cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ERYTHROCYTE FATTY ACID COMPOSITION AND APPARENT PERMEABILITY TO NON-ELECTROLYTES.

SummaryVariations in the nature of the dietary fat resulted in changes in the mixed fatty acid composition of rat erythrocytes. An increase in linoleate content of the diet led to an increased cellular linoleate and arachidonate content whereas diets deficient in linoleate resulted in accumulation of palmitoleic, oleic and eicosatrienoic acids. The changes in cellular essential fatty acids were accompanied by changes in the apparent permeability of the erythrocytes, as measured by rate of hemolysis of the cells in isotonic solutions of non-electrolytes. Increasing levels of cellular essential fatty acids resulted in decreases in hemolysis rates of the erythrocytes. The relationship between the relative rate of hemolysis in isotonic glycerol and the concentration of essential fatty acids was approximately linear. An attempt has been made to correlate the increased hemolysis of the cells from the deficient rats with the changes in fatty acid composition and the possible modification of the phosphatide struc...
Race Backwards: Genes, Violence, Race and Genocide

This article discusses recent highly criticized National violence initiatives and behavioral interventions. These interventions include drug therapy and psychosurgery aimed at preventing later adult violence. The article provides an overview of the roots of eugenic violence. It charges that science is being misused to justify racism at the highest levels of government. A case is made that by failing to factor in socio-economic causes of violence black and brown youth, and despised and persecuted minorities are targets for experimentation. Strategies for preventing black genocide are offered.
Conference Presentation Characteristics of Studies Published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine

Background:Previous studies have determined the percentage of studies presented at national orthopaedic surgery meetings that are eventually published in peer-reviewed journals.Purpose:To determine the proportion of articles in The American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM) that are presented at national or international meetings.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiology study.Methods:The AJSM archive of 2014 online issues was searched. All original research articles were searched for corresponding presentations as listed at the beginning of the manuscript. An email was sent to the corresponding author of all articles, including those with a presentation listed. Corresponding authors were asked if the published study was presented at a national or international meeting and, if so, at which meeting and year the study was presented. If the study was not presented at a national meeting, the corresponding author was asked why this was the case.Results:A total of 315 articles met the inclusion criteria. Presentati...
Structured Tumult: A Review Forum for Robert L. Bettinger's Book, Orderly Anarchy: Sociopolitical Evolution in Aboriginal California

Select at random an issue of American Antiquity from the past 15 years. Chances are good that you will find at least one article or report in the table of contents that focuses on the archaeology o...
Hypothermia During Infant Cystoscopy

AbstractTwo cases of hypothermia during prolonged infancy cystoscopy are reported. A significant decrease in the core temperature also was noted when irrigating the bladders of small mongrel dogs with room temperature water. The complications of infant hypothermia are reviewed and the factors that predispose the infant to acute changes in body temperature are emphasized. The measures of maintaining the core temperature in the pediatric surgical patient are discussed and particular situations when prolonged cystoscopy may occur, necessitating warming of irrigation fluids, are presented.
Surgical Management of Acutely Ruptured Arteriovenous Malformations

This chapter describes the surgical management of acutely ruptured arteriovenous malformations (AVM). Modern treatment of many AVMs has become successful and safe because of the technical advances that include the application of high-quality angiography, the operating microscope, bipolar cauterization, endovascular embolization, and stereotactic radiosurgery. AVMs have three structural components that include a core of dysplastic vessels (nidus), feeding arteries, and draining veins. The nidus is a tangle of abnormal vessels that connect arteries directly to veins without intervening capillaries. This absence of capillaries produces a low resistance, high-flow shunt for blood through the AVM that dilates feeding arteries and thickens the walls of draining veins. Treatment risk is affected by the malformation's size and location, the number and distribution of feeding arteries, the pattern of venous drainage, the amount of flow through the AVM, and the amount of cerebral steal from adjacent normal brain. Many of these factors are interrelated, allowing a grading system based on a few important variables. For those patients presenting with symptoms of an intracerebral hematoma from a ruptured small AVM, surgery of both lesions may be relatively easy and indicated. With technically difficult AVMs, definitive resection can be delayed for some weeks after clot removal to permit medical stabilization and some neurological recovery.
Chapter 7 Soft Tissue Response to Silicones

Although the term ’silicone’ refers to a group of organic silicone compounds, the one most commonly used in medicine is composed of a polymer known as dimethypolysiloxane (DMPS). In silicone gel the polymer is cross-linked; the more cross-linking, the more solid is the gel. Liquid silicone consists of glucose-linked DMPS polymer chains. Silicones first became commercially available in 1943, with the first subdermal implantation of silicone occurring in the late 1940s [1–3]. Silicones have since been developed for a wide variety of medical applications, most notably in joint and breast prostheses.
The Science of Educating the Body

(1937). The Science of Educating the Body. The Journal of Health and Physical Education: Vol. 8, No. 6, pp. 345-390.
Petrographic Studies in Extraterrestrial Explorations

