evaluated in a replicated field test for in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and N concentration of whole plants, leaf blades, and stems (stem plus leaf sheath)
The Roles of Akt and NOSs In Regulation of VLA-4-Mediated Melanoma Cell Adhesion To Endothelial VCAM-1 After UVB-irradiation

UVB-reduced avidity between M624 melanoma and HUVEC cells is dependent on the interaction of VLA-4 with its endothelial ligand VCAM-1. Our previous studies suggested that a spatial organization of α4 integrin, one of the two subunits of VLA-4, on the melanoma cell surface contributed to the changes in avidity for VCAM-1 upon UVB-irradiation. In this study, we demonstrate that Akt plays an important role in regulation of the expression and surface level of α4 integrin on melanoma cells upon UVB-irradiation. While the cell surface level of α4 integrin is not significantly affected by UVB-irradiation or Akt inhibitor alone, it is dynamically altered after UVB-irradiation when Akt is inhibited. Inhibition of Akt also reverses the reduction of avidity of cells after the irradiation. Our data also shows that UVB reduces the level of Akt. The inhibition of Akt activity correlates with a reduced amount of coupled cNOS and reduced amount of iNOS after UVB-irradiation. However, the effect of NOSs on melanoma cell adhesion appears due to their roles in regulation of apoptosis after UVB-irradiation. Base on these results, we propose that the UVB-induced reduction of avidity of melanoma cells is coordinatively regulated by NOSs and Akt through two differential mechanisms.
Infant rats: VMH damage and the ontogeny of obesity and neuroendocrine dysfunction.

Abstract The VMH was bilaterally destroyed in preweanling (Day 10) or postweanling (Day 40) male and female rats. Growth parameters (body weight, body length, Lee indices) were measured until 200 days of age, nutrient intake was measured during maturity, and an analysis of endocrine gland weights and adenohypophyseal morphology was performed on preweanling rats. When compared with controls, growth was abnormal for VMH rats after 50–80 days of age. Bilateral preweanling females displayed elevated body weights, normal body lengths, and elevated Lee indices, while bilateral preweanling males had normal body weights, stunted linear growth, and elevated Lee indices. Postweanling VMH rats exhibited elevated body weights and elevated Lee indices; however, postweanling VMH males displayed augmented linear growth. VMH rats were normophagic and demonstrated finickiness to taste-aversive fluids. Endocrine gland analysis revealed that preweanling VMH males had neuroendocrine deficits related to somatotrophic hormone (low pituitary weight, decreased adenohypophyseal acidophils), while female VMH rats had neuroendocrine pathology related to metabolic dysfunction (all gland weights were low, decreased adenohypophyseal basophil size).
MUTANTS OF DIPLOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE THAT LACK DEOXYRIBONUCLEASES AND OTHER ACTIVITIES POSSIBLY PERTINENT TO GENETIC TRANSFORMATION.

Mutants of Diplococcus pneumoniae that lacked the two major deoxyribonucleases of the cell—one an endonuclease, the other an exonuclease preferentially active on native deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)—were obtained. The development of a method for detecting mutant colonies, based on the binding of methyl green to DNA, facilitated isolation of the mutants. Neither enzyme was essential for growth of the cells, for repair of ultraviolet damage, or for any phase of DNA-mediated transformation. Residual deoxyribonuclease activity in the double mutant corresponded to an exonuclease, approximately one-fifth as active as the major exonuclease, that attacked native and denatured DNA equally well. This activity appeared to be associated with the DNA-polymerase enzyme. A mutant that apparently lacked a cell wall lytic enzyme was also fully transformable. A mutant strain that was four times more sensitive to ultraviolet light than the wild type also transformed normally. Recipient cells of this strain were deficient in the repair of ultraviolet-irradiated transforming DNA. Mutants were found which, unlike the wild type, integrated donor markers only with high efficiency, thereby indicating that a particular cellular component that is susceptible to loss by mutation, such as an enzyme, is responsible for low integration efficiency. Images
The Perceptions of Kindergarten Teachers on Retention