The paper opens with a brief summary of those aspects of terrestrial petrology which are used in extraterrestrial exploration. Lunar petrological considerations in the light of both the volcanic and the impact theories for formation of lunar surface features are summarized. The significance of physical, crystallographic, and other properties;which provide useful data to the petrographer are pointed out in order to indicate the advisability of including such instruments as a petrographic microscope system on early soft landing, unmanned spacecraft.
Operation of a megawatt 110 GHz gyrotron with an internal mode converter

High frequency gyrotrons suitable for heating fusion plasmas are presently being investigated at MIT. In tests with a conventional tapered cavity, powers up to 0.84 MW were obtained in the TE/sub 23,6,1/ mode at 113.2 GHz, for an efficiency of 23%. It was found that the most severe mode competition was with other azimuthal TE modes. In later experiments, a mode converter that produces a Gaussian output rf beam was added inside the gyrotron. Diode scans of the output beam indicated that a high quality Gaussian beam of the correct dimensions was produced. >
Light-Scattering Measurements and Chemical Analysis of Suspended Matter in the Near-Bottom Nepheloid Layer of the Gulf of Mexico

The mass and chemical composition of suspended material in three near-bottom profiles in the Gulf of Mexico and in one profile in the Caribbean show a definite relationship to light scattering as measured by an Ewing-Thorndike nephelometer. For the Gulf of Mexico profiles, an increase in light scattering from about 300–700 above the bottom indicates a near-bottom nepheloid layer. In this layer, at about 100–200 m above the bottom, the concentrations of particulate aluminum, silicon, iron and organic carbon generally increased from 2 to 6 times over their respective concentrations at mid-depth. Constant and low light-scattering values and suspended matter concentrations at one station indicate that no near-bottom nepheloid layer is found in the Yucatan Basin of the Caribbean.
Kawabata's views of language and the postwar construction of a literary genealogy

This paper shows the ways in which, in the immediate post-war period (1945–1951), Kawabata Yasunari (1899–1972) reflected on his earlier, pre-war literary career and re-envisioned his postwar liter...
Applied numerical methods in C

Major sources of errors in numerical methods polynomial interpolation solution of nonlinear equations numerical integration numerical differentiation numerical linear algebra computations of matrix Eigenvalues curve fitting to measured data initial value problems of ordinary differential equations elliptic partial differential equations parabolic partial differential equations hyperbolic differential equations.
The Long-Term Retention of Generalized Equivalence Classes

This experiment examined the retention of generalized equivalence classes. Seventeen subjects completed matching-to-sample training, in which two-element stimulus compounds were presented as sample stimuli, and an equivalence test, in which those compounds were separated and each element was tested separately for its entry into equivalence relations with the other stimuli. A generalization test was then conducted, in which dimensional variants (along the dimension of hue) of one member of each class were presented as sample stimuli on test trials for two generalized symmetry relations and one generalized equivalence relation. Equivalence and generalization retention tests were conducted for 8 subjects 2–3 months following their initial laboratory session. This experiment also employed a verbal protocol analysis, in which subjects’ overt verbal behavior was recorded during both experimental sessions and examined in light of subjects’ performances. More subjects demonstrated the retention of symmetry relations than within-compound or equivalence relations, and all subjects who showed the maintenance of equivalence and within-compound relations also showed the maintenance of symmetry relations. Generalized classes were shown to have remained stable over time for some subjects, while other subjects demonstrated the emergence of subject-defined generalized classes during the generalization retention test. Verbal protocol analyses showed that all subjects emitted a relatively greater frequency of verbal descriptions of stimulus relations under extinction testing situations than during training, and class-consistent names for generalized class-members appeared to be likely, but not necessary for the generalization of class membership.
When time is an implicit variable: An investigation of students’ ways of understanding graphing tasks

In this study, we investigate students’ ways of understanding graphing tasks involving quantitative relationships in which time functions as an implicit variable. Through task-based intervi...
MON-233 Effect of Weight Loss and Hormonal Suppression Alone and in Combination on Bioactive Gut and Ovarian Peptide Hormones in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

BACKGROUND: Serum peptide biomarkers are frequently abnormal in women with PCOS reflecting underlying reproductive and metabolic dysfunction. The effects of treatment on these biomarkers is poorly described. METHODS: We performed a secondary analysis on obese women with PCOS who had participated in a RCT(JCEM, PMID: 26401593) where they were randomized into a 16 wk intervention to either continuous oral contraceptives(OCP, EE 20 mcg/NETA 1 mg, N= 34), an intensive life style intervention with oral weight loss drugs(WL, either orlistat or sibutramine, N=31), or the combination of the two(COMB, N=29) with OGTT and DXA body composition determination. We hypothesized that the OCP treatment group would experience primarily a treatment related alteration in ovarian biomarkers (Follistatin(FS), Activin, Inhibin A and B), whereas the weight loss group would experience a treatment related change in gut hormones [IGF-1, IGFBP-2 and Oxyntomodulin(OXM)]. Hormones were measured using Ansh Labs assays at baseline and 16 wks. General linear models with correlated errors were used for within and between group comparisons. With the exception of Follistatin, IGF-1 and Inhibin B, hormonal data were log transformed due to non-normal distributions. RESULTS: Activin A and the Inhibins were suppressed significantly by OCP with no effect of WL alone. FS nearly doubled from baseline with OCP alone[mean difference(MD) = 3.3 ng/mL, 95% CI, 2.7 -3.9 ng/mL] or in COMB(MD=2.9 ng/mL, 95%CI, 2.3 -3.6 ng/mL), both significant compared with WL alone (both P < 0.001, where WL itself had no significant change at end vs baseline). By far the most profound and unexpected suppression occurred with OXM, where on OCP alone(median change from baseline= -75.4 pg/mL, P< .001) and COMB (median change from baseline= -21.9 pg/mL, P < .001) with no effect of WL alone. OCP significantly suppressed IGF-1 levels from baseline(MD=-44 pg/mL, 95% CI, -80 to-8 pg/mL) and WL significantly increased it(MD=42 pg/mL, 95% CI, 4 -80 pg/mL) leading to a significant between group difference(P=0.001) with COMB showing no within or between group change. This was paralleled by significant OCP suppression in IGFBP-2 levels from baseline(P=003) also noted in the COMB group(P =.03). There was a significant between group difference in IGFBP-2 on OCP and COMB vs WL alone. CONCLUSION: Bioactive peptides in obese women with PCOS are significantly modulated by common treatments, though not necessarily as expected. The novel and unexpected profound suppression of OXM by OCP could lead to increased weight gain through decreased OXM-mediated anorexia and energy expenditure (though mean weight in the OCP group was unchanged over the 16 weeks). Increased IGF-1 action with WL, despite weight loss and improved AUC glucose levels on OGTT, may be due to the significant tissue remodeling(less fat, increased lean/bone mass noted on follow-up DXA scan) with our lifestyle regimen.
Impact of Working Capital Management on Profitability and Value of Firm: A Study of Manufacturing Sector of Pakistan

Manufacturing is third largest sector of Pakistan's economy. The manufacturing firms convert raw material to finished goods that is useful for people. The whole process (raw material to end product) requires huge amount of working capital. Any anomaly in working capital management directly effects on performance, profitability and value of firm. The present study explores impact of working capital management on profitability as well as on value of firm. The study collects random sample of 30 manufacturing firms registered on Pakistan Stock Exchange for twelve years (2005 to 2016). The regression models were estimated using Generalized Method of Moments. The results showed profitability and value of firms decrease with increase in receivable and inventory turnover because delay in receivables or sale of inventory enhance financing needs for working capital. Liquidity contribute largely in increase profitability as compared to value of firm. However, some variables showed partial results for both models for example profitability increased with rise in growth and cash conversion cycle. Value of firm was decreased with delay in accounts payable turnover because it cased distrust of supplier and investors. We expected size will increase profitability and value but contrary results expressed decline in both. The reseach findings suggest firms in Pakistan should focus on efficient working capital management for better profitability and value addition of firm.
How to be a maker Time to get moving

Adding a motor makes things much more interesting, as Hannah Joshua demonstrates with a propeller-powered car
Estimation of short-term C-fixation in a New England temperate tidal freshwater wetland

Wetlands provide myriad ecosystem services, yet the C-cycling of vegetation within interior freshwater tidal wetlands remains poorly understood. To this end, we estimated species'-specific plant carbon-fixation rates for the six dominant wetland plant species in a large temperate freshwater wetland in Connecticut, USA. We integrated field C-fixation rates for dominant marsh plant species with satellite-derived leaf area index and wetland aerial extent data to: 1) quantify seasonal and species-level differences in wetland plant C-fixation rates; and 2) estimate whole-marsh emergent aquatic plant C-fixation rates over the growing season. Photosynthetic rates differed significantly by species and month (P < 0.05). Acorus calamus had the highest photosynthetic rate between May and September, and Acer saccharinum had the lowest. By integrating field photosynthetic data with wetland aerial extents, we estimated that the total annual C uptake by the vegetation in this wetland, which was 2868 Mg C. Herbaceous vegetation contributed to most of that stock (herbaceous vegetation = 2099.2 Mg C, forest = 769.6 Mg C), although soil respiration likely offset those numbers substantially. Our results demonstrate the importance of short-term above-ground freshwater wetland C-fixation, and that the emergent vegetative component of these wetland systems are key components of the tidal freshwater wetland C cycle.
Recent progress in fundamental understanding of halide perovskite semiconductors