Abstract The perceptions of 37 kindergarten teachers on kindergarten student retention as an intervention were examined. The major goals of the study were to: 1) identify kindergarten teachers' perceptions of retention, 2) examine differences in reported perceptions of kindergarten student retention as an intervention by certified versus noncertified teachers, and 3) investigate teachers' perceptions of retention as a function of teaching experience. Using the sequential-exploratory design method, participants perceived kindergarten retention as a necessary intervention tool. Perceptions of retention by kindergarten teachers appear to vary as a function of teaching experience and between certifed and noncertifed teachers.
Strontium-isotopic signatures reflect an origin of dolomite by fresh-water effluent: The pine plains formation (Wappinger Group, Cambrian) of southeastern New York

Dolostones of the Pine Plains Formation of Late Cambrian age from a continental margin of the Appalachian Basin formed in a peritidal setting. The strontium-isotopic signature of this hypersaline dolostone shows that the waters responsible for precipitating this dolomite were fresh-water effluents derived from a granitic continental crust. In interbedded black dolostones of reducing or anoxic setting the carbon-isotopic ratio shows enrichment in the lighter isotope. In the absence of land plants such13C depletions indicate that photosynthetic communities, such as fresh-water, terrestrial or soil cyanobacteria or bacteria were present. If δ13C reflects depositional conditions, so should the strontium-isotopic composition. Cambrian sea water was not intimately involved in precipitating this dolomite. Dolomite formed by fresh-water effluent under conditions of low stand of sea level. An alternative interpretation is that the original isotopic composition of the marine dolomite was not retained, and that the elevated strontium-isotope composition reflects fabric-retentive replacement of precursor dolomite in a meteoric fluid system. The studied dolostones exhibit the highest87Sr/86Sr ratios ever reported in Paleozoic carbonate deposits.
Pharmacotherapy of Major Depressive Disorder: Focus on Desvenlafaxine Succinate

The newest antidepressant, desvenlafaxine (DVS) was approved by the FDA in early 2008 and since then, has been available in the market for general use. DVS is dual acting, a serotonin-norepinepherine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). Like its parent compound, venlafaxine (VEN), DVS inhibits the neuronal re-uptake of both serotonin and norepinepherine while having minimal affinity for muscarinic cholinergic, H1-histaminergic, alpha1-adrenergic and opioid receptors. DVS is moderately effective for MDD at doses ranging from 100–400 milligrams per day. Its possible advantage is its lower risk of drug-drug interaction. There is no extant evidence that it is especially effective over and above the other existing antidepressants. Its niche will be defined by time but one speculation, given preliminary but un-replicated proof of its efficacy in vasomotor instability in peri-menopause, is that it may have a future utility for depressed women entering menopause.
Complexity, combinatorial group theory and the language of palutators

Abstract After a brief survey of the known results about group languages, we prove that many of the familiar classes of groups have word problems whose complexity is linear time. We also consider the complexity of extensions and HNN extensions. Finally, in an attempt to find languages that have complexity which is greater than linear time, we discuss the language of palutators, where a palutator is defined as a generalization of a palindrome and a commutator.
Relation of degree of physical activity to coronary artery calcium score in asymptomatic individuals with multiple metabolic risk factors

Lack of physical activity (PA) increases risk of coronary heart disease. Metabolic risk factors increase the risk of coronary heart disease and development of advanced coronary artery calcium (CAC). We hypothesized that, in a population with multiple metabolic risk factors (> or =2), the degree of PA would be inversely associated with the degree and prevalence of CAC. After excluding subjects who had known diabetes and coronary heart disease, we studied 779 asymptomatic patients referred for electron beam tomography. All patients had > or =2 of the following metabolic risk factors: blood pressure > 130/85 mm Hg, serum triglycerides >150 mg/dl, serum high-density lipoprotein 30 kg/m(2). Advanced CAC was defined as a calcium score >75th percentile based on gender and age. In the study, 37% patients were sedentary, 26% engaged in moderate-duration ( or =30 minutes > or =3 times/week) PA. The median CAC scores were 24 (sedentary), 18 (moderate PA), and 11 (long-duration PA; p or =2 metabolic risk factors and who regularly engage in long-duration PA have a lower prevalence of CAC than do those who are sedentary or participate in moderate-duration PA.