Abstract The rapid progress in the field of organic–inorganic halide perovskite (OIHP) has led to not only >24% power conversion efficiency for photovoltaics, but also provided breakthroughs in processing of materials with tailored functional behavior. This ability to design and synthesize engineered OIHP materials has opened the possibility to develop various other optoelectronic applications. In addition to that of photovoltaics, this includes photodetector, laser, light emitting diode, X-ray and gamma detector, photocatalyst, memory, transducer, transistor, and more. At this stage, the emphasis is on fundamental understanding of the underlying physics and chemistry of OIHP materials, which will assist the evaluation of device performance and provide explanations for some of the contradictory results reported in literature. This review discusses the theoretical and experimental analysis of the OIHP materials reported from various sources and considers the chemical and structural origin of their unique optoelectronic properties, correlated microstructures, and newly discovered extraordinary properties. In the first few sections, we summarize and discuss the crystallography, chemical bonding, and substitutional effects, followed by the discussion of correlated photophysics including the optical, electronic, excitonic, charge transport, and ion migration characteristics. Next, we revisit and discuss the in-depth behavior of films with unique defect structure, structural disorder, morphology, and crystallization thermodynamics. Novel thermal-electrical-optical properties including ferroelectricity, hot-carrier contribution, spin-orbit coupling effect, terahertz time response, edge-state discovery, etc., are rationalized considering the results debated in the community. We elaborate on the opportunities and challenges regarding stability, toxicity, and hysteresis. The viewpoint on commercialization of OIHP based solar module is presented with the goal of identifying near-term opportunities. Throughout this review, the overarching goal is to provide a simplified explanation for the complex physical effects and mechanisms, underlying interconnections between different mechanisms, uncertainties reported in literature, and recent important theoretical and experimental discoveries.
Climate Triage: A Resources Trust to Address Inequality in a Climate-Changed World

Global climate change poses an existential threat to human civilization because it disrupts the supply of natural resources that provide basic life staples – water, food, and energy. If humankind is unable to adapt to a less abundant and less predictable supply of resources, then the effective scarcity will, as it often has in human history, lead to conflict. There is a chance, if greenhouse gas emissions can be sufficiently reduced to avoid the most serious consequences of climate change, that efficiency and sharing measures can make up for climate-induced shortfalls. Natural resources are not generally managed very efficiently, so large savings in production and consumption are possible. And humankind has demonstrated a surprising capacity to organize and cooperate to efficiently share resources, even in times of scarcity. However, a formidable obstacle stands in the way of such arrangements: economic inequality. Organic cooperation requires, if not homogeneity, a certain capacity to recognize and coalesce around a group interest. Sharp economic divisions are an anathema to such group coherence. This article proposes a proactive equalizing measure to address natural resource shortages before economic inequality can sabotage any cooperative or legislative action: the creation of a resources trust to act as a supplier of last resort in case of climate-induced scarcity. A resources trust would acquire rights, options, and other assets required to step in and supply basic life staples to ensure reasonable access for the vast majority of individuals in a jurisdiction. Without such an assurance, the pressure to take resources by force and to hoard them could be overwhelming. Hoarding would be the worst possible outcome, as it is grossly inefficient, unjust, and worst of all, self-reinforcing. The nature of hoarding is such that it exacerbates itself, creating ever-stronger incentives to hoard, so that once started, it becomes extremely difficult to stop. Hoarding in a climate-changed future would be the final dystopic word on inequality, as a small number of individuals hunker down and defend themselves against desperate masses.
Development of Vision Rehabilitation Services for Older People who are Visually Impaired: A Historical Perspective:

Using literature reviews, personal interviews, and personal knowledge, the authors review the development of services for older persons who are blind or visually impaired in the United States durin...
W-Band GaN IMPATT Diodes for High Power Millimeter-Wave Generation

The DC and large signal characteristics of a GaN IMPATT diode designed for operation at W-band are investigated using Sentaurus TCAD simulations. The impact ionization model for GaN is calibrated using measured impact ionization coefficients of both electrons and holes, and both field- and carrier-concentration dependent velocity-field relationships are considered for accurate simulation. Large signal simulation results show that the IMPATT diode design evaluated is capable of generating an output RF power larger than 1 MW/cm2 from 80 GHz to 120 GHz with an efficiency larger than 18%.
Increased AMP deaminase activity decreases ATP content and slows protein degradation in cultured skeletal muscle

Abstract Background Protein degradation is an energy-dependent process, requiring ATP at multiple steps. However, reports conflict as to the relationship between intracellular energetics and the rate of proteasome-mediated protein degradation. Methods To determine whether the concentration of the adenine nucleotide pool (ATP + ADP + AMP) affects protein degradation in muscle cells, we overexpressed an AMP degrading enzyme, AMP deaminase 3 (AMPD3), via adenovirus in C2C12 myotubes. Results Overexpression of AMPD3 resulted in a dose- and time-dependent reduction of total adenine nucleotides (ATP, ADP and AMP) without increasing the ADP/ATP or AMP/ATP ratios. In agreement, the reduction of total adenine nucleotide concentration did not result in increased Thr172 phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a common indicator of intracellular energetic state. Furthermore, LC3 protein accumulation and ULK1 (Ser 555) phosphorylation were not induced. However, overall protein degradation and ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis were slowed by overexpression of AMPD3, despite unchanged content of several proteasome subunit proteins and proteasome activity in vitro under standard conditions. Conclusions Altogether, these findings indicate that a physiologically relevant decrease in ATP content, without a concomitant increase in ADP or AMP, is sufficient to decrease the rate of protein degradation and activity of the ubiquitin-proteasome system in muscle cells. This suggests that adenine nucleotide degrading enzymes, such as AMPD3, may be a viable target to control muscle protein degradation and perhaps muscle mass.
Linguistic Fingerprints of Internet Censorship: The Case of Sina Weibo

This paper studies how the linguistic components of blogposts collected from Sina Weibo, a Chinese microblogging platform, might affect the blogposts' likelihood of being censored. Our results go along with King et al. (2013)'s Collective Action Potential (CAP) theory, which states that a blogpost's potential of causing riot or assembly in real life is the key determinant of it getting censored. Although there is not a definitive measure of this construct, the linguistic features that we identify as discriminatory go along with the CAP theory. We build a classifier that significantly outperforms non-expert humans in predicting whether a blogpost will be censored. The crowdsourcing results suggest that while humans tend to see censored blogposts as more controversial and more likely to trigger action in real life than the uncensored counterparts, they in general cannot make a better guess than our model when it comes to ‘reading the mind’ of the censors in deciding whether a blogpost should be censored. We do not claim that censorship is only determined by the linguistic features. There are many other factors contributing to censorship decisions. The focus of the present paper is on the linguistic form of blogposts. Our work suggests that it is possible to use linguistic properties of social media posts to automatically predict if they are going to be censored.
Evidence for endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in human brain arteriovenous malformations.

Background Brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are rare, potentially devastating cerebrovascular lesions that can occur in both children and adults. AVMs are largely sporadic and the basic disease biology remains unclear, limiting advances in both detection and treatment. This study aimed to investigate human brain AVMs for endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), a process recently implicated in cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs). Methods We used 29 paraffin-embedded and 13 fresh/frozen human brain AVM samples to profile expression of panels of EndMT-associated proteins and RNAs. CCMs, a cerebrovascular disease also characterized by abnormal vasculature, were used as a primary comparison, given that EndMT specifically contributes to CCM disease biology. AVM-derived cell lines were isolated from three fresh, surgical AVM samples and characterized by protein expression. Results We observed high collagen deposition, high PAI-1 expression, and expression of EndMT-associated transcription factors such as KLF4, SNAI1, and SNAI2 and mesenchymal-associated markers such as VIM, ACTA2, and S100A4. SMAD-dependent TGF-β signaling was not strongly activated in AVMs and this pathway may be only partially involved in mediating EndMT. Using serum-free culture conditions, we isolated myofibroblast-like cell populations from AVMs that expressed a unique range of proteins associated with mature cell types and with EndMT. Conditioned medium from these cells led to increased proliferation of HUVECs and SMCs. Conclusions Collectively, our results suggest a role for EndMT in AVM disease. This may lead to new avenues for disease models to further our understanding of disease mechanisms, and to the development of improved diagnostics and therapeutics.
How to Use a Teaching Script to Deliver a Chalk Talk

The previous chapter provided tips on creating teaching scripts. This chapter describes best practices in using these teaching scripts to provide excellent clinical teaching. Many of the principles provided here are applicable to any teaching scenario, but we have provided examples to illustrate how they are applicable to chalk talks in particular.
The Selden Map of China: A New Understanding of the Ming Dynasty, by Hongping Annie Nie.: Oxford: Bodleian Library, 2019. ISBN 978-1-85124-524-6. Pp. 74, illus. STG £20.00, US $30.00 (cloth).

Well over a decade ago, the oldest known maritime merchant map of East Asia, the Selden Map of China formerly owned by the English jurist John Selden (1584–1654), was rediscovered. Declared one of ...
Quantitative analysis of trimethyl amine in cotton fabrics cationized with 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride

Cationization of cotton fabrics was performed utilizing 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride (CHPTAC) in a cold pad batch procedure. Cotton fabrics were cationized at three levels 2.11, 4.23, and 8.45 % on weight of fabric of CHPTAC. Different neutralization schemes were employed on each cationization level to determine the effect of pH and process parameters on minimizing the amount of free trimethyl amine (TMA) in cationized cotton. Employing a solvent extraction method and gas chromatography/flame ionization detection (GC/FID), TMA was extracted and determined in parts per million (ppm) from the neutralized and sealed and aged cationized fabric. The results show that it is straightforward to quantify the concentration of TMA in cationized fabric and that the lowest levels of TMA in cationized cotton are achieved with by an initial warm rinse to remove excess sodium hydroxide, followed by acidification bath to achieve an acidic pH, and ending with a subsequent cold final rinse.
Atomic Excitation in Dense Plasmas

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses how to examine atomic collisions in a dense plasma environment. Knowing how plasma responds to an electromagnetic disturbance is basic to developing a model of atomic collisions in high-density plasma environments. The calculation of microfields in electron–ion plasmas is complicated by the disparity of response frequencies. The “low-frequency” microfields arising from the ions have distributions with weaker average fields, because the more mobile electrons tend to localize about, and shield, individual ions. Because the correlation time among ions greatly exceeds that among electrons, the quasi-static ionic microfield causes the basis states of an ion in plasma to be admixtures of (shifted) states of the isolated ion. In the special case of a central potential, the mixing is described exactly by coefficients of the transformation from spherical to parabolic coordinate eigenstates.
Importance of Intermolecular Hydrogen — Hydrogen and Hydrogen — Anion Contacts for the Lattice Softness and the Superconductivity of β-(ET) 2 X (X − = I 3 − , AuI 2 − , IBr 2 −

Organic donor molecule ET, 1, yields ambient-pressure superconductors β-(ET)2X (X− = I3−, AuI2−, IBr2−).
Drugs of abuse and stress increase the expression of GluR1 and NMDAR1 glutamate receptor subunits in the rat ventral tegmental area: common adaptations among cross-sensitizing agents

Behavioral and electrophysiological evidence suggests that glutamatergic neurotransmission plays an important role in some of the long-term effects of cocaine and other drugs of abuse on brain function. We therefore examined the effect of repeated cocaine treatment on glutamate receptor subunit expression in central dopamine (DA) pathways implicated in many of cocaine's behavioral actions. By immunoblotting procedures using subunit-specific antibodies, we found that repeated, but not acute, cocaine treatment increased the levels of immunoreactivity of GluR1 (an AMPA receptor subunit) and NMDAR1 (an NMDA receptor subunit) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a nucleus containing mesolimbic DA neurons. In contrast, chronic cocaine treatment did not alter levels of GluR2 (an AMPA receptor subunit), NMDA2A/B (NMDA receptor subunits), or GluR6/7 (kainate receptor subunits) in this brain region. Moreover, GluR1 and NMDAR1 levels were not regulated in other regions of the mesolimbic or nigrostriatal DA pathways, including the substantia nigra. Because several drugs of abuse and stress can elicit common and cross-sensitizing effects on mesolimbic DA function, we next examined whether repeated morphine and stress treatments would regulate these proteins similarly in the VTA. Although morphine delivered by subcutaneous pellet implantation had no significant effect on subunit levels, morphine delivered intermittently by subcutaneous injections of escalating doses elevated GluR1 levels in the VTA. Repeated restraint stress also paradigm (2 stressors/d under variable conditions) increased both GluR1 and NMDAR1 levels in this brain region. Unlike cocaine, morphine, and stress, repeated treatment with other psychotropic drugs (haloperidol, raclopride, sertraline, and desipramine) that lack reinforcing or sensitizing properties did not regulate GluR1 or NMDAR1 subunit levels in the VTA. Increased glutamate receptor subunit expression in the VTA may represent an important molecular mechanism by which drugs of abuse and stress exert common, long-term effects on mesolimbic DA function.
An agarose-based cloning-ring anchoring method for isolation of viable cell clones.

Isolation of clonal cell populations is a crucial aspect of cell biology during engineering of specific cell strains with both genotypic and phenotypic variations. The use of cloning rings is the most established method, but requires anchoring chemicals or material that can often interfere with quantitative clonal-cell isolation and causes physical damage to the cells. Here we report a non-toxic, cell culture–compatible method that uses agarose for embedding the cloning rings during isolation of cell clones from monolayer cultures, with enhanced cell-viability and reproducibility during downstream applications. The method is simple and rapid, minimizing the chances for desiccation or cross-contamination during colony-lifts.
Cell death in normal and rough eye mutants of Drosophila

The regular, reiterated cellular pattern of the Drosophila compound eye makes it a sensitive amplifier of defects in cell death. Quantitative and histological methods reveal a phase of cell death between 35 and 50 h of development which removes between 2 and 3 surplus cells per ommatidium. The timing of this epoch is consistent with cell death as the last fate to be specified in the progressive sequence of cell fates that build the ommatidium. An ultrastructural survey of cell death suggests dying cells in the fly eye have similarities as well as differences with standard descriptions of programmed cell death. A failure of cell death to remove surplus cells disorganizes the retinal lattice. A screen of rough eye mutants identifies two genes, roughest and echinus, required for the normal elimination of cells from the retinal epithelium. The use of an enhancer trap as a cell lineage marker shows that the cone cells, like other retinal cells, are not clonally related to each other or to their neighbors.
Causes and Timing of Death in Patients With ARDS

Background Since the early 1980s, case fatality of patients with ARDS has decreased, and explanations are unclear Design and methods Using identical definitions of ARDS and organ failure, we analyzed consecutive cohorts of patients meeting syndrome criteria at our institution in 1982 (n = 46), 1990 (n = 112), 1994 (n = 99), and 1998 (n = 205) to determine causes and timing of death Results Overall case fatality has decreased from 68% in 1981–1982 to a low of 29% in 1996, plateauing since the mid-1990s (p = 0.001 for trend). Sepsis syndrome with multiple organ failure remains the most common cause of death (30 to 50%), while respiratory failure causes a small percentage (13 to 19%) of deaths. The distribution of causes of death has not changed over time. There was no change in the timing of death during the study periods: 26 to 44% of deaths occurred early ( 72 h after ARDS onset). However, the increased survival over the past 2 decades is entirely accounted for by patients who present with trauma and other risk factors for their ARDS, while survival for those patients whose risk factor is sepsis has not changed. Additionally, withdrawal of life support in these patients is now occurring at our institution significantly more frequently than in the past, and median time until death has decreased in patients who have support withdrawn Conclusions While these results do not explain the overall case fatality decline in ARDS, they do indicate that sepsis syndrome remains the leading cause of death and suggest that future therapies to improve survival be targeted at reducing the complications of sepsis
Changes in Social and Academic Integration in Freshmen of High and Average Ability: Implications for Retention

The authors examine the relationship between retention and changes in freshmen's perspectives on social and academic issues. Using data collected from a student questionnaire administered at the be...
The education of medical students: sounds, alarums, and excursions.

The core of good doctoring--what everyone must learn in medical school--is a set of behaviors that link the physician's professional, scholarly, and personal preparation with patients and society. Five general criticisms concern the academic medicine community. These criticisms concern the complexity of the health care system; the difficulty of integrating advances in science and technology into medicine; ethics; the doctor-patient relationship; and the importance of the individual student. Several medical schools use innovative curricula and organization in responding to these concerns, and other schools should study the assessments of these efforts and borrow anything useful. The problems of cost, access, and quality of care in the U.S. system are not primarily the fault of academic medicine and cannot be solved readily by it, but medical education can contribute to the solutions by preparing students to engage the problems.
The Chemical Evolution of QSOs and the Implications for Cosmology and Galaxy Formation

We examine the chemical evolution of QSO broad-line gas by applying spectral synthesis and chemical enrichment models to the N V/C IV and N V/He II emission-line ratios. The models indicate that BLR metallicities are typically ∼1 to perhaps ≥10 times solar. The enrichment must occur in ≤1 Gyr for sources where the redshift is ≥3 (if q 0 =1/2). The higher metallicity QSOs require star formation favoring massive stars (compared to the Galactic disk). These results imply that extensive evolution usually occurs before the QSOs become observable. Our models of the evolution are equivalent to models proposed for elliptical galaxies and for the bulges of disk galaxies. We conclude that the QSO phenomenon is preceded by vigorous star formation, exactly like that expected in massive, young galactic nuclei
Regulation of vascular tone, molecular mechanisms

Abstract The goal of this survey was to review briefly the molecular mechanisms that regulate vascular smooth muscle function. Components of the machinery involved in the contraction and relaxation of vascular smooth muscle include the following. Contractile proteins . The force generated by vascular smooth muscle is the result of thin (actin) and thick (myosin) filaments being pulled by one another so that the cell tends to shorten. The processes by which this intereaction is regulated are a matter of some debate. However, most observations indicate that the process that initiates contraction is a calcium-dependent phosphorylation of the myosin light chain. Cellular sites for the regulation of myoplasmic calcium concentration . The final event that initiates the contractile process is an increase in the intracellular concentration of ionized calcium. Cellular sites that may contribute to the raising and lowering of ionized calcium include the following: (A) cell membrane, (B) sarcoplasmic reticulum, and (C) mitochondria. Membrane electrical events . The electrical state of the cell membrane influences contractile responses of vascular smooth muscle. Over the physiologic range, an elevation in the membrane potential has a reciprocal influence on muscle excitability. The membrane potential is the sum of the diffusion potentials and the electrogenic pump. Excitation-contraction coupling . The excitatory events of the cell membrane (changes in membrane potential and the generation of action potentials) are coupled to the interaction of the contractile proteins by an increase in myoplasmic ionized calcium. Cyclic nucleotides and calcium . Cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP may link contraction and relaxation to the release and uptake of activator calcium by subcellular organelles. These nucleotides also influence the level of phosphorylation of the myosin light chain. Energy metabolism and hypoxia . The chemical energy source for cellular processes in vascular smooth muscle is ATP. Vascular tone, or maintenance of a contractile force, in this muscle is a relatively efficient process that may reflect a special noncycling link between myosin and actin. Current evidence suggests that hypoxic conditions influence vascular tone by altering the activity of the electrogenic sodium pump. This listing of statements is by no means the final word in molecular mechanisms that govern vascular tone. Indeed, vascular smooth muscle remains to be a constant source of surprises for the interested investigator.
Essential dimension lowering mappings having dense deficiency set

Two classes of surjective maps f: Sm -S' that are one-to-one over the image of a dense set are constructed. We show that for m, n > 3 there is a monotone surjection f: Sm -* Sn that is one-to-one over the image of a dense set; and for 3 < n < m < 2n 3, each element of 7rm(Sn) can be represented as a monotone surjection f: Sm -* Sn that is one-to-one over the image of a dense set.
Learner articulation in an immersive visualization environment

Learner articulation, described variously in the literature on cognition and instruction as self-explanation or self-directed generative summarization, contributes to new learning through the process of combining ideas in the course of expressing them. In this observational study, we examined movement, gesture and verbal explanation as 14 undergraduate engineering students explored in an immersive visualization display to understand concepts in basic fluid dynamics. Data from user videos, interviews, and a 3-D graphical tracking tool were analyzed. Approach, observational, and perspectival 'moves' were in evidence to support articulation. Students' dietic, iconic and metaphoric gestures combined with their verbalizations to achieve generative articulations regarding the content. Accuracy of articulations and system features remains an open question.
The threat of obsolescence: teaching and learning responding to technology

The ramifications of an ever-changing technological landscape on classroom practice, scholarly pursuits and education policy can hardly be ignored by scholars interested in the intersection between...
The structural, optical, and electrical properties of vacuum evaporated Cu-doped ZnTe polycrystalline thin films

We have studied the structural, optical, and electrical properties of thermally evaporated, Cu-doped, ZnTe thin films as a function of Cu concentration and post-deposition annealing temperature. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that the ZnTe films evaporated on room temperature substrates were characterized by an average grain size of 300A with a (111) preferred orientation. Optical absorption measurements yielded a bandgap of 2.21 eV for undoped ZnTe. A bandgap shrinkage was observed for the Cu-doped films. The dark resistivity of the as-deposited ZnTe decreased by more than three orders of magnitude as the Cu concentration was increased from 4 to 8 at.% and decreased to less than 1 ohm-cm after annealing at 260°C. For films doped with 6–7 at.% Cu, an increase of resistivity was also observed during annealing at 150–200°C. The activation energy of the dark conductivity was measured as a function of Cu concentration and annealing temperature. Hall measurements yielded hole mobility values in the range between 0.1 and 1 cm2/V·s for both as-deposited and annealed films. Solar cells with a CdS/CdTe/ZnTe/metal structure were fabricated using Cudoped ZnTe as a back contact layer on electrodeposited CdTe. Fill factors approaching 0.75 and energy conversion efficiencies as high as 12.1% were obtained.
The Apert hand--angiographic planning of a single-stage, 5-digit release for all classes of deformity.

Purpose To demonstrate the utility of computed tomography angiographic planning of a single-stage, complete release of syndactyly in Apert syndrome. Methods Computed tomography angiograms were performed as a preoperative planning tool in 6 patients. Five came to surgery. All had a single-stage operation for complete release of their syndactyly. Results Five patients, ranging from Upton type 1 to type 3 Apert hand deformities, have had preoperative computed tomography angiography that delineated the vascular anatomy. This allowed planning and execution of a single-stage syndactyly release in all patients. The preoperative imaging identified noteworthy abnormalities in vascular anatomy that were incorporated into surgical planning. Conclusions The protocol presented allows preoperative planning and single-stage operation for complete release of syndactyly in patients with Apert syndrome.
Academic perceptions: Ethics in the Information Systems discipline

This study obtained data about faculty attitudes on the ethical propriety of and estimated involvement with 38 activities. A questionnaire, mailed to 480 randomly selected Information Systems (IS) academicians provided insights into the ethical standards held by IS faculty. Several attitudinal differences, based upon individual and institutional demographic characteristics were identified. The most discriminating individual characteristic explaining differences in faculty attitudes was appointment level. The IS major at the graduate level explained more differences in attitude and more critical attitudes than any other factor.
Recent developments in polymer characterisation by dynamic mechanical analysis

Abstract Examples are given to illustrate the improvements in the Du Pont dynamic mechanical analyser used in conjunction with the Du Pont 1090 thermal analysis system. New techniques and capabilities are discussed and details of the new features are given.
Assessing risk for completed suicide in patients with alcohol dependence: Clinicians' views of critical factors

The assessment of potential for suicide among patients with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence has consistently been a dilemma for clinicians. Specifically, a problem for both clinicians and researchers has been determining what risk factors distinguish patients with suicidal ideation from those that are in danger of completed suicide. Identifying what clinicians who specialize in substance abuse view as critical in the assessment and treatment of suicidal patients is a first step in gaining a greater understanding of suicide risk within an alcoholic population. The views of these clinicians are presented and compared with empirical findings on the subject.
Methods development for high-speed preparative liquid chromatography

The purpose of this paper is to specify the procedural steps involved in the purification and collection of a material using the techniques of high-speed liquid chromatography. Three practical examples are used with methyl-1,1-(spirocyclopropyl)-indene, linalyl acetate and cholesteryl phenylacetate as the samples.